The Santa Barbara Blues Society is excited to present the Nat Dove Blues Band on Saturday, May 10, 2008, at 8:30 PM at Warren Hall, Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barbara

Nat Dove is one of the most esteemed blues pianists of his generation. Born in Texas, he spent time at his uncle's recording studio, where he met many blues legends. He started to play piano at age 4, and later learned to play drums, bass, and trumpet and to write, arrange, and compose music.

After moving to CA in the 1960s, Dove formed a band featuring Pee Wee Crayton on guitar and Mickey Champion on vocals. He went on to record with an all-star list of blues greats, including Big Mama Thornton, George "Harmonica" Smith, Freddie King, Sam Cooke, Johnny Shines, and Robert Cray. After living in France in the 1970s and co-writing a book with Memphis Slim, Dove returned to CA to become a blues educator as well as performer. Dove is on the faculty at Cal State University, Bakersfield, and Director of the Bakersfield Blues Preservation Society. He has been lauded by Living Blues magazine as "one of today's top bluesmen on his instrument."

Tickets will be on sale at the door for $30 general admission and $40 preferred VIP seating. SBBS (and other blues society) members and a guest receive a $5 discount; college students with ID $15, high school students only $10, and children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available at Folk Mote Music, Jensen Guitar & Music, and by mail until May 9. Call us at 897-0060 for group rates.

As usual, doors open at 7:30. Come early for the best seats and enjoy the free mouth-watering spicy Cajun treats by the Big Easy Catering Company.

The event is sponsored by radio stations KTYD, KCSB, and KCBX, as well as Firestone beer, Longoria Wines, Buttonwood Farm Winery, The Big Easy Catering Company, State & A Bar & Grill, Southland Blues Magazine. Please make sure to thank them for their support.

Once again, we will have a raffle of a brand new, red hot CD: "Roamin' and Ramblin'," from Earwig Music, featuring blues singer and guitar maven David "Honeyboy" Edwards, former traveling companion of Robert Johnson and Robert Lockwood Jr., who is still touring and going strong at age 93!

SAD FAREWELLS

The last month has seen the demise of several friends of the SBBS. John Parker, honcho of the Santa Clarita Blues Society, was a lover of the blues and a strong supporter of our society as well as his own, and will be sorely missed. Mike Miller, another of our supporters, passed away suddenly; he was singer and guitarist of Blue Stew, a fine Ventura-area band which represented the SBBS at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis this January and played for us at blues brunches. Condolences are also in order for Atlanta-based guitarist and singer Sean Costello, whose new CD was raffled at our March show. Costello, a rising star on the blues circuit, died suddenly just before his 29th. birthday.

Memberships

SBBS annual memberships are valid for 12 months from date of purchase. Please check your membership card for the date. Memberships may be renewed at the show or by mail. Annual memberships are $20, less than most other blues societies' and a bargain. Members plus one guest get $5 off of each SBBS show. Life memberships (your life or ours, whichever is longer) are $60; new life members receive a free T-shirt or blues CD. For this show, annual memberships dated May 1, 2007, or later will be honored.

Keb Mo’ will be playing at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara on Friday June 13, 2008 at 8pm. SBBS members are eligible for a 10% discount on up to 4 tickets to the show. If you are a member of the Santa Barbara Blues Society, be sure to say so when you purchase your tickets. The Lobero box office has a current member list to verify your membership. Tickets can be purchased by calling (805) 963-0761, or visiting the box office at 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. The special SBBS ticket discount is NOT available on tickets purchased through the internet.

As you well know, we are the oldest existing blues society in the U.S. and also the first winner of the W.C. Handy Award for Blues Organization of the Year, in 1982, as well as repeat 2005 winner. Since March 1977 we have been bringing you the best and most authentic practitioners of the African American blues tradition in a relaxed party atmosphere, the way blues should be enjoyed. Let us know which artists you would like us to book; we welcome your input. The SBBS is a non-profit organization; donations are welcome and are tax-deductible!

Do you know of a business that may be interested in becoming a SBBS sponsor? Let us know. Interested in volunteering? Send us an e-mail at info@sbblues.org.

Visit our WEB SITE, www.SBBlues.org, for the latest in local blues happenings, to join the SBBS and our e-mail list, and for more information about featured artists, with photos and music clips, and about our history. Information is also available at (805) 897-0060.

The SBBS thanks the following radio stations and disc jockeys, whose support helps us to keep the blues living and vibrant.

KCSB, 91.9 FM
Views of the Blues Sunnyland Steve
Mon., 2 to 4 PM
Bluesland with Leo Schumaker
Thurs., 8 to 10 PM

KTYD, 99.9 FM
Bluesbreakers with Jimmy Mac
Sun., 9 to 11:30 PM

KPFK, 98.7 FM
Blues Power
with Bobbee Zeno & Louise Foster
Thurs., 10:30 PM to Midnight

KCBX, 89.5 FM
Evening Blues
Jackson Blue and Detroit Deb
Sat., 7 to 10 PM

KCLU, 102.3 FM
Blues Shack with Jim Rondeau
Sun., 1 to 4 PM