Hello from the Pacific NW

Honorary member Dennis (Blues Boss) Dudley from Seattle, Washington has kindly sent us the following article and photographs which will be of interest to fans of our very own Ian Siegal

As an “honorary member” of the Nottingham Blues Society I feel like I should make some contribution … from half way around the world! Here in Seattle, Washington…..in the good old U.S.A.

Who am I? Well, for better or worse, I’m known as the “Blues Boss” (a woefully inaccurate moniker I was saddled with 15 years ago when I managed a blues/rock band). I am the current Vice President of the Washington Blues Society (600 plus members) and former Music Director for the same. What’s my connection to Nottingham and the Nottingham Blues Society? Well, it’s a “6 degrees of separation” sort of thing. Let me see if I can explain.

Five or six years ago, through the Blindman’s Blues Forum on the internet, I was introduced to the music of Ian Siegal (by an English chap by the name of Tim Aves). In the summer of 2006 Mr. Siegal came to the Pacific Northwest (Seattle/Portland) to do 6 gigs in 6 days; with the big event being the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland. Three weeks prior to Ian’s arrival it was determined that he would be coming alone and would need a “back-up” band and a pseudo-tour manager. Unfortunately he got me as the tour manager, but he also got the Mark Riley Trio (a top-notch Seattle band) for back-up. The gigs were a huge success – Ian was the “hit of the day” @ Waterfront (the 2nd largest music festival in North America, with over 125,000 attending over 4 days). Ian did both an acoustic solo set and an electric set @ Waterfront. The electric set was in front of approximately 20,000.

And, on it goes. Through Ian I met a longtime friend of his, Tony Winfield. As an amateur photographer I was already familiar with Tony’s photographic work; especially his photos of Ian. And, that got me to the Nottingham Blues Society. To further solidify my “connection” to U.K. blues I took a world wind trip in August of 2009 that included a night @ “Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues” and a night @ Charlotte St. Blues clubs in London and three days at the Smokie Blues Festival in Carnoustie, Scotland ---- where I got to meet the likes of John O’Leary, the Stumble, the Nimmo Brothers, Hokie Joint, Papa Mojo, David Acari and to catch up once again with Ian Siegal. See? I knew I could make this circle work; it’s really a small, small world when it comes to the blues.

I have attached two photos of Ian Siegal @ the Waterfront Blues Festival, taken by Tom Hunniwell, another photographer friend.

Dennis “Blues Boss” Dudley