Billy Flynn CD cover

Billy FlynnBilly Flynn
Lonesome Highway
Delmark Records

There is a good reason why Billy Flynn has been one of the most requested guitarist in Chicago and elsewhere. He just knows how to play with just the right number of notes with the right tone and is flat out tasteful in everything he bring forth from his strings. For nearly five decades (Flynn was first noted by the legendary bluesman Jimmy Dawkins when he was just 14 years old) he has worked with an amazing array of superb musicians such as former Muddy Waters sidemen in The Legendary Blues Band, Otis Rush, Mississippi Heat, and Kim Wilson. He has appeared onstage with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and even Beyonce, the latter who he also performed with for a song from the film Cadillac Records that won a Grammy Award.

Lonesome Highway is Flynn’s tenth solo project and his first for the renowned Delmark Records label.  He is backed by a terrific cast of Chicago-based blues artists that include the great Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, E.G. McDaniel on bass and Dietra Farr providing vocals on a couple of tracks. Flynn himself handles multiple duties, aside from guitar and vocals he also plays some percussion and harmonica.

Song selections are all original by Flynn, with the sole exception of Billy Page’s “The ‘In’ Crowd” originally made famous by the Ramsey Lewis Trio which he has presented done as a well-executed instrumental.  As a songwriter, Flynn is also exceptional and has a variety of directions he puts forth on Lonesome Highway. Stand out numbers include “If It Wasn’t For The Blues,” “Small Town,” “Jackson Street” and another instrumental “Blues Express.” Actually, this is a great disc filled with highlights from start to finish. And with seventeen tracks and nearly 70 minutes of music, that adds up to a lot of highlights.

Billy Flynn may not be a household name to everyone who enjoys the blues. But he should be. A musician and songwriter that holds his own very well with the best of them. Lonesome Highway is a disc that should be heard and will convince those who do just how tremendous an artist that Billy Flynn truly is.

 

Total Time: 69:53

Good Navigator / If It Wasn’t For The Blues / Small Town / Lonesome Highway / The “In” Crowd / Never Had A Chance / Waiting Game / Hold On / The Lucky Kind / Jackson Street / Long Long Time / The Right Track / You Are My Lover / I Feel ‘Um / Blues Express / Sufferin’ With The Blues / Christmas Blues

Cascade Blues Association 30th Anniversary Celebration

Cascade Blues Association 30th Anniversary The Cascade Blues Association is proud to present CBA 30 – A Once in a Lifetime Benefit Concert, along with McMenamins Crystal Ballroom and Music Millennium, to celebrate the CBA’s thirtieth anniversary of supporting, promoting, and preserving the blues in the Pacific Northwest. Formed in late December 1986, for the past thirty years the organization has continuously worked at focusing on our local, regional, and national touring talent that has made the Northwest a hotbed in the international blues scene. Our community definitely overflows with an abundance of blues musicians, both past and present and this event is aimed at honoring their creativity as much as the CBA’s involvement.

To help us celebrate thirty years, more than fifty musicians are coming together for this early evening event taking place at the historic McMenamins Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland. Oregon Music Hall of Fame members Duffy Bishop, Lloyd Jones, Norman Sylvester, Terry Robb, Bill Rhoades, and Bobby Torres are only a small part of this extravaganza of amazing artists. International Blues Challenge winners Karen Lovely, Rae Gordon, and Ty Curtis will also be on hand, as well as many CBA Muddy Award winners and CBA Muddy Hall of Fame inductees

Over the years, the CBA has had its ups and downs as any business will go through. Unfortunately, at this point we are seeing a bit of a struggle financially, so this event is also a benefit to bring us back into a stable frame. We do a number of events that are expensive, and most of the cover for these events comes from our membership’s annual dues. For the past few months we have consistently experienced more outcome in funds than we have been receiving and it is catching up with us. The Muddy Awards, member picnic and holiday party, BluesNotes and various events do add up. Therefore, all of the musicians taking part in CBA 30 have offered their performances to help us get back on our feet.

CBA 30 takes place on Sunday, May 21, starting at 4:00 pm. McMenamins Crystal Ballroom is located at 1332 W Burnside Street. Tickets are available in advance through CascadeTickets.com, the Crystal Ballroom box office or by calling 1-855-CAS-TIXX. A limited number of VIP seats are available for $75.00 each, that include a meet & greet with Duffy Bishop, with a personal photo with Duffy and a signed event poster by her, a VIP pass and reserved seating. This event is 21 & over only.

Headlined by the Duffy Bishop Band, the line-up includes many of our favorites from throughout the years, with nine sets that’ll feature guest artists popping in and out throughout the evening. Time was limited and we had more musicians wanting to participate than we could fit into one night, and we do love and appreciate all. Thank you for being there for us. Here is who you can expect to see:

 

DUFFY BISHOP BAND

TY CURTIS BAND

LLOYD JONES STRUGGLE

NORMAN SYLVESTER BAND

MARY FLOWER

TERRY ROBB

KINZEL & HYDE

BILL RHOADES & THE PARTY KINGS AND QUEENS

TOO LOOSE CAJUN/ZYDECO BAND

THE STRANGE TONES with THE VOLCANO VIXENS

RAE GORDON & THE BACKSEAT DRIVERS

KAREN LOVELY

ROBBIE LAWS

BOBBY TORRES

LOUIS PAIN

DAVE MATHIS

MIKE MOOTHART

AND MORE TBA!!

 

There will be a silent auction and raffle tickets. We are looking for donations for these, please contact one of our board members if you have anything to offer.

A huge thank you goes out to Joey Scruggs, Terry Currier, Greg Johnson, James “Coach” Hurley & his stage crew team, Andy Strange for artwork, and McMenamins for making this event come alive.

Please join us to help the CBA continue our pursuit of keeping the blues at the forefront of the region’s music community and to experience a “Once in a Lifetime” event for the ages.