Monday, September 20, 2010

It’s the super kick ass Charlie Kendall!!

Charlie Kendall is from Charleston and was born 1/2/93. His primary instrument is guitar and vocals and his secondary instrument is the saxophone. Charlie has been playing for five years and has formal training. He has taken lessons for five years, attended UNCW Jazz camp, and has also attended Berklee’s five week program.

Charlie comes from a musical family and would love to learn the drums time permitting. The Texas Blues are favorite blues sub genre and other genres of interest are Jazz and funk. John Mayer is Charlie’s favorite blues musician and The Beatles are his favorite all time band ever! “Superstition” is a favorite tune to play at the weekly jam and songs that should be played are “I don’t need no doctor” John Mayer version and “the chicken” Jaco Pastoius.

When asked about the most satisfying musical experience in life Charlie said “I’m able to express my feelings through my guitar to the audience and we’re all into the groove.” Worst musical experience is as follows: “I hate playing with cocky musicians who think that they’re the best in the world and try to bring me down.”

Charlie has been in his fare share of garage bands but finds work mostly from pick up gigs around town and is currently starting a band with Mr. Quentin Ravenel. Quentin Ravenel is Charlie’s favorite blues club jammer, for good reason of course!! Also, Charlie and Quentin are working together on a project that everyone will be able to hear soon. We will be a waiting with bated breath!!

Charlie’s decision to play music went something like this: “My dad played violin in a bluegrass band for 30 years, my grandmother played organ at the church for 20 years, and everybody in my family really appreciates music and I am lucky enough that their good tastes and sheer love were able to influence me.” Sounds like a winner my friend!!

Ok down through the rest quickly now. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles are some of Charlie’s influences and is currently listening to John Mayer, John Scofield (he does a great “Cissy Strut” by the way, one of my favorite versions!), Jimmy Herring, Jamie Cullum, Wilco, SRV, Medeski Martin & Wood, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Band of Horses.

Charlie’s advice is to “stick with it and don’t give up no matter what people say. Always keep your mind open to different genres and be willing to learn. Also, having a good attitude and confidence is key to being successful.”
Favorite City: Boston
Favorite Book: Catcher in the Rye (I wonder if Charlie has a middle name, like Charlie “Assassinator” Kendall?!?!)
Favorite Eatery: Papa Zuzu’s
Favorite Movie: Across the Universe

Thanks again for reading and kudos to Charlie Kendall for the blog, buy him a red bull at the jam this week!! Thanks to all of you for your support of the Lowcountry blues club, a club is only as strong as its members, and you all make us a very strong club indeed!! Please send blog feedback to lowcountrybluesclub@gmail.com. We anticipate your feedback, thanks in advance!! Onto local blues news!!

It’s the 5th Annual AMERICAN MUSIC CELEBRATION

Sunday, October 10, 2010 2-7 pm Freshfields Village Green Kiawah Island, SC

venue site: www.freshfields.com

...a FREE event for the entire family, brought to you by the Kiawah Island Accommodations Tax Committee, Bill & Marilyn Blizard (Kiawah's Friends of the Blues), and the Lowcountry Blues Bash.
Featured artists this year

SUGAR BLUE
www.sugar-blue.com
One of the world's top harmonica players known for his recordings with The Rolling Stones, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Louisiana Red, and more...soaring, pulse-racing upper register jazz-inflected runs, great storytelling in the original material, and a space-age progressive blues band behind him. Sensational!

BILL HEID with RJ SPANGLER'S BLUE FOUR
www.myspace.com/billheidmusic
www.eastlawnrecords.com
Keyboard genius Bill Heid, as noted for his jazz organ work as his blues piano prowess, has just returned from eight months working in a club in Shanghai, China. He reunites with superb shuffle drummer RJ Spangler and his crew from Detroit to slam-dunk some groovy swing and after-hours R&B. Cool stuff. Sax, bass, keys, drums.

FREDDIE VANDERFORD & BRANDON TURNER
www.myspace.com/freddievanderford
www.myspace.com/theguitarofbrandonturner
One of South Carolina's paramount backroads acoustic duos - Freddie learned harmonica from legendary minstrel showman Peg Leg Sam and has just received the SC Folk Heritage Award. Brandon is a bad-ass guitar spanker who whips up a wall of sound on his six-string. Grrrrreat!

Bring your own lawn chair and/or blanket. Coolers OK but fabulous food & drink for sale also at reasonable prices. Thanks Shrimp City Slim!!

The Lowcountry Blues Challenge Finals will be held at Fiery Ron's Hometeam BBQ on Sunday,September 26 beginning around 3pm. On the bill will be Groove Therapy, Hollywood and the Willies, Wyatt Garey Band and Dan Wright. This will be a show you do not want to miss, so mark your calendar. The winners of the Solo/Duo will be announced as well as the winner of this competition at the end of the show. We are also working on an oyster roast so stay tuned.

It is also time to elect officers so if anyone is interested in helping with the Lowcountry Blues Club, let us know. The positions up are President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Our next organizational meeting will be Monday, October 4th, 7pm, at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley.

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub featuring artists such as Jon Hager, Wyatt Garey, Dan Wright, JoJo Wall, Tim Shaw and many other local players. The recordings are also on our facebook page under the My Band tab. And thank you to JP Jones for posting these.

Join us on facebook and twitter.

Artists featured in September are B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Freddie King and Koko Taylor. When you come to the jam, let our jam-master know if you want to play a song by one of the featured artists. In October, we will feature Steve Miller and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

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.

That does it for this week!! See at the jam this Wednesday!!

Your Buddy,
JP Jones Jr.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Hello Blues Club Friends --

The third round of the Lowcountry Blues Challenge was this past Sunday, and attendees got to hear some great music from My Buddy Todd, Super Kush, Skye Paige and the Original Recipe, and The Wyatt Garey Band. I love the Challenge because we get a chance to see lots of our favorite musicians play, sometimes in new bands formed just to have a chance to be a part of this event... Each band is unique, with its own style and approach, and has something to offer. So, what I don't like about the Challenge, or any battle of the bands, is the whole judging thing. Because in the end, there are only four bands chosen to compete in the Finals of the Blues Club Challenge, but that doesn't mean that there were only four great bands, of course. Every one of the bands has its fans, and should be proud of the music they give to the world -- So we thank you all!!

That said, I do want to thank our judges, who've done what had to be done -- scoring the contestants using a specific set of criteria invented by the International Blues Challenge. Using that criteria, which included vocal skills, instrumental skills, and blues content, among other things -- we have four finalists to announce.

The Lowcountry Blues Challenge Finals will be held at Fiery Ron's Hometeam BBQ on Sunday,September 26 beginning around 3pm. On the bill will be Groove Therapy, Hollywood and the Willies, Wyatt Garey Band and Dan Wright. This will be a show you do not want to miss, so mark your calendar. The winners of the Solo/Duo will be announced as well as the winner of this competition at the end of the show. We are also working on an oyster roast so stay tuned.

It is also time to elect officers so if anyone is interested in helping with the Lowcountry Blues Club, let us know. The positions up are President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Our next organizational meeting will be Monday, October 4th, 7pm, at Home Team BBQ/West Ashley.

Now, you may be wondering where to go for good music this weekend... On Friday night, Sept 17, there are two great choices: Scott Holt is at Home Team/Sullivans Island, 10 pm, only $5! Scott used to be a guitarist for Buddy Guy, so you know he's good! Same night, local band Steel Petals plays at Home Team/West Ashley, 10pm, $5 -- They play a mix of blues and rock, really good too. On Saturday, Sept 18, you may want to see Highway 17 Band at the VFW Ladson, Bikers Helping Bikers 4th Annual Bike Rally & Car Show, 11 and 4:00 -- check it out!

And of course, we want to see you out at Home Team/West Ashley for the Wednesday night Blues Club jam, 8pm till midnight or so...

Reminders:

Check out some of our recordings from the Wednesday jams at http://www.reverbnation.com/lowcountrybluesclub featuring artists such as Jon Hager, Wyatt Garey, Dan Wright, JoJo Wall, Tim Shaw and many other local players. The recordings are also on our facebook page under the My Band tab. And thank you to JP Jones for posting these.

Join us on facebook and twitter.

Artists featured in September are B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Freddie King and Koko Taylor. When you come to the jam, let our jam-master know if you want to play a song by one of the featured artists. In October, we will feature Steve Miller and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

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.

LMW, Sept 16, 2010

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Greetins Blues Fans

This Sunday at Hometeam BBQ in West Ashely is the final round of the Lowcountry Blues Club Blues Challenge featuring My Buddy Todd, Charlie Kendall, The Wyatt Garey Band, and Skye Paige and the original Recipe. So come on out and listen to the blues. There is a $5 donation (not a cover charge) at the door.

Also if you haven't been able to come out to the jams but still wanna hear local artists play the blues check us out at http://www.reverbnation.com/#/bluesjamsongs.

And as always every Wednesday night at Hometeam BBQ in West Ashely is the Lowcountry Blues Club jam so come on out and play some blues.

KMF

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Blues and more

Those of you who attended the Blues Challenge this past weekend were treated to serious musicianship, showmanship, and a blast of blues humor. Now, blues humor is an interesting and strange genre of comedy somewhat akin to gallows humor.

Yet, blues humor has a rich tradition and a bunch of fine examples spring to mind. Think “I Can’t Stop My Leg” by Robert Klein. There is a blues name calculator http://www.outliermusic.com/jokes_bluesname.htm. And of course, the ever popular “How to Sing the Blues in 20 easy lessons” http://www.theblackriver.net/attic/singingtheblues.html

Hollywood and the Willies and the gang reminded me to not take all of this too seriously. I mean for some, the blues is more than a musical genre and has become a sort of religion. And the Wednesday blues jams are our church.

I read a piece of prose from Scott Bucholtz.who said “After years of reading LP liner notes, I researched people like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Hubert Sumlin. But, I must admit that I prefer their disciples: Led Zeppelin, SRV, and most notably and most importantly, the unparalleled Allman Brothers Band. Though, Lynyrd Skynyrd would still qualify as my favorite, I would say that Gov’t Mule and Derek Trucks are the current flag bearers. Along with Stevie Wonder, War and Sly Stone, you have all of my major influences.”

To me this reminds me of the genealogical parts of the bible where who begat who fills pages.

Scott grew up in an Elvis household. Born in St. Joseph, MI. His father loved early Elvis, and his mother the later stuff.

Scott wrote “I actually saw Elvis “Live” on the Notre Dame campus in both 1973 and 1976. I have an older brother who turned me onto The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Jethro Tull and Lynyrd Skynyrd. By the time I was 8 or 9 I just wanted to play guitar. I got an SG copy for Christmas and started taking lessons but I just could not do it. My left hand is not made for chords. I am SO envious of guitar players.”

Well, really you only need a guitar to play the blues or even just a blues harp.

“As a consolation, I got my first drum kit at 12. Two years later I upgraded to the kit that I still play today. I got married in 1989 and we had our first of 3 children in 1991. Obviously, my focus and priority is my family. But, while so many people my age tell me that they sold their instruments when they got married or when they had kids, I always knew that my desire to listen and play music was too great to think about selling my stuff.”

This speaks to me as I feel there are two kinds of musicians: those who want and like to play and those that MUST play because it is an essential part of who they are.

“For those who haven’t experienced it, nothing beats a “game of catch” with one of your kids whether it’s with a baseball or on a stage. Even though New Years 2000 was my last gig before this past winter, my addiction to music only grew. Then, faced with being out of work last summer, I immediately thought of picking up some gigs.”

I think there are many of us that are thankful to have music to fall back on in this economy.

Scott continues “This March, an opportunity at Force Protection bought me down to the Charleston area. Due to work commitments and my kids' school, my wife had to stay back in Michigan for a few months. As luck would have it, I stopped in to Ye Olde Music Shop the day after I unloaded my moving truck. Mike Davis told me about a blues jam at A Dough Re Mi. He told me to go ask for Greg Levkus. A couple days later I got to play with Dan Wright and John Scott. I’ve been on a musical high ever since. A week or two later, the sterling Captain Kirk invited me to play out at Bowens Island. All of a sudden I’m playing more than I have since the 1990’s. For that, I am sincerely grateful to the entire Lowcountry Blues Club. While ‘alone’, I’ve spent many nights watching ( and when lucky) sitting in with Dan Wright, Tim Hodson, Louie D, Starling, Highway 17, Fowler’s Mustache, Gaslight Street, Leslie… Who else, when forced to be away from his family, hung out with musicians (at bars) as a means of something constructive! I truly want to send a “Thank You” to all.”

An attitude of gratitude is becoming. Scott’s early bands include “The Only”, “Ferris Wheel”, “Blues Central”, “Vandal”, “The Urge” and “The
Holokatz”. But, he says “all of the experiences that I had before doesn’t really compare to the musical joy that I get playing with all of the Charleston talent.”

“My favorite jammers are plenty. Guitarists Dan Wright and J.R. Getches are the two that the majority of my favorite performances have been with, and Jonathon Robinson always gives me visions of my all time favorite axemen. I must say that all of the bass players that I’ve shared a stage with here have been incredible. Mark Schleis has challenged me in a positive way and I feel that Tony Cobin and I have really locked in to name a couple. Backing Sarah Cole is always an exciting highlight for me. With her everyone seems to step it up instead of stepping all over one another! Of course, I must also include the guy I’ve heard called “sweety pie on the keys” – Jon Hager. Obviously, I can’t name just one. Nor would I want to. It’s all of the jammers that made me instantly love the Lowcountry!“

I must admit that this is the same experience I had upon moving here from Los Angeles. I don’t always believe the hype about southern hospitality but the Lowcountry Blues Club seems to bring out the best in people.

JR Getches, Sept 2, 2010

It's time to elect new officers for the Lowcountry Blues Club.....If anyone would like to get involved with the Lowcountry Blues Club and help make it even better please step up and help. See Tim Shaw at the jam.

Reminders: Join us on facebook and twitter. Also, artists featured in September are B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Freddie King, and Koko Taylor. When you come to the jam, let our jam-master know if you want to play a song by one of the featured artists.

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.