World-Renown GrassRoots Music Festival Poised to Take Centerstage at the Historic Miami Virginia Key Beach

Scheduled to perform: Chaka Khan, Del McCoury, Arrested Development, Immortal Technique, Beausoleil, Keith Secola & His Wild Band of Indians, Locos Por Juana, The Lee Boys, Donna The Buffalo, Jahfe, & more…

In the spirit of family, cultural celebration and fun, The Historic Virginia Key Beach Park will serve as home to the world-renown Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance, February 9 – 12, 2012.

The Festival organizers are planning to fill a bio diesel bus in North Carolina to travel down to the festival. Here’s what they say about it:

Hey folks! We’re planning on renting out a 55 passenger bio diesel bus for an epic road trip from the Shakori Hills Festival location in triangle area NC down to the Florida Keys for the first annual Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival. http://virginiakeygrassroots.org/

The bus leaves Wednesday, Feb 8th and returns Sunday, Feb 12th after the music.

The Tour Bus is super comfortable with DVD and bathroom, and runs on locally made bio fuels.  We’ll drive 1600 miles round trip (14 hours each way), starting out in the night so we’ll wake up at the beach! $120 per person covers fuel and drivers, and saves you festival overnight parking costs of $50.00. Plus, you can bring your camping gear with you!

NOTE: We need 55 people to sign up in order to fill the bio bus. Email grassrootsbiobus@gmail.com or Call Iris @ (919) 542 0244 for more info or to sign up.  For more info click here.

The four-day event will showcase some of the world’s most amazing and respected talents from over 50 performing groups whose genres include: roots rock, reggae, hip-hop, Latin, funk, Cajun, bluegrass, African, Kompa, world beat and zydeco. Grammy® Award winning performers Chaka Khan, The Del McCoury Band and Arrested Development will headline the inaugural festival along with the legendary ska/reggae band Fishbone, Donna the Buffalo, BeauSoleil avec Micheal Doucet and several South Florida local favorites Locos Por Juana, Suenalo and ArtOfficial.

To learn more about The Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival, performers, or to purchase tickets please contact Emma Hewitt at (786) 332-4630 or visit us at http://www.virginiakeygrassroots.org.

“Mr. King”

~ Written by Donna the Buffalo’s Jeb Puryear ~

We’ve got your dream Mr. King
It’s in our hearts
We’ve got your dream Mr. King
And Ms. Rosa Parks
We’ve got your dream
Of peace, love and harmony
It’s a vision of the way things have gotta be

Everybody stand up
Stand up for what you know is right
And we’re gonna never
Never give up the fight
You can see how far we have come
There’s still a mighty battle to be won
We’ve been marching out from the past
That lovely day when we’re all free at last

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, The Good Neighborhood posted a blog with five songs that bear King’s inspiration and are either lesser known or their connections to him lesser told, featuring Donna the Buffalo, Patty Griffin, Grant Green, Nina Simone, and Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band.

Donna’s groove is infectious, hypnotic and wholesome, subtly incorporating trance, reggae, and pop qualities into a sound which is Americana first and foremost. It is rootsy music offered by deep, sensitive players. At times they could be described as Mazzy Star, sped up and minus the echo, with an emphasis on allowing grooves to develop, peak, and come to rest.

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tara Nevins has the presence of an Americana shaman. Whether she is zoning with the tambourine, violin, washboard, accordion, guitar, or singing, she is visibly tapping into mystical energy, and inviting all those willing into that vast space. Ditto guitarist Jeb Puryear, whose eyes roll involuntarily into the back of his head while the rest of his body surrenders as well–possessed by the groove with jaw agape.

The band was locked in from start to finish Friday night while delivering their sweetly melodic songs and jamming extensively. The crowd was locked in as well. The audience was equal parts bluegrass, Grateful Dead, and reggae people — all friendly spirits. It is no wonder why this band has such a dedicated following. There is no other band that this writer has come across that does quite what they do. And they do it with a humble confidence and great joy. Click here for the full review in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times.

Photo credits: Full band shot by John D Kurc.  Jeb Puryear by Gene Martin. Tara Nevins and Kyle Spark by Rich Orris.

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DtB on the radio this winter:

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Church is in session, and it’s a sweaty, slide-driven soul-saving affair. Duane Trucks and Kevin Scott of Col. Bruce Hampton & the Pharaoh Gummit have joined forces with New Orleans guitarist and vocalist Gregory “Wolf” Hodges to form a funky new blues trio, Flannel Church. Collectively, the group offers a raw, infectious sound that draws from swampy New Orleans funk, old school gospel and traditional rhythm and blues.

Flannel Church is also the side project of Lee Boys pedal steel phenom Roosevelt Collier and South Carolina blues guitarist Shane Pruitt, who bring the sit-in magic of a festival jam session to the group’s live show.

The trio debuted on Trucks’ 23rd birthday in Jacksonville, FL Dec. 28, 2011 following the Tedeschi Trucks Band concert at the Florida Theater. Playing across the street from his brother at Burro Bar, Flannel Church and Collier introduced the hometown crowd to their energetic live show as they jammed late into the night.

The band is currently on the road with Pruitt for their inaugural two week tour, playing intimate venues throughout the Southeast:

I am so grateful to be included on @Scout66com‘s Janet Hansen’s list of influential women in music! Here’s a short excerpt of the post; click the link to find out about some amazing women that are all on twitter

A Tip of The Tiara to Influential Women In Music 2012

Read the full post at: http://scout66com.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/a-tip-of-the-tiara-to-influential-women-in-music-2012/

… Let’s look behind the curtain of Twitter for some great contacts and real women  who make the music world go round.Each of these women has a great spirit and a professionalism that fuels a flame under music projects they are hired to handle or those they have a passion for. Listed in no particular order, make sure to follow each of these women to build a foundation of  relationships this industry is built on.

@BigBlendMag  - Nancy Reid and Lisa Smith, a mother/daughter team,  are amazing women who have grabbed new media by the long tail. Internet radio and online magazines are their specialties, and they reach over 270,000 people daily covering myriad topics including new music. Lisa is the Twitter contact, and she’s always in touch with a kind word to make you smile.

@Renagades – Susan Leak makes no bones about how she feels about music. It’s her life! She caters to indie artists from around the world and has a number of social media publications published on http://paper.li which spin her social media posts even further into cyberspace. Check out her site to see how many irons she has in the fire…the woman is a pistol!

@The_MusicMuse  - Jennifer Stoker has recently exploded on the social media music scene. She is a music content writer promoting musicians via reviews on @IndMusicMedia and is the promotions and talent coordinator for @realmsofmusic. You’d be hard pressed to find a nicer person than Jennifer.

@Dreamspiderweb – Erin Scholze is an indie music publicist with a specialty in roots music representing many artists from the cultural hearth of Asheville, North Carolina.  With a firm grasp on the absolute necessity of PR and marketing, Erin’s tagline is, “These things just don’t happen by themselves…” Just keep repeating that phrase, because without PR and marketing, there is no market!

Click to read about all twenty featured women in Music!

Bill Monroe

Larry Keel

Myke Scaffidi writes: “Today’s bluegrass musicians are pushing the boundaries of the genre by incorporating increasingly new influences. In addition to the many innovative artists working today, the traditional sound of bluegrass embodied by Bill Monroe still flourishes.  Just as foreign influences and rural southern music blended with elements of African American blues and gospel to form early bluegrass, new styles and techniques are evolving thanks to the continuing tradition of band-hopping musicians.

Sam Bush

The music represents an often-overlooked American art form and I feel privileged to have worked on this project to broaden the public’s understanding. I was fortunate to have the participation of great interviewees including Sam Bush, Larry Keel and Tim White; and it would have been impossible to tell the story without their perspective and acknowledgement of the early pioneers as well.”

Click here to listen and/ or download:http://www.mykescaffidi.com/myke/media/hillbilly_jazz_bluegrass_mixdown.wav

Global Music Festival Debuts in Miami with Headliners
Chaka Khan, Arrested Development, and Del McCoury

Family-Friendly Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival February 9th-12th, 2012
Welcomes Community Participation

The world-renowned GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is coming to The Historic Virginia Key Beach Park in Miami on February 9th-12th, 2012. Founded in upstate New York in 1991, the non-profit festival showcases top tier world and roots music performers from a wide variety of genres; Latin, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Americana, Funk, Cajun, Bluegrass, Indie Rock, African, Kompa, World Beat, and Jam. International and Grammy Award winning artists will perform alongside some of Florida’s premier bands – Chaka Khan, Del McCoury, and Arrested Development.

Throughout the four-day, family-friendly event, a Kid’s Village will offer interactive activities. Local artisans and visiting craftspeople will display and sell their work. In addition, celebrity dance instructors will provide ongoing group instruction and festival performers will conduct daily music and instrumental workshops. Those interested in wellness will find movement classes, flow workshops, massage and more in The Healing Arts Area.

The festival welcomes local residents and out of town visitors. The on-site campgrounds, just a short walk from the beach, are open to all festival attendees for a reasonable fee. Space is for tents and vehicle camping. Day Tickets, Discounted 4-Day Passes, and Special Packages are available by phone (786) 332-4630, online www.virginiakeygrassroots.org, and at the gate.

The Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival’s mission is to promote community engagement through music and arts education, while supporting environmental sustainability, and social justice. To this end, GrassRoots invites local non-profit groups to set up booths in the Community Advocacy Area. For more information please contact Emma Hewitt at emma@grassrootsfest.org or (786) 332-4630.

GrassRoots is seeking volunteers to help in all areas of the festival, from the Street Team to Hospitality Kitchen. In trade for hours worked, Volunteers are rewarded free festival passes. For more information visit http://virginiakeygrassroots.com/volunteer

Festival Line-up:

Arrested Development, ArtOfficial, Beausoleil Avec Michael Doucet, Big Cosmo, The Del McCoury Band, Donna the Buffalo, Driftwood, Fishbone, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Greg Humphreys, Jim Lauderdale, Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band, Keith Secola & Wild Band of Indians, The Lee Boys, Locos Por Juana, Mixed Culture, Preston Frank, Revelation Mizik, Roy Jay Band, Rubblebucket, Sim Redmond Band, Suenalo, Thousands of One, Toubab Krewe, Willie Watson & the Evil City String Band

Visit the website for additions that have been added to the lineup

What a fantastic Warren Haynes Christmas Jam and Pre-jam this past weekend in Asheville! Many people were calling it the “best Jam yet” and remarked on the amazing community vibe with the staff, performers and fans coming together as one big family.  The event truly does feel like a reunion… and it doesn’t just start when Warren gets to town; there is a big buzz about it as soon as ticket sales are announced spurring a very quick sell out for this year’s event.  The week of the show Ashevillians start to clean out their houses and plot extra beds and floor space to squeeze everyone in; meanwhile, elsewhere people were busy making travel plans and/ or scrambling to find that list minute Christmas Jam miracle ticket for their friend.  This year’s event was truly exceptional and featured Gov’t Mule, Phil Lesh & Friends, Los Lobos, Bela Fleck, and Special Guests Mike Barnes, Jeff Chimenti, Bill Evans, Audley Freed, Jackie Greene, Jimmy Herring, Robert Kearns, Kevn Kinney, Brad Pemberton, Joe Russo, and Jeff Sipe.  After scouring the internet to see what videos folks have already posted in the two days since; I’ve posted a scattering of nice ones from the Jam and the Pre-Jam.

Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring. Photo by David Shehi with Honest Tune Magazine and Dopeless HOPE Imaging/Productions. Click the photo for more pics.

Here’s some great media from the show to check out:

Listen to the Govt Mule set taped by Z-Man for Panic Stream: http://panicstream.net/streams/govt_mule/2011_12_10/player.html

Asheville’s Mountain Xpress writer Joseph Chapman posted a wonderful review and photos from the Jam

Hidden Track’s Scott Bernstein posted some video, setlists and a review

An awesome review and photos by Dino Perrucci on Jambase

Fred Mill’s review in Blurt Magazine

Wonderful Shots by Allison Murphy Photography

Great Review by Tony Kiss and Photos by John Coutlakis in the Asheville Citizen Times.

Video Recaps by rohbear4 posted on the Shakedown Blog

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Warren sang “And it Stoned Me” to kick off the jam:

Closing Song of the Jam: 

Warren sings “Rivers Gonna Rise”

The Mantrabash Music & Art Festival is scheduled to be held in Ferguson, NC on Thursday, June 21 – Saturday June 23, 2012.

Stanlee Ventures, LLC would like to thank everyone for the fantastic support and love in making Mantrabash a reality. The host band the Mantras are going to play 3 nights throughout the weekend to all the loving fans. The lineup includes the Mantras, Robert Walter Trio, Particle, The Werks, Brothers Past, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Josh Phillips Folk Festival and more!

Help us make this another great event and tell your friends! This grassroots event will be extremely intimate and will only allow 1,000 tickets on site, so get your tickets now as we expect this event to sell out. We are focused on bringing some top notch national acts as well as the best regional bands NC has to offer. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Vertigo Jazz Project:

Throw out your expectations of what “jazz music” is or might be. Jazz is a giant tree with thick roots, a twisted trunk and continuously expanding branches. Just pull up the wikipedia page and you’ll find countless sub-genres and off-shoots. Over the past century jazz musicians have always pulled inspiration from many sources, be it Latin, funk, or even pop music.

Asheville, North Carolina’s Vertigo Jazz Project is doing just that. It being the 21st Century, we are bombarded by music from all sides,and thus influenced by it whether we like it or not. VJP decided to embrace that influence and is creating original jazz music for modern audiences. And, yes, taking jazz back to its foundation- the dance floor. This is music to move to. Throw out your inhibitions and come have fun watching some musicians play the %#$! out of their instruments. But, if that’s not your thing that’s okay, you’ll enjoy listening as well.

Speaking of musicians and their instruments, VJP is a power trio (i.e. guitar, bass and drum set). And speaking of influences, guitarist and son of a preacher man Preston Cate learned music in church at an early age, bringing some blue-eyed soul and gymnastic improv skills to the group. Meanwhile, Ryan Reardon on electric bass has been all over the map, from symphony orchestras to studying in West Africa. Rounding out the trio is Sean Mason on drum set, learning vicariously through his father, former member of The Fugs, play in all sorts of musical settings.

VJP is currently in the studio working on their third album, entitled “This is Rock?”, set for release in spring 2012. They tour throughout the southeast and enjoy frequent well-known guest soloists. Here’s a link to a great video of the band live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zCqohNhaa0.

To quote the great Thelonious Monk- “Where’s jazz going? I don’t know? Maybe it’s going to hell. You can’t make anything go anywhere. It just happens.” www.vertigojazzproject.com

One Leg Up:
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, One Leg Up performs a vibrant mixture of upbeat Gypsy Jazz, Latin, Swing and original jazz compositions and is a favorite of club, concert, and festival stages throughout the southeastern United States. One Leg Up is John Stineman (guitar, vocals), Jim Tanner (Guitar), Zack Page (bass), Mike Guzalak (Clarinet, Sax) and Steve Trismen (violin, vocals). They formed in 2003 as a “String Swing” band in the style of famed French gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt.

Propelled by their excellent self-produced debut recording “Gypsy Blue”, they soon won critical acclaim for their “hot club” prowess and were tapped to back up award-winning Spanish guitarist Pere Soto on some of his 2005 U.S. tour dates. Also in 2005, One Leg Up performed at a concert and book show with Michael Dregni, author of Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend. Over the years, One Leg Up has broadened its repertoire to include fresh arrangements of Django classics, vocal harmonies, original compositions, and innovative adaptations of classic jazz numbers in the French “hot club” and American “big band” styles. Now more than just a Django band, their latest recording “Pere La Chaise” is a music mix that is danceable and accessible. One Leg Up continues to attract a growing, varied, and enthusiastic fan base with music that always swings.  www.onelegupjazz.com