Happy Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Ashura/Festivus… Oh, Happy Day! If you’re reading this, you are probably a member, fan or follower of the Lowcountry Blues Club. In which case, there should be no need to extol the virtues of the Blues Club. Though, I will anyway… Through your interest, participation and dues, you have the honor and good fortune to be a part of something truly special. I say this not as an Officer or Board Member but as a player thrilled and blessed to have the ability to participate. What happens on Wednesday’s AND Sunday’s is something to behold.

In the spirit of The Season, I would personally like to give thanks! To Mike Davis from Ye Olde Music for suggesting that I go to a Blues Jam upon my arrival in town. To Tim Shaw, Billy Gadol and all former and current Officers and Board Members for all of their time and efforts behind the scenes to ensure that we all continue to have this amazing opportunity. To the owners and staff of first A Dough Re Mi and now Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ and Smokey’s Place for having the vision and appreciation and allowing us to do our thing. To Dan Wright and all of the “House” musicians for always ensuring that the show is world class. To Greg Levkus for not getting too upset with how hard I hit his drums! To Captain James Kirk for a list of things far too long to mention. To all of the TALENT for giving and sharing inspiration that goes far beyond anything that I can describe. Finally, to everyone who has participated in any way on stage and off. By paying attention, from the looks in your eyes and on your faces. For the words of appreciation and encouragement. For the unbelievable communal experience that is a result of this EAR CANDY FOR THE SOUL!

Once again, I’ll suggest: Give/Share the GIFT OF MUSIC! Not just over the holidays but throughout the year. All of us, regardless of any personal situation, can afford to do that.

Scott Bucholtz

Here's wishing you a great weekend!

Friday, Dec 16:
Skye Paige and The Original Recipe returns to Charleston Area! Catch them at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ WA
The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) kicks off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop
Highway 17 Blues Band is at Smokey’s Place
Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Geno’s Place in Goose Creek

Friday & Saturday:
The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) is at The Strike Zone in Summerville.

Saturday:
Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Fat Boy’s in Monck’s Corner
Drivin’ N Cryin’ (w/ Sadler Vaden) headline at The Pour House, with a fantastic opening band, Josh Roberts and the Hinges
The Louie D Project hit The Brick downtown (pick up “Outta Control” their fantastic new CD – a great gift idea!)

Don’t Forget: The Lowcountry Blues Club now has TWO weekly jam nights. Smokey’s Place Sports Bar & Grill at 1213 Remount Road in North Charleston now hosts a weekly jam from 5 pm to 9 pm on Sunday’s. And the regular Wednesday night jam is at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley, of course.

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

December's featured artists are Big Mama Thornton, Bo Diddley, Greg Allman, and George Thorogood.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jams!

LMW and SB,December 14, 2011

Cretinous buzzards strike again! As you may recall, friends of the Blues Club, rock band LESLIE, had their equipment stolen while on tour in Delaware back in November of 2010. Here we go again… earlier this week more of our friends were hit. HOMEMADE WINE, whose travel base is here in Charleston, had their entire equipment trailer stolen while at home in Knoxville, TN. For a complete list of the hot equipment, look for Homemade Wine the Band at: facebook.com/homemadewinemusic. Meanwhile, show them some support this weekend as they will be at Wild Wing’s downtown this Saturday. Maybe you can drop a buck or two into the tip jar! Meanwhile, buy their new release: “Barstools, Broken Hearts, and Songs From The Road” at CD Baby or iTunes… Remember, it’s the Holidays. SHARE THE GIFT!

Outings:

Friday, Dec 9: A Fragile Tomorrow plays at the Village Tavern in Mt Pleasant, along with two other bands. Poppa DuPree, JoJo, and Big Daddy Dale will be at Captain Ikes's Bar and Grill,1168 Trojan Rd.(Hwy 45), 843 753 7720, Cross, SC, 9pm.

Saturday: Sarah Cole & The Hawkes along with Tidal Jive are at Loggerheads starting at 2pm for their Holiday Oyster Roast
Homemade Wine will be at The Wild Wings downtown
Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) at Smokey’s Place
The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) at Famous Joe’s

Don’t Forget: The Lowcountry Blues Club now has TWO weekly jam nights. Smokey’s Place Sports Bar & Grill at 1213 Remount Road in North Charleston hosts a weekly jam from 5 pm to 9 pm on Sunday’s. And the regular Wednesday night jam is at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley.

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

December's featured artists are Big Mama Thornton, Bo Diddley, Greg Allman, and George Thorogood.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jams!

LMW and SB,December 8, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving to all our blues club friends! This will be a short blog, since it's a holiday, but hope to see you all at the next jam, if not before.

This weekend you can see Dan Wright with his band at Arts in Mt Pleasant on Friday night, 10pm. And Heyrocco plays with a band called Scars on 45 at the Music Farm on Saturday night.

Also on Friday and Saturday night at the Pour House, there's a Duane Allman Birthday Celebration. See the City Paper for details.

And remember, there's a new weekly jam on Sundays from 5-9pm at Smokey’s Place Sports Bar & Grill at 1213 Remount Road in North Charleston. Along with the regular Wednesday night jams at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley.

Also, Tuesday the 29th will see Davis Coen playing some blues at Home Team/WA.

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

November's featured artists are Dr. John, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jams!

LMW and SB, November 24, 2011

Greetings, all -

We told you recently about Spotify - now there's a new music app you may be interested in, and it's called turntable. From what we understand, it's still in beta form - that is, they're still working out the kinks in it before it goes public. So not everyone can get it just yet. But if you're on facebook, and have a friend who's using turntable already, then you have an in. It doesn't work well with all web browsers, so the site suggests you upload Chrome for best results. If you get into the site, what you'll find are rooms full of people playing and listening to all kinds of music. Some rooms have a narrow focus, such as just Americana or just Indie Rock or just Metal. Others have more of a mix - maybe "Rock, Blues, Jazz, Soul", for instance. I prefer to go into a room that doesn't have a lot of people in it, and that way I can be one of the djs, instead of just a listener. If you like a song that someone plays, you hit a button that says "Awesome" and that makes your little avatar's head bop along to the music! In many rooms, it's considered polite to "awesome" most songs, unless you really hate it, in which case you can hit "lame" instead.

There are more details that you'll learn about if you give it a try. I really enjoy the chance to play music by local Charleston artists for people all over the country who've never heard of some of my favorite musicians. Some of the local bands that you can find on turntable already are these: Cary Ann Hearst, A Fragile Tomorrow, Heyrocco, The Explorers Club, Skye Paige, The Whisperjets, White Rhino, and Lindsay Holler. Just type in the name of your favorites, and maybe they're there, too!

This weekend -

Friday: The Louie D Project (w/ JR Getches) is at The Brick House Kitchen on Folly. 3 X Lucky (w/ Scott Bucholtz and Jojo Wall) is at Bushido in West Ashley, James Brown Dance Party at the Pour House

Friday and Saturday: Johnny Mac & The BootyRanch is at the Sand Dollar Social Club

Saturday: Wanda Johnson & Shrimp City Slim host the Blues & BBQ Harbor Cruise which sails 6-8 pm $39.95 (tax included) per person, covers BBQ buffet, harbor cruise, concert. Also, Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at The Bottom while The Louie D Project is at the Silver Dollar. And Mac Leaphart and A Fragile Tomorrow play for a benefit at the Windjammer.

JAMMERS ALERT:
The Lowcountry Blues Club now has TWO weekly jam nights. Smokey’s Place Sports Bar & Grill at 1213 Remount Road in North Charleston is hosting a weekly jam from 5 pm to 9 pm on Sundays.

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

November's featured artists are Dr. John, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jams!

LMW and SB, November 17, 2011

Hi All - With the organizing help of Rob Lowe and Billy Gadol, we put on a great afternoon of music last Sunday at Home Team! All four bands that played put on great sets: Highway 17 Blues Band, Nate Mills and the Blue Plate Specials, Momma & the Redemption Band, and The J Edwards Band. Thanks to the relentless pestering skills of Captain Kirk, we gathered up a lot of money to help send the top-scoring band to Memphis at the end of January (thanks, Captain!).

Now, I hope we all know that when you've got 4 excellent bands, you can't really say that one is "better" than another. They're each different, and each is excellent in its own way. Our judges used the scoring system that is used at the International Blues Challenge, and using those parameters, the top scorer ended up being..... The J Edwards Band!! So, if all goes well, they'll be heading off to Memphis to have great fun at the IBC in a couple of months.

We'll be putting together a couple more benefit shows before then, so you'll have another chance to see the J Edwards Band play, and to help with the next shows. We'll let you know the dates soon. Then you can let Billy or Rob know if your band wants to play...

Thanks again to Home Team for hosting us, to Encore Music for the sound, to our judges Wilton Elder, Tim Kirkendall, Dan Wright, and Steve Simon... And to EVERYONE who helped!

JAMMERS ALERT:
Starting this Sunday November 13, The Lowcountry Blues Club will have TWO weekly jam nights. Soon, in addition to the regular Wednesday night jam, Smokey’s Place Sports Bar & Grill at 1213 Remount Road in North Charleston will be hosting a weekly jam from 5 pm to 9 pm.

Also later on Sunday the 13th, there will be a Neil Young tribute show at the Pour House, so you can come over after the jam if you're a fan of Neil...

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

November's featured artists are Dr. John, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jams!

LMW and SB, November 10, 2011

Hi All -

This Sunday, November 6th, come out to Home Team/West Ashley for the Blues Challenge finals, starting around 3:30pm. We'll have the competition first, then we'll have a jam for all musicians after that, so bring your instrument with you. Your donation of $5 will go to helping the winning band get to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge at the end of January. The competing bands will be The J Edwards Band, Highway 17 Blues Band, Nate Mills and the Blue Plate Specials, and Momma & the Redemption Band. After these bands play, then the collaborative fun begins, with one of our famous all-inclusive jams.

Before that, there's fun to be had on Friday and Saturday, too, of course.
Friday: The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) is at The Moonshine Saloon in Summerville. Sgt. Submarine is at The Wolf Track Inn. Victoria Station (w/ Big Mike, Big Guy Shaw, Jerry Newman, Don Taylor and Steve Clayton) is at Smokey’s. Heyrocco is at Ele Level Art downtown.
Friday & Saturday: The Shane Clark Band is at The Sand Dollar.
Saturday: The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) is at The Brick Downtown. The Mason Dixon Band is at Famous Joe’s in West Ashley. Gaslight Street will be at Loggerhead’s on Folly. Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) hit The Bottom in Bonneau.
Sunday: The LOWCOUNTRY BLUES CLUB Challenge Finals at Home Team BBQ WA, 3:30
Wednesday: The Blues Club jam at Home Team/WA of course, and Sarah Cole & The Hawkes will be at Art’s Bar & Grill. Also, The Mason Dixon Band will be at KC Mulligan’s in North Charleston.

JAMMERS ALERT:
Starting Sunday November 13, The Lowcountry Blues Club will have TWO weekly jam nights. Soon, in addition to the regular Wednesday night jam, Smokey’s Place Sports Bar & Grill at 1213 Remount Road in North Charleston will be hosting a weekly jam from 5 pm to 9 pm.

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders

The 4th annual PEE DEE BLUES BASH is Friday-Saturday, November 4-5 in Florence, South Carolina - www.peedeebluesbash.com - Mostly FREE performances on two outdoor stages, the public library, and several clubs, featuring THE NIGHTHAWKS, THE NOUVEAUX HONKIES, BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX , DRINK SMALL, LIGHTNIN' WELLS, SHRIMP CITY SLIM and lots more!

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

November's featured artists are Dr. John, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jams!

LMW and SB, November 3, 2011

Hi All -

All the bands that played in the Blues Challenge Round 2 were great, and we thank them all for coming out!! Thanks go to everyone who helped put this together, including Billy Gadol, Rob Lowe, Encore Music, and the judges - Dan Wright (past winner of Guitar Center's "King of the Blues" and two time IBC winner), Wilton Elder (saxophone player from Super Deluxe and music professor at Trident Tech) and Tim Kirkendall (bassist/singer from the Port City Prophets who recently opened for Robert Cray at Blues-Stock in NY). It's awesome to have a guitarist, sax player and bassist who are all seasoned veterans.

We sincerely thank all the musicians. And Captain Kirk did a great job collecting money which will help the winning band get to Memphis! The finals will consist of the four top-scoring bands from the two rounds combined, and they are: The J Edwards Band, Highway 17 Blues Band, Nate Mills and the Blue Plate Specials, and Momma & the Redemption Band. Mark Sunday, November 6, 3:30 pm, on your calendar, so you won't miss the fun, at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley! We don't have confirmation yet, but we hope to be able to have a jam after the finals, as well.

Music this weekend:

Tonight - Friday: Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Skynyrd’s in St. George. Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) at Fat Boys in Moncks Corner. The Hibachi Heroes (w/ Rob Lowe and Sammy Derrick) are taking over the Village Tavern, 9pm.

Saturday: Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Smokey’s Place. 3 X Lucky (w/ Scott Bucholtz) is at KC Mulligan’s. The Victoria Station Band (w/ Big Mike Llewellyn, Tim "The Big Guy" Shaw, Jerry Newman, Don Taylor and Steve Clayton) will be opening for Headrush at Wolf Track Inn, 1807 Parsonage Avenue. They will be featuring original tunes from their first CD together. Check it out!

Wednesday: The Blues Club jam at Home Team/WA of course, and Sarah Cole & The Hawkes is at Art’s Bar & Grill.

JAMMERS ALERT:
Starting Sunday November 13, The Lowcountry Blues Club will have TWO weekly jam nights. Smokey’s Place at 1213 Remount Road in North Charleston will be hosting a weekly jam from 5 pm to 9 pm, organized by Captain Kirk.

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders

If you feel like a road trip, coming up soon is the 4th annual PEE DEE BLUES BASH Friday-Saturday, November 4-5 in Florence, South Carolina - www.peedeebluesbash.com - Mostly FREE performances on two outdoor stages, the public library, and several clubs, featuring THE NIGHTHAWKS, THE NOUVEAUX HONKIES, BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX , DRINK SMALL, LIGHTNIN' WELLS, SHRIMP CITY SLIM and lots more!

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

November's featured artists are Dr. John, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW and SB, October 28, 2011

Hi All -

This Sunday, we have 4 bands competing in Round 2 of the Blues Challenge. Get to Home Team BBQ/West Ashley around 3:30, and see sets from Sarah Cole and the Hawkes, 3X Lucky, Momma and the Redemption Band, and Rhythm Method (a $5 donation will be requested to help our winning band get to Memphis for the International Bllues Challenge in late January). At the end of Round 2, you will find out who will be continuing to the finals on November 6th.

What else is going on this weekend?

Friday: Fowler’s Mustache is at Art’s Bar & Grill. 3 X Lucky (w/ Scott Bucholtz & Jojo Wall) is at Bushido Japanese Steakhouse.
Saturday: Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Birdie & Sharon’s. Highway 17 will be at Fat Boys. The Krays (w/ Bill Nance) will be at Trayce's Too.
Wednesday: The Blues Jam at Home Team/WA, of course, and Sarah Cole & The Hawkes will be at Art’s Bar & Grill.


And if you feel like a road trip, coming up soon is the 4th annual PEE DEE BLUES BASH Friday-Saturday, November 4-5 in Florence, South Carolina - Part of the South Carolina Pecan Festival!
www.peedeebluesbash.com (click on pdf and print your own brochure)
Mostly FREE performances on two outdoor stages, the public library, and several clubs, featuring

THE NIGHTHAWKS www.thenighthawks.com
THE NOUVEAUX HONKIES www.tnhband.com
BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX www.biscuitmiller.com
DRINK SMALL www.myspace.com/drinksmallblues
LIGHTNIN' WELLS www.lightninwells.com
SHRIMP CITY SLIM www.shrimpcityslim.com
and lots more! As usual, there will be something for everybody: acoustic/electric, traditional/contemporary, black/white, solo/duo/band, young/old...

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

October's featured artists are Stevie Ray Vaughn and Steve Miller, both born in October.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW and SB, October 20, 2011

Those who came out to the Lowcountry Blues Challenge Round One this past Sunday got to enjoy SEVEN different bands!! It was a lot of fun. The top four high scoring bands may have a chance to compete in the finals, but we won't know the actual line-up until after Round Two on October 23rd. But for now, congratulations to Victoria Station, Highway 17 Blues Band, Nate Mills and the Blue Plate Specials, and the J Edwards Band for being this week's top 4 bands. And thank you to everyone who participated!

3*** more bands will be competing on October 23rd (Home Team BBQ West Ashley. 4pm):
Momma and the Redemption Band, 3xLucky, and The Rhythm Method...The top 4 from BOTH rounds will play in the finals on November 6th (same bat-place, same bat-time).

*** - it's not too late to enter. If you have a band that wants to compete, email RobLoweSC@gmail.com

----------------------------------------------------------

What are some of the upcoming shows around town, you ask?

Friday: The Louie D Project (w/ JR Getches) is kicking off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop. Fowler’s Mustache headline the Windjammer. The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) at The Strike Zone in Summerville. The Broken Arrow Band is at Shooter’s in Summerville.
Friday & Saturday – Johnny Mac and the BootyRanch is at the Sand Dollar.
Saturday: The Louie D Project is at The Brick. Homemade Wine is at Wild Wing downtown. Whiskey Diablo is at the Village Tavern
Tuesday: Skye Paige is at the Brick House Kitchen.
Wednesday: The jam, of course! Also, Sarah Cole & The Hawkes is at Art’s Bar & Grill. And the Charleston City Paper has their Charleston Music Awards show at the Pour House. Many of our Blues Club friends are nominees in different categories, including our own jam-master Dan Wright!! Also listed are Louie D, Wilton Elder, Sarah Cole, Gary Erwin, and Heyrocco, along with many more, so we wish them luck!!

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

October's featured artists are Stevie Ray Vaughn and Steve Miller, both born in October.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW and SB, October 13, 2011

This Sunday, October 9th, at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley, we have 7 bands competing in the Lowcountry Blues Challenge, Round One. They will be vying for a nomination to represent our club in Memphis, Tennessee, at the International Blues Challenge. We hope you'll come and make this a really fun event! Here's the lineup:

Band #1: 4p: Victoria Station
Band #2: 4:40p: Nate and the Blue Plate Specials
Band #3: 5:20p: Smoky Weiner and the Hot Links
Band #4: 6p: J Edwards and the Low Country All Stars
Band #5: 6:40p: Mike Fuzz and the Vagabonds
Band #6: 7:20p: Starling
Band #7: 8:00p: Highway 17 Band

What else is going on this weekend?

Friday, October 7: Momma and the Redemption Band (w/ Jojo Wall) is at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ in WA.
Saturday: Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Fat Boys. Old You is at the Mt. P Wild Wing.
Monday: Fowler’s Mustache is on the Pour House deck starting at 5.
Tuesday: Skye Paige and the Original Recipe is at the Brick House Kitchen, Guilt Ridden Troubadour at Home Team/WA.
Wednesday: Mason Dixon (w/ Scott Bucholtz) is at KC Mulligan’s

Also this weekend is the 15th annual CAROLINA DOWNHOME BLUES FESTIVAL, Thursday-Saturday, October 6-8, in Camden, SC
www.bluesbash.com/camden - 803-425-7676 - All small venues. Buy a daily wristband or weekend pass and drift from venue-to-venue at your own pace. And there's the 6th annual AMERICAN MUSIC CELEBRATION on Sunday, October 9, 2-7 pm at Freshfields Village Green, Kiawah Island, SC.- EDDIE C. CAMPBELL with THE KING BEES, BUDDY WHITTINGTON (15 years on guitar with John Mayall) and THE RANDY MCALLISTER TEXAS RANGERS,, BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX - FREE - Bring your own lawn chair, blanket, coolers OK but delicious and affordable food & drink for sale. This is an outdoor event, rain or shine.

Next weekend is a great music festival in Greenville, SC - all styles of music, and free! Check out the lineup at www.fallforgreenville.net.

-----------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Don’t forget the weekly gigs:

Tuesday's - Shrimp City Slim from 11 am-1 pm (lunch) at Cajun Kountry Kitchen Cafe, N. Charleston
Wednesday’s - The Lowcountry Blues Club Jam at Home Team/WA of course!
Thursday’s- The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) at Bambu/Mt. P
Friday’s - Old You kick off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop
Saturday’s - The Louie D Project funks the Vendue Rooftop.

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

October's featured artists are Stevie Ray Vaughn and Steve Miller, both born in October.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW and SB, October 7, 2011

Hi All - The Charleston City Paper has posted the nominees for their annual music awards. Lots of our blues club members and friends are nominated, including our own jam-master extraordinaire Dan Wright!! Also listed are Louie D, Wilton Elder, Sarah Cole, Gary Erwin, and Heyrocco, along with many more -- so be sure to vote! Go to the City Paper website to do so, or see the link on facebook.

What's up this weekend?

Friday: The Louie D Project is at Montreux Bar & Grill, Fowler’s Mustache is at the Mt. Pleasant Wild Wings and Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Skynyrd’s.
Saturday: The Savannah Hwy in West Ashley is the place to be Saturday Night. The Johnny Mac & The BootyRanch Birthday Bash is at Jimbo’s Rock Lounge and next door at Famous Joe’s is The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz). Both locations are right behind Chick-fil-A and DD Peckers Wing Shack. Earlier in the afternoon (4pm), Starling is at Geno’s in Goose Creek.

Don’t forget the weekly gigs:

Tuesday's - Shrimp City Slim from 11 am-1 pm (lunch) at Cajun Kountry Kitchen Cafe, N. Charleston
Wednesday’s - The Lowcountry Blues Club Jam at Home Team/WA of course!
Thursday’s- The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) at Bambu/Mt. P
Friday’s - Old You kick off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop
Saturday’s - The Louie D Project funks the Vendue Rooftop.

And coming up soon:

The October 9 Lowcountry Blues Challenge at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley with several bands competing for the chance to go to Memphis, including Highway 17 Blues Band, Victoria Station, Starling, and J Edwards Band - More details coming soon!

And the 15th annual CAROLINA DOWNHOME BLUES FESTIVAL, Thursday-Saturday, October 6-8, in Camden, SC
www.bluesbash.com/camden - 803-425-7676 - All small venues (the way the blues is meant to be experienced!), blues day & night - lunch, happy hour, evening shows. Most venues within easy walking distance of each other in the town center.
Buy a daily wristband or weekend pass and drift from venue-to-venue at your own pace. Artists: EDDIE C. CAMPBELL, FRANKIE'S BLUES MISSION, SKYLA BURRELL, ROCKIN' JAKE, DRINK SMALL, BRAD VICKERS & CHRISTOPHER DEAN, GAIL STORM, LIGHTNIN' WELLS, LUCKYMAN BEALL, ROBERT LIGHTHOUSE, MARSHALL BALLEW, BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX, THE KING BEES, NORMAN TAYLOR DUO, SHRIMP CITY SLIM, WARNER WILLIAMS DOWNHOME BLUES TRIO with JAY SUMMEROUR & ERIC SELBY, WANDA JOHNSON, DR. PICKUP, FLOYD CALLEN & RUSTY DAVIS. A really good time!

Then, several of the artists above will proceed to the coast and join RANDY MCALLISTER BAND with BUDDY WHITTINGTON at
the 6th annual AMERICAN MUSIC CELEBRATION on Sunday, October 9, 2-7 pm at Freshfields Village Green, Kiawah Island, SC.
www.myspace.com/americanmusiccelebration - EDDIE C. CAMPBELL with THE KING BEES, BUDDY WHITTINGTON (15 years on guitar with John Mayall) and THE RANDY MCALLISTER TEXAS RANGERS,, BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX - FREE - Bring your own lawn chair, blanket, coolers OK but delicious and affordable food & drink for sale. This is an outdoor event, rain or shine. Brought to you by the Kiawah Island Accommodations Tax Committee, Bill & Marilyn Blizard (Kiawah's Godfather and Godmother of the Blues).

-----------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

October's featured artists are Stevie Ray Vaughn and Steve Miller, both born in October.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW and SB, September 30, 2011

Hi All -

I hope you were at the Blues Club Jam last night - what a great time!! Lots of friends, lots of great music...

Our Blues Challenge was supposed to start this coming Sunday, but instead will start on Sunday, October 9, at Home Team/West Ashley. So please mark your calendars accordingly. This gives us some extra time to put together the event.

So what to do this weekend?

Thursday – Shane Clark at the WA Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ
Friday – Gaslight Street at the Sullivan’s Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ. The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) is at Fat Boy’s in Monck’s Corner. The Louie D Project is at Iacofano’s Italian Bistro.
Saturday – Monster Music in West Ashley has a special Vinyl Expo and sale during the day, and in-store performances starting at 4 pm including subterranean bleu mind(s), Joel T. Hamilton, The Explorer's Club, and The Shaniqua Brown! Later, Fowler’s Mustache is at The Brick. Tidal Jive is at Loggerhead’s Beach Grill. Starling (w/ Cap’t Kirk) is at Smokey’s.
Gary Erwin & Dr. Pickup at Dunleavy's, SI, 9:30.
Sunday: Gary Erwin & Dr. Pickup at Lucy's Grill, Johns Island, at 6.

Don’t forget the weekly gigs:

Tuesday's - Shrimp City Slim from 11 am-1 pm (lunch) at Cajun Kountry Kitchen Cafe, N. Charleston

Wednesday’s - The Lowcountry Blues Club Jam at Home Team/WA of course!

Thursday’s- The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) at Bambu – Mt. P. And the Charleston Harbor Blues & BBQ tours board 6:30 pm, sail 7-9 pm, 843-722-1112

Friday’s - Old You kick off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop

Saturday’s - The Louie D Project funks the Vendue Rooftop.

And coming up soon:

15th annual CAROLINA DOWNHOME BLUES FESTIVAL, Thursday-Saturday, October 6-8, Camden, SC
www.bluesbash.com/camden - 803-425-7676 - All small venues (the way the blues is meant to be experienced!), blues day & night - lunch, happy hour, evening shows. Most venues within easy walking distance of each other in the town center.
Buy a daily wristband or weekend pass and drift from venue-to-venue at your own pace.

Artists: EDDIE C. CAMPBELL, FRANKIE'S BLUES MISSION, SKYLA BURRELL, ROCKIN' JAKE, DRINK SMALL, BRAD VICKERS & CHRISTOPHER DEAN, GAIL STORM, LIGHTNIN' WELLS, LUCKYMAN BEALL, ROBERT LIGHTHOUSE, MARSHALL BALLEW, BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX, THE KING BEES, NORMAN TAYLOR DUO, SHRIMP CITY SLIM, WARNER WILLIAMS DOWNHOME BLUES TRIO with JAY SUMMEROUR & ERIC SELBY, WANDA JOHNSON, DR. PICKUP, FLOYD CALLEN & RUSTY DAVIS.

A really good time!

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Several of the artists above will then proceed to the coast and join RANDY MCALLISTER BAND with BUDDY WHITTINGTON at
the 6th annual AMERICAN MUSIC CELEBRATION on Sunday, October 9, 2-7 pm at Freshfields Village Green, Kiawah Island, SC.

www.freshfieldsvillage.com (venue)
www.myspace.com/americanmusiccelebration
843-762-9125

EDDIE C. CAMPBELL with THE KING BEES
BUDDY WHITTINGTON (15 years on guitar with John Mayall) and
THE RANDY MCALLISTER TEXAS RANGERS
BISCUIT MILLER & THE MIX

FREE - Bring your own lawn chair, blanket, coolers OK but delicious and affordable food & drink for sale. This is an outdoor event, rain or shine.

Brought to you by the Kiawah Island Accommodations Tax Committee, Bill & Marilyn Blizard (Kiawah's Godfather and Godmother of the Blues).

-----------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

September's featured artists are B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, and Koko Taylor (all born in September).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW and SB, September 22, 2011

This Saturday night, September 17th, our jam-master Dan Wright is playing with his band at the Music Farm. The event is called Band Together: Concert for a Cause. This benefit raises money for cancer research, so it really is a worthy cause. Besides Dan and his band, you will see Gaslight Street, Weigh Station, Ryan Bonner and the Dearly Beloved, and Mary's Got a Band - that's a lot of great music in one place! Get your tickets early on etix for $15, or at the door for $20. We hope to see you there!! Doors open at 7.

And mark your calendars for the first Blues Club Challenge on Sunday, Sept 25 at Home Team/West Ashley - lineup to be announced shortly. Email RobLoweSC@gmail.com for information on this event if you want to be involved.

------------------------------------------***********************--------------------------------------------

Thursday Night, Sept 15th, it’s “Country Night” at California Dreaming (complete with Mechanical Bull) featuring The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz)

Friday - Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) at Fat Boys

Friday & Saturday– Johnny Mac & The Booty Ranch at The Sand Dollar

Saturday – Band Together: Concert For A Cause at the Music Farm (see above). Also, Old You will be at Boone’s Bar & Grill on King. And the Shrimp Records Rocktoberfest featuring Sadler Vaden, Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent among others will be at The Tattooed Moose, starting 4:30.

Monday – Shovels & Rope at The Pour House from 5 – 9.

Tuesday – Elise Testone & The Freeloaders at The Pour House starting at 9pm. Shonuff at Home Team/WA.

Tuesday's - Shrimp City Slim from 11 am-1 pm (lunch) (solo) at Cajun Kountry Kitchen Cafe, N. Charleston

Wednesday’s - The Lowcountry Blues Club Jam at Home Team/WA of course, and also Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Art’s Bar & Grill – Mount Pleasant, and Shrimp City Slim 7-10 pm (solo) at Southern Seasons Grill, Summerville

Thursday’s- The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) at Bambu – Mt. P. And the Charleston Harbor Blues & BBQ tours board 6:30 pm, sail 7-9 pm, 843-722-1112

Friday’s - Old You kick off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop

Saturday’s - The Louie D Project funks the Vendue Rooftop.

-----------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

September's featured artists are B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, and Koko Taylor (all born in September).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW and SB, September 15, 2011

Hi Blues lovers -

Have you heard about the new internet music service called Spotify? It's a service that has been in Europe for awhile, with rave reviews, but is new in the U.S. If you join, you can have access to millions of songs, and the basic service is actually free! The free version comes with ads, but they are not too intrusive. And since the ads pay for the music (like on the radio), I'm not complaining. Or you can choose to pay $5 or $10 a month if you want no ads, and extra features. Check out spotify.com for more info, and to request an invitation to join. You may have to wait for your invitation, but probably not too long. You can then link your Spotify account to your facebook account, if you choose to, and share music with your friends. Very cool!

In Blues Club news, we still have a few spots open for the Lowcountry Blues Challenge Battle of the Bands. But better act fast - email RobLoweSC@gmail.com for information.

What's going on this weekend, you ask?

Friday, Sept 9 - The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) will be at Mueller’s Pub, The Louie D Project will be at The Brick.
Friday and Saturday – Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) is at Birdie & Sharon’s in Walterboro
Saturday – Homemade Wine is at The North Charleston Wild Wing while Old You is at the Mt. P Wild Wing

And looking ahead, mark your calendar for Band Together, a cancer benefit, featuring Dan Wright and the New Beat, Gaslight Street, Ryan Bonner, and more - Saturday, Sept 17 at the Music Farm.

Don’t forget these regular weekly gigs:

Tuesdays - Shrimp City Slim from 11 am-1 pm (lunch) (solo) at Cajun Kountry Kitchen Cafe, N. Charleston

Wednesday’s - Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Art’s Bar & Grill – Mount Pleasant
Shrimp City Slim 7-10 pm (solo) at Southern Seasons Grill, Summerville

Thursday’s- The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) at Bambu – Mt. P.
Charleston Harbor Blues & BBQ tours board 6:30 pm, sail 7-9 pm, 843-722-1112

Friday’s - Old You kick off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop

Saturday’s - The Louie D Project funks the Vendue Rooftop.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

September's featured artists are B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, and Koko Taylor (all born in September).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

See you at the jam!

LMW, September 8, 2011

Hi All -

The Lowcountry Blues Challenge is fast approaching, and if your band would like to be considered, your entry fee is due by Sept 5!! Please email RobLoweSC@gmail.com for information. We also need 3 songs, a bio,and a hi-res jpg. The winner of this battle of the bands will have the opportunity to go to Memphis (in late January 2012) to represent the Lowcountry at the International Blues Challenge!

From Scott Bucholtz, here are some options for your weekend:

Thursday Night: Hundred Hands Down w/ Fowler’s Mustache at The Village Tavern – Mt. P. Homemade Wine is at Red’s Icehouse in Seabrook Thursday and Friday. Friday Night: Graham Whorley Band at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ – Sullivans Island, The Highway 17 Blues Band is at Smokey’s Place and The Louie D Project is at Midtown Bar & Grill on King. Friday & Saturday – The Mason Dixon Band (w/ Scott Bucholtz) is at The Strike Zone – Summerville. Saturday Night: Will Hoge w/ Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at The Windjammer – IOP. Saturday, Sunday and Monday – Homemade Wine is at Red’s Icehouse on Shem Creek. Sunday: Momma & The Redemption Band (w/ Jojo Wall) at Bowens Island – 4 pm also catch Captain Kirk w/ Starling and others at Fat Boys Band Bash in Moncks Corner starting at 1:00 and running all night! Later, The Louie D Project will be at Snapper Jacks on Folly. Monday: Shovels and Rope (Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent) at the Pour House – 5 pm

Don’t forget these regular weekly gigs:

Tuesdays - Shrimp City Slim from 11 am-1 pm (lunch) (solo) at Cajun Kountry Kitchen Cafe, N. Charleston

Wednesday’s - Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Art’s Bar & Grill – Mount Pleasant
Shrimp City Slim 7-10 pm (solo) at Southern Seasons Grill, Summerville

Thursday’s- The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) at Bambu – Mt. P.
Charleston Harbor Blues & BBQ tours board 6:30 pm, sail 7-9 pm, 843-722-1112

Friday’s - Old You kick off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop

Saturday’s - The Louie D Project funks the Vendue Rooftop.

And if you're up for a trip out of town, Gary Erwin recommends you check out the NEW RIVER BLUES FESTIVAL, Sunday, September 4, starting at noon, in Jefferson, NC (in the mountains, not far from Boone, Blowing Rock). Party to the blues in the grassy meadows along the New River! Full info at: www.newriverbluesfestival.info

WANDA JOHNSON w/SHRIMP CITY SLIM
BEVERLY GUITAR WATKINS - rockin' blues lady formerly with Piano Red
ROY ROBERTS - ex-guitarist for Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, more,
THE KING BEES - enduring NC blues ensemble
LOGIE MEACHUM - blues stories and songs
Also appearing: BIG MIKE KINCAID (sax), JUKE JOINT JOHNNY (harp) and, as always, a big jam at the end.

A variety of accommodations in the area, ranging from camping to luxury motels. Bring your own lawnchair/blanket to the fest site; delicious food & beverages on sale.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, with "For the blog" as the subject line. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

September's featured artists are B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, and Koko Taylor (all born in September).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership.

See you at the jam!

LMW, September 1, 2011

Remember: The Lowcountry Blues Challenge is coming! Every other Sunday, starting Sept 25th, we will be conducting our annual Blues Battle of the Bands - the Challenge. If your band would like to be considered, please email RobLoweSC@gmail.com for information. We need 3 songs, a bio, a hi-res jpg and an entry fee of $25. Your entry fee is due by Sept 5!! The winner will have the opportunity to go to Memphis (in late January 2012) to represent the Lowcountry at the International Blues Challenge - an amazing event! Bands will be judged by the same standards as those used at the IBC, and you can find out lots of details about the IBC and judging standards at their website at blues.org.

--------------------------------------------------------------

On January 20th, I (Scott Bucholtz) featured a BIO of Jonathan Robinson in this blog. If you read it, you may remember that I reported that Jonathan had been commuting back and forth to Nashville pursuing opportunities to sell and publish his original material. On one of those trips to a "pitch to publisher" night, the Vice President of Major Bob Music invited him to attend the Michael Doyle Workshop. The "workshop" is a program in which the publisher picks 10 writers a year to develop. Some of them get hired as staff writers. Jonathan has been picked as one of the select few. This is a four month gig that could very possibly lead to something big! Major Bob music is one of the largest independent publishers in Nashville. They discovered Garth Brooks and currently represent The Band Perry (Grammy nominated and ACM Award winners). They pitch songs (and have had them recorded) to major country, rock, r&b, and pop artists. So, everyone should send Jonathan their congratulations!

Having played in the Jonathan Robinson Trio for the past eight months, I’ve certainly become very familiar with Jonathan’s songwriting and it is awesome. On a personal note, I’d like to add that the experience has been not only the most musically rewarding that I have had, it has also resulted in performances that are easily those that I am most proud of. Whatever he ends up doing after the workshop, I sincerely hope I get to be the guy sitting behind him – hitting $#!+.

The Jonathan Robinson Trio will have their Farewell (for now) performance next Wednesday August 24th at KC Mulligan’s. Please stop by!!

In the meantime, come out to the West Ashley Dog & Duck this Saturday @ 9 to see 3 X Lucky, featuring Austin Bucholtz, Mark Yampolsky, Jojo Wall and me (Scott Bucholtz).

First, start your weekend off with Old You on the Vendue Rooftop Friday @ 6. Later Friday catch Shaniqua Brown at The Pour House or the all-star lineup of Highway 17 at Two Keys Tavern, recording a live cd. Friday and Saturday you can catch Johnny Mac & The Booty Ranch at the Sand Dollar. Saturday: Old You is at The Brick and Captain Kirk and Starling hit The Bottom. Sunday see Old You at High Thymes on Sullivan’s Island. Finally, Monday The Pour House features Fowler’s Mustache.

Weekly, don’t forget Mondays feature Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Drop In Gourmet Deli & Bar and Thursday’s have The Louie D Project at Bambu.

Every Thursday, there's the "Blues & BBQ Harbor Cruise", aboard "Carolina Belle" - Boards 6:30 pm at the Charleston (SC) Maritime Center, Sails 7-9 pm, Live blues from Shrimp City Slim band, BBQ buffet from Home Team BBQ, cash bar, and dazzling harbor cruise featuring sunset, dolphins, awe-inspiring cargo vessels, sea birds, dancing people (like you!) and so much more. Info: www.charlestonharbortours.com. Or to speak with someone and book directly: 843-722-1112

Also, Momma & the Redemption Band sent us their upcoming schedule: Check them out on Aug 27 at the Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant.

------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

August's featured artists are John Lee Hooker and Robert Cray (born in August).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership.

See you at the jam!

LMW, August 19, 2011

Greetings blues club friends! We had a great jam last night at Home Team, didn't we? It was fun to see old friends, and meet new ones. Be sure to come out next Wednesday for more fun - as well as great barbecue and frosty cold drinks...

What's happening this weekend? Here are some options, but check your favorite local paper for more...

Tonight (Thursday night) August 11, The Mason Dixon Band (with Scott Bucholtz) will be at California Dreaming for their first “Country Night” complete with mechanical bull!

Friday night, Jeff Liberty is at Morgan Creek Grill starting 6:30, and Skye Paige & The Original Recipe will be rocking and bluesing at Home Team WA. And there's Hootie & The Blowfish this Friday & Saturday at the Family Circle Cup Stadium.

Saturday, the Charleston’s Finest Lady Artists (CFLA) Love Your Locals Music & Art Festival for AFFA at Remedy Market downtown on Spring Street with Three Times Lucky (3 X Lucky) which is a new group featuring Austin Bucholtz, Mark Yampolsky, Jojo Wall & Scott Bucholtz. Others on the bill include Old You, High Tide, The Royal Tinfoil, Tidal Jive, Nick Carter, Gangrene Machine and Circus McGurkis. The event starts at 3:00.

Also Saturday night, the Louie D Duo is at the Morgan Creek Grill 6:30-10:30.

On Sunday, Plane Jane rocks Wild Wing downtown, and Alison Krauss & The Union Station are at the PAC.

Mondays: Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at the Drop In Gourmet Deli & Bar on Folly Beach

Every Tuesday, 11 am-1 pm (lunch) Shrimp City Slim solo at Cajun Kountry Kitchen Cafe, 1382-B Remount Rd., N. Charleston.

Wednesdays: The Jonathan Robinson Trio at KC Mulligan’s in North Charleston
Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Art’s Bar & Grill in Mount Pleasant
Of course, you should come see these guys AFTER you stop by the Blues Jam at Home Team/WA.

Every Thursday, there's the "Blues & BBQ Harbor Cruise", aboard "Carolina Belle" - Boards 6:30 pm at the Charleston (SC) Maritime Center, Sails 7-9 pm, Live blues from Shrimp City Slim band, BBQ buffet from Home Team BBQ, cash bar, and dazzling harbor cruise featuring sunset, dolphins, awe-inspiring cargo vessels, sea birds, dancing people (like you!) and so much more. Info: www.charlestonharbortours.com. Or to speak with someone and book directly: 843-722-1112

Also, Momma & the Redemption Band sent us their upcoming schedule: Check them out on Aug 27 at the Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant, Sept 5 Bowen's Island, afternoon gig, Oct 1 Seewee , Oct 7 Home Team W. Ashley, Nov 26 Home Team Sullivan's Island.


---------------------------------------------------------

Remember: The Lowcountry Blues Challenge is coming! Every other Sunday, starting Sept 25th, we will be conducting our annual Blues Battle of the Bands - the Challenge. The winner will have the opportunity to go to Memphis (in late January 2012) to represent the Lowcountry at the International Blues Challenge - an amazing event! If your band would like to be considered, please email RobLoweSC@gmail.com for information. We need 3 songs, a bio, a hi-res jpg and an entry fee of $25. Bands will be judged by the same standards as those used at the IBC, and you can find out lots of details about the IBC and judging standards at their website at blues.org.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

August's featured artists are John Lee Hooker and Robert Cray (born in August).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership.

See you at the jam!

LMW, August 11, 2011

Start The Car!
By: Scott Bucholtz

Most of you have lived in the Lowcountry longer than I have. So, I certainly don’t feel qualified to be the one giving driving directions or the one explaining the geographical differences between St. George and Georgetown or Johns Island and James Island. However, I do feel that it is necessary to remind some of you how CLOSE the next neighborhood really is. With each blog that I write, I try to highlight just a few of the upcoming week's events that feature members of the Lowcountry Blues Club as well as others that I feel are truly noteworthy. Yet, so often, I hear nothing but excuses that go something like this: “I live downtown and can’t make it out to West Ashley”… Are you freakin’ kidding me?! Seriously, it’s seems like people that live in Mount Pleasant haven’t ever been to Folly Beach and people from Summerville have never been to Awendaw. That ‘s like living in Cleveland and never having been to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. It appears that developers here are trying to build you a house AND a neighborhood and then sell you on the fact your don’t have to leave! There is a whole world of incredible events and opportunities out there - generally, within a 20-30 minute drive. In bigger cities you can barely travel a couple of blocks in 20 minutes!

I have often been accused of being a walking advertisement for why people should move to Charleston. Why? Of course the physical beauty is unbelievable. The architecture, the landscapes, the fantastic shopping… When you also consider that you really don’t have traffic jams, parking is cheap (if not free) and the cost of living is reasonable – that sounds pretty good right? But, what really blows me away is the live music. Now, I’ve actually heard some complain that it’s not what it used to be, but where is it? Where I’m from disc jockeys replaced live music decades ago! Here, many restaurants have some form of live entertainment. On any given night, you can easily find some quality live entertainment. True, I could make as much money at a gig in 1982 as I make now – but that is an entirely different issue.

I worked in Chicago for four years. The suburb that I lived in was a community of nearly 500,000. I knew of ONE nice place that had live bands and it was only on Wednesday nights. They didn’t want to give up the dining room space on weekends! Sure, Chicago had some great Blues clubs. But, consider at least an hour in traffic (longer from the suburbs), $20+ for parking and another $20 cover and you weren’t going to find $2 drinks! Unless you lived nearby (not nice), a night out would be long and expensive. Here, you can hit Folly, WA, Daniel, James or Johns Island, Mt. P, The IOP, Summerville, N. Chuck… anywhere. You can pull up and park next to the building and walk in for a $5 cover (actually most are free). With that, you get World Class musicians providing incredible entertainment and you can be back home on the couch in a short period of time and not notice the weight difference of your wallet. And downtown? That’s even better. You can usually find parking on the street (free after 6) and walk up and down King or Market or East Bay… and get all of the ear candy you can handle!

Some of you cynics may have already called B.S. regarding some of my comments. If so, you obviously don’t know how good you have it! I’ll gladly take the challenge. Venture out tonight. I dare you!

Here you go:

Mondays: Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at the Drop In Gourmet Deli & Bar on Folly Beach

Wednesdays: The Jonathan Robinson Trio (w/ me) at KC Mulligan’s in North Charleston
Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Art’s Bar & Grill in Mount Pleasant
Of course, you should come see us AFTER you stop by the Blues Jam at Hometeam W.A.

This Thursday night (Aug 4) features the Trident United Way Battle Of The Bands at the Music Farm (Look for the Big Guy!)
Meanwhile, The Louie D Project (with J.R. Getches) will be at Bambu, and Mac Leaphart and John Wesley Satterfield will be at the Windjammer.

Friday:
Old You (w/ YoungMi) kicks off the weekend on the Vendue Rooftop at 6. Then they’ll be across the street (East Bay) at The Brick
The Louie D Project at Midtown on King Street
The Port City Prophets (w/ Tim Kirkendall) at Shooters in Summerville
Highway 17 Blues Band (Jack, Jojo, Gary & Motor) at Smokey’s Place, North Charleston
Starling (w/Captain Kirk) is at The Summerville Pour House
On a national scale: Scott Holt will be at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ – West Ashley

Saturday:
The Louie D Project kicks off the evening on the Vendue Rooftop then hits Hometeam BBQ on Sullivan’s Island
Starling is at Fat Boys in Moncks Corner
Old You will be downtown at The Kickin’ Chicken

Get next week off to a good start on Tuesday the 9th with Jackass Flatts at The Pour House or Shovels and Rope (Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent) downtown at The Tattooed Moose.

Don’t forget: Hootie & The Blowfish next Friday & Saturday at the Family Circle Cup Stadium or Alison Krauss & The Union Station at the PAC Coliseum on Sunday the 14th!

---------------------------------------------------------

The Lowcountry Blues Challenge is coming! Every other Sunday, starting Sept 25th, we will be conducting our annual Blues Battle of the Bands - the Challenge. The winner will have the opportunity to go to Memphis (in late January 2012) to represent the Lowcountry at the International Blues Challenge - an amazing event! If your band would like to be considered, please email RobLoweSC@gmail.com for information. We need 3 songs, a bio, a hi-res jpg and an entry fee of $25. Bands will be judged by the same standards as those used at the IBC, and you can find out lots of details about the IBC and judging standards at their website at blues.org.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

August's featured artists are John Lee Hooker and Robert Cray (born in August).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

See you at the jam!

LMW, August 4, 2011

All right - the Lowcountry Blues Challenge is coming! Every other Sunday, starting 9/25, we will be conducting our annual Blues Battle of the Bands - the Challenge. The winner will have the opportunity to go to Memphis (in late January 2012) to represent the Lowcountry at the International Blues Challenge - an amazing event! If your band would like to be considered, please email RobLoweSC@gmail.com for information. We need 3 songs, a bio, a hi-res jpg and an entry fee of $25. Bands will be judged by the same standards as those used at the IBC, and you can find out lots of details about the IBC and judging standards at their website at blues.org.

What's going on this weekend, you ask? Well, The Jonathan Robinson Trio (with Scott Bucholtz) told us that they will be at Bushido Japanese Restaurant Friday night, July 29th, for SUSHI MIDNIGHT MADNESS. I'm sure there's lots more options as well, but I don't know what they are, so check your favorite local paper, or facebook! And of course, we want to see you for the weekly LBC jam at Home Team BBQ/ WA, every Wednesday night...

Also coming soon: the Trident United Way Battle of the Bands - This event starts at 5:30 pm on Aug 4, 2011 at The Music Farm. There will be 12 bands ( many of which have Lowcountry Blues Club members). There is a $10 cover charge and you get music, food, and an adult drink included. Yes, included!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to facebook directly!

August's featured artists are John Lee Hooker and Robert Cray (born in August).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, July 27, 2011

Lots of news this week! But we'll start with a note sent from Dereck Curry:

Hi, my name is Dereck Curry. Some of you know me, some of you don't. But in August of 2007 I was one of the cofounders of the Lowcountry Blues Club and for the first year of the club I was pretty much the de facto President of the organization. I had a vision for the blues society that we were creating, one where the society was really a member driven organization, and made it a condition that after each year the club would elect a board of directors and a set of officers from the board. It was never the intent of this club to be run by the same people year after year, like many community organizations we have all encountered. This club was not an ego trip or a power trip for those involved, but an organization for blues music lovers run by music lovers. The idea was simple: if new people weren't willing to step up and lead after a year, the club would simply be disbanded. I shared this vision with the other founders (Tommy Thunderfoot, Stuart Johnson, and Kathleen Wehle) and they agreed that this was the best way to establish the foundation of an organization we hoped would exist for decades to come.

Luckily many others also shared this vision. And on our first anniversary we brought in all the club members and did a proper election of board and officers. Many of the folks who were involved in those early days are still actively involved in the Lowcountry Blues Club today. That's a testament to our organization. Our first elected President was Chip Hall. Following Chip was Greg Cooper. And following Greg was Tim Shaw. Each of these Presidents brought a great deal to the organization and really helped it thrive over the years. Over the past few months, I've been serving as the interim President after Tim needed to step aside. And truthfully, I did a bad job. I had the best of intentions when agreeing to serve until our normal election cycle, but I just didn't have the time to dedicate to the club that it deserves. So I requested a special election be called to elect a new board and officers a few months early.

I'm happy to report that last Wednesday we elected a new board and officers, and I'm very excited about this new leadership group. There are many new faces and a mix of seasoned board veterans. Our new President is Billy Gadol. Billy is a well known figure in the Lowcountry Blues Club and has been an ardent supporter of our organization. I look forward to seeing where Billy and the new board take the club over the coming year. Please give them all the support they need in making this the best blues society in the country and a musical force in our communities.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved over the past four years. And I would like to give a special thanks to the board members and officers. You really have been unbelievable. So many people have worked astoundingly hard to make my vision a reality that I am truly humbled and appreciative of all of you. I've made many great friends over the past four years, and expect to make many more in the years to come. We are an amazing organization, and it's because of all of you.

Thank you.

Dereck

We also received this note from Tim "The Big Guy" Shaw: "As past president of the Lowcountry Blues Club I would like to wish continuing success for the club and new board. I am excited about the new board members as I have a great deal of respect for each of them and I know they will bring a renewed excitement to the club. Personally I have had the pleasure of meeting and making many new friends and growing as a musician. There is one person from the club I would like to thank and that is Dereck Curry for his vision to start the club. From the early days at A Dough Re Mi and now at Hometeam BBQ the club continues to be exciting and entertaining for fans and musicians alike. I look forward to seeing you at future jams as I too will enjoy the future of the club."

So, the new officers and board are working now to plan the Lowcountry Blues Club Challenge - a battle-of-the-bands style competition, the winner of which is then nominated by our club to go to Memphis to perform at the IBC (the International Blues Challenge), a truly awesome event which is held over a long weekend, starting January 31, 2012. We'll be giving you lots of details about the Challenge very soon. But start thinking now about whether you want to compete. Bands will be judged by the same standards as those used at the IBC, and you can find out lots of details about the IBC and judging standards at their website at blues.org.

What's going on this weekend, you ask? Well, we'll be brief, because this is a long newsletter already. On Friday and Saturday nights, you could see Johnny Mac and band at the Sand Dollar, 10 pm. Louie D is at the King St Grill/WA on Friday night at 10, and Rooftop Bar downtown on Sat night, 6-9. Friday 6-9 there's Shrimp City Slim at Freshfields Village, Kiawah, as well. And if you want to post your band's gigs, please go to our facebook page, and let us know where you're playing, please! And of course, we want to see you for the weekly LBC jam at Home Team BBQ/ WA, every Wednesday night!

Also coming soon: the Trident United Way Battle of the Bands - This event starts at 5:30 pm on Aug 4, 2011 at The Music Farm. There will be 12 bands ( many of which have Lowcountry Blues Club members). There is a $10 cover charge and you get music, food, and an adult drink included. Yes, included! You can go to Trident United Way Battle of the Bands on Facebook for a list of bands and sponsors!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for more shows happening this weekend.

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. Or just post to our facebook page directly!

July's featured artists are Willie Dixon (1915), Junior Kimbrough (1930), and Buddy Guy (1936), born in July.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, July 21, 2011

Answers to last week's quiz are at the end of this newsletter.

Melissa Martin: The Voice That Set The Club On Fire!

-By: Scott Bucholtz

~The enormous amount of talent that participates in Jam Night has repeatedly been referenced here. However, if you’ve noticed, there is one instrument that doesn’t get much mention. Take a moment and list all of the great vocalists… while a few quickly come to mind, Jam Night often leave those short of breath. That is certainly why Melissa Martin has made such an instant splash with The Lowcountry Blues Club. Simply put, she’s got an amazing voice. For weeks, I kept hearing about her until I witnessed it myself. She definitely created a buzz. Once again, I don’t know of any other avenue outside of our Blues Club where this happens at that level.

Born “and pretty much raised” in Camden, SC. Her grandmother was a concert pianist and her Dad plays lead guitar. Her Dad, Greg Martin, has jammed on the drums with Archie Bell, opened for David Allan Coe and Charly McClain, did some studio work for Confederate Railroad and was even offered a job playing lead guitar with the Georgia Satellites in 1999. He taught himself how to play as a teenager. “He’d put records on and play them over and over again until he got it down. Music comes naturally to him - he can play pretty much any instrument he puts his mind to but guitar is his obsession. He lived and breathed it for as long as I can remember.” His first Telecaster, “Miss Marie” (named after her), was “a member of the family.”

She moved here in March looking for a fresh start. “Why not the beautiful city of Charleston!” She’s looking to expand her musical horizons a little and I feels like “Chucktown is a good place to kick up some dust.” She had a band back home, but is ready to do something different and a little bigger. She fronted Exit 98 and then worked with Blue Haze and Eminence Front for a few shows. She also appeared on their debut album - Google it! Her first gig was October of 2006 and she has performed pretty much every weekend since. In the rare weekends she had off, “I was either singing with friends, one of the other bands, or sliding out of town to go hear other bands.” She says that she loves performing, “especially with new people - always something different and unexpected.” It’s no wonder she made such a splash with the Blues Club!

She had heard about the Blues Club before she even moved down. She said, “It’s the word on the street to hit the blues jams to make some great connections, meet new friends and to just have a good time with good people.” Currently, she is remaining open minded while exploring her options. She is interested in pursuing something in the area of Soul/Funk/Blues/R&B. What does that mean? It means that a couple local musicians may soon win the lead vocalist lottery!

She’s been singing her whole life, mainly for family and friends as a hobby. Did a few plays and talent shows. It was just a few years ago when she called up her dad and told him she wanted to start a band. With obvious affection, she states; “It was our ‘thing’. Hands down one of the coolest things is to play music with your dad! So, we started Exit 98. We practiced for about a year and went through a few players before we got the project off of the ground. But then we hit the local scene running. We played festivals, charity events, bars, clubs, parties, grand openings, you name it. We did very well for ourselves and had a blast doing so. I still think back to that first gig we booked and the massive panic attack I had that morning (it was a big outdoor festival). Ol’ Greg had to give me one helluva pep talk that day. But as soon as I walked on stage and had that mic in my hand, it just felt right.” She adds that whenever she hears the tuning of a guitar, she thinks of him. She mentioned that she is also trying to learn guitar and says, “I’ve got three, but I’m impatient!”

Now, her friends tease her when they go out because she’s is certain to end up on stage. She says that in her short career, she’s “had the good fortune of singing with many different musicians and bands and met so many awesome people.”

At a recent gig with The Mason Dixon Band, I had the pleasure of experiencing this first hand. She showed up at the gig with the members of Homemade Wine from Knoxville (who amazingly are Mason Dixon Band fans). We called Melissa up during our first set and she truly knocked it out of the park! She absolutely smoked covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rolling Stones songs! It was the beginning of one of the best and most memorable gigs that I’ve ever had!

As for career highlights, she mentions that every year Camden has a Blues Festival downtown. “We weren’t straight blues, but we did a few.” Some friends of theirs owned a great little bar downtown and would book them every year for the weekend. Even though they weren’t participating in the festival, they got tons of traffic. She remembers looking around one time and the entire bar was elbow to elbow with people. “We played in this little nook with a huge plate glass window looking out at the main drag in Camden and the entire sidewalk was chock full of people that stopped to hear us. We had the biggest crowd out of any venue at the festival. That was an awesome show.”

She adds, “I had the opportunity this year to sing with some friends of mine, Homemade Wine, at the St. Patty’s festival in Savannah in front of a crowd of about 8000 people. THAT was pretty gnarly.”

I suppose most vocalists have dreamt of singing the National Anthem at one time or another. Melissa is no different, in fact “as simple as it sounds, I always wanted to sing the National Anthem at a high school football or baseball game.” She says. A friend of hers is a baseball coach and granted her wish this past spring. She said that “for some reason, I was more nervous singing to that crowd of 150!” Perhaps the significance and history of the subject matter had something to do with the butterflies…

When I asked Melissa who her biggest influences/inspirations are, she says “Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin have always been my top 3 favorite female singers. They have really helped to shape my sound I think. I love their soulful, deep, bluesy tones.” She continues, “I’ve always been a big fan of blues and R & B. I’ve always had an appetite for a wide palate of music and grew up listening to all types. I was stealing dad’s Johnny Rivers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘tapes’ by the age of 12.” She adds, “Billie Holliday, Etta James, Grace Potter and Mary J. Blige are some more top ladies in my book.”

Other favorites on her list include: The Black Crowes, Drive-By Truckers, Tab Benoit, Allman Brothers, Ryan Adams, Ray Lamontagne, Charlie Daniels Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Journey, JJ Grey & Mofro, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Norah Jones, The Judds, James Taylor, Derek Trucks, City of Colour, Iron & Wine, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Frankie Beverly & Maze, The Commodores, Earth Wind & Fire, The Osborne Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Nina Simone, Gov’t Mule, Koko Taylor, Black Keys, Red House Painters. “Man, I could go on and on…” Obviously, this is a girl with a healthy appreciation!

Her Jam Night favorites include Susan Tedeschi’s “It Hurt So Bad” and Rod Stewart’s “Stay With Me”. She also loves doing “Proud Mary” Ike and Tina style. When asked who her favorite jammers are, she states: “Now you know there is no way to choose! I dig all of my jam friends: Greg, Billy G, British Charlie, Big Guy, The Captain, Dan the Man, Tony, Quentin, Jojo, Bill, John, Jerry, Louis D, Scott, Charlie K.”

Obviously, she’s quickly ascended to the top of all of our lists as well!

This weekends’ highlights include:

Thursday the 14th:
Futurebirds with Old You opening at The Charleston Pour House
Plane Jane (w/ Wayne Mitchum) at Wild Wing Mt. P.

Friday the 15th:
Old You on the Vendue Rooftop early, then…
The Louie D Project (w/ J.R. Getches) at The Rehab Bar & Grill
Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) at Fat Boys in Moncks Corner
Fowler’s Mustache at The Brick Downtown
DownWright Scoundrels (w/ Jack Downey) @ Toast!
Homemade Wine at Wild Wing Mt. P.
Johnny Mac at Jimbo's

Saturday the 16th:
The Jonathan Robinson Trio (with yours truly) at The Dog & Duck West Ashley
Old You at the Kickin’ Chicken Downtown
Gaslight Street at The Charleston Pour House
Jimmy Thackery at The Music Farm

Don’t forget, Monday’s feature Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at the Drop In Gourmet Deli & Bar on Folly Beach. Wednesday’s look for Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Art’s Bar & Grill in Mount Pleasant or join The Jonathan Robinson Trio at KC Mulligans in N. Charleston. After you stop at the Blues Jam, of course!

If your band's gig isn't listed here, just go to our facebook page and post it there, so your friends and fans can add it to their calendars - Thanks!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for more shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please.

July's featured artists are Willie Dixon (1915), Junior Kimbrough (1930), and Buddy Guy (1936), born in July.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

Answers to the Quiz:

1. Dan the Man
2. Motor
3. The Big Guy
4. The Captain
5. English Charlie
6. Young Charlie
7. Tan the Man
8. Billy G Is Not My Lover
9 & 10. The Horny Horns

----------------------

1. Dan Wright, of course!
2. Greg Levkus, drummer extraordinaire
3. The correct answer is Tim Shaw, but you can have the points if you said Big Mike or Mike Llewellyn as well...
4. James Kirk, our new Vice-President of Membership
5. Charles Wyche-Smythe
6. Charlie Kendall
7. Tanner Cooper - this was a hard one, as he doesn't come often these days, now drummer for Heyrocco
8. Billy Gadol, our new President of the Blues Club
9 & 10. Louis D and Will Elder

Scoring: You get 5 points for each correct first and last name, for a total of 100 points. Did anyone have a perfect score? If you got 90-100 points, we'll call you a Blues Jam All-Star! 75-85 is a Blues Club friend in good standing. If your score is 70 or under, we hope you'll come out more often, pay attention, talk to everybody, and become a part of the family!

LMW, July 14, 2011

Tuesday night, July 12th, Dan Wright will be at Home Team West Ashley for a special Tuesday night session featuring Wayne Mitchum from Plane Jane on bass, Bill Nance on keys, and THE Quentin Ravenel on drums. 9 pm, NO cover - Come out and have some fun!

And Wednesday night at 6:30 there's a special meeting before the jam, 6:30, at Home Team/WA, for everyone interested in the future of the Blues Club. We will be electing officers and making plans - be there!

Hi Blues Club Friends -

This week we bring you a quiz to test your knowledge of some of our blues club jammers. I will give you a nickname, and you have to provide the jammer's real name, first and last...We'll give you the answers next week, and the scoring chart. Find out if you qualify as an Expert, or as Pitiful, or somewhere In between... Okay, here we go:

1. Dan the Man
2. Motor
3. The Big Guy
4. The Captain
5. English Charlie
6. Young Charlie
7. Tan the Man
8. Billy G Is Not My Lover
9 & 10. The Horny Horns

Now, what's going on this weekend?

One stellar event is the 11th annual GREENWOOD BLUES CRUISE Thursday-Saturday, July 7-9 in Greenwood, SC - www.greenwoodbluescruise.com. It's a FREE blues club crawl, part of the South Carolina Festival of Discovery. Greenwood is located about 1 hour from Columbia, SC; three hours from Charleston. Star-studded line-up: CHICK "STOOP DOWN" WILLIS, BUDDY WHITTINGTON with RANDY MCALLISTER, FRANKIE'S BLUES MISSION, DRINK SMALL, BACK PORCH BLUES (Eleanor Ellis, Jay Summerour, Eric Selby), WANDA JOHNSON, and a whole lot more. Check the website!

Friday night, The Louie D Project is at Johnson's Pub (10:30pm til 2am), and Saturday night 6pm to 9pm @The Vendue Rooftop. Come get some funk, says Louie! Also on Friday night there's Jeff Liberty at Morgan Creek Grill 6:30-10:30, and ,Dash Rip Rock at Home Team/Sullivans Island, 10pm. Saturday, there's Jimbo Mathus w/ Guilt Ridden Troubadour at the Charleston Pour House, 9pm.

If your band's gig isn't listed here, just go to our facebook page and post it there, so your friends and fans can add it to their calendars - Thanks!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for more shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please.

July's featured artists are Willie Dixon (1915), Junior Kimbrough (1930), and Buddy Guy (1936), born in July.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, July 7, 2011

“A Community at the Crossroads”

By Scott Bucholtz

As musicians and lovers of audible creations, both earthly and otherworldly, we can all identify with the classic print advertisement that showed a man sitting in front of two large living room speakers – with his hair being blown back from the sound waves. That feeling, that energy. Being transported and enraptured by the intoxicating exhilaration… It is precisely those feelings that drove us to learn to play. To pick, pluck and strum. To massage and caress and to hit with force. It fed the desire. Remember?

Then, instead of simply sitting in front of the speakers, we attempted to play along. To participate. Hour after hour. Day after day. This is when dreams truly began to formulate. If the dreams were REAL, it wasn’t dreams of Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-Roll. It was ALL about the music.

Turning a few pages forward, the experience of the non-verbal communication with others is like being part of a secret community with its own language. The “we went to different schools together” feeling. Communicating via music. Call and response, unison, harmony. Then, combining it all together: performing – with an audience. If you’re lucky enough to be able to get their attention and earn a positive response… THAT may be the highest known form of euphoria. The communal climax. If you’ve had it, how could you forget it?

It’s been said that Charleston is a town full of musicians but just a handful of bands. Plane Jane, Johnny Mac & The Booty Ranch, Leslie, Mason Dixon… there are a few others that have been established. But really, it’s the high ratio of musicians in town that I think is a major part of what makes this area so special. The number of accomplished guitarists and songwriters around is amazing and I often say that a bird can’t make a dropping without hitting a drummer! (Why do us drummer’s always get crapped on?) Jam Night is a classic example. Jam Night is also the best place to ask: Who’s playing with them? You got a gig Friday? Jim’s going to play bass, you want to play? Stop by, bring your guitar. If you can make it out, we’ll get you up for a few songs… As far back as I can remember and to this day, whenever I see live music, I want to get on stage on play. Here, I often get to and it’s usually thanks to the Lowcountry Blues Club.

Speaking of the band Leslie - What better example of ‘community’... Leslie only had to cancel one gig after all of their gear was stolen. Countless members of the community stepped up for them! They were blown away by the support that they received. I must say that those are three guys who have got “it”, “get it” and appreciate it. (By the way, you HAVE to get their new CD “Lord, Have Mercy”.)

As members of the Lowcountry Blues Club, we get to participate in “Jam Night”. It’s our weekly Holiday. It’s a birthday party and a family reunion. If you don’t think that Jam Night is something special, think about the crowds that regularly are in attendance. Think about the response and support you get. Do your bands gigs always compare favorably? We can’t afford to take the Blues Club and Jam Night for granted. It’s special and we are lucky to be a part of it. Note: Pay your dues!!! Jam Nights are the best opportunity in town to make contacts and catch up. Not to mention that you get to see and hear some of the best talent that the Lowcountry (and beyond) has to offer.

Nearly everyone that I have met and everything that I have done in Carolina can be credited to being turned onto the Blues Club (Thanks again to Mike Davis from Ye Olde Music Shop). With the recent retirement of President Tim Shaw and the pending departure of ‘creator’ Dereck Curry (as VP), we are at a significant crossroads. For the weekly jam to continue, not to mention the involvement with the International Blues Challenge and the Blues Foundation, dues must be paid and active, conscientious leadership must be in place. We can’t sit on our hands! Remember, the Club and the weekly jam not only provide great entertainment, a viable network and sense of community, it is a musical outlet unlike any other. For many it is their ONLY chance to perform. For me, picking up my sticks is like a hug from a loved one, everything feels right. I wish that everyone could experience the joy and excitement that I get when playing. For those that have ‘been experienced’, do you need to be reminded...?

I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of The Mason Dixon Band since August of 2010 and I have the incredible good fortune to also be in The Jonathan Robinson Trio, since early 2011. Recently, I had my first gig with the incredible YoungMi Feldsott and friends (I sincerely hope that there will be many more to come). The stories behind how I got involved with these groups range from an intricate grapevine of connections and contacts to a simple introduction – all can be traced back to the Lowcountry Blues Club.

As an example of the power of networking, I had happened to mention to YoungMi that I was looking to pick up some extra gigs. Within an hour of that conversation, she calls me and says, “I got us a gig”. Then, she calls me later that same day and says, “do you want to fill in tonight?”. Within a 10 day period, I picked up three gigs! To take it a step further, she has introduced Jonathan and me to a couple of club owners who are booking the Jonathan Robinson Trio. It’s amazing to watch how the network of this community can operate! So, a special ‘thank you’ to YoungMi. And, guess what, I would never have met her had it not been for the Blues Club. In fact, I would not be playing at all if it had not been for Lowcountry Blues Club. I would just be dreaming about it. Trust me, reality is better!

There will be a meeting on July 13th at 6:30PM at Home Team BBQ/WA to elect the new board and officers for the Lowcountry Blues Club for the upcoming year. Be sure to come out early that Wednesday to participate in planning the future of the club.

Kick off your weekend with YoungMi and OLD YOU on the Vendue Rooftop at 6 on Friday. I’ll be with The MASON DIXON BAND at the Sand Shack later Friday night while The LOUIE D. PROJECT (with J.R. Getches) will be at Bambu and SGT. SUBMARINE (with Bill Nance) will be at The Wolf Track Inn. Saturday night features Captain Kirk with STARLING at the Bottom Grill & Pub in Bonneau, Rev. Dr. JOHNNY MAC & the BOOTYRANCH will be at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ (WA) while OLD YOU will be at Boone’s on King Street. Also, DRIVIN’ N CRYIN’ and GASLIGHT STREET will be at The Windjammer. Sunday also has a full slate of awesome choices: EDWIN McCAIN at the Windjammer, JASON ISBELL and the 400 UNIT at The Pour House, GASLIGHT STREET at The Brick House Kitchen and The LOUIE D. PROJECT at The Brick. NOTE: Try to make it past the 4th with all of your fingers! If you survive all of that, catch SKYE PAIGE at the Tattooed Moose Tuesday night. ENJOY!!!

==============================================

and look out, 'cause here it comes, from Shrimp City Slim:

The 11th annual GREENWOOD BLUES CRUISE
Thursday-Saturday, July 7-9 in Greenwood, SC
www.greenwoodbluescruise.com

A FREE blues club crawl, part of the South Carolina Festival of Discovery. Greenwood is located about 1 hour from Columbia, SC; three hours from Charleston; two hours from Atlanta.
Star-studded line-up: CHICK "STOOP DOWN" WILLIS, BUDDY WHITTINGTON with RANDY MCALLISTER, FRANKIE'S BLUES MISSION, DRINK SMALL, BACK PORCH BLUES (Eleanor Ellis, Jay Summerour, Eric Selby), WANDA JOHNSON, and a whole lot more. Please look at the website!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for more shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. OR you can post your gigs on our facebook wall yourself, with no need for a middle-man...

July's featured artists are Willie Dixon (1915), Junior Kimbrough (1930), and Buddy guy (1936), born in July.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, June 30, 2011

As always, we had a gathering on Wednesday night of Lowcountry Blues Club members and friends at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley, which, as always, was a lot of fun. I thought I'd share a few highlights for those who weren't there, and for those who were there but who drank too much to remember the fun!

At one point early in the evening, Dan Wright sang one of my favorite songs from the old Dough Re Mi days, "John the Revelator" along with Tony Cobin on bass, Keith Syn Clarry on drums, and John Scott. They also played a song I hadn't heard before, apparently called "Dirty Shirt".

A little later, we had Jack Downey singing "Born in Chicago" with Dave Jones on bass, Cap'n Kirk on drums, and Billy Gadol. Jack said that the original of this song was by Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and there's a version by Tom Petty as well. And Billy sang his version of Elvis's "Little Sister", which is always fun.

Dan got back up and did a blues club favorite, "Standin' On Shaky Ground" with Tony on bass, Greg Levkus on drums, Charlie Kendall, and the Horny Horns (that would be Louie D and Will Elder on sax) - that had the crowd dancing and singing along.

Towards the end of the night, there's usually a surprise or two. This time, we got to see a set with Big Mike singing, Dave Jones on bass, Willie D and Scribs (Brandon) playing some great guitar.... AND Tony Cobin on drums! Who knew?!

So, there's a few highlights from the last jam. Be sure to come out for the next jam, and join the fun...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some weekend events: The Jonathan Robinson Trio (with Scott Bucholtz) will be at Bushido Japanese Restaurant Friday night, June 24th, for SUSHI MIDNIGHT MADNESS. Also, Scott is with the Mason Dixon Band Saturday night at Famous Joe’s.

On Friday night, Momma & the Redemption Band with JoJo Wall will be cutting loose at Home Team/WA, and there's Shrimp City Slim rocking the Home Team on Sullivans.

For some smokin' hot home grown power blues, catch Highway 17 Blues Band rocking Bonneau on Saturday the 25th, at The Bottom grill and pub.

Johnny Mac will take the madness to the Dollar on Friday and Saturday nights, and also will be at a benefit for Jason Wiles on Saturday afternoon at Jimbo's, 3pm.

There's a benefit for ALS at Bowens Island on Sunday afternoon/ evening which features Sarah Cole and the Hawkes, Cary Ann Hearst, Ryan Bonner and the Dearly Beloved, and a bunch of other great musicians - highly recommended. Go to scalsa.org for more info.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There will be a meeting on July 13th at 6:30PM at Home Team BBQ/WA to elect the new board and officers for the Lowcountry Blues Club for the upcoming year. Be sure to come out early that Wednesday to participate in planning the future of the club.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for more shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. OR you can post your gigs on our facebook wall yourself, with no need for a middle-man...

June's featured artists are Howlin' Wolf (1910), and Scott Holt (1966), both born in June.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, June 23, 2011

“A Community at the Crossroads”

By Scott Bucholtz

As musicians and lovers of audible creations, both earthly and otherworldly, we can all identify with the classic print advertisement that showed a man sitting in front of two large living room speakers – with his hair being blown back from the sound waves. That feeling, that energy. Being transported and enraptured by the intoxicating exhilaration… It is precisely those feelings that drove us to learn to play. To pick, pluck and strum. To massage and caress and to hit with force. It fed the desire. Remember?

Then, instead of simply sitting in front of the speakers, we attempted to play along. To participate. Hour after hour. Day after day. This is when dreams truly began to formulate. If the dreams were REAL, it wasn’t dreams of Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-Roll. It was ALL about the music.

Turning a few pages forward, the experience of the non-verbal communication with others is like being part of a secret community with its own language. The “we went to different schools together” feeling. Communicating via music. Call and response, unison, harmony. Then, combining it all together: performing – with an audience. If you’re lucky enough to be able to get their attention and earn a positive response… THAT may be the highest known form of euphoria. The communal climax. If you’ve had it, how could you forget it?

It’s been said that Charleston is a town full of musicians but just a handful of bands. Plane Jane, Johnny Mac & The Booty Ranch, Leslie, Mason Dixon… there are a few others that have been established. But really, it’s the high ratio of musicians in town that I think is a major part of what makes this area so special. The number of accomplished guitarists and songwriters around is amazing and I often say that a bird can’t make a dropping without hitting a drummer! (Why do us drummer’s always get crapped on?) Jam Night is a classic example. Jam Night is also the best place to ask: Who’s playing with them? You got a gig Friday? Jim’s going to play bass, you want to play? Stop by, bring your guitar. If you can make it out, we’ll get you up for a few songs… As far back as I can remember and to this day, whenever I see live music, I want to get on stage on play. Here, I often get to and it’s usually thanks to the Lowcountry Blues Club.

Speaking of the band Leslie - What better example of ‘community’... Leslie only had to cancel one gig after all of their gear was stolen. Countless members of the community stepped up for them! They were blown away by the support that they received. I must say that those are three guys who have got “it”, “get it” and appreciate it. (By the way, you HAVE to get their new CD “Lord, Have Mercy”.)

As members of the Lowcountry Blues Club, we get to participate in “Jam Night”. It’s our weekly Holiday. It’s a birthday party and a family reunion. If you don’t think that Jam Night is something special, think about the crowds that regularly are in attendance. Think about the response and support you get. Do your bands gigs always compare favorably? We can’t afford to take the Blues Club and Jam Night for granted. It’s special and we are lucky to be a part of it. Note: Pay your dues!!! Jam Nights are the best opportunity in town to make contacts and catch up. Not to mention that you get to see and hear some of the best talent that the Lowcountry (and beyond) has to offer.

Nearly everyone that I have met and everything that I have done in Carolina can be credited to being turned onto the Blues Club (Thanks again to Mike Davis from Ye Olde Music Shop). With the recent retirement of President Tim Shaw and the pending departure of ‘creator’ Dereck Curry (as VP), we are at a significant crossroads. For the weekly jam to continue, not to mention the involvement with the International Blues Challenge and the Blues Foundation, dues must be paid and active, conscientious leadership must be in place. We can’t sit on our hands! Remember, the Club and the weekly jam not only provide great entertainment, a viable network and sense of community, it is a musical outlet unlike any other. For many it is their ONLY chance to perform. For me, picking up my sticks is like a hug from a loved one, everything feels right. I wish that everyone could experience the joy and excitement that I get when playing. For those that have ‘been experienced’, do you need to be reminded...?

I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of The Mason Dixon Band since August of 2010 and I have the incredible good fortune to also be in The Jonathan Robinson Trio, since early 2011. Recently, I had my first gig with the incredible YoungMi Feldsott and friends (I sincerely hope that there will be many more to come). The stories behind how I got involved with these groups range from an intricate grapevine of connections and contacts to a simple introduction – all can be traced back to the Lowcountry Blues Club.

As an example of the power of networking, I had happened to mention to YoungMi that I was looking to pick up some extra gigs. Within an hour of that conversation, she calls me and says, “I got us a gig”. Then, she calls me later that same day and says, “do you want to fill in tonight?”. Within a 10 day period, I picked up three gigs! To take it a step further, she has introduced Jonathan and me to a couple of club owners who are booking the Jonathan Robinson Trio. It’s amazing to watch how the network of this community can operate! So, a special ‘thank you’ to YoungMi. And, guess what, I would never have met her had it not been for the Blues Club. In fact, I would not be playing at all if it had not been for Lowcountry Blues Club. I would just be dreaming about it. Trust me, reality is better!

There will be a meeting on July 13th at 6:30PM at Home Team BBQ/WA to elect the new board and officers for the Lowcountry Blues Club for the upcoming year. Be sure to come out early that Wednesday to participate in planning the future of the club.

Kick off your weekend with YoungMi and OLD YOU on the Vendue Rooftop at 6 on Friday. I’ll be with The MASON DIXON BAND at the Sand Shack later Friday night while The LOUIE D. PROJECT (with J.R. Getches) will be at Bambu and SGT. SUBMARINE (with Bill Nance) will be at The Wolf Track Inn. Saturday night features Captain Kirk with STARLING at the Bottom Grill & Pub in Bonneau, Rev. Dr. JOHNNY MAC & the BOOTYRANCH will be at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ (WA) while OLD YOU will be at Boone’s on King Street. Also, DRIVIN’ N CRYIN’ and GASLIGHT STREET will be at The Windjammer. Sunday also has a full slate of awesome choices: EDWIN McCAIN at the Windjammer, JASON ISBELL and the 400 UNIT at The Pour House, GASLIGHT STREET at The Brick House Kitchen and The LOUIE D. PROJECT at The Brick. NOTE: Try to make it past the 4th with all of your fingers! If you survive all of that, catch SKYE PAIGE at the Tattooed Moose Tuesday night. ENJOY!!!

==============================================

and look out, 'cause here it comes, from Shrimp City Slim:

The 11th annual GREENWOOD BLUES CRUISE
Thursday-Saturday, July 7-9 in Greenwood, SC
www.greenwoodbluescruise.com

A FREE blues club crawl, part of the South Carolina Festival of Discovery. Greenwood is located about 1 hour from Columbia, SC; three hours from Charleston; two hours from Atlanta.
Star-studded line-up: CHICK "STOOP DOWN" WILLIS, BUDDY WHITTINGTON with RANDY MCALLISTER, FRANKIE'S BLUES MISSION, DRINK SMALL, BACK PORCH BLUES (Eleanor Ellis, Jay Summerour, Eric Selby), WANDA JOHNSON, and a whole lot more. Please look at the website!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for more shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

If you want to see your band's gigs in this newsletter, send all the details to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We usually send out the newsletter on Thursday or Friday, so get the info in before Wednesday, please. OR you can post your gigs on our facebook wall yourself, with no need for a middle-man...

July's featured artists are Willie Dixon (1915), Junior Kimbrough (1930), and Buddy guy (1936), born in July.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, June 30, 2011

A Blues Club Bio of Bill Nance.

By Scott Bucholtz.

Welcome To The Machine: Mr. Bilco, Keyboardist extraordinaire, Bill Nance. Born in Charleston far enough back to truly be a product of The British Invasion and Motown. He actually saw THE Ed Sullivan show. Seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan to a musician is like seeing Babe Ruth call his shot for a baseball fan! A fourth generation performer, tuned in and turned on by his older brother and sisters. His guitar playing older brother, Joe truly whet his appetite for ear candy. Bill says he was the two or three year old who would play records at 6 a. m. at full volume while changing speeds to create different sounds. I can identify with that, my Dad loves to tell how I would get up and practice the drums in the middle of the night. Where there is inspiration….

“Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine… What Did You Dream?”.

Self-described as straightforward and wacky, a quick perusal of the Facebook page for William Prohaska Nance reinforces that. He lists favorites such as Family Guy, The Office, South Park, The Simpsons, Star Trek, Star Wars… a favorite quote is “No offence, man, but you suck”. He’s been known to bother dogs (his “kids”) with a Tenor Saxophone. This is a guy who has also said that he would like to be Bugs Bunny and that he “brakes for doughnuts”. That, I can understand.

Bill will tell you that his proudest accomplishments are his own Bilco Amps. Probably much to Bill’s chagrin, this won’t be an ad for Bilco Amps. Although, he will tell you “my gear gets better gigs than me”. He has stories to prove it. One cool fact: Billy Preston’s final performance was on Bilco gear. I’ve heard that his stuff is great and I’m sure that it is. But, I’m a drummer. What do I know about amps? I just hit $#*+!!! Bill, on the other hand, starting with Erector sets and Lincoln Logs, has always loved to build, manipulate and fix all sorts of machines. Years later a conversation over dinner with virtuoso Eric Johnson inspired him… wait, I said I’m not going into details about amplifiers.

Now that I have had the opportunity of playing a full gig with Bill, I don’t think I would call him a keyboard player. He is a MACHINE. Not only does it sound like he knows every song, he’ll play every part, if necessary, AND some parts that come from who knows where! Bill lives by the credo: “Quest For The Tone”. If I may, I’ll suggest taking that a little further and quote ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons: “TONE. TASTE. TENACITY.” Bill has been performing since 1974. He says that he got serious about it in 1981. While he has never had any intention or desire to be a ‘star’, he’s certainly had extensive personal experience with ‘stars’. But, when asked what his goals are he simply states: “to have fun playing with good musicians, regardless of their name”. He says, “treat people like you want to be treated”. He does.

Some of his early bands were Early Morning, The Source and Duchess (with John McKelvey). Later, it was Bill Driscoll and Hot Pepper (remember “The Boucan Room”?) and Ninth Row. Then he played with Bobby Alvarez, John Ethridge, and Wayne Mitchum, which continues occasionally to this date. He wants to note that he “went country” and joined Country Junction with Marvin Lanier and Hap Robinson whom he calls ‘masters’. Not only has Bill played (and recorded) with anybody and everybody who has ever seemingly been in the Charleston area, he shared stages with many household names. As I mentioned earlier, he’s broken bread with Eric Johnson. He was on a first name basis with Michael McDonald (ask him about it). He’s opened, worked and hung with the likes of Sammy Hagar, REO Speedwagon, Johnny Winter, Eddie Money, Charlie Daniels, Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult and Robin Trower. A personal favorite was the late Jeff Healey, whom Bill said was a “wonderful guy”. A highlight that Bill recalls centers around a night on tour with Eddie Bush when they opened for The Jeff Healey Band. Following Bill’s band performance, Jeff stopped by before going on stage and said, “well, we had planned on doing a good show anyway. But, now we HAVE too! You guys were awesome!!”. Then he proceeded to walk out on stage and repeat that message to HIS audience before he even played a note. You can’t buy that kind of respect.

An appearance by Bill provides instant credibility to any event or performance. Having been told about the Lowcountry Blues Club by many different people, he first came to bear witness about 2 ½ years ago. His presence at a Jam Night always elevates the evening. His list of favorite jammers starts with Wayne Mitchum, Dan Wright, Jerry Ray, Jon Hagar, Quentin Ravenal, Melissa, Billy G, Louie D, myself (thanks!) and “SO many others, some of which who’s names I don’t even know”. He uses the words “excitement” and “surprises” in the same sentence when discussing the magic that is Jam Night. Some of his favorite Jam Night songs are “Shaky Ground”, “Cissy Strut” and “Strange How I Miss You”. Better yet, he expressed a desire for more Allman Brothers!!!

A few of the artists that deeply inspired Bill are Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, James Brown, Parliament Funkadelic and “anything with the Funk Brothers”. He particularly referenced “Red” by King Crimson and the “righteous” Steely Dan classic “Deacon Blues”.

Currently, Bill performs with The Shane Clark Experience, Michael Davis, Sgt. Submarine (Beatles tribute) and The Krays. In fact, you can catch Bill in action this weekend on Friday with The Krays at Dockside on Edisto or on Saturday at Wet Willies with The Shane Clark Experience. Obviously, he is available as a hired gun and when you’re lucky, can be found at Home Team on Wednesday nights.
“So, Welcome to The Machine.”

As always, there are a number of great shows to choose from this weekend. On Friday night, June 17, Highway 17 is at the new Moonshine Saloon, Old You will be elevating the Vendue Rooftop, while I’ll be with The Jonathan Robinson Trio at the West Ashley Outback. Heyrocco is at the Village Tavern in Mt Pleasant, and Captain Kirk is at Skynyrd’s with Starling.

On Saturday night, Johnny Mac and the BootyRanch are at Jimbo’s Rock Lounge. As always, Plane Jane will be at a Wild Wing Café near you. Finally, don’t forget about Sarah Cole at the WA Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ next Tuesday.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for more shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

June's featured artists are Howlin' Wolf (1910), and Scott Holt (1966), both born in June.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, June 16, 2011

This week's jam on June 15th will have a special Jam Master of James
DuPuis Wall, better known as Poppa DuPree from Momma & The Redemption
Band and Momma's Blues Palace Band. Poppa DuPree is a staple of the
lowcountry blues scene and we are excited to have him serve as our Jam
Master this week.

DC, June 13, 2011

Greetings blues club friends -

Last night's blues club jam was another winner - so many friends, so much great music! Starting off the evening were Dan Wright, jam-master, Jojo Wall on bass, Greg Levkus on drums, and Bill Nance on the Hammond, and they started the party right! Lots of our favorite regular players were there to jam, too, along with some new ones, and we thank you all for coming. We've been lucky enough to attract some good horn players lately, including the super-cool Louie D on sax. And we've got a new singer, Melissa, who fits right in. The crowd even persuaded Charlie Kendall to sing a song - a special treat.

And of course, we'll be doing it again next Wednesday too, so put it on your calendar!

Here are a few ideas for this weekend:

Friday night, you can catch The Louie D Project for soul and funk at Bambu, or Whisky 'n' Ramblin for swamp-blues at the Blind Tiger. Also, Home Team/Sl has The Damon Fowler Group featuring songs from their new cd "Sugar Shack", at 10.

Then on Saturday, Whiskey 'n' Ramblin are at The Griffon, and Johnny Mac and the BootyRanch are at Wild Wing in Mt Pleasant at 10.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for all the shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

June's featured artists are Howlin' Wolf (1910), and Scott Holt (1966), both born in June.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, June 9, 2011

Greetings blues club friends! It's a very busy time here in Charleston, so don't forget to check out the schedule of blues events at www.piccolospoleto.com, for now through June 10. There's the Early Bird Blues Series at Mad River, the Blues Cruises, and Blues on the Dock. Get out there and have a great time!

And whatever you do, don't miss the next Wednesday night jam at Home Team/West Ashley. Those of you who saw the "Horny Horns" in action with Dan Wright and friends will know why you don't want to miss a jam -- you never know who's gonna show up and what they're gonna play -- so much fun!!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for all the shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

June's featured artists are Howlin' Wolf (1910), and Scott Holt (1966), both born in June.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, June 2, 2011

This Month’s Feature: John Scott
By: Scott Bucholtz -
Are You Experienced?
Members of the music community and more specifically, the Lowcountry Blues Club clearly understand the meaning of that question. We have felt it. You could call it enchantment. An extraordinary magic. John Scott is driven by this spirit as well as The Spirit.
John Scott was born in Cambridge, MA on May 29th – a few years back. As a Navy kid, he and his family moved to Charleston in 1965. Within a year, boredom drove him and his younger brother to start a band. John went to Garrett High (his brother was still in middle school), the band was called The Spectros as they all wore glasses (he says they were the school nerds) and played mostly surf, beach and some of the early British music. Today, John is married to Carolyn, his wife of 18 years and they have three children (John John, Sophie & Iris).
After the Spectros, he played bass in a jazz band, The Elegant Truetones fronted by Juin Allen Dequire from New Orleans with Carleen Butler on drums. This lasted maybe a year. He switched back to guitar and hasn’t had a desire to set it down again!
John’s musical inspirations run from Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Les Paul and Chet Atkins to Australian Guitar Wizard Tommy Emmanuel, country acoustic guitarist Doyle Dykes, Walter Carlos, E. Power Biggs and soul singer William Bell. While those first few names are on every guitar enthusiast's list whether they are 16 or 60, you would do yourself a favor by investigating the others. The sources for inspiration are truly limitless.

Harmonica player Gary Wright (who plays with Highway 17) works for one of his company's customers and happened to tell him about the Lowcountry Blues Club about a year and a half ago. Like the rest of us, John couldn’t resist, he went down to A Dough Re Mi and has barely missed a week ever since. Now at Home Team BBQ, he has taken on the responsibility of running sound and ensuring that the ear candy is sweet.
On jam nights, John loves to stick close to the Blues. His favorites are All Along The Watchtower, Black Magic Woman, Little Wing and anything by Stevie Ray Vaughan. But, John is no one trick pony. There have been countless times that John’s playing has garnered worthy attention. His catalog of knowledge is quite impressive. Just when you think we’re launching into something obscure that’s bound to be a train wreck, John will step forward and nail a lead that will bring it all together. When referring to his favorite fellow jammers, he launches into a list of first names just like we were all a big family. Dan, JP, Charlie, English Charlie, Jack, Jerry, Brooks, Al, Greg, Cindy, Skye, myself… he says “everyone who gets up to jam or just listen”. The sentiment is spot-on. It is a big musical family!
After the Spectros and the Elegant Truetones, his list of bands includes Invictas, Carleen and the Groovers, Johnny King and the Electric Icebox, Phoenix and Gunz. Gunz featured Linda Johnson and our very own Captain Kirk on drums. Captain says John “knows every song there is”. The Groovers were the road band for William Bell who co-wrote “Born Under A Bad Sign”. Carleen Butler was the drummer, her brother Clary played trumpet. Clary had played with Wilson Pickett and Etta James! Note: William Bell’s “Every Day Will Be A Holiday” is the only cover song on Warren Haynes’ incredible new solo CD (Man In Motion). The Groovers cut four records in Columbia at Music World Studios around 1969-70. "Hot Pants”, “Right On”, “The Thing”, “Can We Rap”. Not too long ago John discovered that these songs are still in circulation around the world (buy the vinyl). He had been told that the masters had been destroyed. Thanks to the Web, you can look up reviews of these hits. John’s favorite refers to him as a “Hendrix influenced guitarist who drove a hearse to gigs”. His legacy lives!

Certainly, being William Bell's band director and guitarist was a career highlight. Another was the fact that he had the opportunity to play with the original Memphis Horns. If you get a chance, ask him about that. It’s a classic tale from the road! Also, I was fascinated to find that he actually worked as the director for the Grammy Awards Orchestra back around 1980. That’s not something most of us would be able to include on a resume!

Since 1994, John has been playing in the praise and worship band at Antioch Christian Fellowship in Summerville. He hopes to continue as he says that “The Lord called me”. He also enjoys the “fellowship and experience gained from playing with other Professional and youthful musicians both secular as well as spirit filled players”. He adds, “I thoroughly enjoy and support the Lowcountry Blues Club jams and shows”. There may come a time when he’ll put some thought into getting into another band but he’ll see where the spirit leads him. That’s a journey to Enlightenment!

“Trumpets and violins I can hear in the distance
I think they're calling our names
Maybe now you can't hear them, but you will
If you just take hold of my hand”

Are YOU Experienced?

As always, this weekend looks to be a buffet of sweet treats. It opens Thursday night with J.R. Getches & Allyson Taylor @ Bambu. Friday you can see Skye Paige & The Original Recipe @ Home Team BBQ (West Ashley) or Gaslight Street @ the Brick House Kitchen. Starling (w/ Captain Kirk) will be at Skynyrd’s in St. George on Friday and Saturday @ Geno’s in Goose Creek. Once again, hit the Vendue Rooftop @ 6 to kick off your weekend downtown. Look for YoungMi and Old You Friday @ 6 and The Louie D Project on the Vendue Rooftop Saturday @ 6. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk can be experienced Saturday & Sunday at the Pour House and the Rev. Dr. Johnny Mac & The Booty Ranch hits Home Team BBQ (Sullivan’s Island) Saturday. I am thrilled to be playing Friday night with The Jonathan Robinson Trio on the patio at Outback Steakhouse in West Ashley and then I’ll be with The Mason Dixon Band Saturday night at Mueller’s Pub in West Ashley.

----------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to everyone who came out to last night's jam! We missed Dan Wright, who was in Chicago, but Billy Gadol did a fabulous job filling in, and it was a stellar night with some great, great sets...

And thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put on the show at Awendaw Sound last Saturday -- those who came had a really good time. And thanks to all the volunteers, the sound guys, and the artists who played it: The Jonathan Robinson Trio (w/ special guest Austin Bucholtz), The Wyatt Garey Band, Johnny Mac & the BootyRanch, Port City Prophets, The Big Guy Blues Review, Billy G and the Lowcountry Blues Club AllStars, including Miss Skye Paige... What a show!

Don't forget that Piccolo Spoleto has LOTS of blues events (some were detailed in last week's blog), so check out all the news at www.piccolospoleto.com, for May 27-June 10. There's the Early Bird Blues Series at Mad River, the Blues Cruises, and Blues on the Dock. Get out there and have some fun!

---------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for all the shows happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

Don't miss our next jam: Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley -- sooo much fun!!

June's featured artists are Howlin' Wolf (1910), and Scott Holt (1966), both born in June.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, May 26, 2011

The Lowcountry Blues Club will be having a Board Meeting this Wednesday (May 25th) starting at 6:30PM at Hometeam BBQ West Ashley. In addition to the Board Members and Officers, this meeting will be open to all club members. If you are interested in the future direction of the club and upcoming leadership opportunities, you should attend this meeting.

This weekend don't miss the First Annual Lowcountry Blues Club Festival at Awendaw Sound: 5105 Hwy 17 North, Awendaw, SC (The Old Kick’n Horse) Saturday, May 21, 2011, 1pm until 8 or maybe later...

- Rev Dr Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch

- Port City Prophets

- Wyatt Garey Band

- The Big Guy’s Blues Revue

- Jonathan Robinson Trio

- The Lowcountry Blues Club Allstars
With more surprises and special guests

Tickets $10 ETIX or $15 day of show
Bring a can of food for the Lowcountry Food Bank, a benefit for the Lowcountry Food Bank and the Lowcountry Blues Club

We are also in need of volunteers in the following areas:

Ticket sales, Concessions, Stage crew, Sound guy, Set up and tear down, Selling memberships

If you are interested in volunteering, please email lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com and let us know.

-----------------

More weekend fun: The Sertoma Pig Pickin’ will be held this weekend on Daniel Island in the field adjacent to the Publix. The ‘AnyButt Contest’ will kick things off on Friday night, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and sampling beginning at 7 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by the Mason Dixon Band (with our own Scott Bucholtz). Cooking teams will prepare appetizers, entrees and desserts. The public will be able to get samples of each for $1 and cast their vote for their favorite in each category. All proceeds go to charity including Camp Sertoma, Charleston Animal Society and the Charleston Miracle League.

Also on Friday night, catch Skye Paige playing some hot slide blues at the Village Tavern at 9, with Whiskey n Ramblin. Or check out Downwright Scoundrels who will play at 9pm at the Palmetto Grill of Ladson.


And coming soon: PICCOLO SPOLETO BLUES SERIES
Charleston, South Carolina
May 27-June 10
www.piccolospoleto.com (has everything on it!)

FIRST COURSE: Bodacious "Early Bird Blues" happy hour shows at Mad River Bar & Grille (an old brick church, now a bar/restaurant) featuring (day by day):

JUKE JOINT JOHNNY & DREW BALDWIN
HITMAN
JEFF BEASLEY ONE-MAN BAND
HECTOR QIRKO BLUES DUO
COTTON BLUE
ANDY COATS
THE KING BEES
MATT WALSH BLUES DUO
DRINK SMALL, THE BLUES DOCTOR
CHUCK THE CAT MORRIS & SILENT EDDIE PHILLIPS
ACOUSTICA
MY BUDDY TODD
MARSHALL BALLEW

All for the ridiculous low price of $11 each show.

Tickets now on sale on-line at www.piccolospoleto.com
or at the Piccolo box office, 180 Meeting St., 2nd floor,
corner of South Market St, 9 am -5 pm
Venue website www.madrivercharleston.com
(Check out their new menu features more more more seafood!)
(corner of N. Market and East Bay Streets, SO convenient!)
NOTE: cash only at door; credit card/check OK in advance.

and SECOND COURSE

FOUR AWESOME BLUES CRUISES ON CHARLESTON HARBOR
aboard "Carolina Belle"
Leaves from the Charleston Maritime Center.

This one WILL ROCK YOUR BOAT!
May 29: HITMAN
May 30: JEFF BEASLEY AND CHUCK THE CAT
June 5: KING BEES
June 6: MATT WALSH DUO

Tickets (same place as above) or Charleston Harbor Tours
843 722 1112
www.charlestonharbortours.com

www.piccolospoleto.com gives you all the info on blues and so much more on this citywide arts festival.

-----------------------------------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for lots more live music happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

Don't miss our next jam: Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley -- sooo much fun!!

May's featured artists are Blind Willie McTell (1901), Robert Johnson (1911), Little Walter (1930), and Taj Mahal (1942) - all born in May.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, May 19, 2011

Hi all -

Google was doing some maintenance on their blogger website, and they by mistake sent out some old blog posts. We think that Google has fixed the problem, and won't send any more. So, although it wasn't the Blues Club that messed up, we still apologize for the confusion!

But while we've got your attention, we'll let you know about a special Saturday blues club jam, tomorrow (on Saturday May 14) at Home Team/West Ashley with Dan Wright and friends, from 3-7 - be there if you can...

Hi All -

Last night's blues club jam had a record turnout and some awesome music -- I hope you were there! We are so honored and grateful to the wonderful musicians who come out and share their talents with us each week!!

This weekend there's fine music all over town. The Pour House has a streak of great shows: Friday night is Eric Lindell, Saturday night is Sarah Cole and the Hawkes with Guilt Ridden Troubadour, and Sunday night (after the Tea Fest) is a show with Those Darlins and The Explorers Club. Also on Sat night, Momma and Redemption play some hot blues at Home Team/SI. Check out the Home Team website for some more blues events in the coming week, including a visit by Charlie Sayles at both Home Team locations...

What is the Tea Fest, you may ask? The official title is The 5th Annual First Flush FesTEAval, and it's at the Charleston Tea Plantation, 6617 Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island, SC, on Sunday, May 15, doors at 11am, music starts at noon. Lots of LBC friends will be there, and Sarah Cole will perform, along with Leslie, A Fragile Tomorrow, Gaslight Street, and lots more. The headliner is Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - check them out on youtube if you don't already know how awesome they are...

And next weekend don't miss the First Annual Lowcountry Blues Club Festival at Awendaw Sound: 5105 Hwy 17 North, Awendaw, SC (The Old Kick’n Horse) Saturday, May 21, 2011, 1pm until...

- Rev Dr Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch

- Port City Prophets

- Wyatt Garey Band

- The Big Guy’s Blues Revue

- Jonathan Robinson Trio

- The Lowcountry Blues Club Allstars
With more surprises and special guests

Tickets $10 ETIX or day of show
Bring a can of food for the Lowcountry Food Bank, a benefit for the Lowcountry Food Bank and the Lowcountry Blues Club

We are also in need of volunteers in the following areas:

Ticket sales, Concessions, Stage crew, Sound guy, Set up and tear down, Selling memberships

If you are interested in volunteering, please email lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com and let us know.

-----------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for lots more live music happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for highlights...

Don't miss our next jam: Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley -- sooo much fun!!

May's featured artists are Blind Willie McTell (1901), Robert Johnson (1911), Little Walter (1930), and Taj Mahal (1942) - all born in May.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, May 12, 2011

BLUES YOU CAN USE: Original version? Maybe not! (Submitted by Jack Downey)

Whenever we come up to jam at Lowcountry Blues Club, there is a short meeting of the musicians on stage to determine which song to play next. During these gatherings, I am sometimes amused at what some players call the 'original' version of a song. Here's an idea of how the meetings go (expletives and colorful metaphors deleted):

J.D.: "Ok what next?"

T.S.: " Do you know Statesboro Blues?"

J.H.: "Which version?"

T.S.: "The original"

T.S.: "Where's my beer?"

J.K.: "What key?"

J.D.: "You're a drummer."

J.K.: "Right."

J.D.: "Oh ok…Allman Brothers, got it"

T.S.: "Key of B-Minus"

…yadda yadda

What some people may or may not realize, is that although the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band member Allman Brothers' version of Statesboro Blues is certainly the modern definitive version, it is NOT the original. Statesboro Blues was recorded by Blues Foundation Hall of Fame member Blind Willie McTell in 1928.

Many artists in the 1960s and beyond recorded their own renditions of older songs that grew to become what most of us think of as the definitive, or even orginal version. Some say that it was to honor the original, others say it was a rip off. The Rolling Stones named their band in tribute to a Muddy Waters song. Led Zeppelin was sued for plagiarism for the song "Whole Lotta Love", which contained some direct lyrical and melodic parts of the Willie Dixon-penned "You Need Love".

When my band adds a song to the set list, I like to dig into what's behind the music. Find out who wrote it, who originally recorded it, what time frame, which versions exist, which is the definitive version, and then interpret the song to play it in our own way. It helps me to gain an appreciation of the music and I think that it comes out in the performance.

Cream's version of "Crossroads" sounds very little like the original Robert Johnson version from 1928. In fact, Cream even added a verse from a completely different song. The verse that begins "Going down to Rosedale, with my rider by my side…" is from another Robert Johnson song, "Traveling Riverside Blues."

It's pretty common knowledge that "Crossroads" was originally performed by Robert Johnson, and that "I Just Want To Make Love To You" by Foghat is a remake of a Muddy Waters' performed song, and that "Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Creedence Clearwater Revival was done before by Marvin Gaye.

What follows is a short list of songs that you may NOT know are cover songs:

One Way Out - Allman Brothers 1972 (Sonny Boy Williamson 1961)

The Sky Is Crying - Stevie Ray Vaughan 1991 (Elmore James 1960)

Big Boss Man - Elvis Presley 1967 (Jimmy Reeed 1960)

Hard To Handle - Black Crowes 1990 (Otis Redding 1968)

Baby Please Don't Go - Muddy Waters 1953 (Big Joe Williams 1935)

Train Kept A Rollin - Aerosmith 1974 (Tiny Bradshaw 1951)

Susie Q - CCR 1968 (Dale Hawkins 1957, Chet Atkins 1963, Rolling Stones 1964, Johnny Rivers 1965)

Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan 1983 (Larry Davis 1958)

Black Magic Woman - Santana 1970 (Fleetwood Mac 1968)

Crawlin' King Snake - Howlin Wolf 1966 (Big Joe Williams 1941)

So, when you get up to the stage on jam night, be careful when you call out an 'original' version of a song. If you are expecting the band to play the 'original' version of Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan (1983), you might be surprised to learn that Larry Davis recorded it in 1958.

----------------

Coming soon:

The First Annual Lowcountry Blues Club Show
at Awendaw Sound - 5105 Hwy 17 North, Awendaw, SC
(The Old Kick’n Horse)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1pm until...

Rev Dr Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch

Port City Prophets

Wyatt Garey Band

The Big Guy’s Blues Revue

Jonathan Robinson Trio

The Lowcountry Blues Club Allstars
With more surprises and special guests

Tickets $10 ETIX or day of show

Bring a can of food for the Lowcountry Food Bank

Benefit for the Lowcountry Food Bank and the Lowcountry Blues Club

Timothy D. Shaw
Postmaster

-----------------

Reminders:

Check your favorite local paper for live music happening this weekend, and join the facebook site "Charleston Live Music" for all the latest music news.

Don't miss our next jam: Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley -- sooo much fun!!

May's featured artists are Blind Willie McTell (1901), Robert Johnson (1911), Little Walter (1930), and Taj Mahal (1942) - all born in May.

Join us on facebook (Lowcountry Blues Club) and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, May 5, 2011

Featured BIO: Billy Gadol
By Scott Bucholtz

“Who is that guy?”. When you hear that question asked on a Wednesday night at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ, it can only mean one thing: there is a new guy on a stage tearing it up and getting everybody’s attention. Now remember, the place is filled with musicians that may not be the easiest to impress. Billy Gadol has warranted that question TWICE. First with his guitar and then again sometime later with his voice. I can’t understand how some group has not yet signed up this double threat!

Born and raised on Long Island in a family of musicians, Billy, his flight attendant wife (Cherie) and six month old son moved to the Charleston area following 9/11. With a great opportunity in a growing company, the timing was right. Nearly 10 years later, this proud father wanted to mention that their son is a straight A student at a prep school. Obviously, things are working out. When he was in grade school, Billy played the trumpet and developed an ear for music. Then a local guitar store going out of business gave him the opportunity to get his first guitar (for $35) and he never set it down! He’ll also play a little piano, bass, drums and pedal steel. He says he “can still eke out a few notes on the trumpet, but it's not pretty”. He graciously makes a point of acknowledging his parents for their support and encouragement and hopes to bless his son in the same way. I have had the opportunity to share a stage with my own son. There might not be any larger reward that knowing that you have passed this passion on to your next generation!

After years of playing his electric guitar (un-plugged in front of the TV), he really missed the camaraderie of playing with other musicians. So, he looked on Craigslist and “went on a few auditions in search of the right fit but nothing ever clicked”. He'd heard that Home Team BBQ had great beer and food so when the Blues Club moved from Mt. Pleasant to West Ashley, he decided to go. Why did he wait?! He remembers debating whether or not to bring a guitar because it had been so long… “Anyway, getting off the couch and showing up was the right move. More people should do the same”. Good advice.

Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix inspired him to play (we’ve certainly heard that before). However, equally influential were vocalists like David Bowie, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Terrance Trent d'Arby, Jeff Buckley, Bjork, Tori Amos and Ella Fitzgerald. He states that “these singers emote and have a certain sizzle to their voice which really speaks to me”. Others like Peter Gabriel, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, Band Of Horses, Foo Fighters, The Police and all '80s New Wave remain favorites. While I’m not sure about the ‘80s New Wave music, he has certainly been inspired and influenced by the all time greats and those who were/are truly originals!

When asked about his favorites in the Blues Club, he mentions that there are too many great guitarists to acknowledge so he says, “let's talk rhythm section: Wayne Mitchum, Jojo Wall, Mark Schleis, Jerry Ray and Tony Cobin are great bass players. Quentin Ravenel, Greg "The Motor" Levkus , Lumpy Lenthe and Scott Bucholtz (Thanks!) can drum with the best of them. The keyboard talents of Bill Nance and Jon Hager are staggering… Also, there are a number of born entertainers. Skye Paige, Mike Llewellyn and Sarah Cole come to mind. Let's just say that folks would be surprised by the talent that shows up on most Wednesday nights and the dancers are the icing on the cake. I'm sure I've left a few people out – please forgive me. It's a real honor and privilege to share the stage with the aforementioned pros”. Those words ‘honor and privilege’ truly nail the sentiment of us all and are the prevailing thought in any discussion on the Lowcountry Blues Club Jam Night!

As for favorite songs for Jam Night? He cites Joe Cocker's version of "The Letter" and states "Little Sister" is another. If he “could find a Stewart Copeland, I'd love to give ‘Driven to Tears’ a whirl”. For Karaoke, it's Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin" or Bowie's "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". The diversity of his interests is another common thread among all of the fantastic musicians whose stories that I get the pleasure of sharing.

Billy had been in and out of many bands back in NY but none yet in Charleston. I think he would jump at the right opportunity that would enable him to pursue original music while maintaining the proper family balance (what is everyone waiting for? Sign this guy up). One of his bands back in NY, The Ghouls, was offered a recording contract in Denmark “but we turned it down because we were going to be huge in the USA”. He says he’s “still kicking myself ”. In the early '90s, The Ghouls, had a #1 song on NYU's college station and played live in their studio on a number of occasions. Although it's been a while, he loves recording and being in the studio. He puts ideas down on his computer using Logic and GarageBand all the time but he doesn’t count that as real recording experience. He adds, “if anyone needs a guitar part for their recording, I'd love to contribute”.

As we all are discovering, so many of our Club members have had experiences on an international scale. With a veiled plea for secrecy, he volunteers that he sang back-up for Barry Manilow at Radio City Music hall for 12 shows with his high school choir. He also played piano and sang "The Girl From Ipanema" in the Plaza Hotel lobby – where’s the video?? What’s funny to me is that song was actually a fixture on the set list of my first working band - we can look back and laugh together! Higher on the ‘hip’ meter, while living in NY, he was fortunate to play such legendary venues as CBGB's, Cafe Wah? and other great NYC clubs. He even had the good fortune to work at the world renowned Manny's Music on 48th St. where he met scores of famous musicians.

Being the most famous music store in the world, Manny’s was a destination spot for The Beatles, Stones, Who… While working there, Billy had the incredible opportunity to wait on and assist legends like James Taylor, George Benson, Stevie Wonder, Zakk Wylde… On a lucky day, these superstars would take a seat right in front of Billy (and others) and just play. One such occasion stands out among them: one afternoon Billy spent significant one-on-one time with violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. Mr. Perlman was trying out microphones for a home studio and Billy raves about how gracious and friendly he was.

Billy is an entrepreneur and loves to talk about business development. He has started a guitar pedal company called FLEXeFX, Inc. The pedals, the website, the internal and external design elements are all works in progress. If you’re interested, ask him about it! After years of making contacts in the industry, he has lined up a list of industry giants that will give his product a trial as soon as he has prototypes. He’d also like his peers to test and critique them while at Home Team BBQ on Wednesday nights. From what he explained to me, I think he has had a stroke of genius! Something to look forward to for sure.

“Who is that guy?” Billy Gadol. Your band and its followers might benefit from getting to know him!

------------------

As always, this weekend you will have many opportunities to see awesome live entertainment. Look for the 21st Annual Folly Beach Sea and Sand Festival this Saturday. Slated to perform are Gaslight Street, Sarah Cole & The Hawkes, Jeff Norwood, and more! Plane Jane will be at the N. Charleston Wild Wings on Friday. Both Friday and Saturday give the opportunity to see Johnny Mac & The Booty Ranch at the Sand Dollar. The Louie D Project is downtown at the Silver Dollar on Friday and on the Vendue Rooftop Saturday. Heyrocco is at the Music Farm on Friday night with Co and The Explorers Club. Captain Kirk will be with Starling at The Bottom Grill & Bar in Bonneau Saturday. Old You is gaining the title of hardest working band around – they’re at Tasty Thai Thursday, on the Vendue Rooftop Friday at 6, then at Kickin’ Chicken at 10:30, Saturday they’re at the Rye Bar in Athens and Sunday they’ll be back on the Pour House deck. Yours truly will be with the Mason Dixon Band Friday night at Boomer’s in Goose Creek (formerly Wings, etc.) and look for us at 3:00 Saturday afternoon at the 36th Annual Colleton County Rice Festival.


FromTyler Boone, we have info about a FREE SHOW at the Village Tavern on Apr 30, doors at 6, show at 8:
From opener to headliner:
Sleeping Policeman - (Myrtle Beach - acoustic trio)
Sun-Dried Vibes - (Charlotte - Reggae Band)
Tyler Boone - (Charleston - rock, pop, blues trio)
Meet the Sky - (Charleston - rock, indie

Also we just released my new single "Austin" for free download as well with also my first EP "Stuck Between" as well for free - www.tylerboone.bandcamp.com

-Tyler Boone
843-437-9166
www.facebook.com/tylerboonemusic

And check out your favorite local paper for plenty more options for your weekend fun...

------------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Don't miss our next jam: Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley -- sooo much fun!!

April's featured artist was Muddy Waters. May's artists are Blind Willie McTell (1901), Robert Johnson (1911), Little Walter (1930), and Taj Mahal (1942).

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, April 28, 2011

Here's some info sent to us from our good friend Gary Erwin: Ever wonder about "Euro blues?" Well, here is your chance to learn more...

PROFESSOR BOTTLENECK, the irrepressible slide guitarist/singer/songwriter from the Delta of the Schwalm River in Germany (!), is in the process of criss-crossing South Carolina and Georgia with Shrimp City Slim & friends for two action-packed weeks of shows.

Born in 1949 in the smoldering ruins of post-war East Germany, he fell in love with American blues, swing, and jazz via Armed Forces Radio. His formative years included playing in rock 'n' roll bands, attending high school in India, and later raising a family and becoming a high school philosophy teacher...a very interesting guy!

He plays regularly throughout Germany, Holland, and Belgium and has released five slamming'CDs of mostly original numbers.
Check him out at www.myspace.com/professorbottleneck or www.professor-bottleneck.com
He is doing duo and band gigs while in the area and here is his schedule. We hope you will come out and show a little love:

Thurs 21, 4-6 pm: N Charleston, SC (Farmers Market; duo w/SCS)
Thurs 21, 9:30 pm: Sullivans Is., SC (Dunleavy's Pub; duo w/SCS)
Fri-Sat 22-23, 9 pm: Savannah, GA (Jazz'd; trio w/SCS & Clamchop, drums)
Sun 24, 8 pm: Pawleys Is, SC (PI Tavern; duo w/SCS)
Tues 26, 8:30 am: Live on The Bridge radio (www.1055thebridge.com)
Tues 26, 8 pm: N. Chas, SC (The Mill; duo w/Juke Joint Johnny)
Wed 27, noon: Live on WLMA radio (on-line www.wlma.net)
Wed 27, 8:30 pm: Greenwood, SC (TW Boons; duo w/SCS)
Thurs 28, 6:30 pm: Charleston, SC (Blues BBQ cruise w/full SCS band)
Fri 29, 6-9 pm: Kiawah Island, SC (Freshfields; w/full SCS band)

Thanks for the info, Gary!

Also this weekend - Friday night, April 22, Blue Mother Tupelo plays Home Team/Sullivans with Jeff Norwood opening, and our friends in Plane Jane play Wild Wing on Rivers).

For Saturday night, April 23, Scott Bucholtz says: I’ll be with The Mason Dixon Band Saturday night starting at 9:30 at Famous Joe’s in West Ashley. Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch will be next door at Jimbo’s Rock Lounge starting at 10, everyone should go see Johnny and pop in before or during a break to check out the Mason Dixon Band!

And check out your favorite local paper for plenty more options for your weekend fun...

------------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Don't miss our next jam: Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley -- sooo much fun!!

April's featured artist is Muddy Waters, born in April, 1915.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, April 21, 2011

“English Charlie” - Bio by Scott Bucholtz

Known in other circles as “Charles Wyke-Smith” a corporate Vice President, a best-selling author, product/software designer, strategist, speaker, consultant and pioneer in the field of interactive media development, “English Charlie” has become a prominent member of the Lowcountry Blues Club. While his corporate image may not seem like a natural fit for the “Blues, Beer and BBQ” scene, I would counter with the fact that the same traits that have made him a success in business are the same traits that ultimately provide success in music. Drive, passion, talent, infectious enthusiasm and an outgoing personality. Far too often, the term “musician” has a negative connotation. In our efforts to dispel the myth, Charlie is a great ambassador.

Born in Derbyshire, England he grew up in a little village about 12 miles from Sheffield. His father was an acoustic player who had somehow managed to learn a bunch of Americana tunes. His mother was a classically trained pianist and used to play Chopin beautifully – Charlie still thinks Chopin’s Nocturnes are the most haunting and evocative music every written.

Having watched his Dad play since he was born, he surprised his father when he was about nine, by playing the flamenco tune “Romanza” to him. He’d been watching him play it for weeks and found he could copy it pretty easily. Charlie recorded a version of it just prior to his father’s death, and his family played it at the funeral – certainly that was a poignant tribute. Music can certainly communicate so far beyond words.

Of course, in England back in the sixties it was all the Beatles all the time. Consequently, he quickly learned all their stuff (and the Rolling Stones too). His older brother sang really well and they would perform concerts before they were 10 - his first taste of live shows and audience appreciation. Better to start young!

In his teens, he listened to Bob Dylan the Grateful Dead and a lot of English progressive rock – Family, Jethro Tull, Blodwyn, Pig, and off-the-wall artists like Pete Brown (who also wrote Cream’s lyrics). He was also heavily influenced by the singer-songwriter Roy Harper, who started as a folk artist and eventually produced multi-tracked vocal and guitar epics that blew Charlie away. Of course, Led Zeppelin recorded “Hats off to Roy Harper”. Charlie says, “Where do you think Jimmy Page got all that open tune guitar technique from?”

In school, Charlie joined a band with musicians who were a few years older and played Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, lots of Jethro Tull… He fondly recalls getting thrown out of clubs because he was only 13 and had to try to explain that he was part of the band (he often had to sneak back in for the next set). He still has some nice recordings from that time that they had made for the local BBC station.

Once he heard “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” by Genesis it changed his ideas of what live music could be and he started to write longer more complex music. He now identifies Peter Gabriel as the artist that he has most admired. Another huge influence was Steely Dan. A perfect blend of blues, rock and jazz, with its “obscure, nostalgic lyrics full of broken love and lost chances” – he cites “Aja” as his favorite song.

In his 20s, he was working for a lighting company in London staging big concert and conference events in London and even did a number of Pink Floyd shows at the massive Earl’s Court venue and toured Europe with Santana and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. He had a lot of fun but didn’t sleep for weeks and soon got burned out and focused entirely on the conference staging. There must be some good stories from those tours! He later got to work on and produced some big events in the 80s while traveling all over Europe and the States, and even South America and Africa. He eventually got a lot of work in San Francisco which provided the opportunity to leave cold, damp London. He lived in San Francisco for twenty years where he started a design company and got involved in CD-ROM development and later the Web. He did play in two bands there – Moving Partz, a 10-piece band with dancers, and then he started a jazzier band The Icons. That was his first effort at writing an entire show and it was exciting to play at venues like the Hotel Utah and Full Moon Salon in SF and have people enjoying the songs.

When he moved here in 2006, he started playing his songs at open mic nights so that he could meet local musicians and that is where he started playing with sax player David Sarnoff. They formed a band called Mental Note featured about ten of his new original songs and also revived some of the old Icons tunes – they played their first gig at the Music Farm in November of 2008, and then recorded a nine-track album with local engineer Jeff Leonard at Ocean Industries, the studio on Folly Beach Road owned by Eric Bass of Shinedown. He later met local guitarist J.R. Getches through a mutual friend and J.R. turned Charlie onto the Blues Club, for which he is very grateful.

Charlie says that the “Blues Club has just been a great way for me to get out and play live”. He is now involved with a software startup called PeopleMatter and just doesn’t always have time to rehearse and play out. He mentions that there are so many good musicians there and he especially enjoys listening to Dan Wright, Billy Gadol, Jack Downey and Charlie Kendall. He hopes to get back in the studio and record some new originals – he loves the whole recording experience. “I could spend every day in the studio”. He is trying to persuade his favorite drummer, Quentin Ravenel along with J.R. Getches to join him.

He states that he has “never felt so welcome anywhere as at Blues Club and it’s just a great pleasure to hang out and get to perform with so many good players”. He also volunteers a big “thanks to Dan, Greg Levkus, Big Tim, and Lua for putting it together every week, John Scott for the sound mixing, and Madison, Keith, Jill and all the crew at Home Team”. I’ll certainly second that emotion!

Another thing that Charlie has in common with our friend J.R. Getches is a personal B.B. King story. He met The King backstage at the Rainbow Theatre in London many years ago between his sets – “he just a had a charisma I’ll never forget and was very friendly – he sat and talked about the South in the 40’s while he picked out licks on his red Gibson 335, (Lucille) – he never put it down, and when they called him, he just said ‘Gotta go’, got up and walked right back on stage, still playing”. Outstanding!

Charles Wyke-Smith is another sterling example of the talent that stands next to us each and every week as part of the Lowcountry Blues Club. Each member’s BIO has highlighted the fact that we get to listen to, watch and perform with not only the Charleston area’s best talent, but talent on a regional, national and truly global scale. Spread the word!

This weekend the entertainment in Charleston is totally off of the charts!! The best $8 you can spend will probably be at the Music Farm Friday Night for the LESLIE CD release party. Opening for Leslie will be the incredible The SHANIQUA BROWN as well as HeyRocco! Another event that I HIGHLY recommend is the 4th Annual National Independent Record Store Day all day Saturday at Monster Music & Movies featuring in-store performances by LESLIE, Mac Leaphart, HeyRocco! and many others.

As always, our Blues Club friends will be featured all over this weekend. Captain Kirk will be with STARLING Friday night at Skynyrd’s in St. George and then at the North Park Grille on Saturday. New friends OLD YOU are at the Vendue Rooftop while Wet Willies will feature Shane Clark on Friday night or you can experience PLANE JANE at N. Charleston’s Wild Wing Café. If you haven’t seen them yet, you must see FOWLER’S MUSTACHE either Friday at the Windjammer or Saturday at O’Malley’s Bar & Grille. Sarah Cole & The HAWKES is at New Moon Pizzeria on 4/15, Sea & Sand Festival Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.

Don’t forget next Tuesday at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center you can catch the Steve Miller Band with Gregg Allman. Before you know it, it’s jam night then time to rest up for the weekend and await Skye Paige and The ORIGINAL RECIPE at the Village Tavern.

-------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Our young friends in Heyrocco have a chance to go to the Bonnaroo Music festival! They are in a competition, and need your vote! If you have already voted - thank you!! If not, just look on their facebook page for a link - you hit "download" which gets you a free song, and they get a vote - easy - do it!

April's featured artist is Muddy Waters, born in April, 1915.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, April 13, 2011

Hi Blues Club Friends -

For those who enjoy New Orleans style Cajun music, it's time to celebrate -- It's Cajun Festival time! But more on that in a minute.

First, let's talk about blues on Saturday morning -- Saturday, April 2, 8 am (that's morning, folks) the COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN (www.bridgerun.com) includes live blues on the Run course: SHRIMP CITY SLIM quartet (Coleman Blvd at Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant); JEFF LIBERTY duo, JEFF BEASLEY ONE-MAN BAND, JUKE JOINT JOHNNY & DREW BALDWIN (all on King Street downtown between Wentworth and Ann St. And the music is all FREE -- what a deal!

Then, on Sunday, April 3, 12-6 pm, the 20TH ANNUAL LOWCOUNTRY CAJUN FESTIVAL is at James Island County Park (www.ccprc.com) Admission fee is $10 for adults, free for children 12 and under... LIL POOKIE & THE ZYDECO SENSATIONS and JJ CAILLIER & THE ZYDECO KNOCKOUTS will play, and there's always some great Cajun food for sale, too!

JJ and the band are also doing two nights - both locations of Home Team BBQ, Friday and Saturday, April 1-2, check www.hometeambbq.com for specifics.

Some blues club friends are playing around town too this weekend. Highway 17 Blues Band plays at Smokey's Place on Friday night, April 1, 9pm. Our friend Scott Bucholtz wants you to know that he'll be with the country-style Mason Dixon Band on Saturday Night at Mueller’s Pub off Hwy 17 in W. Ashley (between the Piggly Wiggly and Cici’s Pizza). And our friend Skye Paige will play at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley this coming Tuesday night.

So we hope you have lots of fun this weekend, and we'll see you next Wednesday night for another spectacular installment of the Lowcountry Blues Club jam at Home Team/West Ashley!!

-------------------------------------------

Reminders:


April's featured artist is Muddy Waters, born in April, 1915.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, March 31, 2011

Happy Spring to all! This week's feature article is submitted by Jack Downey:

BLUES YOU CAN USE - What is the blues?

What is the blues? Within the blues there are a myriad of sub-genres that collectively make up that style of music that we celebrate every week at Lowcountry Blues Club. While there are certain styles of play that are easy to recognize as definitive ‘blues’, there are players that choose to perform songs that push the envelope of the ‘standard’ blues genre. The truth is, what started as acoustic music played in the rural Mississippi Delta has grown and evolved into forms that may or may not be instantly recognizable as ‘blues’.

The blues has also spawned completely other forms of music, including jazz, rock and roll, rockabilly, funk, country, southern rock, doo wop, and a host of others. Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, T-Bone Walker, and Jimmy Reed represent some of the definitive blues that marked the early part of the 20th century. British rockers took the art form to a new, more high-energy level…artists like the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Jeff Beck, Ten Years After and Led Zeppelin, as well as Americans John Lee Hooker, Lonnie Mack, B.B. King, Duane Allman, Johnny Winter, and Jimi Hendrix. From there, a newer wave of blues artists emerged…Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Thorogood, ZZ Top, and Jeff Healey.

Today, artists like Jonny Lang, Govt’t Mule, Popa Chubby, John Mayer, Walter Trout, Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Bonamassa, and The Black Keys carry on in a form that would be considered very progressive to someone like Robert Johnson in 1928, but is, nonetheless…the blues. When someone makes a song selection at the weekly blues jam that is something I might initially consider outside of the genre, I listen closer and try to open my mind to how that song represents the blues to that player. Being exposed to different interpretations of ‘the blues’ at Lowcountry Blues Club has helped to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the blues, and has inspired me to share my interpretations with others.

Isn’t that what Lowcountry Blues Club is all about? I think so. I’m looking forward to next Wednesday.

----------------------------------------------

This weekend should be a good one to be out and about, with lots to do around town. As always, we recommend you check out the Charleston City Paper and Charleston Scene for all the news... Here's a few music picks from us though: Friday night March 25th, Sharon Jones and the Dap-King bring their old-school soul and funk (and awesome horns) to the Music Farm, 8pm, $20. On Saturday night our own Highway 17 Blues Band plays at the Bottom Grill and Pub, and our good friend Scott Bucholtz plays with the country-style Mason-Dixon band at Famous Joe's. On Sunday the 27th there's a cool Record Expo at Monster Music in West Ashley from 10 am - 5pm featuring lots of new and used vinyl. And later on Sunday night Mike Watt and the Missingmen play the Pour House with openers The Fairy God Muthas featuring our friend Ballard Lesemann.


----------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Come out each and every Wednesday to the jam at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley, 8pm, y'all!

March birthdays are Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Eric Clapton.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, March 24, 2011

This weeks’ feature by Scott Bucholtz

For the last two years, Dan Wright has been Jam Master for the Lowcountry Blues Club -- hosting Jam Nights and ensuring that everyone in attendance goes home in disbelief that we get to witness world class talent up close (and free). Born in Redford, MI, about a mile from the Detroit city limit, his first exposure to music was playing piano with his grandmother when he was a kid. There are many musicians and artists on his father’s side of the family, including his third cousin, Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins (coincidently, Pumpkins original bassist, D’arcy Wretzky is from a town in SW Michigan about 30 minutes from where I grew up). He moved here in January of 2006 after meeting a girl while on tour with a band called Gordon Bennett, from Detroit. They played two nights in Wilmington, NC, where he met her on the last night of the tour. After the band split up, and he finished college, he moved here. Though they aren’t together anymore, they have remained friends. Charleston owes a ‘thank you’ to that young lady!

After his initial experience with the piano, he started as a drummer when he was about 6. In fact, he played drums and percussion through middle school and high school and even went to arts camp on a scholarship and got to play with a full orchestra, etc. While he doesn’t have his drums here, he still wishes that he did. Believe it or not, he didn’t start playing guitar until he was 14. He’d been playing in a band in high school (on drums) and used to pick up his friend's guitar to mess around. Once he got his own guitar, it became his obsession and he never put it down. It seems that we hear that from every great guitar player! Blues Club members may also have noticed Dan playing bass on jam nights, and he can carry a song on keys too.

Shortly after arriving, he found the Blues Club in the Charleston City Paper as he was looking for a place to go play. The first time Dan went to A Dough Re Mi was to see Scott Holt. He couldn’t believe that a hero of his was playing at such a small place. He previously saw Holt at the Chicago Blues Festival, the Windsor Blues Festival in Windsor, Ontario, and at the DTE Energy theater with Buddy Guy in Detroit. That was the first time Dan had ever walked into the “Dough”. He still has a picture with him from that night. That is one of the amazing things about the Charleston music scene. On any given night, you can see world class talent up close and on a budget!

Dan’s biggest influence when he starting playing was Led Zeppelin. That was the band that made him want to be a guitar player. He used to listen to Led Zeppelin constantly. He says, “Physical Graffiti literally changed my life”. This is another familiar tale!

Dan has a pretty open ear for music. To name a few influences, he lists: Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger, B.B. King, Maceo Parker, the Police, Neal Casal, the Meters, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Thelonius Monk. This eclectic list certainly is evident in some of the fantastic performances we all get to experience on Jam Nights. He favors jamming to anything funk that has a wide open minor I/IV chord structure. Similar to the response from most club members, he won’t name any favorite jammers but states: “All of them. It amazes me how many people show up week after week. What we have is something really great”. I know we all agree!

Over the past 10 years, Dan has spent a lot of time in the studio on a variety of projects. He’s recorded a number under his name such as: The White Bread EP in 2001 on Alley Records in Ypsilanti and Live at the Red Dog Saloon, 2002. Those of us in Charleston should be familiar with the Dan Wright and the New Beat EP featuring ”Hard Road”, “Let Your Soul Shine Brighter”, “Get a Handle”, singles that were recorded at Charleston Sound Studios, produced by Jeff Hodges, as well as the Soul Sample, EP also recorded at Charleston Sound Studios, engineered by Joey Cox. These are as good as any independent recording you’ll ever find! Many of these have been on my iPod’s ‘most played’ list for a long time. Dan has also recorded with others such as: Gordon Bennett singles “You Got Me” and “Sweet 16” recorded at Pearl Sound Studios, Novi, MI produced by Chuck Alkazian. Dan is also very proud of the work that he has done with The Tim Hodson Band. The “Listen to Hear” EP was recorded at Charleston Sound Studios, (also produced by Jeff Hodges). They are currently finishing five more songs, and the full length CD should be done by the end of this month. I’ve been lucky enough to catch them many times and getting the opportunity to sit in was certainly a personal highlight. His next goals are to finish recording his next CD and to play more original gigs.

In a career filled with highlights, some of the things he remembers the most are his first nights in hotels on the road, hearing his song on the radio for the first time, picking up his first stack of printed CD’s, reading his name in the “Who’s Who of Detroit Blues” catalog, playing on Beale Street in Memphis… He notes getting to meet Al Green and Buddy Guy here in Charleston (he actually drove them each around town). He affectionately remembers many of the places that he’s played, special events and “every person I’ve met because of music”. Performing the National Anthem two days after 9/11 was an occasion that had a profound effect on him and he’ll always remember.

While speaking like a truly ‘experienced’ musician, some of his best memories are the ones he can’t even remember (or can’t elaborate). A few that do come to mind are: performing at the Magic Bag in Detroit, being chased by hotel security in Atlanta (this story is best saved for his autobiography), falling off of the stage at the Military Street Music Café (another story for another time) and trying to ring Eminem’s doorbell in the middle of the night… he and his band mates stopped their van at Eminem’s driveway on the way back from a gig and as Dan started to get out, two huge security guards bolted out of the house… Fun on the road!

2010 saw Dan win the Southeast Region, King of the Blues Competition and, along with The New Beat, he won the opportunity to represent the State of South Carolina in the International Blues Challenge for the second consecutive year. The notable list of bands that Dan has performed with includes: Coyote Bone, Gordon Bennett, Quiana Parler and Friends, Soul Captive, Hot Shotgun, the Terraplanes, and the Martindales. Of course, currently, you can catch him with Dan Wright and The New Beat, as well as with The Tim Hodson Band, and the Holy City Hooligans with Ben Fagan.

This week is busy for Dan. Thursday, 17th he will be at O’Malley’s downtown with Holy City Hooligans. On Friday, he is at Montreux in Summerville with The Tim Hodson Band. Saturday Night he will be at Southend Brewery, performing in an acoustic trio with Tim Hodson and Will Moore and on Sunday, he has an early solo acoustic show at the Mosaic Café, Mt. Pleasant, 7pm. Keep an eye on the City Paper and Facebook for more of his future gigs!

This weekend, you have numerous opportunities to catch other Blues Club members in action. On Friday you can see Captain Kirk play with The Starling Band at Smokey’s Place, Plane Jane at the North Charleston Wild Wing Café, Sarah Cole & The Hawkes at Wolf Track Inn or JR Getches with the Louie D Project at The Charleston Beer Works. Louie D will also be at Johnson’s Pub Saturday night. The Folly Beach Sea & Sand Festival is Saturday with numerous acts to choose from including Sarah Cole and the Hawkes, Mac Leaphart and Gaslight Street (pick up the new CD “Idle Speed”). Also on Saturday night, you won’t want to miss Rev. Dr. Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch at Jimbo’s Rock Lounge, or Highway 17 at The Bottom Bar & Grill in Bonneau. Myself? I’ll be playing with the Jonathan Robinson Trio Saturday in Mount Pleasant at The Westbrook Brewing Company St. Patrick’s Day Celebration starting at 12 noon.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Reminders:

Come out each and every Wednesday to the jam at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley, 8pm, y'all!

March birthdays are Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Eric Clapton.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, March 17, 2011

Hi All -

If you haven't seen the Charleston City Paper yet this week, you should check it out. They were nice enough to give us an award in the Best of Charleston issue, for "Best Music Venue Relocation" with a nice write-up about the blues club jams. And Home Team also got voted as best jazz and blues club, so we can celebrate that as well! We want to always thank Dan Wright for continuing as our awesome jam-master, Greg Levkus for his all-around help, his reliability, and his drums, John Scott for running sound, we also thank our rotating cast of bass players, the dancers, Home Team for having us, and ALL the people who come out on Wednesday nights!! We do appreciate you all!!

Coming up this weekend: Friday night March 11, 9pm, The Victoria Station Band featuring LBC members Tim "The Big Guy" Shaw, Don Taylor, Jerry Newman and Wayne Pimental will be performing at Smokies Place in North Charleston. Located at the corner of Remount and North Rhett. Hundred Hands Down will opening. We hope you can come!

Other options for Friday night include The Louie D Project with J.R. Getches at the Silver Dollar, and Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch at Home Team/West Ashley, 10pm. So get out there and have some fun!

And remember, if you want us to promote your band, please send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers! Or if you'd just like to write a short article that we could put in the newsletter, please submit it to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. Thanks!

And here's an article for you, written by blues club member Jack Downey:

BLUES YOU CAN USE: Tube vs Solid State Guitar Amplifiers

In the guitar world, especially the blues/rock guitar world, there is a seemingly unending quest for ‘tone’. Today we will discuss the aspect of tone that is brought by the amplifier. This is intended to be a completely nontechnical discussion. If you wish to learn about the specifics of voltage vs volume, there is a ton of information available throughout the internet.

Tone. What a sneaky term. Often you will hear words to describe any given amplifier’s tone such as ‘warm’ or ‘bright’ or ‘clean’…all arbitrary terms that cannot be fully understood without actually hearing the amp itself. There are two basic technologies involved with guitar amplification…tube and solid state. Simply stated, tube amps are driven by vacuum tubes, while solid state amps are driven by transistors. When the first guitar amps were developed in the 1940’s, they, as with all amplification technology, were tube amps. As such, they defined the first amplified guitar sounds. In the 1960’s, solid state amplification was introduced. Solid state offered a more affordable (and, arguably, more reliable) solution to sound amplification. Tube amps remained in the market though, and do today, due to the distinctive difference in ‘tone’.

Is the tone of a tube amp superior to a solid state amp? That is a matter of opinion. That opinion is largely based on the tendency of a tube amp’s overdriven tone to be more pleasing to hear than a solid state amp that offers a 'clean' tone at the same volume level. Most guitarists share the opinion that tube amps are the product of choice. As a result, it is not uncommon to see retail prices for tube amps to be upwards of five times or more expensive than their solid state equivalents. I personally own several amplifiers, both tube and solid state, and I find them all to be useful depending on the situation. I have performed and recorded with both types of amps, and both have served me well. Most every guitar amp that sits on the stage at the weekly blues jam is a tube amp. I have played through some that I love, and some that I just cannot stand. Is it worth the extra money to get the tube amp? See for yourself. Come on stage and play your instrument with your own fingers through the professional equipment provided by the house band. Decide for yourself if the tone you can achieve is worth the extra money.

--------------------------------------------------

Reminders:


March birthdays are Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Eric Clapton.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, March 10, 2011

Greetings Blues Club Friends --

There's lots to do over the next few days music-wise. Of course on Wednesday, each and every Wednesday, it's the Lowcountry Blues Club jam at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley. On Thursday, you might like to check out Musician's Night with Jeff Bateman and special guests at Art's Bar & Grill in Mt Pleasant, 10pm.

Friday night there's Highway 17 Blues Band at Shooter's in Summerville, around 9:30 or so. Or you could head over to see Jeff Norwood at Surf Bar if you're on that side of town.

Saturday night, there's lots of great choices. The Dan Wright Trio opens up for the Diesel Brothers at the Windjammer, 9pm, only $5. Also, The Hawkes play The Village Tavern in Mt Pleasant at 9pm, $5. And Louie D is at the Brick, downtown, at 10, and that one's free...

In cd news, Jeff Norwood's new one called Push Pilin' has been released, and there's a good review of it in the Charleston City Paper. You can find him on facebook, and at www.jeffnorwoodblues.com -- so check it out!

Also on facebook, our friend Charlie Kendall would like you to know that he's got a new musician page, and he hopes you will "like" it!

----------------------------------------------

Reminders:

To get info in this blog, send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers!

March birthdays are Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Eric Clapton.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, March 1, 2011

Greetings Blues Club People --

We had another wonderful Wednesday night jam last night at Home Team -- thank you to all who came out!

Coming up this weekend, come out and see Jack Downey's Highway 17 Blues Band on Friday night at Centre Pointe Bar and Grill, 8pm -- sure to be a fun time, with lots of Blues Club friends!

There's sure to be plenty more going on this weekend as well. We recommend you check out the listings at www.charlestoncitypaper.com and www.charlestonscene.com. And if you're on facebook, be sure to "like" all your favorite local musicians. You may also want to join the Charleston Live Music site on facebook for lots of live music recommendations.

And this coming week, we hope you'll feel inspired to practice up some new songs that you can try out at one of the next Wednesday night jam/parties... See you there!


Reminders:

To get info in this blog, send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers!

February birthdays are Pink Anderson and Johnny Winter. March birthdays are Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Eric Clapton.

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

LMW, February 24, 2011

A Bio of J.R. Getches, by Scott Bucholtz:

These Bio’s are supposed to be brief. J.R. Getches has a resume of experience that is anything but brief. The more I talk to him, the more I shake my head in disbelief. Who else in the Lowcountry Blues Club has played side by side with B.B. King? (he even had the opportunity to play the REAL Lucille). Who has toured Russia with Steve Vai? By the way, Steve Vai was the opening act for J.R.’s band! Who else in the blues club has been on the cover of Billboard magazine? Had his picture in Rolling Stone? Get this: he’s even had a #1 selling children’s song (check out his full length children’s’ CD “Julie the Starfish & Other Lullabies” on Amazon.com or iTunes) . Should I continue? He has composed ballet for the Princeton Ballet and the Annabelle Gonzalez Dance Theatre (which was reviewed in the NY Times). He has contributed the theme song to a PBS special. He’s recorded with a variety of groups on about a half dozen different major record labels. In addition to these exploits, he’s toured Central America, Asia and Europe. Oh yeah: He’s an accomplished photographer and he started Celebrity Wake-Up Call with The Pamela Anderson. Do I still have room for any details?

As the son of a career Army officer, he was born in Fort Lewis, Washington which was just one of the many, many posts in the U.S. and abroad. It was high school before he attended the same school two years in a row. He started playing electric guitar a week before his 13th birthday while on vacation in Penang, Malaysia. Why? He heard Jimi Hendrix 'Band of Gypsies' roaring out of a pirate record store. He instantly bought the album and a cassette tape and played it non-stop for several days. He received a Mosrite electric for his birthday and never stopped playing. He sat in his room with 'Band of Gypsies', Santana's 'Abraxas', and Led Zeppelin's first couple of records and tried to learn all the licks. Sound familiar? (with the exception of the Malaysian part!) Note: Years later, J.R. had the opportunity to hang out and also perform with Band Of Gypsies drummer Buddy Miles (on bass was none other than Stanley Jordan).

He heard about the Blues Club via word-of-mouth and dropped by a ‘Dough’ jam about two years ago. He keeps coming back because he loves the energy. He also identified what we all hope to feel: the validation that can only come from a room full of your peers. The Lowcountry Blues Club can certainly provide that.

Obviously, his influences and inspirations are Hendrix, Santana and Zeppelin (a Holy Trinity?). He also mentions Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers, Humble Pie, Mott The Hoople, Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. When you see him play with The Louie D Project, you’ll see him utilize all of these influences. You’ll probably even be able to identify them but you will marvel at how he manages to use them to construct an original sound and style that is uniquely J.R. Getches. Today, he says his favorites are The Black Crowes, Ravi Shankar and Peter Gabriel. Ravi Shankar? I’ll bet you haven’t heard that name in a while… That might explain some of the other-worldly sounds that J.R. can create!

Currently, he has been in Charleston Sound Studios working on a full length CD of dance and party tunes (among other surprises) with the Louie D Project. He shared a rough mix of the lead track with me. It’s a super-hot track named “Don’t Take Sand To The Beach”. I can’t wait to hear the rest! He’s also writing some new children's music projects and scoring films and videos.

Some of his favorites for jamming are ‘Comfortably Numb' by Pink Floyd, 'Dear Prudence' by The Beatles, 'My Prerogative' by Bobbie Brown, 'Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers' by ZZ Top, 'Dreams' by The Allman Brothers, 'Frankenstein' by The Edgar Winter Group. If you ask him who his favorite Blues Club jammers are, he’ll wisely say: “There are so many, but Dan Wright, Sarah Cole, and Allyson Taylor”.

His band resume includes the following: Back in Virginia: The Motive, and The Projects. In New York: Native Tongue, Venus For Breakfast, Soluble Fish, The Poppies (CBS Records), Christine Lavine (Rounder Records). In Los Angeles: Flowers, The Bette Williams Band (Euphoria Records), Humble Servants of The Groove, The Patrick Dennis Band (Curb Records). Charleston, SC: Flyin' Blind, Mac Daddy, Partymouth, Kurt Ginsberg, Smoking The Ghost, The Bad Signs and The Louie D Project.

I highly recommend taking advantage of any opportunity to not only see/hear him play but, if possible, pick his brain. I see him as the “Yoda” of our Blues Club. He and I were recently discussing what it is like to return to performing after having been away for an extended period. We agreed on the fact that you really do appreciate it more after being away. The increase in clarity and focus is surprising.

Our discussions were reminiscent of an interview I recently read with Warren Haynes of the The Allman Brothers, “It’s cliché’ to say, but I’ve said several times and a lot of people have said the same thing; a musician can walk onstage and physically feel bad, have a temperature of 103 or something, and as soon as you walk onstage and start playing music and feeling the wave of energy, you start feeling better in a very healing way. I think music has healing properties. If you walk onstage feeling good, you’re going to feel even better. It’s pretty amazing. And again, it sounds kind of stupid to say, but I really believe in the healing power of music.” As he says: “I don’t know that I could live among people without music”.

While it’s trite, it’s true: music really is magical. To be able to say that I’ve shared a stage with J.R. is exciting. I feel like I’ve been touched by greatness. I have certainly heard and felt it. Can you think of a better prescription? I can see you shaking your head too!

This weekend you can catch J.R. with the Louie D Project downtown Saturday night at The Brick. As always, there is a plethora of great live entertainment this weekend. Shovels and Rope is at The Tin Roof Thursday night. Sarah Cole and The Hawkes are at Loggerheads on Folly Thursday and at New Moon Pizzeria & Pub on Friday. Plane Jane will be at Wild Wings in N. Charleston on Friday. Mac Leaphart will be at the Charleston Pour House Saturday. Also on Saturday, Johnny Mac and the BootyRanch will be at Jimbo’s Rock Lounge. Check out my friends in Fowler’s Mustache Sunday night at The Windjammer. Next Tuesday, you can find Shaniqua Brown open for Pile at The Tin Roof. Finally, I will be with The Mason Dixon Band at Birdie & Sharon’s in Walterboro Friday and Saturday night (Feb 18 & 19). This weekend we have special guest JoJo Wall sitting in on Harp. Come check us out!

Scott Bucholtz

---------------------------------------------------

Also, the Lowcountry Blues Bash continues on for one final weekend, so check the schedule at www.bluesbash.com, and get out there. Be sure to thank Gary Erwin for a wonderful blues festival, when you get the chance. Of course, we also continue with our Wednesday night club jams at Home Team/WA, so don't miss that, for sure! We hope the blues bash and the jams inspire you to practice up some new songs that you can try out at one of the next Wednesday night jam/parties...


Reminders:

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

To get info in this blog, send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers!

February birthdays are Pink Anderson (1900) and Johnny Winter (1944).

Join us on facebook and twitter, and check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub

LMW, February 17, 2011

We hope all our blues club friends have gotten out to see some blues bash shows during this past week. There's been so much going on -- old favorites and new bands to check out, all over town. One of the best events was on Saturday afternoon, the Blues Club jam/ Blues Bash version with Tommy Thunderfoot at Home Team/West Ashley. Check out the article about it in the Charleston City Paper this week, written by Ballard Lesemann. Thanks to Tommy for hosting, and thanks also for all the kind words about our club and the players who make our jams so awesome! We thank Greg Levkus as always for being the core drummer, and Jerry Ray for starting it off on bass. There were too many fine players throughout the day to mention them all here -- but thanks to you all!!

The bash continues on, so check the schedule at www.bluesbash.com, and get out there. We also continue with our Wednesday night club jams at Home Team/WA, and Dan Wright and the rest of the gang are back from Memphis, so don't miss that, for sure.

----------------------------------------

Reminders:

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

To get info in this blog, send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers!

February birthdays are Pink Anderson (1900) and Johnny Winter (1944).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub, and join us on facebook and twitter.

LMW, February 10, 2011

Hi Blues Club friends!

It's time to celebrate -- it's the Lowcountry Blues Bash, organized by the amazing Gary Erwin (aka Shrimp City Slim)!! Starting today, Thursday, Feb 3, there are blues events all over town, every day for the next 17 days! If you don't already have your schedule of events, go to www.bluesbash.com, and print it. There are waaay too many shows for us to tell you about each one, but I will mention that there's a special Lowcountry Blues Club jam with our original jam-master Tommy Thunderfoot, who is coming in from out of state, to host an all-day jam at Home Team BBQ/ West Ashley on Saturday, Feb 5, from noon to 7 pm, and your $10 gets you all-you-can-eat oysters while they last -- we hope you can come!! And we'll have our usual Wednesday night jams at Home Team as well, so we hope to see you at those events, as well as many more... And for more info, check out the write-ups in the Charleston City Paper, and the Charleston Scene (in the Post & Courier).

In Memphis, right now: Dan Wright and the New Beat, Jeff Norwood, and the Wyatt Garey / Heyrocco band are performing this week, representing the LBC. We know they're having lots of fun, and we just wish we were there too! We're proud of them!

Also, this Thursday night, Feb 3, you can see Nick Mullane and Sammy Derrick's group Castle In the Air perform at 9pm at the Village Tavern, along with funk band Scratch.

Also on Thurs, Feb 3, Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch are at Home Team/SI, and Davis Coen is at Home Team/WA. So start the Blues Bash right, and see one of these shows, or one of the others listed on the program -- sooo much to choose from!

Other local favorites with shows coming up during the Blues Bash are Skye Paige, Momma and the Redemption Band, Chuck the Cat Morris, The Groovetones, and The Tips, among others. So get out there and have some fun!

-----------------------------------------

Reminders:

It's time to pay your dues for 2011 if you haven't already done so. Just come out to a jam, and give us $10 for an individual, $25 for a band or family, or $100 for a corporate membership. Or you can mail dues to The Lowcountry Blues Club, P.O. Box 814, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.

To get info in this blog, send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers!

February birthdays are Pink Anderson (1900) and Johnny Winter (1944).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub, and join us on facebook and twitter.

LMW, February 3, 2011

Hi blues club friends -

We're all getting excited about Gary Erwin's Blues Bash, which kicks off on February 3rd and goes on until the 19th: 17 days of great music all over town! There are many all-ages shows, and 70+% of the shows are FREE admission. Where cover charges apply, most are reasonable ($3- $15). Blues starts at noon on many days and goes into the night...99% of the venues are smoke-free, and some venues are within walking distance of each other. There are way too many great shows to give you the details in this newsletter. But you can go here to easily print your own brochure: www.bluesbash.com, or pick a schedule up while they last at venues around town including Home Team BBQ... We'll see you there!!

We send all our best wishes to Dan Wright and the New Beat, Jeff Norwood, and Wyatt Garey and his band (the Heyrocco guys) as they go very soon to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee (Feb 1-5). We're proud of them, and look forward to hearing all about it when they get back...

This weekend, Friday January 28th, you can see several of our favorite young players at the Oasis for an early show, 6pm: Castle In the Air (with Sammy Derrick and Nick Mullane), Heyrocco (with Tanner Cooper, Nate Merli, and Chris Cool), and John Shafer's band, called Alone Together, among others.

The Jefferson Coker band (with Rob Lowe and Dave Jones) will be playing later on Friday January 28th at the new Village Tavern for Jefferson's CD Release party. Whiskey N' Ramblin, featuring Keith Syn Clarry (one of the bartenders at HTBBQ) will be opening. Music starts at 9pm. It is original blues/country music. You can hear the band at: http://jeffersoncoker.com/ or look for them on facebook...

Also, The Bluesonics from Savannah are playing at Home Team Barbecue at West Ashley on the 29th of January. Come check out this traditional blues band with lots of shuffles and a little funk. And Shrimp City Slim (Gary Erwin) plays at Home Team/ Sullivans Island, 10 pm -- always a great time!

Looking ahead, on Tuesday, Feb 1 there's a free Songwriters Showcase at the Pour House, 7pm doors, 8 pm show, featuring Campbell Brown of Gaslight Street, Michael Trent, Lindsay Holler, and more! You can't beat free!

And there's another chance to see Castle In the Air on Thursday, Feb 3 at the Village Tavern -- so get over there if you can...

-----------------------------------------

Reminders:

To get info in this blog, send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers!

Featured artists with birthdays in January are Leadbelly, Etta James, and Jonny Lang. February birthdays are Pink Anderson (1900) and Johnny Winter (1944).

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub, and join us on facebook and twitter.

And of course, we hope to see you at the blues jam next Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ West Ashley!! Dan will be in Memphis, so we'll be mixing it up with a guest jam-master -- come and see for yourself who it is...

This Weeks Feature: Jonathan Robinson

By: Scott Bucholtz

Today, Jonathan Robinson is Hittin’ The Note. In fact, he does every day. He is one of the lucky few who gets to spend all his days engrossed in his passion.

Born in Hamlet, NC, a little town in the middle of nowhere. His dad was a chicken farmer. He moved here in 2000 to go to Charleston Southern as an English major. He fell in love with a local girl, got married, and has been here ever since.

He had a friend in high school who had a job at the only little music store in the county. He was always bugging Jonathan to come look at the guitars and hear him play. One day, when he was almost 17, he went down to see his friend just so he'd stop bugging him. He didn't even really listen to music at the time. Jonathan was really into sports, football was a big deal at his school. They were state champions – obviously that was his focus. But when he saw the electric guitars he became enamored. He actually bought one that day before he left the store. A black and white Fender Stratocaster. Talk about love at first sight!

He dove deeply into Eric Clapton, The Eagles, and eventually Jimi Hendrix. Since he was already interested in writing, writing songs seemed a natural progression. He feels that since he had never been into music, he really fell into his own style pretty easily. He remembers his mom being a little upset that he'd spent all his money on that first guitar. She was sure he would stick it in the corner and never touch it. In fact, nothing could be further from what actually happened. He became truly obsessed. He taught himself by watching others and reading every book, magazine, and whatever else he could get his hands on. Within the first year he had a band, which was even before his friend joined a band. Guitar and music has been his life ever since. For four years now, Jonathan has been teaching guitar full time and is very much in demand – he currently has 57 weekly students! He also “dabbles” with piano, bass, harmonica, mandolin, and drums. He has even experimented with the violin/fiddle a bit and as soon as he can get his hands on one again he plans to renew those efforts.

He had not played out much in the Charleston area until the King of the Blues contest this past summer. While the winner was Dan Wright, the judges revealed that it was nearly a 3-way tie between Jonathan, Charlie Kendall and Dan. As a personal witness, I can confirm that viewpoint. It was there that he found out about the Lowcountry Blues Club and its weekly jam, which he says has to be about the “coolest thing he has ever been a part of”. He has come out to the jam almost every Wednesday since. He says it is his favorite night of the week, “hands down”. I can add that being on stage with Jonathan makes me feel the same way.

As for his biggest influences/inspirations? He says that is always a hard question...There's the obvious ones; Clapton, Hendrix, the Eagles, Tom Petty, B.B. King, Santana, Robben Ford, Lynyrd Skynyrd, all the usual suspects. He is sure that the bands that were on the radio when he was growing up really influenced his songwriting and, to some degree his playing. Bands like Matchbox 20, The Counting Crows, The Goo Goo Dolls, U2 and Edwin McCain. He says: “I'm not sure how cool that is, but it's definitely the case”. His favorites? Pretty much the same as the list above. Though he says he loves the Allman Brothers. He just loves good songs...there's a new band called Mumford and Sons that he adds to the list and a local-ish band called NeedtoBreathe whose last album (The Outsiders) ranks among his favorite albums of the last 5 years. We should give those a listen.

He most enjoys getting to jam on songs that let you be really expressive. “Jams that feel organic and improvised...the kind you can add your own touch and voice to, and use to express whatever you feel at the moment, whether it's happy, desperate, hopeful or exhausted. If the song lets you do that, then I love to play it”. He adds that there's “no one I've played with at the jam who hasn't been a pleasure. I'm so impressed every week with the rhythm sections. The bass players and drummers always do such a solid job of holding everything together and keeping all of us guitarists where we need to be. I think that's what makes it so successful week after week”.

Jonathan had a couple of his own bands in North Carolina (both Christian Rock and Modern Rock). Over the last five or six years he has led worship at churches and church events as a Musical Director, and he plays with a Christian Rock band: The T Culler Band. They have had the opportunity to open for National Touring Christian Rock bands (he has even played the North Charleston Coliseum). He states that “the not playing out much is, hopefully, about to change”. He really wants to get out and play his originals as much as he can. He just put together his own trio featuring his original material that recently made their first appearance (at Awendaw Green). He adds; “playing with Scott Bucholtz and Jojo Wall is great fun, and, I think, a pretty killer line-up”. (note: gratuitous plug)

Something that many don’t know about Jonathan is that he has been going back and forth to Nashville a good bit, working on publishing and selling his original material. He feels that he has made some great contacts and feels confident that he will have a decent shot of breaking into that market as a writer. He plans to spend ever more time there this year. Though he acknowledges that this may be ambitious, he plans to record an album before this year's over. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how that pans out... Having experienced his skills on stage first hand and knowing his original material, my money will be on Jonathan!


This weekend look for Lowcountry Blues Club member around town:

Last week's feature, Captain Kirk, will be with The Starling band at Fat Boys in Monks Corner. Sarah Cole and The Hawkes will be at the Kickin’ Chicken (WA) on Friday. Castle In The Air and Heyrocco will be at the Music Farm on Saturday. Plane Jane will be rockin’ Halligan’s in West Ashley Saturday as will Whiskey ‘n’ Ramblin’ at The Griffon downtown. Monday night, Shovels and Rope will be at The Pour House. Don’t forget, yours truly will be with The Mason Dixon Band Friday at Hanahan’s and Saturday at Famous Joe’s in West Ashley.

On a larger scale, try JJ Grey & Mofro Friday night at the Music Farm.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking ahead, some members and friends have sent us info to share:

The Jefferson Coker band (with Rob Lowe and Dave Jones) will be playing Friday January 28th at the new Village Tavern for Jefferson's CD Release party. Whiskey N' Ramblin, featuring Keith Syn Clarry (one of the bartenders at HTBBQ) will be opening. Music starts at 9pm. It is original blues/country music. You can hear the band at: http://jeffersoncoker.com/ or look for them on facebook...

Also, The Bluesonics from Savannah are playing at HomeTeam Barbecue at West Ashley on the 29th of January. Come check out this traditional blues band with lots of shuffles and a little funk.

And be sure to put this on your calendar - an amazing upcoming blues festival right here in Charleston, organized by blues godfather Gary Erwin:

21st annual LOWCOUNTRY BLUES BASH, February 3-19

A blues 'venue crawl' (clubs, bars, pubs, restaurants, art galleries, a church, a rec center, a community center, a hotel, and a boat!)

The best & most enduring blues festival in the Southeast USA with many all-ages shows, 70+% of the shows are FREE admission. Where cover charges apply, most are reasonable ($3-15). Blues starts at noon on many days and goes into the night...

50 great national, regional, local blues acts
25 intimate venues (the way the blues was MEANT to be experienced!)
93 shows
17 action-packed days & nights

99% of the venues are smoke-free, some venues are within walking distance of each other. Go here to easily print your own brochure: www.bluesbash.com or pick one up while they last at venues around town including Home Team BBQ... We'll see you there!!

----------------------------------------

Reminders:

To get info in this blog, send all details of your event to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com, and put "Attention blog-writers" as the subject heading, please. Also, let us know if you would like to be one of our blog-writers!

Featured artists with birthdays in January are Leadbelly, Etta James, and Jonny Lang.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub, and join us on facebook and twitter.

And of course, we hope to see you at the blues jam next Wednesday night at Home Team BBQ West Ashley!!

LMW, January 20, 2011