Performers Announced For Thomas Mill Farm Summer Music Festival

The first annual Thomas Mill Music Festival will be held on August 24, 2013 on the grounds of historic Thomas Mill Farm in Newtown Square, PA. The band line-up will feature four great local bands, performing a range of musical styles that are sure to appeal to music fans of all ages:

• Roger Girke Band
• Riley Road
• Jamall Anthony
• Porkroll Project

All the proceeds from the festival will be used to support the important work of Minding Your Mind, a non-profit organization devoted to addressing the mental health issues of adolescents and young adults. The festival will be held outdoors on the beautiful grounds of historic Thomas Mill Farm where you'll be able to walk the scenic property and view a number of historic buildings from the 18th century. Food and refreshments will be available for sale, including delicious barbecue from Jimmy's BBQ of Malvern, PA. Coolers will be allowed and adult beverages are BYOB.

 

The organizers are actively recruiting sponsors to support the invaluable programs provided by Minding Your Mind. If you or your company is interested in being a sponsor, click here to download the sponsorship form.

 

Tickets are now available online and will also be available at the gate. As an incentive to order tickets online, all online purchasers will be eligible to win an iPad. The drawing will be held during the event. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. So bring a blanket, a cooler, and your friends to enjoy some great music on a summer day in scenic historic surroundings, all for a great cause!

Georgie Bonds releases new CD, "Stepping Into Time"!!

Philadelphia Blues singer, Georgie Bonds, has just released his long awaited second CD, Stepping Into Time. The CD includes 12 songs, 10 of which are original songs. The songs cover a range of styles, tempos, and subject matter but without a doubt, it's all Blues! His sweet but powerful voice  delivers his pain, his joy, his passion, and his history with every song. It's genuine and you can't help but be moved. He’s paid his dues by overcoming many difficult obstacles, some self-inflicted, arising along his life's journey. By refusing to yield and by conquering them, Georgie became stronger and wiser. It is our good fortune that his path led to this recording.

The CD is available on CDBaby.com where digital download and song samples also available. Digital downloads are also available on iTunes.

The majority of the funding for this project was raised through a Kickstarter project late last year. Over 40 individuals contributed to this project and Georgie would like to extend his sincere and heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your generous support. Be sure to check out this recording -- you're sure to love it!

Benefit Concert for John DiGiovanni, June 23

The friends of local drummer and soundman John DiGiovanni are hosting a benefit concert on June 23 at the Skyline Grill in Wilmington, DE. John was diagnosed with cancer late last year and while his prognosis is good, this benefit is to show support for John and to help cover some of his expenses. The show runs from 2pm to 8pm. There will be a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. Click here for more information and tickets.

2013 St. Georges Blues Festival This Saturday, June 15!

The St. Georges Blues Festival will take place this Saturday, June 15 at the Commodore Center in St. Georges, DE. This music kicks off at Noon and goes until about 8pm. This year's headliner is Lucky Peterson. Should be a great day of music. Click here for details and tickets.

South Street Headhouse Spring Festival this Saturday, May 4!!

This Saturday, May 4, South Street Headhouse District will hold its new signature street event, the South Street Headhouse Spring Festival from Noon to 8pm. The Spring Festival will be a free, all-ages celebration of the beginning of the festival season with the best tastes, sounds, and sights that the District has to offer. The Spring Festival will take place on South Street between 2^nd and 8^th and on the 2^nd Street Plaza between South and Lombard.  South Street will be closed for the day so over 30 of the District’s restaurants and bars can come out to serve up great food, drinks, and the tastes of cuisine from around the world. The music line up includes two artists listed in the Blues Collaborative -- Georgie "The Blacksmith" Bonds and Blue Jay Slim & the Tone Blasters - along with 2012 International Blues Challenge finalist Mikey Jr. & the Stone Cold Blues. It's going to be a great event that you need to check out!

Georgie Bonds to open the Briggs Farm Blues Festival!

Blues Collaborative listed artist, Georgie Bonds, was selected to be the main stage opening act for the Briggs Farm Blues Festival on Friday, July 12 in Nescopeck, PA. This is the 16th year for the Briggs Farm Blues Festival. It's a fabulous 2-day event with some great music and plenty of food and activities for everyone. This year's main stage headliners include Shakura S’Aida on Friday evening and Lurrie Bell on Saturday. Georgie Bonds opens the main stage line-up at 4:30pm on Friday. In addition, Blues Collaborative listed band Nate Myers and the Aces will be playing on the Back Porch Stage at 4:40pm. Click here for ticket information.

The Porkroll Project Wins Billtown Blues Association's Festival Audition!!

This past Sunday, March 24, the Porkroll Project competed in the Billtown Blues Association's Festival Audition at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, PA. For the second time in 3 years, the band came out on top. As a result of winning this competition, the Porkroll Project will be the opening act for the  Billtown Blues Festival on June 9 and will represent Billtown Blues Association at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Porkroll competed with two other outstanding Blues bands -- the Hawks Blues Band and the Dirty Mojo Blues Band -- and the results were very close. The winner of the Solo/Duo competition earlier in the day was Greg Burgess. As always, the Billtown Blues Association put on a fantastic and well run event with a large and enthusiatic audience. Good luck to the Porkroll Project and Greg Burgess in Memphis next year!

Announcing the Blues Collaborative News Blog

We're still working our way into the 21st century with our communications, so we've created an online Blues Collaborative News blog where we'll be posting news articles about the Blues Collaborative bands and other relevant Blues news. The news articles will be posted on the Blues Collaborative web site, on our newly created News page. You can also access the blog postings directly by pointing your web browser to bluescollaborativenews.blogspot.com. If you subscribe to RSS feeds, you can subscribe to this news feed using bluescollaborativenews.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss. Finally, the latest news will be included with each issue of the Blues Collaborative weekly newsletter. (This article is itself linked into the newsletter from the Blues Collaborative News blog.) The blog also allows you to comment on any of the articles or share them with friends on Facebook and other social media sites. We welcome your feedback on this new feature or other new features to help you stay up-to-date with the Blues. Keep the Blues alive!!

Performers announced for 2013 Chester County Blues Barbecue

The Coventry Lions Club has announced the performers for the 4th annual Chester County Blues Barbecue, which raises funds for the charitable activities of the Lions Club. This year's line-up features 3 great Blues artists, including two the are listed with the Blues Collaborative:

• Dukes of Destiny
• Georgie "The Blacksmith" Bonds
• Michael Hill's Blues Mob 

Tickets are now available for advance purchase. Check out the Chester County Blues web site for details on the event, information on the performers, and to purchase tickets. This is always a great event and raises money for some very good causes. Here are the details:

2013 Chester County Blues Barbecue

Saturday, June 8, 2013

2pm to 7pm

Wyndsor Farm

2550 Ridge Road

Elverson, PA 19520

Benefit Show for Minding Your Mind at Steel City Coffeehouse, March 9

The Blues Collaborative band, the Porkroll Project, will be peforming on behalf of  Minding Your Mind on March 9 at the Steel City Coffeehouse in Phoenixville, PA. Minding Your Mind's mission is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness among adolescents and to encourage individuals who need help to seek treatment. Because the age of onset for most brain disorders is often during adolescence, it is important to provide proper information to students, parents, and school administration working with this age group. Minding Your Mind does amazing work in support of adolescents and their parents. It's a great organization that deserves your support.

The purpose of this event is to increase the awareness of the services provided by Minding Your Mind for those who may benefit from our services as well as for those who may be motivated to become supporters of the work we do at Minding Your Mind. The doors open at 7pm and the music starts at 8pm.

Dukes of Destiny join the Blues Collaborative!

We're pleased to announce that the Dukes of Destiny are now listed with the Blues Collaborative. The Dukes of Destiny have been together for over 27 years, producing their own style of rocking blues and old school R 'n B. With a lineup of songs that include their unique arrangements of blues standards and heartfelt originals, the Dukes have recorded 4 CD's that have received wide critical acclaim. The Dukes are John Colgan-Davis, vocals and harmonica; CC, sax and vocals; Rich Curtis, bass and vocals, A.C. Steel, guitar and vocals; Bob Holden, drums and vocals; the legendary Chicago Carl Snyder on keyboards, and Arlyn Wolters on vocals.

Also, check out the Dukes' latest CD, Higher, on CDBaby or iTunes. Please welcome the Dukes of Destiny to the Blues Collaborative!!