Quint Davis, Jazz Fest and Ironing Board Sam

Quint Davis helps Ironing Board Sam triumphantly return to Jazz Fest In 2010, Music Maker located Ironing Board Sam living in terrible poverty, having given up on his career. My first call was to Quint Davis, one of the founders of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. He was excited to hear that Sam was still alive. He immediately sent a donation to help artists like Sam and promised to bring him back to the festival. I met with Quint last summer at the Newport Folk Festival; he told me how he met Sam many years ago when Sam was still performing on his "Button Board," and presented him at Jazz Fest during the event's early years. Quint told me that the world will know that Ironing Board is back in action after the festival this year. He and his staff made good on this promise by heavily publicizing Sam's performance, on their website and with a large banner, featuring Sam, hung at the back of Gentilly Stage, one of the largest stages of the festival. When Sam took the stage at that Sunday he had the biggest crowd in the Blues tent of the weekend. So many music lovers came to see his show that the Fire Marshall closed the tent and did not let anyone else in. Quint Davis and his early partner Allison Miner created this world renowned festival by presenting obscure and unknown artists. Their work was very inspiring to me when I studied their festival at UNC Chapel Hill. I was so proud to have a small part in bringing Sam back to his adopted home of NOLA. -- Tim Duffy Ironing Board Sam at 2012 Jazzfest by Tom Ciaburri Passage for the Fall 2012 Blues Cruise on sale now! The Fall 2012 Blues Cruise, October 27th through November 3rd, is going to be amazing - you do not want to miss it and cabins are selling out fast! Ironing Board Sam and the Carolina Chocolate Drops will be on board to perform along with a stellar lineup featuring the Taj Mahal Trio, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and many more! The Blues Cruise will sail to San Juan, Puerto Rico to Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica (returning to San Juan) on the Celebrity Summit. Don't wait, get your tickets here! Mark Your Calendars for Roots and Leaves in Chapel Hill! Music Maker will present The Music Maker Roots and Leaves series on Fridays, June 8th - 29th, on the Village Green in Southern Village in Chapel Hill, NC. The shows will highlight a diverse array of local musical traditions, from Piedmont Blues to Native American. 6/8 - John Dee Holeman, Captain Luke and Cool John Ferguson 6/15 - Boo Hanks and Kelly and the Cowboys 6/22 - Essie Mae Brooks and Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen 6/29 - The Pura Fé Trio and Lakota John Locklear Listen: Neal Pattman - Shortnin' Bread 78 Project in NYC Sunday! Don't miss out - The 78 Project at City Winery in New York City is this Sunday, May 20! Leah Siegel of Firehorse, Laura Burhenn of The Mynabirds will perform alongside Dawn Landes, The Reverend John Delore & Kara Suzanne, Vandaveer and more special guests. The event benefits Music Maker with a portion of ticket sales and the silent auction of acetates. Tickets range from $25 to $65, and you can purchase them here! To read more about the 78 Project, check out their website! We thank the 78 Project for supporting our mission! Quick Links: Website Merch Music

Upcoming Shows: Click here for more info on upcoming events 5/17 - Essie Mae Brooks and John Dee Holeman - "A Great Night in Harlem," Jazz Foundation, NYC 5/27 - Lakota John and Kin - Wake Arts Sundays in Spring, Wake Forest, N.C. 6/08 - The Branchettes and Bishop Dready Manning - The Music Academy of the South, Winston-Salem, N.C. 6/08 - Captain Luke, Cool John Ferguson, John Dee Holeman - Music Maker Roots and Leaves, Chapel Hill, N.C. 6/15 - Boo Hanks - Music Maker Roots and Leaves, Chapel Hill, N.C. 6/22 - Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen, Essie Mae Brooks - Music Maker Roots and Leaves, Chapel Hill, N.C. 6/29 - Pura Fé Trio, Lakota John Locklear - Music Maker Roots and Leaves, Chapel Hill, N.C. Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. helps the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. We present these musical traditions to the world so American culture will flourish and be preserved for future generations.