Hello Blues Lovers!

I know everyone has seen our recent 2021 music schedule, and I’m so excited that live music will be part of our lives again! I especially can’t wait to get on the river for our Blues Cruise series, our first show at Ijams Nature Center this summer, and our Membership shows at Bluetick Tavern, which are always fun events!

I want to focus on our T-shirt contest for a moment. If you are an artist, or knows an artist, this is a fun and perfect way to get your artwork to the public, and help the Blues Society at the same time. The deadline for entries is June 4.  Let’s see your best artwork East Tennessee! See the details on FaceBook or our website!

In closing, I’d like to say let’s never take each other for  granted, and cherish the good times that live music can bring us together in love and happiness! Peace!

Michael James, President

Smoky Mountain Blues Society

SMBS-2021-events3

Announcing:

The Smoky Mountain Blues Society is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. We want to update our T-shirts to celebrate and we would like to invite you to help us by entering our 25th Anniversary T-shirt Design Contest.

THE PRIZE:

One year free SMBS membership

2 tickets to a Blues cruise

2 Penn Station meal tickets

2 free t-shirts using your design

THE REQUIREMENTS:

—The design must be the entrant’s original work.

—The design should emphasize the 25th anniversary of the Smoky Mountain Blues Society.

—Entrants must fill out this form (see below) and e-mail it to mlynfin@gmail.com. Alternatively, entries may be sent by mail to Marilyn Finley, P.O. Box 7219, Maryville, TN 37802. All entries must be received by 6 pm on June 4, 2021.

—Entrants may submit more than one design, but each design must be e-mailed or mailed individually with a separate completed contest form. The Board of Directors will select the winning design as soon as possible after June 4 and the winner will be contacted. For questions, you may email Tom Hurwitz at tshurwitz@gmail.com

PERMISSIONS, CONSENTS, and ASSIGNMENTS:

All submissions must be created solely for the SMBS and must be the artist’s original work. By submitting a design or drawing to this contest you transfer an irrevocable license to the SMBS to use the winning design including rights to reproduce the design in any manner or media, modify the design, display the design in any manner on t-shirts, mugs, any and all promotional or other materials including electronic media. You agree that no further payment of any type is due to the artist for any reason. SMBS does not transfer any rights to its name or existing logos to any artist contestant except for the purposes of entering this contest, except that Smoky Mountain Blues Society grants the artists the right to include their designs in their portfolios as a sample of their work, but for no other purposes. If no winning design is submitted, the SMBS is not obligated to award a prize.

_____________________________(name)

______________________________complete address (street or P.O, city, state, zip)

______________________________email

______________________________phone

Click Here for entrance form.

Presidents-Letter-3.6.21-revision-PDF

The Blues Foundation preserves blues heritage, celebrates blues recording and performance, expands worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensures the future of this uniquely American art form.

The Blues Foundation is honored to present this virtual benefit for the HART Fund hosted by Dr. Janice Johnston and Dr. Kathy Bolmer. Tune in this Saturday for a virtual HART Fund benefit featuring an amazing lineup of blues artists! Saturday, February 13th 8:00pm – 9:30pm EST Streaming on The Blues Foundation’s Facebook and YouTube     Click the logo to be directed to the page     The Blues Foundation’s HART Fund provides financial assistance to blues musicians and their families in need due to a broad range of health concerns. The Fund provides for acute, chronic and preventive medical and dental care as well as funeral and burial expenses. Throughout the year at various events the HART Fund provides free health screenings for musicians, with services including but not limited to checking blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, prostate cancer, Hep C, anemia, thyroid, kidney, and liver testing via blood work. The Blues Foundation strives to help blues artists stay healthy during this stressful time. You can make a donation to the HART Fund by clicking the button below.   Donate to the HART Fund

Want more blues news? Connect with The Blues Foundation below:         The Blues Foundation Staff is here to serve you. Please feel free to contact us with your questions or concerns: Our office phone number is (901) 527-2583       Copyright © 2021 The Blues Foundation. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: The Blues Foundation 421 South Main Street Memphis, TN 38103-4464 (901) 527-2583  www.blues.org

SUNDAY, NOV. 22 AT 4 PM EDT – 6 PM EDT

https://www.facebook.com/events/279392423284191/permalink/292765968613503/

Free Online Streaming Event

Click here to see the show.

On Sunday, November 22, at 4 PM The Smoky Mountain Blues Society and Open Chord will present our second online event. It will feature two very special East Tennessee blues bands: Mojo Tweed and Dirty Doug and Jonny.

Mojo Tweed was founded by a group of friends who had a mutual appreciation for a variety of blues, funk and R&B. The name was derived from a desire to play their instruments through small tweed tube amps and to evoke a sense of Mojo or Voodoo. The majority of its members have been playing music together for 20 plus years in a variety of bands and several different settings. They favor sounds with a classic New Orleans vibe and blend their own original songs with classic tracks by Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf. It’s music made to be enjoyed when accompanied by good friends and good food in a casual setting. Suffice it to say that their approach takes its cue from a New Orleans slogan that refers to “Social Aid and Pleasure Club,” and indeed, that’s the feeling that Mojo Tweed are out to replicate. The band includes: Steve Michel on guitar, Bill Johnson on guitar, Nicole Robinette on piano, John Mahaffy on bass, Danny Michel on drums, and Paul McQuade on harp.  Mojo Tweed’s FaceBook page is: https://www.facebook.com/knoxvilleblues

Dirty Doug & Jonny is a musical project based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The core of the group consists of “Dirty Doug” Harris on vocals and harmonica, along with Jon “Jonny” Mason on guitar.  Backing up DD & J will be Bobby Brown on drums, Mark Caldwell on keys and David Yocom on bass. The music they perform is reminiscent of old rough cut country blues, but electrified courtesy of a rhythm section and full band accompaniment. It’s a sound that translates into dirty, funky, blues rock with extended jams. Drawing from a variety of influences including Howlin’ Wolf, Gov’t Mule, Tom Waits, and Albert King, their songs reflect Harris and Mason’s dark and twisted sense of humor, seeped in the two’s old school southern musical background. Currently, Dirty Doug & Jonny are in the studio working on an EP set to be released in late 2020. They plan to follow that with a full-length album in spring of 2021. Stay tuned!  Dirty Doug and Jonny’s Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyDougandJonny

Details on how to view this event will be posted the morning of the event on the Open Chord website. www.openchordmusic.com  This event will be available on both Open Chord’s Facebook page and YouTube.

Due to Covid concerns, no one other than the bands and their support teams will be admitted to the venue.  The event is free but tips will be gratefully accepted with a live link during the performance.

Thanks again for helping keep the Blues alive in East Tennessee!

Alisa B. Cherry

SMBS Publicity manager

History of Knoxville / Smoky Mountain Blues Society via our old Blues Grooves, which were printed and mailed, click this link.

Dear Friends of the Blues,

We hope this finds you all in good spirits and good health!

The SMBS Board held its Annual Elections on September 14, 2020. Here are
the results:

President: Michael James

Vice President: Tom Hurwitz

Secretary: Marilyn Finley

Treasurer: Polly Doka

Also, the nomination of Alice Woody was accepted unanimously as a member of
the Board at Large.

It’s been a great pleasure to serve on the SMBS Board for over 6 years. It
has always been my goal to promote the SMBS mission of bringing quality
Blues to East Tennessee. However, after long and careful consideration, I
have decided to step away from the Board as of September 30th (the end of
my term). I greatly appreciate the support of our Board, and of the SMBS
Membership during my tenure. I have had a wonderful time serving you. My
wife, Sandy, and I have many great memories that will last a lifetime. And
mostly, we have made some of our closest friendships through the SMBS! Of
course, we will remain active in the SMBS. Afterall, you just can’t leave
the Blues; it’s in your soul!

All the best,

Don Linde, President

Smoky Mountain Blues Society

Smoky Mountain Blues Showcase

SUNDAY AT 4 PM EDT – 7:30 PM EDT

Watch it again at your leisure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg1bP8v6l8w

On Sunday September 13, at the Open Chord The Smoky Mountain Blues Society will be hosted an online event starting at 4 PM. It will be a showcase of some of the local bands who signed up to compete in the IBC this year! Unfortunately, the IBC has been cancelled, but these musicians are still able to reflect the best blues East Tennessee has to offer. 

Levi Cadle and Caleb Carney will each perform a solo set. Then our youth band, Bonfire Blue will perform a set. The Blues Machine and Tangled In Blues will round out the evening. No judging, just local musicians coming together to bring you their brand of the Blues!

Tune in, beginning at 4 PM, for this free live streaming! Details on how to view this event will be posted the morning of the event on the Open Chord website. www.openchordmusic.com  This event will be available on both Open Chord’s Facebook page and Youtube.

No one other than the bands will be admitted to the Open Chord.  Help support local live music.  The event is free but tips will be gratefully accepted.

The approximate start times for the acts are as follows:

Caleb Carney                    4:00 PM

Levi Cadle                        4:40 PM

Bonfire Blue                     5:20 PM

The Blues Machine           6:05 PM

Tangled In Blues               6:50 PM

Thanks again for helping keep the Blues alive in East Tennessee!

Letter from the President

September 2, 2020

Dear Brothers & Sisters in the Blues,

We hope this finds you well, and in good spirits!

The Smoky Mountain Blues Society Board has been hard at work finding ways to keep our Members informed and engaged.  I’m sorry to say that we’re still in this pickle of COVID-19, which has done it’s best to keep us away from each other and live music.  But we are adapting and on the job!

We are sorry to announce that we recently received word that the International Blues Challenge in Memphis (2021) has officially been cancelled.  The announcement from the Blues Foundation, in part, reads:

From the desk of Michael Freeman
 

“Dear Blues Friends,

This past weekend, as I presided over the quarterly meeting of the Blues Foundation Board of Directors, one of our key agenda items was The International Blues Challenge. I am writing to share with our blues community that our Board voted unanimously to cancel this years’ IBC and look ahead to the first quarter of 2022 when we can hopefully come together in person to celebrate the blues via this signature Blues Foundation event.”

So instead, we decided to hold a Smoky Mountain Blues Showcase on September 13th, comprised of the following musicians/bands:

·      The Blues Machine

·      Tangled in Blues

·      Caleb Carney

·      Levi Cadle

·      Bonfire Blue (Youth Band, playing for Exhibition)

Due to the COVID-19 situation, there will be a limited number of people at the Open Chord.  This is why it will be an online streaming event.  Your health is our concern.  Please see more details on our Events on Facebook.

Our SMBS Board elections will be held on Monday September 14^th.  We will announce the results shortly after the elections.  We are always looking for more volunteers to help us do what we do best, bring the Blues to Youz!

Another project we’ve been working on is our SMBS Website.  In an effort to bring it up to date, it is currently UNDER CONSTRUCTION. However, we want to get it up and running as soon as possible!  We are working toward an exciting, entertaining website for your pleasure. Until then, please stay informed through our Facebook Page.  Thank you for your patience!

As for “SMBS-Sponsored” live events, we are tracking COVID and will bring the music back as soon as we safely can.  Please keep your eyes peeled for shared events, streaming local Blues artists, and soak it up however you can!  Please continue to support our local musicians.

Keeping the Blues Alive in East Tennessee!

Don Linde, President

Smoky Mountain Blues Society