A landmark anniversary in the history of blues music in Birmingham takes place tomorrow night (Tuesday 28 February) at Velvet Music Rooms on Westside.
It will be exactly 50 years since six American blues legends performed in the city as part of a seven-week tour of the UK and Europe.
The first American Blues Legends tour, organised by Jim Simpson of Big Bear Music in Birmingham, resulted in more than 30 concerts in little over a month, including a date at Digbeth Civic Hall on 28 February 1973.
To mark the 50th anniversary, Velvet will be hosting home-grown blues outfit The Shufflepack (main picture) in the latest Henry’s Blueshouse session tomorrow evening.
Based in High Wycombe, The Shufflepack – twice winners of the Band of The Festival Award at the Birmingham Jazz Festival – will deliver their usual rocking post-war Chicago Blues.
The concert is part of the twice-a-week live music sessions at Velvet Music Rooms, with the Tuesday night Henry’s Blueshouse now celebrating a year in its new venue, plus the Birmingham Rocks! concerts every Sunday evening.
Jim Simpson, the man behind Henry’s, said: “At the start of 1973 I checked six American bluesmen into an Edgbaston hotel before setting off on tour.
“Over the course of seven weeks, the first ever American Blues Legends performed 33 concerts in 35 days across ten countries, and also recorded an album for Big Bear.”
Photos from that 1973 tour will form a slide show to be screened in Velvet Music Rooms before and after The Shufflepack’s performance tomorrow night.
Added Jim: “This was a landmark tour for blues fans, so much so that a number of people who come to Henry’s got their first taste of blues music as teenagers in ’73.
“The tour proved so popular that we kept doing it for the rest of the decade with different artists.”
Henry’s Blueshouse takes place at Velvet every Tuesday night from 8pm, with doors open at 7pm. All performances are free admission, unless otherwise stated.
March gigs
- Tuesday 7 March: Jamie Thyer & The Worried Men
- Tuesday 14 March: The Nitecrawlers
- Tuesday 21 March: Jo Carley & The Old Dry Skulls
- Tuesday 28 March: Maz Mitrenko Band
Birmingham Rocks! on Sunday’s is seen as Henry’s boisterous younger brother, showcasing some of the best bands that Brum has to offer, from rock and ska to soul and Cajun.
Birmingham Rocks! is every Sunday at 6.30pm with performances also free, unless otherwise stated. Doors open at 6pm.
March gigs
- Sunday 5 March: Luis Riley Morrison (pictured above)
- Sunday 12 March: Jayler
- Sunday 19 March: Travelling Riverside Blues Band
- Sunday 26 March: The Jo Baldwin Project
