It’s been a whirlwind of activity over the past several months in Australia…finally I have a chance to catch up with you all!
I’m very excited to announce my brand new album ‘Blues Woman’ on Yellow Dog Records is due for release on 5 May, a couple of days before the Blues Music Awards. ‘Blues Woman’ features 15 tracks – 13 original tunes plus a couple of intriguing covers – and was recorded at Wire Studio in Austin, TX just before I left the States for my Summer festival season down-under. (See previous blog.)
Produced by Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff of The Texas Horns fame, the session included some very special guests: Pinetop Perkins (see photo page!), Watermelon Slim and Marcia Ball. Bassist Ronnie James Weber and drummer Jimi Bott did a fantastic, dynamic job of laying down the rhythm section parts. Jimi’s been nominated, again, for ‘Best Drummer’ at the BMA’s. I’m hoping he gets the nod this year after something like 9 previous nominations. And I can’t wait to hear what you all think of the album!
Speaking of the Blues Music Awards, The Preacher and I’ll be back in Memphis for the event. Who could miss such a cool party? I’ll be joining Rich DelGrosso and Mookie Brill, my ‘partners-in-crime’ from the ‘Live From Bluesville’ album, nominated in the Acoustic Album of the Year category. I have great shoes; my only dilemma is what to wear with them…
To get you up to speed: my festival season started late last year in Narooma, Australia, where our Blue Empress International Women’s Revue (with myself, Sue Foley and Diunna Greenleaf) headlined at the Great Southern Blues & Rockabilly Festival. Our performances were the hit of the festival! Fast forward to Wangaratta International Jazz & Blues Fest, where I found myself swinging with Duke Robillard and then getting very down-home with Mississippi bluesman Robert ‘Wolfman’ Belfour. There’s nothing like a mixed musical diet, I reckon. Adelaide International Guitar Festival hosted me with my band the Fortune Tellers, with young Tassie guitarist Pete Cornelius as my guest.
In other festival highlights, I also had the delightful experience of being official ‘Ambassador’ to the Australian Blues Music Festival. There were lots of jokes about me waving from a limo like the Queen, but the reality proved more practical and rewarding. The festival has developed into a truly national blues event, nurturing both emerging and established Aussie blues talent.
In early February, I took a quick trip to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge, putting in some time judging in the competition as well as performing, bar-hopping, networking and jamming…whew! Along with the BMAs, this is the time of the year when ‘everybody is in Memphis’. Special thanks to John Henry Hyde for the photos on legendary Beale Street, by the way.
Looking forward to the rest of the year, with a belated New Year’s resolution to blog more often…more news as it comes to hand!