Holiday Blues Show

Written by Sara Kocher

free dance lessons at 7:30pm. Tickets for Blues Society members $17; general public $20. All tickets are sold at the door. 21 and over, please.

About Earl Thomas and the Blues Ambassadors
Singer and songwriter Earl Thomas has a rich and varied performance history. Originally from Tennessee, Thomas started his musical career playing with a jump blues band in the late 80s and is a four-time San Diego Music Award winner. Earl made his European debut at the Montreaux International Jazz Festival in 1992 and has since toured Europe with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Elvis Costello, and, most recently, as the frontman for Ike Turner’s Band, the Kings of Rhythm. His high-energy stage shows elicit comparisons to Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Al Green. Thomas has recorded fourteen albums, with a stylistic range that includes blues, soul, funk, rock and gospel. His current project is a recording with the Blues Ambassadors, Introducing the Blues Ambassadors (Greaseland Records, 2010). For Thomas, an important part of the project is the make up of the band, whose backgrounds embody both San Francisco's cultural diversity and the stylistic roots of the blues, with musicians from African-American, East Indian, European and Asian heritages, including keyboardist Taki Komori, drummer Paul Revelli, bass player Kedar Roy, guitarist Robert Sidwell, and Bob Welsh on both guitar and keyboards. As Thomas describes it, “Spectacle and rhythm merge in the band's new release, Introducing the Blues Ambassadors, with the tracks "Standing In The Rain" and "How Come?" evoking social commentary through traditional blues structures and vibrant, contemporary sound. In these songs, the cadence of the Blue Ridge Mountains blends with Chicago's sharp city lights; and gospel, work songs, ballads, spirituals and European art music weave through an American national identity. Place—whether a country, a city, a front porch, a nightclub, a street corner, a juke joint—becomes the common ground for recalling and creating life experiences anew.”  Photo Credit: Earl Thomas

The Dr. Danger Band carries on a soulful blues based rock tradition that includes a mix of covers and originals which extend from the birth of rock and roll, to the sound of the Bay Area in the 60s and 70s, and up through the soul revival of Amy Winehouse. Band members include Brad Kyle (lead guitar and vocals), Linda Lucille (vocals), Jerry White (bass), Ray Wells (harp), Jim Clark (drums) and Brent Dannells (keyboards).

For more information, to volunteer, call 805/541-7930 or visit our website www.sloblues.org.