HELP FOR ITS KIDS

October 20 & 21, 2007
Downtown Phoenix, Arizona
Jackson Street, between 1st and 2nd Streets

Presented by the Phoenix Blues Society, Independent Events and Alice Cooper'sTown

Saturday, October 20th artist bios   Kal David and the Real Deal featuring Lauri Bono Born and raised in Chicago, Kal’s recording career began as a teenager when, as a member of Kal David and the Exceptions, he was signed to a contract with King Records and later to Vee-Jay Records. Another member of the group was Peter Cetera, who later became the vocalist for a band known as Chicago. Later on, Kal joined musical forces with guitarist Paul Cotton to form the group, The Rovin’ Kind. This band recorded for Dunwich Records, and following a name change to Illinois Speed Press and a move to Los Angeles, Kal and Paul hit their stride, recording two critically acclaimed albums for Columbia Records, Illinois Speed Press and Duet. ISP was so loved that these albums have recently been re-released on CD by popular demand. Kal and Paul’s efforts with Illinois Speed Press served them well, for as Paul went on to become guitarist for Poco, Kal moved to Woodstock, New York, where he formed the Fabulous Rhinestones with ex-Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks. They recorded three well-received albums: Fabulous Rhinestones, Freewheelin’ for Paramount Records, and Rhinestones for 20th Century Records. With the Rhinestones, Kal refined his talents as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter to the point where even today, long after its disbanding, the group is remembered with fondness and respect for its musical contributions. Their albums have also been re-released on CD. In the 80’s Kal made his true commitment to the blues idiom as a guitarist and as a singer/songwriter. In the studio or on tour, his commitment was evident in his work as a featured guitarist for Etta James, Johnny Rivers and with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, where he inherited the lead guitar chair from Mick Taylor. Az a solo artist Kal recorded two albums for SoulCoast Records, Never a Dull Moment and Double Tuff. With chart topping, impressive record sales internationally and numerous television appearances, including a one-hour Kal David special in Germany, Kal’s reputation grew worldwide. A move to Palm Springs, CA in search of a more creative environment resulted in Blue Guitar, Kal and partner Lauri Bono’s premier Blues and Jazz nightclub, which they successfully ran and performed at for 8 years much to the delight of audiences from all over the world. Three CDs, Kal David Live at Blue Guitar…by request, Kal David Live at Blue Guitar…Last Call and Lauri Bono featuring Kal David Live at Blue Guitar…Last Call were recorded there. Blue Guitar was sold in 2004 to accommodate Kal’s upward spiraling career. Kal’s dedication to the proliferation of the music he loves has inspired him to pass along his knowledge and experience to the younger generations. He gives lectures and raises funds whenever possible to put instruments and music back in the schools. “Every child should have the right and access to music education. It is a proven fact that it helps in all other aspects of learning. Music defines our lives and lights the fire of passion.” In another teaching endeavor, Kal’s very popular Guitar Master Classes are fueling the fire for a lot of new and established guitar players. “It is incredibly wonderful and satisfying to share my years of learning and passion for what I do with a class and know that I have made a difference in their lives!” To fully experience Kal David’s tremendous talent, you must see him live. Kal’s soul baring voice along with his blazing guitar playing will provide you with an unparalled electrifying performance! Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy A recent Blues Music Award nominee for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year, Diunna Greenleaf, the leader of Blue Mercy, is a Houston, Texas native whose roosts are deeply steeped in Gospel Music. With influences including Koko Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Rosetta Thorpe, Sam Cooke, Charles Brown and her own parents, Ben & Mary Ella Greenleaf, Diunna combines intricate patches of jazz, gospel and heartfelt soul into her own style of Blues destined to take the listener on an emotional roller coaster ride. She’s worked hard to develop her own brand of “Diunna’s Blues” in the same tradition as so many other great Texas blues men and women. Joining Diunna on stage is Jonn Richardson, lead guitarist and an intrical part of Blues Mercy for the last six years. Winner of the 2005 Albert King Award at the International Blues Challenge for best guitarist, its Jonn’s guitar playing and Diunna’s vocals that bring the Blue Mercy sound to the forefront as a perfect example of true Texas Blues. Hardworking performers, Diunna & Blue Mercy have opened for and performed with the likes of Bob Margolin, Keb’ Mo, Willie “Pinetop” Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, James Cotton, Carrie Bell, Big Bill Morganfield, Smoking Joe Kubek & B’Nois King, Anson Funderburgh, Sam Meyers & the Rockets, Bernard Allison, Odetta, Rod Piazza & the Might Flyers, I.J. Gosey, Sherman Robertson, Kenny Neal, the late great Teddy “Cry Cry” Reynolds and numerous other artists who have befriended this Texas band. Diunna and Blue Mercy have performed throughout the United States and Internationally, most recently at the Lugano Blues Festival and the Bern Jazz Festival, both in Switzerland. A busy touring schedule has them on the road performing in front of audiences throughout the United States as well as foreign festivals in Canada, England, Italy, France and the Virgin Islands. Most recently the band has been asked back to play the prestigious Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland for a return engagement. Eddie Turner “Otherworldly”, “scorching”, “polyrhythmic” and “chilling” have all been used to describe Eddie Turner’s guitar playing. His ethereal style is an amalgam of the Afro-Cuban rhythms of his heritage and the music that influenced him as a teenager: Chicago blues, jazz, r&b and psychedelic rock. The Cuban-born singer/guitarist cut his teeth in several rock bands contributing what Slate magazine describes as “spacey-yet-resounding solos. Eddie “Devilboy" Turner picked up his first guitar, a candy apple multi-pickup Japanese Teisco when he was twelve. Raised in Chicago, he moved to the Rockies in the early 70's to attend the University of Colorado; “a ruse,” he says, “to get my parents to keep sending checks.” More inspired by music than by academia, Turner immersed himself in the local scene, and stints with some notable acts ensued. He played in the region’s first punk/r&b band The Immortal Nightflames, then with Grammy nominees Tracy Nelson, Mother Earth, and the 4-nikators, a group that has become legendary for its unique mix of Soul, Motown, and rock.  Turner got the chance to grab at the brass ring when Colorado compadre Tommy Bolin left his band Zephyr to form The James Gang and Deep Purple. He eagerly joined the hard rock, psychedelic, blues band as a guitarist, singer and songwriter.  But, tragedy struck with the sudden death of Zephyr lead singer Candy Givens.  Deeply shaken, Eddie decided to “grow up” by taking a hiatus from performing music to become a realtor in Denver. Yet, some people just refuse to “grow up”. A decade later, when Eddie was invited to join the Ron Miles electric band led by one of the country’s premier trumpeters, he jumped at the chance. Then, in 1995 he rounded out the Otis Taylor Band adding what Guitar Player magazine describes as “otherworldly atmospherics (that) lend a decidedly cosmic ambience to Taylor’s sound.” Enhancing the spice and flavor of the trio, Eddie recorded five groundbreaking albums with Taylor, and toured the U.S. and Europe extensively. Going solo didn’t go unnoticed. NorthernBlues Music, who had worked with Otis Taylor in his early career, snatched Turner up and released his first solo effort, Rise, in early 2005. Produced by Kenny Passarelli, who often tours with Turner, Rise showcases Eddie’s vocals and songwriting. Running the gamut from blistering guitar rock to gospel-tinged melodies, the 12-song disc dazzles with the chops and techniques Turner has developed over the course of his unusual, genre-melding career. Rise is evolutionary music – and quite grown up, indeed – so much so that it earned Turner a Blues Music Award “Best New Artist Debut:” nomination. In mid-2006 Turner returned with his sophomore release for NorthernBlues Music entitled The Turner Diaries. As he explains “This record is akin to the hard-edged blues of bands like Cream and Fleetwood Mac in the mid to late 60’s before they were polished into the rock genre trading raw blues content to flash and showmanship. Another comparison might be Muddy Waters unleashing his “Electric Mud’ record. This record is me, myI influences and my music without limitations or confinements.” The album recently received recognition as a finalist in the 6th annual Independent Music Awards and Denver Westword’s 2007 Best Blues Album. Cold Shott and The Hurricane Horns Formed iesa, AZ in 1990, COLD SHOTT and The Hurricane Horns have worked to become a powerful mainstay in the Arizona R&B, Blues, Funk and Soul music circuits as well as community/municipal festivals and showcases. The band has many veteran Arizona musicians who have played professionally for up to 30+ years, not only in Arizona but all across the United States! Boasting a rocking rhythm section and a 3-piece horn section, the band is sure to make you get up and dance playing Classic and Contemporary R&B, Soul, Blues, Rock, Funk and Jazz. The Arizona Republic named COLD SHOTT and The Hurricane as Arizona’s Best Blues Band in 2000. They hold true to their motto: “Gimmick-free pro performance with ‘old school’ authenticity.” Jerry Lawson Jerry Lawson, who for nearly 40 years fronted the legendary a cappella group, The Persuasions, has moved on. The man who led the celebrated quintet---and recorded and toured with numerous artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Liza Minnelli, Joni Mitchell and Frank Zappa---is heading in many new directions. Jerry’s new a cappella group “Jerry Lawson & Talk of The Town” have just released their CD. It is made up of the harmonies he dreamed of but could never achieve until now. You may have seen them with Rod Stewart on the Katrina Benefit singing “People Get Ready” & the group is also being featured on Nickelodeon’s Noggin network for kids. As music writer Rip Rense put it, "By any fair measure, Lawson is really one of the best singers of the last 50 years---up there with Sam Cooke, Brook Benton, Jerry Butler & Nat King Cole." After a life spent largely on the road, taking the Brooklyn-born Persuasions all over the globe, Lawson and his wife have settled in Scottsdale, Arizona where he performs periodically. It's not unusual for Lawson to be dining out and between courses join the musicians and croon awhile. The effect on the audience is invariably stunning. Think: Superman entering a weightlifting contest in street clothes. www.jerrylawson.biz Big Nick & the Gila Monsters Big Nick & the Gila Monsters found their home in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, in Phoenix, Arizona. BNGM are a guitar and harmonica based Blues band paying homage to the likes of Muddy Waters, Jimmie Lee Vaughan, and the cool Texas big band vibe of T-bone Walker, all while keeping their roots solidly in what they like to refer to as their “Sonoran Sound”. While their rough and tumble “Roadhouse Quartet” is their mainstay, they can break down into a mostly acoustic country blues quartet with a very rootsy feel, or blister the stage with the addition of the powerhouse Groove Merchants Horn Section that turns them into a “Big City” Blues Octet. A festival favorite, BNGM have performed three times at the West Fest in Paso Robles California, three times at the Phoenix Blues Society's Blues Blast, and twice they performed at the Fender Catalina Island Blues Festival in California. They are the only performers to have been asked back for a repeat performance at that prestigious event. The Arizona Republic, the state’s newspaper of record, named Big Nick and the Gila Monsters as Arizona’s Best Blues Band, two years in a row, in 2004 and 2005. (They have since stopped the practice). With 5 CDs under their belts they are as comfortable in the studio as they are in a honky tonk. Their live shows are legend throughout the Southwest as being ones to not miss. BNGM is endorsed by Fender Musical Instruments for Guitars, Basses, Amplifiers and Strings, Gretch Guitars, and TJS Custom Drums. Nick also plays Lee Oskar harmonicas exclusively. Sir Harrison & The Blues Kings Born and raised in Tucson, Harrison “Sir Harrison” Begay started playing music in Tucson at age 8. He started his current 3-piece project four years ago upon moving to Flagstaff, AZ. Band members include bassist Richard Neville and drummer Ron James, with Sir Harrison as lead vocalist and lead guitarist. Sir Harrison released his first CD earlier this year and has been turning heads with his own sounds and style that features both traditional and modern blues music. The CHUCK HALL BAND In music, as in all art forms, there are musicians and there are players. Musicians have the talent and passion for their art that distinguishes them among their peers. When you hear these musicians play, you know it's the real thing. The Chuck Hall Band creates art in the form of music. The recipe they use is simple: Start with blues that's so greasy it clogs the arteries in your ears. Stir in generous portions of refined talent and raw passion, add a dash of showmanship sprinkled with a touch of salty humour and cook on high heat until it smokes. Serve steaming hot. The result is a spicy musical feast that satisfies but always leaves you wanting more. Chuck Hall, was raised in Louisiana and Texas listening to the likes of Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, and Albert King. Since moving to the Valley in 1984, he has become a well-known and respected musician. As a 30-year veteran in the music business, Chuck has played with some of the best, opening shows for Albert Collins, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Albert King, Willie Dixon, Robert Cray, Gregg Allman, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and many others. In addition, he has written over 100 songs and more than half of the band's playlist is original material. Chuck's unique talent and uncompromising dedication to his craft have earned him accolades among fans and critics. He won "Best Blues Guitarist" in the Char's Has the Blues competition two years in a row, and his song "Young Boy" was selected Best Song of 1986. For years considered the best blues guitarist in Arizona, Chuck continues a rigorous pace of performing, writing, and recording with the band. The rhythm section of the band, comprised of John Moore on bass and Ebbert Geppner on drums, is rock solid and precise, and is the perfect complement to Chuck's raw, in-your-face guitar style. The mixture of these talents is what makes the music seem larger than life. HoneyBoy Dupree & the Smokehouse HoneyBoy Dupree & the Smokehouse Players have been a mainstay on the Phoenix blues scene for nearly ten years and are known for they're high energy, blues rocking performances as well as their charitable work for children's causes. HoneyBoy Dupree & the Smokehouse Players, winners of the 2001 Arizona Blues Showdown, went on to play to enthusiastic audiences in Memphis, TN that year as result. 2003 and 2006 saw the band taking second and third places respectively in the ABS. Sal Caffarello, a.k.a. HoneyBoy Dupree, originally from New Jersey, is a former member of Nasty Ned & the Famous Chili Dogs having shared the stage with Bobby "Blue" Bland, Delbert McClinton, Big Jack Johnson, The Nighthawks and others. In 2005, Sal won semi-finalist honors with the International Song Writing Competition for his song, "Walking Sin" which is featured on the band's latest CD; Anybody Seen My Baby. The CD received rave reviews in Blues Bytes, St. Louis Blues and Elmore Magazine. HoneyBoy Dupree & the Smokehouse Players featuring Cafferello on lead vocals and bass, Big Mack Mason on keys, Jim Glass on guitar and Dave Davis on drums, were recently well received at Buddy Guy's pre show party at the Mesa Arts Center. The Rocket 88’s The Rocket 88’s were formed in 1980 and continues today under the leadership of founder “Bullit” Bill Tarsha, Arizona’ s Premiere Blues Harmonica player. Since its formation the band has featured some of the best Arizona blues artists. The band has 12 recordings, TV and movie music scores and many domestic and European tours on the resume. The Rocket 88’s have also earned many “Best Blues Band” awards in Arizona as well as “Best Blues Band” and “Best Female Vocalist” awards by national and international music publications. They have shared the stage with many respected Blues greats such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Son House. “Bullit” Bill Tarsha is their harmonica player and vocalist filling in on drums when needed. Susie Tarsha provides bass and vocals and Dave Forster plays guitar and keyboard.

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