CIBS Blues Crier :: MARCH 2018

Upcoming Central Iowa Blues Society Events

Jensen is a solid guitarist, phrasing deftly with just enough macho to make the boys happy and just enough lyricism to make the girls swoon… not to mention he actually knows how to dress on stage.” — Rob Cullivan (Portland Tribune)

Most people are in for a shock the first time they experience a Jeff Jensen Band performance. It starts with the trio mixing an eccentric blend of soul, rock, and American roots music with a deep blues influence. Suddenly Jensen feels the spirit, transforming into a whirling dervish of sight & sound as he bounds across the stage, barely able to contain himself as he wrenches stark, biting six-string explosions from his guitar. His passion is there for all to see, a rare occurrence in these times of buttoned-down music-making. At first, the sheer emotional force he creates can be a bit overwhelming. Then you realize that all art is an expression of the soul, of the power of the life-giving force that created the universe. And Jeff feels it is his responsibility to make the effort to communicate his passion with each member of the audience every night. After all, music is art, and art is the physical form of emotion.

www.jeffjensenband.com

CIBS Membership Meeting at Hawkeye Elks Lodge, 1401 Walker St, Des Moines – CIBS members that attend the membership meeting are eligible to win door prizes at the end of the meeting… prizes such as tickets to a Blues show, CDs, DVDs, Books, etc. Enjoy some live blues after the meeting!

Feral blues guitar…non-stop gigging has sharpened his six-string to a razor’s edge…his eloquence dazzles…he achieves pyrotechnics that rival early Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.” – Rolling Stone

Blues-rock guitar wizard, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis will celebrate the release of his powerful new CD, WINNING HAND, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, with a live performance on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at Lefty’s Live Music in Des Moines. Since his Alligator debut 30 years ago, Tinsley Ellis has become a bona fide worldwide guitar hero. The Chicago Sun-Times says, “It’s hard to overstate the raw power of his music.” Armed with his signature molten licks, melodic riffs and rousing, intense solos, Ellis, as his legions of fans will attest, is among the blues world’s best loved, hardest working and most well-traveled statesmen.

Ellis unleashes a torrent of dazzling musicianship pitched between the exhilarating volatility of rock and roll and the passion of urban blues.” – Los Angeles Times

www.tinsleyellis.com

Carolyn Wonderland is the real deal! She’s an amazing guitar player. She whistled a solo. She even played the trumpet! And damn, can she sing.” – Los Angeles Times

A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet. She hits the stage with unmatched presence, a true legend in her time.

Carolyn grew up the child of a singer in a band and began playing her mother’s vintage Martin guitar when other girls were dressing dolls. She’s gone from being the teenage toast of her hometown Houston to sleeping in her van in Austin amid heaps of critical acclaim for fine recordings Alcohol & Salvation, Bloodless Revolution, and more recently, Miss Understood and Peace Meal.

Along with the guitar and the multitude of other instruments she learned to play – trumpet, accordion, piano, mandolin, lap steel – Wonderland even throws in a whistling solo on occasion.

From appearances on PBS’s Austin City Limits to top slots at major festivals around the world, Wonderland’s live shows leave a trail of screaming fans in its wake.

A dollop of Janis Joplin, a slice of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a big load of soulful individuality… that’s Wonderland, a seething-hot Texas singer-guitarist. And she can write, too!” – Daniel Gewertz, Boston Herald

www.carolynwonderland.com

An expert channeler of old-time blueswomen.” – NPR

Eden Brent is much more than her signature boogie-woogie piano and juke-joint blues holler. She is a celebrated songwriter and dynamic performer, with numerous nominations and awards including eleven Blues Music Award nominations since 2009 and three BMA trophies. Her most recent Yellow Dog Records album, Jigsaw Heart was nominated for BMA Acoustic Album of the Year, continuing a streak of nominations for her last three albums.

A force to reckon with…sultry, hot and cool.” – Wall Street Journal

www.edenbrent.com

Further on up the road…

Iowa Blues Hall of Fame 4/8/18
The Bel Airs 4/14/18
Too Slim & the Taildraggers 4/22/18
Albert Castiglia 5/6/18
Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal 5/11/18
SpringFest #2 5/27/18
Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band 7/20/18
Plus more in the works!

Keep an eye on www.cibs.org or follow us
on Facebook for the latest announcements!

24th Winter Blues Fest

The 24th Winter Blues Fest is now history and a wonderful memory. Thank you to all the performers, fans, sponsors, and especially the volunteers for making it another memorable event! Sending a special shout out to a few volunteers who really went the extra mile this year… Lynette Webster (Saturday Admissions Supervisor), Sandy Berkland (Friday Admissions Supervisor), Brian Pierson (Equipment Load Director), Quinn Fairchild and Chrissy Rinehart (Merchandise Assist), Bob Economaki (Emcee), T-Bone (Emcee), and Greg Sutherland (Jam Master) — THANK YOU!!!

 
Video Playlists – Jay Gilliam captured and compiled a
playlist of videos from each night of the Fest

…a mess of Winter Blues Fest photos
click the thumbnails to view the images from Jen & Kit

There are still a few Winter Blues Fest tees left. You can pick
one up at a bargain price of $10 at one of our upcoming shows!

Congratulations to the Winter Blues Fest Drawing Winners!
Each won a pair of concert tickets.