The Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast, Inc. is a non-profit organiza-tion comprised of musicians, vocalists, song writers, bands and folks who just love music, especially the BLUES, here on the Treasure Coast of Florida. The Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast supports all types of music, however, the basis of the organization is the BLUES. The Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast has many fine community programs:

Blues Newsletter–Interesting articles, mailed every other month to members and distributed throughout the Treasure Coast.

Monthly membership meetings- Come and socialize with the other Blues Alliance members and discuss the local area blues scene.

Member– The National Blues Foundation.

Listed– The Blues Festival Guide, the “BIBLE OF THE BLUES”.

Participant– The IBC, International Blues Challenge.

Benefit Program– for local musicians.

Scholarships- Provides two worthy children with music scholarships to IRSC each year.

Let Us Play Program- Recycle program providing instruments free of cost to children unable to buy or rent their own.

Hooked on Blues - Supporting our bands each month.

Blues website- Packed with blues information, music, lessons, scheduled events, happenings, links and more.

www.bluesalliance.orgwww.myspace.com/bluesalliancetc

Blues NewsVolume 36 April 2012 - May 2012

OfficersBob “Cougar” Whitt-PresidentPatti Gamble-Vice PresidentElaine Romano Souza-TreasurerCaren Belowch-Rec. Secretary

Board of DirectorsRichard GriffithTom BrownSonny Owens Belowch Sandra Griffith

Advisory CommitteeGerry MullaneyVern MelvinSteve “Hawk“ LevyElaine Romano Souza

Phone CommitteeSandra Griffith

Newsletter EditorPatti GambleEric McManis

Newsletter PrinterOcean Grafix

Website Wes Neal

MediaTeresa VincentTom Brown

“To Support and Promote the American Art of the Blues on the Treasure Coast”

Next Blues Alliance Membership Meetings

Hooked on Blues EventWith The Sophisticats

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 from 2-5pm

Raincheck- Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Little Jim’s601 N. Beach Causeway

Fort Pierce, Fl. 34949

For Directions: 772-468-2503

BATC Recital/Jam

Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 1-3pm

Open to the Public

American Legion Post 40810 S. US Hwy. 1

Fort Pierce, Fl. 34950

For Directions: 772-461-1480

Hot Line: 772-467-1851

With The Party Dogs

Friday, April 6, 2012From 8 PM

Pirate’s Cove/Loft

4307 SE Bayview St., Stuart, Fl. 34997

(Port Salerno)

For directions: 772-287-2500

More Hooked on Blues events in May to be announced

BATC

EGG HUNT

Find 10 Hidden

Easter Eggs in this

issue

Category 5:www.category5blues.comwww.facebook.com/Cat5blueswww.reverbnation.com/category5bluesThe Mojo Band:www.myspace.com/greggjacksonthemojo-bandwww.facebook.com/gjmojoband

The Nouveaux Honkies:www.tnhband.com or www.myspace.com/thenouveauxhonkiesSoul Rebel:www.soulrebelband.comStoney and the House Rockers:www.facebook.com/stoneyhouserkrsMasquerade Bandwww.masqueradeband.netBen Prestagewww.benprestagemusic.comSteve “ Hawk” Levy www.hurricanehawk.comThe Pitbull of Blues Band www.thepitbullofblues.com Mary Ann Stefanik www.maryannsmusic.comwww.reverbnation.com/maryannDavid Shelley and Bluestonewww.davidshelleyandbluestone.com

Stevie and the Hot Rodswww.myspace.com/johnybeamsderferJoel Zosswww.joelzoss.comThe Party Dogswww.thepartydogsband.comSophisticatswww.s-cats.comwww.nortonmusic.comDon Bestor/Trademark Duo/Triowww.trademarkduo.comwww.trademarktrio.comwww.donplayspiano.com

Volume 36 Page 2

MEMBER BANDS Support our member bands by going out to see them.

“Let Us Play” Recital/Jam, by Elaine (Romano) Souza

Mark this date on your calendar: May 5, 2012. Music will rock the hall at the Fort Pierce American Legion Post 40 from 1-3 PM.

Since this is a Saturday (a departure from our Tuesday night in past years), we are hoping this will be better for the students and families (not on a school night).This event is free and open to the public. It’s a special moment in time with students of all ages participating, some playing original compositions. At the end of the program the students jam with The Blues Alliance Core Band and the house goes crazy!

The “Let Us Play” program benefits students of all ages who cannot afford musical instruments of their own. The recital is one tool for expressing their music appre-ciation. Come and enjoy. Your presence is your gift to the students while enjoying the gift of music from them. Be prepared for tugs on your heartstrings!

Rebecca (Nouveaux Honkies) and member, Denise

Stoney and Elene (What a Duo) ! 3/18/12

Lead Guitar, Stoney and the House Rockers, Rick Fincke

BATC with the Nouveaux Honkies, March 2012, Hooked on Blues Event

Stoney and the House Rockers

Volume 36 Page 3

The Sophisticats - Live at Little Jim’s by Bob Norton Every Tuesday The Sophisticats play at Little Jim’s marina, bait shop, and deli from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. So far we have been gigging on the BATC’s “Hooked on Blues” nights too. If you ever have a meeting on a non-gig day, we will definitely be there. Gigs are good. We play every Tuesday — weather permitting. Little Jim’s is leased from the city and the people running the place are slowly improving it. They are expanding the kitchen now and are plan-ning to replace the roof on the deck with roll down isinglass shades to keep cold and rain out. But until that gets done (and kitchen improvements are coming first), it is definitely weather permitting. If it is raining a little bit, we can weather it, but if it is one of those pour down ‘palmetto pounder’ rain days, we won’t be there (call Little Jim’s after 12:30 if the weather looks ‘iffy’ 468-2503). We play a wide variety of music. You can visit our website http://www.s-cats.com and view our entire song-list. When you come out to Little Jim’s, let us know and we will include a good measure of blues. Although we play a variety of music, blues is one of my personal favorites. We won’t be taking a break, so if you want to talk with us, either come early or stay late. Some days the place fills to capacity and overflows, other times it does not. We always encourage people to bring lawn chairs, and many of them do. If you want to be assured seating, my best advice is to come a little before 2:00 PM or bring a lawn chair. (If I could predict the audience, I’d go into the consulting business and make tons of money.) This is our fourth year at Little Jim’s, and since it’s Tuesday afternoon, we get mostly a retired crowd. But the audience has varied tastes and we can play just about anything except rap or heavy metal (which is good because we don’t play any rap or heavy metal). We have running gags with the audience, and have a lot of fun. Little Jim’s is the actual birthplace of the U.S. Navy SEALS. Every year many of the SEAL Veterans converge on Little Jim’s from all over the USA for their annual muster. All the SEAL memorabilia hanging on the wall was left by SEAL Veterans — it’s the real deal! As a duo, we play along with backing tracks, so we can sound like a ‘real band’ (Cougar was impressed when he saw us, and that’s the reason why I joined the alliance). One important thing to note: I do our own backing tracks, so they are 100% us — we don’t buy them from others or download them from the Internet. What you don’t see us playing live, I played myself at home. Leilani is a wonderful singer and plays Tactile MIDI Controller (synth) and guitar. I am a multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, wind synthesizer, flute, guitar, bass, keyboard synthesizer, vocals, and drums). I also write backing styles for the auto-accompaniment programs Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft Songsmith www.nortonmusic.com and I’ve sold my backing styles to musicians in over 100 different countries. I’m listed in “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in Entertainment” among others. Previous to The Sophisticats, Leilani and I were in bigger bands together. We started The Sophisticats in 1985 after a five piece band break-up left us temporarily unemployed. We decided to go duo so we didn’t have to depend on others (we do this for a living - unem-ployment is not a good option). As The Sophisticats, we played cruise ships (3 years on a 3 week with options contract), and while on the cruise ships we were featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, MTV, and The BBC. We’ve also played everything from local pubs to The Breakers hotel — plus vari-ous venues from Yacht Clubs, to Country Clubs, to Condo parties, to ‘Animal Clubs’, to Dance Clubs, to private homes, to just about anywhere else a band can play. We have fun making music, and our audience has fun too. It’s a great way to make a living. A wise person once said, “If you do for a living what you would do for free, you will never work a day in your life.” Other than a couple of ‘day jobs’ I’ve had when I was ‘trying out’ not playing music for a living, I haven’t worked a day in my life. Little Jim’s is located at 601 North Causeway, Fort Pierce, FL 34949 (772) 468-2503. To get there, go east from US-1 on the North Beach Causeway, go over the drawbridge and continue east. Right before you get to the next bridge (the Little Jim Bridge) turn right and head to where the boats are docked. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

The Sophisticats

Volume 36 Page 4

Blues Quotesby Vern Melvin

*“Mother Blues,” a Memphis Slim tune, was the last music to ever be played by Jimi Hendrix. (this occurred at a club in London when Jimi was invited by his friend, Eric Burdon, to stop by and jam with Eric’s new band, War. Later that night Jimi died.) Eric Burdon

*The blues is a music that was conceived in Africa, born in the Delta, raised on the rivers and rails of the United States, and now prospers in every corner of the globe. Chip Eagle

*One more repossession and I’ll be out of debt.....just might set me free! Don Nix

*The basic vocabulary of rock is the blues. The 12-bar song from, the bent notes, and the basic attitude of the blues-that joyful music can come out of real pain-have filtered into rock directly...........Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll *When you ain’t got no lovin’ at least you got the blues. BB King’s Bluesville

*A broken heart is the melody of the blues. Anonymous

*I want to go to heaven when I die, but I’m too afraid to fly. Johnny Nicholas

*When I play the blues, I feel good. BB King

*Blues, when you boil it down to the roots, takes negative energy and makes it positive. Lightnin’ Malcolm

*From my standpoint, there’s something about the music that makes you want to do your best. Even when you listen to the blues on the radio, the blues puts a whole different vibe on the work you’re doing. Larry Garner

*Black, white, red, and brown....all are different shades of the blues. BB King’s Bluesville

*Blues....if you don’t live, you can’t have it. Anonymous

*I love Billie Holiday. Her music was jazz music, but her emotion and life were blues. Beth Hart

*The thing about the blues is, it is the root of everything. All of the modern music is blues. There’s no way that anything you play that you think is new really is, because it’s not. Cyndi Lauper

*This music speaks to something universal, no one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow. The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note. President Obama

*Gospel music is my all time favorite music, blues is my favorite music below the waist. Rev Billy C Wirtz *I think of blues as being your life set to music, and I think that it can be cathartic. It’s the same thing that the therapists use because you get a chance to share. What does a therapist say, “Well how does that make you feel?” Well, you know this is what you’re doing when you’re singing the blues; you just don’t pay that high price. It gets rid of the bad karma. You’ve expressed it, you’ve shared. There’s a phrase that’s used in most aspects of African American music: “Can I get a witness?” Basically, when you have the same problems I have then we solve them together. And I think that’s wonderful. Nat Dove

Featured Sponsors

THE FRIENDLY POST OF THETREASURE COAST

AMERICAN LEGION POST #40

772-461-1480 810 S. U S 1 Fort Pierce, Fl 34950

Volume 36 Page 5

Saint Louis Blues Piano

W.C. Handy Museum

Florence, Alabama

William Christopher Handy composed his world-famous “Saint Louis

Blues” on this piano, located in the W.C. Handy Museum. The museum

is in a restored log cabin where Handy was born. Considered the “Father

of the Blues,” he was the first person to write and preserve the blues for

American’s musical heritage. “Memphis Blues” and “Beale Street Blues”

are other famous Handy compositions. (Terry M. Hill)

Hooked on Blues with Gregg Jackson and the Mojo Band Town Crier, Feb. 2012

Sonny Belowch, Tom Brown, Gregg Jackson, Patti Gamble and Caren Belowch

Volume 36 Page 6

Support is a Magical ThingBy Patti Gamble

“Hooked on Blues” events are happening with our board going out twice a month to hear and cheer on our member bands! We are all very happy to say that this is something we should have been doing right along! Hearing our bands first hand and being there with our BATC shirts on in a large group has been fantastic! Let’s keep the ball rollin…..oh yeah! We are getting more and more member participation at these events! Meetings are still being done and posted when we have matters on the agenda; you are all welcome to meetings and events always! This is YOUR organization! So, as spring frantically tries to crawl into the light, upward and onward! The Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast

wishes to welcome new members: Sharon Brickman, Bob and Liesel Zaremba, Bill Solon, Gary Scott, Chris and Kathy Muscarella. Thank you for your support! As we speak, Elaine Romano Souza is working on this year’s Recital/Jam. It is May 5th, from 1-3 PM at The American Legion Post 40 in Fort Pierce. Come out and have some fun with the kids! The IBC will be held Tuesday, Jan. 29 to Saturday, February 2, 2013. Bands are already signed up with us for our playoff event. If you are interested, sign up now! You must play strictly blues, and conform to the rules and regulations of The National Blues Foundation, www.blues.org . As most of you know this is the largest most prestigious event in the country! The Blues Foundation offers a range of networking opportunities, nightly competitions, workshops, KBA Awards, concerts, youth showcase, and meet and greets. You never get a bad meal in Memphis! Bands, please send me your gig e-mails at least a day ahead. I am on the computer multiple times during the day to get these e-mails but on occasion I am out of town for the day and I don’t want to miss sending out your information. Thanks so much! Rest In Peace Mr. Johnny Beamsderfer, our friend and fellow musician. We know you are playing your bass in Heaven with Big Tommy, Cookie and some other great musicians. We will surely miss you and your messages. We know how you struggled to beat cancer. Johnny passed away on March 6, 2012 at his home in Fort Pierce. All County Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of ar-rangements. A memorial will be for close friends and family. Johnny wants donations to be mailed to The Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast of which he was a long standing member. Prayers go out to past member, Mae Tynes for a speedy recovery. Mae is a fabulous blues singer and her husband George has played drums for us at our jams over the years. Mae is battling cancer at this time.

Johnny BeamsderferVTY Patti

This is the long awaited follow-up album to their “Tastes Like Chicken” cd released 10 years ago. On that previous release The Bad Influence Band opened with the humorous “Love Dot Com”; but sounded a bit too much like Rick Estrin and The Nightcats.

The band today still consists of Michael “Jr” Tash, guitar; Roger Edsall, harp and rhythm/slide guitar; Bob Malardi, bass; and David Thaler, drums. They all contribute vocally and, on this new outing, they find their own sound. This is a well balanced Chicago-based blues band.

Roger Edsall has written some great new songs. His slide kicks off the Elmore James sounding “Man Child” while his harp adorns “Dressing Like You Don’t Dress For Me.” “Sugar Daddy Baby” features the saxophones of Tom Ruggieri. Cat Fight II: PTP is a harp instrumental loosely based on “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and Jay Monterose guests on guitar. Edsall has also co-written “Looking Right at Me” with Tash; while bassist Ma-lardi contributes “Hey Red”.

They also cover songs from a wide range of sources making them their own. “As The Years Go Passing By” is the Albert King classic featuring Tash on extended guitar solos; “Do As I Say” is from The Fabulous Thunderbirds; “Mailbox Blues” comes from Slim Harpo; included also is Big Walter’s harp attack “Rockin My Boogie”, and “Hush Your Mouth” from the late Gary Primich. John Fogarty’s “Run Through The Jungle” will make you go ape!

Our Blues is mostly regional and so it becomes harder and harder for bands to “break” into the next level. Bad Influence is from the Washington, D.C. area and deserves wider recognition. I’ve been under their influence for awhile….

Richard Ludmerer

Bad InfluenceUnder The InfluenceBad Blues Records

Rating: 9

Going Ape

Port St. LucieDowntown Lion’s Club

Meeting place Bristo on the Green 2nd Tuesday of every month at

11:45AM P. O. Box 9301Port St. Lucie, FL 34985-9301

psldowntownus.lionswap.org

THE FRIENDLY POST OF THETREASURE COAST

AMERICAN LEGION POST #40

772-461-1480 810 S. U S 1 Fort Pierce, Fl 34950

Support our Sponsors, They Support the Blues!Take a moment to discover our corporate members and think of them when you are doing business. They contribute much

needed funds to the organization and some even offer members discounts too. They share your love of the music and they showed their support for it where it counts, so let’s do the same for them. Corporate Sponsors, we will be featuring your businesses in our newsletter. You will remain here in the selected area of the newsletter for your business....plus, we will feature some members each

month. Another perk coming back atcha!

Volume 36 Page 7

Ad Prices Newsletter BATC

Business Card-$25.00-----2 X 3 ½ ¼ Page-$50.00--------------4 ½ X 5 1/2 Corp. Sponsor flyers 1st time free. You print we insert. ½ Page-$75.00-------------- 5 X 8 Full Page-$150.00---------8 X 1 10% OFF Multiple Ads

Name_________________________________________

Address_______________________________________

______________________________________________

Phone_________________________________________

E-Mail ________________________________________

Instrument(s) played ____________________________

______________________________________________

Membership types and dues:Lup-Under 21, novice, 1st year, $10.00Student: $10 (full time student)Individual: $20Household: $30 (2 members same address/2 votes)Mojo member: $40 (1 vote - free T-shirt or Hat)Band Member: $50 (1 vote)

Corporate Member: $100 (1 vote, website and newsletter recogni-tion)Payable, Mail To:Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast P.O. Box 7192 Port Saint Lucie, Fl. 34985-7192Hot Line: (772) 467-1851

Private/confidential

BLUES ALLIANCE OF THE TREASURE COAST MembershipApplication

JAMES L. AUTIN, M.D.Sinus –Ear- Nose- Throat Facial Plastic Surgery Care of the Professional Voice

MUSICIAN’S SPECIALIncludes: Consult with Dr. Autin, Video Exam of VocalCords and complete Hearing Evaluation $99.00

10377 S. US #1, PSL Phone for appointment (772) 337-3700

www.bluesalliance.org / www.myspace.com/bluesalliancetc

Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast Annual Recital/Jam

AD

MIT

ON

E 05051300

Come out and hear the children play! Watch the children play with the pros!

Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 1-3 PMAmerican Legion Post 40

810 S. US 1

Fort Pierce, Fl. 34950

Directions: 772-461-1480

Refreshments for all!

This is open to the public and free!

The BATC working to improve the quality of life for children in our communities.