Carnival of Soul

Fall has brought us a mix of creativity and optimism. Venues are working hard to bring blues to the fans, and those fans continue to be supportive. Many venues are planning on offering shows in the coming months.

Good news from Cafe 9 — they are back. The New Haven club is open every Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. The menu from their neighbors at Firehouse 12 will be featured.

Things will be different to start off, but Cafe 9 promises you a safe experience while enjoying some tasty treats and sharing time with your friends.

There is limited outdoor and indoor seating and no live band performances just yet — DJs will be performing occasionally from 7 to 9 p.m. Masks are mandatory at all times inside, except when you’re seated at tables. Food orders will be required and there is no bar seating.

This unique collaboration will help two long-running Ninth Square businesses remain viable and continue to be a part of the community together.

With safety, health, and entertainment in mind, The Wall Street Theater is bringing the ultimate outdoor concert series on the weekend. Started in September, it is a live show from 23 Isaacs Street location.

This is a Drive-in Concert format located in the parking lot behind the Wall Street Theater with entrance points at Isaacs Street and Leonard Street. Each car receives a ticket, which includes one parking space and an adjacent space for you and your company. Set up shop, tailgate, and enjoy the show. Doors open at 5 p.m., and spaces will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. with an opening act, followed by the main performance at 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday the Shaboo Stage in Willimantic will also present a Drive-in Concert. This week it is The James Montgomery Band along with Jake Kulak and the LowDown, starting at 4 p.m.

Montgomery has shared the stage with greats like Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, J. Geils Band, The Allman Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Johnny winter and many others. He keeps the harmonica alive in the blues community. Kulak is a rising star in the blues community. His guitar work continues to impress.

Check out the video of them playing together a couple of years ago at Bridge Street Live. Don’t miss this socially-distanced concert. It’s drive-in style; bring your chairs to sit outside near your vehicle.

The Red Hots are back and this Friday will be at the Best Video Film & Cultural Space from 4:3-6:30 p.m., with old blues, jazz, ragtime and some rockabilly.

A benefit hosted by the Screamin’ Eagle Band is coming up Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Hartford Harley Davidson. They are providing the entertainment, a Cornhole Tournament benefitting MDA. Along with the live music, vendors and food trucks will be there; and of course check out the new lineup of Harley Davidson Motorcycles

Sunday, the Rich Badowski Blues Band is at the Brass Horse Cafe for a 3 p.m. show.

Vinnie Ferrone appears Friday at the Clubhouse Grille outside on the porch at the Oak Hills Golf Course.

Jams are also keeping busy. The Wendy May Jam takes place Wednesday at the Clubhouse Grill is on the porch at 4 p.m. Singers must bring their own mic.

Tom “The Suit” Forst Chasing The Blues Podcast is back for Season 2. Stay tuned for the new Chasing the Blues YouTube television show, starting soon. Chasing the Blues podcast is produced by Factory Underground Studio, and marketed by Factory Underground Media in Norwalk.

The Blues Music Awards process has begun, and all musicians are invited to submit their Blues recordings for consideration for The Blues Foundation’s 2021 Blues Music Awards. Blues music released between Nov. 1, 2019 and Oct. 31, 2020, is eligible for consideration.

Adam Gussow is an American scholar, memoirist, and blues harmonica player. He is currently a professor of English and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.

Gussow spent 12 years (1986-1998) working the streets of Harlem and the international club and festival circuit with Mississippi-born bluesman Sterling Magee as a duo called Satan and Adam.

He’ll discuss his new book, “Whose Blues? Facing Up to Race and the Future of the Music” in a pair of Zoom-style events. Oct. 10, 3-4 p.m., he’ll be at the virtual Southern Festival of Books, sitting on a panel with Wanda Lloyd, David Pilgrim, and Jessica Ingram. Then on Oct. 29, from 3-4 p.m., Gussow will be in a virtual conversation and Q&A session with Ken “Sugar Brown” Kawashima and B. Brian Foster as part of the “SouthTalks” series at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. One of the themes of the book is the globalizaton of the blues; they’ll be talking about that and many other things. Check out Adam Gussow’s newsletter for the direct links.

The blues are available from Amazon Music. They now give you free, ad-supported access to thousands of stations and top playlists: No subscription required, thousands of free stations, Free playlists. With a little searching, you can listen on your favorite devices.

Any questions or comments should be sent to Domenic Forcella at TWBlus@aol.com.