BLUES BLOG #10    6/16/09

THANKS FOR MAKING BLUES FEST 2009 A TESTAMENT TO COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERISM!

Wow. I don’t know what was more amazing at Blues Fest 2009, hearing top-notch national and regional musicians at our Saturday “Downtown House Party” -- culminating in an absolutely stellar set by The Derek Trucks Band before our largest-ever festival audience -- or the realization that our community, teaming together, produced such an amazing weekend filled with fellowship, children’s activities, and even learning opportunities. As I watched Derek and his band perform from my privileged vantage behind the stage, with Little Heiskell and the City Hall clock tower in the background of my view, I kept saying, “Pinch me, I think I’m dreaming.” I literally could have been pushed over by a feather. Such was my personal exhilaration and sense of wonder. Truly, the happy ending of my favorite folktale from childhood, “Stone Soup”, was playing out before my very eyes.

Shortly before Blues Fest began, a phrase entered our national consciousness – “It Takes A Village”. Even though it later perhaps became over-used and/or the source of late-night comedic references, on reflection that phrase indeed accurately describes the phenomenon that has become Blues Fest. Together, as a community, as a “village,” we co-create Blues Fest. Together, by volunteering our time, spirit, energy, courteous behavior and resources, we have spawned an event that positively reflects on our local government, area businesses, our rich community amenities and the friendliness of our townsfolk. Together, we have made something once-thought improbable into a stunningly successful reality – a nationally-recognized blues festival in, of all places, Hagerstown, Maryland. In a way, Blues Fest is to Hagerstown, what Mardi Gras is to New Orleans – an annual ritual where we come together to celebrate our community’s uniqueness and diversity amidst a musical party. To me, it seems fitting that Blues Fest is an official function of the City of Hagerstown, albeit one ably assisted by our all-volunteer organizing committee known as “Team Blues Fest,” because it is our collective community that produces Blues Fest.

Before I begin my annual ritual of thanking so many significant contributors, let me first thank our enthusiastic but well-behaved attendees, and the courteous nature of our townsfolk. Lots of visitors wrote to tell us what a nice and friendly town we have. And speaking of weekend tourists and day-trippers, thanks to Tom Riford and the Convention & Visitors Bureau. They helped us get the word out, supported our online advance-ticket sales, and gave a generous sponsorship. We hope Tom and his staff feel that our event-attendees repaid those investments through the many ways that Blues Fest 2009 brought favorable attention and weekend spending to Hagerstown and Washington County. We hear that the City’s A&E District restaurants also enjoyed brisk business following Blues Fest’s many downtown activities. We’re glad for that.

And lest it get lost in my many words, our highest commendations go to Mike Scarfe and MHA Audio for stellar sound reinforcement and high-quality staging! Our musical guests sounded so good, in part, because our event is blessed with great sound crews. Thanks also to Mike Guessford and Applause Catering for allowing us to use their gorgeous new facility as a green room for our Bud Light stage artists. Their facility was just one of the many Hagerstown gems – both new and longstanding – that our Blues Fest guests and attendees were able to experience. City Park also never looked more beautiful as it bustled with activity on Sunday. Thanks to Junior Mason and his park staff for being so helpful. And Blues Fest once again proved that it has something for everyone – whether it’s the top quality of our stage performers, our “Kids Jam Too” children’s activities, lecture/workshops like the Campbell Brothers slide- and pedal-steel guitar workshop, our “Blues In The Schools” pre-event activities sponsored by the Board of Education, or our presentation of the high school jazz musicians at the Museum of Fine Arts. Blues Fest is entertaining, educational and fun. With its combination of free and paid events, Blues Fest attracts attendees from all walks of life and backgrounds -- local, out-of-town, youth, parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents. Directly or indirectly Blues Fest also supports numerous non-profit entities.

None of this could happen without great teamwork and coordination. In addition to our all-volunteer Team Blues Fest and our 130+ event-day volunteers - including those generated by the Arts Council – the event receives especially able assistance from the City of Hagerstown’s dedicated staff. Significant among City staff contributors are department heads Karen Giffin and Eric Deike, Assistant City Engineer Jim Bender, and of course City Administrator Bruce Zimmerman. Team Blues Fest stand-outs included fellow Programming Committee members David Fitzwater and Todd Bolton, Marketing Chair Cindy Garland, Volunteer Coordinators Peggy Hutson and Dick Blocher, Children’s Area Coordinator Laura Likely, and Brett Wollaston, Brad Pingrey, Anthony Bagley and Ed Lough. Special sponsor thanks to: M&T Bank and Conservit for underwriting our Friday and Saturday VIP areas, to PNC Bank and PNC Mortgage for underwriting our Thursday Blues Prelude, and to CITI, Phoenix Color, Pepsi Bottling, Wantz Distributing, and Antietam Cable -- to name only a few.

Don’t forget to re-live happy memories of Blues Fest 2009 at our photo-gallery. Right now, we honestly don’t know how we will ever top Blues Fest 2009. Rest assured, though, that will be our personal challenge. Please take a moment to mark your calendar now for the first weekend after next Memorial Day – June 3-6, 2010 – when we’ll assemble for Blues Fest #15. Until then, keep celebrating the beautiful rainbow cast by the combination of our community’s collective spirit of volunteerism and America’s national music, the blues. Thank YOU for your participation, for responsibly enjoying yourselves and for making out-of-towners feel so welcome.

CARL DISQUE
Founder/Event Chair
Western Maryland Blues Fest

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BLUES BLOG #9    5/28/09

BLUES FEST 2009 IS HERE: It Starts With “Giving Back”!!

Well, the long-awaited extended Blues Fest weekend is finally here. The happy toils of our all-volunteer TEAM BLUES FEST will soon be over for this year, only to crank up again in the Fall as we start to prepare for Blues Fest 2010, scheduled for June 3-6, 2010. I mentioned in my first blog about Blues Fest’s yearly lifecycle and our volunteer efforts. I wish I had the space (and time right now) to tell you about the various individuals on Team Blues Fest. Many, like me, have been with the festival for 15 years (we spent over 12 months planning 1996’s roll-out of Blues Fest #1). Most of the rest joined in year 2 or maybe year 3. We call them the “short-timers” or “rookies”. I could probably write a page about each member of our Organizing Committee, including both funny anecdotes and praise for his/her substantial contribution to the success of Blues Fest. Maybe you’ve been on a committee before, where some people show up for the photo but don’t really contribute? That is absolutely NOT the case with Team Blues Fest. Every one of these people knows how to give back, and to keep on giving. Worker-bees all, there’s nary a grasshopper among them.

And the gift of community-volunteerism exemplified by our Team Blues Fest pervades our event. In Blues Fest, the City of Hagerstown gives back so much, especially with invaluable donations of city staff time, and logistical, public works, police, fire and emergency rescue services. The wonderfully generous businesses of the greater Hagerstown community “give back” through their embrace of Blues Fest with sponsorships of cash, or in-kind donations to goods or services that Blues Fest needs. And of course our 150+ event-day volunteers give a few hours or more of their time to assist Blues Fest, its entertainers and patrons, in order to make our weekend enjoyable, safe and fun.

And Blues Fest tries hard itself to “give back” with FREE Events including tonight’s FREE concert by The Nighthawks, our FREE “Kids Jam Too” children’s area on Saturday and Sunday, and of course our FREE “Family Blues Picnic” on Sunday in City Park featuring stage performances and workshops. We try to keep ticket prices low. (Look at Saturday, and honestly tell me what would you expect to normally pay to see even one of these fine bands, let alone all 8?). We even try to make sure that the prices we charge for Blues Fest souvenirs and beverages are reasonable. In short, the event is about a community coming together, giving back and celebrating all aspects of itself - with help from out-of-town visitors - amidst the power and diversity of America’s national music – the Blues. Growing up, one of my favorite stories was the folktale “Stone Soup”. If you aren’t familiar, find a copy at a library and read it to your child or grandchild. It’s a story about how a community creates something impossible or at least wholly improbable - a soup “made only from stones”; an idea similar to the idea of creating a national blues festival in Hagerstown, Maryland. Not to sound corny, but maybe it does take a village. I’m convinced that we all create Blues Fest together.

So, here we are, on the cusp of Blues Fest #14, which, appropriately, will start with a free, give-back, concert in a beautiful urban green space by a highly regarded regional band. As you enjoy Blues Fest’s extended weekend of fun, if you see a Blues Fest Organizing Committeeperson in one of our distinctive shirts, or maybe as you pass by an event-day volunteer, reward their efforts with some kind words. Their hearts are in the right place. It’s a pleasure to serve with them in this labor of love we call “Blues Fest”.

CARL DISQUE
Founder/Event Chair
Western Maryland Blues Fest

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Blues Blog #8    5/12/09

BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNERS AT BLUES FEST 2009:
CONGRATULATIONS JANIVA MAGNESS, LIL’ ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS, AND WILLIE “BIG EYES SMITH”!!

Here at Blues Fest, we’re always tickled when the quality of our programming is confirmed by those voting in the Blues Music Awards, sponsored by The Blues Foundation. These awards, given annually to outstanding blues artists, and voted on by the 3,000 individual Blues Foundation members and 160 affiliated member-based blues societies in more than a dozen countries, represent the pinnacle achievement in blues entertainment.

The 30th annual Blues Music Awards were just concluded this past weekend in Memphis, and the results were music to the ears of several performers in our 2009 Blues Fest lineup.

Nominated in four categories this year, Janiva Magness, was named Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and also took home the highly coveted B.B. King Entertainer of the Year trophy!!

While Janiva edged out Lil’ Ed Williams’ individual nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials won the equally coveted Band of the Year award!!

And, after being simultaneously nominated in two individual instrumentalist categories (Best Instrumentalist - Drums and Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica), Willie “Big Eyes” Smith’s history on “skins” to the famed Muddy Waters Band paid off, when Willie won the prize for best blues drummer!!

Congratulations to the all 2009 Blues Music Award nominees and winners for being recognized for your important contributions to this amazing musical genre. And special thanks to The Blues Foundation’s Board of Directors, staff and supporting members, for carrying on the important mission of preserving and strengthening appreciation of blues. If you’d like to join those of us who are already members of The Blues Foundation, you can get information at www.blues.org

And don’t forget that, in addition to current and past Blues Music Award winners and nominees appearing at Blues Fest 2009, there just might be some future award winners lurking in our diverse lineup. We hope you’ll make the journey to Hagerstown, Maryland at the end of this month to see a small town coming together, in a volunteer spirit, to celebrate community amidst a celebration of the blues!! See you then.

CARL DISQUE
Founder/Event Chair
Western Maryland Blues Fest

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Blues Blog #7    4/14/09

PROGRAMMING SUB-THEMES 2009 (Pt. 2): "SLIPPIN' & A-SLIDING"

In my last blog, I was talking about how unwitting programming sub-themes seem to reveal themselves to me after our lineup is complete. In Part I of this two-part blog, I talked about the host of horns appearing at Blues Fest 2009.

For most people, when they think of blues instrumentation, they probably first think of harmonica. (Natch! James Cotton, Sonny Boy Williamson #2, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Big Walter, Slim Harpo, Carey Bell, Phil Wiggins, Kim Wilson, even John Mayall, to name but a few). And, of course, you also then think.guitar!! (And where would you begin a list of storied players, and who wouldn't you mention?) You just can't get away from, nor would you want to, the importance of guitar to blues music. Acoustic guitar, resophonic guitar, electric guitar and.slide-guitar.

The sound of the slide guitar probably traces its origins to the "diddly bow" - where broom- or baling-wire is strung tight between two nails on a front porch's vertical post, to be plucked with one hand, while the other runs a rock, perhaps a piece of brick, spoon or bottle up and down the vibrating string. Since field hollers often involved call-and-response singing, the diddly bow allowed one person to sound the "call," and the diddly bow to provide the responding "answer." In fact, the sound of a slide guitar can sound particularly human. (At Blues Fest 1997, Luther Allison used this effect, in a humorous way, to simulate an argument between a man and a woman.) While scholars say the "diddly bow" traces its origins to Africa, the slide-guitar, for some reason, feels like a peculiarly American animal. For pioneer blues guitarists, the early version of the guitar slide was a knife blade, but it quickly evolved into a bottleneck placed upon the player's finger. (Blues historians tell interesting stories about how a string, soaked in kerosene, was carefully placed on a bottle and then set on fire to create a line where the intended "slide" could be later cleanly broken off, without leaving a jagged edge). Modern guitar slides, of course, come in all shapes and forms, from old glass "pill" bottles to manufactured slides of glass, metal and other materials, in seemingly endless variety.

And one could similarly say that slide-guitar players also come in endless variety. And, while we didn't necessarily consciously plan it, man, do we have some slide guitarists, in multiple varieties, waiting for you at Blues Fest 2009!!

Let's start with our Saturday headliner, Derek Trucks of The Derek Trucks Band. What can we say about this amazing young man, not yet out of his 20's, whose slide guitar playing is already legendary? Almost an immediate child prodigy at the age of 9, he was already sitting in with Buddy Guy at the age of 12. Can you say a modern-day Elmore James? Or better yet, can you say "Duane," since Derek's name comes from "Derek & The Dominoes"; the tragically short-lived band which teamed Eric Clapton with Duane Allman?! While Derek's slide sound is uniquely his own, there are certainly almost eerie reminders of Duane in Derek's playing. If you are familiar with Derek, you know his slide sound instantly - as if each pure tone were just pulled from the air, like a magician's sleight of hand. Often Derek's slide tones are displayed within a range of semi-tones more commonly found in Eastern music, in which he is also steeped. Teamed with the incredible vocals of Mike Mattison, and an absolutely outstanding ensemble of supporting musicians, the slide guitar playing of Derek Trucks is, alone, one very good reason to come to Hagerstown, Maryland for Blues Fest 2009. Here are some interesting video links to give you a taste, including a series of short lesson exercises taught by Derek himself:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1b1uOvXtMU&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHRY6JnkIm4&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTfHxT83UCo&feature=related

But wait, what about lap- and pedal-slide guitar? How about our Sunday closers, Campbell Brothers? Fabulous gospel blues straight out of the recently-discovered musical tradition of the African-American Holiness-Pentecostal church, commonly known as the House of God. In this tradition, the steel guitar replaces the traditional church organ, and is used to mimic voices, to sing lines of the hymns, and to provide praise music that pushes the congregation closer to feeling the Holy Spirit. The Campbell Brothers appeared at the Saturday component in 2006, in support of their phenomenal CD "Can You Feel It?" Everyone present that day DID certainly feel the power and love emanating from the stage during the Campbells' awesome set. We thought having them back on Sunday in 2009 would be a nice free treat for folks, and appropriate to the tradition from which the Campbell Brothers hail. Personally, I hear parallels to the sound of this tradition in Derek Trucks' slide playing. I know Derek was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and I believe I read somewhere that most of the early House of God worship houses (at least those having the musical tradition exemplified by The Campbell Brothers) were prominent there. Maybe there is a connection? Maybe a young Derek heard the music of that tradition as part of his upbringing in Florida and the South? Whether a real or only imagined connection, it will be both enlightening and entertaining to hear the sonic similarities between these three separate instruments (electric slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, and lap-steel guitar) played by virtuosos of each. A few interesting video links demonstrate the Campbell Brothers slide-style and sound:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKARiItP1EU&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qisE61CKAI

And did I use the word "entertaining" in the context of slide guitar? Then I would be remiss if I didn't also mention someone whom I now think of as "Mr. Entertainment"..Lil' Ed of Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials. This slide guitar player gives us the electric slide guitar sound of Chicago, Southside Chicago. Quite different from the sound of Derek's and the Campbell's slides, Lil' Ed's slide-guitar is instead the sound of the street - rough, raucous, but, yes also, at least in the hands of Lil' Ed, immensely friendly! This isn't the sound of a street fight; it's the sound of a street party!! We were so impressed with Ed and his band last year and especially with Lil' Ed's almost Buddha-like loving stage presence, that we had to bring him back for Blues Fest 2009. Lil' Ed will appear at our Friday "Lotta Blues" show on Friday, May 29. Here's a link to a Lil' Ed's slide style: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkmoALuBdWY&feature=related .

And plenty of the guitarists in the balance of our 2009 lineup will surely pick up a slide to wail away on a number or three! So, if you are a fan of slide guitar (and also could enjoy a show where the horns of the blues duly "get their revenge"), you need to figure out how to get yourself to Hagerstown, Maryland between May 28 - 31 for Blues Fest 2009! Hope you can make it.

CARL DISQUE
Founder/Event Chair
Western Maryland Blues Fest

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Blues Blog #6    4/8/09

PROGRAMMING SUB-THEMES 2009 (Pt. 1): "REVENGE OF THE HORNS"

Hindsight is funny. When it comes time for me to compose the artist bios for our print festival guide, I'm often struck by the emergence of sub-themes that were completely unintentional as our lineup was prepared. One year, it might be a predominance of electric guitars, and in another it might be harmonica blues; one year I noticed some strong Ray Charles influences and connections. Within our Programming Committee's very sincere effort to try to represent the whole spectrum of blues music in our Blues Fest programming each year, perhaps sub-conscious forces can be at work which are only revealed in the rear view mirror, after our choices are complete.

This year is no different. I'm personally sensing two such sub-themes in Blues Fest 2009's programming. I'm going to call one of them - the subject of today's blog - "Revenge of the Horns," because this year our performing artists bring a veritable plethora of horns. While in many years we've often had a saxophone here or there, or perhaps a backing horn section like in Larry Carlton's Sapphire Blue Band, or an occasional all-horn band like New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band, this year we probably have our fullest component of horn-powered blues! Although I candidly admit that I am a saxophonist, I swear this wasn't a goal when we started. But I'm certainly not unhappy with the result, and I'm pretty sure you won't be either.

Of course you know that one of the most-famous-ever "jump blues" ensembles, Roomful of Blues is closing out the fun of our Saturday Beck's Beer stage. Go here to check out some of the fantastic vintage R&B and swing sounds of this absolutely fine ensemble that Duke Robillard first assembled in 1967: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=150992629
Roomful's aptly titled, new CD, "Raising A Ruckus," does just that and more. Just listening to it as I'm writing this just makes me dance in my seat! The power of Roomful's horns is absolutely integral to its sound; it wouldn't be Roomful without them. This is old-time, used-to-be dance blues at its finest!!

But let's talk about some others: Bonerama is an absolute must-see, so please come early on Saturday, May 30, so you don't miss their highly-anticipated mid-day set at 2pm. This New Orleans trombone ensemble (hence the "Bone" in their playful band name) is a thrilling mixture fronted by four (count 'em 4!) trombones, together with sousaphone, guitar and drums. If that sounds off-the-wall for a blues festival, you just have to see them to believe them!! Fun and really compelling. I think trombone is probably the most expressive of the brass instruments, but one that maybe has seen its popularity decline a bit since its heyday in the big bands of the 30's and 40's. Well, in the spirited and expert hands of Bonerama, the "bone" is back with a vengeance, as they entertain you with trombone renditions of everything from blues to jazz to blues rock. I'm reminded of "massed artillery" when you get near the business end of one of these bones! Ever heard Jimi Hendrix, Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin or even Black Sabbath on a trombone? How about a trombone and sousaphone playing with effects like wah and distortion? If you aren't familiar with Bonerama, maybe check out this link for sounds http://www.myspace.com/bonerama (check out their cover of "Whipping Post and their new video "Big Fine Woman") or here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rFyO6KrVwE for video of their version of "Crosstown Traffic". Just a brief look and listen easily reveals why Bonerama is literally tearing up the "jam band" circuit. Don't miss these guys, led by the irrepressible Mark Mullins.

Now, how about some more pure jazz horn-blues? Well, international jazz guitar sensation Mike Stern is bringing his very talented saxophonist, Bob Francheschini, with him for his band's Blues Fest set starting at 5:15 on Saturday. Bob is truly a "monster" soloist, who knows every inch (and then some) of the saxophone. Here's a link to a video where Bob starts a solo just before the 2:00 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgHi-UhjffE&feature=related

Then there's Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band from the metro Washington D.C. area. Appearing sometimes with 4, and sometimes with as many as 6, horns (saxes, trumpets, trombones), this "afrobeat" group is going to open your mind and musical horizon a bit, as you fall into a mesmerizing musical trance listening to this fusion of musical styles invented by Nigerian saxophonist, Fela Kuti. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=236019662

And then there is the fine saxophonist of The Ruby Hayes Blues Band on Sunday, preceded by the horns of Jumptown, and the fabulous backing horns heard all over Janiva Magness' 2009 Blues-Music-Award-nominated recording, "What Love Will Do"!!

I've also recognized another significant unplanned programming "subtheme" this year that I'll save for another blog, but, at Blues Fest 2009, you're going to get great blues and LOTS of great horns! So come on out, and give the horn players some!! We hope to see you in Hagerstown, Maryland for the Western Maryland Blues Fest, May 28-31. Don't miss it!!

CARL DISQUE
Founder/Event Chair
Western Maryland Blues Fest

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Blues Blog #5    3/27/09

"Arrivals & Leave-Takings/ Comings & Goings"

I apologize for the episodic nature of these blogs, and the interval since the last one. Maybe this is just further proof that Blues Fest is largely run by volunteers - people with day-jobs whose substantial time-commitment for Blues Fest must be balanced against the sometimes- hectic demands of our own day-to-day. It also reinforces the newness of our Blog feature. Thanks for your patience.
I am embarrassed not to have previously spent time addressing something that occurred in early March that saddened all of us at Blues Fest. the sudden passing earlier this month of legendary Piedmont-blues guitarist, John Cephas.

John passed on March 4, the day before our Blues Bash. We had heard of Cephas & Wiggins' cancellation of some tour dates just a few weeks prior to John's passing, and we had heard it was related to John's health. Yet we were not prepared for the suddenness of his leaving. We are comforted that John was spared a protracted period of illness and decline, and we understand and trust that his exit was peaceful. Our thoughts and prayers go out to John's family and friends, especially to Phil Wiggins on the loss of his longtime mentor, friend and partner. We remembered John with a moment of silence at the Blues Bash, and we will remember his life much more fully in a memorial in our festival program. (Just as we will also remember the life of Napoleon "Nappy Brown" Culp, who thrilled us at Blues Fest 2008, and who passed away on September 20, 2008). But, given the recency of John's passing, and his association with our festival, maybe a few recollections about this wonderful entertainer and gentle soul of the blues would be appropriate here.

Blues Fest will always consider John Cephas, and his harmonica-playing partner Phil Wiggins, special friends of Blues Fest. Cephas and Wiggins were the star attraction at our Sunday "Family Blues Picnic" at the very first Blues Fest in 1996. I think, for many, their appearance at City Park really brought home how important the tradition of acoustic duos was, and still is, to blues and its evolution. The power of John and Phil's performance that day is probably largely responsible for the continued huge popularity of our Sunday component to Blues Fest. They established a very high bar indeed for all that have followed. Simply put, they were incredible. I still remember (as an awe-struck fan) greeting them as I helped direct John's van to a parking place that had been "reserved" for them with a crude City Public Works sawhorse in front of the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, where they were scheduled to give a lecture/performance workshop about Piedmont Blues prior to their stage performance. As I bumbled around trying to move (and, in the process, dropped) the sawhorse that protected their reserved parking space, I wondered what they were thinking. "Oh geez, I hope they don't think we're a bunch of yokels out here." Of course, they were truly gracious and down-to-earth. Back then, it was immediately obvious that the more-senior John was the captain of their ship. I introduced them to my then-7-year-old son, who just loved their rendition of "Roberta," from their "Dog Days of August" CD (BTW if this recording is not part of your acoustic blues collection, go buy it - NOW!), which they later played as their encore to his delight. Phil had brought his two young daughters, and he asked if someone could look after them during his performance duties. I was more than happy to personally oblige. We had Cephas and Wiggins back to Blues Fest several more times, most recently in 2005. At that time, Phil was just coming off some serious health problems, but the much-older John looked just great, perhaps even better than ever. I remember talking with him backstage a lot that day. Nothing earth-shattering, just nice human-to-human conversation. I'm even more grateful now for that. I sincerely regret that I won't ever be able to repeat it.

Of course there is often a larger point to things. John's and Nappy's deaths reminded me that we are probably sadly heading into another generational-change-over point in the blues. While we hope not, probably sometime soon many of the remaining living legends of the blues won't be around to mesmerize us with the wonder of their artistry. We need to cherish them while we can. (Among many other reasons, this reality is certainly one reason why I was so especially glad to see B.B., at least one more time, when he came through Hagerstown in December 2008. While his show has changed since I last saw him in the early 1990's, I think "Beeb" is actually singing even better than ever at 83 years young! Congrats and thanks to you, Mr. King, for your countless contributions and for being the ambassador of this genre for so long!) But, heck, just in the 14 years of our young festival, Blues Fest has remembered the loss of the following artists who graced our stages in the year(s) noted: Luther Allison (1997), Etta Baker (1997), Carey Bell (2002), Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (1999), Napoleon "Nappy Brown" Culp (2008), John Cephas (1996, 1998, 2005), John Jackson (1997, 2000), Robert "Robert Jr" Lockwood (1996, 2000), and Jay McShann (2004). Please treasure our remaining "blues pioneers" as they perform out on the circuit, and please especially show them your love, respect and appreciation for the joy they've given us. Many aren't getting any younger, although, happily, some (like Pinetop and especially Honey Boy) seem to defy statistics. Like the old blues song says, "You're sure gonna miss me when I'm gone."

As a new generation arrives and prepares to carry on the torch (like, for one example, Derek Trucks, and Joe Bonamassa, who put on a fabulous show at Hagerstown's Maryland Theatre on March 26, let's not forget "to dance with the one(s) that brought us".

CARL DISQUE
Founder/Event Chair
Western Maryland Blues Fest

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Blues Blog #4    3/12/09

"The Bluesman/Blueswoman In Each of Us"

In my last blog, I was talking about the vast stylistic spectrum of blues music. One of my points there was that, within that spectrum, there is pretty much a blues style for any popular music taste. I also was "preaching" there about the primal, "human-ness" of blues - how it moves us in a way distinct from superficial appearances of race, gender, nationality, creed, and even socio-economic status. How the blues sees past all of that.

The other day I was on a local radio show, whose audience probably skews a little older than our average Blues Fest attendee. During a break, the show's host was saying that he believed the station's average listener probably really liked swing music. What a great opportunity, I thought, to explain "Jump Blues" - the late 40's/early 50's, pre-R&B/ pre-rockabilly outgrowth of the big band era that fused swing and blues. Very danceable, and fun! Certainly NOT the conception that some have that blues is just about an acoustic guitar and harmonica backing sad lyrics of love lost or the oppressive weight of life. (And again, don't get me wrong, I love that style too!). And, coincidentally, there's going to be some especially fine jump blues at Blues Fest 2009 with the Saturday, May 30 appearance of Roomful of Blues, among others!! (I'll talk more about Roomful and the plethora of horns appearing at Blues Fest 2009 in another blog). But, again, here was a chance to educate and reinforce the "big tent" nature of this incredible music. If you'll just look around and listen, you'll find the style that floats your boat - and hopefully many.

So I also truly believe there is a bluesman or blueswoman lurking in each of us - especially in us Americans. Which brings me to our Blues Fest 2009 artwork image.Created by photographer, Jamie Turner, a Hagerstown native, whose studio is in nearby Frederick, Maryland, the photo that graces our website, t-shirts, posters and advertising is that of a slide guitar player, in a straw hat, with head bowed covering his face, as he plays his instrument. Even without Jamie's fine art effects that make the blue of the image become almost luminous and hypnotic, somehow you know, right away, in a blink, at a glance, that the player is a bluesman. And he could be anybody, any race, any nationality. Even gender isn't necessarily specific.

Take a moment to really take in Jamie's image. It's quite powerful, but yet, at the same time, quite simple. Kind of like blues music, I think - at its core, a simple form, but with a power and complexity that sometimes comes from very fine shadings within that form. Almost like the Japanese form of poetry, haiku, where a constraining verse and meter structure produces astonishingly complex and artful results. Certainly for Americans, Blues Music is our "national haiku"; our national music. And yet, like any wonderful art, it transcends national boundaries and speaks to humans of all backgrounds.

To me, Jamie's artwork encapsulates the anonymous bluesman/ blueswoman in each of us. We might find his/her expression in blues led by guitar, harmonica, piano, horn, bass, or drums. We might find his/her expression in Delta- Chicago-, Piedmont-, or Texas-blues, or in jazz, jive, jump, hillbilly, bluegrass, R&B, rockabilly, rock, soul, or funk. But that bluesman or blueswoman IS there. Isn't it about time you got in touch with your inner bluesman or blueswoman? Join us in Hagerstown, Maryland over the weekend of May 28-31 for Blues Fest 2009. You'll be glad you did!!

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Blues Blog #3   3/6/09

THANKS For Making Cabin Fever Blues Bash 2009 The Best Ever!!

If you missed the Western Maryland Blues Fest's 2009 "Cabin Fever Blues Bash" yesterday evening at The Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown, shame on you! It was an incredible night of fun, friendship and great "phat blues" by Baltimore's master blues showmen, The Kelly Bell Band. After returning home, I just couldn't sleep as the adrenaline of Kelly's amazing performance fueled happy memories that kept cascading backwards and forwards in my mind. While our Bash is a way to get us all focused and excited about the upcoming 14th Blues Fest in May, it is also a chance for us to thank our wonderful event sponsors, large and small, but maybe even more so for all of us to just re-connect with each other and shake off the winter blues with some great blues music. Kelly and crew sure didn't disappoint us. Wow! Kelly shows you can take blues somewhere original while still being true to the blues. Was that final number an outta-sight version of "Hoochie Coochie Man", or what?!

In his show, Kelly Bell talked about some blues festivals thinking that KBB's presentation isn't "blues" enough. It's something I'm quite familiar with, and what I think of as the blues "box". Because there are soooo many styles of blues, and because each of us comes to the blues at a different point in the music's continuing evolution, perhaps directly due to the particular influence of one blues style that just grabbed us, many blues fans have developed a preference, or perhaps one could even say a prejudice, in favor of one style of blues over another. To some, their favorite style of blues is "the real blues," and the rest are just pale imitators - if that. These blues fans end up "boxing" the blues into that one neatly defined package, to the exclusion of others.

Whether it's the pioneer acoustic recordings of Son House, Robert Johnson and others, or jazzy late 40's "jump" blues, or the early electric blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, or the "blues-rock" of the late 60's and early 70's, or even perhaps the incredible artistry of guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn in the 1980's - all fantastic styles of blues I absolutely agree - we can sometimes so revere the particular blues style that first captured our hearts, that we falsely trap ourselves in a box, where that blues style, and only that one, is "it". We love that box so much that we can't see how it traps and limits our appreciation for the huge spectrum of blues music, much less our appreciation of music in general.

Personally, I think that the day you really "wake up" to the blues, is when you appreciate all of its various formulations, and you hear it everywhere - in all kinds of music. You appreciate how the blues' fingers have reached into, touched, and transformed every musical style with which it has come in contact. It's like a light finally goes off in your head, and you realize the mysterious way that this fabulous music has truly fueled all styles of American contemporary music. Kind of like the implication found in the title to Miles Davis' famous piece, "All Blues." With the exception, or nearly so, of orchestral "classical" musical, it really is all blues, isn't it? Think about it: jazz, country & western, rockabilly, R&B, rock, soul, funk and even new country music is all strongly blues-based.

Because I love American history, and because the story of the blues is really a reflection of our post-Civil War history - a rural, agrarian society being transformed into an economy featuring factories of mass-production, with rural workers migrating to large industrial centers in search of better jobs and to escape Jim Crow, the growth of the recorded music industry and jazz, war, peace, rock'n'roll, the civil rights movement and beyond -- I used to think of blues as the quintessential "American" music. So, my thinking went, "If you are an American, you love blues, even if you don't know it because it's the basis of all contemporary American music." I still believe that is true, but I've come to think my original thesis was maybe too limiting. I started thinking that maybe there's even more than just that. Maybe there's something more basic, more "primal" perhaps behind the success of the blues and why it captivates us.

Because if it's just American music, how do you account for how blues music has taken over the whole world? How do you explain that it was American music that inspired the Beatles, Rolling Stones, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin, and countless English musicians to fall under its spell and further develop this music? How do you account for blues' incredible popularity in places like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Germany, France, Argentina, Brazil, Australia and even Africa? Are they just "wannabe" Americans? Or is it something much more basic?

I've now come to think of blues as "quintessential music for human beings". It doesn't really matter your race, gender, nationality or creed, the blues simply speaks to you as a human being. If you are a music-loving human being, you love blues music, even if you don't yet know it.

Anyway, sorry to mount a soapbox, but you were "preaching to the choir" Kelly Bell. Congrats to you and your fine band on defining your own special "phat blues" sound. At the Western Maryland Blues Fest, we try to allow our programming to showcase the many shades within the blues spectrum. It's all good. Check out our 2009 lineup, and those of past years at our website's "History" tab, to see what I mean. We hope that you'll come to celebrate diversity and check out the many "faces" of the blues at Blues Fest 2009. Hope to see you there!

Carl W. Disque
Founder/Event Chair
Western Maryland Blues Fest

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Blues Blog #2    2/19/09

Cabin Fever Blues Bash 2009

Hi, Carl Disque again for the Western Maryland Blues Fest "Blues Blog". I mentioned in the last blog that Blues Fest puts on an off-season, mid-winter event that we used to call the Blues Fest Fundraiser, but which for the last 5 years or so we have renamed "Cabin Fever Blues Bash". This year the Blues Bash will again be held at the beautiful Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown, on Thursday, March 5, 2009, and will feature The Kelly Bell Band. Doors will open at 6:30pm, and the show will begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are all general admission, only $10 and all proceeds benefit Blues Fest. Please come out to this special night and support Blues Fest.

The Hall: The Maryland Theatre is sometimes called "the crown jewel of downtown Hagerstown". It's easy to see why. Go to the Theatre's website (www.mdtheatre.org) and go to the "photo gallery" tab, and then go to "theatre photos". Isn't it gorgeous? This 1915 vaudeville- and silent-movie-era theatre has elaborately carved cherubim and seraphim and other Victorian detail. It was almost destroyed by fire in the early 1970's. It was only through valiant efforts by townsfolk that this gem wasn't destroyed. Pretty darn lucky, huh? You can see photos of the fire damage and restoration at the theatre's website too. It's hard to believe something like this is in downtown Hagerstown. But anyway, it is a beautiful venue, and a great place to throw a mid-winter blues party!!

The Band: This changes every year. Some year's it might be a guest not appearing at Blues Fest that year, or it might be someone who was at Blues Fest the previous summer. This year, with the Kelly Bell Band (KBB), we are giving a preview of coming attractions, as KBB will open the festivities of our signature "Downtown House Party" on Saturday, May 30, 2009. You will want to be there then, but coming to the Bash will help you get even more psyched. KBB has been to Blues Fest before, and is very popular throughout Maryland. If you don't know KBB (I don't know how that is possible), but want to get a taste, try this link to KBB's MySpace page profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=19814671 . Pretty sweet sounds, huh? Really great original music, well-presented, with a strong blues groove. Kelly and crew call it "Phat Blues". We can it "Phan-tastic". The band is incredibly tight. Just let them play on as you keep reading. But, personally, I think the thing that makes KBB special is Kelly's stage presence and showmanship! If you are a frontman in a band, or wannabe, you need to watch what Kelly Bell does. He is working hard to entertain you on that stage, but he makes it look easy. He is bringing you "show". And, besides, Kelly is just really friendly and easy to like. After you're done reading this blog, be sure to check out the podcast interview at our website (blues-fest.org) that Cindy Garland of our Marketing Committee did with Kelly. Man, can you say "high verbal"?! ? I mean just wind Kelly up and watch him go! ? ? Seriously, Kelly, you are a genuinely engaging dude, who happens to work hard to be good at what you do AND who obviously has fun doing it. Congrats to you.

The Vibe at Blues Bash: Cool, relaxed, FUN!! In addition to the music, we thank our sponsors who make Blues Fest happen each year and we give the initial roll-out of our Blues Fest posters, t-shirts, line-up cards, hats, etc. And we all just get excited thinking about Blues Fest 2009 and remembering the great Blues Fests that went before. Speaking of our 2009 Blues Fest artwork image, we think the image by Hagerstown photographer Jamie Turner is particularly compelling. Would you like a chance to win the framed original artwork in a raffle to be drawn on May 31? You can even be among the first to enter that at the Blues Bash. (I'll give you more on Jamie's 2009 artwork in another blog). And remember, any Blues Fest merchandise you buy at the Bash helps Blues Fest, and concessions help the Maryland Theatre. And you Terp- and ACC-fans, don't worry.There's no ACC basketball conflict that night! We checked. So, what excuse do you have for NOT going to the Cabin Fever Blues Bash on March 5, 2009? None!

Just click on this link: mdtheatre.org/box-office.php, and then click on "Place a New Order" and you can buy your tickets to the Blues Bash with a couple of keystrokes and mouse clicks. It's as simple as that. And you'll be glad you did! Hope to see you at the Cabin Fever Blues Bash on Thursday, March 5, 2009!!

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Blues Blog #1    2/17/09

Blues Fest's yearly "Lifecyle"

Hi, I'm Carl Disque, the Founder and Event Chair of the Western Maryland Blues Fest (www.blues-fest.org). Thanks for being a "friend" of Blues Fest. This is the first installment of our new "Blues Blog", and my first attempt at blogging.so bear with me. Hope you find it interesting. Right now, Blues Fest is in high preparatory gear, with so many things going on! We are especially getting ready for our off-season, mid-winter Cabin Fever Blues Bash on Thursday, March 5, featuring The Kelly Bell Band appearing in the historic Maryland Theatre (mdtheatre.org). It's a fun evening, tickets are only $10, and proceeds support Blues Fest. But more on the Blues Bash in my next blog..And we are absolutely thrilled about our Blues Fest 2009 line-up, including the appearance of The Derek Trucks Band!! MUCH more on our 2009 musical guests in later blogs...

Blues Fest is a unique community event that has to be experienced to be understood. It is a public/private partnership, which perhaps is emblematic of local government at its best. Simply put, a core team of dedicated volunteers assist the City of Hagerstown, and local business sponsors, in putting together an amazing weekend of blues. Entering our 14th year in 2009, Blues Fest has grown to four days of fun, and its budget has grown ten-fold since its beginning in 1996. Blues Fest has truly become Hagerstown's own house party.in its own way, kind of like Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

For those of us on the organizing committee, Blues Fest is almost a year-round labor of love. It has its own lifecycle --a 9-month volunteer commitment each year, beginning in late August/early September and running through Blues Fest itself, in late May/early June event the following year. Within that 9 month lifecycle, different parts of Blues Fest "light up" and come to life. In the beginning stages, our Programming Committee lights up first -- establishing its artist budget, reviewing music submissions, contacting national artists in whom we are interested, and spending lots of time trying to work out their appearance at Blues Fest. With in-demand national artists, this can take awhile. Once our offers to these artists are accepted, we focus on regional and even local blues talent to round out the weekend. To us, it's important for Blues Fest to display both the vast diversity of styles within blues, and to present, national, regional and local area entertainers. We need our national artist commitments and most of our line-up to be secured by early December, because national advertising deadlines and our "hand-off" to the Marketing Committee await.

Blues Fest's Marketing Committee has already been meeting by the time it gets the Programming hand-off, and we usually have already chosen the new artwork that will be the theme of our event posters, t-shirts, hats and website frame, and developed the marketing budget and details. A Hagerstown graphics firms helps us design attractive ads using the artwork for national blues magazines, including BLUES REVUE, one of Blues Fest's sponsors. We start arranging Podcast interviews of our special musical guests, plan local and regional event promotion including TV and radio, choose colors and designs of t-shirts and hats, and prepare the new "look" and content of our website
 (blues-fest.org).

Fundraising is next.We are blessed to have so many loyal local businesses which support Blues Fest. The event literally couldn't exist without their financial assistance! In early January, we ask them for pledges of their continued support. Despite the current economy, most of our sponsors want to be back! Thank you!!! You truly are the "glue" that binds the event together.

Logistics . An event the size and scope of Blues Fest needs to be very carefully planned by City officials to be both fun.and safe! You probably can't appreciate how much time City of Hagerstown staff and select organizing committee volunteers spend on these issues. And that careful planning pays off in a well-organized and well-run event. Mundane things like comfort facilities, trash removal, parking for artists/vendors/patrons, site erection/tear-down, police/security and fire/emergency services all figure in. These meetings continue right up to just days before the event.

Children's Area and Food Vendors. We're proud to have children's activities during Blues Fest. It really is a family event! CITI Financial Services donates significant sums for entertaining and educational components in our "Kids Jam Too" children's areas on Saturday and Sunday. We also make sure you have diverse choices of delicious food vendors to choose from, and City staff and our Blues Fest Food Vendor sub-committee jointly review vendor applications and make selections.

Then, after the Cabin Fever Blues Bash (again, Thursday, March 5 with The Kelly Bell Band), we get to work on writing, designing and laying-out our print festival program guide. Finally, we catch our breath, worry about the weather, and hope that you'll enjoy all of our hard volunteer work as we count down to Blues Fest 2009.always the first weekend after the federal observance of Memorial Day.this year, on Thursday, May 28 - Sunday, May 31, 2009.

There's LOTS more that goes on, but that's the broad picture of our Blues Fest lifecycle. I'll try to keep future blogs shorter. We hope you'll come to Hagerstown, Maryland at the end of May and see the fruits of our 9-month labor of love! You'll have a great time, and see a friendly small town working together to put on a great event!