Welcome to the June, 2017, edition of BLUES JUNCTION. Over the past several weeks we have been the beneficiaries of a startling array of great new blues music. We share with you a baker’s dozen worth of brand new and soon to be released CDs in our Recommended Listening section.

One of these new releases comes from Oscar Wilson. It is entitled One Room Blues and this fine album, where Wilson is backed by an all-star Chicago blues band, is in our Monthly Album Spotlight this month.

We also take a look back at the 20^th Annual Doheny Blues Festival which took place last month here in Southern California. We have no less than four features which take a look at this historical event. I discuss the Headliners as well as the Good Stuff. I also share with our readers my thoughts on the arc of this great event in a piece that was published in the 20^th Anniversary commemorative program. This beautiful 56 page publication is available though the Omega Events website and the proceeds from the purchase of this glossy magazine go to support the brand new Doheny Blues Foundation. 

Additionally, enjoy a photo essay from this year’s event compiled and edited by Tracy.

Last month was also the annual Blues Music Awards in Memphis. I thought it would be fun to share with our readers the thoughts of Nikki Hill on this event. Nikki and her husband, guitarist Matt Hill, are currently on tour in the U.S. and will soon be going overseas and playing some dates in Europe. I urge you to check their itinerary out and try and make it out to one of their dates. They put on an exhilarating show.

Also, I’m honored to publish a piece by another musician. That would be Eric Lieberman. Eric is a guitar player and the leader of a band called Blue Largo. They will be opening up for The Paladins in my hometown of Huntington Beach later this month. That is a show not to be missed. You also don’t want to miss a thought provoking editorial Eric gives us entitled Trump Supporters.

Remember to visit our Resistance is NOT Futile! page as we obviously, like so many of you, remain defiant of this current regime that has seized control of our government and made my beloved country the laughing stock of the world.

As we will be observing Father’s Day later this month, I thought I’d pull an old piece that I wrote several years ago, but never shared with anybody. It is entitled Father’s Day with Be-Bop Charlie. It is a true anecdotal story, kind of personal and a good one. I don’t do that very often, but what the heck.

Our Monthly Artist Spotlight shines on the great Rick Estrin. Part one of that interview was very well received and remains on the top shelf. Rick and I are currently working on part two...stayed tuned.

I would like to thank all of our readers who took the time and trouble to reach out to me regarding this interview. It was almost overwhelming to read so many very thoughtful reactions to this piece. Rick Estrin has remained at the top of the blues heap for decades now, but has been somewhat reticent (and who can blame him) up until now to talk to blues journalists. I want to publicly thank him for his honesty and candor and sharing his odyssey in music with our readers here at BLUES JUNCTION.

A couple of weeks ago, bay area blues man Mark Hummel stumbled upon a CD review I wrote a few months ago and shared it on his Facebook wall. It created another wave of interest in that piece as well as what goes on around here on a daily basis. I mention this as several new people have found the JUNCTION and are, for the first time, enjoying some of what they are reading here.

Welcome and let me remind you that BLUES JUNCTION is sitting on your computers 24/7/365 for your enjoyment. I urge you to check out the archives. We hope you will find something of interest to you in that now seemingly endless pile of interviews, features, reviews, recommended listening, editorials and the like.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Be well and be in touch.

-     - David Mac

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