Bman's Blues Report: Better Vision For Children Benefit@House of Blues/L.A. Featuring Bluesman Papa J

Presents A "Better Vision For Children" Benefit

Featuring

Real Blues Festival Of Orange County Founder

Saturday March 3 - House of Blues - Hollywood, Calif

(HOLLYWOOD) - In a development that is guaranteed to make Southern California's fiercely loyal and ever-growing Blues community jump for joy, the House of Blues/Sunset is presenting a new, all-ages, Blues Concert Series in its second floor Crossroads Restaurant and Concert Hall.

This Saturday night, March 3, the House of Blues presents Real Blues Festival of Orange County founder/harpist-vocalist Papa J & Friends with an auction benefiting Better Vision For Children - a non-profit charity working to prevent and cure partial or total blindness resulting from amblyopia (Lazy Eye), Autism, Diabetes, and Eye Cancer. 9:00 p..m-12:00 a.m. on the Voodoo Lounge stage; no cover and free appetizer with entree purchase. Info: (323) 848-5136 or http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/losangeles/.

Papa J & Friends just-released album is entitled THE BIG SHOW. "A good solid blues album...there are actually a few of my modern blues favorites on here and Papa J has his own take on them. Very cool!," affirms BMANS BLUES REPORT. Casey Reagan of the AMERICAN BLUES NEWS writes, "coming up on sixty years of age, Papa J still bounces on stage every night with the energy of a guy half his age. A showman by nature and musician by instinct Papa J's stage presence and energy is undeniably huge to anyone who's seen him perform. From his contagious smile to his gut wrenching blues he puts a thousand percent into making every performance mean something special to every person watching and it sure works on me."

In other breaking news, the longtime performer is nominated in the "Best Americana, Blues or Roots Artist" category for the 2012 Los Angeles Music Awards.

Read recent reviews of Papa J and Friends latest release The Big Show by Southland Blues, Barrelhouse Blues, and BMans Blues Report below.

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PAPA J & FRIENDS RELEASE "THE BIG SHOW" - "As a group we tried to run the gambit of styles and feelings that are what make up the blues," says Papa J about the band's new 10-song disc. Some of the album's tracks in his own words.

"Checkin' Up On My Baby" - "a great Sonny Boy Williamson tune that I thought would be fun to do...it kind of shows how insecure musicians are."

"Dimples" - "a truly simple John Lee Hooker song, that reminds me of all the girls on the road."

"Laundromat Blues" - "Albert King for all you guys that worry if your woman is too clean...so sad, so true."

"Slip Stumble & Fall" - "at sixty-plus years of age I still say this every day: it's so easy to forget what got you here. God Bless the Blues."

Papa J Live August 2011

Watch a live performance of the William Clarke song "Pawnshop Bound" by Papa J, Ray Goren, and Deacon Jones from last May's Real Blues Festival 2 below: