Entertainment:
Appearing on the Neuhoff Media Stage:
 3:00 p.m. THE MODERN SOUNDS Joel Paterson and The Modern Sounds have just won the Chicago Reader's "Our Reader's Choice" award for "Best Jazz Act" (Best of Chicago, 2009 Issue). Joel Paterson and The Modern Sounds is a Chicago based rhythm trio featuring Joel Paterson on guitar, steel guitar and vocals; Beau Sample on string bass and vocals; Alex Hall on drums and vocals. This big little band is dedicated to performing many styles of traditional American music, specializing in hot jazz, western swing, rockabilly, classic blues and everything in between. The Modern Sounds are on the cutting edge of the Atomic Age – bringing you the best of the 30's, 40's and 50's.
 4:30 p.m. CARL “SONNY” LEYLAND Carl Sonny Leyland was born & raised on the South Coast of England, growing up close to the city of Southampton. As a child he was drawn to the American music which he heard on LP records his father would play. It was here that he developed an appreciation for Dixieland jazz, the rock & roll of the 1950s & the country
music of Jimmie Rodgers & Hank Williams. At age 15, influenced by boogie woogie greats Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson & Meade 'Lux' Lewis, Leyland went on to fully explore the piano blues genre, becoming an authority on early & obscure styles such as those played by Cow Cow Davenport, Little Brother Montgomery, Montana Taylor & Speckled Red to name a few.
In 1988 Leyland had the opportunity to come to the USA. This initial visit to New Orleans inspired him to relocate to that city where he would spend the next nine years. During that time he was active on the club scene, quickly gaining a reputation for his authentic blues & early rock & roll styling. In 1997, feeling the need for a change, Leyland relocated to Southern California. He joined Big Sandy & His Flyrite Boys, the well known rockabilly & western swing group & toured with them for over three years. By this time his repertoire had expanded to include ragtime & early jazz styles which enabled him to become part of the traditional jazz scene around Los Angeles & San Diego.
In June of 2003 the Carl Sonny Leyland Trio was formed with drummer Hal Smith & bassist Marty Eggers. There was such a natural synergy between the three musicians that a recording of their first performance was good enough to issue on a cd (Broadway Boogie - now out of print). Their versatile combination has proven successful over the years. Whether playing solo or with his trio, Leyland's playing displays an infectious spontaneity, providing plenty of surprises for the
listener. While he possesses the necessary vocabulary to pay tribute to the greats of old, he refuses to be limit himself to this and prefers to let each performance be an opportunity to say something new.
 6:00 p.m. BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES Stripping the deep blues to its frame and running the music through a big stack of amps while shaking it into a cold sweat, the Black Diamond Heavies are a band from East Nashville, TN, who prove that in terms of sonic impact and soulful energy, size doesn't matter much at all. The Heavies are John Wesley Myers (bass keys, Fender Rhodes, organ, and voice) and Van Campbell (drums and vocals). Van is from Louisville, Kentucky
and comes from a family of bourbon distillers. He also holds a degree in Mandarin Chinese and has drummed professionally on three continents. John Wesley, the son of a Baptist preacher, was born in Port Arthur, Texas, and has been shaking his "testimony" all over the South, playing gospel as a child until the devil got hold of him. Although they hail from the Southern States of America the Heavies see themselves as vagrant citizens of the world. The Black Diamond Heavies started gigging in 2004 and self-released an EP called You Damn Right in 2005. The record and especially the BDHs' wildly frantic live shows won them a rabid fan following, especially in the South. In the summer of 2006 the band scored a record deal with noted garage punk label Alive Records. The Black Diamond Heavies' first full-length album, Every Damn Time, was released in early 2007. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
 8:00 p.m. JUNIOR WATSON Junior Watson is one of the most influential Blues guitarists of his generation. His abilities range seemingly in every traditional Electric Blues style, while injecting his own personal spontaneous touch, interspersed with his eccentric sense of humor. He has been called a master of the fat-toned guitar sound and has a large, impressive resume.
With nearly 30 years of experience and considered a true guitar original, Junior Watson has reached cult status. Junior has done what all great artists have done: melding diverse styles to create a style all his own. With such a wide array of influences, he has truly created one of the most unique and original guitar voices to come along in years. His energy and playing gives one a feeling of reckless abandon. He once described that playing "like a train off the tracks."
After starting out with harpist Gary Smith in Northern California in the '70s, he teamed with Rod Piazza's Mighty Flyers for 11 years, where he was instrumental in injecting the Chicago-styled Blues band with ample doses of swing. Along the way, he gigged with Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker and others, eventually joining the '80s edition of Canned Heat, with whom he continues to tour. Over his career he has backed up and recorded with a who's-who of the Blues: Big Mama Thornton, George Smith, Jimmy Rogers, Shakey Jake, Luther Tucker, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, William Clark and many more on this extensive list. Junior is considered one of the best Blues session guitarists and has appeared on over 40 albums, including three of Kim Wilson's solo releases.
 9:00 p.m. TONI LYNN WASHINGTON The Toni Lynn Washington Band is a rising star of the international blues scene. Since its formation in 1992, the band has enjoyed great success, being nominated for five W.C. Handy Awards – the blues world's equivalent of a Grammy. The band has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals and venues in the world, and maintains a busy touring schedule, playing blues and jazz festivals, swing dances, clubs, and other venues
across the world. Lead vocalist, Toni Lynn Washington, is backed by some of the finest musicians in Boston playing sax, piano, guitar, bass, and drums.
Washington and her band produce an updated version of classic jump blues, with an irresistible sense of swing.... The band's arrangements manage to combine potent R&B dynamics with finely crafted, jazz-like solos.... [Toni Lynn's] vocals glide easily, expressing a world of emotional nuance without seeming to strain anywhere, and the slight smokiness in her voice adds a dollop of mystery and sensuality to every line. -- Jay Miller, The Patriot Ledger
 10:00 p.m. BIG JAMES AND THE CHICAGO PLAYBOYS "Big James" Montgomery got his first taste of the blues when as a young teenager he would stand outside of a club on the south side of Chicago and listen to B.B. "Big Voice" Odum sing with Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues. Eventually, he was allowed to sit in with the band and as the old saying goes, "The rest was history." At nineteen years old he joined the legendary "Little Milton Band". After playing with Milton for two years, he joined Albert King's Blues Band. After playing with Albert, he returned to the local scene in Chicago and began to play with many blues bands in the area too numerous to mention. But, it was his association with the late Johnny Christian that really changed things for him. "Big James" says, "Little Milton gave me my start, but Johnny really turned me loose. He was such a great singer and a major influence on me that I will always be grateful to him.”
In 1996, along with fellow sidekick, Charlie Kimble on saxophone "Big James" joined the Buddy Guy's Blues Band. They performed all over the world with the master bluesman, with the highlight being the "House of Blues Barnburner Tour" and a performance on the "Tonight Show" featuring Jay Leno. Also in 1996, The Chicago Playboys rocked the main stage of the Chicago Blues Festival featuring the dazzling Nellie Travis and Phil Guy. Big James has also shared a stage with such performers as; Eric Clapton, George Clinton, & Parliament Funkadelic, Public Announcement, Dan Ackroyd, Larry Coryell & Lou Rawls.
Now lead by "Big James" on trombone and lead vocals, The Chicago Playboys are performing at many of the well known blues clubs in the Chicago area. "Big James" has recorded two solo projects on the independent Jamot Music Label. The first entitled "Funkin' Blues" received rave reviews from musicians, critics and the general public from all around the globe. The newest release entitled "If It Wasn't 4 Da Blues" is proving to follow suit!
3rd Annual IL Central Blues Club Challenge
Performances kick-off on the Illinois Central Blues Club (ICBC) stage, located on Washington Street between 4th and 5th streets, at 12:00 p.m. New this year are solo and duo acts, beginning at 12 Noon, with the band competition following in 30 minute intervals. Bands will compete for the opportunity to represent the ICBC at the 2010 Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Competition time schedule will be determined on July 27. For more information and band schedule, visit www.icbluesclub.org.
The Old Capitol Blues & BBQs is presented by Miller Lite Live, coordinated by Downtown Springfield, Inc. and the Illinois
Central Blues Club, and sponsored by Illinois Pork Producers, Neuhoff Media Springfield, The City of Springfield, Recycled Records, Ameren, Kerber, Eck & Braeckel, RSM McGladrey, Hanson Professional Services, R.W. Troxell & Co., WSECTV and The Illinois Times.
For event information, please contact Downtown Springfield, Inc. at (217) 544-1723. For entertainment information, please contact Sean Burns, stage manager, 217-891-0792, sjburns62@sbcglobal.net. |
