QUAD CITIES (February 25, 2019) — The Mississippi Valley Blues Society is "Keeping the Blues Alive!" by bringing top-notch blues educators to Quad-City schools.
Kevin "B.F." Burt, the bluesman representing the Iowa Blues Societies, picked up three awards at the 2018 International Blues Challenge, Memphis, Tennessee: First Place Solo/Duo Competition, Best Solo/Duo Guitarist, and the Lee Oskar Award for Best Harmonica Player. [www.BFBurt.com]
Beginning Monday, February 25 through Thursday, February 28, he will visit and teach blues harmonica at elementary and high schools in Milan, East Moline, and Moline (Illinois), as well as Davenport, Bettendorf, and Pleasant Valley (Iowa). A complete schedule is available by contacting us at mvbs@mvbs.org.
Kevin "BF" Burt will conclude his blues residency with MVBS with a free-to-the-public performance at The Mound in the Village of East Davenport, Thursday, February 28, at 7PM.
Part of Burt's curriculum for this residency is brought from his book, Just Play It, which was piloted throughout the US by hundreds of teachers and students. Just Play It is a 6-lesson method designed to introduce students ages 5-8 to playing basic cross-harp blues harmonica. The easy-to-understand and visually-appealing curriculum covers breathing exercises, short familiar melodies, and 4-part harmonica ensemble exercises based on 12-bar blues.
The unique color-coded notation system in Just Play It also makes learning blues harmonica easy through sound zones, special effect words, a digital download link for 24 play-along tracks, and other innovative teaching tools help students experience quick success on this classic, extremely affordable, cross-cultural instrument.
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The Mississippi Valley Blues Society and River Music Experience are teaming up to bring the Quad Cities another night of fun Testing Our Knowledge of Music Trivia.
This trivia contest will include all musical genres, not just blues. The contest will be between tables of contestants. The tables will have a minimum of four people and a maximum of eight. If you can't put a table of four or more together, please come as a walk-in. Like last year, we will gladly find you a table. Bring your own snacks and drinks will be available at the bar.
Date: Sunday, March 10
Time: Doors Open at 1:30PM, Trivia Contest begins at 2:30PM
Location: River Music Experience, 121 Main St, Davenport, IA
Tickets: Entry Fee $10/pp
Register at www.rivermusicexperience.org
PRIZES:
1st Place Table: Each will receive vouchers for five tickets to any RME show.
2nd Place Table: Each get a voucher for the 2019 Mississippi Valley Blues Festival.
There will also be raffles with valuable prizes donated by Quad-City businesses.
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The Mississippi Valley Blues Society will bring true Memphis blues to the Quad Cities with the Ghost Town Blues Band.
Recently featured at Montreal Jazz Festival, Beale Street's latest success story, #4 on the 2018 Billboard Blues Charts (wk 9), 2016 Independent Blues Award winner for "Best Contemporary Blues Song", 2015 Blues Blast Music Award Nominee for "Best Blues Band", and 2014 International Blues Challenge Runner-up, is the Ghost Town Blues Band. www.ghosttownbluesband.com
Not your grandpa's blues band, their live show has been captivating audiences in the US and Canada with a second-line horn entrance, cigar box guitars, and electric push-brooms to Allman Brothers-style jams, and even a hip-hop trombone player.
Horns, harmonies, and homegrown instruments combined with an energetic and roots rich festival set makes Ghost Town Blues Band one of the "must-see live bands on the festival circuit today." Both Andrew McNeill behind the drums and Matt Karner on the bass guitar are a punishing rhythm section behind multi-instrumentalist/frontman Matt Isbell with raunchy cigar box guitar licks and raspy "Dr. John-like, whiskey and gravel-soaked vocals." With the addition of Trombonist Suavo Jones, Cedric Taylor on B3 and Taylor Orr on lead guitar, the grooves go from funky to "funk-nasty" as the band gains more notoriety in the blues festival and jam circuit (per Living Blues magazine).
Date:
Sunday March 24
Time: 6PM
Location: Viking Club 1450 41st Street, Moline, IL
Tickets: $10 Mississippi Valley Blues Society Members/$12 Non-members (membership applications available at the door)
