Honey is going to give me a moment to talk this week, a rare event.  Thanks Honey!  2008 was a great year for us with lots of great blues acts and bigger and better crowds.  Thanks to all for supporting live music.  2009 promises to be even better!  We must be getting a good reputation because my telephone has been ringing off the hook with more and more national acts wanting to play our humble room.  And the room is humble, but our blues fans are great!  While we will always be committed to supporting the tremendous local talent we have here in Colorado, there are some of these bands that I can just not pass up.  Here's a quick look ahead.

The No Boat Blues Cruise Weekend, Jan 17 & 18

We hope you will join us for our first No Boat Blues Cruise Weekend.  I have always wanted to go on the Blues Cruise, but have been short of time and about $3,000 for the trip.  So we decided to have our own event.  On January 17^th our Cruise begins pool side at 1PM with a BBQ Buffet and music by BlueKrewe.  Tony and the boys always put on a great show and I promise to have lots of special drinks available with little umbrellas in them.  Wear your sunglasses and swim suits and start off the day right.  At 3PM Gretchen Troop and her band will keep the party going by the pool.  Since I'll probably be sunburned by then we are going to give everyone an hour or so off to relax in their guestrooms or catch a massage from our great message therapists.  At 6:30PM the Blues will get fired up again in our bar as the Delta Sonics kick off the nighttime events and we begin our N'Awlins Buffet.  The Lionel Young band will take the stage at 9PM to keep the festivities going.  Sunday will be just as much fun, and will begin with a sumptuous Buffet Brunch and Gospel Music with Rex Peoples & Erica Brown.  In the afternoon the Colorado Blues Society will be holding their send-off to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis for Johnny O Band & Ben Stevens.  And if that is not enough, we have changed our normal schedule a bit, and Sunday night we will have our Blues Jam with the Heavy Cats, and lots of great players.  The fare of the weekend is $250 per couple, $160 for a single and includes all of the music, all three buffets, and a guestroom for Saturday Night.  Because you are on our email list, we'll throw in a guestroom for either Friday Night (Jason Downing is playing with Musketeer Gripweed) or Sunday night for free.  Just let our Front Desk know that you heard about this special offer from the Blues Letter when you make your reservation.  Day passes will also be available at the door.

OK, now that we have started the year off right, let me tell you about our special guests coming up.  Of course we will continue to have our great local acts appear every week, but for a moment I want to focus on our out-of-towners.

Tommy Castrowww.tommycastro.com

You can't put this on your calendar yet, since I am awaiting confirmation, but it looks like Tommy Castro will make his first appearance in our room on either February 19^th or 20^th.  Yippee I finally get to meet Honey's Fiancée (well at least this one).   Tickets are $15 and will be available in advance once I get the contract signed.  Tommy usually sells out when he plays in Colorado, and we haven't had him here in Boulder for a long time.

Trampled Under Foot   Wednesday February 25^th   www.trampledunderfootkc.com

Chick turned me on to these guys, but it was our good friend John Catt with the Grand County Blues Society who is bringing them up to the mountains and allowing me to pick up a gig.  All of us locals know that Lionel Young won the solo competition at the IBC last year, well these guys won the band competition.  Should be a great show.  Tickets are $10 and are available now.

(continues next column)

NOPE!

 

John Lee Hooker, Jr. Friday February 27^thwww.johnleehookerjr.com

When I booked John Lee I had no idea that a week later his latest CD, All Odds Against Me, was going to be nominated for a Grammy Award…but it was!  So who knows, we may have a performer a week or so off of winning a Grammy.  No matter what Homer Simpson says about Grammy Awards, this is pretty exciting for me.  Tickets are $15 and are available now.

Jason Ricci & New Blood, Thursday March 5 & Friday March 6 www.jasonricci.com

There back!  For those of you who know him, I don't have to say anything.  For those of you who don't, I'll just point out then when I was able to get Jason & the Gang for two nights….I grabbed it.  Tickets are $10 and are available now…we turned people away last time Jason was here.

Big Bill Morganfield, Friday March 13^th, www.bigbillmorganfield.com

 So it's pretty easy to guess who John Lee Hooker, Jr.'s Dad was, but for those of you who don't know who Big Bill's Dad was, I'll give you a hint: our Prodigal Son, Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin played lead guitar for him for many years.  Still don't know?  Well it was McKinley Morganfield, but you probably know him better by his stage name, Muddy Waters.  Al Chesis is bring Big Bill to town and will be backing him up on stage.  Tickets are $10 and are available now.

Smokin' Joe Kubek with Bnois King, Wednesday March 18^th, www.smokinjoekubek.com

We had such a great time the last time the boys were here that I picked them up for another show even though my March calendar was getting pretty full.  Hard Drivin' Blues here and two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.  Welcome back!  Tickets are $10 and are available now. 

Ron Thompson, solo show, Thurs March 19^th, with his Resistors Friday March 20^th www.rtblues.com

I had Barbeque at Gary's house and heard Ron play.  When he came out in 2008 he totally blew me away.  Well he is back.  Friday will be a solo show and Saturday Ron will bring on his band and rip up the place.  Ron can play slide like few people on the planet, this time he is bringing his keyboards as well (and probably several other of the many instruments he plays).  Tickets are $10 for the Thursday Show, and $15 for Friday and are available now.

Rory Block, Friday March 27^th, www.roryblock.com

My first time to hear Rory live, so I will let other people talk about her: 

"Her playing is perfect, her singing otherworldly as she wrestles with ghosts, shadows and legends." The New York Times

"...Rory Block is one of the greatest living acoustic blues artists... she can hold her own with the legends who inspired her." Blues Revue

"Some of the most singular and affecting Country Blues anyone, man or woman, black or white, old or young, has cut in recent years." Rolling Stone 

Tickets are $15 and are available now.

Whew, there is even more for later but I am going to stop for awhile.  If you are coming to a Friday show you may want to get here a little early.  Beginning this Friday January 9^th, we are going to start having a Friday Short Set at 6PM for about 20-30 minutes.  Not all our dates are filled in yet, but Cassie Taylor will be here this week.  

Thanks for listening.   ~Dan King, The Ambassador of Cool.