Welcome to the February edition of BLUES JUNCTION. This past month has been a very exciting time for our modest little corner of the cyber world as more and more people continue to find their way to the JUNCTION. It was also a lot of fun engaging so many of our thoughtful readers who responded to our annual January “Year in Review” edition of the ezine. This past month we received a huge amount of correspondences from folks expressing their views on the “Best of 2013” article that appeared in last month’s ezine and can be found in the archive section of our site. I truly appreciate all the kind words I received from our readers but didn’t “publish” too many of those in our Letters to the Editor section of the site. I thought it might be more entertaining to share with our readers the letters where people took exception to my picks.

In addition to bringing back the letters to the editor feature, we are introducing two brand new ongoing features this month. First is our Monthly Album Spotlight. This is where I will take a brand new CD and share with our readers my thoughts on that particular recording. This month enjoy my musings on a brand new album by Bernie Pearl, entitled Take Your Time.

The second new feature will be written each month by an artist featured in that particular edition of BLUES JUNCTION. It is a feature we are calling Essential Listening. In this case the essential listening was selected by the musician that is in the February Monthly Artist Spotlight who is Otis Grand. Enjoy an in-depth and very candid interview I had with this London based blues man. I found Otis to be engaging, intelligent and provocative.

January also marks the annual NAMM trade show and convention in Anaheim. While this massive carnival of commerce doesn’t hold a great deal of fascination for me, I always get a lot of enjoyment viewing this circus through the perspective and talents of Alex Gardner. Alex also captured one of the many NAMM show after parties. This event held in nearby Fullerton, California was very special as it celebrated the birthday of David “Kid” Ramos. For a year and a half Ramos has been battling a rare form of cancer, which is now finally in remission.

Alex also shot a terrific show in Long Beach earlier in the month that featured Kim Wilson playing in the company of some real blues all-stars. Joining Wilson on stage were guitarists Kirk Fletcher and Big Jon Atkinson. The best rhythm section in the business was also on hand. It was great to hear drummer Richard Innes and bassist Larry Taylor on stage again.  

A very special treat was to hear the evening’s opening act, Little Victor. He has been barnstorming Southern California for a few weeks. He also was laying down some tracks for an upcoming CD. It has been a few years since his marvelous Boogie All Night was released on El Toro Records out of Spain. For most in attendance on this warm and beautiful California evening it was the first time we had heard Little Victor in a live setting. I suspect you will be reading more about Victor when his new CD nears a release date.

Before the show Alex had emailed me an interesting article that appeared in Forbes magazine. In it the author discusses the degrading of the live concert experience by photographers and videographers. It is something in fact I have written about myself. Alex being a professional photographer has his own thoughts on living in the moment versus documenting the moment. I enjoyed reading his unique perspective on this subject a piece entitled Were You Even There? that has an effect on all those who enjoy listening to music in a live setting. 

Speaking of live music, another blues festival announced its line-up last month and if you are a blues music fan, it is just another case of blues music being pushed off to the side for more mainstream commercial considerations. Read my thoughts on all of this in a piece entitled, You Won’t See Me in Simi Valley. 

I also have some thoughts on a film entitled, Blues America which originally aired on BBC Four in the U.K. and has been a hit on YouTube.

Thanks to all of our loyal readers for your support of our endeavors here at BLUES JUNCTION. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what you find in the February Winter Extravaganza edition of BLUES JUNCTION. Stay warm and stay in touch.

- David Mac