Blues Cruise Tix still available!

[tsedivy]

Greetings Blues Fans,

One of the most popular acts ever top play Murphy's returns Thursday 6/28: Austin's Carolyn Wonderland and The Imperial Monkeys! A triple threat with her diverse songwriting, soulful vocals, and guitar goddess status—all featured on over twenty CDs, six of which are her releases—she has a pedigree in this business that's hard to match. A bit of a renegade, she likes to incorporate elements of Blues, Country, Swing, Zydeco, Surf, Gospel, Soul, and some nights, maybe even a Cumbia into the musical mix.
Carolyn's friend Cayman and his BSO BluesEd band The Blues Wanderers will open the show at 5pm.
Admission is $10. Kris Lager Band plays the 9:30pm slot. KLB is fresh off their tour with Indigenous and should be in top form. Cover charge $5, ladies free after 8pm.

You might forward the bold printed section below to some friends that don't normally go to shows. (We just discovered we have about 70 tickets still available for Friday's cruise).

Blues Cruise Friday 6/29: The Blues Cruise is aboard the triple-decker River City Star. Boarding begins at 9pm and returns at Midnight. Departure location and map can be found here: http://rivercitystar.com/location.asp. Simple directions are head north from The Qwest Center, pass Gallup University, and head to the water.
On board entertainment consists of Big James and The Chicago Playboys http://www.bigjames.com/
Rockin Jake http://www.rockinjake.com/ and The Johnsen Brothers, plus local Jazz-Blues ace George Walker will play a pre-party on the dock beginning at 7:30pm.

Big James and his dynamic horn band from Chicago will headline on the lower level of the boat. This band is a super-talented and a great time.
Rockin' Jake and his killer harmonica-driven line-up from New Orleans will share the stage on the second floor with Omaha's own Johnsen Brothers, a slick electric blues act from Omaha.
The top deck is available for sight-seeing on what should be a perfect night on the river.
There is a cash bar on-board and limited food is available for purchase.

Tickets are $25 each and are available until 5pm Friday at The Lift (98th & M St.), McKenna's (74th & Pacific), Murphy's (96th & L), and SHAG (114th & Dodge). (Blues Society members can purchase up to two tickets at the member price of $20 each. Memberships will be available on-board with retroactive discounts available for new members.)

Mark your calendar for August 31st and September 30th for the last two Blues cruises of the year. Details will be posted on www.OmahaBlues.com as they develop.

Since Dave Gonzalez hurt his hand in an accident, the Hacienda Brothers dates in our area are being replaced by Billy Bacon and Chris Gafney (Gafney is the leader and singer for Hacienda Bros.). Gafney and Bacon are both very talented and very cool. I predict it will be fabulous! Friday's and Saturday's shows at the Zoo Bar are part of their Anniversary Party and Sunday at 5pm is part of the Sunday Roadhouse series now held at The Waiting Room.
Here are the rest of the showtimes for The Zoo Bar's Anniversary shows:
6/28 6 Savants, 8 Billy Bacon with Chris Gaffney, 11 Bill Kirchen
6/29 FAC Old School, 9 The Mezcal Bros. 11Billy Bacon with Chris Gaffney
6/30 6 Tijuana Gigolos, 8 Old School, 11 Chris Gaffney

Billy Bacon and The Forbidden Pigs also play McKenna's on Tuesday, July 3rd. Great place to spend the holiday!

Sacred Steel star Robert Randolph and his family band plays Stir's concert cove Sunday. Hallelujah!

Candye Kane and her new band play The Zoo Bar on July 3 and 4 and Murphy's on July 5th.
Here is a review of a previous performance at the New Orleans Jazz Fest: Backed by a rocking 4 piece band with a very talented piano player, she grabbed the crowd by the throat and enthusiastically hit 'em above and below the belt with a double shot of blues based feel-good rock and her in-your-face stage presence. Her high energy and no-holds-barred show offered a diversion from the more traditional music forms concurrently running on the other stages, and endeared helself to the raucous audience both with her music and her exhuberant stage presence, her tongue-in-cheek banter laced with a sharp and inescapable wit...


Omaha Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival

Returns to the Riverfront on July 7

The sixth annual Jazz and Blues Festival is one of the most anticipated events of the summer.
The festival is scheduled for Saturday, July 7 with performances held outdoors at the Lewis and Clark Landing at the Downtown Riverfront (right next to Rick’s Boatyard Café). Performances begin at 3:45 p.m. and last until 11:00 p.m. Gates open at 2:00 p.m.

This year’s top-notch performers include WAR, Summer Storm featuring Grammy award winning jazz guitarist Norman Brown, Grammy nominee John Lee Hooker, Jr., Grammy nominee and keyboard artist Jeff Lorber and saxophonist Marion Meadows. The soulful sounds of these musicians will permeate the air as you kick back and relax with family and friends while enjoying the lazy days of summer, food, drink and beautiful views of the Omaha skyline.

Midwest Airlines is giving away 2round trip tickets on Saturday, July 7. The first 500 attendees will have their name placed in a drawing and will have the exciting opportunity to be the winner of 2 FREE round trip tickets courtesy of Midwest Airlines!

Tickets for the Omaha Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival may be purchased online at www.ticketomaha.org, by phone at (402) 345-0606. Tickets can also be purchased at the Ticket Omaha Office located in Holland Performing Arts Center. Additional tickets are being sold at Homer's Music & Gifts: 530 N Saddle Creek Rd, 561-1111, 11114 Howard St, 346-0264 and 2457 132nd St, 334-8844; Leflore’s New Look Fashions, 1806 N 24th St - Phone - 933-7800; Leola’s Records, 5625 Ames Ave - Phone - 453-8678; Chaussures’ Footwear, Westroads Mall – Phone - 397-1781 and Homer's Music & Gifts: 530 N Saddle Creek Rd, 561-1111 - 11114 Howard St, 346-0264 - 2457 132nd St, 334-8844.

Daily tickets purchased in advance are $20 and $25 at the gate. Advance tickets are subject to service charges at the various outlets. VIP tables/tickets call (402) 884-1214.



Complete festival information can be obtained at www.omahajazzandblues.com or by calling (402) 884.1214.

Get out and get into it!

Terry O'Halloran
BSO Prez and emailer