Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy

Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy

Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy

NOTE: All SBS members in good standing (paid membership) have the right to this offer. Follow instructions below to get access to the SBS discounted tickets! 

Special SBS Members Only Benefit
Tickets are available May 16th 4:00PM

 

Your Suncoast Blues Society board of directors has been working with Ruth Eckerd Hall, and we are proud to announce a special members-only ticket sale benefit.

On May  16th,  Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy and his Damn Right Farewell Tour! The tour comes to Ruth Eckerd Hall on September 14th, and Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase their seats before this show goes on sale to the public.

Appearing with Buddy Guy are two standouts in the blues world: Bobby Rush – an 18-time Blues Music Award winner; and musician, producer, songwriter extraordinaire – the 4-time Grammy Award winner Tom Hambridge.

You will want to take advantage of this wonderful offer before the best seats are gone, and the tickets go on sale to the public.

About the show:

BUDDY GUY

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BOBBY RUSH & TOM HAMBRIDGE

GRAMMY® award winner and Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famer, Buddy Guy, returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for the Damn Right Farewell Tour! Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of his generation, possessing a sound and style that embodies the traditions of classic Chicago blues while also embracing the fire and flash of rock & roll. Guy began his recording career in 1959 and scored his first hit in 1960 with First Time I Met the Blue. Buddy’s time came in 1991 with the breakthrough of Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues, the first of his many albums to reach the Billboard charts. If his last few decades have proven anything, it’s that a ticket to a Buddy Guy concert isn’t simply a tour through blues history, but an opportunity to see a genre’s foremost practitioner still at the top of his game, with as much to say as ever has. Don’t miss Buddy Guy’s return to Clearwater with special guests Bobby Rush and Tom Hambridge only at Ruth Eckerd Hall!

Buddy Guy at Ruth Eckerd Hall

NOTE: You have to be logged into to get the promotional code. See instructions below.

DETERMINE IF YOU ARE A CURRENT SBS MEMBER

If you not sure if you are a current member, go to the SBS website – www.suncoastblues.org

  • Go to the SHOP option in the Main Menu at the top.
  • Select the MY ACCOUNT option.
  • Fill out the form with your email and your password.
  • If you forgot your password, you can reset it with the LOST YOUR PASSWORD link.
  • You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
  • NOTE: If you do NOT receive your Reset Password email, check your email SPAM folder.

YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT

  • Once you are able to get in via the MY ACCOUNT option, look on the left side for MY MEMBERSHIP.
  • Click on MANAGE (left side) and you will see the status of your membership (ACTIVE or EXPIRED)
  • If your membership has EXPIRED, you can press the RENEW button.
  • You will see a form which you need to update (as needed).
  • Then you will be asked to use PayPal to do your renewal order (you can use a PayPal account OR your own credit card).

 

AFTER YOU LOG IN – CLICK HERE – TO BE TAKEN TO THE CODE PAGE

Become a Suncoast Blues Society Member

Go to our Membership sign up page and choose your Membership! 

In Memoriam: Greg Poulos by TBone Hamilton

In Memoriam: Greg Poulos by TBone Hamilton

In Memoriam: Greg Poulos by TBone Hamilton

My friend for the past 30 years passed away on April 29th 2022. Greg Poulos was one of the most outstanding guitar players that EVER hailed from the Suncoast – his home. I personally known Greg since the time I was in the Poulos Ramsey Band. I wrote this piece to help heal the tremendous loss we are all feeling as family, friends, fans and band mates and to document a small part of his long successful musical career.

The Suncoast Blues Society asked me to permission to cross post this narrative from my website. Of course I accepted!

Its a story that needs to be shared since the SBS family has been fans of Greg for 25 years!!!

A shout out to Sarasota Guitar Legend – Greg Poulos.  Rest in Peace.

TBone Hamilton

 


In Memoriam: Greg Poulos

 

As I recollect, I met Greg Poulos in 1992. I was playing electric bass in Dan Electro (Mike Shannon) and the Silvertones. At that point I was an up-and-coming blues bass player, and I was fortunate enough to already have played with good bands. One man that was instrumental in my early career was Rock Bottom (David York), the harmonica extraordinaire. He scouted me out early on in the 1990’s. He had another band working with him at the time so I never really worked with him as a member of his band but he would recommend me to other musicians, the first being Clint “Deacon” Fuller. After spending some time with the Deacon Fuller Band, I was recruited by Dan Electro to join his band based upon Rock Bottom’s recommendation. Nineteen ninety two was a great year for me as that is when I met my girlfriend who is now my wife Carolyn Hamilton.

TBone & Greg hanging at Skippers Smokehouse

In the Silvertones, I got to play with a real good drummer named Dennis Laak, an excellent guitar player named Kirby Dietz, and Dan Electro on harmonica. That band played a little bit more funk and shook it up with other interesting tunes that I had not challenged before, and, hence, I was excited about being in the band. The Gator Club in Sarasota hired the band to be the house band. We were there 5 to 6 nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday, so literally it was a dream gig. We could leave our gear set up all week. I did not know Greg Poulos personally at this point; I only knew the name and knew that the man was an astounding guitar player.

Well, fast forward. Rock Bottom ended up having a heart attack and all the Tampa Bay blues community came together and had benefit concerts for him, one of which I performed at – the Gator Club in Sarasota, Florida.

READ MORE HERE > 

 

 

Bryan Lee – Dunedin Mardi Gras 2020

Bryan Lee – Dunedin Mardi Gras 2020

Bryan Lee – Dunedin Mardi Gras 2020

Bryan Lee’s Six String Therapy

Our colleague Mike Shivvers over at Blues & Roots Digital Archive completed the editing of the February 2020 Dunedin Mardi Gras Festival performance by blues legend Bryan Lee and his band Six String Therapy.

Sadly, the blues world lost Bryan shortly after this performance and this represents one of his final performances. Thankfully Mike has preserved Bryan’s legend on digital film and he gladly shares it with you on his website.

Bryan Lee – Dunedin Mardi Gras 2020

Playing with Bryan this day as Six String Therapy were Bob Menzies on drums, Ted Fordney on bass, and “Professor” Michael Hensley on keyboards.

Visit Mike’s website and continue to celebrate the legacy of Bryan Lee. He meant so much to the blues world and to this community.
……

Second Harvest Food Bank is the beneficiary of a recent CD that celebrates Bryan and his music. Follow this link if you would like to obtain of copy of “Bryan Lee Old School Blues“, and help out a worthy cause.

 

And the Winner is…

And the Winner is…

And the Winner is…

And the Winner is…

By Blues Stalker (Monte Adkison)

Introduction

Hector Anchondo always kept his eyes on the prize. Growing up on a Missouri farm, as a teen after high school his desire to play music called him and he hit the road. Taking his guitar to Omaha, he began to play and appreciate all genres of music. His passion and interest in the blues led him down the blues highway to Chicago where he brought those influences back to Omaha.

His dedication, talent, sacrifices, and determination finally resulted in recognition by winning numerous awards and the Nebraska State Blues Challenge. Representing the Omaha Blues Society in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) beginning in 2015, Hector competed three times placing first in 2020 in the solo/duo category as well as taking home the Memphis Cigar Box Award for best solo/duo guitarist.

Like so many talented artists, he has been patiently waiting to share his love of the music and demonstrate his skills in this post-pandemic period. He is ready to hit the road again and show why Hector Anchondo is a blues survivor and a fan favorite. As hurricane season is finally coming to an end in Florida, this is one you will welcome in his upcoming tour.

2020 International Blues Challenge

BS: As a veteran participant and the most recent winner of the International Blues Challenge, what advice could you give to future participants?

HA: The advice I’d give is be yourself and don’t worry too much about what others think. Some will like it, and some won’t, no matter the path you choose so why not just be yourself and truly find the ones that like you for you? You always sound better being yourself and you have a more authentic sound. Also, make sure you read the rules front to back and get plenty of metronome practice in.

BS: You represented the Omaha Blues Society in Memphis at the IBC. How important do you think blues societies are today in the music industry and what suggestions would you give them to be more relevant?

HA: Blues Societies are so important in the music industry, if it were not for them it’d be so much harder to get anywhere with your music and touring. Not only do they offer help with booking, but also setting up shows and extra gigs if needed and that can really save an entire tour. Blues Societies also connect artists with an entire network of Blues fans out there.

The Blues wouldn’t be what it is today without them. I can’t offer any suggestions to Blues Societies other than to make sure you’re on all the social media sites.

In the Market for Blues

BS: In 2015 you created your own local blues festival, In the Market for Blues, in Omaha. That festival has expanded each year to recently over 40 local, regional, and national acts at multiple venues. Can you tell us how that came about and due to current circumstances, when do you think it will happen again?

HA: That came about after my first year playing in the IBC, it was 2015 and walking down Beale Street I couldn’t help but think how the cobble stone streets and the buildings reminded me so much of the Old Market in Omaha, NE. I thought, Omaha’s Old Market would be perfect for a Blues festival and what better way to create a Beale Street, or Bourbon Street music experience right in Omaha?

The scene fit perfect. I brought the idea to Emily Cox of E3 Music Management and she loved the idea, so we worked together to make it a reality. Now it’s made possible by the Blues Society of Omaha and E3 Entertainment as well as all the wonderful sponsors. We’re hoping to get it started back up in 2021 but we will have to watch how things look at the time. It’s an honor to work with everyone and they deserve all the credit for all the hard work they do.

Chicago

BS: Hector, your deep interest in the blues drew you to Chicago to learn and observe from the tradition of the old blues masters. Can you tell us about that experience and how it affected your music?

HA: That was a really great experience for me and my playing, it really got me out of my shell and help me discover more of who I am and what my sound is. I mostly observed and tried to soak it in as much as possible.

I played in jams with Mary Lane and Rockin’ Johnny and sometimes Johnny would get me up for a few songs at his shows too. Thankful for that. The person that played the biggest role in my Chicago music experience was my bassist Todd Fackler. He’d play bass for Tail Dragger at Legends and Todd would get me into the shows.

It was there I really got to soak up with the pros were doing. If Todd had not got me in on the guest list, I wouldn’t have never been able to afford to go. I also got to catch shows at Kingston Mines and lived in walking distance from Rosa’s Lounge. I learned a lot about music, myself, and life while I was out there.

Recordings and Gear

BS: Your chart-topping 2017 release, “Roll the Dice” was a real boost to your recognition on the national and international blues scene. Can you tell us what you are working on now to follow that up? Is a solo album a possibility?

HA: I’m working on my solo album now and I’m hoping for a release early next year. I have been wanting to do an acoustic solo album for a long time and with everything that’s happened this year and winning the IBC solo/duo category, it feels like the right time. So be on the lookout for the new album early next year.

BS: You are an endorsee of Delaney Guitars. For the gear heads out there, tell us about the custom axe that Mike Delaney created for you.

HA: To have Delaney Guitars endorse me is an honor and something I’m proud of, it was a big step forward in my career. My latest guitar is a Delaney Sonata, it is a beautiful guitar and I love it play it. It has a Mahogany body and a Birdseye Maple top. Delaney humbucker pickups and it is set up with a split coil feature so that I can get humbucker sound or a single coil sound. I love the versatility.

Touring

BS: Please introduce us to the Hector Anchondo touring Band…

HA: The one other full-time member of the band is Khayman Winfield, he’s been touring with me for seven years and has really hung in there. I’m thankful for his dedication and I don’t know how I’d do it without him. It’s been a lot of years since that I have had a full-time bassist.

BS: Speaking of touring, you are about to embark on a month-long tour of Florida. I know that Suncoast Blues Society fans are excited about your show scheduled for the Blue Rooster in Sarasota.

HA: I’m excited to get down to Florida and play for a while. We’re going to be living there for the winter and looking forward to meeting folks and playing as much music as I can while I’m down there. I’m also looking forward to the Blue Rooster show.

(Editor’s note: Suncoast Blues Society is sponsoring Hector Anchondo at the Hideaway Café in St. Petersburg. For tickets

2020

BS: The pandemic has financially impacted Artists. How have you personally compensated by the loss of touring dates and gigs?

HA: I tried to drop my expenses as low as I possibly could with having a family to take care of. We moved full time in an RV to try to ride out the economic downturn. I have also been playing online shows and still playing in person shows when I can.

I try to be as safe as possible while playing and try to take every gig I can. I teach online guitar lessons too. It has been very hard to make ends meet but we’re getting through it one day at a time and thankful that I can still play some to earn a living, or at least for right now, just get by.

Links

BS: Can fans follow you on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook?

HA: Yes, they can, and I welcome everyone to check out all the social media sites

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Twitter

Thank you, Hector. You are truly an inspiration for all those struggling artists who are attempting to survive doing what you love during these uncertain times. Best of luck to you!

 

 

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