Memphis, TN – Nineteen individuals and organizations will be honored with The Blues Foundation’s 2010 Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Award during a recognition brunch at the Downtown Doubletree Hotel Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, in Memphis, Tennessee. The KBA ceremony begins at 10:00 A.M. and will be held in conjunction with the 26th International Blues Challenge (IBC) weekend of events that will feature the semifinals and finals of the world’s largest gathering of blues bands, as well as seminars, showcases, and receptions for blues societies, fans, and professionals.

The Keeping the Blues Alive Awards recognize the significant contributions to blues music made by the people behind the scenes. Each is selected on the basis of merit by a panel of blues professionals. KBA Chairman Art Tipaldi notes with respect to this year’s recipients: “We are very pleased to bestow this recognition on people and organizations who have promoted blues music for many, many years. Increasingly, this is an international effort, and this year’s recipients reflect the worldwide impact of blues music.”
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Some people are surprised that he would get nervous performing at all. Spencer Bohren has toured from Japan to Europe to all over the United States. But his hometown is where he gets the most pre-concert jitters.

It’s actually comical for people in Casper who take pride in saying that the successful musician was born and raised here.

For more of this story by clicking here.

BIG TIMBER ROOTS ‘n’ BLUES
Guitar Workshop

Big Timber, Montana – October 10 & 11, 2009

Attention guitar players!! Now is the time to sign up for Spencer Bohren’s autumn acoustic guitar workshop to be held in Big Timber, Montana, amid the scenic grandeur of Sweet Grass County where the Yellowstone River meets the Boulder River in the shadow of the mysterious Crazy Mountains before flowing into Yellowstone National Park. There’s no prettier place to make friends with other players and singers while learning how to get the most from your acoustic guitar.

We will spend two full days playing blues, country, folk, gospel and original songs, and in the process we will cover finger picking, flat picking, open tunings, musical philosophy, singing and song writing. The students influence the direction of the workshop, and breakfast and lunch are provided.

Big Timber is an intact western town where you almost expect to run into Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday playing cards in the saloon of the historic Grand Hotel or witness a cattle stampede on the edge of town. The air is pure, the citizens are friendly, and you will have a great time playing music with no distractions. Guaranteed!

Early Birds get a deal if they sign up before August 10. For additional details please call Marie Thibeault at 406.932.6771, or email her at marie@mtintouch.net.

Spencer Bohren’s performances are known to inspire audience members in a number of ways.  Some take a song in their heart, others a story.  Then there are the musicians who are curious about his style and technique.  For those people, we have a special opportunity this summer at the Fur Peace Ranch in Pomeroy, Ohio.

The Fur Peace Ranch http://www.furpeaceranch.com is not a fantasy camp, but a guitar players oasis within an award winning music community with instruction in various guitar styles, bass guitar, songwriting, mandolin, vocals and more.

 
Hosted by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jorma Kaukonen and his wife Vanessa, the Ranch is nestled in the tranquil setting of the rolling foothills of southeast Ohio.  Jorma needs no introduction, having played with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.   His long tenure on stage and his love for teaching have earned him a lofty position among his contemporaries. In addition to teaching guitar classes, Jorma has been a beacon for attracting an impressive roster of master musicians and teachers, as well as students, who come to the Ranch throughout the year to immerse themselves in what has become a truly unique and magical environment.

The workshop class size is limited to about 10 per class, which allows for a personal, up-close teaching experience.  Direct instruction, gourmet food, campfire jams, live concerts and camaraderie come together to make your stay an experience you will remember for a lifetime! Whether you are a seasoned professional or novice, the Ranch has a spot for you on their 119 acres of natural beauty cradled in warmth of superb hospitality. So get online right here  http://www.furpeaceranch.com/2009workshop_calendar.html, get your guitar, and make your plans to  join me  June 12 to 15.

And now for a testimonial sent to Spencer following a previous weekend at the Ranch ~

Your patience, generosity, teaching ability, and sensitivity to everyone’s ability made this class a truly great learning experience.  I am leaving with many new techniques in my toolkit and a reinvigorated passion to practice what you taught me.  Can’t thank you enough.   ~ Mark in Atlanta

My family moved to LeRoy, New York, in 1961.  Driving into town, my eye caught a sign that read, “Welcome to LeRoy, Hometown of Jello.”  Expectations ran high as we drove through the quaint downtown, but we were out of the town as quickly as we had entered.  These were the days when Jello was a BIG deal, so I was a bit confused at the small size of the place that had actually engendered this famous dessert.  It was the beginning of my love affair with the heart of America.

A lot of the reason Spencer and I drive on local roads, eschewing super highways except in extreme cases of time constraints, is that it affords us the opportunity to visit with America.  A place like LeRoy is so charming with the river running through the middle of the town, a main street that flaunts its most lovely homes, and a downtown of 19th century architecture.  I am pleased to report that there seems to be a return to downtown pride in many small towns of America, and grants are available for improvements to return commerce to once-bustling shops.  As we slow down to the local speed limit in one of these places, we often turn off the radio or CD we are listening to and really check out where we are:  storefronts restored, people out and about, gardening, kids with their folks, ethnicities in signs and businesses.  Sometimes we’ll drive around a block or two to see it better; sometimes we stop to check out a thrift store or just chat with folks.  America has a lot to offer the casual observer.

And then there are the signs that greet the driver.  My favorite one this trip met us as we approached Great Falls, Montana:  Rattlesnake Vaccinations for Your Dog!!!  In those few words we received both news on a local concern and a bit of the ecology of the area.  

My advice to the harried musician who is weary of travel?  Get off of those interstates!  It can save your love of America and enhance your lifestyle.

• Spencer teams up with Bill Kirchen, formerly of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. July, 2008.
• Spencer’s exhibits Petits Mysteres at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper, WY. February, 2008
• Casper Star Tribune – Read about Spencer’s daring collaboration with opera singer, Karen Clift. April, 2007
• Check out Spencer and the Blind Boys of Alabama on American Routes with Nick Spitzer. June 20, 2001.
• Listen to A Prairie Home Companion with Ralph Stanley and Spencer Bohren. February 17, 2001.
• Hear Spencer with his mom and brother on A Prairie Home Companion in Laramie, Wyoming on May 19, 2001.
• Listen to A Prairie Home Companion Live from the Saenger Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana. February 16, 2002. [ APHC bio for this show ]

spencer bohren - the long black line

“Every New Orleanian knows about the long black line, the dirty bathtub ring left by receding floodwaters. Folk/blues troubadour Spencer Bohren threads that indelible image through a post-Katrina landscape laced with the menace and moan of a slow-crawl, doomsday acoustic slide guitar. His unflinching narration resonates with the authority of an Old Testament prophet. “The Long Black Line” could serve as the soundtrack to a Katrina documentary, but video footage would be redundant – Bohren’s song paints an all-too-vivid picture.”

Also performed are an array of topical songs that give the listener the feeling of reading the news of the day.

- Keith Spera for the Times Picayune.

To Spencer Bohren Fans Everywhere:

Greetings from beleaguered, broken, but unbowed and still beautiful New Orleans. The past year has been trying and difficult in ways I could never have envisioned, and the drama is far from over. Progress is being made, though, however slowly, and good things will continue to emerge in the aftermath of last summer’s apocalyptic storm. Many musicians and artists are experiencing a powerful creative surge these days. A couple months ago, my Muse whispered verse after verse in my ear, filling my mind’s eye with pictures of pre and post-storm New Orleans, and hanging them all on the image of the high-water mark that poisonous floodwaters left all over our beloved city when the levees failed. I premiered the song, titled, ‘THE LONG BLACK LINE,’ for approximately a thousand people in the middle of my set at the storied New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last month, and an incredible thing happened…

Before the final notes of my lapsteel guitar drifted away, the entire audience had risen to its feet, openly weeping! The song’s multiple references to the issues and questions every New Orleanian presently faces obviously hit home in a big way with the people who chose to join me at the Lagniappe Stage that day. Since that afternoon, my mailbox has been filled with requests for the song, and I am pleased to be able to offer it, free of charge, to anyone who wants to hear it.

This recording of ‘THE LONG BLACK LINE’ is an advance copy, part of an album of the same name, that was recorded in Germany in April. For some, it will serve as a reminder of what we’ve been through. For those who do not live in New Orleans, and cannot possibly understand our trials, it will hopefully provide a glimpse of the tribulations our battered city still faces. In any event, this song belongs to the people of New Orleans, and I encourage all of you to download it, listen to it, and share it generously.

To get your copy of ‘THE LONG BLACK LINE,’ simply go to spencerbohren.com, and click on the image listed as “Spencer’s newest music.” You will also be offered a PDF File of some cover art, if you want to dress up your copy a bit. Then listen. Be forewarned, this ain’t no party song.

Thank you all for your support over the decades. Hope to see you at the gig someday soon.

Warm Regards,

Spencer Bohren