Goin’ to Memphis: On Sunday January 15 at 8pm at the Function Bar, 2291 Yonge Street, the TBS presents the IBC “Road To Memphis” Fundraiser Concert with Heather Luckhart, Garnetta & Dagroovmasters and special guest Kenny ‘Blues Boss” Wayne. Tickets are $15 ($10 – TBS Members). Advance tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/road-to-memphis-fundraiser-concert-tickets-493077667577? If you are a TBS Member in good standing email info@torontobluessociety.com for your discount code. If you can’t make it to the show but still want to contribute, The Toronto Blues Society has also set up a Gofundme campaign to help pay travel expenses for our representatives. https://www.gofundme.com/f/tbs-ibc-road-to-memphis?

Trans-Continental Collaboration: Suzie Vinnick is heading out for lengthy tour of BC with Australian Lloyd Spiegel who has made a big impression in his Toronto appearances in recent years and returns this way for some Ontario dates including Dryden w/Lloyd Spiegel (February 10), (Huntsville w/Lloyd Spiegel (February 16), Westport w/ Lloyd Spiegel (February 17), Mississippi Mills w/Lloyd Spiegel (February 18) and later on Ottawa w/Lloyd Spiegel & Charlie A’Court (April 18). For complete tour itinerary see suzievinnick.com

Congratulations:  Susan Tedeschi has been awarded the Bicentennial Medal from the esteemed Smithsonian Institution. On Dec. 8, Tedeschi, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, and Dave Grohl received the James Smithson Bicentennial Award, which is presented “to persons who have made distinguished contributions to the advancement of areas of interest to the Institution.” Susan said, “Smithson mandated that this award goes to someone who exudes an American tradition and dedicates their life to doing good. They can give it to anybody from a scientist to a musician to an athlete, and many of the winners have created the American experience, like Pete Seeger, Les Paul, and Jim Henson… I’m trying to help keep that American story alive while telling my own story too.”  Tedeschi is working on a 25th anniversary reissue of her 1998 album Just Won’t Burn, which introduced her to a wider audience beyond her Boston roots. The artist purchased the masters back from her original label Tone Cool and is going through her archives to find previously unreleased material to augment album tracks popularized by Ruth Brown, Junior Brown, and John Prine.