Etta James

So Long, Sisters: Valley blues group Sistah Blue to play its last show May 22

Future Shock: Apocalyptica, Etta James, and more

BARTHOLOMEW'S RHYTHM AND BLUES CRUISE

RECORDINGS

COOKING WITH DAVETHE LONGTIME VALLEY JAZZMAN WANTS TO STIR UP THE SCENE ANY WAY HE CAN

ANNIE HAD A CO-WORKER

HANK BALLARD BROUGHT ROCK 'N' SEX OUT OF THE DARK AGES AND INTO THE HALL OF FAME. OH, YEAH, AND HE INVENTED THE TWIST!

Pic Hits for the week

HANK BALLARD BROUGHT ROCK 'N' SEX OUT OF THE DARK AGES AND INTO THE HALL OF FAME. OH, YEAH, AND HE INVENTED THE TWIST!

Want Some Candye?

From blue movies to blues diva, Candye Kane did it her way

Get It While You Can

Jerry Ragavoy and the ghost of Janis Joplin

Wang Dang Diva

After three decades on the road, Koko Taylor maintains the grueling pace of a blues torch carrier

Smooth Blues Brown

R&B pioneer Charles Brown dies, following a golden decade of career rejuvenation

Good Ol' Mr. Wilson

R&B pioneer Charles Brown dies, following a golden decade of career rejuvenation

Various Artists

Chicago Soul
(Soul Jazz)

Johnny Rawls

Chicago Soul
(Soul Jazz)

Cadillac Records Can’t Handle the Truth

Chicago Soul
(Soul Jazz)

At Last...

...Renowned R&B star returns to the Valley

Good Ol' Mr. Wilson

...Renowned R&B star returns to the Valley

No bling, just blues

...Renowned R&B star returns to the Valley

Various Artists

We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song
(Verve)

Real Swingers

No harm, no foul

X-Tina on Main Street

Goodbye Yellow-Haired Mouse

Slay Bells

Santa bangs his head at the Clubhouse

Jimmy Smith

The man about jazz comes to town

Border Girl

Forget the PJ Harvey comparisons — proud cachanilla Julieta Venegas sounds like no one but herself

Alive and Kicking

Despite being entombed in the recent PBS series, Gumbo shows why jazz is very much alive and well with a fine batch of new releases

Shotgun Franny

Local blues diva gets some Texas-size love from the Red-Headed Stranger

Burt's Still the Word

The newly rediscovered Burt Bacharach has a history most fans have never even heard about

Twang and Bang

A highly anticipated new release and a promising alt-country pairing head this week's happenings

Triumph of the Underdogs

For 25 years, Bug Music has protected the rights of songwriters. In the process, they've gotten Willie Dixon's songs back from Led Zeppelin and transformed Iggy Pop into a TV-commercial composer.

Beyonce Gets Emotional Over Michael Jackson At U.S. Airways Show

Victor J. PalaganoBeyonce busted out several gold dresses for her show at U.S. Airways Center... and we mean "busted."Given that yesterday was the day the world said goodbye to Michael Jackson with a glitzy, arena-sized sendoff, it shouldn't have been surprising to see Beyonce dedicate a song to the ... More >>

Day Drinker: Swizzle Inn

Who says you have to wait until the sun goes down to have a good time? ​On Sunday night, my hubby and I watched the exhausting, mediocre, and hipster-gimmick fest (500) Days of Summer. We spent the remainder of the evening on the patio, drinking cheap wine, reminiscing about Lloyd Dobler an ... More >>

Wedding Music: Getting Hitched? Check Out Matrimony's New Musical Canon

Who says you have to wait until the sun goes down to have a good time? ​On Sunday night, my hubby and I watched the exhausting, mediocre, and hipster-gimmick fest (500) Days of Summer. We spent the remainder of the evening on the patio, drinking cheap wine, reminiscing about Lloyd Dobler an ... More >>

The Roots, Miniature Tigers, Johnny Rawls, Djentrification, and Other Weekend Events

The Roots are scheduled to perform at American Junkie in Scottsdale on Saturday during the Red Bull Soundclash.​Who'd win in a fight between local legends Miniature Tigers and the hip-hop icons of The Roots? Although its feels like we're making a Sophie's Choice between our two favorite children ... More >>

Burlesque: Christina Aguilera Is Squandered in This Rehash of Yesterday's Musicals

The Roots are scheduled to perform at American Junkie in Scottsdale on Saturday during the Red Bull Soundclash.​Who'd win in a fight between local legends Miniature Tigers and the hip-hop icons of The Roots? Although its feels like we're making a Sophie's Choice between our two favorite children ... More >>

Multiple Benefit Concerts Being Organized to Support Queensland Flood Relief

​Flooding in Queensland, Australia is bringing about plenty of benefit concerts, according to Spinner.While artists like Keith Urban and Mos Def are shuffling around some tour dates to work around the flood, other artists and promoters are putting a more positive spin on the disaster by organizing ... More >>

Man Invents Grand Piano With 102 Keys

​An Australian craftsman has taken things up a notch and designed a grand piano with 102 keys, according to NPR Music.Wayne Stuart, the man behind the design, claims that the 14 additional keys will set the bar higher for pianos to come: none can go as high, and very few can play notes as low as t ... More >>

Pete Yorn's Take on the Silliest of Silly Little Love Songs

​An Australian craftsman has taken things up a notch and designed a grand piano with 102 keys, according to NPR Music.Wayne Stuart, the man behind the design, claims that the 14 additional keys will set the bar higher for pianos to come: none can go as high, and very few can play notes as low as t ... More >>

Lara Plecas, What Are You Listening To?

Lara Plecas​Lara Plecas The local artist has a show at Art Detour at her studio The Aviary from March 19 to 21. It is located at 1020 Grand Ave. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? I pretty much only listen to NPR radio. I like their tak ... More >>

Etta James Hospitalized with Blood Infection

Wikimedia CommonsEtta James ​Legendary jazz and R&B singer Etta James has been hospitalized in Riverside, California with a blood infection. James, 73, is perhaps best known for her song "At Last," though she's also sang backup vocals for Chuck Berry, toured with Little Richard, and garnered f ... More >>

Red Hot Chili Peppers Follow Foo Fighters' Footsteps, Releasing Album Performance in Movie Theaters

​Going all out and bringing their concert experience to their fans in the Foo Fighters' style, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' will be streaming a live performance of their entire upcoming album I'm With You, according to Consequence of Sound.The live concert will be screened across the country fo ... More >>

Hot Birds and the Chili Sauce @ The Compound Grill

​Going all out and bringing their concert experience to their fans in the Foo Fighters' style, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' will be streaming a live performance of their entire upcoming album I'm With You, according to Consequence of Sound.The live concert will be screened across the country fo ... More >>

Rich Berra, What Are You Listening To?

Rich Berra​Rich Berra Berra is one of the hosts of the Johnjay and Rich radio show heard on 104.7 KISS-FM here in Phoenix. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play? It sounds like a scam, but I listen to KISS to hear what our station sounds like af ... More >>

Adele Won and Nicki Minaj Creeped; We Recap the Grammys

​If Adele could rap, she probably would have won that Grammy as well. Sunday night's Grammy Awards made for interesting viewing, with Adele's sweep, some amazing tributes, performances, and a downright weird and horrible showing from Nicki Minaj. Host LL Cool J opened up with a prayer for Whitne ... More >>

What's Selling: Hoodlums Top 10 Selling Albums of the Week

​Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We've got you covered with another installment of What's Selling. Adele came up big at the Grammy's Sunday, but she's nowhere to be seen on Hoodlums list of weekly top-sellers. It's quite po ... More >>