WNIJ's Blues Beat
Giving you the Blues for over 15 years!
Thanks for Joining WNIJ at the Left Bank Stage On the Waterfront!
Last year's Left Bank lineup was steeped in the blues! Our headliner for Friday, August 29th was Louisiana singer-guitarist Tab Benoit. Benoit plays a gumbo of blues, zydeco, swamp pop and New Orleans R & B. Many of his guitar solos resemble Cajun fiddle lines. But many concert-goers say their favorite moment is when he rubs the strings of his guitar like a washboard. It's pure down home Louisiana music.
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Benoit also gained respect among environmentalists for sounding the alarm about the devastation of Louisiana's wetlands BEFORE Katrina. For Benoit, this is a personal issue: The Wetlands are his backyard. You can find more about the state of Louisiana's wetlands by visiting www.voiceofthewetlands.com.
ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 30TH, WNIJ WELCOMED SINGER BETTYE LAVETTE. Lavette grew up in Detroit. The music industry discovered her talent when she was 16, and in 1962 she recorded the Top Ten R & B hit "My Man - He's a Loving Man." Tina Turner later covered that song.
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For the next thirty years, Lavette recorded dozens of singles and several albums. But none got the same attention as that first single. Then in 2002, critics took a second look at this petite powerhouse of a singer… and her career took off. Her latest album, "The Scene of the Crime," is my personal favorite. It mixes blues, soul and rock 'n' roll and gets regular airplay on WNIJ's blues programs. Click here to listen to Lavette’s interview on NPR's Fresh Air.
ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 31ST, TOMMY CASTRO RETURNED TO THE LEFT BANK STAGE - this time with the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue. The LRBR started as an ocean cruise for blues fans, where Castro and his band jammed in the Caribbean with friends Magic Dick, Deanna Bogart and various special guests. Last year the tour moved inland, and this August singer-guitarist Bernard Allison joined Castro and the Revue.
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Tommy Castro is a superb bandleader and guitarist. He doesn't use special effects; he just plugs in his Fender Stratocaster, turns up the amp and plays some of the smoothest, coolest blues you'll ever hear.
Don't forget!
Playlist information about the Blues shows is always available by clicking the Playlist link on our home page. (Please allow 72 hours for the list to be posted.)
Reach Out!
You can still use the WNIJ comment line 815-753-9300 to let us know what you think about anything you hear, anytime!
Also, here are links to more info about the Blues in our area:
Illinois Blues
Crossroads Blues Society
From NPR --
Listen up!
Dan Klefstad has interviewed numerous artists over the years and here's the link to a few .
Dan welcomes everyone to On the Waterfront 2007.
Dan and John Lee Hooker Jr. point out the fact that bluesmen wear hats!
Tune in !
“The Saturday Blues” airs every Saturday afternoon from 1-4 pm, with additional hours of blues programming Friday and Saturday nights starting at 9 pm.