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Rhetta Akamatsu

About Rhetta Akamatsu

Posts by Rhetta Akamatsu:

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The Cazanovas at Darwin’s in Marietta, GA, August 27, 2016

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Six years ago, Yahoo asked me to write an article naming my favorite Atlanta blues band. I chose The Cazanovas. Today, I would  still say The Cazanovas. And Saturday night at Darwin’s, they proved once again what a truly great band they are. First of all, Danny Vinson is a fantastic guitar player, as good […]

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Little G Weevil at Darwin’s Blues Club, Marietta, GA, August 26, 2016

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HOME PAGE FACEBOOK Little G Weevil put on possibly the best show I’ve ever seen him perform Friday night at Darwin’s before a packed audience, and I’ve seen him perform a lot of times now. He seemed energized, happy to be back in the states after spending much of the year touring in Europe and […]

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The Broadcast From The Horizon

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The Broadcast has recently released a new album titled From The Horizon, and this one is going to wake you up and make you pay attention! The group is from Asheville, NC, where they moved from New York City, and features a top-notch group of musicians with a fantastic vocalist, Caitlin Krisko, who has, according […]

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The Atlanta Blues Challenge 2016

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Photos by Sandra Richardson The packed house in Hard Rock Cafe’s Music Room exploded in cheers and applause again and again during the more than 7 hours of music we witnessed at the Atlanta Blues Challenge on Sunday, August 21. Twelve of the  best blues acts in Georgia  competed for the opportunity to win the […]

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Sunday Wilde serves up some tasty music on ‘Blueberries and Grits’

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Blueberries and Grits is the name of Canadian artist Sunday Wilde’s 6th album, and while she may be new to many US listeners, she is an awarding winning artist in Canada. After this album, she should gain more fame and honors in the US too. Wilde has a wonderful, vintage sounding voice which works perfectly […]

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The Ally Venable Band No Glass Shoes

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Ally Venable has been racking up awards in East Texas, where she’s from, and a listen to No Glass Slippers will help you understand why. She is a songwriter, guitar player and singer, and  at 17,  this is her debut album. Venable is backed up on No Glass Shoes by a very capable band, consisting […]

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Eddie Turner and The Troubled Twins -Naked – In Your Face

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Eddie Turner has been a guitarist since he was 12 years old and cut his musical teeth with Racy Nelson and Mother Earth in the 70’s. Having grown up outside of Chicago, he heard the blues masters . But he also absorbed the sound of Cream and Hendrix in  his early career. Now he has […]

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The jeremiah Johnson Band – ‘Blues Heart Attack’

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Jeremiah Johnson and his band have released a new album, Blues Heart Attack an appropriate name for this collection of 12 originals which attack with both ferocious blues and lots of heart, while Johnson on vocals and guitar, Jeff Girardier on bass and Benet Schaeffer on drums plus several other talented musicians offer up a […]

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Alzheimer Music Fest offers fun for a great cause Duluth, GA, August 6

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The Alzheimer’s Music Fest takes place this Saturday at the Red Brick Music Foundry in Duluth. This festival is a yearly event to raise awareness and support for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, including raising funds for those with limited funds The Alzheimer’s Music Fest partners with with Caring Together in Hope, a 501(c)(3) […]

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Grant Green Jr. at Darwin’s in Marietta GA, July 30, 2016

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Grant Green Jr. started out the evening playing a bluesy,soulful instrumental,, showcasing his  phenomenal skills on electric guitar and the excellent musicianship of his fellow players, Dave Ellington on keyboards and Adam Goodhue on drums . They are all great instrumentalists, but Green also has a warm and evocative voice and it’s only a couple […]

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A typical Atlanta Blues Society meeting and jam: July 23 at Darwin’s in Marietta

Happy people were everywhere at Darwin’s in Marietta GA Saturday. They milled about on the front porch, hung out on the back deck, and packed into the club itself, laughing, hugging, and enjoying great music. What brought them all together? The monthly meeting of the Atlanta Blues Society , which takes place at various clubs […]

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Bobby Messano at Darwin’s Blues Club in Marietta July 16

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Bobby Messano is my friend. I’ve known him around seven years now, have reviewed him many times, both his recordings and performances. Despite all of this, or maybe because of it, I am always so excited when Bobby comes to town! Messano has been in the music business or over 40 years. He has performed with Stevie […]

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Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne will have you ‘Jumpin’ and Boppin”

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Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is back with his third album for Stony Plain Records, Jumpin’ and Boppin’ and it is pure joy from start to finish. Wayne started his career as a child prodigy over 60 years ago, and yet his verve and enthusiasm comes through in every note like this is his first album. […]

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Too Slim and The Taildraggers bring us a Blood Moon

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When you’ve been playing blues-rock for 30 years, you learn your trade. That’s what Too Slim and The Taildraggers have been doing, and Blood Moon shows them at their best. The trio consists of Tim “Too Slim” Langford on blistering lead guitar and vocals, Jeff “Shakey” Folkes on drums and Robert Kearns on bass. Langford […]

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The Charlie Wooton Project at Darwin’s July 2

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Charlie Wooton is a versatile guy. Last time we saw him was with Zabadodat with Laura Reed and it was all jazzy and tropical vibes. This time, it was The Charlie Wooton Project and it was blues and funk..We enjoyed both but Saturday night’s show was my favorite. With Daniel Groover on bass,Mike Phillips on […]

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Travis Green- ‘A Little Too Late’

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On A Little Too Late, Travis Green offers 10 original songs, backed by an all-star group of musicians  including Kid Andersen (guitar and producer), Randy Bermudes (bass), Jason Hansen (drums), Jim Pugh (keyboards), Nancy Wright (sax), and Lisa Leuschner Andersen and Courtney Knott (backup vocals)The songs are an interesting blend of blues, country and rockabilly […]

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Truett blazes through Darwin’s June 25

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When Truett takes the stage at Darwin’s with Tony Erici on bongos ,Jon Schwenke on bass and backing vocals, and John McKnight on drums, he is pure energy from the start.The music just flows out of him without introduction or commentary, in one long medley of awesomeness .He does pause once, several songs in, to […]

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The Mark May Band – ‘Blues Heaven’

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Mark May is a powerful and energetic guitarist and vocalist who, along with the Mark May Band and the Soul Satyr Horns, recently released his 6th album, Blues Heaven. He is also joined on the album by a few talented friends, such as Greg Martin (Kentucky Headhunters), Hadden Sayers, Eric Demmer (Gatemouth Brown) and Steve […]

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Bluesberries, beer and blues in Norcross: Bluesberry and Beer Festival, 2016

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Every year, the city of Norcross ,, GA, which neighbors Atlanta but maintains its small-town charm,, hosts a blues festival with a blueberry theme called Bluesberry. There’s always plenty of beer available, so now it’s the Bluesberry and Beer Festival. Yes, you can buy blueberry beer along with other blueberry-flavored treats But the real treat […]

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The Mike Eldred Trio captures the South in ‘Baptist Town’

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The Mike Eldred Trio’s Baptist Town tells a story in blues, all about the South and the many opposing forces that fill its history and still affect its present. Good and evil,  sin and salvation, Black and White, joy and sadness, love and hate are all part of Southern tradition, and Eldred and his band […]

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Katie Martin and Rev. Freakchild at Darwin’s June 14

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It was a small crowd at Darwin’s. in Marietta GA  After all, it was Tuesday night. But Katie Martin and Rev. Freakchild didn’t seem  to mind. Martin opened with a great set that included her haunting version of “:St. James Infirmary” and several other covers as well as some mesmerizing  original material from her recent […]

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The Mar-Tans brought New Orleans to Darwin’s in Marietta June 10

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It was Friday night in Marietta GA, but with The Mar-Tans playing at Darwin’s, I  thought I would look out the window and see New Orleans.  The intimate atmosphere, appreciative crowd, and the cool jazz and blues made it feel that way. Matt Wauchope’s silky vocals and Will Scruggs’ sensual sax, Terence Prather having a […]

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Reverend Freakchild – ‘Illogical Optimism’

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It’s hard to think how to even start reviewing Reverend Freakchild’s Illogical Optimism. And not because I don’t like it, I love it. This is a 3-disc set. The first disc contains an eclectic mix of 15 songs. The second consists of a dozen radically different versions of the Reverend’s popular song, “Everything Is Now.”  […]

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Dave Muskett with Carson Diersing at Darwin;s Blues Bar May 31

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The crowd at Darwin’s Blues Club in Marietta was fairly light but  grew to a comfortable size for a Tuesday night as Dave Muskett  took to the stage and began to entertain. The listeners were with him from the beginning, most of them having seen him in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge in January […]

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The Hitman Blues Band – ‘The World Moves On’

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The Hitman Blues Band is based in New York, and their blues is modern and influenced far more by soul and Motown than by the Delta or Chicago blues.  The World Moves On contains 7 original songs. 1 cover and 4 reworked and remixed songs previously released. The re-released songs have had the Hitman horn […]

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John D’Amato -‘Born Blue: The Sun Sessions’

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John D’Amato establishes that Born Blue is a blues album with the song titles that run through it: “Helicopter Blues,” “Chicken Blues,”  and “True to the Blues,” for example. But it is two songs on the album that really establish his personal connection to the blues: “Born Blue” and “Blues Man.” The title song “Born […]

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Blowing out a great time: The Harmonica Blowout at Darwin’s May 21

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The Cazanovas know a thing or two about excellent  harmonica players. After all, one of their members is Maurice Nazarro, one of the best harmonica players in the Atlanta area, which overflows with wonderful musicians. And Saturday night, Nazarro and the band did a great job of bringing together marvelous players  for  the annual Harmonica […]

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Ivas John – ‘Good Days a Comin”

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While Ivas John is new to me, Good Days a Comin’  is actually his fifth. It is the first, however, to be completely acoustic. The trend to a return to acoustic music more often is a welcome one, allowing listeners to experience once again the power of this less embellished form in the hands of […]

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Joe Kidd and Sheila Burke – ‘Everybody Has A Purpose’

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Joe Kidd and Sheila Burke’s album is called Everybody Has A Purpose, and it is clear from the first listen that they believe this, and also that every word and note also has a purpose. From the haunting “Veteran’s Song,” sung by Burke alone in her pure, soaring voice and telling a story about the […]

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The Mighty Orq plays and sings up a storm in ‘Love in a Hurricane’

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The Mighty Orq has been performing solo and with his band since 2002, but many new fans discovered him when he reached the finals of the 2016 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Now, he has a new album, Love in a Hurricane, and those new fans will have the opportunity to enjoy and share his […]

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Jimbo Mathus pours out goodness in “Band of Storms”

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With Jimbo Mathus, you never know what you are going to get except that it will be brilliant. This one, over all, is more rock-oriented, beginning with the raw “Gringo Man,” to the country rock of “Can’t Get Much Higher” and the sexy, sultry “Play With Fire.” “Stop Your Crying” slows things down and employs […]

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Thoughts on ” Janis: Little Girl Blue” (DVD)

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I just watched “Janis: Little Girl Blue” on DVD, complete with deleted and expanded scenes not shown on PBS, and it just caused a storm of emotions. In a bit, I have to write a proper review of it,but right now, I want to talk about it from a personal point of view, about how […]

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The Jeff Jensen Band spreads the love at Darwin’s in Marietta April 23

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You can feel the excitement whenever Jeff Jensen and his band comes to Darwin’s, and you can be sure that the fans will be out in full force! Jeff and his band are favorites in the Atlanta area, and they always come to Darwin’s, where they know they are going to have a good time […]

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Review: Voo Davis at Darwin”s in Marietta April 16

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by Rhetta Akamatsu The moment we pull into the parking space at Darwin’s and before  we are even out o the car, we here a shout, “Well, hey there” and Voo Davis is headed across the parking lot, ready with hugs and handshakes and that great, wide-open grin Are we life-long buddies? No, we met […]

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The Brothers Brown – “Dusty Road”

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The first thing you have to figure out about  the Brothers Brown is that there are two  of them named Paul Brown, one from Los Angeles and one from Nashville.  Once you know you aren’t reading the lineup wrong you can relax and enjoy this bluesy bands’ debut album, Dusty Road.  (The other members of […]

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Come Celebrate Sean Costello at Northside Tavern Sat. April 16 – A Benefit for Bipolar Research!

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The annual Sean Costello celebration and benefit,, titled “We Can Get Together.” begins at 7 p, Saturday at Northside Tavern in Atlanta. It will feature Sonia Leigh, The Joe McGuinness Trio, The Georgia Flood, No Solution, and Stephen Talkovich and Larry Griffith. Sean Costello was a brilliant young blues man who was and  still is […]

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Concert review – Eliza Neals and The Narcotics at Darwin’s in Marietta, Ga April 9

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Eliza Neals is like a small dynamo on the stage. Looking at the photos we took Saturday night, most of them show only a mass of blond hair and a slightly blurred body.. Since the stage at Darwin’s in not huge, this means that guitarist Howard Glaser and bassist Daryl Lee did not have a […]

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Truett Lollis has a happy homecoming to Darwin’s

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Truett Lolllis looked delighted a he surveyed the crowded room at Darwin’s Friday night, March 25. “I am so happy to be home,” he told me, “and so glad to be back at Darwin’s.” Truett spent every Monday playing at Darwin’s for several years, beginning as a teenager too young to drink and ending this […]

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It’s time for Chicken Raid in Atlanta March 19-20

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Chicken Raid happens once a year in Atlanta, at Northside Tavern, and it is one of the warmest and bets blues festivals around! What began as a birthday party for beloved Atlanta blues man Frank Edwards in 1990, and named after one of his songs,  evolved into a tribute and fundraiser after his death. It […]

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Dennis Jones provides rocking blues on “Both Sides of the Track”

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Dennis Jones has provided a quality blues album with “Both Sides of the Track,” which does indeed, move from the heavy side to the smoother, more traditional side of the genre. With the heavier material on the album, like the opening “Enjoy the Ride,”  “It All Depends ” “The Machine,” “Nobody’s Slave,” and “I Can’t […]

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