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Jazz & Blues Festival. Samoa, 2010

Samoa 2010 International Jazz & Blues Festival
November 12th - 14th, 2010
Samoa

Review contributed by Mark Ockleston

Mark and his friend Sandra were lucky enough to be winners of a trip to the Festival by entering a draw at the International Blues Festival at the Windsor Castle in Parnell at Labour weekend.

Mark’s review of the festival is published below.

The festival was organised by Billy TK Jnr with the assistance of Anne Gill.
My compliments to them for the huge amount of work that was put into it to make it such as high standard event.
I certainly hope that this will be an annual occurrence.
Maybe this could be your end of winter overseas sun–seeking trip next year.
I would certainly recommend it.

My friend Sandra had the fortune of winning a fully paid trip by entering a draw at the International Blues Festival at the Windsor Castle in Parnell at Labour weekend.
I had the fortune of being her friend and hence a free trip.

The Festival was held at 4 venues, 3 of which were in Apia; Millenia, Scalinis and the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel.
The 4th venue was Sinalei Resort, 35 minutes from Apia on the far side of the island.
We got to stay here and as it was pure paradise we didn’t venture out to the other venues.
I did check out the Tanoa before the event and it looked impressive with the stage set not too far from the outside pool.
I heard that these 3 Apia locations absolutely rocked, especially the Millenia.

Blues and Barbecue Festival. USA, 2010

W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival
June 12th - 19th, 2010
Henderson, Kentucky, United States of America

Review contributed by Ian Thomson

On the agenda of one of our members during his recent trip to the USA was to soak up as much music as he could... and that meant preferably Blues.

His festival review and other observations of the music scene in America make for very interesting reading,

Travelling through the South, Ian Thomson, wife Lorraine and Gary Harvey were caught by the local paparazzi and he found themselves in the pages of the local paper as he attended the WC Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival in Kentucky.

Ian’s review of the festival and other recollections of the trip are published below, and to read the full news article, click HERE.

Before we get to the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival, some other notable highlights of the trip included catching Cedric Burnside (grandson of R.L. Burnside) and Lightning Malcolm at Oddies in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Cedric on drums and Lightning on guitar are like White Stripes on corn liquor.
These Mississippi boys work hard for their money… tips only and CD sales at $20.

Antones (in Austin, Texas) needs no introduction to most blues fans, and while we listened to Gary Clark Jnr. an up and coming young black guitarist with a great pick up band including Chris Layton on drums, in shuffles this little old black guy with a young white minder in tow.
It was none other than 97 year old Pinetop Perkins.
Here he was, sitting out back signing CDs and shaking hands…mine included.
What a moment.
He still plays the spots and cuts the mustard, all on a daily diet of McDonalds and cigarettes....amazing.

John Mayall. Auckland, 2010

John Mayall
Thursday 15th April 2010
The Civic, Auckland

Review contributed by Sean McCarthy

I must admit that when I first heard he was coming to New Zealand I thought “Wow! I must go and see him, what with him being a ‘legend’ and all”, despite not being the biggest fan of the Bluesbreakers.

Then after I purchased my ticket and as I listened to some of his older albums I went through the “hmmmmmmmmms… do I really want to go?”, but in the last couple of weeks as the gig got closer and I read up on his new band I got more excited about seeing him live.

I got even more excited when I discovered that the Auckland Blues Club’s Patron, Hammond Gamble, would be opening the night.

This was a pretty old school sort of a gig.