A Special Night With Blues Harp Women May 12th in SF

Hike Up Your Skirts and Run To The Freight & Salvage

On May 12^th For An Evening of Blues Harp Women

Join Three Blues Harp Blowing Gals

That Will Expand Your Mind!

Blues Roots DJ/Promoter Norman Davis along with the Freight & Salvage is proud to present a special evening with Blues Harp Women; spotlighting on a diverse group of female harp players. This particular show spurs from the Ruf Records release, a double cd called Blues Harp Women produced by Norman Davis, a DJ out of Idaho.  This will be at the iconic venue in Berkeley, on May 12^th with the following harp blowers: Jenny Kerr, Beth Kohnen and LynnAnn Hyde. Show time is 8 PM with doors opening at 7 PM. Tickets are $22.00, and you can get them at the door or go to the Freight & Salvage site: http://www.freightandsalvage.org

A little background on the accidental discovery of this project: Norman Davis - A DJ with radio station KRBX. Davis spins wax on his Monday night show "The Juke Joint" as well as his long-running show: “Midnight Flyer" that can found via the internet: www.midnightflyerblues.com He is a long-time advocate of preserving the blues music genre and continues his journey through various production projects like this CD.

From the DJ’s microphone or desk:

“Big Mama Thornton is responsible for this album. I played one of her tracks on my radio show, heard a sweet harmonica solo and checked the liner notes to see who it was. It was Big Mama! It was the first time I recall hearing a woman playing blues harp, and it set the wheels turning in my head. I started wondering if other women played the harmonica and why they are virtually unknown. I began searching. Eventually, I found others, then more. I was inspired to create a website. As I was discussing it with a friend, he mispronounced harmonica as “hermonica”. “That’s it!” I shouted. “That’s the name for the website!”

So hermonicas.com was born and became what Adam Gussow called “the definitive site on women harmonica players.” We discovered and contacted almost 200 players around the world. There was some discussion of putting an album together. As far as we know, it had never been done before. A label-owning friend suggested I try Ruf Records and (bless his heart) Tom Ruf agreed to back the project.
It has taken a few years and numerous obstacles to overcome, (working with 30-plus artists can get very complicated), but finally, the album is finished and is about to become a unique part of music history; the very first women’s blues harmonica compilation album ever made!

I hope this album will shed some light on what has been a black hole in the blues universe. It proves that as with other instruments, women are the equal of men on the harmonica. Perhaps this will help them get the attention that has passed them by in the past. I am delighted to have been a part of this project.”

About the three woman harp players:  

Jenny Kerr: San Francisco native and Oxford dropout, multi-instrumentalist (finger-style and slide guitar, claw hammer banjo, harmonica, piano), as well as a poetic and passionate songwriter, Jenny Kerr is known for foot-stomping live shows and powerful, authentic voice, delivering a seasoned yet spirited sound with forays into swamp rock, straight-up soul, backwater honky tonk, and old-time blues and finely-hewn ballads. Jenny has headlined festivals in 12 countries and shared the stage with such luminaries as Guy Clark, Peter Rowan and opened for Dr. John among others.   Her most recent release is "Head of Fire" whose title track was produced and performed on by legendary multi-platinum producer Bill Bottrell (Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson, Tom Petty).  Learn more at www.jennykerr.com 

Beth Kohnen: A former banker, Beth has performed in the SF Bay Area since 1998 sharing the stage with blues legends Steve Freund, Rusty Zinn, Willy Jordan, Birdlegg, RJ Mischo, Lara Price, and Bonnie Hayes. She has also toured in New Orleans, Paris, Florence, Venice, Scotland, and Dublin. She has released three albums--the first two with a rocking full band and the latest a mellow duo with renowned blues guitarist Rusty Zinn. Fans of Big Walter Horton have often exclaimed that they can hear echoes of his deep tone and phrasing in Beth's music - not strange since he is her favorite musician and primary influence.

LynnAnn Hyde: LynnAnn is a well-known and nationally endorsed harmonica and button-box player (former Hohner Harmonicas USA Artist Endorser/Lifetime Baldoni Accordions Artist Endorser) and is also a songwriter/arranger of note in the Pacific NW. She is one-half of the duo Kinzel & Hyde that regularly performs all over the West Coast.  http://www.kinzelandhyde.com

So please come out to a wonderful evening of blues, harp and female attitude!