New CDs Dropping & Outdoor Festivals Moving

by B.J. Huchtemann

In addition to outdoor festivals on the move to escape the rising Missouri River waters, lots of CDs are hitting the market, both local and national.

This week saw the release of Hadden Sayers' great new disc HARD DOLLAR. Sample about half the CD's tracks and see a couple of cool videos produced for the launch at haddensayers.com. I've been a fan for a long time, but I think this is Sayers' best release to date. His guitar playing is stellar but he can keep it in the pocket too, so that when he lets loose with a guitar solo you are reminded again that he's a fine player. There's beauty, muscle and heart in this recording: lots of excellent guitar solos here along with Sayers' emotive vocals fleshing out a collection of fine songs that he's spent the last few years crafting. The duet with Ruthie Foster on Sayers' own "Back To The Blues" is a love letter to the music that is pure perfection. Follow Hadden Sayers Band on Facebook for notes from the road as Sayers puts some hard-touring behind the new disc. Here's Ruthie joining Hadden and his band to perform the tune at Sayers' SXSW showcase at Austin's Saxon Pub. This song deserves to be up for Blues Music Award for Song of the Year 2012. Dig:

Meanwhile another Hoodoo favorite, Dave Alvin, released his first studio recording in a few years this week. Titled ELEVEN ELEVEN, it's a cool collection of material in the sizzling, high-octane guitar-driven "loud folk" vein, as Alvin calls it, that has become his trademark. Highlights include a racous duet with brother Phil Alvin and also the inclusion of a duet with Dave Alvin's "other older brother" Chris Gaffney that was recorded prior to Gaffney's illness and death. "Two Lucky Bums" has previously only been available as an internet download. Omaha and Lincoln fans take note, Dave Alvin headlines the Friday, July 8, edition of the Zoo Bar 38th Anniversary Street Fest. See ZooBar.com for more details and the full schedule. Dave's current touring line-up is a combination of former Guilty Men and Guilty Women...dubbed Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones.DaveAlvin.net for more. Check

Up and coming regional artist Davina & The Vagabonds also have their first national CD release, Black Cloud, hitting iTunes and select retailers this week. Check davinaandthevagabonds.com for details. Davina's sound is a keyboard and horn-driven mix of old-school early blues, jump-blues, swing and New Orleans' jazz. There's a poppy gloss overlaying some of the CD tracks that ought to make the band accessible to folks who favor more mainstream sounds. This band just makes me smile with their original songs and Davina's rich vocals at the heart of it all. She can purr, she can belt, and the band is always full of big fun. Look for them to return to the metro in September. Meanwhile, check out their first national release online.

Then there are some local musicians who are ramping up for CD releases around the July 4 holiday.  I've been a big fan of Matt Cox for the last few  years. He's grown from solo singer-songwriter to bandleader with a killer band that features some of the area's best players. He celebrates the CD release of Tracks in the Sound on Sunday, July 3, at The Waiting Room with special guests The Filter Kings & Lincoln rockabilly band The Mezcal Brothers. Tracks in the Sound was recorded in Lincoln at Fuse Recording with producer Charlie Johnson (Mezcal Brothers).  In press material announcing the CD release, Cox said of working at Fuse with Johnson, “(it) was incredibly smooth and the band was loose and on their game, I can’t wait for everyone to hear it."

The CD is beautifully arranged, recorded and mixed. It's an audio portrait of this great band's depth and musicianship with original tunes taken from some of Cox's best unrecorded work in their set lists for the past year or so. Cox has a rich, deep voice that is beyond his years. Likewise his songs have a sense of songcraft that skillfully reflects the best American folk-blues-rock-roots traditions of the last 100 years. If you like Dave Alvin's songwriting and musical sound, give our own Matt Cox a listen, I think you'll be surprised to find such a mature musician right in our midst. Check out  mattcoxmusic.net  for more and mark your calendar for the July 3 CD release by one of the best musicians and bands in our area.

Meanwhile, Lincoln's Lil' Slim Blues Band won the first-ever Nebraska Blues Challenge and will be representing the Blues Society of Omaha in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis next February. The band went into Fuse Recording with Charlie Johnson and put together their disc the old-fashioned way--playing hard and live to recording in just a couple of days. The result, Still in the Game, will be released with a Zoo Bar show on Saturday, July 3. Look the Lil' Slim Blues Band up on Facebook for more info.

Free Outdoor Blues at Aksarben

The Blues Society of Omaha teams with Stinson Park. 64 & Center at Aksarben for a blues festival this Saturday, June 25. Admission is FREE! Big James & The Chicago Playboys headline the event. Big James is a former member of both Buddy Guy's and Little Milton's bands and fronts a horn-driven unit that knows how to get the audience moving. The music begins at 4 p.m. with sets by two of this year's BluesEd youth bands: Mojo Bag and Us & Them. At 6 p.m. Lou DeLuca and The R&M Blues Band perform. Omaha's own horn-driven party blues band Blue House and The Rent to Own Horns take the stage at 7:15 p.m. Chicago favorite Big James & the Chicago Playboys close out the night. The BluesEd kids will be vending pop and water as a fundraiser for their program. The BSO will be selling the adult beverages with proceeds going to the Blues Society and efforts to continue bringing great blues to Omaha and keeping the blues alive. An after-party is scheduled at Mojo's barbeque across the street, with BSO member and music aficionado Glenn Bauer spinning blues on the sound system.

Missouri Up, Shows on the Move

Scroll back through this blog for further details on the shows moving to higher ground.

Playing With Fire is sticking to their Saturday, July16, date. The event is moving to Stinson Park at Aksarben Village. This will be a great night of music with the much-anticipated appearance of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings along with Austin's deeply soulful singer Malford Milligan and great soul, blues and R&B from The Brad Cordle Band. See playingwithfireomaha.net for further details. Donations will be taken at the gate that will be shared between the Food Bank and PWF, be generous and keep in mind that it is costing a lot more for PWF to relocate to this new site.

Also the Riverfront Jazz & Blues festival isn't just moving but going indoors. They've announced the new site for their July 8 & 9 event is The Orpheum Theater. Details are forthcoming. Watch omahajazzandblues.com. Friday night's schedule includes The Whispers,  soul sensation Dani Cleveland, Jazz Attack featuring Rick Braun, Gerald Albright and Peter White; plus TIZER featuring Chieli Minucci, Karen Briggs & Lao Tizer. Saturday night offers Jonathan Butler, Eric Darrius, Maysa and Omaha's Grammy Award-winning Karrin Allison. Tickets are $38 per day or $60 for two days. Patron seating is $45 per night or $80 for both sessions. Ticket outlets include Homer's Music, Ticket Omaha and Love's Jazz & Arts Center or online at ticketomaha.com.

The HULLABALOO Music and Camping Festival set for August 5th through the 7th has announced their move to the River West Park, 233rd & W Maple  riverwestpark.net. The event organized by Kris Lager Band and bassist Brandon Miller was originally scheduled for the Anchor Inn, which at last report was practically an island. Miller shared the new location on the event's Facebook page noting, "The land is ideal for a festival and I am very excited to have this as Hullabaloo's new home! Everything will remain the same as far as camping, bands, etc.. The Anchor is even going to be out there providing booze and their world famous Watermelons! It is going to be Anchor Inn West on the Elkhorn River for the weekend." 

The multi-band, three-day event will offer "live music from regional and national bands and DJs including Kris Lager Band, Spoonfed Tribe, Satchel Grande, Polydypsia, Funk Trek, Blue Martian Tribe, Sons of '76, Mooseknuckle, Ian Hilmer's Stagefright, Lil Slim Blues Band, We Be Lions, Cornerstone Dub, Midland Band, Mitch Gettman Band, Moscow Mule, Tempo, SFS, Matt Cox, Rock Paper Dynamite, Vinyl Haze, Banjo Loco, Orion Walsh, Edge Of Arbor, Tara Vaughan, Strange Pleasures, Stonebelly, Weeping Figs, Vago, DJ D1, DJ Relic, and Jonra Blender Palette!
Oma Hoop providing free morning hoop classes!Tickets are available now on Etix.com for $30! That is only $1 per band! Price increase on July 1!"

And speaking of Dave Alvin and American music...here's a little something from an off-the-cuff Blasters reunion in a little LA bar to send you on your way.

Festivals on the Move-B.J. Huchtemann

scroll down to the previous article for more on the relocation of Playing With Fire to Stinson Park at Aksarben Village...

Meanwhile...here's the  latest press release on the HULLABALOO Music & Camping Festival

Time	Friday, August 5 at 11:00am  thru August 7 at 8:00pm
Location	River West Park, 233rd & W Maple      www.riverwestpark.net
Created By	Brandon Miller, Vince Gonzales, Kris Lager, Jeremiah Weir, John Fairchild
More Info	from Brandon Miller & the Hullabaloo Facebook Page: Hullabaloo is still going to take place this year on August 5-7. With the flooding at the Anchor I have had to find a new location for the event. We have decided to move the party to River West Park on 233rd and W Maple Rd. The land is ideal for a festival and I am very excited to have this as Hullabaloo's new home! Everything will remain the same as far as camping, bands, etc.. The Anchor is even going to be out there providing booze and their world famous Watermelons! It is going to be Anchor Inn West on the Elkhorn River for the weekend. Be sure to tell your friends! -Brandon Miller HULLABALOO Music and Camping Festival August 5th through the 7th at the River West Park. There will be live music from regional and national bands and DJs including Kris Lager Band, Spoonfed Tribe, Satchel Grande, Polydypsia, Funk Trek, Blue Martian Tribe, Sons of '76, Mooseknuckle, Ian Hilmer's Stagefright, Lil Slim Blues Band, We Be Lions, Cornerstone Dub, Midland Band, Mitch Gettman Band, Moscow Mule, Tempo, SFS, Matt Cox, Rock Paper Dynamite, Vinyl Haze, Banjo Loco, Orion Walsh, Edge Of Arbor, Tara Vaughan, Strange Pleasures, Stonebelly, Weeping Figs, Vago, DJ D1, DJ Relic, and Jonra Blender Palette! Tickets are available now on Etix.com for $30! That is only $1 per band! Price increase on July 1! Oma Hoop providing free morning hoop classes! If anyone is interested in sponsorship, vending, or volunteering as a member of the Hullabacroo give Brandon Miller a call at 402.210.4747.

UPDATE ON PLAYING WITH FIRE....
NEW LOCATION ANNOUNCED
press release from the Playing With Fire team today, Monday, June 20...

‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’ CONCERT 

CHANGES VENUE

Missouri River flooding shifts event to 

Aksarben Village

June 20, 2011 – For the first time in its eight year history, the ‘Playing with Fire’ Free Summer Concert will not be held on the Lewis & Clark Landing along Omaha’s Riverfront.  Last month, plans were in place to hold the event on the west side of Riverfront Drive.  However, traffic restrictions along Riverfront Drive combined with flooding in the nearby Lot D of the Qwest Center Omaha parking lot caused ‘Playing with Fire’ to seek another alternative venue.

Plans have been finalized to hold the concert in Stinson Park at Aksarben Village on its original date of Saturday, July 16th.  “I want to thank Aksarben Village for their tremendous help in accommodating the concert on very short notice,” said Davis.  “I also want to thank the City of Omaha for their support over the last seven years and for their efforts to secure an alternative site for us this year.”

The 2011 show features Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings with Malford Milligan and The Brad Cordle Band.  As in previous years, gates open at 4 with BluesEd at 4:30.  A free will donation can be made at the gates.  Proceeds will be shared with Food Bank for the Heartland.  Free parking is available in the four story parking garage at 64^th Avenue & Pine.

More information is available at  www.playingwithfireomaha.net

Follow PWF on Facebook:  PlayingwithFireOmaha

Summertime Music Updates, Zoo Bar 38th Anniversary

by B.J. Huchtemann

Playing With Fire plans to go on as scheduled. The event set for Saturday, July 16, has been moved from the Lewis & Clark Landing to the parking lot area west of Rick’s Boatyard. While the website at PlayingWithFireOmaha.net is not updated, organizer Jeff Davis confirms the new location. Check out my colleague Tim McMahan's column where he surveyed the new layout at lazy-i.com/2011/06/playing-with-fire-concert-moves-west-of-lewis-john-klemmensen-and-the-party-tonight/

This is one of the most-anticipated outdoor shows of the summer. Headliner Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and their high-energy soul-R&B sound wow everyone from blues fans to indie-rock music enthusiasts. Hear the music and find out more at SharonJonesAndTheDapKings.com. 

Also on the bill is Austin soul-blues man Malford Milligan, of Austin super-group Storyville. Check out Malford's great style at facebook.com/pages/The-Malford-Milligan-Band/128840777131592?sk=app_178091127385
 
Carolyn Wonderland Canceled
Jeff Davis’ other summer project is a concert series to benefit the Davies Amphitheater in Glenwood, Iowa. The first show scheduled for Saturday, June 25, with Austin’s Carolyn Wonderland, has been canceled due to the impact of flooding in the Glenwood area. Davis hopes to reschedule Wonderland’s appearance for a later date. No decision has been made about the July 9 show featuring Canadian artists Dawn Tyler Watson, Paul Deslauriers and Trevor Finlay. Ruthie Foster is scheduled on August 13. Tickets are $20 each. Look for updates at PlayingWithFireOmaha.net.


Zoo Bar 38th Anniversary
Lincoln’s Zoo Bar is nationally recognized as one of the country’s longest-running blues bars. The Zoo is even older than famed Antone’s in Austin. The Zoo marks its 38th Anniversary with music in the club July 5-7. Several bands will perform inside each night starting at 6 p.m. Watch ZooBar.com for the complete schedule.
On Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9, the party takes to the street. On the outdoor stage on Friday, July 8, are the Brad Cordle Band, the king of Americana music Dave Alvin and the eclectic Texas musicians of Brave Combo. On Saturday, July 9, the acts include The Derailers, The Stone River Boys, Kelley Hunt and a reunion of the infamous Self Righteous Brothers.  If you are on Facebook you can preview Dave Alvin's new CD Eleven Eleven (Yep Roc) in its entirety at  www.facebook.com/davealvinofficial?sk=app_146854228721780

Zoo Shows of Note
Meanwhile, the Zoo has plenty of other shows worth talking about including Sunday, June 19, with Chicago’s Nick Moss & The Flip Tops who play 6-9 p.m. On Wednesday, June 22, Popa Chubby plays 6-9 p.m. The Bel Airs heat up the Zoo on Friday and Saturday, June 24 and 25.
Guitar great Jim Suhler plugs in on Wednesday June 29, 6-9 p.m. The late show includes rockin’ folk from Omaha’s excellent Travelling Mercies, plus Tsumi and Dean the Bible.
On Thursday, June 30, after 9 p.m., the “Zoo Bar Big Band” including a four-piece horn section debuts with musicians Kris Lager, Josh Hoyer, Ben Johnson, A.C. Wright, Jamie Cox and more playing funk, soul & R&B. 

Zoo fans can follow and contribute to the new Zoo Bar blog online at http://blog.zoobar.com. 


The Zoo wants your photos, show reviews or anything else you'd like to share about the bar and the music, musicians and community that make it one of the happeningist places on the planet.

21st Saloon Blues
The Thursday blues series continues through the summer, which means any time you can make it to a Thursday show you’ll be insuring the future of this  series.
Continued support will make sure the new owners remain committed to hosting these great shows. Coming up on Thursday, June16, is Blues Music Awards Band of the Year The Nighthawks. On Thursday, June 23, it’s guitar-rocker Popa Chubby, whose 1990s tune “Sweet Goddess of Love & Beer” got some radio buzz.
On Thursday, June 30, it’s Hoodoo favorite Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat. They serve up sizzling Texas-inflected blues-rock with great musicianship and  dynamic chemistry.

Aksarben Blues Fest
The Blues Society of Omaha has teamed up with Aksarben Village to present a blues fest in Stinson Park at 64th & Center. The free show is Saturday, June 25. Headlining the event are the horn-driven sounds of Big James & The Chicago Playboys. The show kicks off at 4 p.m. with two of the current BluesEd youth bands. Blue House & the Rent to Own Horns also perform before Big James’ set. The BSO is also vending the beverages as a fundraiser for the organization.

Doc Mullett Remembered
The Omaha-Lincoln blues community has lost another longtime ardent supporter. Lincoln’s Doc Mullett passed away in his sleep Tuesday, June 7, of an apparent heart attack. He was 61. Mullett was a blues musician who had played in several bands through the years. He also hosted a popular blues radio show on KZUM. He was a member of the Zoo Bar family and a friend and supporter to both local and national blues musicians. A celebration of his life Sunday, June 12, packed the Zoo as he was remembered with music and love.

Hot Notes
Cass Brostad makes a visit back to Omaha from Austin with a special show Sunday, June 19, at Barley Street Tavern, 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Brostad’s friends including Kyle Harvey, Brad Hoshaw and Rebecca Lowry will perform. A reunion of Cass & the Family Gram happens about 11:15 p.m. and Traveling Mercies will close things out. It’s a free show with donations going toward Brostad’s next recording project.
The Travelling Mercies are also among the acts scheduled for Barley Street Tavern Saturday, June 18, as part of Benson SummerFest After Dark. See BarleyStreet.com.
When you can’t find the Hoodoo column in print please check HoodooRootsBlues.blogspot.com.

Copyright 2011, B.J. Huchtemann, all rights reserved.

fighting a bug after a busy week and weekend....for now
my friends at the Zoo Bar sum  up enough of what's been on my mind...
Love & Loss indeed...
http://blog.zoobar.com/

Davina Sizzles, 21st Saloon Blues & More
by B.J. Huchtemann

Davina & The Vagabonds from the Minneapolis area hit local stages twice this week. They are one of my favorite new bands on the touring scene. Pronounced Dah-VEE-na, this sassy keyboard player and singer-songwriter is making the jump from Twin Cities mainstay to national touring artist. The band emphasizes piano, vocals and some swingin’ horns. Davina & The Vagabonds are part jazzy swing, part retro New Orleans R&B and all fun. They mix excellent originals with cover tunes done up with Davina’s unique twists. She can belt or purr with equal parts soul and sass. The Star Tribune writes she is the “hardest working blues woman in Minnesota ... two things remain constant ... her throaty but cushiony voice ... that’s part Bonnie Raitt, Etta James and a little Amy Winehouse and her band’s rollicking New Orleans’ flavor.”

The City Pages writes “Davina takes ‘retro’ back even further than (Amy) Winehouse and her Phil Specter reminiscing. She beckons an age when bad girls wore red lipstick and pin curls. Her music may be adorned with exceptional groaning trumpets, rat-a-tatting drum rolls and staccato piano lines, but…she’s in a league of her own.”

Davina & The Vagabonds release their new CD Black Cloud (Roustabout Records) on June 21, but the band may have some copies at their coming gigs. Catch Davina & The Vagabonds at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, as part of the 2nd Annual Lincoln BBQ & Blues Fest. Famous Dave’s hosts the event in their parking lot at Southpointe Pavillions, 27th Street and Pine Lake Road. Also performing are the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings (7 p.m.) and The Blues Orchestra featuring Honeyboy Turner (5 p.m.). See SouthPointeShopping.com.

Davina! Photo courtesy of davinaandthevagabonds.com

Next Thursday, Davina & The Vagabonds heats up the 21st Saloon. Catch them from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 9.

More 21st Saloon Blues
This Thursday, June 2, popular Kansas City band Trampled Under Foot takes the stage the 21st Saloon. Trampled Under Foot is a trio of siblings who put on a crowd-pleasing show with plenty of heart. They were recently featured on the cover of the March/April issue of Blues Revue magazine and have a new CD out. In the article, Janiva Magness is quoted talking about the night when Trampled Under Foot won the Blues Foundation’s 2008 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. “That little girl sent me on a trip,” she raves of vocalist Danielle Schnebelen. “I haven’t seen anyone do what she just did since the first time I saw Etta James in Phoenix open for Martha Reeves and James Brown.”

Not only did the band win the prestigious IBC, but guitarist Nick Schnebelen that night received the Albert King Award for Most Promising Guitarist.

Their new CD is The Wrong Side of the Blues and it’s already getting lots of buzz. Hear clips and find out more about the band at tufkc.com.

On Thursday, June 16, powerhouse band The Nighthawks takes the stage. The Nighthawks have been going strong since 1972 and just took home the 2011 Blues Music Award for Band of the Year. Based in Washington, D.C., this hard-driving group is a favorite of blues harmonica fans. Visit nighthawks.com for more on the band’s story and sound.

The Thursday series is set to continue through the summer. Guitar star Popa Chubby plays on June 23. Hoodoo favorite Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat plugs in with their guitar-driven Texas blues on June 30.
All the Thursday blues shows are 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Soaring Wings Wine & Blues
Soaring Wings Vineyard south of Springfield hosts their annual Wine & Blues Festival on June 4, 5-9:30 p.m. Admission is $15 for those 21 and up, $10 for ages 12-20, those under 12 are admitted free. The event showcases International Blues Challenge finalists. Hear Nebraska Blues Challenge finalists Elwin James & The Way Outs (5:30 p.m.), Kansas City’s Shannon & The Rhythm Kings (7 p.m.), and Iowa band The Candymakers (8:30 p.m.) See SoaringWingsWine.com.

Dancing In The Streets
Remember next weekend, June 10-11, as music takes to the streets with The Summer Arts Festival in Omaha and Lincoln’s Celebrate Lincoln. Check GoLincolnGo.com for Celebrate Lincoln details.

See SummerArts.org for details on this year’s Summer Arts Festival. It’s located downtown on Farnam Street from 10th to 15th Streets and features some great roots and blues. Omaha’s own All Young Girls Are Machine Guns plays the main stage at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 10. Crowd pleasing blues man Zac Harmon plays t 7 p.m. on Friday. Lil’ Brian Terry & The Zydeco Travelers close things out on Saturday, June 11, at 9 p.m.

Hot Notes
 The next Sunday Roadhouse is on Wednesday, June 8, when Chatham County Line brings their bluegrass-based roots music to The Waiting Room for a 7:30 show. See SundayRoadhouse.com.

Check ZooBar.com for what’s up at the Zoo this week. Remember that the Zoo Bar 38th Anniversary  is scheduled for July 5-9, with an outdoor stage on July 8 and 9 featuring headliners Dave Alvin, Kelley Hunt, The Stone River Boys, The Derailers, a Self-Righteous Brothers reunion and more 

You can visit OmahaBlues.com for detailed list of metro show compiled by the Blues Society of Omaha.

When you can’t find the Hoodoo column in print please check HoodooRootsBlues.blogspot.com.

Rollin’ on the River
In late-breaking news, the rising Missouri River flood waters are going to change up lots of events planned for the riverfront’s Lewis & Clark Landing as well as the Anchor Inn. It’s likely that Playing With Fire on July 16 will be relocated, according to organizer Jeff Davis, with details to come. 

Watch playingwithfireomaha.net The water issues on the Landing will doubtless impact the Omaha Riverfront Jazz & Blues Festival (OmahaJazzandBlues.com) scheduled for July 8 and 9 as well as indie-rock event Maha scheduled for August 13 (MahaMusicFestival.com). 

Also watch for updates on the Kris Lager Band’s planned HULLABALOO Music and Camping Festival scheduled for August 5-7 at the Anchor Inn www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=196325187072306)