Results of the Arizona Blues Showdown!!

Heading off to Memphis for the Blues Music Awards and I'm looking forward to a great week in the Bluff City.  The Beale Street Music Festival runs from Friday, May 4th through Sunday, May 6th.  The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise review featuring Tommy Castro, Deanna Bogart, Magic Dick ad Ronnie Baker Brooks is Wednesday, May 9th.  Thursday, May 10th is when all of the stars will be hitting the stage at the Convention Center for the Blues Music Awards.  This promises to be an amazing event and all of the artists featured in our top friends section this week are performing at the BMA's.  Friday afternoon, May 11th is Billy Gibson's event at the Rum Boogie, in the evening the second annual Delta Groove Review will be held at the Gibson lounge with Phoenix's own Big Pete Pearson & Bob Corritore sitting in and Saturday, May 12th Living Blues Magazine is sponsoring a North Mississippi Hill Country blues event at the Gibson lounge as well.  This will definitely be an amazing week of blues in Memphis!!  Hope to see you all there!

Today is a sad day in the Phoenix and Arizona Blues Community.  Chico Chism, our much beloved legenday drummer for Howling Wolf, has passed away.  Chico has been a fixture on the Arizona Blues scene for many years and attended every blues show and event that he could get to in support of the music.

I will always remember our Back Porch event the year Chico, Henry Gray and Robert Jr. Lockwood all got together and jammed.  The love, respect and intuitive feel each had for the other while performing is a treasured moment. 

Information on Chico's memorial services will be posted on the Flamekeepers website, www.flamekeepers.com.

Go with God Chico.  The Wolf needs his drummer.