The Blues Foundation announces the release of its 30th Anniversary Blues Music Awards DVD, only available at its Web site. There is no other place you will find such a stellar collection of today's blues music stars. The show itself is a more than six hour extravaganza but all the performers were captured on this two-hour DVD.

There were great pairings like Taj Mahal and Maria Muldaur singing "What About The Soul of The Man," Curtis Salgado teaming up with B.B. King on "4 O'clock," Marcia Ball and Irma Thomas together on "Morning Rain," and the late Koko Taylor performing "Wang Dang Doodle" with the Mannish Boys.

Other memorable performances on this DVD include a hair-raising "Joy" by Bettye LaVette, a smokin' "Empty Promises" by Michael Burks, and a classic Chicago Blues jam with drummer Kenny Smith, harmonica player Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, bassist Bob Stroger, guitarist Lurrie Bell, and others.

This offering consists of acceptance speeches including some very powerful words by several musicians that said the blues had saved their lives; like Candye Kane who talked about the power of the community during her pancreatic cancer fight and thoughtful words from Jeff Healey's widow Chris, who choked back tears when accepting his award for the first-ever Rock Blues Album Award.

In his review of the 30th Anniversary BMA ceremony for BluesWax, Don Wilcock stated, "Maria Muldaur is purported to have said that the event was better than the Grammys. Veterans and neophytes alike agreed that the event had reached a new level of excitement, importance and stature. I predict next year's awards will sell out in advance. You've been advised. Get your tickets early."

The DVD is a real bargain, two hours of blues music at its finest for only $20, available at www.blues.org ONLY.

The Blues Foundation is gearing up for their 31st Blues Music Award show in Memphis on May 6th, 2010 and tickets are available now at www.blues.org.

Sunday ~ March 28, 2010 ~ 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Rock Island Live ~101 N. Rock Rd. (In Old Town)

Music by JukeRoots ~ This will be a non-smoking event

It’s that time of year again; time to elect new members to our Board of Directors. We have five open positions that include Treasurer and Newsletter Editor. Come to the party and meet the candidate and current board members, meet your fellow WBS members and enjoy blues by JukeRoots (Craig Steward,: vocals, guitar and harp; George Graybill: bass and vocals; and
Fred Bonner on drums and vocals)

Download the Ballot here!

$5 for an evening filled with the Blues
5 p.m. ¯ 8 p.m. Note the new start time for this annual event
After party 8 p.m. ¯ 11 p.m.

Featuring:
RKO Blues Band, Fuzzy Logic, Big Clyde Sheely and RibBone, Josh Vowell and the Rumble, Ray Drew, Ruby White & the Blues, Bill Garrison, Norman & the Ballroom Ballers.

After Party with Jeff Corbett Band at America's Pub.

Monday March 15th, 8:00 p.m.
$95 $88 $75

Featured artists who will be performing music written and inspired by Jimi Hendrix. Include some of the best known and most respected artists in contemporary rock and blues including Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Brad Whitford (of Aerosmith), Sacred Steel featuring Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi, Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Double Trouble's Chris Layton, along with bassist Billy Cox. Cox, who first befriended Hendrix when the two were in the 101st Airborne division of the US Army. Cox played in both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys and performed with Hendrix at such landmark festivals as Woodstock and the Isle of Wight. Cox commented, "It’s a thrill for me to play Jimi's music for audiences now as it was in the 1960s. The Experience Hendrix tours have shown how timeless this music really is." Joe Satriani remarked, "I finally get to pay tribute to my hero the right way, on stage with an amazing, once in a lifetime, line up of musicians!"

Listen Now! Smokestack Lightnin' Blues Radio is currently web-casting for your listening pleasure its Top 10 Blues CDs for the week + a tribute to Freddy King (Show#782 - recorded 02/21/09.

The archived internet version of Smokestack Lightnin' is the digitally recorded version of our broadcast on WUCF 89.9FM in Orlando in its entirety from the previous Saturday night.

We post the new show to our web site every Monday. The URL is www.smokestacklightnin.com . The internet streaming of Smokestack Lightnin' is on the latest version of the Windows Media Player. You will find the audio quality the finest available. You can also enjoy Smokestack Lightnin' live on WUCF each Saturday night at 8PM Eastern Standard Time (USA). The direct WUCF stream utilizes RealPlayer software. A link to the WUCF URL can be found on our webpage at http://www.smokestacklightnin.com along with an explanation of times you can access the show live. Please let us know what you think of Smokestack Lightnin' by emailing your comments to blues@smokestacklightnin.com . We would like to use your comments.