This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, April 5, 2013 - This Sunday, April 7, BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups will host the 11th annual “Blues For the Heart” concert, a benefit for the American Heart Association Heart Walk.
As you might expect from the title of the benefit, there will definitely be plenty of blues music on tap at Sunday’s event – including interesting and rarely heard musical combinations such as Big Mike Aguirre and the Blues City All-Stars sharing the stage with the Funky Butt Brass Band, and guitarist/vocalist Melissa Neels and vocalist/pianist Anita Rosamond sitting in for several songs each with Rich McDonough’s band, Rough Grooves.
“Over the years, we’ve done it at different venues,” McDonough says during a recent phone conversation. “But it seems like we do it most often at BB’s. They always go out of their way to be accommodating, and they have a great staff there that helps us make this happen. Plus it’s a great place for music – and we’ve got a really wonderful lineup of musicians this year!”
McDonough decided to start the fundraiser – which is tied into the AHA Heart Walk effort, for very personal reasons.
“Both my parents had heart disease,” she explains. “And when I talked to other musicians and their families, it seemed that almost all of them had experienced the same thing with their parents, families, friends or co-workers. So I decided to see what I could do to raise money through a music event.”
The music kicks off at 1 p.m. with a performance by the Benefit Blues Band, followed by Big Mike Aguirre and the Blue City All Stars performing with the Funky Butt Brass Band. Then Aaron and Larry Griffin will be backed by the All Stars. Rough Grooves with Rich McDonough will play a set – which will include special guests Anita Rosamond and Melissa Neels. After a set by the Lucky Old Sons, Jeremiah Johnson with the Sliders will take the stage.
“Of course, when you get all these musicians together, it usually turns into a jam session at the end, and that’s what we hope we have time for before everything ends between 7 and 8 p.m.,” explains McDonough. “We’ll also have a 50/50 raffle, there will be auction items, and BB’s will have its great barbecue on the menu!”
“Whenever we have one of these events like a benefit for an organization, a fundraiser for a musician or something else special, there always seems to be at least one musical moment that’s magic,” says John May, talent coordinator and special events manager at BB’s. “There just seems to be something special that happens when you bring a lot of musicians together for events like this.”
There’s always music on tap on the South Broadway block that’s home to BB’s, Beale on Broadway and the Broadway Oyster Bar. On any given night, each one of these clubs showcases a mix of some of St. Louis’ top musical talent as well as touring regional and national acts.
But in terms of benefit events such as “Blues For the Heart” as well as many other fundraisers and events such as the yearly Noel-A-Thon holiday concert, and the Baby Blues Showcase, BB’s is almost always the venue. According to May, there are logical and practical reasons why BB’s plays host to so many of these events.
“We’ve got more flexibility to help than other clubs because aside from a few holidays a year, we’re open seven days a week,” says May, as we sit in BB’s just before the doors open” for the dinner crowd and an early evening performance by jazz guitarist Dave Black’s group and later sets by the St. Louis Social Club. “And a lot of the other clubs just aren’t open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, which is when a lot of these benefits take place. That’s when musicians have the free time to play them – and still be able to play their paying gigs in the evening.
“We’ve also got a big space where we can fit up to 300 people, plus a PA system, mics, and a backline of musical instruments like drums and keyboard and amps that make it easy for bands and musicians to come in. And that also makes it easy for bands to set up and change over quickly from one group to the next. Plus we’re a full restaurant, so people can come here and stay for a benefit or fundraiser that lasts for several hours.”
As May states, there are plenty of logical reasons why BB’s hosts a long list of benefits, fundraisers and annual celebrations. The impressive of charities includes Guitars for Veterans, the Siteman Cancer Center, Halo Pet Rescue, the American Diabetes Association, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society and several others.
BB’s also hosts fundraisers for the St. Louis Blues Society’s Blues Mission (designed to provide assistance to elder musicians), benefits for musicians facing large medical bills like Gus Thornton, Mae Wheeler, Stacy Johnson and many others over the years, memorial events following the passing of musicians Bennie Smith, Tommy Bankhead, Keith Doder, Pops Porter, Rondo Leewright and others.
“Unfortunately, It seems like there’s a never-ending circle of calamities - especially for older players,” May says in addressing the issue of ongoing fundraisers for musicians with medical expenses. “Things are difficult these days for a lot of people – especially for musicians who often don’t have the financial means to even get medical insurance and end up having expensive operations.
“But thankfully, we have a lot of celebrations as well,” says May. “Before they passed, we had annual birthday celebrations for Henry Townsend and Johnnie Johnson - and we still a Big George Brock Birthday Celebration. And the Baby Blues Showcase and Noel-A-Thon are definitely fun.”
Whether it’s a fundraiser, a benefit or a celebration, May believes the real driving force for such events at BB’s comes from the music community itself.
“We’re very fortunate here in the St. Louis area that we have a great blues community,” he says. “It’s musicians coming together and contributing their magic and their talent to support their fellow musicians in times of need that makes all this happen.”
But the St. Louis community is also fortunate to have a club like BB’s that’s willing to step up and host these fundraisers and benefits. That’s a message that comes through strongly from organizers of benefit event that take place at the club.
"I can't say enough about the community support that BB's gives to St. Louis,” says Dave Beardsley, founder of the blues music website, STLBLues.net and organizer of the annual benefit for the Siteman Cancer Center at BB’s. “They set a strong example of how one music club can help so many lives. For years they've lent their venue for my Siteman Cancer Center benefits, as well as countless other benefits. That kind of selflessness they give to the music community is one reason BB's is loved by so many musicians and music fans."
“It seems like everything in the way of fundraisers and events that involves the blues ends up at BB’s,” adds guitarist Rich McDonough, whose wife Lisa organizes the annual “Blues From the Heart” fundraiser. “First of all it’s a room where the focus is always on music. And it does seem like everybody seems to stroll through there on a regular basis. It’s a natural choice because it’s really the center for the blues community. It’s just a special place.”