11th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival a success- John Penney [ 10/22/2009 - 11:48 ] #  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 11th 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 11th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Festival an unmitigated success!
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News
|  | | 4 Shades of Blues Now on DVD- John Penney [ 8/13/2009 - 13:06 ] # 
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
AMRF General News Blues Merchandise
| | | Big Band Blues & Boogie Woogie now on DVD- John Penney [ 7/23/2009 - 11:50 ] # 
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
AMRF General News Blues Jazz Merchandise
| | | Big Band Blues and Big Band Boogie Woogie- John Penney [ 6/23/2009 - 09:50 ] #
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
AMRF General News AMRF ON TV
| | | 11th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival- John Penney [ 6/18/2009 - 16:58 ] #
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.
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News Blues Boogie Woogie Events of Interest
| | | Koko Taylor, 1928-2009- John Penney [ 6/6/2009 - 15:24 ] #  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.
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News AMRF ON TV Blues
| | | One magical evening, Two extraordinary programs...- John Penney [ 6/3/2009 - 10:00 ] # 
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.
AMRF General News AMRF ON TV Blues Boogie Woogie Jazz
| | | Bernard Allison returns to Callahan's- John Penney [ 5/27/2009 - 22:40 ] # 
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.
AMRF General News Blues Events of Interest
| | | International Boogie Woogie Honored in Houston- John Penney [ 4/29/2009 - 08:23 ] #  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
AMRF General News AMRF ON TV Boogie Woogie
| | | In Words and Pictures: 10th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival- John Penney [ 12/8/2008 - 22:19 ] #
 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 10th 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
About the American Music Research Foundation AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News AMRF ON TV
| | | Life, History, Music- John Penney [ 10/1/2008 - 18:10 ] # 
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 10th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival at the Music Hall. See the pictures and read the article here.
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News Blues Boogie Woogie
| | | 10 Years Young!- John Penney [ 9/26/2008 - 00:21 ] #  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.
About the American Music Research Foundation AMRF General News Blues Boogie Woogie
| | | discussion
- Beautiful slideshow. I can't wait for the show this weekend!
- [ryan] read more (1 total) |
| Thanks for Visiting at Jazzfest- John Penney [ 9/11/2008 - 09:30 ] # 
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!
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News
| | | discussion
- We folks in Grayling, MI won't get the broadcast from our public TV channel. Co...more
- [John Novak] read more (1 total) |
| Thanks for Stopping By!- John Penney [ 8/7/2008 - 11:19 ] #  It was a pleasure to meet you at Elizabeth Park during the Jazz on the River Festival last weekend!
The American Music Research Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and documentation of American music, focusing on blues, gospel, ragtime, boogie woogie, jazz and rhythm and blues so we can provide a vehicle for generations to understand the historical significance of our American musical heritage. You can visit us at www.amrf.net
This year we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival. The performances and interviews with the artists will be recorded for posterity, and the footage used to produce nationally distributed programs for public television.
Your name has been entered into a drawing for tickets to this year's festival. The winner will be announced in early September. We look forward to seeing you at Music Hall October 3rd and 4th!
AMRF General News
| | | 10TH ANNUAL MOTOR CITY BLUES & BOOGIE WOOGIE FESTIVAL- John Penney [ 8/5/2008 - 12:37 ] # The 10th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival was hosted by the Detroit Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts on Friday October 3 and Saturday October 4, 2008. The performances and interviews with the artists were recorded and will be used to produce nationally distributed programs for public television. For our 10th anniversary we were proud to present a particularly rich array of artists with deep roots in the blues, boogie woogie, gospel, soul, and rhythm and blues.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 3
Allen Toussaint - New Orleans writer, producer, arranger, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Allen Toussaint was inspired by Professor Longhair and later Fats Domino. As a producer for Minit Records in the 60’s, Toussaint played a primary role in defining the New Orleans R&B sound. He has published some 800 songs that have been recorded by everyone from Al Hirt ("Java") to Irma Thomas, Bonnie Raitt, and Labelle.
Pinetop Perkins is the last of the original boogie woogie pianists. Perkins spent 12 years playing with Muddy Waters before going out on his own. The Blues Foundation named him Blues Pianist of the year so many times that it eventually “retired” him from the award and named it after him. In 2005 he was given a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement.
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith was born in Helena AR and moved to Chicago when he was 17. He began sitting in with Muddy Waters' band in 1957 and soon beame a permanent member, playing live and on all of Muddy's Grammy winning albums. Willie then formed the Legendary Blues Band with Pinetop Perkins, Louis Myers, Calvin Jones, and Jerry Portnoy. The group recorded four critically aclaimed albums and received several Grammy nominations.
Bob Seeley - Detroit’s own Bob Seeley will return to the Festival to celebrate his 80th birthday. Seeley is revered around the world as one of the greatest solo boogie woogie players working today. A friend and contemporary of none other than the legendary Meade Lux Lewis, Seeley plays with a fire and conviction reminiscent of Lewis, Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4
Bobby Rush began performing in the juke joints of northern Louisiana as a teenager. He moved to Chicago in the mid-50’s, where his bands included the likes of Fredie King, Earl Hooker, and Luther Allison. Rush calls his music “folk-funk,” deeply rooted in tradition but decidedly modern. Rush was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006, and in 2008 was honored by the Blues Foundation as both Acoustic Blues Artist and Male Soul Blues Artist of the year.
Otis Clay is one of the premier deep soul and gospel singers working today. Born in Mississippi, Clay began performing with such legendary gospel groups as the Pilgrim Harmonizers and the Sensational Nightingales. He moved to Chicago and launched a solo career as a deep soul singer with a series of hit singles in the mid-60’s. His raw, fiery vocals drive an energetic and danceable blend of soul, R&B, and Blues.
 Aaron “Little Sonny” Willis, “King of the Blues Harmonica,” is known for his hot, driving sound and is one of the most respected artists in Detroit. Willis began singing gospel and spirituals in church as a child in Alabama and became interested in the blues after his mother gave him a toy harmonica. He moved to Detroit in 1953 and has been performing in the city and around the world ever since.
Eddie Burns – Burns grew up in the Mississippi delta where his grandfather ran the local juke joint. He began playing harmonica and picked up the guitar after settling Detroit in 1948. Burns worked as a member of John Lee Hooker’s band and backed him on the legendary recording, “Real Folk Blues.” He has been a fixture in the Detroit Blues scene ever since, with numerous recordings and international tours to his credit.
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE MUSIC HALL BOX OFFICE AND TICKETMASTER
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News
| | | Remebering Muddy Waters 1915-1983- John Penney [ 4/29/2008 - 19:21 ] #
The Classic Studio T label and Blues Legacy would also like to take the opportunity of commemorating the life and music of the legendary Blues artist Muddy Waters who passed on this day (April 30th) 25 years ago.
As many of you know, British trombonist Chris Barber introduced Muddy Waters to UK audiences in 1958.The outcome of the tour with The Chris Barber Band was nothing short of a magnificent milestone in history.The recordings recently discovered by The Blues Legacy are now available on The Blues Lost & Found – Volume 2 album and it is possible to find out more details and purchase online via: http://www.blueslegacy.net/
If you wanted to just hear a few Muddy Waters tracks for free, simply check out our My Space page: www.myspace.com/blueslegacylabel
Muddy Waters was a huge inspiration for musicians in the British scene and is known as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Not only did the tour with Chris Barber enhance Muddy’s reputation in Europe, but in turn, reawakened an interest in the blues from the other side of the Atlantic. Arguably, it was this visit to British shores, with Muddy on electric guitar, which led to the phenomenal rise of the blues explosion. We salute you Muddy!
Remembering Humphrey Lyttelton 1921 - 2008
The Classic Studio T label would like to extend their deepest sympathy to the friends and family of the late, great musician and broadcaster Humphrey Lyttelton.
It was announced on the 25th April that the legendary Jazz musician died aged 86. ‘Humph’, as he became known, was a towering figure in the world of music and also a respected presenter on BBC Radio 2 and 4.
The Classic Studio T label, based at Shepperton Filmed Studios first worked with Humphrey Lyttelton when he was invited to our Classic T Stage recording studio by vocalist Elkie Brooks in 2005 for the recording of her Pearls Live DVD. You can see footage of this on You Tube:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JApXXMAwGVw
Elkie and Humph had worked with each other extensively over the years and our label was also proud to release another collaboration from the two on the ‘Trouble In Mind’ album.
Classic have also been working with another of Humph’s good friends in recent years.Jazz legend Chris Barber surprisingly found some previously unreleased material now survived on the Blues Lost & Found – Volume 3 album, which features Chris Barber, Ronny Scott and Humphrey Lyttelton performing on stage together at the Richmond Jazz & Blues Festival in 1964. This was released on the Blues Legacy imprint: http://www.blueslegacy.net/
AMRF General News Blues
| | | International Boogie Woogie: Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival- John Penney [ 4/8/2008 - 11:17 ] # The American Music Research Foundation is proud to announce release of the fourth in our series of public television programs from the annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival.
INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE WOOGIE has been distributed to stations nationwide by the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Individual stations may air the program at any time at their discretion, so contact your local station and let them know you want to see INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE WOOGIE! For a listing of currently scheduled broadcasts click here and be sure to check back often - listings are updated daily.
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.
 A pianist with a ferocious left hand rolling through eight-beats-to-the-bar is what comes to mind when you think of boogie woogie. The four pianists in INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE WOOGIE provide plenty of that while approaching the music from different perspectives. Switzerland's Sylvan Zingg demonstrates that, "you can boogie anything." France's Philippe LeJeune is a jazz pianist originally inspired by boogie woogie legend Memphis Slim. Vancouver B. C.'s Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne learned boogie woogie from his church organist in Los Angeles, and Toronto's Michael Kaeshammer has been reinventing the genre ever since he heard boogie woogie as a child in Germany. The program ends with all four artists jamming in a classic eight-handed "train wreck." If you love the piano, the performances in INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE WOOGIE will amaze and inspire you.
WATCH A 3 MINUTE TRAILER AMRF logo does not appear in actual program
ALSO AVAILABLE
Gen2 Blues
Boogie & the Blues Diva
Contact:
boogie@amrf.net
AMRF General News AMRF ON TV Boogie Woogie
| | | Buddy Miles 1947-2008- John Penney [ 2/28/2008 - 11:18 ] # OUR FRIENDS AT THE ILLINOIS BLUES SOCIETY PASSED ON THIS SAD NEWS:
IllinoisBlues.com is saddened by the passing of drum legend Buddy Miles. He will be missed!
Buddy Miles 9/5/1947 - 2/26/2008
Legendary Drummer Buddy Miles passed away this Tuesday, peacefully at his home in Austin, TX. He was (60) sixty years old. He suffered from congestive heart failure but the official cause of death is not known.
Buddy performed with some of the greatest names in music including Stevie Wonder, Muddy Waters, Michael Bloomfield, Wilson Pickett, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, David Crosby, Jack Bruce, Eric Burden, Peter Torque, Billy Gibbons, Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmy Vaughan, Rick James, Kool and the Gang, Jr. Brown, Ike Turner, Pinetop Perkins, Jr. Wells, Koko Taylor, Johnny Taylor, Barry White, Aretha Franklin, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Carlos Santana, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Billy Cox, David Bowie and others.
Buddy Miles recorded over 70 albums and performed in numerous world tours, television commercials and videos. He is best known for his work with Jimi Hendrix and bass player Billy Cox in Band of Gypsys.
Band of Gypsys recorded one album appropriately titled “Band of GypsyS" in 1970 at Fillmore East in New York. Two of the songs on the album were written by Miles. ("We Gotta Live Together" and "Changes").
In lieu of flowers; the family has asked to please make donations to the Jazz Foundation of America specifically in Buddy Miles' name to assist with funeral, and other expenses at www.jazzfoundation.org ; The Jazz Foundation of America, at 322 West 48th Street, New York, NY, 10036, Attn.: Amy Cusma.
AMRF General News Blues
| | | My First Boogie Duet by Charlie Booty- John Penney [ 2/26/2008 - 15:23 ] # Our friend Charlie Booty passed away in February of 2008. In 2006 he wrote this article for us about performing his first boogie duet:
My First Boogie Duet
by
Charlie Booty
Thrills and great moments sometimes come totally unexpected and provide “Cloud 9” experiences that are just as real decades later. Don Ewell, a great jazz, stride and blues piano player, provided such an experience for me in a Memphis, Tennessee, club during a 1965 late-night after hours session. Let me digress briefly to say that Don Ewell is famous for his jazz band, his stride and blues piano but is NEVER thought of as a boogie woogie player. That is because he had to protect his source of income. A player with a reputation as a boogie woogie player (in the 40’s through the 70’s) was not welcome in many venues. Consequently, he didn’t play boogie woogie in public and became a “closet” player, visiting with Jimmie and Estelle Yancey many times during the 40’s when he was in Chicago, as well as listening to other South Side Chicago players. In later years, after Jimmie died, Don recorded an album of blues with Estelle “Mama” Yancey.
Back to the 1965 Memphis club event, Don was in town for a week, playing piano with a local pick-up band. I was already a solid fan because of his recordings and was in attendance every night but had no idea that he ever played boogie woogie. One night, after the show was over, the customers had gone and Don was at the bar talking with band members, I sat down at the piano and began playing some up-tempo boogie woogie. Suddenly, Don came over, watched me a few seconds, then sat down on the piano bench and said, “Scoot over”. I was taken aback but complied as he put his hands on the keyboard. After a few choruses, he suggested that we do a slower boogie blues tempo and, next, a moderate tempo boogie. Since this was a one-piano session, he indicated by hand motions and brief verbal directions, how to do the choreography and keep from tripping over each other’s fingers. As we played, he would tell me when we were to take breaks. At one break, he quickly said, “Move to the treble”, so I sprinted to his right side and began playing the treble keys. The band drummer, who had joined us on the first duet, kept saying, “Man, I never saw anything like that before.”
As Don and I walked back to the bar, I was bubbling over with praise and enthusiasm. At one point I said, “Don, I never knew you could play boogie woogie!” He gave me a big grin and replied, “Charlie, I don’t play boogie woogie. You know that.”
In many later recordings Don proved that , not only could he play great boogie woogie styles, he also had a strong feel for the music. He didn’t copy anybody but could play very authentic versions of the pioneer masters. Despite the evidence, Don was never acknowledged as the great boogie woogie player that he was.
I am still honored, and humbled, by that experience.
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News Boogie Woogie Ragtime and Stride
| | | Charlie Booty 1928-2008- John Penney [ 2/26/2008 - 14:08 ] #
 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Charlie Booty. Charlie died last week at his home in Milan, Tennessee. Charlie performed at three of our festivals: 2000, 2001 and 2002. In the years that he didn’t perform, he would make the long drive from Tennessee just to be with us for the festival weekend.
A truly remarkable man, Charlie was not only an amazing piano player, he was a pilot, an Air Force Veteran a recording artist and a gifted prankster. Charlie barely survived a plane crash during the oil crisis of the 1970’s. The crash was caused by mechanical failure; it was discovered that fuel had been siphoned from his plane and replaced with water. As a result of the crash, Charlie suffered from a brain injury that left him without a memory of ever having played the piano. After his recovery, he re-learned the piano from scratch and would shy away from air travel if possible. He would come to prefer a long drive to a short flight. He would always say that he liked his travel “low and slow.”
A bout with throat cancer left Charlie without vocal chords and Charlie would struggle to speak. Nevertheless, Charlie was a gifted story-teller and loved to talk about music and life. It was through his music that Charlie really communicated best. He was expert at a now-rare form of blues piano called the “Santa-Fe style.” His playing style was best described as sweet and swinging. Charlie was also a one-man recording company. He formed his own label and recorded, mixed and distributed his own CD’s through his own website and mailing list.
Despite the many setbacks in his life, Charlie was one of the most positive souls you could ever hope to meet. Charlie seemed to love every minute of every day that he had on this planet. He leaves us with an impressive legacy of recorded music and many wonderful memories. To say that Charlie will be missed is a gross understatement.
Keith Irtenkauf
We last heard from Charlie in December 2007 and can think of no better tribute to his spirit than the words he wrote:
This year has been a year of reflection of times past and I find so much I can be very happy about, and give thanks for, especially all the people whom I love, and who have brought so much happiness into my life. Of course, I miss all those times on the Goldenrod Showboat, the Toronto Ragtime Bash and other events which have now become history. I miss all the people who have passed through my life, even if briefly, because they helped make me what I am and who I am. I am especially thankful for those who are still a part of my life.
Despite appearances to the contrary, nothing bad has happened in my life, and all things have worked for my good. I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could, because that would change the sum total of my life; who I am, what I am and where I am. It has all been a blessing, even if sometimes in disguise.
I am thankful for everyone in my life. Peace, Love, Health and Happiness to you all.
Charlie
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN COLLIER. For more of John's pictures of Charlie click here
To read a story Charlie wrote about his first boogie duet click here
AMRF General News Boogie Woogie Ragtime and Stride
| | | It's Festival Time!- John Penney [ 10/2/2007 - 10:01 ] # "The best festival of the year!" Robert Jr. Whitall, Big City Blues
WE'LL SEE YOU AT MUSIC HALL!
Tickets $27, $37, and $47 from ticketmaster
and the Music Hall Box Office 313-887-8501
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News Blues Boogie Woogie
| | | A Great Weekend at the Detroit International Jazzfest- John Penney [ 9/5/2007 - 17:23 ] # Thanks for stopping by!
 Thanks so much for stopping by to chat with us and sharing your e-mail address. We promise not to abuse the privilage and assure you we will not share your information with anyone else.
The American Music Research Foundation, better known as the AMRF, is a non-profit dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and documentation of American music and the artists who create it, paying particular attention to the blues and boogie woogie, jazz, R&B, stride and ragtime. Being non-profit means we're in it for the music. Nobody makes a dime off of our efforts except for the musicians, and we do our best to help them.
Watch a slideshow of images from the Detroit International Jazz Festival.
Our primary activity is production of the Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival, now in its ninth year. We do professional video shoots of the performances and of extensive interviews with the artists, in which they tell their stories and talk about their music. This raw documentary footage is preserved in our archives and available to historians, film makers, and other interested parties. We are blessed to have documented such seminal artists as Jay McShann, Johnnie Johnson, Harold McKinney, Joe Hunter, Alberta Adams, Johnnie Bassett, and "Sir" Mack Rice, to name but a few among the well over 50 artists represented.
From the raw footage we produce nationally distributed programs for public television. "2003 Motor City Boogie Woogie & Blues Festival" and "Boogie & the Blues Diva: 2004 Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival" have been aired over 300 times on over 140 stations around the country, accessible to over 124 million viewers.
Our newest program, "Gen2 Blues," will debut on Detroit Public Television Saturday September 29th at 7pm before being released nationally through WGVU-TV in Grand Rapdis. DVDs including over an hour of bonus material will be available for purchase at this year's festival.
The 9th Annual Motor City Blues and Boogie Woogie Fesitival promises to be bigger and better than ever at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Detroit. On Friday night October 5th it's Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine, the Tommy Castro Band, Ruthie Foster, and Ana Popovic. On Saturday October 6 Marcia Ball headlines, with The Deanna Bogart Band, Leon Blue, Matt Wigler, and Frank "Sugar Chile" Robinson. For more information follow this link.
As a non-profit we are dependant upon the support of sponsors and members. We hope you will consider making a donation to the AMRF. Basic membership costs only $15, and all donations are tax deductable as allowable by law.
AMRF General News
| | | 9th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival moves to Music Hall in Downtown Detroit- John Penney [ 8/9/2007 - 15:17 ] # The American Music Research Foundation is pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival will take place in downtown Detroit at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts on Friday October 5th and Saturday October 6th. The performances will be recorded for public television.
Headlining on Friday night are Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine. With two Grammies, eight Grammy nominations, and a record 24 W.C. Handy Awards, Koko Taylor is one of the most celebrated blues performers alive today. She got her big break from Willie Dixon, who produced her first hit, “Wang Dang Doodle” in 1966.
The Tommy Castro Band is simply one of the most exciting live blues bands on the circuit today. Guitarist/vocalist Castro was voted 2006 Blues Artist of the Year by readers of BluesWax, the largest subscribed blues publication in the country. Texas’ Ruthie Foster has been compared to Aretha, Ella and a young Tina Turner. The Austin Chronicle writes, “Foster’s deeply soulful vocals dip into gospel and swing towards contemporary folk with R&B panache. When she sings a cappella, the heavens part.” Finally, Ana Popovic was born and raised in Belgrade, but her soul resides in Memphis, where she has recorded three critically acclaimed albums. In 2003 she received a W.C. Handy nomination for “Best New Artist,” and in 2006 was nominated for six Living Blues Awards.
Saturday night’s performance celebrates boogie woogie and blues piano. Headlining is the bayou queen of southern boogie, long, tall, Marcia Ball. Her performances never fail to raise the roof and bring down the house. Deanna Bogart is as proficient on the saxophone as she is on the piano, and The Deanna Bogart Band serves up the energy of 30’s style boogie woogie with the contemporary blues of places like Memphis, New Orleans, and Chicago. Leon Blue may just be the finest blues piano man you’ve never heard, but only because he has spent most of his career as a sideman, including lengthy spells with The Ike & Tina Turner Review, Lowell Fulsom, and Albert Collins to name but a few. In the early 50’s, Frank “Sugar Chile’” Robinson was a child star, playing boogie woogie on record, on television, in movies, and on tour with Count Basie among others. He gave up the big time as a teenager to pursue other interests, which included earning a PhD, but he continues to play piano in the church, where the music is the same but you have to call it something different. Rounding out the bill is today’s teenage boogie woogie sensation, Maryland’s Matt Wigler. Matt has appeared on stage with Buckwheat Zydeco, Bobby Rush, Tab Benoit, Sir Mack Rice, and many others. His debut album, “Matt Wigler XIII” was produced by Deanna Bogart.
Tickets are $27, $37, and $47, available at the Music Hall box office and Tickemaster.
AMRF Festivals and Concerts AMRF General News Blues Boogie Woogie
| | | Blues Diva Maria Muldaur releases Naughty, Bawdy & Blue- John Penney [ 5/8/2007 - 16:54 ] #
"Naughty, Bawdy & Blue" in stores Now!
When most people think of the blues they think of a man with a guitar at the crossroads or on a back porch in the Mississippi Delta. But America's fascination with the blues began with a recording by a woman, a Vaudeville singer in New York City backed by a jazz band. The year was 1921, the singer was Mamie Smith, and the record was, "Crazy Blues." It sold over a million copies and demonstrated that there was a huge market for records by and for African-Americans. Record companies went into a feeding frenzy, signing women to sing what has come to be known as the "Classic Blues."
Over the next decade the likes of Mamie, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Sippie Wallace, and Victoria Spivey would sell millions of records, travel the country in their own Pullman railroad cars, and play to sold out houses wherever they went. As Maria Muldaur says in Boogie & the Blues Diva, "These women were America's first Pop Stars."
At the 2004 Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival Maria and James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band recreated the look, the feel, and the sound of this seminal period in American musical history. But the concert and television program represent but two of three parts of the project. During the week before the performance Maria and the band recorded over a dozen songs at Solid Sound in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The result is the new album on Stony Plain Records, "Naughty, Bawdy & Blue." The album is dedicated to Maria's friends Sippie Wallace and Victoria Spivey, and includes a duet with Bonnie Raitt on Sippie's "Hesitation Blues." You can hear samples of all the songs in Maria's Musical Oasis.
Maria will be touring extensively to support the new album - check the schedule here - and will be performing with James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band on Sunday September 3 at the largest free jazz festival in North America, the Detroit International Jazz Festival, held annually in downtown Detroit.
AMRF General News Blues Jazz
| | | Boogie woogie Great Big Joe Duskin Passes at 86- John Penney [ 5/8/2007 - 12:44 ] #
Boogie Woogie legend Big Joe Duskin died Sunday May 7 at his home in Cincinatti from complications arrising from a long battle with diabetes. You can read the obituary in the Cincinatti Inquirer here.
Big Joe, the “gentle giant,” was a perennial favorite of ours, performing at the first three Motor City Boogie Woogie Festivals from 1999-2001. He was honored as the first inductee of the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame in 1999 in hometown Cincinnati, Ohio. A professional musician since the age of 16, Big Joe’s grace and style belie his size and his other profession -- working 30 years as a Cincinnati police officer. Big Joe has always mixed his musical talents with his love of gospel. In fact, Big Joe’s love of Boogie Woogie got him in trouble with his Baptist preacher father. While in his 80s, Big Joe’s father made Joe promise that he wouldn’t play “the Devil’s music” until after his death. What no one could predict was that Big Joe’s father would live to 104 years of age.
Joe first heard piano played in his local church. “I used to have to walk through a swamp filled with alligators to get to church,” Joe recalls. “And the only way I escaped a beating for being out late at night was because my uncle would find me behind the piano and take me home in his wagon. He used to get me to slip under the porch when we got home, before my old man could come out. Then, when my father started hollerin’ for me, I would get out from under that porch and tell him I’d fallen asleep under there.”
When his family moved to Cincinnati, Joe was able to teach himself to play the piano. “I used to play the same song over and over and over, the only song I knew, Coon Shine Baby. Folks would close their doors when I came onto the porch. They’d say, ‘Oh no, here’s the Duskin boy again. Don’t let him near the piano. He’s gonna play that damned song again.’ ‘Cause at the time, we didn’t have a piano at home.”
AMRF General News Blues Boogie Woogie
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