George Bowman's "Tribute to Maxine Johnson"

The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year, alternately known as "Black Friday" and "Blitz Day," when people get up at 4 a.m. to barrel over each other in shopping carts and take advantage of the ridiculous rollbacks. If you're not in such a hurry to get harried over the holidays, some smooth blues may be just what you need, and Valley crooner George Bowman's bringing out a venerable who's-who of Phoenix jazz and blues greats for his "Tribute to Maxine Johnson" show. Johnson, a native Phoenician who's worked with everybody from Wayne Newton and Diana Ross to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, has been performing since the age of 5, and describes her music as "good old down-home blues, jazz and straight-up funk." Johnson's daughter (and fellow singer) Lady J is set to perform, along with Lila Sherman from Sistah Blue, and Count Basie Orchestra alum Dennis Rowland. The posters for this show feature a shot of Johnson's impressive backside, and the people who kept stealing those posters off the walls of the Rhythm Room should be pleased to know that Ms. Johnson herself will be on hand to sign them.