San Luis Obispo Blues Society Upcoming Events Saturday April 14 Sugar Pie DeSanto also appearing Mighty Croon Dogs SLO Vets Hall 801 Grand Avenue 8PM  Members $17 / General Admission $20 May 12: Andrew "JR. BOY" Jones September 15: Vets Hall Dance Concert

BLUES SHOW REVIEW. On Saturday, April 14, the San Luis Obispo Blues Society welcomes singer, songwriter, and blues legend Sugar Pie DeSanto to the stage.  The Mighty Croon Dogs will be opening the show.  The show starts at 8:00 pm at the San Luis Obispo Vets Hall, 801 Grand Avenue. Tickets are $17 for Blues Society members and $20 for the general public.  All tickets are sold at the door (21 and over please).  Call 805/541-7930 for more information or to volunteer.

SUGAR PIE DESANTO
Sugar Pie DeSanto is a dynamic blues and soul singer, an expert songwriter, and a skillful performer.  Born Umpeylia Balinton in San Francisco, she was named “Little Miss Sugar Pie” by Johnny Otis when she toured with him in the 50s.  A performance at New York’s Apollo Theater brought her to the attention of James Brown, who she toured with in the early 60s.  Sugar Pie spent the rest of the 60s in Chicago singing and writing for Chess Records, where she authored hit songs for Etta James, Little Milton, Sam & Dave, and others.  She returned to San Francisco in the 1970s, where she is based today.  Band members include Sugar G Robinson (keyboards), Carlos Zialcita (harmonica), Larry James (guitar), Tubo (bass), and Mike Skinner (drums).

Sugar Pie has been called the “Queen of San Francisco Blues” and was named Best Female Blues Artist in 1999 by the Bay Area Music Awards and a Blues Legend in 2003 by the California Music Awards.  Although best known as a songwriter with over 100 published songs, she began recording again in the 90s for Jasman Records.  These recordings include Sugar is Salty (1993), Classic Sugar Pie (1997), Slice of Pie (1999), and Refined Sugar (2005).  Even with her recent recording success, Sugar Pie is more famous for her live performances than her recordings.  Real Blues Magazine has twice named her the Best Live Female Blues Performer and she is currently nominated for a Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year.  As she says about her performances, “Don’t put an amateur on the stage after me because I will leave it boiling hot.”

MIGHTY CROON DOGS
The charismatic and chimeric Mighty Croon Dogs promise to drag home a custom mix of blues, soul, and swamp-boogie that is sure to charm the Blues Society crowd and fill the dance floor early.  The Mighty Croon Dogs include “Guitar Wizard” Billy Foppiano (guitar and vocals), Laura Lee (vocals and percussion), Scott Wright (saxophone and vocals), Geert de Lange (bass and vocals), and Denny Carvalho (drums and vocals).  Check out their website at www.funlivemusic.com.

VOLUNTEER
Your Blues Society is run entirely by volunteers. Besides a sense of accomplishment, volunteers get into the shows for free and receive a couple free drink tickets.  We could use your help, so call 541-7930 (our voice mail number) and volunteer to work a shift at the show.