Guitarist Peter Lang is in trouble and he needs our help. One of the world's foremost six-and-twelve-string fingerstyle guitarists, Lang has enjoyed a lengthy career, some 40 years, playing traditional music in the blues and folk vein. Influenced by artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Boy Fuller, Lang originally recorded for John Fahey's Takoma Records label (also home to Leo Kottke and Michael Bloomfield during the 1970s). Through the years, Lang has performed or recorded with heavyweights like Freddie King, John Hammond, the Butterfield Blues Band, and many others.

In May 2008, Lang was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in injuries requiring several surgeries, and has suffered a nerve impingement that may prevent him from playing his guitar again. Caught in a bureaucratic "catch 22," Lang's auto insurance company refuses to pay his medical expenses, considering his injuries to be "pre-existing," while his health insurance company won't pay, terming his injuries the result of the accident. Either way, Lang's medical bills keep piling up, and Lang is unable to perform and thus support his family.

A fund has been set up to collect donations to help Lang's short-term medical and living expenses, an attempt to get him back up on his feet and making a living. You can donate via the Lang Fund website, and in turn the guitarist has made six of his albums available for digital download as a way of saying "thanks." It's a win-win situation by any measure - your donation helps Lang and his family, and you'll get to hear some great music.

Photo courtesy Peter Lang

The Blues Images 2010 calendar is now available for purchase, and blues fans should be lining up with their hard-earned coin to grab a copy of this year's edition. For those of you still in the dark about this super-cool and useful wall decoration, here's the scoop - each month in the Blues Images calendar is accompanied by rare vintage advertising art from the 1920s that features a single blues artist and song.

For instance, January features long-forgotten art for Robert Wilkins' "That's No Way To Get Along" record, originally released by Brunswick Records in 1929. February is graced by art for Delta blues legend Charley Patton's "High Water Everywhere," and so on. The period art was created by the labels to advertise their "race records," what they called blues music back in the 1920s, and much of it hasn't been seen for almost 80 years until it was rescued by record collector and blues aficionado John Tefteller.

The Blues Images calendar includes important dates in blues history, such as artist's birthdays and the date of their death, and also includes well-written commentary on each song represented by the accompanying artwork, as well as additional, smaller pictures of blues art in the date section of each month. If that wasn't enough value for you cheapskates to cough up $19.95 for a calendar, Blues Images has included a free CD as well, with a booklet and tray card - you only need to supply a jewel case. The 2010 CD features a pair of rare songs from Blind Blake as well as stuff from Patton, Skip James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and others. Eighteen songs total, one matching each month on the calendar, and six bonus tracks.

The story behind how this blues artwork was rescued and landed on an annual calendar is pretty interesting, and you can read all about it in my interview with publisher John Tefteller. And after you read that, support Blues Images and buy a calendar, will ya? It will make a fine addition to the wall of your favorite listening room, office, garage...or wherever you get your blues fix.

Photo courtesy Blues Images

Eric Clapton fans rejoice! On December 8, 2009 Universal Music will be reissuing John Mayall's classic British blues-rock album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton in a deluxe edition, two-disc set. Much like Universal's previous "deluxe edition" archival releases, Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is filled to the brim with rare and unreleased material.

The first disc of this deluxe edition features the original twelve-song mono release of the album from 1966, along with the same songs in a stereo mix which was originally released in 1969. This is the same 24-track version of Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton that was released on a remastered CD on Universal's Decca imprint in 1998.

For Clapton fans, the attraction of this umpteenth reissue of Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton will be the second disc, comprised of a mix of rare studio tracks, live radio broadcasts, and club performances that showcase Clapton's raw, but still maturing blues guitar style. Disc two offers 19 songs, including eight from sessions for BBC Radio that were broadcast in late 1965 and early 1966, a handful of singles and studio tracks, and six songs from two Flamingo Club performances in London circa March and April 1966. Some of this stuff has been released before, but much of it has been long out-of-print, and nine tracks on disc two have never been previously released.

Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is the album that established both the guitarist's reputation and the cult of personality that followed him around both the U.K. and the United States well into the 1980s. The album is a classic of British blues-rock, innovative and influential, helping to launch dozens of blues-rock bands on both sides of the ocean. If you haven't heard it, you've missed an essential piece of blues music history.

Related Content:
Eric Clapton Profile
John Mayall Profile
Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton CD review

Photo courtesy Universal Music

The Toronto Blues Society will hold its 13th annual Maple Blues Awards ceremony on Monday night, January 18th, 2010 at the brand new Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Ontario. The Canadian blues scene is often overshadowed by that of its neighbors to the south, but in truth the country hosts a thriving, vital blues community and this annual event honors excellence among Canadian blues artists. See who has been nominated for the 2010 Maple Blues Awards....

Photo courtesy Ruf Records

Blues harpist Norton Buffalo, a mainstay of the Northern California blues scene for better than three decades, lost his short battle with lung cancer on Friday, October 29, 2009 at the age of 58 years.

A skilled harmonica player who was equally conversant in blues, rock, folk, and country music, Buffalo's distinctive harp tones can be heard on over 180 albums by artists as diverse as Bonnie Raitt, the Doobie Brothers, Elvin Bishop, Johnny Cash, and many others. Buffalo was a touring member of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, and had been a member of the Steve Miller Band since 1976.

Buffalo also enjoyed a unique career in the blues, releasing his debut album Lovin' in the Valley of the Moon in 1977, and King of the Highway, with his band the Knockouts, in 2000, with several albums appearing in between. Buffalo is best known for his association with slide-guitarist Roy Rogers, the two artists first playing together in 1987 and collaborating on three albums for Blind Pig Records, including 2003's Roots of Our Nature.

A couple of benefit shows are planned in honor of Buffalo, the first scheduled for November 22, 2009 at the Paradise Performing Arts Center in Paradise, California and featuring Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings, Tom Rigney and Flambeau, and the Carlos Reyes Band. A larger celebration of Buffalo's amazing career will be held on January 23, 2010 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, featuring the Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers with special guests Huey Lewis, George Thorogood, Charlie Musselwhite and Bonnie Raitt.

A quiet but influential presence in the roots-music community since the mid-1970s, Norton Buffalo's skilled playing and musical genius will be missed. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and many fans around the world.

Norton Buffalo & Roy Rogers photo courtesy Norton Buffalo website

The winners have been announced, and the readers of Blues Blast magazine, a free weekly Internet blues music magazine published by Illinois Blues, have voted, choosing the winners in the publication's second annual Blues Blast Music Awards.

Last year, over 11,000 readers from all 50 states and 40 other countries voted online for their award winners, which included Chicago blues legends Buddy Guy and Koko Taylor. Nominees in eight categories are chosen by the magazine's staff, music writers, managers, musicians and other industry professionals and voted on by Blues Blast readers. See who won this year's awards....

Photo courtesy Delta Groove Music

If you've ever heard the lonesome harp playing that graces the Rolling Stones' "Miss You," then you've experienced the phenomenal harmonica skills of Sugar Blue. The talented instrumentalist has been performing since the age of 10 - nearly 50 years now - and contributed his blazing harp sound to such Stones albums as 1978's Some Girls, 1980's Emotional Rescue, and 1981's Tattoo You. More importantly, for the blues music fan, Blue has played alongside such giants as Willie Dixon, Louisiana Red, Lonnie Brooks, and Son Seals, among many others. The cat is so talented that he's even backed hardcore jazz legends like Stan Getz and Paul Horn, as well as pursued a solo career of note.

On January 26, 2010 Beeble Music will release Threshold, the latest album from harmonica master Sugar Blue, and his first since 2007's Code Blue. Blue has never been a prolific recording artist, and this is just his sixth album since 1980, but he continues to evolve and grow as an artist, and Threshold is said to represent a further expansion of his blues-based sound. Leading a top-notch band of seasoned musicians, Blue contributed nine original sounds for Threshold, the material running the gamut from blues and rock to jazz and funk. Two cover tunes round out the album - Junior Well's classic theme song, "Messin' With The Kid," and the Elvis Presley hit "Trouble," written by the famed team of Lieber and Stoller.

Born James Whiting in Harlem, Sugar Blue performed at the famed Apollo club at an early age. He began his recording career with sessions behind folks like Brownie McGhee and Roosevelt Sykes, and would later relocate to France, where he met the Rolling Stones. After a brief stay in Europe, during which he recorded two albums, Blue returned to the U.S. and the blues Mecca of Chicago. While in the Windy City, Blue honed his craft, learning from masters like Big Walter Horton, Junior Wells, Carey Bell, and James Cotton.

Aside from his obvious skills as a harp player, Blue is also a powerful vocalist and intelligent songwriter, and Threshold also shows a further refinement of his wordplay. In a press release for the Threshold album, Blue says, "I believe that the greatest threshold of all is love because it is the fount from which all human life springs. Life echoes the sounds of our interactions: joy, sadness, heartache, passion, loneliness, intimacy, celebration or solemn occasion. We have tried to give voice to these feelings in this musical offering."

Photo courtesy Beeble Music

It seems as if blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa is always on tour, so the odds of catching him perform somewhere down the road apiece are always in your favor. Bonamassa is still touring in support of his recent album, The Ballad of John Henry, converting fans in every port he stops.

Earlier this month, Bonamassa released an incredible performance DVD, Live From The Royal Albert Hall, and after hearing the first notes bounce out of your home entertainment system, you'll be queuing up at your closest ticket window for the guitarist's next show. Luck is on your side, because the hard-working road warrior already has tour dates set up through early 2010, so there's no excuse to miss Bonamassa when he brings his electrifying live show through your town.

Related Content:
Joe Bonamassa Profile
The Ballad of John Henry CD review
Live From Royal Albert Hall DVD review

Joe Bonamassa Tour Dates

10/28 @ Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte NC
10/29 @ Tivoli Theatre, Chattanooga TN
10/30 @ Center Stage Theatre, Atlanta GA
10/31 @ Alys Robison Stephen PAC, Birmingham AL
11/05 @ Plaza Theatre, Orlando FL
11/06 @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater FL
11/07 @ Gusman Center, Miami FL
11/10 @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
11/11 @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
11/16 @ Milano Guitar Festival, Milan ITALY
11/18 @ Capitol, Mannheim GERMANY
11/19 @ Jovel Music Hall, Muenster GERMANY
11/23 @ The Olympia, Paris FRANCE
11/24 @ Festival Blues De Traverse, FRANCE
11/25 @ AB Theatre, Brussels BELGIUM
11/26 @ Royal Theatre, Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
11/28 @ Venue Cymru, Llandudno WALES
11/30 @ Royal Center, Nottingham ENGLAND
12/01 @ Guildhall, Southampton ENGLAND
12/02 @ UEA, Norwich ENGLAND
12/03 @ Academy, Leeds ENGLAND
12/05 @ Picturehouse, Edinburgh SCOTLAND
12/06 @ Waterfront, Belfast IRELAND
12/08 @ Vicar Street, Dublin IRELAND
12/09 @ The Opera House, Cork IRELAND
12/11 @ Den Atelier, Luxembourg
12/13 @ Auditorium Parco Della Musica, Rome ITALY
12/15 @ Kyttaro Live, Athens GREECE
12/18 @ Riding 3, Tel Aviv ISRAEL

03/23/10 @ Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth TX
03/26 @ Civic Center Music Hall, Oklahoma City OK
04/02 @ Englert Civic Theatre, Iowa City IA
04/15 @ Town Hall Theatre, New York NY
04/16 @ Wilbur Theatre, Boston MA
04/17 @ Paramount Center, Peekskill NY
04/18 @ Grand Opera House, Wilmington DE
04/20 @ Hart Theatre at the Egg, Albany NY
04/21 @ Count Basie Theater, Red Bank NJ
04/23 @ Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC
04/24 @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside PA
04/25 @ Sunoco Performance Theater, Harrisburg PA
05/28 @ Hammersmith, London UK
05/29 @ Magna Centre, Rotherham UK
05/30 @ International Center, Bournemouth UK
05/31 @ National Indoor Arena, Birmingham UK

Photo by Rob Shanahan, courtesy J & R Adventures

More blues artists tour dates

Blues fans, circle the date of November 27, 2009 on your Blues Images calendar, 'cause on that day you'll hopefully be able to tune into a public broadcasting station near you and check out one of the coolest shows your eyeballs will ever peep! Tracing the history of Chicago blues from the Windy City to its roots in the Mississippi Delta, Earwig Music Presents Six Generations of the Blues From Mississippi to Chicago is a two-hour program created by the good folks at Front Row TV along with Earwig Records and Blues On The North Shore.

Hosted by Sirius XM Radio's Bill Wax, the program was taped at the 2nd Annual Blues On The North Shore concert and features performance footage of veteran bluesmen like Big Jack Johnson, guitarist John Primer, blues legend David "Honeyboy" Edwards, and award-winning drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. The show also includes appearances by younger blues artists like Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Rob Stone with guest shots from artists like Bob Corritore, Allen Batts, and Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith. Six Generations of the Blues also includes interviews with Johnny Drummer, Aron Burton, and David "Honeyboy" Edwards.

Six Generations of the Blues is part of an ongoing effort by Front Row TV to produce and showcase programming on blues and roots music. You can check out the Front Row TV website to watch videos by artists like Zac Harmon, Big Jack Johnson, and Honeyboy Edwards; the site also offers free views and downloads of hundreds of incredible performances shot in Sony HD.

Six Generations of the Blues will air on MHz Worldview on November 27 at 9 PM ET. The channel is available via broadcast, cable, and satellite in over half of the top 20 TV markets in the U.S. to over 26 million households. Visit the MHz Worldview website to find out where the program will be airing in your market.

Related Content: David "Honeyboy" Edwards Profile

Photo courtesy Blind Raccoon

Blurt magazine's latest print issue is ready to hit a storefront near you, but you don't have to wait for a ride downtown to get your fill of music news. Blurt is also a music webzine, updated daily with news, reviews, and a slew of music videos. As this list of recently published CD reviews shows, Blurt has a handle on the kind of music that we like to hear: blues, blues-rock, rhythm & blues, and soul. Stop by and see them sometime, and tell 'em the Reverend sent you!

• Left Lane Cruiser
• The Dynamites
• Watermelon Slim
• Seasick Steve
• Little Richard
• Bettye Lavette
• Tommy Castro
• Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers

Photo courtesy Blurt magazine