"i am very sad about my friend RED leaving us. he was the very first blues artist i got to meet in person and the first blues concert i ever promoted when i was 19. RED was one of the last giants in blues that constantly and spontaneously spoke his mind with a new line, a new melody every day. on stage as well as off stage. he was a permanent spring of pure blues. and he was a very generous man. my thought are with his lovely wife dora who kept him together the last 30 years as well as his children and family. if you are a lucky person that owns a record of this blues giant, this is a good time to play it and apprechiate the man we just lost."

thomas ruf

The first dates of the new Blues Caravan -More Girls With Guitars- feat.: Dani Wilde, Victoria Smith, Samantha Fish are confirmed.
Jan. 26th D-Lindewerra, Gemeindesaal
Jan. 27th F-Ensisheim, Le Caf Conc
Jan. 28th F-Disney Village, Billy Bob's Club - Week End Blues
Jan. 29th F-Callac, Le Bacardi
Jan. 30th F-Nancy, Music Academy International
Jan. 31st D-Bonn, Harmonie
Feb. 01st D-Stuttgart, Merlin
Feb. 02ndD-Lorsch, Rex
Feb. 03rd D-Soest, Schlachthof
Feb. 04th D-Hannover, Blues Garage
Feb. 05th D-Erfurt, Gewerkschaftshaus
Feb. 07th D-Aschaffenburg, Colos-Saal
Feb. 08th D-Offenburg, Reithalle
Feb. 09th D-Fulda, Kreuz
Feb. 10th D-Berlin, Quasimodo
Feb. 11th D-Worpswede, MusicHall
Feb. 13th D-Nürnberg, Hirsch
Feb. 14th D-München, Garage Deluxe
Feb. 15th D-Karlsruhe, Jubez
Feb. 16th D-Kaiserslautern, Kammgarn
Feb. 17th D-Kassel, Theaterstübchen

two youngsters who have both featured on Music-news.com took major honours at the 2011 British Blues Awards:

Oli Brown Band were voted Best live Band 2011 while their "Heads I Win Tails You Lose" album was voted Best Album 2011

Joanne Shaw Taylor was voted Feale Vcalist of the year 2011 as well as Song Writer of the Year 2011 for her track "Same as it never was"

Both artists are signed to ruf records and both will have new albums comig out next year

britishbluesawards.com/#/winners/4554889188