In the case of blues, it may be two doors.
The closing door is the Pocono Blues Festival, held for the last 19 years at the Jack Frost/Big Boulder Ski Area in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.
In December, Jack Frost Big Boulder announced it was discontinuing all off-season festivals, including the blues festival, because the current economic climate made it necessary for the company to “focus on the primary business of winter sport.” The company also let go Michael Cloeren, a 20-year employee who had managed the Pocono festival since 1992 and launched one in Vermont in 2009.
Cloeren has opened one of the new doors by partnering with another Pocono resort, Blue Mountain Ski Area of Palmerton, Pennsylvania to create an all-new two-day blues festival they are calling the Pennsylvania Blues Festival. Shemekia Copeland and Bettye Lavette are already on board for the event, scheduled for Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31, Cloeren said. Like the Pocono Blues Festival, the new event will also feature vendors—food and otherwise—as well as ski lift rides, he said.
Virgin Islands music promoter Steve Simon is opening the other door through Bluestock, a three-day event scheduled to take place August 26-28 at Hunter Mountain in New York State—about 20 minutes from Woodstock, near the site of the famous 1969 rock, which adopted its name from the town.
Simon, known for sending Copeland, Zac Harmon, and other musicians to entertain troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan on the “Bluzapalooza” tour, said he attended the original Woodstock. That experience, plus “Mountain Jam,” an annual three-day rock and jam band festival held since 2005 on Hunter Mountain that over the years has featured Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Gov’t Mule, Dave Mason and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, among others, inspired him to launch the new event.
Simon is co-producing the new festival with Mountain Jam’s producer, Radio Woodstock, a multi-media company that includes Woodstock’s local station, 100.1 WDST along with two internet stations.
“This is going to be three days of love, peace and blues with some of the biggest names in the business as well as up and coming talent,” Simon said.
Among the performers:
• Buddy Guy
• Elvin Bishop
• Tommy Castro & the LRBR (featuring keyboardist and saxophone player Deanna Bogart)
• Tab Benoit
• Ronnie Baker Brooks
• Curtis Salgado
• Zac Harmon
• Bob Margolin and Matt Hill
• The Reba Russell Band
• Aaron Moreland and Dustin Arbuckle
• The Alexis P. Suter Band
• Trampled Under Foot
• Bruce Katz
• Albert Cummings
Simon promises that the music won’t stop when the event's two stages shut down for the night but will continue well into the morning at a "blues club." Non-musical amenities include crafts and gourmet food and beverages, among other items. There will also be an RV camping area.
Don't yet know about prices for either event: keep your eyes on the Internet. Bluestock has a website at at http://www.bluestock.com/
For us D.C./Baltimore area folks, singer Nadine Rae and the Allstars will be performing at Baltimore's World Famous Lexington Market on Friday, February 11 and Saturday February 12. You know I've written a lot about Nadine and she puts on a great show. And the All-Stars are household names for music fans in the D.C.-Baltimore area and beyond...Dave Yvlisaker on keyboards, Ron Holloway on sax, Mike Pryor on bass and Andy Hamburger on drums. You can find the The Lexington Market at 400 W. Lexington Street (Lexington and Paca Streets) in Baltimore. The website is http://www.lexingtonmarket.com.
And here's the latest from Phoenix Arizona from harmonica player and guest writer Bob Corritore:
Off to Memphis for the IBCs! The International Blues Challenge is going on as we speak (it runs from February 1 to 5) with many bands from all over the world competing for a chance at great recognition in the blues community. It is a time when the blues community comes together to greet the up-and-coming artists that will be part of the future of this music. In addition to this event there are many side attractions such as the Keeping The Blues Alive awards presentations, Various showcases, a now famous jam after hours at the Rum Boogie hosted by Bob Margolin, and much networking. Blues societies, booking agents, labels, festivals, publications, photographers, and every possible blues industry type is in attendance, as well a multitude of fans who come to take part in this blues spectacle!
Chico Chism, The Reed Family, and Sam Moore to be inducted into the Arizona Musician's and Entertainer's Hall of Fame on Feb 13th! The Arizona Musicians and Entertainers Hall of Fame is now in it's 10th year, and on Feb 13th, it will host an induction ceremony to take place at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix. This year the inductees include three from the blues corner: Chico Chism, who was best known as Howlin' Wolf's last drummer, moved to Phoenix in 1986, and thrived as a blues performer and celebrity until his death in 2007, Sam Moore is best known as the Sam of Sam & Dave, the Stax and Atlantic Records soul sensation, and the Reed family which includes Francine, Margo, Michael, Bucko, Mellody, Laverne, and Girley have brought rich gospel, blues, soul and jazz vocal textures to the Phoenix area. Other non-blues inductees this year include Goose Creek Symphony, Dick Van Dyke, Tanya Tucker, JD's Nightclub, Billy Williams, Al McCoy, Dolan Ellis, and Marshall Trimble. During the presentation, Chico Chism will be honored with 2 of his songs being performed by Hans Olson and Bob Corritore. Chico Chism left his indelible mark on the Phoenix blues scene, and we will continue to honor his legacy.
RIP Blues Sister Jeannie Webster - July 17, 1941 - January 28, 2011. The sad news of the passing of the woman affectionately known as "Blues Sister Jeanie" comes to us from harmonicist Dave Berntson. Blues Sister Jeanie was based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was a loving mother figure to all blues artists, fans, and festivals, who she consistently went out of her way to support. She could often be found at the blues fesivals such as the King Biscuit Blues Festival and the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, volunteering for the cause. Here is an excerpt from David Berntson's obit; Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she listened to r&b music, enjoying songs by the likes of Hank Ballard, Fats Domino, Bill Doggett, and other great American artists. As a teenager, she could be found at live R & B shows, showing off the latest dance steps. Jeanie was a founding member of the Tulsa Blues Club, and later, the Blues Society of Tulsa, where she was a tireless volunteer in helping to promote blues events in Tulsa. She often came to shows with her sister Linda, and they soon had the nickname of the Blues Sisters. Jeanie’s husband, Arnold was always supportive as Jeanie’s love for blues spread from Tulsa across the country. Over the years, Jeanie traveled to and attended countless blues festivals, volunteering for blues societies throughout the country. She was gifted at staffing the poster signing table, making sure that every artist signed scores of posters. It was a tough job corralling road-weary blues artists, but Jeanie managed it with great wit and charm. Jeanie and Arnold welcomed many blues artists to their home as they passed through Tulsa. She would offer a home-cooked meal and a place to stay, providing a short respite to traveling blues performers. Through her good friendships with many blues artists, Jeanie built a world-class collection of blues memorabilia. Much of it can now be found at the Delta Cultural Center on Cherry Street, in downtown Helena, Arkansas. Jeanie’s down-home blues style and her love for the music and its people made her one of the grand ambassadors of the Blues. She is survived by Arnold, her husband of 44 years, 5 children, and many grandchildren.
And here is a link that will tell you the latest about one of my favorite blues festivals, the Briggs Farm festival in Nescopeck, PA:
Mark Your Calendars for 2011
Note: We did a fascinating (if I do say so myself) interview with Eddie Shaw's bass player, Lafayette "Shorty" Gilbert, back in September, 2009. You can find it on this blog. He had a lot of stories about Slim Harpo, Howlin' Wolf, and of course Eddie Shaw himself, and it's a great read.
Well, those are the latest Blues Points. People who have anything they want to post here should send it to Beldonsbluespoint@yahoo.com. We take stuff from any where in the world, even if we've never been there.
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