Over the course of 4 decades, Roomful of Blues effectively became a franchise unto itself, many accomplished musicians emerged from the band's ranks: guitarists Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl, pianist Al Copley and singer Lou Ann Barton.

In this Oct. 11, 2009 photograph, amateur harp player Richard Crisman of Clarksdale, second from right, and amateur guitarist Iwai Kazuhito of Japan, right, play a blues set outside the commissary at Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale, Miss., during the annual festival honoring Grammy winning blues pianist Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins who used to ...

The Monterey Bay Blues Festival said Merced group Mike Hammar and the Nails won its annual Battle of the Blues Band competition.

Gov't Mule announced today the addition of several more dates for their Winter '10 tour, currently starting January 20th in Fort Lauderdale and ending February 20th in Houston.

Mule fans in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas should check the Band's tour page and http://www.muleticketing.musictoday.com/GovtMule/calendar.aspx for ticketing information.

Photo Courtesy of mule.net, CD Cover art, By A Thread,released October 27th, 2009.

New cars have been tuning themselves for the better part of two decades now, so it should feel less impressive that Gibson has built a guitar that can smoothly do the same.

The Town of Tutwiler was to be honored Wednesday with the dedicate of a Mississippi Blues Trial marker at Railroad Park.

The blues is big in Pine Island. So big, in fact, the island's annual blues festival jumps the Matlacha Bridge on Saturday for northwest Cape Coral.

David Johansen could use a break. The veteran vocalist has been touring constantly with a reconstituted version of the New York Dolls since 2006.

Code Blues, the San Diego based Rhythm and Blues group of "Doc" Alters and Mark Eppler will perform tonight at 8pm, at The Imperial House, 505 Kalmia, San Diego. Dennis "Doc" Alters hosted the JAMARAMA on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. "12 Gage" Blevins, from Panama City, Florida will make an appearance on guitar. www.mysterycafe.net for tickets, information or reservations.

Tonight The Fabulous Thunderbirds light up Rams Head On Stage . The T-birds are a band which has explored popular and traditional strains of blues music.

When bluesman Scott Holt plays in downtown Wausau on Friday, he'll bring a lifetime of guitar riffs with him.

The undisputed king of electric blues is scheduled to play to a packed audience Friday night at Centennial Hall.

Mickey Thomas has enjoyed an illustrious career dating back some 34 years, his rich vocals gracing better than two dozen albums during that span.

Each year, The Blues Foundation recognizes excellence in Blues Music by non-performers by presenting the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards.

When: Saturday, Nov. 21 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Why: To raise funds for PIE music program and other island charities For the tenth consecutive year, the members of the Matlacha Mariners are presenting the Southwest Florida Blues Festival attracting music enthusiasts from far and wide.

The following article contains the error www.windycityblues.com As requested by the organization, the correct url is www.windycityblues.org. By Renee Hyzy

The Windy City Blues Society sponsored the finals of the Chicago Blues Challenge Sunday at Buddy Guy's Legends. Thirty-two entries originally competed. In the final round it was a close vote between entries. Official winners who will travel to Memphis include: Will Jacobs and Dirty Deal for the youth entry; Matt Hendricks with Bill Curtis in the Solo/Duo category; and Grana Louise for the band entry. Other artists who participated included: Diamond Jim Greene, Nigel Mack, The Alex Wilson Band, Toronzo Cannon & the Cannonball Express, Dave Herrero, Rockin' Johnny, Linsey Alexander and Chainsaw Dupont. A fundraiser will be held at Blues on Halstead on January 8 to raise money for the contestants travel expenses. Further information regarding the Windy City Blues Society can be found at their website windycityblues.com

The St. Louis Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society, in collaboration with Portfolio Gallery will be starting an educational series, "Up Close With..." featuring various musicians. The first of the "Master Classes" will be held on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 and will include "Big" George Brock. The Society is committed to developing programs to educate individuals about rhythm and blues music. Contact the website for more information.

This week, we turn our spotlight on New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band , who will return to St.

The Blues CD, Precious Cargo, from The Steve Wiggins Band debuts this week. A Release Party and Autograph signing will take place on 11/19 at the Paul Brent Gallery in Panama City, Fl. 5-8PM. Band members include: Steve Wiggins-Piano,Hammond Organ,Keys/vocals. Lenwood Cherry Jr.-Drums/Vocals. Bruce Hebert-Bass,Acoustic Guitar/Vocals. Wally Tirado, Saxaphone. Cover art by Paul Brent.

New Orleans musician Chris Smither will be making a tour stop at the Strand on Saturday, November 21 to introduce concert-goers to his newest release, Time Stands Still, an album that creates a simple, yet emotionally powerful musical landscape upon which to paint his blues and folk-fueled narratives.