I'm sharing a few photos taken at the Chautauqua Hills Blues Fest. in Sedan, KS.  This small festival is a hidden jewell in southern Kansas.  Well organized, produced, and staged on a grassy, tree lined field, the festival featured a great line-up at affordable ticket prices.  

 

Driving less than two hours from Tulsa, I arrived along with Robbie Mack, Candice & Debbie at noon in Sedan, Kansas. 

 

One of the acts that I wanted to hear was Trampled Under Foot, who won the International Blues Challenge [IBC] in Memphis earlier this year.  Although I was in Memphis for the event, I was not available to hear TUF, while attending the annual event sponsored by the Blues.org.  Little Joe McLerran & the Big Three Trio were also in the semi-finals, along with 160 bands from around the world.  During that three day event I tracked the event through photos at http://www.littlejoeblues.com/MemphisIBC2008a.htm

 

Returning early to Tulsa that evening we missed the evening performance of Moreland & Arbuckle and The Insomniacs.   Returning to Ron and Kelly's home in Tulsa, Little Joe McLerran & the Big Three Trio continued the party into the night with steaks and an abundance of liquid refreshments. 
 

It was a good day. 

 

-Visit the official website for the Chautauqua Hills festival - http://www.cqbluesfest.com/ 
-The website for the annual Interntional Blues Festival in Memphis - http://www.blues.org

-Little Joe McLerran's official website: www.littlejoeblues.com

 

 

 

Little Joe McLerran in Memphis at the Blues Joint on Beale St. in 2006.   His new CD, Live At Last Vol. 1, will be released Oct. 2007.   Yours truly will be playing drums.  Also, I provided the art work for the cd.

Fats Domino Gives Back to New Orleans

Legendary Musician Donates Proceeds of New Release
to Tipitina's Foundation

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 24.06-- The Tipitina's Foundation announced today that legendary R&B and rock 'n' roll singer, songwriter and pianist, Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino Jr., is donating proceeds from his new album "Alive and Kickin" to the Tipitina's Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to music education, music business development, and preserving Louisiana's unique musical cultures.

"Alive and Kickin" is Fats Domino's first new release since "Christmas Gumbo" in 1993. "Fats was looking for a meaningful way to give back to his hometown after Hurricane Katrina," said Tipitina's Foundation co-founder Roland von Kurnatowski. "He made it very clear that he was making this donation to us because he felt it was important to support the Foundation in its efforts to rebuild the New Orleans music community."

In a scene that played out on television screens around the world, on September 1, 2005, the 77-year-old Domino was rescued from the roof of his flooded home in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward by a Coast Guard helicopter. After spending time in a shelter and apartments in Baton Rouge, the Domino family returned to New Orleans in October to begin rebuilding their home.

"This album is a soulful musical message from Fats to his millions of fans around the world that he, the people of his beloved city of New Orleans, and its vibrant musical community are 'Alive and Kickin'" said Bill Taylor, Director of the Tipitina's Foundation. Eleven of the album's 13 tracks were recorded over the decade prior to Hurricane Katrina, but the effort took on a renewed sense of urgency for Fats as his hometown has pulled together to rebuild.

Fats Domino's "Alive and Kickin" is only available online at http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org/. A CD can be obtained by making a donation to the Tipitina's Foundation. Proceeds will go toward helping save and rebuild the New Orleans music community. By supporting musicians who have suffered devastating losses from displacement, homelessness, and a lack of jobs and instruments, Fats Domino and the Tipitina's Foundation are ensuring that New Orleans' unique musical heritage will be preserved.

 

Source: Tipitina's Foundation

 

[ Trivia:  Fats Domin's birth name was Antoine Domino ]

Tipitina Foundation helps New Orleans Musicians

New Orleans Music in Exile - Tipitina Foundation

Concert and Benefit Event on May 13 at New Orleans House of Blues Will Raise Funds for Local Musicians, School Music Programs. 'New Orleans Music in Exile' Feature-length Documentary to Premiere on Starz InBlack Saturday, May 20, 2006

With New Orleans still recovering from the devastation by Hurricane Katrina, Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) announced today that it will premiere an original documentary, "New Orleans Music in Exile" which chronicles the horror and heartbreak of musicians who lived through the disaster. On Saturday, May 13, artists featured in the film, along with some very special guests, will perform at the House of Blues for the "New Orleans Music in Exile Concert and Benefit."

Funds raised from the "New Orleans Music in Exile Concert and Benefit" will support the Tipitina's Foundation's "Instruments A Comin'" and "Hurricane Katrina: Artist Relief" programs. These efforts provide material support for school music programs and direct assistance to musicians and their families affected by hurricane Katrina.

Note: The Tipitna Foundation is working to help displaced musicians, many of which lost their homes,  livelihood and their instruments.  You can help by donating to the Tipitina Foundation.

Their website: http://www.tipitinas.com/default.asp