American Music Research Foundation - community weblog

11th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival a success

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:48:49 GMT

For 10 years the Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival got bigger. Bigger stages, bigger venues, bigger bands, bigger names - double that when the fest expanded to two nights in 2005 – more cameras and bigger crews, bigger video trucks…and much, much bigger bills.

This year, it was time to breathe.

At the 11^th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival there were no cameras, no trucks, fewer cables, and you could count the crew on the fingers of one hand. We weren’t in a concert hall with 1701 seats and a proscenium augmented by a 30’ wide orchestra pit between the audience and the musicians. We were at Callahan’s Music Hall, where you can’t be much more than 50 feet from the stage or you’ll be in the middle of South Boulevard in Auburn Hills.

The artists were old friends already documented and brought back by popular demand; Kelley Hunt played for us at the Redford Theatre in 2003 and can be seen in our public television show and DVD, 2003 Motor City Boogie Woogie and Blues Festival. Jason D. Williams performed at the Redford in 2004 and appears in Boogie & the Blues Diva.

At this year’s two sold-out shows, audiences were treated to performances that were up-close and personal, in an atmosphere that can only be described as a good old-fashioned house party. You could see the sparks flying from Jason’s fingers, and the power of Kelley’s voice literally knocked you back in your seat.

We cannot sing high enough praise for Callahan’s Music Hall. Since opening the doors two years ago, Callahan’s has become the blues club in SE Michigan. The folks there are in it for the music. Their priorities are to assure that the audience can see and hear and that the artists are comfortable. Their attention to both the house sound and the monitor mix on stage brings out the best in performers, and is a major reason why they too sing high praise for Callahan’s and return to the room again and again.

Sadly, our friend and master photographer, John Collier, was unable to attend this year. He was sorely missed. While we can’t match his artistry, we do have photographs. Enjoy the slideshow!

Thanks to all for making the 11^th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Festival an unmitigated success!

Thank You!

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:52:08 GMT

The American Music Research Foundation produces the Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival series of programs distributed by NETA. Currently there are six hour long programs available:

BOOGIE & THE BLUES DIVA

GEN2 BLUES

INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE WOOGIE

4 SHADES OF BLUES

BIG BAND BLUES

BIG BAND BOOGIE WOOGIE

The last three were released this past summer, and we have seen some of you reprising the older programs and presenting them all as a series. In the first place: THANK YOU! The AMRF is a non-profit organization, and the more support we get from stations, the easier it is for us to garner the financial support we need to continue our work. Three additional programs are currently in production.

You can also help us by providing feedback. We are very interested in any viewer comments, and also in any observations you might have about what works and what doesn’t with respect to content, format, and production values. In particular, the Big Band shows and 4 Shades are quite different conceptually, and we’d like to know what you think.

Finally, performance programs have proven quite successful during pledge, and WTVS Detroit recently produced a very successful mini-fundraiser with Big Band Blues and Big Band Boogie Woogie. All of our programs have been edited for pledge, DVD’s of all are available for premiums, and all contain “bonus material.

Thanks again for your support, and I look forward to hearing from you.

John Penney

Director

American Music Research Foundation

30733 West Ten Mile Road

Farmington Hills, MI 48336

(O) 248-478-2525

tunesailor@comcast.net

www.amrf.net

4 Shades of Blues Now on DVD

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:06:03 GMT

NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD!!!

The Blues come in many shades, from electric to indigo. In this live program four brilliant artists present 4 Shades of Blues. Grammy winner and undisputed Queen of the Blues, the late Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine perform in the low-down, gritty electric style of Chicago. Texas’ Ruthie Foster explores the acoustic and gospel-tinged blues. Tommy Castro brings the funky side of blues honed in the San Francisco Bay area. Belgrade’s Ana Popovic is an electrifying guitarist who says, “I wanted to be too bluesy for jazz and too jazzy for blues.”

In addition to the complete program as seen on public television, the disc contains 35 minutes of bonus material presenting additional performances and interviews with the artists.

$25 includes postage and handling. BUY ONLINE

OR CALL THE AMERICAN MUSIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION

toll free 1-866-270-5141

Big Band Blues & Boogie Woogie now on DVD

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:50:12 GMT

NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD!!

The Paul Keller Orchestra with Mr. B, Bob Seeley, Charles Boles, Axel Zwingenberger, Dave Bennett, Red Holloway, and George Bedard.

This special 2 disc set contains two complete television programs, Big Band Blues and Big Band Boogie Woogie, and an additional 75 minutes of performances and interviews.

$35 includes shipping and handing BUY ONLINE

OR CALL THE AMERICAN MUSIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION TOLL FREE

1-866-270-5141

Click here to check for public television broadcasts in your area

Big Band Blues and Big Band Boogie Woogie

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:50:02 GMT

NEW FROM NETA
BIG BAND BLUES WATCH THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES

BIG BAND BOOGIE WOOGIE WATCH THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES

CONTACT: JOHN PENNEY tunesailor@comcast.net 866-270-5141 or 248-798-5132

11th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:58:54 GMT

11th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival

Friday and Saturday October 2 and 3 at 8:00pm
Doors at 6:30

JASON D. WILLIAMS

Jason D. Williams is a force of nature on stage who has been known to literally destroy pianos. From rockabilly to boogie woogie, blues to rock ‘n’ roll, and even classical music, Jason D. brings an intensity and dynamism to his performances unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. He brought down the house at the Redford Theatre at our 2004 festival, and can be seen on the DVD Boogie & the Blues Diva.

KELLEY HUNT BAND

Kelley Hunt is a pianist/singer/songwriter/guitarist whose music defies easy definitions. Blues, jazz, gospel, boogie woogie and r&b; she channels them all but the music is inimitably hers. The Kelley Hunt Band is rock solid, and Kelley will singe your eyebrows with her powerful and flexible voice. The band was a favorite at our 2003 festival, and can be seen on the DVD 2003 Motor City Boogie Woogie & Blues Festival.

GENERAL ADMISSION $25 AVAILABLE FROM CALLAHANS.

CALL 248-858-9508 OR PURCHASE NOW ON LINE.

RESERVED SEATING ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE AMRF.

CALL 1-248-478-2525 OR TOLL FREE 866-270-7141. CLICK HERE FOR A SEATING CHART AND INFORMATION ON SPECIAL PACKAGES.

Koko Taylor, 1928-2009

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:24:19 GMT

The passing of Koko Taylor brings an end to the era when sharecroppers became Blues Divas. Born in an environment where Black women had little chance of success, Koko’s restless mind, curiosity, determination and enormous talent led her from the plantation to royalty as the world’s undisputed Queen of the Blues. Her life story is so rich that those of any dozen of today’s pop/rock stars combined would pale in comparison.

The American Music Research Foundation is proud to have documented much of that story, and to have captured a great performance in a setting befitting a great Diva. Our forthcoming TV program "Four Shades of Blues” offers perhaps the last opportunity to see Koko as herself, and helps us all understand her enormous impact on the music world.

Koko joins more than 60 artists who have been similarly filmed by the AMRF and whose greatness and contributions to American music will be forever preserved.

Ron Harwood
President and Founder
American Music Research Foundation

"Grammy Award-winning blues legend Koko Taylor, 80, died on June 3, 2009 in her hometown of Chicago, IL, as a result of complications following her May 19 surgery to correct a gastrointestinal bleed. On May 7, 2009, the critically acclaimed Taylor, known worldwide as the “Queen of the Blues,” won her 29th Blues Music Award (for Traditional Female Blues Artist Of The Year), making her the recipient of more Blues Music Awards than any other artist. In 2004 she received the NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, which is among the highest honors given to an American artist."
Click here for more information from Koko's official site.

One magical evening, Two extraordinary programs...

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:00:56 GMT

There was magic in the air long before the band hit the stage for the 8th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival. The Award winning Paul Keller Orchestra had been rehearsing with local soloists Bob Seeley, Mr. B, Charles Boles, Dave Bennett and George Bedard for weeks during their regular Monday night gig at the Firefly Club in Ann Arbor, and the buzz in the street was palpable.

Three days before the show, Red Holloway arrived from California, and Axel Zwingenberger flew in from Germany. The interview shoots left the crew giddy. The dress rehearsal vibrated with chemistry and camaraderie. We knew we were going to capture something very, very special.

Within the first few bars of the opening number, Buddy Rich’s classic, “Basically the Blues,” the audience was whistling and cheering. Lindy-hoppers hit the dance floor. Executive Producer and AMRF President Ron Harwood drolly commented, “Well, I guess this was a good idea.” When the band launched into a rollicking version of “Sing, Sing, Sing” to close the first half of the show, he was on the dance floor himself.

It was well past midnight when the ecstatic house, still packed, demanded a second encore. By then it had become clear that one hour would not suffice to present this unique and exciting event. Instead we are proud to present two extraordinary programs: BIG BAND BLUES and BIG BAND BOOGIE WOOGIE. The programs are built around distinct narrative threads and stand alone, but when presented in this sequence they weave a tapestry illustrating the connections between blues, boogie woogie, swing music and jazz.

BIG BAND BLUES SD Feed: Friday, June 26 at 1200 et / SD 07
(simultaneous HD feed on HD 03)
"If you cannot play the blues, you cannot play good jazz."
Red Holloway
"Some of the stuff John Coltrane and Miles Davis did was very, very innovative, but it was still the blues in the end."
Charles Boles

BIG BAND BOOGIE WOOGIE SD Feed: Friday, June 26 at 1300 et / SD 07
(simultaneous HD feed on HD 03)
"Boogie Woogie is happy blues." Bob Seeley
"If it weren't for the big band movement and swing, boogie woogie would have been forgotten." Axel Zwingenberger

WATCH THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES FROM NETA

Coming August 1: 4 Shades of Blues

The American Music Research Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and documentation of American music.

Bernard Allison returns to Callahan's

Thu, 28 May 2009 02:40:03 GMT

We fell in love with BERNARD ALLISON when he played our 7th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival in 2005, which is documented on the DVD Gen2 Blues.

BERNARD ALLISON returns to CALLAHAN'S in concert tonight, THURSDAY, MAY 28th. The Philadelphia-based DEB CALLAHAN band opens the show.

BERNARD ALLISON is the son of the legendary blues man Luther Allison. In addition to playing one of his late-fathers guitars, ALLISON also plays a guitar from the great Prince.

ALLISON is the youngest of nine children and learned from his father making his first appearance at the age of 13 playing his fathers live album. At 18 he joined the legendary Koko Taylor's band. Prior to striking out on his own ALLISON performed and learned from other greats like Willie Dixon, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Johnny Winter.

Since his first solo album and his fathers death BERNARD ALLISON has risen to become a elite blues performer based on his live performances around the world and a string of acclaimed albums.

DEB CALLAHAN is considered one of Philadelphia's leading vocalist mixing blues and soul into a sound uniquely her own. She'll be making her Detroit debut and promoting her Grace and Grit CD.

BERNARD ALLISON'S concert last summer at CALLAHAN'S was a scorcher and this shows promises to be the same. Advance tickets are only $15 and available in person at CALLAHAN'S, via www.ATCALLAHANS.com, or by phone at 248-858-9508.

This is a great opportunity to check a leading modern blues entertainer and a up and coming female led blues band in one night.

International Boogie Woogie Honored in Houston

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:23:42 GMT

The American Music Research Foundation’s “International Boogie Woogie” was honored with a 2009 Gold Remi Award for Television or Cable Documentary at Worldfest, the 42nd Annual Houston International Film Festival. WorldFest is one of the oldest and largest film & video competitions in the world, with more than 4,500 category entries received from 33 countries in 2009. Awards were determined by points accumulated in juried viewings.

“International Boogie Woogie” documents solo and trio performances by four internationally acclaimed pianists at the 7th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival, augmented by interviews with the artists: Switzerland’s Sylvan Zingg, France’s Philippe LeJeune, and Canadians Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne and Michael Kaeshammer. Wayne emigrated from California, and Kaeshammer from Germany.

“International Boogie Woogie” was originally uplinked by NETA in MAy 2008, NOLA INBM OK1. It is the most recent of four nationally distributed documentaries produced by the AMRF, a non-profit based in Farmington Hills, Michigan dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and documentation of American music. “Motor City Boogie Woogie & Blues Festival” was released in 2005, “Boogie & the Blues Diva in 2006, and “Gen2 Blues” in 2007.

The AMRF will release three new programs this year. Companions “Big Band Blues” and “Big Band Boogie Woogie” feature the Paul Keller Orchestra with pianists Charles Boles, Mr. B., Bob Seeley, and Axel Zwingenberger; saxophonist Red Holloway; clarinetist Dave Bennett, and guitarist George Bedard. “4 Shades of Blues” features Ruthie Foster, Ana Popovic, Tommy Castro, and Koko Taylor.

Executive Producer and AMRF Founder Ron Harwood said of the award, “I began filming these shows 10 years ago simply to document and preserve the excellence and elegance of underappreciated artists and genres. I never expected to win awards, but I am proud of our group’s achievements.” Producer and AMRF Director John Penney added, “It’s particularly appropriate that we received this award in Texas, the birthplace of boogie woogie.”

For a DVD containing the complete program
and an additional 45 minutes of bonus footage call toll free 866-270-5141.
$25 includes postage and handling.

CONTACT: John Penney 248- 478-2525 tunesailor@comcast.net

In Words and Pictures: 10th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:19:11 GMT

Over the past decade the AMRF’s annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival has presented 59 artists (not counting supporting players) in 14 concerts and produced four nationally distributed public television programs. Three more programs will be on the air soon and four more are in production.

Our live audiences each night are treated to three or four hours of incredible performances by both legendary artists and those deserving wider recognition. Audiences are aware that we are filming for television – it’s hard to miss the looming 26ft. boom of the jib camera as it swoops in and away from the stage – but that’s about as far as it goes.

Each television program presents an hour of the best performances viewed from the best seats in the house, enhanced by interviews that bring viewers closer to the artists and their music. The DVDs contain about an hour of “extras,” including additional performances and extended interviews with the artists.

That’s a total of six hours of entertainment from each concert, 12 hours per year since the Festival expanded to two nights in 2005. Producing those 12 hours requires hundreds of hours of work by dozens of people. Planning for the next festival begins shortly after the last one ends.

We have written thousands of words about what we do and why we do it and could write a few thousand more about how our 10^th Annual Festival was one of the most challenging but ultimately gratifying and important we have ever produced. But the cliché is that pictures are worth thousands of words and we have an unsurpassed collection of thousands of photographs documenting all of our festivals, including a few hundred from this one.

The photographer is John Collier, our long time friend who won many awards for his work at the Detroit Free Press. The slide show/photo essay linked below takes you behind the scenes with us during the final, frantic four days of this year’s production. We hope that the artistry of the photographs and the events they capture bring you as much joy as they have brought us.

Happy Holidays from all of us at the American Music Research Foundation.

THE 10TH ANNUAL MOTOR CITY BLUES AND BOOGIE WOOGIE FESTIVAL IN WORDS AND PICTURES.

THE AMRF IS A REGISTERED 501(C)(3) DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION, PRESERVATION, AND DOCUMENTATION OF AMERICAN MUSIC SO THAT CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS MIGHT UNDERSTAND AND NOT FORGET WHERE THEIR MUSICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE COMES FROM. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A DONATION CONTACT BRANDI STRIBBELL AT BRANDIS@AMRF.NET OR TOLL FREE 866-270-5141

Life, History, Music

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:10:43 GMT

The words, “Life, History, Music,” loom large on the AMRF letterhead. If you have any questions about what those words mean to us, look no further that the cover story in the October 1, 2008 edition of Detroit’s Metro Times on Little Sonny Willis, a featured artist in our 10^th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival at the Music Hall. See the pictures and read the article here.

10 Years Young!

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:21:01 GMT

The Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival has always been about more than just presenting a great annual concert or two. From the beginning it was conceived as a vehicle that would bring great artists together so that their performances and stories could be captured on videotape.The goal is to document and preserve our musical and cultural heritage so that future generations will have an opportunity to understand it. This is the mission of the American Music Research Foundation.

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary we can look back with satisfaction on the history we have preserved and even some history we have made. We have documented the music and stories of over 59 artists, including such seminal figures as Koko Taylor, Johnnie Johnson, and Jay McShann. (For a complete list visit the artists page of our website.)

In 2004 Maria Muldaur recreated the sound and look of the Classic Blues singers of the 20's with James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band, a performance that inspired the best selling album, "Naughty, Bawdy & Blue," and the title of our TV show and DVD, "Boogie & the Blues Diva."In 2006 we presented 22 artists on stage for a night of Big Band Boogie Woogie, including performances in which world renowned solo pianist Bob Seeley played with a big band for the first time. In 2007 we reintroduced Frank "Sugarchild" Robinson, who disappeared from the scene after having been one of the biggest stars of the day as a child in the 50's.

We have produced four public television programs that have aired over 600 times on close to 200 stations across the country. Five additional hours of programming are in production, and this year's Festival will result in at least two more.

Throughout our 10 years, our good friend John Collier has documented our festivals with his brilliant photography.
VIEW A PHOTOGRAPHIC RETROSPECIVE OF THE MOTOR CITY BLUES &BOOGIE WOOGIE FESTIVAL.

Get tickets now!

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:23:57 GMT

THE 10TH ANNUAL MOTOR CITY BLUES & BOOGIE WOOGIE FESTIVAL

OUR BIGGEST FESTIVAL EVER!
AT THE MUSIC HALL CENTER IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT

Friday October 3 Doors 7:00pm show 8:00pm
Bob Seeley, Pinetop Perkins with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Allen Toussaint

Saturday October 4 Doors 7:00pm Show 8:00pm
Little Sonny Willis with Eddie Burns, Otis Clay, Bobby Rush

TICKETS : $35/night general admission
$60 for a two night pass
$75/night VIP includes mezzanine seating, complimentary buffet, and cash bar

Available at the Music Hall Box Office 313-887-8486
Or at ticketmaster.com

Performances will be taped for public television

Thanks for Visiting at Jazzfest

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:30:41 GMT

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to talk to you about the American Music Research Foundation at the Detroit International Jazzfest Labor Day weekend.

The 10th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival is just around the corner and it's going to rattle the rafters at the Detroit Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts.

Friday night October 3rd is a piano blues bash with Bob Seeley, Pinetop Perkins with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Allen Toussaint.

Saturday night October 4th brings Detroit's King of the Harmonica Little Sonny Willis with very special guest Eddie Burns, followed by Otis Clay and finally, the great Bobby Rush.

General admission tickets are just $35 a night, or $60 for a 2-night pass. VIP tickets providing mezzanine seating, a complimentary buffet, and a cash bar are available for $75 a night. Call the Music Hall Box office at 313-887-8486, or buy online from ticketmaster.

Make sure to use those postcards we gave you at the jazzfest for 10% discounts on tickets. And congratulations to the winners of our drawing for free tickets, Julie Evans-Zelinske of Dearborn and Patricia Walker of Detroit. We'll see you at the show!

The American Music Research Foundation is a non-profit dedicated the preservation, promotion, and documentation of American music, particularly Blues and Boogie Woogie, Gospel, Jazz, and Rhythm & Blues. As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary we can look back and see that, not only have we documented and preserved performances and oral histories of such artists as Jay McShann, Johnnie Johnson, Alberta Adams, and Red Holloway (for a complete list visit the artist page), but we have also made some history. We are working on some special events surrounding this year's festival - watch this space for updates!