Dear John, Hey y'all, another rather feeble attempt at a newsletter. I keep looking for material but all I find is Covid, Covid, Covid...to use a famous person's description. I juust don't have a lot to work with. We have a few of our friends out playing live in various spots but I check many of the others' sites and they are blank. It's very depressing. I know you're sick of it. I'll make my appeal once again: If you know of a gig are part of one PLEASE let me know so I can post it. I'm a firm believer that every little bit helps. Cain't hurt... Stay safe and we'll make another stab at it next week. No hugging allowed... Have another week. Sincerely, Jim Crawford - PBS |
Endless By Lisa Respers France, CNN Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen has survived Hurricane Katrina and losing her North Carolina home to a fire. She's now determined to survive the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm not new to this game, I'm true to the game," the blues singer told CNN. "I've been doing it for a long time. You really have a lot of ups and downs in this crazy situation." Cohen is part of a community of musicians trying to keep the blues alive in a landscape where live music is on hold and the artists dedicated to the genre are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19. Not only are many blues artists black, senior adults -- two populations that have been disproportionately dying from the virus -- but the majority of them were already making very little money playing gigs that have now completely dried up. "It shut a lot of us down," Cohen said. "The ones that were doing the clubs, they don't have the clubs [to perform in] anymore. They don't have the regular gigs anymore. They don't have anything." Musician and singer Sam Frazier, Jr. recently rose to the top of the kidney transplant list, but he is now unsure when he might receive one because of the pandemic. He told CNN he's working hard to protect himself and stay healthy, but misses performing -- even locally in Alabama where he lives. "I'm an entertainer," he said. "I'm a singer. I play the harmonica, guitar and I can play the [bass] drum using my feet. I sing blues and I sing country. That's what I do." Already in a crisis situation Both Cohen and Frazier have turned for help to the Music Maker Relief Foundation, an organization started 25 years ago "to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time." The group helps book members for performances and also provides financial assistance to artists. Timothy Duffy, founder and executive director of the foundation, told CNN that many of the artists they assist are most susceptible to falling critically ill were they to contract Covid-19. "Almost all our partners are elderly, so that makes them extremely vulnerable to the virus," Duffy said. "The majority, over 80% of the artists we work with, are African Americans over the age of 55." Duffy said most of them were already making do with annual incomes of less than $18,000 a year. Any work they used to get from playing bars and restaurants is now gone. "They're already in a crisis situation," said Duffy, whose organization gave out 85 grants to struggling artists in April and helped set up grocery and medicine deliveries for some. "They're already marginalized, so our staff has a dedicated social worker that is working to ensure that our artists are safe and informed." Still singing Cohen said she appreciates the help as she waits things out in the new normal and finds strength in what she's already overcome. "I lost everything in Katrina," said Cohen, who added she relies on the power of positive thinking and consuming inspirational content. "I haven't lost everything because of this pandemic." She definitely hasn't lost her ability to entertain. Lately she takes her audio equipment to a nursing home where her brother resides. With current health precautions preventing her from entering, Cohen performs for residents from the parking lot. "I wanted to make sure that my brother got some entertainment," she said. "They said the only way that we could see them is to go to their windows outside and you know, wave to them and talk to them through the windows with the windows closed. But they can still hear you. |
GOT BLUES? If you are a Blues musician, a group, or a club that features Blues music, and would like to be listed, please send your info to info@phoenixblues.org and we'll be happy to list your event in our weekly Out & About section of the newsletter
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Moved? Changed email addresses? Please let us know of any changes in your address, email, or phone number so we can keep you informed about the Blues community in Arizona. Email us at: info@phoenixblues.org or write to: Phoenix Blues Society P.O. Box 36874 Phoenix, Arizona 85067 |
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| Out & About Tuesday, October 13 Waiting out the virus: Cold Shott & The Hurricane Horns www.coldshott.com The Sugar Thieves www.sugarthieves.com Gary Zak & The Outbacks www.outbackbluesband.com Hans Olson www.hansolson.net Rocket 88s www.rocket88s.net JC& The Rockers www.thejukerockers.com Carvin Jones www.carvinjones.com Hoodoo Casters www.hoodoocasters.com Rhythm Room ÂÂÂwww.rhythmroom.com ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Nina Curri www.ninacurri.com Paris James www.parisjames.com Mother Road Trio www.motherroadtrio.com Blues Review Band Reverbnationbluesmanmike Mike Eldred www.mikeeldredtrio.com Big Daddy D & The Dynamites Facebook Cadillac Assembly Line Facebook Innocent Joe and the Hostile Witnesses Facebook Chuck Hall Facebook Pop Top Facebook Wednesday, October 28 Thursday, October 29 Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction Friday, October 30 Blues Review Band, 7 p.m., All American, Fountain Hills Leon J, 1:30 p.m., DA Ranch, Cornville Saturday, October 31 Big Daddy D & The Dynamites, 7 p.m., Montezuma Tavern, Prescott Hoodoo Casters, 5 p.m., Mountain View Pub, Cave Creek Leon J, 1:30 p.m., DA Ranch, Cornville Blues Review Band, 6 p.m., Voodoo Daddy's,Tempe Sunday, November 1 Leon J, 1:30 p.m., DA Ranch, Cornville Monday, November 2
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Jams Sunday MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Friday Saturday |
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