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The consolidation of the music business has made it difficult to encourage styles like the blues, all of which deserve to be celebrated as part of our most treasured national resources.

- Bonnie Raitt

Patrick Hazell at Nan’s Piano Bar Nov. 28

Patrick Hazell

"Merry Christmas, Baby" will ring in the Season with Patrick Hazell, at Nan's Piano Bar atop the Freight House, across the tracks from scenic LeClaire Park on the Davenport levee, from 4 until 7 p.m. on the day after Thanksgiving (Friday 28 November 2008). Admission is $10 for this fundraiser for the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.

Inducted into both the Iowa Blues and Rock Halls of Fame, Patrick Hazell plays music that spans decades and dozens of styles. Boogie woogie, ragtime, second line, barrelhouse, stride, soulful, rock, jazz, hard edged, five piece, four piece, solo, piano, organ, harp, bells, tambourine - he plays every genre with a name, and more."Spellbinding!", according to Blues Fest founder Ross Haecker. "His early work with the Mother Blues Band holds up very well; better than that, actually. The offspring of Mother Blues were the groove of the first Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and also the first MVBS gig long before the Fest, with the RHYTHM ROCKERS, led by Rick Cicalo, the mayor of Washington, Iowa, who, sadly, passed earlier this year." The Iowa blues scene was only Patrick Hazell - for many years.

Chris Avey

Congratulations to The Avey Brothers for winning the 2008 Iowa Blues Challenge, held Saturday, May 17 at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. This Quad Cities band consists of Chris Avey on guitar and vocals, Mark Avey on bass, Bryan West on drums and Chris Ryan on harmonica. Formerly collaborating in the Twin Towers Band and rock band Blue Ash Ink, Chris and Mark Avey have been a fixture on the Quad Cities music scene for the past ten years or so. While Chris was off in Phoenix playing lead guitar with the Big Pete Pearson Band, Mark had a successful stint playing bass with the Mercury Brothers, who also won the Iowa Blues Challenge and made it to the finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, which is a significant feat in itself.