Buddy Guy to Headline the Russian River Jazz & Blues Festival Sept. 12 & 13

The 39th Annual Russian River Jazz & Blues Festival returns to Johnson’s Beach & Resort in Guerneville, CA on September 12 & 13, 2015. Two great festivals over one weekend – voted Best Music Festival in Sonoma Country by the readers of the North Bay Bohemian. Join us for a weekend of incredible music, dancing, wine tasting and loads of fun! Headlining the Blues Day on Sunday, September 13th will be the legendary award winning Blues icon, Buddy Guy, alongside friends Taj Mahal Trio, Jackie Greene and more! Music fans can purchase Single Day & Weekend Passes to the festival and enjoy 2 stages of jazz, blues and roots music over 2 days at Johnson’s Beach – a beautiful venue surrounded by California Redwoods. The festival also features a Wine Garden with tastings from local wineries, a variety of craft & merchandise vendors plus an eclectic food court. Tickets are available through www.russianriverfestivals.tix.com or by calling the Box Office at (707) 869-1595.

Slipping Into Darkness - Low Rider Band

The Lowrider Band consists of four of the five surviving original core group members of the multi-platinum selling band War: Howard E. Scott, B.B. Dickerson, Lee Oskar, and Harold Brown. These members lost the right in federal court to use and tour under the name "War" in the mid-1990s to Far Out Productions (producer and manager Jerry Goldstein). The band's original keyboardist Lonnie Jordan now tours using the name "War" under Goldstein's guidance.
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Slippin' Into Darkness - War

War (originally called Eric Burdon and War) is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid", "The World is a Ghetto", and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae. The band also transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up. The band has sold over 50 million records to date. Although War's lyrics are often socio-political in nature, their music usually had a laid-back, California funk vibe. A particular feature of War's sound is the use of harmonica and saxophone playing melody lines in unison, sounding like a single instrument, for example in the melody of "Low Rider". The music has been sampled and recorded by many singers and groups, ranging from R&B / pop singers such as Janet Jackson to nu metal band Korn and hip hop groups like TLC. If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

Slippin' Into Darkness - War

Charles Miller (July 2, 1939 - 14 June 1980) was an American musician best known as the saxophonist and flutist for multicultural Californian funk band War.
Miller was born in Olathe, Kansas, moved with his family to Los Angeles two years later, and eventually settled in Long Beach, California.

Charles was always interested in music; he played woodwinds, piano, guitar, school bands and school orchestras.

In 1967 Charles' interest in music was supplanted until, when at Long Beach City College he sustained a football injury.

Charles recorded with various groups such as: Senor Soul on the Double Shot Records: “Senor Soul Plays Funky Favorites” and “It’s your thing.” He did recording sessions with The Ray Charles Band, and toured with the Debonaires, Brenton Wood, Senor Soul and Afro Blues Quintet + 1.

In the summer of 1969 Charles was in Hollywood at the first “Studio Instrument Rentals” (located on Santa Monica and Vine) when he heard Harold Brown practicing with Howard E. Scott and Papa Dee Allen. He joined and the Night Shift was created.

Charles Miller was performing at the Rag Doll in North Hollywood with the Night Shift, when Eric Burdon and Lee Oskar came into the club. Lee Oskar went to the bandstand and that’s when that magical sound came together, the blend of his saxophone and Lee Oskar’s harp.

Charles Miller’s voice can be heard on the classic War song, “Low Rider”. It was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California in 1975.

In 1980 Charles Miller was murdered in Los Angeles. To this day, no one has been brought to justice for his murder. At the time of his death he was living in Hollywood, California with his family. Wife Eddie Miller, daughter Annette, son Donald, daughter Laurian and son Mark.
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Cisco Kid - Lee Oskar w/ Lowrider Band

Lee Oskar (born March 24, 1948, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer. He currently plays with Lowriderband , with Harold Brown , Howard Scott and B.B.Dickerson
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1948, Oskar was six years old when a family friend gave him his first harmonica. "I came from an area where every kid on the block had a harmonica," he remembers. He grew up listening to Danish radio, enjoying all types of music and cites Ray Charles as the biggest influence from that period. When he was 17, Oskar decided that the United States was where a harmonica player should make his career, so he moved to New York at the age of 18 with little more than a harmonica in his pocket. With no money, Oskar played harmonica in the streets of New York. Eventually arriving in Los Angeles, California, via Toronto and San Francisco, Oskar soon met and joined forces with Eric Burdon who had recently disbanded The Animals and was searching for new collaborators. Together, the harp-playing Dane (born Oskar Levetin Hansen) and the British blues-rock singer made the rounds of the L.A. clubs, eventually hooking up with the soon-to-be members of War. Burdon agreed to the novel idea of pairing up Oskar's harmonica with Charles Miller's saxophone to form a horn section. This team-up set War apart from the start, giving Oskar room to display the full spectrum of his improvisational prowess. Oskar's harmonica magic was always a vital element in War's music and performances. Oskar continued with War for 24 years non-stop. At the end of 1992 he made the decision to end his association with that group in order to have the time to pursue his solo career.
Lee Oskar who has been described as "a virtuoso," "the harmonica whiz" "a war hero," "legendary," "musical wizardry," and as "generally regarded to be among the best rock-blues-soul harmonica players." His role as a founding member and former lead harmonica player of the pioneer funk-jazz group War won him international renown for over two and a half decades (1969–1993). Oskar's signature solos helped to define the War sound from the band's beginning in 1969, adding dashes of color to its R&B, jazz, rock, and Latin influences. Oskar's position with War was a prominent one from its early days with singer Eric Burdon onward. "My playing has become more aggressive over the years," he says. "In the beginning, my role was playing horn lines. Today, it's evolved to the point where I'm playing a lead instrument. If I'm not doing a solo, I'm playing counterlines—I try to paint within certain spaces in the music to help create the overall picture."
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All Day Music - Lowrider Band

The Lowrider Band consists of four of the five surviving original core group members of the multi-platinum selling band War: Howard E. Scott, B.B. Dickerson, Lee Oskar, and Harold Brown. These members lost the right in federal court to use and tour under the name "War" in the mid-1990s to Far Out Productions (producer and manager Jerry Goldstein). The band's original keyboardist Lonnie Jordan now tours using the name "War" under Goldstein's guidance
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