Walla Walla Blues Society’s

Volume 22 Issue 5 MAY 2015

FREE! 2015 WBS Winners - Ted Todd – Sunbanks Blues Festival

The Walla Walla Blues Society Blues News

The Blues News is the official publication of the Walla Walla Blues Society. Any articles, advertising, etc. must be submitted to the Editor no later than the 15th of each month. All submissions become the property of the Walla Walla Blues Society. Views and opinions expressed by individuals represented in the Blues News are not necessarily those of the WWBS. Permission to reprint any material herein should be obtained from the Editor. The Walla Walla Blues Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are therefore tax deductible.

WWBS Officers President: Mike Hammond Vice Prez: Irving Rosenberg Treasurer: Verna Reesman Secretary: Kim Ruchert IFK Coord: Mike Hammond BITS Coord: Torch Davis Webmaster: Rich Smith Blues News Editor: Rand, Margaret and

Mike Memebership Cord. Donna Copeland Board of Directors George Copeland Donna Copeland Rich Smith Laura Hall Torch Davis

Advertising The Blues News wants to advertise your business, event or promotion. Email pattykeyes@charter.net Rates : Full Page : 8 1/2 x 11 $80.00 Half Page : 5 1/2 x 8 ½ $65.00 1/4 Page : 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 $55.00 Bus. Card : 2 x 3 1/2 $45.00 (10% discount on ads that run 6 months or more)

Membership Blues Society Members will receive a cool membership card, the Blues News newsletter, various perks and discounts from time to time (including the Blues Lottery), and the satisfaction of knowing you have helped to promote this unique American art form known as The Blues in Walla Walla and the surrounding area. Annual dues : Single Membership : $ 20.00 Family Membership : $ 30.00 Supporting Membership : $ 50.00 Corporate Sponsor : $100.00

The Walla Walla Blues Society 8237 Mill Creek Rd.

Walla Walla, WA 99362 wwbs@ bmi.net

2012 Walla Walla Blues Society

MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS Walla Walla Blues Society meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is June 2nd at 5:30p.m. at Jacobi’s café with open mic to follow from 6:30 to 8:30. Come on down and have some great food and beverages. Youth are encouraged to jam with us.

8237 Mill Creek Rd. Walla Walla WA 99362

CHECK US OUT ON

The Washington Blues Society proudly announces the list of the winners of the 2015 Best of the Blues Awards. The awards were presented April 12th at the Kirkland Performance Center. Mark DuFresne Male Vocalist - KEVIN SUTTON Female Vocalist - POLLY O'KEARY Electric Blues Guitar - ROD COOK Slide Blues Guitar - NICK VIGARINO Blues Bass - FARKO DOSUMOV Chris Leighton Blues Drummer – RICK BOWEN Paul Green Blues Harmonica - JIM McLAUGHLIN Blues Horn - JAMES KING Blues Piano/Keyboard - CHRIS KLEIMAN Acoustic Blues Guitar – ROD COOK Instrumentalist - Other - DAN TYACK Blues Act – HOT WIRED RHYTHM BAND Solo/Duo Blues Act - NICK VIGARINO'S BACK PORCH STOMP New Blues Band - RAFAEL TRANQUILINO Blues Performer - CD WOODBURY Blues Songwriter - POLLY O'KEARY Washington Blues Recording “COMPASS” by POLLY O'KEARY Blues Writer RICK BOWEN Blues Club - HIGHWAY 99 BLUES CLUB Blues DJ - JANICE CLEVEN GAGE Blues Graphic Artist - DENNIS HACKER Keeping the Blues Alive - TOM HUNNEWELL Lifetime Achievement – RAVEN HUMPHRIES Non-Festival Blues Event - RAVEN'S JAMS FOR CANS Blues Hall of Fame - KEVIN SUTTON Community Blues Festival - EBEY ISLAND FREEDOM FEST Open Blues Jam - RAGING RIVER BLUES JAM Regional Blues Festival - WINTHROP RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL Little Bill and the Blue Notes Traditional Blues Act - BRIAN LEE and the ORBITERS Blues Image – TOM HUNNEWELL BLUESLETTER COVER by JEF JAISUN Congratulations to all the Winners The Washington Blues Society, Rick J Bowen visit us at www.wablues.org

CHECK OUR NEW WEB SITE OUT AT WWBS.ORG

Walla Walla Blues Society’s Blues Bash 2015

Originally from Houston, Texas, Teresa is based in Los Angeles where she has assembled a group of some of the top LA based touring and session musicians in her band, The Rhythm Tramps.

They have been working in the LA area and at blues festivals and clubs throughout the US and Europe for many years. For the last 12 years, the band has also been a favorite on Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches Blues Cruise. Of her 8 CD’s released, her most recent “COME ON HOME” was released in August, 2012 and has been getting regular airplay on stations around the world and charting for weeks at a time on the Roots Radio Charts (topping off at the #3 spot). It has been listed on many “best of” lists for 2012 and has been receiving raves reviews from writers and DJs everywhere.

Teresa’s 2008 release “THE BOTTOM LINE” garnered her a nomination by the Blues Foundation for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year and her 2010 CD “YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT” was a finalist for an Independent Music Award (IMA). She has performed live with such legendary artists as Levon Helm, Delbert McClinton, Eric Burdon, Marcia Ball, Tommy Castro, Big Al Anderson, Kirk Whalum, and many others.

Her voice is featured on album recordings by Randy Newman, Eric Burdon, Tommy Castro, Bill Medley, and Walter Trout, among others. Teresa also sang for television and movie soundtracks, she and her band were featured in the Disney movie and soundtrack for "HOLES".

Teresa's band is an eclectic mix of Los Angeles based musicians who have worked with a wide range of artists including: Jimmy Reed, Eric Burdon, Jackson Browne, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warnes, Was Not Was, Johnny Nash and many, many others.

Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps will be performing at the 2015 Walla Walla Blues Society’s Blues Bash Saturday May 16th at Main Street Studio in Walla Walla. 6 p.m. Showtime.

Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps

…Blues Bash 2015 Polly O'Keary, award-winning and world-touring bass player, vocalist and songwriter, is back in the northwest with a brand new band, Polly O'Keary & The Rhythm Method. With her top-shelf trio, featuring

Tommy Cook on drums and Seattle Slim on guitar, Polly performs a mix of soul, funk, blues and rock that has won her top honors as a songwriter, singer and performer from blues societies around the Pacific Northwest. She is well known for her explosive stage performances, her powerful and expressive voice, and her powerful bass grooves. She has had a long career in blues, and brings 25 years of experience to the stage. Polly began playing music in bars in Mexico at 16 and after an early rock career that included a record deal, she fell in love with blues at age 28. She put together a band that quickly caught the attention of Pacific Northwest blues fans. Playing top venues and festivals and winning many awards, she was first named Washington Blues Society Female Vocalist of the Year in 2004, and has won it twice more since then as well as many other awards and nominations. Her first and second albums were well-reviewed. The second was named Album of the Year by the WBS, and Polly was named Songwriter of the Year.

Polly and her drummer and partner Tommy Cook got a chance to take rhythm section duties for northwest legend Too Slim and the Taildraggers, the two toured internationally. After four years Polly O'Keary has once again formed her own trio and is back bringing catchy songwriting, scorching vocals and riotous bass to stages in the United States and Canada. The powerful album “Compass” (2013), is the newest release from Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method. Iguana Hat is a Walla Walla Blues Band that played many Festivals and Clubs and released two CD’s of originals “Leapin Lizards” and “Not Your Usual Lounge Lizards”. In 2004 they went on hold while Dave Joseph attended college only to play at a few special events. Dave Joseph, Mike Cook, Jim “JJ” Johnson and Mike Hammond are now playing again and their “come back” gig will be the Blues Bash, Saturday May 16th at Main Street Studios. Showtime 6pm.

Buy Tickets to the Blues Bash Right Now !

Ted Todd At the request of Anita Royce of the Inland Empire Blues Society (Spokane, WA) I am sharing with you a tragic loss of one of our own. Ted Todd, longtime host of several Blues shows-most recently Blowtorch Blues, died in his sleep last night while visiting his brother in law, Mick Kolassa, in Memphis. Many of you have met Ted or are good friends with him. For those of you who don’t know, Ted was THE BLUES in Spokane. The IEBS wouldn’t exist, at least at the level it does, without all the work that Ted put in. He held probably every office in the organization at one time or another. He was the main man behind their annual awards as well as their Blues Cats For Kids fundraiser. He travelled to many festivals on behalf of the organization and, when he wasn’t emceeing, he was handling the merchandise (or both). He won so many awards that he once said that he didn’t want to win any more “Give someone else chance”. He was in the IEBS Hall of Fame in several categories. His value to the Blues community was recognized nationally when he won the Keeping The Blues Alive Award at the 2012 Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards. He also served as judge several times at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. If you know Ted you know he never got in a big hurry, he could be gruff but had a huge heart and low voice. Ted, as his son has said, walked slow and talked low. I have many stories and I will share these on my show in the coming weeks. I hope that you can spare a moment on your show to honor this fallen champion of the music we love so much. As Anita told me Ted Todd will always be in the Blues Hall of Fame in our hearts. Thank you, Respectfully BiggDaddy Ray Hansen Blues Therapy Radio Show Walla Walla WA. Too slim and the tail draggers: We are absolutely heartbroken and devastated to hear about the passing of our dear friend Ted Todd. Our hearts go out to Kay and all of Ted's family. Ted was the heart and soul of the Spokane and Inland Empire blues community. He was the greatest guy and was a straight shooter and told it just like it was. Nancy and I loved this man and bow are heads in remembrance of the legacy he left in the NW music scene. You will be so missed.. God rest your soul Bromigo and thank you for all that you have done and the support you have given to so many people through the years. We loved you my friend and I know so many others did as well. R.I.P. Ted Todd

Sunbanks Blues Festival May 14-17 2015

Sunbanks Festival Schedule May 14 - 17, 2015

Thursday, May 14, 2015 Cantina Schedule: 8:00 SB Slim 9:00 Kim Archer 10:00 Heather & Donny Jones 11:00 Rubberneck Friday, May 15, 2015 4:30 Courtney Marie Andrews 6:00 Billy Stoops 7:30 Big Monti 9:00 Jason Ricci 10:30 Terry Hanck Saturday, May 16, 2015 1:00 Trevalyan Triangle 2:30 The Charlatones 4:00 Red House 5:30 Brian Lee & the Orbiters 7:00 Andy T & Nick Nixon Band 9:00 John Nemeth 11:00 Roseland Hunters Sunday, May 17, 2015 1:00 Larry Murante 2:30 The Fabulous Roofshakers 4:00 Steve Bailey & the Blue Flames 5:30 Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps 7:30 Bump Kitchen

The semi-annual Sunbanks Resort Rhythm & Blues Festival takes place during the fall and the spring. Every year hundreds of people make their way to Sunbanks Resort in order to take part in the Rhythm & Blues Festival every May and September.

The four-day festival brings rhythm and blues bands from around the state and the country. This year the festival will celebrate its 15th anniversary. The Sunbanks Resort Rhythm & Blues Festival has been awarded Best Blues Festival in the Northwest two years in a row.

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MEMBERSHIPS $20 Single $30 Family $50 Supporting $100 Corporate Sponsor

Please make checks payable to The Walla Walla Blues Society and mail to :

Walla Walla Blues Society

8237 Mill Creek Rd. Walla Walla, WA 99362

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