Friday, November 26, 2010

Send the Band to Memphis Benefit

Hello Lowcountry Blues Fans,

The Lowcountry Blues Club needs your help. On Sunday November 28th beginning at 2pm we will have a show to raise money to send our nominees to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN.

The location is Hometeam BBQ, 1205 Ashley River Rd. Charleston SC, 29407.
Preforming are:

Starling at 2pm
Highway 17 Blues Band at 3pm
Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch with special guest Jeff Bateman at 4pm
Jeff Norwood at 5pm
Wyatt Garey Band at 6pm
The Dan Wright Band at 7pm

There is no cover for this show but we are asking for at $5 donation.

Hometeam BBQ may have specials for the show and there is a rumor that there may be Oysters!

Also if you have not renewed your dues to the club please do so. They are only $10 for the year and will go for a good cause. If you can't make it out to the jam please send in your dues to:

Tim Shaw
PO Box 40902
Charleston SC 29423-0902

See you Sunday,

The Big Guy
Prez
Lowcountry Blues Club

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I've got my soap box and everything!!

Change up!!
Hi guys, doing something a little different this week. I must climb the mighty soap box to say what must be said! It regards the back line, the rhythm section and our importance in the songs that get played every week.

As you know I am a drummer, and the drums are an accompaniment to the music, not the star. I am there to create a metaphysical grid for the music to hang on, creating a frame work for the music to fit into in tempo in time. I consider what I do a service to the music and the foundation of any good music is the bass, drums, rhythm guitar ect. My message this week is aimed at the leads that use us to play the songs they want to play.

Don’t take for granted what a great rhythm section can do for your song selection. I love the lead guitar and vocals, however I get bent out of shape when the lead takes two or three solos and doesn’t even give a nod to all the other players on stage. Also, give other players an opportunity to give song suggestions. You may not know the song, but it is democratic and that always feels better to me.

As a developing musician and percussionist, an opportunity to solo is a great exercise and avenue for development and growth musically. If I have a night when I don’t even get an opportunity to solo, I feel I am being robbed of a great part of my musical development. Sometimes I can’t wait to solo, other times I am not feeling it and throw the solo away or deflect the opportunity; however I feel equally respected if I get the opportunity at all. And this isn’t aimed at any one person directly, this is something I have observed from my two years playing at the jams, so relax, this is in general, the names have been changed to protect the innocent! And if I have had a conflict with you, it is between you and me, and most likely no one knows about it any way as I never name names of people that I have had a conflict with, it’s between us and I do the best I can to keep these issues private.

Long story short, I good rule of thumb is if you are leading a song and are planning on taking one or two extended solos, give other players an opportunity to make a musical statement as well. Then the music has more to say from different musical perspectives, where every instrument is a story teller contributing to the song being performed. People will like playing with you and the song will be a richer experience for the listener as well as the players involved (if the solos are good!!)

Before I started playing music at the blues club jams, I was never given an opportunity to solo in my previous experience, and I have to say, my first solos where terrible! But if not for those opportunities to work through and grow through, I wouldn’t be as competent as I am now and as I will be a year from now!! Are you following me here? It is all about development and growth, and the blues club jams is letting people hone their craft into something note worth and interesting. The one thing I find amazing about the jams is the spontaneity. You never know what is going to happen, what songs will be selected and who you will be playing with! Long live Wednesday Night at Home Team BBQ West Ashley!!

In closing, I love the blues club because it has created an environment for me to experiment, solo, improvise and give impromptu performances with sometimes absolute musical strangers. We are all on that long and winding path towards musical greatness, and we are doing it together! I love to hear all the different musical perspectives from week to week, and hear how (for me) other musicians approach the drum set. It has been a grand ole two years for me and I have rarely missed an outing. I have seen myself grow and get better at these three song set experiments. I would have to say the strong point of my week is playing music at the jam with all the usual suspects. These people have enriched my musical life and I have shared moments with them that I could never share with my own family, as they are not players. My anticipation every Wednesday morning when I wake up is, “Wonder what the blues jam is going to be like tonight?” It sometimes is great, and I can’t believe how much fun it is, and sometimes I leave disappointed. Never the less, it’s all good as they say.

As a lead artist, please just do one thing for me in reading this blog, think about what I have said. I love being a supporting character to the music, but sometimes I need a little time to vent musically, as does the bass player and everyone else. Please if you don’t take away anything else, realize all the great musicians you are surrounded by as you play, and give them an opportunity to contribute to the music in a greater role than the status quo. I love playing with all of you and am grateful to have the blues club in my life. I enjoy it all very much and will see you again soon at another jam! Thank you for bearing with me and I hope you all have a killer Thanksgiving!! See you at the blues jam!!!!

PS, Many of the leads are very good about these issues, this is def. not in regards to every lead that plays at the jams. This is in regards to the jams that I didn't have as much fun as I could have had. This is not aimed at taking a cheap shot at leads or anything like that, I am just trying to find a way to have more fun at the jams. I love all of you guys and have a lot of respect for all the players that have the courage to participate at the jams!!

Your buddy,
JP Jones Jr

Or there's another option for Sunday night as well. Tyler Boone's Singer/Songwriter Night is happening at the Oasis. It's 8-11:30, 778 Folly Road, with Tyler Boone, Gregory Scott, Kara Hesse, and more -- lots of great music, $6 over 21, $8 under 21.

On the following Sunday, November 28, at Fiery Ron's Hometeam BBQ 1205 West Ashley River Rd....Let's send them to Memphis benefit show including the Rev. Dr. Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch featuring Jeff Bateman, The Dan Wright Band, Jeff Norwood, Wyatt Garey Band, Highway 17 Blues Band, with Starling to perform beginning at 2pm. We are raising money to send the winners of the Lowcountry Blues Challenge to the International Blues Challenge 2011. Come out and enjoy the music and make a donation to the event!
Featured artists with birthdays in November 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, and join us on facebook and twitter.

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.

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

Thursday, November 18, 2010

best jam ever!

Hi All -

Dan Wright declared last night's jam to be the single best jam we've EVER had!! Thank you to all the musicians who came out and contributed to this amazing night! Those who were there had an unexpected treat in seeing an amazing new band give us a preview of what they do -- they're called Carbon Copy, and are inspired by Robert Randolph -- keep an eye out for them.

There's lots of great music this coming weekend. The Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant is having its grand re-opening on Thurs, Fri and Sat nights. They're under new ownership and have re-done the interior, designing it to be a premier music venue with lots of live local music, as well as out of town acts. You can check them out on facebook or in one of the papers, and get the full schedule for this weekend's music.

Also on Friday, Scott Bucholtz tells us that his band called Mason Dixon is playing at New Moon Pizzeria and Pub on Johns Island, 9pm, and he would love to see some of his blues club friends if you'd care to come check out this country band.

On Sunday night, Dan Wright is hosting a benefit at the Pour House that will go on from around 6pm to midnight. There will be several bands, including The Tips, Mac Leaphart and My Ragged Company, and Dan Wright and the New Beat. The $15 cover will go to help with cancer research. Come out if you can - it will be a great time!

Or there's another option for Sunday night as well. Tyler Boone's Singer/Songwriter Night is happening at the Oasis. It's 8-11:30, 778 Folly Road, with Tyler Boone, Gregory Scott, Kara Hesse, and more -- lots of great music, $6 over 21, $8 under 21.

On the following Sunday, November 28, at Fiery Ron's Hometeam BBQ 1205 West Ashley River Rd....Let's send them to Memphis benefit show including the Rev. Dr. Johnny Mac and the Booty Ranch featuring Jeff Bateman, The Dan Wright Band, Jeff Norwood, Wyatt Garey Band, Highway 17 Blues Band, with Starling to perform beginning at 2pm. We are raising money to send the winners of the Lowcountry Blues Challenge to the International Blues Challenge 2011. Come out and enjoy the music and make a donation to the event!

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

In the news -- Recently, local musicians Leslie had their gear stolen while on tour. (Check out the Charleston City Paper for more info on this theft, and find out how to help out if you care to.) Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence, and many musicians lack the means necessary to replace the missing equipment and the lost income from canceled shows. However, with proper insurance, the working musician has the ability to continue to earn a living after a devastating loss of equipment. So we asked our resident insurance guru, Greg Hutson, to put together a brief article on insurance basics for musicians. His article, below, is both informative and thought-provoking. Please don't let the lack of insurance keep you from doing what you love. -- Dereck

We all need insurance…….right? Well as long as there are lawyers,courts and thieves the answer is yes. Some coverages such as Homeowners and Auto are so easy to find a cave man could do it :). But when it comes to certain specialized coverages and when you are dealing with the public it may not be as easy. The particular coverag ewe are seeking is Musicians Insurance or Band Insurance. Musicians Insurance or Band Insurance is specialized and should be tailored to your needs. This isn’t coverage that can be thrown into a General Liability policy and cover the perils of a musician. We will use the recent event where a fellow musician’s trailer attached to his vehicle was broken into and the contents removed. Such a policy would have covered up to the limit requested in the theft of those items and also could have included money to be used in renting equipment to be able to meet scheduled performances until the equipment could be replaced. It could have also covered liabilities if a performance had to be cancelled. Your lead guitarist drops his guitar and it is damaged - coverage for that can also be added. Suppose that guitar bounced off stage and hit somebody, what if the mic fell and hurt something or somebody? A person was just awarded a settlement of $650,000 because he was in a strip club and a lap dancer hit him in the eye with her shoe. Sure it will be appealed but something will be paid out and it may be that much. Wonder how much if a mic or guitar had hit him? You have a roadie that unloads, sets everything up and then the reverse at the end of the night. He pulls his back and can’t work, can you afford to pay him to recover and pay his medical bills or will he take you to court for lost wages? All of these things are potentially a threat to your pocket-book. Musicians Insurance or Band Insurance can cover all of these things. If you have it and never use it that is a good thing. The peace of mind and the business deduction is worth it. If you don’t have it and need it you may find that it will alter your life more dramatically than you ever thought. So if you are interested in coverage, seek Musicians Insurance or Band Insurance -- no other policy will cover you better than something designed specifically for your profession. A great place to start is the internet and I’m sure The Blues Foundation has some references. Most local agents will not have the knowledge or access to properly help you with this coverage. This is specialized coverage so find somebody that specializes in it.

Reminders:

Featured artists with birthdays in November 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, and join us on facebook and twitter.

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.

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

LMW, Nov 18, 2010

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Hi Blues Club People!

Here's an important notice: Our dancer friends (from the Weds night jams) are looking for some musicians to help them throw a blues jam/dance party on a Saturday afternoon soon: Saturday, Nov 13, 1-5 pm, at Bowens Island. So far some of the interested jammers are: Dan Wright, Quentin Ravenel, Charlie Kendall, Jon Hager, and Brooks Davis. Who else wants to be a part of this?? You can contact dancer Alex Byham by facebook or at byhamsa@gmail.com -- thanks!

And here's some info from Shrimp City Slim about this weekend: Coming up in Florence, SC is the 3rd annual PEE DEE BLUES BASH, Fri-Sat, November 5-6 with 2 outdoor stages and 3 intimate indoor venues, FREE!! Great blues musicians including Miss Wanda Johnson, Reverend Marv Ward, the Shane Pruitt Band, and many more. Go to www.peedeebluesbash.com (you can print your own brochure)

PS: Also this weekend: DRINK SMALL & The Ass Shakers at Home Team BBQ, Sullivans Island, SC on Saturday November 6, 10 pm, cover, www.hometeambbq.com
And Sunday, November 7, 6-9 pm: SHRIMP CITY SLIM & CHUCK "THE CAT" MORRIS (piano/harmonica duo) at Lucy's Red Sky Grill, at the entrance to Seabrook Island, SC. No cover, reservations 843 768 8118

And from our friend Tyler Boone: I am putting on a benefit concert at The Music Farm on Dec 18th. The event is going to be for a local man named James Smyly who was just diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the pancreas, one of the most aggressive cancers there is. If we were to do this benefit, he would want the proceed...s to go to cancer research. We need to raise $1,000 to rent the Music Farm . The link to donate is:
http://www.feedthemuse.net/tylerboone

Feedthemuse.net
www.feedthemuse.net

And now, some info from J.R.: Here in the south, we blues lovers have many home grown heroes. And one of those southern blues giants is Howard Duane Allman born November 20, 1946. As well as the blues he created on his own, he was a sought after session musician who performed with such established stars as King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Herbie Mann. And, of course, he contributed heavily to one of my favorite records of all time - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos.

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Allman at #2 in their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, second only to Jimi Hendrix.

Appropriately, Duane Allman was born in Nashville, Tennessee. When he was three years old his father, Willis Allman, a career United States Army sergeant, was murdered by a hitchhiker he picked up a day after returning from a long tour of duty.

Around 1960, Duane and his brother Greg (another fairly well-known blues musician) were in Nashville visiting relatives. They got tickets to a concert at which blues legend B. B. King performed. Both brothers promptly fell under the spell of his music. After the show, Duane, immediately started stringing together his own blues riffs and by the end of the night rolled his own solos, and discovered his full potential as a blues guitarist.

After that, Duane's love for the guitar grew even more and he was hardly ever seen out of his room not jamming on the guitar. "His improvisational skills were through the dam" Gregg stated in an interview "He was never not in his room, soloing for hours on end". Duane first learned the acoustic blues, and over the years crafted his guitar style to create his own custom sound that he is still known for today.

While back in Macon, Georgia on October 29, 1971 during a break from touring and recording, Allman was riding his motorcycle toward an oncoming truck that suddenly stopped in mid-intersection. Allman lost control of his Harley-Davidson and was thrown from his motorcycle. Although he was rushed to the hospital he died several hours later, just weeks before his 25th birthday.

After Duane's death, Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd dedicated the song "Free Bird", to his memory. This month. as we jam and pursue our love of blues, let’s remember Duane Allman and give thanks for his many contributions to the music we crave.

J.R Getches
JRGetches.com

Reminders:

Featured artists with birthdays in November 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, and join us on facebook and twitter.

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.

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

LMW, November 4, 2010