East Austin Blues Alliance: Summer 2012 Series (August 25th)
2012 Summer Series
What: DiverseArts and East Austin Blues Alliance presents the Summer Performance Series at Kenny Dorham's Backyard
Who: W.C. Clark
The Peterson Brothers
East Side Blues Syndicate
Special Guest ...
When: Saturday, August 25, 2012
Gates at 7:30pm
Where: Kenny Dorham’s Backyard,
1106 East 11th St, Austin, TX 78702
Cost: $5 suggested donation, Kids free
Contact: Harold McMillan Director@diversearts.org
DiverseArts is happy to announce our latest initiative to unify the network of various creative constituencies who live and/or work in, and serve the culture-rich, increasingly vibrant East Austin Community. The East Austin Blues Alliance is a newly formed, loose amalgam of musicians, music industry and creative professionals, clubs and venues who are dedicated to bringing positive attention to the wealth of talent, resources, and SOUL found east of I35 on any given day.
The East Austin Blues Alliance Summer Series is the first performance vehicle for this new group of cooperating musicians, venues and professionals. The Series continues through-out the summer and will culminate with the first Annual East Austin Blues Fest this fall.
Legendary WC Clark
Wesley Curley Clark was born into a musical Austin family in 1939. His father played guitar and his grandmother, mother, and sisters all sang gospel in the church choir. “I had so much music in my soul,” Clark recalls, “all I had to do was pick up an instrument and play it.” He learned the guitar as a youngster and at age 16 played his first gig at the Victory Grill, where he was introduced to Texas blues legend T.D. Bell. Soon after, Clark switched to playing bass and joined Bell's band, The Cadillacs. In the early 1960s he began a six-year stint with Blues Boy Hubbard and The Jets at the popular Austin nightclub, Charlie's Playhouse. There he met R&B hitmaker Joe Tex, who recruited W.C. to fill the vacant guitar slot in his group. Clark toured the Southern “chitlin' circuit,” learning music first-hand from Tex and countless soul and blues stars along the way, including Tyrone Davis and James Brown. Along the way, Clark perfected his ability to lift an audience into a soul frenzy. When he returned to Austin, Clark found the musical landscape changing with a whole new crop of young white kids beginning to venture out to the blues clubs to learn how to play. The scene was completely transformed as future stars like the Vaughan brothers, Bill Campbell, Paul Ray, and Angela Strehli came to Austin and discovered the rich musical legacy of bluesmen like W.C. Clark.
“If the blues is played right,” says Austin, Texas native W.C. Clark, “it makes your soul feel clean.” Indeed, master guitarist/vocalist Clark – known as “The Godfather of Austin Blues” – has been playing the blues right and cleansing souls from the east side of Austin to stages around the world for over 40 years. He's been mentoring countless young blues and soul players in the finer points of the music for almost as long. Blues stars from Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan to Angela Strehli to Lou Ann Barton to Marcia Ball have all perfected their craft under Clark's tutelage. Clark's mix of modern Texas blues, searing guitar and heartfelt, Memphis-style soul vocals have made him a favorite of blues and R&B fans alike.
The Peterson Brothers
Glenn Peterson, Jr.
Age 15
Lead vocals / Guitar
Glenn plays the blues with a heavy influence of funk in his rhythm
guitar playing, and a smooth, jazz-like technique combined with a
traditional blues approach in his lead work.
Growing up in Bastrop,Texas, Glenn spends much of his time playing in surrounding Austin,Texas venues such as Antone’s “Home of the Blues” and the Saxon Pub, among others. Glenn reaches way back to find his inspiration in musicians including Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Freddie King, Albert King, B.B. King, Robert Cray, Albert Collins, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Hazel, Phelps “Catfish” Collins, Ernie Isley, Glen Goins, Jimi Hendrix, Derek O’Brien, Curtis Mayfield, Wes Montgomery, Luther Allison, Kenny Burrell, Johnny Copeland, Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Winter, T- Bone Walker, Carlos Santana, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, George Benson, Lightning Hopkins, Gary Shider, Johnny Guitar Watson, Michael Burkes and the list goes on.
Alex Peterson
Age 13
Vocals / Bass Guitar / Violin
Alex brings the thump, with some funk and a smooth jazzy sound to the group. Bobby Whitlock of Derek and the Dominos has described Alex as, “the most incredible bass player I’ve ever heard. It’s just amazing.” Growing up in Bastrop, Texas, Alex’s love of music has taken him to exciting places and provided the opportunity to play with legendary musicians well beyond his years. Each musician shares a wealth of knowledge and their only request is for the boys to pass on the knowledge to the next child, which they do by taking every opportunity to teach any child that wants to learn.
Alex is always reading and has read about almost any bass player you can name. He has also had the opportunity to meet a few of them. All of this has helped him to learn the secrets to making the bass sound exactly like he wants it to. A few of these legendary and influential bass players include Bootsy Collins, TM Stevens, Brian Hardgrove, Tommy Shannon, Larry Fulcher, Bob Stroger, Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham, James Jamerson, Billy Cox, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Billy “Bass” Nelson, Ron Carter, and many more.
Recently the Peterson Brothers have opened for B.B. King and had the opportunity to play with Mr. Buddy Guy on stage at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas during a live performance. The Peterson Brothers also had the incredible opportunity to cut a track with Bootsy Collins on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. Since then, Mr. Collins has been a strong supporter of the boys, advising them and their parents on how to guide their careers and invited them to be a part of the Bootzilla Productions family.
There are so many people who have had a hand in shaping their musical futures, including Margaret Moser, who introduced the boys to the Austin music scene; Susan Antone, who welcomed them to the Antone’s family; Pat Morgan, manager of the late Pinetop Perkins, who instantly gave them their first opportunity to play on stage with the legendary Bluesman when they were only ages eight and eleven, and many, many more who are helping to guide the way.
East Side Blues Syndicate
The East Side Blues Syndicate is a true family affair. Born out of the weekly 'Blue Monday' Blues Jams at The Historic Victory Grill in Austin, TX, the ESBS has quickly developed a fierce reputation for being one of the truly unique acts to come out of Austin's East Side in quite some time.
Led by Matthew Robinson's blues-hound vocals and guitar, Jose "Sweet Tone" Ruiz' lightning quick jazz harmonica, Roland Lawes' latin and caribbean influenced percussion, Harold McMillan's melodic bass lines, and Mike Blue's striking and soulful guitar work, the band transforms obscure blues tunes and originals with each member's collective vision and taste.
The result? A soul band? Yes. A blues band? Yes. A jazz quintet? Most certainly.
Something you've heard before? Absolutely not…
We hope you will join us. Enjoy locally grown food from Sun Farm Kitchen. B.Y.O.B (cans and plastic only). Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. A $5 donation is suggested to help DiverseArts continue it’s work promoting local arts and artists. Children have free admission.
Join us for a day of music and fun as we celebrate East Austin’s vibrant community!
Section:
Saturday, August 25, 2012 - 7:30pm
