ONE NIGHT ONLY!! DON'T MISS COLORADO SPRINGS' FIRST ANNUAL BLUES DIVAS SHOWSCASE, LIVE, SATURDAY, MAY 4, HOSTED BY SMOKIN' JOE AND THE MIGHTY BURNERS.

Colorado Springs-based blues retroists Smokin' Joe and the Mighty Burners are up to it again. After presenting the successful Pikes Peak Blues Harp Blowdown, Smokin' Joe is on to the ladies of the blues for his next showcase. "You hear so much about guys who are playing the blues, it's about time the gals got their due accord," says Smokin' Joe. "I'm on a mission to show the public that the women of the blues have just as much to say, if not more. And as a community we are so lucky to be blessed with three awesome local singers that I'll be showcasing."

The Pikes Peak Blues Divas Showcase will be hosted at the Business of Art Center, located at 513 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs. "If you haven't been to this events hall yet," says Smokin' Joe, "you owe it to yourself to come out. This used to be an old carriage house. The BAC has completely renovated it into a first-class venue."

Cover will be $4.00. "Trust me," says Smokin' Joe, "this is a small price to pay for this triple-bill."

The Performers:

Joanne Taylor, "Queen of the Blues" - What most singers aspire to accomplish some day--recreation of the divine here on this earth--is delivered on almost a nightly basis by the one and only, Miss Joanne Taylor. 

Debuting on vinyl at the age of nine, when she recorded as a backup vocalist with the then seven-year old Aretha Franklin, Joanne has been working ever since, treating audiences from Cleveland, Kansas City, and now Colorado Springs to her unique and truly gifted voice. A melange of gospel, blues, and R&B--reflecting such influences as Little Milton, B.B. King, and Little Willie John--Joanne's vocals are the spirit of emotion and the fire of pain, all wrapped up in a "take no prisoners" stance that forces one to enter into their soulful stirrings. 

But it is not just Joanne's voice that makes one sit up and take notice. Joanne is an entertainer without comparison, from the old school where the club was the artist's canvas to paint broad brushstrokes of the blues and its relation to life. Seeing Joanne is an interactive experience. You are just as likely to find yourself suddenly standing next to this imposing woman, prompting you to exhort yourself into the mike, as you are to be following her command to shake your pelvis like a rocking chair. Joanne never holds back. I guaran-damn-tee it! 

Anne Kennedy - "The first time I heard Anne sing," says Smokin' Joe, "I thought I had discovered the city's best unknown blues singer. Little did I know that she had been working these parts for well over 15 years." Anne might best be remembered by those in the know for her work with the band Blues Deluxe, a seminal Colorado Springs' group that ruled the roost in the late 80's. Recently, she appeared on Barry Wedgle's "In Your Dreams" CD (Mad Mountain Productions, 1999), where she was described as "reminiscent of Dianne Reeves." The bottom line is that Anne is no stranger to the blues. "I just thought it was time to bring her out to a wider audience," says Smokin' Joe. "That, and I can't stay up as late as I used to and wait for her to grace the stage at the Laura Belle's Wednesday Night Jam, hosted by Big Walli and the Nitecrawlers."

Kristen Sherwood - The new kid on the block, Kristen is a self-described "champion bathroom singer who got drunk and was handed a mic when Joanne Taylor was playing a wedding last June." Says Smokin' Joe: "You can always tell whether someone is good or not by how much they try and downplay their talent. Kristen may be new to singing, but she's got that old-time feel that comes from the gut. She's not afraid to testify, and approaches her music somewhere between Janis Joplin and Etta James. I think the blues community will be pleased to know there's an up-and-comer in its midst." You can catch Kristen singing with Magic Dave and the New Mules almost every Wednesday at the Bristol Brewery.

The Mighty Burners - Smokin' Joe and the Mighty Burners put a unique twist on the blues, performing mostly instrumentals. "I was never a singer," says Smokin' Joe, "but had to get my voice out there somehow. So I turned to letting my guitar do the talking." The Burners are lucky to have Walter Chase on bass, and "Dangerous" Doug Mortenson on drums. "This is as tight a trio as it gets," says Smokin' Joe, "the guys can really lay down the groove."

A typical Burner's set finds them doing tunes by Freddie King, Albert Collins, and Gatemouth Brown, with obscure jems from the likes of Guitar Gable and Ike Turner. In addition, the Burners are steeped in the tradition of how to be the ensemble backing band, whether it be for the blues harmonica or the blues diva, and are the perfect backup band for this all-star review.

Reviews:

"Joanne Taylor -- a local soul goddess, she is no heretic--she is the real deal."
--Colorado Springs Gazette, October 29, 1997

"As one of this city's hardest-working stage performers, Taylor, with her goddess-like voice, packs the power of three mortal divas singing for mercy...Miss Taylor can rip your ass outta Colorado Springs and place it smack in the middle of Funkytown."
--The Independent, October 1998

Directions to the Business of Arts Center:

1. From I-25, take the I-24/Cimarron Exit heading west.
2. Get off at the Manitou Avenue Exit.
3. Proceed west along Manitou Avenue.
4. The BAC will be on your left-hand side, before you get into town.

Smokin' Joe Sciallo

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