Welcome Blues Fans to Fall 2020 – Nothing like it before!!

Welcome Blues Fans to Fall 2020 – Nothing like it before!!

Welcome Blues Fans to Fall 2020 – Nothing like it before!!

Welcome Blues Fans to Fall 2020 – Nothing like it before!!

We want to start by expressing how pleased we are to have Jose Ramirez back in our community. We predict great success for Jose in the future.  We know that our eager blues fans will welcome Jose and his great band into our blues family.  We’re happy you are back.

We are trying to get back into the swing of things.  “Camping with The Blues” returns for their 7th annual show October 16th – 18th 2020. Sertoma Youth Ranch in Brooksville hosts the weekend-long event.  Fans will follow CDC Guidelines, and your Suncoast Blues Society will be present.  We plan to limit our booth access to about 2 hours a day.  It will be great to see all of you!  The lineup looks great, maybe some cool nights for camping; can’t wait.

At the end of October   Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson returns to the Hideaway Café in St Pete for a combination show and recording session. Here is an opportunity to hear a legendary bluesman and Muddy Waters Band guitarist still going strong at 81 years of age.  His recently released an all- acoustic CD entitled “Won’t Be Back No More”—Say it isn’t so, Luther. SBS Logo

 

Moving into November, International Blues Challenge Solo/Duo winner Hector Anchondo starts an extended tour through Florida. If you haven’t heard this talented young artist yet, put it on your list!  His tour starts in Sanford Florida at “The Alley” on November 4th then on to “The Blue Rooster” in Sarasota on the 13th.  Your Suncoast Blues Society is working on securing a date in early November at the Hideaway Café  for Hector to perform. We will keep you informed.

Hooray to Realize Bradenton for figuring out a new way to present The Bradenton Blues Festival.  We are all excited to see how their new venue at LECOM Park will play out.  Creativity wins again. Additional information is available on the events page of the Suncoast Blues website.

Lafayette Reid
President
Suncoast Blues Society 

 

 

Missing Suncoast Blues News?

Missing Suncoast Blues News?

Missing Suncoast Blues News?

On August 27, 2020, your Suncoast Blues Society emailed the latest edition of Suncoast Blues News to our subscribers.

The society has changed email providers. If you have not received your copy via email, please check your spam folder. Your email provider may not be recognizing the new sending address.  You can always add the address to contact to ensure spam-free delivery.

Missing out on the latest news? – consider joining the growing list of subscribers.

It’s easy, and free! 

Visit the home page at Suncoast Blues Society,

scroll down,

and fill out the Subscribe to the Suncoast Blues News form.

2021 International Blues Challenge Update

2021 International Blues Challenge Update

2021 International Blues Challenge Update

The following post is from Michael Freeman, Chairman of The Blues Foundation

Dear Blues Friends,

This past weekend, as I presided over the quarterly meeting of the Blues Foundation Board of Directors, one of our key agenda items was The International Blues Challenge. I am writing to share with our blues community that our Board voted unanimously to cancel this years’ IBC and look ahead to the first quarter of 2022 when we can hopefully come together in person to celebrate the blues via this signature Blues Foundation event.

Leading up to this Board decision, we wrote expanded rules that would have allowed our affiliated blues societies to choose their challengers outside of a live judged event. In response, many have reported back to us that they and the musicians in their communities are not enthusiastic about proceeding. It has become clear to us that without full engagement of artists, industry, blues society leadership, and fans, we could not produce an event with the musical diversity and quality you have come to expect. After much discussion and careful consideration of all options, including a virtual IBC, we universally agreed that this special and unique Blues Foundation program is meant to be experienced live and that it would not be safe or feasible to attempt to produce it this winter in the midst of a pandemic. The Board concurrently voted to suspend nominations and selection of Keeping the Blues Alive Award recipients until the fall of 2021, with plans to honor those selected during the 2022 IBC Week, where they can be celebrated in person with their family and friends surrounding them.

 

We recognize that the International Blues Challenge has grown in scope and recognition throughout the world, and we do not want to leave a vacuum in its absence this year. Please be assured that we will be using the time and resources normally directed towards the IBC to develop unique content and virtual activities for this winter. This is not intended to replace the IBC, but to give the blues world and our membership a way to remain connected as we all continue to heal through this pandemic that has uprooted so many of our plans and our lives. 

While we will miss coming together on Beale Street this January, we choose to see this as an opportunity to expand our mission in new ways. We are hopeful that open travel, live music, and the ability to congregate in-person will quickly be safe again, and I encourage you to save the dates for the 37th International Blues Challenge – February 1st through February 5th, 2022.

 

Please stay safe and be well.

Tonight, August 21, 2020 our Suncoast Blues Society community lost a legend

Tonight, August 21, 2020 our Suncoast Blues Society community lost a legend

Tonight, August 21, 2020 our Suncoast Blues Society community lost a legend

From Bryan Lee’s Family: 

Today, Bryan Lee, the Braille Blues Daddy, Blind Giant of the Blues, New Orleans Institution, husband, father, and friend, passed from this life into legend. A sigh of thousands mark his passing. 

Bryan dedicated his life to sharing his gift of music. In the liner notes from his recent blues gospel album Sanctuary, “A gift is not a gift unless you share it. God gave me the gift of the blues and I want to share my gift with you.” He dedicated each of his 18 albums first to Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior and his passion shone through with every note. 

At this time, the family is pausing to reflect on this remarkable soul who greeted each day with gratitude, optimism, and humble joy for all his blessings.

 

Please enjoy this video of Bryan, courtesy of Mike Shivvers at Blues & Roots Archive 

Bryan Lee “Braille’s Blues Daddy” 

And a tribute to Bryan from Kenny Wayne Shepherd 

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Tribute to Bryan Lee

 

Suncoast Blues Society proudly announces its new website at Suncoastblues.org

Suncoast Blues Society proudly announces its new website at Suncoastblues.org

Suncoast Blues Society proudly announces its new website at Suncoastblues.org

On August 16, 2020 the Suncoast Blues Society proudly announces its new website at Suncoastblues.org

The Board of Directors has been aware of the need to update its social media presence and manage its membership list for quite some time.

The board also recognized that redesigning and managing a website that includes an eCommerce system (Memberships) was necessary but beyond the board’s ability.

Thus, began the search to identify a technology partner within the Tampa Bay community that would work with us to accomplish this. We chose to partner with West Bay Media Group (WBMG) for this huge undertaking. WBGM’s CEO and founder is none other than local blues bass man Tom “T-Bone” Hamilton and he has been working with us non-stop for the past 5 months!

Our Content Committee, which includes Terri O’Brien, Lafayette Reid, Bill Hubbard, Robert D’Angelo and our tech guru and fearless leader Scott Morris, spent too many hours to count, designing and testing the new site – it has been a crash course in technology for many of us!

And we are not stopping here – additional enhancements are in the works that include an updated local band list, CD-reviews, Community Outreach programs, more blues interviews, and a refresh of the Facebook site.

The Board wishes to thank other folks that helped along the way – we could not have accomplished this without you!!

  • Rick Hart for getting us started on this project
  • Franc Robert for his creative and timely graphic work
  • Local blues front man Dooner Manross for graciously agreeing to share his image with the blues world (check out “The Dooner Banner”)
  • Karl Hastings for his precision email migration
  • William Tillis for consulting with us along the way
  • Ken Torvik for helping us with historical background
  • George Willett, our beloved retired board member, for helping with the transition

This has been, and continues to be, a HUGE project that has been in the works for the past 2 years, so we hope that you are as pleased as we are!

We would love your feedback – if you have suggestions, ideas or questions send an email to BluesNews@suncoastblues.org, and show your support thru your membership at https://suncoastblues.org/membership

Stay safe.

We sincerely hope our Blues Fans will enjoy our efforts and join our group that believes in the healing power of the Blues.