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***************************** Saturday, February 21, 2009 JOHN LISI & DELTA FUNK Opening set: Lenny Blue & the Otter Guys **************************** SLO Vets Hall 801 Grand Avenue 8PM Members $17 / General Admission $20 21 & over, please
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PO Box 14041 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 This site
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BLUES SHOW REVIEW. The San Luis Obispo Blues Society presents John Lisi & Delta Funk on Saturday, February 21. Lenny Blue & the Otter Guys will be opening the show. The show starts at 8:00 pm at the SLO Vets Hall, 801 Grand Avenue in San Luis Obispo. SLO Dance is offering free dance lessons from 7:30 - 8:00 pm. Tickets are $17 for Blues Society members and $20 for the general public. All tickets are sold at the door. 21 and over, please. For more information or to volunteer, call 805/541-7930.
JOHN
LISI & DELTA FUNK
John
Lisi describes himself as a bluesman with a sense of humor. We do
like the photo of him in the bathtub with his guitar, but we like the way
he combines Louisiana funk with a Hendrix-like sound even better.
The following biography is mostly from his website
and listen to “How’d ya get away” on his myspace
site.
Lisi, along with his band Delta Funk, has made a career of turning the pitfalls of everyday life into funky-bluesy-body-shakin’ music that just makes a person feel better. Hailed as one of the best guitarists in Louisiana by Offbeat magazine—quite a compliment in a state known for its musicians - John marries his sometimes humorous, sometimes serious lyrics with a guitar that can cry the blues one minute and break out the funk the next.
Originally from New Jersey and influenced by the roots music that was popular in his hometown, John began writing songs before he could play his first chord on a guitar. But it was when he first saw a replay of Woodstock that the direction of his life became charted. He watched in awe as Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townsend and Alvin Lee wailed on their guitars with unbelievable technique. Already proficient on the trumpet, the young musician knew then that he wanted to learn to play music like that. By the time he was 13 years old, John had made his way to Florida and was fronting a band of much older musicians, honing the skill that would later become his trademark. Then it was on to Los Angeles, where stints with blues, funk, rockabilly swing, reggae, rock and even metal bands would lead to the montage of genres that defines his music today. He also spent time in television studios doing guitar work for popular shows such as L.A. Law and Quantum Leap.
After a few years performing on stages across the United States, Europe and Mexico, John made New Orleans home and soon found himself playing with legends such as Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Raful and Kenny Neal, Rockin’ Tabby Thomas, Henry Gray, Big Joe Turner (Elvis Presley’s bass guitarist), Galactic, Big Luther Kent and Tab Benoit. Amidst a plethora of talent, the young man made a name for himself through his offbeat portrayals of life, the honesty ringing from his sultry voice and his ability to make his fingers fly over a Dobro, mandolin, steel guitar or Stratocaster as the mood took him. In a city filled with blues musicians, John stands out as authentic because his twist on the blues is an adventurous mix of funk, country, and rock and roll, combined with lyrics that laugh at life. John recently released his fourth CD, Dead Cat Bounce (thankfully, the title track refers to money, not pets). An Orlando Sentinel review gave it four out of five stars, “That timeless feel characterizes everything on Dead Cat Bounce, which shows that some blues musicians still write songs like the old masters did.”
LENNY BLUE
& THE OTTER GUYS
Lenny
Blue and the Otter Guys play a lively and danceable musical stew of blues
blended with R&B, soul, west coast swing, funk and world-beat.
The band features Lenny Blue on guitar and lead vocals, Ed Frawley on lead
guitar, Curtis Miller on drums, Jambo on bass guitar and Scott Andrews
on saxophone. Listen to “Down to New Orleans” on their myspace
site.
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.
DANCE
LESSONS.
East Coast Swing Lessons with Linda Drake & SLO Dance. Chris
Harmon and other award-winning instructors from SLO Dance offer beginning
swing dance lessons at 7:30 before each Blues Society show. Lessons
are free with admission to the show and no partner is necessary.
Linda Drake’s staff at SLO Dance includes several nationally recognized
award-winning dancers and instructors in both Ballroom and Swing.
SLO Dance staff consistently earns awards in major dance competitions and
are in constant training as instructors. Visit their website
for more information.
