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***************************** Saturday, December 5, 2009 KIRK FLETCHER BAND Opening set: Code Blues Band **************************** SLO Vets Hall 801 Grand Avenue 8PM Members $17 / General Admission $20 21 & over, please
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Mission Statement Support the Blues Society How to Volunteer Advertising Membership Performer list: 25 years of the Blues 2009 Show Dates |
PO Box 14041 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 This site
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BLUES SHOW REVIEW. Celebrate the holiday season with the San Luis Obispo Blues Society and the Kirk Fletcher Band on Saturday, December 5. Code Blues will be opening the show. The dance concert starts at 8:00pm at the SLO Vets Hall, 801 Grand Avenue. Free dance lessons at 7:30pm. Semi formal dress optional. Tickets are $17 for Blues Society members and $20 for the general public. All tickets are sold at the door. 21 and over, please. To volunteer, call 805/541-7930.
KIRK
FLETCHER BAND
Kirk
Fletcher, considered one of the best young guitar players on the blues
scene today, has contributed substantially to the resurgence of the LA
blues scene. At 34, Fletcher has toured and recorded with the Fabulous
Thunderbirds, the Mannish Boys, and the Hollywood Blue Flames. In
addition, he has recorded with Janiva Magness, Lynwood Slim, 2000 Lbs of
Blues, and others; has released two solo albums; and has appeared with
a score of other well known Blues performers. Since 2005, he has
been nominated six times in the Blues Music Award categories of best instrumentalist
and, with the Mannish Boys, band of the year and album of the year.
Fletcher will, sometimes in a single song, cycle through the cool of Texas
swing, the gritty driving rhythms of Chicago, and the percussiveness of
West Coast jump, an approach that gives the blues a dynamic and contemporary
sound, while remaining true to the genre. Fletcher’s stage presence
is powerful, confident, and cool – the essence of West Coast blues.
Born
in 1975 in southern California, Fletcher’s first gig was playing guitar
at the Macedonian Church of Christ, where his father was the minister.
By the time he left high school, he was listening to B.B. King and playing
guitar in bands that ran the gamut from gospel to rock. Early friendships
with Robben Ford, Al Blake, and Junior Watson fueled his interest in the
blues. By the time he was 25, he was playing for the Kim Wilson Blues Review,
with whom he recorded the Grammy nominated album Smoking Joint, followed
by a stint with the Charlie Musselwhite Band. In 2002, Fletcher joined
the Hollywood Blue Flames, and by 2005 he was playing with the Fabulous
Thunderbirds and the Mannish Boys as well. Most recently, Kirk has
been performing all over Europe as a headliner and occasionally touring
in the U.S. with Doyle Bramhall and Michelle Branch. Fletcher is
currently working on his third solo album, My Turn. The Kirk Fletcher
Band includes Paulie Cera on saxophone along with other mainstays of the
LA blues scene. Preview the show online.
CODE BLUES
BAND
Code
Blues plays West Coast blues, an update of the jump sound, featuring cool
harmonica and celebratory vocals, complimented by fluid and fat guitar
tones, and emphasizing swinging tempos and funky rhythms. The band
is powered by Gus James on bass and Rick Pittman on drums. “Big Daddy”
Craig Louis Dingman overlays the beat with a sweet fat rhythm, traces of
jazz sweetness, expressive lead guitar and vocals. Riding on top
of the locomotive is Rick Munoz, whose hooting harmonica and smoky vocals
express a lifelong devotion to the blues. When the commercial sentiments
of teen pop divas fail to adequately express the rewards and challenges
of adult life, Code Blues is
there for you.
VOLUNTEER. Your Blues Society is run entirely by volunteers. Besides a sense of accomplishment, volunteers get into the shows for free and receive a couple free drink tickets. We could use your help, so call 541-7930 (our voice mail number) and volunteer to work a shift at the show.
DANCE
LESSONS.
East Coast Swing Lessons with Linda Drake & SLO Dance. Chris
Harmon and other award-winning instructors from SLO Dance offer beginning
swing dance lessons at 7:30 before each Blues Society show. Lessons
are free with admission to the show and no partner is necessary.
Linda Drake’s staff at SLO Dance includes several nationally recognized
award-winning dancers and instructors in both Ballroom and Swing.
SLO Dance staff consistently earns awards in major dance competitions and
are in constant training as instructors. Visit their website
for more information.
