Happy birthday to Buzz! Buzz and the Soul Senders will be at Char's Has The Blues on Friday, June 4th --- and it's Buzz's birthday! Rounding out an extra hot weekend of blues at Char's will be Bad News Blues Band on Saturday, June 5th.

Cold Shott & the Hurricane Horns featuring Small Paul will be the Rhythm Room on Saturday, June 5th, with special guest star Jerry Lawson. Jerry and Small Paul make beautiful music together, so this is a show not to be missed! The Cold Shott gang will be putting on a free show on Friday, June 4th, from 7:00 until 10:00 pm at Desert Ridge Marketplace, located at the Loop 101 and Tatum in Scottsdale.

Lil' Debbie & Blue Plate Special will be at Copper Canyon Brewing & Ale House, 5945 W. Ray Rd., Chandler (SE Corner of Ray & Kyrene), from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am on Saturday, June 5th.

Hans Olson has several Happy Hour gigs this month at Sugar Daddy's, as the venerable Arizona bluesman appears there on June 14th, 19th and 29th.

A pair of "Big" bands will share the Rhythm Room stage on Saturday, June 12th, when Big Nick & the Gila Monsters and Big Daddy D & The Dynamites appear in a real blockbuster show. Be sure to wear your sturdiest dancin' shoes for this evening of hot blues!

The Arizona Legislature has passed a budget bill that includes both:

• the $1.8 million appropriation to the Arizona Commission on the Arts
• the $2 million annual deposit for the Arizona ArtShare Arts Endowment

Sunday, August 22nd - Back Porch Blues (our yearly celebration of traditional blues featuring national and local blues artists) - Headline artists will be David "Honeyboy" Edwards and Alvin Youngblood Hart. Other details will be announced soon.

Arizona Blues Showdown dates (Acts from all around the state compete each year through PBS for the chance to be selected as the Arizona representative in each division for the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge, held in Memphis, Tennessee)
Sunday, September 19th -  (Solo/Duo division) - applications and rules to be available soon.
Sunday, November 7th & 14th - Arizona Blues Showdown (Band division) - applications and rules available in August. Qualifying rounds will be held on 11/7 with the Finals on 11/14.

Sunday, February 27th - Blues Blast 2005 (An annual PBS event for 13 consecutive years and the first outdoor blues festival of the calendar year. View more information about Blues Blast and the roster of internationally-known blues musicians who have appeared there through the Phoenix Blues Society website).

Bar Nun
40th St. & Chandler Blvd.
480-706-5564

Barcelona's
900 N. 54th St.
480-785-9004

Brass Rail
3738 E. Thomas

Char's Has the Blues
4631 N. 7th Ave.
602-230-0205

Craiger's Restaurant & Lounge
5400 N. 59th Ave.
Glendale
623 934-8071

Fat Cats
915 W. Grand Ave.
602-252-0988

Fifth Avenue Cafe
501 W. Thomas
(602) 274-0963

Minder Binder's
McClintock & University
Tempe
480-966-1911

Monroe's
3 W. Monroe St.
602-258-1046

Pat Murphy's
32nd St. & Thomas
602-522-0669

Philthy Phil's
2939 N. 16th St.
602-279-4339

Rhythm Room
1019 E. Indian School Rd.
602-265-4842

Sugar Daddy's
3102 N. Scottsdale Rd.
480-970-6556

Warsaw Wally's Too
15220 N. Cave Creek