In LosAngeles back in the late 1990s, Blues Dawg was a quartet playing blues standards and originals, and they were receiving plenty of buzz. The band performed at legendary LA venues including B.B. King’s Blues Club, RoxyTheatre and Cat Club. Led by vocalist and guitarist Joe Neri and guitarist Larry Hill, Blues Dawg recorded two studio and three live albums, and Blues Revue Magazine was singing its praises.The band performed for the last time at the end of 2004.A few months later, Joe and his wife, author Kris Neri, moved to Sedona where they owned and operatedTheWell Red Coyote bookstore for 10 years. Joe resurrected Blues Dawg in 2006 with local musicians, but he and Larry haven’t performed together in 13 years.That’s all about to change on March 24 when the LA version of Blues Dawg headlines the 8thAnnual Old Town Blues Fest at OldTown Center for theArts in Cottonwood.
The reunited version of the band includes Joe and Larry along with drummer Alan Albert andVerdeValley’s own Gregg Gould on harmonica and Hutch Hutchinson on bass.The band will perform a set that will be heavy on traditional blues songs from Chicago, Memphis andTexas. Expect to hear tunes from Jimmy Reed, JuniorWells, B.B. King, Freddie King, Paul Butterfield and Elmer James, along with a few surprises. “The audience can expect nonstop, flat-out in-your-face music,” says Joe. (The band hopes to record the concert for a future live album.)
Before Blues Dawg takes to the stage, the festival will open with Basic Blues Band performing a rare, non-amplified, acoustic blues set. After the Basic Blues Band, Phoenixbased Mojo Rats, fronted by singer-guitarist BobVincent, will perform.The rockers are one of the most popular biker bands in Phoenix and reportedly blew the roof off of OTCA when they performed there two years ago. Expect to rub shoulders with all three bands after the concert. “It’s an informal, indoor festival,” says Joe, who is also the festival’s producer. “One of the things I love about OTCA is that it’s such a user-friendly venue. It’s big enough, but it’s intimate at the same time.” – Erika Ayn Finch. Photo courtesy of Old Town Center for the Arts.
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