Music Maker artists at Jazzfest!

Music Maker Artists and Founder at New Orleans Jazzfest! We're thrilled that four MMRF artists as well as MMRF board members the Carolina Chocolate Drops will all be performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival ! It will be the first Jazzfest performance for Leyla, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Guitar Lightnin' Lee. Little Freddie King has been performing his gut-bucket blues at every Jazzfest since the first in 1970. Ironing Board Sam is thrilled to play Jazzfest after a 41-year absence. In 1970 he wowed audiences with his powerful, soulful presence, and we know the crowd this year is in for a treat! Are you going to Jazzfest anytime April 27 - May 6? Email corinne@musicmaker.org and she'll put you on our special Jazzfest update list with artist playing times, and let you know where Tim Duffy, MMRF's founder, will be so you can meet up! Listen: John Dee Holeman - Big Boss Man Diggin: John Dee's "Big Boss Man" Recently I had the honor of witnessing Jimmy Williams present John Dee a brand new Martin Dreadnaught guitar on behalf of Martin Guitars. He looked it over, plucked a few notes, said "that feels good" and proceeded to wail away on it. In short order, everyone present was laughing and smiling, singing hymns together while leaning on the car in his driveway. There is no doubt why this man is a music legend known the world over. One of our favorite John Dee Holeman numbers is "Big Boss Man" and this version live from Cat's Cradle, September 5th, 2009 demonstrates so well why you'll always find people dancing when John Dee is playing. John Dee's guitar drives so hard it is impossible to sit still. The rhythm pounding through his playing is a like a thumping heartbeat that connects all those in earshot. -- Aaron 6th annual SOOTS Bluesfest is April 13th! We hope you can make it for the6th SOOTS Benefit Blues Revue, featuring Justin & The Mary Annettes, John Dee Holeman and Tad Walters! It will be a great night of blues, benefiting Music Maker's mission of preserving and sustaining Southern musical traditions. In 2006, Raleigh Charter High School launched the student-driven Sustaining Roots Music Community Project (SOOTS) to help Music Maker in assisting elderly Southern American blues musicians. Six years ago SOOTS hosted the first annual Sustaining Roots Music Benefit Concert in conjunction with Music Maker, and it has been a wonderful success each year since! The SOOTS Blues Revue will be April 13th at the Longview Center in Raleigh. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the day of the event, and doors open at 7 pm. More info at sootsblues.org. See you there! Jerry "Boogie" McCain funeral to be held Thursday Music Maker artist Jerry "Boogie" McCain passed away last week at the age of 81. Boogie was a brilliant blues harmonica player, great singer and humorous songwriter. He learned to play harp and sing at his father's BBQ stand growing up in Gadsden, Alabama. In the 1950s Boogie made his debut recordings for Trumpet, which would begin a 59 year career in music. Some of Boogie's classic recordings are considered the bedrock of early rock & roll. Boogie continued recording and performing up until his death, always living life to the fullest. We will miss Boogie, but his contributions to music will not be forgotten. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 5th at 2pm at Convention Hall in Gadsden, Alabama. Photo of the week Capitol Blues Night -Tom Meyer & Captain Luke by Aaron Greenhood Lee Gates featured in Living Blues - now available digitally! Living Blues features Lee Gates in its most recent issue, which you can now read online! The article, "I wasn't no farmer, I was a bluesman," by Gene Tomko. Tomko delves into Lee's personal history, powerhouse voice and the "primal, unflinching style" he achieves with Black Lucy, his black epiphone guitar. It's a must read! Check out the article, and the rest of the magazine here! Quick Links: Website Merch Music Upcoming Shows: Click here for more info on upcoming events 4/07 - Ironing Board Sam - The Whiskey, Durham, N.C. 4/13 - SOOTS 6th Annual Blues Review featuring John Dee Holeman, Tad Walters, & Justin Robinson & the Mary Annettes 4/13 - Ironing Board Sam - The Depot, Hillsborough, N.C. 4/14 - Big Ron Hunter - North Dakota Museum of Art 4/21 - Music Maker Blues Revue - Shakori Hills Festival, N.C. 4/27 - Cool John Ferguson, Captain Luke, and Shelton Powe - Havelock Blues Festival, N.C. 4/27 - Guitar Lightnin' Lee, Leyla McCalla - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/28 - Carolina Chocolate Drops - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/29 - Ironing Board Sam - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 5/11 - Music Maker Blues Revue - Back Porch Music, Durham, N.C. 5/11 - Ironing Board Sam - The Depot, Hillsborough, N.C. Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. helps the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. We present these musical traditions to the world so American culture will flourish and be preserved for future generations