FRIDAY JULY 9, 2010 -- 8:00 p.m. RAIN DOGS Free show sponsored by KBBN 95.3 FM "The Thunderbird"   The Rain Dogs will come to Arnold from Kansas City.  This band consists of four talented musicians who share a love of American roots music. Creating a timeless sound all their own, they pay tribute to the old southern string bands and classic blues masters. Playing songs that have weathered the generations, the Rain Dogs perform music ranging in style from old time jug band blues & boogie woogie up thru the driving rhythms of early rock & roll.  Band members are Jim Herbert on vocals, slide, lead and fingerpicking guitar; Karla Peterie on vocals, washboard, mandolin and guitar; Mike Roark who plays piano and harmonica; and bassist Phil Smith. These musicians work within a framework of acoustic & resophonic guitars, washboard, bass, mandolin, piano & harmonica, the band covers material from artists such as Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Mississippi Sheiks, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt & Bo Carter, along with originals. Songs from their CDs are played regularly on radio stations across the country. So if you’re looking for a unique musical experience guaranteed to entertain most any audience, join us for the festival's free show sponsored by KBBN 95.3 FM on Friday night.  Get ready for this band's performance by going to www.kcraindogs.com

Saturday July 10, 2010

12:00 noon -- Lou DeLuca and the R&M Blues Band (Omaha)   Our 17th Annual festival starts off with a great band from Omaha--Lou DeLuca and the R & M Blues Band.  This group was formed about 2 ½  years and they play only traditional, Chicago style blues. All band members have over 20 years experience in this genre of music and they follow in the tradition of a number of blues bands that feature bass, guitar, drums, frontman/harmonica player.  Members include guitarist Rex Granite, who played the Texas blues circuit before coming to Omaha; drummer Kazoo Tate, a professional who has toured with numerous blues acts; bassist Doug Collins, a blues veteran of the Omaha area; and vocalist/harmonica-player Lou DeLuca, who was mentored by several professional blues players from the Chicago, including  Bill Lupkin, Eddie Taylor Jr. and The Insomniacs!  Get to Old Mill Park early as you won't want to miss this great opening band!

2-4:00 p.m.  Earl & Them (Arkansas)     He's back!!!  For years Jason Davis came to Arnold with his own band, The Spankers, and then he was part of another festival favorite, The Tablerockers.  Before last year's festival, Jason had joined up with some other musicians and we were thrilled with the band he now performs with, Earl and Them.  Hailing from the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, with more than a combined 150 years of playing experience, Earl and Them brings an electricity to the stage that is grounded by a rich history and lasting tradition in the blues. None other than RJ Mischo, the globetrotting, internationally acclaimed blues harmonica ace and illegitimate father of “Them”, has described them as “Arkansas’ hottest new blues/rock band”.  Influenced by a variety of musical styles including blues, rock, R&B and soul, Earl and Them provide a smokin' hot show with the widely acclaimed guitar mastery of Earl Cate, the distinct guitar sounds and soulful vocals of Jason Davis, and the tight grooves laid down by Mike Murray on bass and Terry Cagle on drums. Guitarist Earl Cate picked up a guitar in the early 60's, and with his twin brother on keyboard, Earl proceeded to become a musician with a trademark tone and style that are now legendary. Their band, The Cate Brothers, added Terry Cagle on drums after Terry's uncle, Levon Helm of The Band, introduced them in 1966. They played together for several decades in the U.S. and Europe and have a long list of incredible accomplishments. A few of the highlights include a top ten hit with "Union Man" in 1976 and television performances on American Bandstand and Austin City Limits. Earl and Terry, with the Cate Brothers, toured with "The Band" for a couple of years in the early 1980's. They were also invited to play at President Clinton's Inaugural Ball where they shared the stage with Bob Dylan, Steven Stills and Dr. John, among many others. Bassist Mike Murray got his first guitar at age 12 from his honky-tonk piano-playing grandma. With her as inspiration, Mike played bass through high school and then went on to tour with Bo Ramsey through the 70' and 80's. In the mid 80's, he toured with Nashville recording artist Aaron Russell. Moving from Missouri to Arkansas, Mike hooked up with Michael Burks and toured with him all over the U.S. and Europe around the turn of the century. After some time off to raise kids, he started a band in 2003 called Jennifer B and the Groove Kings. Mike has played with the likes of RJ Mischo, Greg Brown, T-Bone McPherson, Al Garth and Kevin Gordon. Guitarist and vocalist Jason Davis toured for 10 years with his trio, "Baby Jason and the Spankers." During that period, they played some of the top blues venues in the country, including Buddy Guy's Legends, Antones, the Grand Emporium, the Zoo Bar and Blues on Grand. He has also had the honor to play with the likes of Magic Slim, Sue Foley, James Harman, Jimmy Thackery, Tab Benoit, and Indigenous over the years.  Jason also played with the esteemed 'Arkansas' Tablerockers for 7 years before joining up to help create Earl and Them. To date, his highest personal achievement has been to play the South Loup River Blues Festival for 16 years running. Whether you want to sit and listen to a stunning show played by accomplished, unsurpassable talented musicians or you just want to dance your socks off, Earl and Them delivers what you need, every time.  Get to the festival early so you don't miss one of the festival's perennial favorites.  Until then, follow Earl and Them at www.myspace.com/earlandthem

4:30-6:30 p.m.  Blue House with the Rent to Own Horns (Omaha)   This band just celebrated their 20th anniversary with a celebration at the BarFly in Omaha.  They began as a house band at the Gold Coast Lounge in March of 1990 and haven't looked back yet.  After a couple of years, they then had the same opportunity to move their weekly show to McKenna's Blues, Booze & BBQ, a blues standard in Omaha.  At that point they expanded a horn section and Blue House as will be heard late afternoon at the 17th Annual South Loup River Blues Festival was born. In 1993, the band branched out and started playing other clubs in Omaha, as well as Lincoln and the surrounding area.  For a long time, most of the horn players were hired on a gig-by-gig basis and the section had a bit of a revolving door feel to it -- so much so that one of the band members began introducing them as the "Rent to Own Horns."  In 1997, they recorded Live at the Zoo at the famous Zoo Bar in Lincoln and in 2002 recorded their second CD, How Big? at the Ware House Studios.  In 2004, the band recorded another live CD Live at McKenna's and followed that with studio recording Shake Your Butt in 2006.  Over the years, there have been many personnel changes in the band, but Joe Putjenter has been the drummer from the beginning.  The band now consists of Putjenter, Loren Winkler on guitar, Mike Gallegos on bass, Stan Harper on saxophone, Joel Edwards on trumpet and the newest member of the horn section, James "Cully" Joyce.  Along the way, Blue House members have played with Ray Charles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Son Seals, Dizzie Gillespie, Maroon Five, Louie Bellson and other top acts.  The band has also had the opportunity to open for John Mayall, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Delbert McClinton, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Bare Naked Ladies and Johnny Lang.  And, earlier this year Blue House with the Rent to Own Horns were recognized as the 2010 winner of the Best in Omaha Award sponsored by Omaha Magazine.    Over the years, this has been one of the Nebraska bands we wanted to grace the stage in Arnold and we are thrilled that they agreed to be the late afternoon band at our 17th annual festival.  Don't miss these great musicians...the band's website says it best..."Blue House and the Rent to Own Horns will rock you with a mile wide groove and slap you across the face with screaming horns, huge vocals, and a wall of sound!"  Check them out at www.bluehouseblues.com

7-9:00 p.m. --  Homemade Jamz Blues Band (Tupelo, MS) Early evening headliners “These young kids have got energy, talent and do the blues proud with their own flavor. I believe they’ve got a GREAT future ahead.” – B.B. King How does a seven-year-old kid get the blues? Ryan Perry, now 18, laughs heartily at the notion—like he’s a father himself, maybe even a grandfather, as if fondly recalling his precocious past self. “We haven’t had any bad experiences as a family,” says Perry, who sings and plays guitar in the Homemade Jamz Blues Band (HJBB) with his brother Kyle (16, bass) and sister Taya (12, drums). He understands the irony of a world-weary anklebiter but more importantly the simple, youthful concept of doing what comes naturally. HJBB started in Baumholder, Germany when father Renaud Perry returned from military service in Korea. Young Ryan found a Stratocaster copy among dad’s bags and wanted it. A week later, Ryan had composed a short instrumental tune and was playing along to commercials. When the family relocated to Tupelo, the passion stayed with him. “I heard B.B. King, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan,” he recalls, “and I would listen to them all the time and try to emulate them.” Having found his muse, Ryan’s playing progressed “like, tenfold. As soon as I knew which direction to go, it really took off.” Two years later, Ryan was playing live with a drum machine and little brother Kyle, then nine years old, wanted in on the action. After first trying piano and becoming frustrated that he didn’t progress as fast as Ryan, Kyle switched to bass, teaching himself the nuances of the instrument and its role in the blues. Soon he was playing out with his brother, as confident as any wizened old pro and digging his role. “[I] keep the timing and lock down the beat along with the drummer, which allows the lead guitar player to do his own thing while everyone is juking to the beat.”Eventually proud papa Renaud called Robert Stolle of Clarksdale’s storied Ground Zero Blues Club and insisted on an audition, HJBB—Ryan, Kyle and an unrelated drummerwowed Stolle enough to get a booking. When that drummer didn’t work out, seven year-old Taya wanted to give it a shot. Already possessing a rhythmic sense from playing tambourine, Taya settled onto the stool and in two months was providing the beat behind Ryan and Kyle. “It's very exciting to play drums,” she says. Ryan’s gruff vocals and visceral, stinging, guitar licks, Kyle’s solid rumble and Taya’s cool stomp have electrified crowds across the country, up and down Memphis’s famed Beale Street and on the festival and blues cruise circuit. The band saturated their local media, appearing numerous times in several local papers and national blues magazines, and on local and national TV—including a feature segment on CBS Sunday Morning when the band played the WC Handy Festival. Even B.B. King said “In my 82 years, I’ve never seen something musically… so remarkable.” As well, HJBB won the 3rd Annual MS Delta Blues Society of Indianola’s Blues Challenge (2006), and were the youngest band ever to compete in the International Blues Challenge (2007), taking 2nd in a field of 157 bands. Fred Litwin, president of the esteemed label NorthernBlues Music, was a judge for the event. Fred called HJBB and announced he was keen to make them the youngest blues band to sign with a major record label. “Mister Fred,” as the Perrys call him, made it happen. True to their name, the band recorded Pay Me No Mind at home, over three days in January 2008. Rife with powerful, puissant songs (lyrics by Renaud, music by HJBB) that lyrically and musically epitomize the blues, Pay Me No Mind blends Chicago and Mississippi juke joint blues, copping the gritty slickness of the former and the dirty soul of the latter—never betraying its authors’ age. The trio exudes nothing but confidence and attitude as they sing of betrayal, love, hard times and other bad things gone down as if they’ve lived a life rich in strife. They are, to be sure, a veritable blues explosion poised to make the big sound. Which again begs the question: how do a seven-year-old and his younger siblings get the blues? Ryan says they just “connect” with the music, like it’s hard-wired into them. He and his siblings don’t think in those terms. “We all love the blues,” he says. “For some reason it just comes naturally to us.”  We are excited to have this band as our late night headliner this year...don't plan to go home early as you'll miss a rare opportunity to witness something truly special!  Listen to these amazing musicians and learn more about our late night headliner by going to www.hmjamzbluesband.com

9:30 p.m. --  Debbie Davies with Robin Rogers  (Connecticut and North Carolina) Late night headliners       This year's festival will close with two of the top blues female artists taking the spotlight-- guitarist/vocalist Debbie Davies and singer/harp player Robin Rogers. Davies rise to the upper echelon of blues music started at an early age and by the age of 12, she realized that her affinity was for the guitar. Growing up in Los Angeles in the 1960’s, she found that being a female guitar player meant only one thing: acoustic guitar. Electric guitars were still toys meant only for boys. But when Debbie heard the sounds of the British blues-rock bands, particularly the electric guitar of Eric Clapton with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, she became completely captivated. Going against the grains of society’s accepted roles of the time, Debbie pursued her dream with the passion of an artist and the soul of a rebel. Davies cut her teeth playing in blues and rock ‘n roll bands in the San Francisco Bay area before returning to Los Angeles in 1984, where she landed the lead guitar spot in Maggie Mayall and the Cadillacs, an all-female band led by wife of British blues pioneer, John Mayall. In 1988 she was recruited by Albert Collins to join the Icebreakers, and for the next three years she was a featured guitarist performing behind one of the most innovative bluesmen of all time. During her tenure with Albert, Debbie was invited to perform on John Mayall’s 1990 album, A Sense of Place, and in 1991 she recorded with Albert Collins and the Icebreakers on the Grammy nominated self-titled release for Point Blank/Virgin Records. In September 1993 she came out with her debut solo release, Picture This, on Blind Pig Records, which featured a cameo by Collins on “I Wonder Why.” Since 1993, Debbie has produced nine solo recordings and two collaborative CD’s, one with guitarists Tab Benoit and Kenny Neal, and another with guitarists Anson Funderburgh and Otis Grand. The roster of other artists who have joined Debbie in the studio on her recordings reads like a who’s who of the blues: Albert Collins, Ike Turner, James Cotton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Coco Montoya, Duke Robillard, Tommy Shannon, Charlie Musselwhite, Bruce Katz and Rod Carey. She has received eight nominations for Blues Music Awards, and in 1997 won the award for Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist. Her 2007 Telarc Records release Blues Blast is highly-acclaimed and is a pressure cooker recording that showcases her seasoned guitar and vocal capabilities. It includes guest appearances by three high-profile bluesmen--guitarists Tab Benoit and Coco Montoya, and harpist Charlie Musselwhite. Debbie brings her seasoned licks and soulful sensitivity to the groundbreaking, all-instrumental 2009 release Holdin’ Court. Along with a collection of her own originals, this Little Dipper/VizzTone release is peppered with homages to the electric blues players of the 1960s such as Otis Rush, Albert Collins, Gatemouth Brown, and Kenny Burrell, who all inspired her to pick up the guitar and play this music in the !rst place.A twenty-year veteran of the road, Debbie Davies is truly one of the leading lights on the contemporary blues music scene today. Music has been Robin Rogers' consuming passion ever since her days as a teenaged street singer. Rogers possesses a deeply expressive and soulful voice and an infectious enthusiasm for the blues--she is an accomplished artist of rare polish and originality. In the late sixties when America's youth was "rediscovering the blues," Robin Rogers was "living the blues" as a runaway teen trying to escape a troubled home. She eventually learned to play guitar and began accompanying herself. Robin performed on the streets, at parties and coffee houses for food and tips, setting the stage for the emergence of an independent, strong-willed spirit and charismatic singer. Moving to South Florida in 1979 to record for the Sal Soul Label, a subsidiary of RCA, Robin recorded at the well-known Miami Sound Studios and lived in Ft. Lauderdale for the next ten years performing on a full-time basis. She moved to North Carolina in 1990, performing in the Southeast area for the next ten years, recording, writing and enjoying music clean and sober for the first time in many years.   Robin got involved with the Charlotte Blues Society in the mid-nineties.  Shortly after that, she met and married fellow musician and Blues lover, Tony Rogers.  They performed as an acoustic duo, with Tony playing guitar/dobro and Robin on harmonica and percussion.  Robin and Tony recorded their long-awaited second release in 2004 and won the "Best Self-Produced CD" award from the Blues Foundation as part of the International Blues Challenge 2005. Robin has shared the stage with greats like Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, Carey Bell, Bob Margolin, Shemekia Copeland, Tommy Castro, Guitar Shorty, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers and Sharrie Williams.  Robin signed with Blind Pig in 2008, and her debut release for the label, “Treat Me Right” was issued in June of that year. It’s a showcase for Robin’s stylistic variety and passionate vocal intensity, from the rolling r&b title track to the jazzy “Nobody Stays” to the soulful groove of “Nobody’s Gonna Hurt You.” It is a true pleasure to have two of the best female blues artists performing today be our late night headliners at this year's South Loup River Blues Festival -- as was said in another festival's press release where Debbie and Robin will be the headliners this year -- "Move over, guys. It’s the ladies’ turn in the spotlight..." Read more by going to www.debbiedavies.com and to www.robinrogers.com