Phoenix Blues Society Aug. 21

The original Flamekeepers: Chuck Peterson, the late

Chico Chisum, and George Thomas

A Host of Valley Blues Artists

Step up to the Plate

George Thomas and his band The Flamekeepers have donned their white hats and stepped in to lend some much-needed assistance to the financially strapped Phoenix Blues Society.

The guys, along with the Bob Corritore and crew at the Rhythm Room are staging a huge benefit on Sunday to help PBS raise funds to cover the costs of the annual Blues Blast festival that takes place in the spring and to launch a Blues in the Schools program that has been on the back burner for some time.

George is no rookie to the music business having spent 24 years as a radio broadcaster playing mostly oldies on the KOOL-FM spot on the dial. His first radio gig came right out of high school and lasted until 2001. You can only listen to so much Led Zepplin and then you have to call it quits, he says.

“I grew up here in the Valley,” George says. “I moved out here from Alabama in 1968 so I can almost call myself a native. I started playing the trumpet in 4th grade and got my first guitar a couple years later. I really didn’t start seriously playing it until after I got to high school. Now here we are 40 years later.

“I kind of fell into the Blues with the British invasion,” George recalls. “Eric Clapton and those guys playing the Willie Dixon tunes. We had to hear our own music played back to us. It’s still kind of that way today with all of the Blues going on in Europe and Japan. The music is huge over there and here it’s kind of on the wane.”

George agrees that the Blues kind of has suffered through peaks and valleys in the last 50 or so years.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was mentioned as one of the inspirational players responsible for the Blues boom of the ’80s and early ’90s.

“Every generation has to have its bellwhether,” George says. “My favorite today is Mud Morganfield (son of the late Muddy Waters). The Blues is just in his blood. He just gets up there and does it. I don’t think he even has to try.”

Lending a hand to PBS just seemed like the right thing to do, George says.

“You know, it is a hard time for musicians and music these days,” he says. ” And Blues is such a small part of the whole picture. We’re just trying to help push it along and keep it going. It would be a total shame to see it fade away from lack of interest. Events (like this benefit) keep everybody involved.”

With time on his hands George said he started playing regularly again in 2005 and he and a couple of friends started playing with the legendary drummer, Chico Chisum, in his waning years.

“Bob (Corritore) had brought Chico from Chicago and he was just a phenomenal drummer,” George says. “He could accompany anybody. He played the big band stuff as well as the small combo. I used to tell him the only thing he never had played was surf music. I don’t think they play that too much in Chicago.”

PBS is on the right track with its pledge to include the local musicians in as many of its activities as possible, George says.

“I’d like to see the Blues in the Schools programs introduced in the schools,” he says. “We’ve got to get more young people involved. More young adults. That was one of Chico’s biggest thrills was playing for the young people.”

The Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society will take place beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday at The Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd.

The lineup includes a stellar list of some of the Valley’s finest Blues artists.

They include:

3:00 doors & opener Julio Franco Olivera
3:30 Phoenix Sojourn with Gail Phoenix
4:00 Buzz Fowler/Hooter’s Blues/CJV
4:30 Walkin’ Cane Mark
5:00 Common Ground Blues
5:30 Hans Olson
6:00 Blues Hounds
6:30 Hoodoo Casters
7:00 RD Olson
7:30 Big Nick & the Gila Monsters
8:00 George Thomas & the Flamekeepers
9:00 Gypsy! Wild at Harp
9:30 Uvon Ray Ray
10:00 Joe Draper Trio
10:30 JC Juke Rockers

The Phoenix Blues Society, founded in 1989, is one of 195 national and worldwide affiliates of The Blues Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) corporation based in Memphis, Tenn.

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Out & About

Tuesday, August 21

Paris James, 6 p.m., Vine Expressions, Gilbert,

Soulcatcher Duo: 7:30 p.m., D’Vine Wine, Chandler

Sage Gentle-Wing, 5 p.m., Gold Canyon Golf Club, Gold Canyon

Carey Slade hosts Open Mike Acoustic Jam, 8 p.m., Goat Head Saloon, Mesa

New Brothers, 8 p.m., Hideaway, Cave Creek

Wednesday, August 22

The Juke Rockers, 8 p.m., The Rhythm Room, Phoenix

Carvin Jones, 8 p.m., Nacho Mama’s, Tempe

The Sugar Thieves, 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday at Copper Blues, Phoenix

Soulcatcher Duo, 6 p.m., Vine Expressions, Gilbert

Sage Gentle-Wing, 5 p.m., Gold Canyon Golf Club, Gold Canyon

Rocket 88s: Host Open Jam 7 PM, Original Harvey’s Wineburger, Phoenix,

First String Promotions Open Jam , 7 p.m., El Dorado Bar & Grill, Scottsdale

Delmar Stewart, Jill Von & Tommy Grills host Open Jam , 8:30 p.m., Thunderbird Roadhouse, Phoenix

Thursday, August 23

Carvin Jones, 7 p.m., Hooper’s Pub, Glendale

Arizona Blues Project, Thursdays, 9 p.m., Harold’s, Cave Creek

Paris James, 7 p.m., D’Vine Bistro & Wine Bar, Chandler

Krimson Chord Jam ,Thursdays, 9 p.m., 5030 Lounge, Glendale

Leon J, 6 p.m., Amaro Wine Bar, Cave Creek

Soulcatcher Duo, 7:30 p.m., Mesa

Blues X 2 Duo, 10:30 a.m., Sunny Slope Senior Center, Phoenix

Friday, August 24

Henry Gray w/Rhythm Room All Stars, 9 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix

Chuck Hall Band, 9 p.m., Hooper’s, Glendale

Blues Hounds, 8:30 p.m., Thunderbird Roadhouse, Phoenix

J Powers Band, 8 p.m., Stingers, Glendale

Blues Review Band, 9 p.m., Kazimierz Wine Bar, Scottsdale

Carvin Jones, 9 p.m., Culinary Dropout, Scottsdale

Soulcatcher Duo, 8 p.m.., D’Vine Wine, Chandler

Nina Curri, 6 p.m., Baby Kay’s, Phoenix

RayRay & BluZone Open Jam, 9 p.m., RUB Sports Grill South, Mesa

Paris James, 7 p.m., Vine Expressions, Gilbert

Saturday, August 25

Henry Gray w/Rhythm Room All Stars, 9 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix

Chuck Hall Band, 8 p.m., Janey’s, Cave Creek

J Powers Band, 8 p.m., Roadrunner, New River

Outback Blues Band, 8 p.m., Old Town Tavern, Scottsdale

Carvin Jones, 9 p.m., House Of Brews, Gilbert

The Juke Rockers, 7 p.m., Lucille’s Bar B Que, Tempe

The Harry McGraw Band, 8 p.m., The Harp Pub, Mesa

Soulcatcher Duo, 7 p.m.., Vine Expressions, Gilbert

Rocket 88s, 7:30 p.m., Arizona Italian American Club, Phoenix

Nina Curri, 6 p.m., Baby Kay’s Cajun Kitchen, Phoenix

Sage Gentle-Wing, 9:30 a.m., Coffee Roasters, Scottsdale

Duke of Wail w/Paris James & Tim Rovnak, 9 p.m., Ventura Grill, Scottsdale

Sunday, August 26

Common Ground Blues Band, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix

Big Nick & The Gila Monsters, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix

Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix

George Thomas & The Flamekeepers, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix

R D Olson Blues Band, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix

Blues Hounds, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix

COMPLETE LINEUP FOR PBS BENEFIT CAN BE FOUND AT www.phoenixblues.org

Carvin Jones, 6 p.m., Darwin’s, Phoenix

The Dirt Music Express NOON, Hob Nob’s , Phoenix

Sage Gentle-Wing, 9:30 a.m., Coffee Roasters, Scottsdale

Sage Gentle-Wing, 5 p.m., Gold Canyon Golf Club, Gold Canyon

Bill Tarsha & The Rocket 88s Open Jam, 6 p.m., Blooze Bar, Phoenix

Bill Ludlow & Boom Duncan Open Jam & East Valley Singles Night, 6 p.m., Goat Head Saloon, Mesa

Monday, August 27

Carvin Jones, 7 p.m., Zendejas American Grill, Glendale

Hans Olson, Mondays, 9 p.m., Pranksters Too, Scottsdale

Paris James, 7 p.m., D’Vine Wine, Chandler

Bam Bam & Badness Open Jam, 9 p.m., Char’s, Phoenix

Krimson Chord Jam Mondays, 9 p.m., Wild Bill’s Saloon, Phoenix

Soulcatcher Duo, 7 p.m., Hideaway, Cave Creek

Sam McRae Monday Night Blues, 7:30 p.m., Charly’s in the Weatherford Hotel, Flagstaff

Bill Tarsha & The Rocket 88s, 8 p.m.,Open Jam, Rhythm Room, Phoenix NO JAM THIS WEEK