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Playing for a chance to go to Memphis are The D.Smith Blues Band, Eran Troy Danner, The Blue Lights, Sharp Harp Jr. & the Blades, TL & the All-Stars, and Fade to Blues. The bands represent the culmination of five weeks of preliminaries - and show fans just what the blues has here in Connecticut.
The state representative goes to the International Blues Challenge held by the Blues Foundation in Memphis. This is an international search with bands from around the world coming to Memphis. The Blues Foundation Affiliated Organizations (mostly blues societies) send a blues band and solo/duo blues act. Acts often find this is just what is needed to get on a national stage.
The Blues Foundation has already started looking toward the winter event. Hopefully, the weekend's events will once again kick off Wednesday night with a meet and greet hosted by the Beale Street Merchants Association at the New Daisy Theater. After the performance of multiple IBC participants, the event will take place at the FedEx Forum during the Memphis Grizzlies NBA game.
In addition to the evening blues competition, the days are filled with seminars and workshops and topped off in a moving Saturday morning brunch, in which the blues community will honor its own with the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive awards that honor the men and women who have made significant contributions to the blues music world in 20 categories such as journalism, literature and photography and to the best clubs and festivals, as well as managers, promoters and producers.
New for the finals is a collection of goods for U.S. troops serving overseas. Items in small packages such as nuts, granola and energy bars and powdered-drink mixes will be collected and sent out.
After the finals, head over to Black-Eyed Sally's to see the Sean Carney Band, IBC winners in 2007. They have a busy touring schedule between the United States and Europe.
On Sunday, Sean Carney does a "Live on Antique Blues" show with Bill Nolan on WPKN 89.5 FM-Bridgeport.
Singer and songwriter Boz Scaggs is at the Klein Memorial Auditorium on Sunday at 8 p.m. He gained fame as a member of the Steve Miller Band and is a Grammy Award winner. He had considerable success as a solo act in the 1970s. Look for his trademark sound combination of jazz, rhythm and blues and blues.
Opening is David Jacobs-Strain. The young man is on his way to becoming a major player in the blues.
He grew up in Eugene, Ore., but has some Connecticut roots. He looks at his upbringing as a connection to the democracy of the blues.
Jacobs-Strain works with a finger-style and slide guitar. It is traditional blues taken seriously and performed with respect. Close your eyes to hear the passages of the Deltamen like Skip James, Charlie Patton, Tommy Johnson, with a song or two by Fred McDowell or Robert Johnson.
Even as a young man, his musical depth will make you wonder just who gave him this talent. He puts a spiritual depth to his blues.
Back seven or eight years ago, Jacob-Strain visited the RoadHog at WFCS. "I remember thinking that here was a young teenager who could fool around with his cousin but once the guitar was in his hands, he was transformed. No longer a kid but a serious player," said the DJ.
A couple of other outdoor events include The Kevin Crandall Band playing at The Taste of Mystic from 1 to 4 p.m. Also down the Southeast on Saturday is Cookin' at McCooks BBQ & Boogie Fest 2008. It is in McCooks Park, Niantic from 2 to 10 p.m. Bands for the event are The Joe Moss Band, Eric Lindell, Deb Callahan, The Mike Crandall Band, Sarah Lemieux, Red, Hot & Blue, and The Supertones. For information, see http://cookinatmccooks.com.
Sunday is the Wachusett Mountain BluesFest at the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton, Mass. Starting at noon, it features The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bettye Levette, The Chris Fitz Band and Mary Lou Ferrante.
Visiting the club scene this weekend, you can spend Friday with The D. Smith Blues Band at Legends Sports Bar or with Eran Troy Danner at The Georgetown Saloon.
Saturday, Eran Troy Danner is at The GW Tavern and Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts play Theodores'.
Starting this weekend and running to next is the Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo. Friday is an 8 p.m. kick-off show, the Grassy Hill Song Circle. A showcase of singer/songwriters will be in an intimate setting. Participating will be Cliff Eberhardt, Joe Crookston, Lara Herscovitch, and Tom Pacheco at the First Presbyterian Church on 704 Whitney Ave., New Haven.
Some great blues acts will be in this festival Sept. 13, a Concert under the Stars in Edgerton Park. More information can be found in next week's column.
Questions should be sent to Domenic Forcella c/o Blues Beat, The Herald, One Herald Square, New Britain, CT, 06050; or e-mail at TWBlus@aol.com.
