revue: fiesta blues heritage series 2024  

FIESTA BLUES HERITAGE SERIES 2024  Our annual celebration of music and scholarship was such an event to behold. With the weather so accomadating we were able to set up our full shop outside , adding to the festival atmosphere. Sonny Wolf opened the aftnoon, followed by Ruben V and then Mike Morgan and The Crawl. All three performances were met with such enthusiasm that we have to consider this one of our best events. It just went like clockwork and the feedback was incredible. This was a very happy audience. And before Mike's headliner performance, we awarded the Sam Baird Scholarships. Folks, it was a toss up as to who had the bigger smiles: the winners, or their parents! SABS members gave of their time, talents, and treasures to fill our Silent Auction. And in return, our wonderful friends and members in the audience purchased every item. Everything was sold and we received a much needed and much appreciate infusion into our Education Funds. These Education Funds were also filled up with money from our SABS Gift Basket Raffle. For so many years, the Gift Basket Raffle and Silent Auction have helped support us as we come up to our 35th year of doing what we do. Thank you to artists and audience, members and sponsors, and our friends of the blues. Below we continue with the recap, make sure you check out the show fotos. Memorable. That is what this event was! Next up ... Robert Johnson SA Sessions 2024!     [ VIEW FOTOS ]

SAM BAIRD SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNERS

Jack Duffett - Randolph High School • Anne and Sophie Haussmann - Claudia Taylor Johnson High School
Stefan Emery - Lytle High School • Jose Gomez - Lytle High School

AWARDING OF THE 2024 SAM BAIRD SCHOLARSHIPS  Awarding the scholarships to the five recipients was so much fun! We shared with the audience the accomplishments and plans these young people have for after graduation. It is hard to recall when it seemed that an audience appreciated the scholarship awardees with such gusto. And the parents were absolutely aglow with pride. We so appreciate everyone who helped this happen. Huge congratulations to our recipients and their parents!    [ MORE ON AWARD CEREMONY ]

WE JUST HAD TO REPOST THIS PICTURE! THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS, THE TEACHERS, AND TO ALL WHO ARE HELPING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE SUCCEED!

[ VIEW ALL THE FOTOS ]    [ SEE MORE ON THE AWARD CEREMONY ]

Our Fiesta Blues Heritage Series joins the list of great national blues festivals featuring Mike Morgan and The Crawl: Benson & Hedges Blues Festival, the Dallas Blues Festival, the Atlantic City Blues Festival, and the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. Guitar World Magazine sees Mike Morgan as "a genuine blues guitar hero!!".  Growing up in Hillsboro, near his birthplace of Dallas, Mike Morgan walks among the long line of blues rockers from Dallas making it to Texas Blues Royalty. Hearing Texas Flood drove Mike to take guitar playing seriously. Early on it was Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett drawing Mike's attention. Hearing Stevie Ray Vaughan's first album; well that set his phasers to stun!

Named for the Lonnie Brooks classic, "The Crawl" was Mike's new band after he moved back to Dallas in 1986. By knowing and impressing the right people who knew the right people, Mike Morgan and The Crawl grew in local popularity with their brand of Texas-style electric blues. They were now establishing themselves as a top-shelf band in the Texas Blues scene. Releasing their first album in 1990, the band had a strong run through the 90s. Sold out shows everywhere. Five albums released, with impressive reviews. Mike's music had Mike's soul. He had learned who the Blues greats were and what made them great. He drew inspiration from the artists he admired. At the center was his creativity conveying what he felt and what he wanted us to know. In 2000, Mike was lead vocal, following some great ones that earlier fronted the band. Over the next seven years, the band continued their heavy touring schedule and put out three albums. As with the decade before, the band was putting out a hefty amount of well-received serious blues. 

Understandably, after over fifteen years of heavy touring and recording sessions, getting off the road and sleeping in the same bed every night seemed real attractive. He turned attention to his love of motorcycles and managed a local dealership. "A regular day job was almost a vacation." As far as music, Mike enjoyed playing the the Dallas area and did a few tours. Obviously, Mike would return his focus to music, especially the writing part. He got back together with  old friends Anson Funderburgh and Shawn Pittman and they toured as "The Texas Blues Guitar Summit", both nationally and in Europe. At the end of 2022, Mike Morgan and The Crawl released their most recent work, "The Lights Went Out in Dallas", on their new label, M.C. Records. Quoting Blues Access Magazine: "Mike Morgan and The Crawl crank up an irrepressible mix of fresh gritty blues and romping Stax/Volt-era soul." A pretty good summation of the band, and Mike's dream.

Guitar/Vocals: Mike Morgan
Bass: Jason Crisp
Drums: Jay Moeller

[ MIKE'S WEBSITE ]

RUBEN V

[ WEBSITE ]  [ FACEBOOK ]

Raised in Corpus Christi, young Ruben started touring at the young age of 15. In the years before that, he was listening to all the records he could get his hands on. His family fully supported him, especially since his father was a musician. Ruben began to form his own style by understanding and mastering what he loved from the artists he listened to. He would slow the record player so he could follow. It was already in his mind that he had found his calling. Music. Playing it live. Between the live performances he attended and the media coverage of the rock and heavy metal music worlds, Ruben was learning what made the complete act. Playing music and feeling cool doing it would translate to a perfect live show performance that the audience would love. 

After playing with a few bands and jamming in the area, Ruben had his first band, Final Assault. Soon after they had cut their first record deal, tragedy hit the band as they lost a friend and band member.  Ruben left music for a while. As with Mike Morgan, it was Stevie Ray Vaughan that changed the musical life of a young musician. Ruben heard the music that he wanted to play. He knew how to play. Now he was going to play something new and different. This  new enthusiasm got Ruben back to writing music, wanting badly to return to playing live music. Ruben's brothers joined him and the family band set about playing the local clubs, refining their music while gaining an audience. Things were going well. More clubs, bigger clubs, and an expanding fan base. To top it off, they produced 4 albums. A true band of brothers that came about at a perfect time in Ruben's life. Ruben was making his name known. And his love for music was back. His desire to write and play his music was stronger than ever, he wanted to finish defining his music style. The "smooth blend of blues, Latin, soul, and rock" was what he was after. That's what he wanted to play. 

Ruben made his way to San Antonio in the late 80's, hungry to make himself a name in the big city. He had the talent, constantly adding to his library of music. He found a good producer. Then Ruben met Jimmy Spacek who helped him get onto the stages in the Alamo City. With his talent and his stage presence, it did not take long for Ruben to gain a following. He was getting recurring gigs both in town and out on the road. Ruben V has a solid fan base not only in San Antonio but far outside the area. And he can tailor a show for many types of crowds, making him a crowd favorite everywhere. Ruben has been selected as "Best Songwriter", "Best Blues Band", and "Best Guitar Player" in San Antonio, some multiple times. To date, Ruben has produced nine CDs. 

We are proud to have Ruben V as a Member Artist of the San Antonio Blues Society.

Guitar/Vocals: Ruben V
Bass: James Pickens
Drums: Steve Mendez

[ RUBEN'S WEBSITE ]

SONNY WOLF

[ FACEBOOK ]

Sonny Wolf is an Austin blues player by way of Montreal, Quebec. The young Canadian grew up listening to a lot of music. His father was a "music fanatic" and Sonny grew up listening to his complete record collection. Although much of the music he listened to were classic Jazz albums, Sonny was captivated by the rock music he was hearing on the radio. Sonny grew fond of the music of the Rolling Stones. It was through the Stones that Sonny found out about the Blues because he was curious about the Blues songs they covered. He researched the Blues masters, especially Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. He now understood what drew the Stones to this music. It was real and spoke to everyone. 

The next major event in Sonny's musical evolution came at age 15. His first concert. And it was Stevie Ray Vaughan. In Sonny's words, "it was a game changer." As the Rolling Stones led Sonny to Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, his exposure to Stevie Ray Vaughan opened his musical world to Jimi Hendrix and more Blues masters, like Freddie King and Buddy Guy. Soon, he started showing an interest in playing guitar. His mother was very supportive and bought him his first guitar when he was 21. Sonny was now paying his music dues, playing the clubs and festivals across Quebec province. He loved what he was doing and soon was ready to take his next step. 

In 2007 he moved to Austin. It was a new ballgame in a new city, a major music production mecca. Filled with a lot of real good young Blues players and a lot of audiences wanting to hear them. Thanks to his Canadian touring regimen from recent years, he was prepared for what would be expected of him: play gigs, many gigs. And he was ready for it. Passionately ready. Absorbing everything Blues that he can, Sonny has travelled to the meccas of American Blues, from Mississippi to Chicago. To him, it's about the culture of the Blues. The music. The people. "I'll never be as authentic as those originators but my mission is to play the music my way ... take the old traditional stuff and mix in the raw energy of classic Rock n Roll." 

We are proud to have Sonny Wolf as a Member Artist of the San Antonio Blues Society.

Guitar/Vocals: Sonny Wolf
Bass: Nick Mallet
Drums: Pat Alexander

[ SONNY'S WEBSITE ]

 

recent events

 robert johnson s.a. sessions 2023 

IT WAS A SPECIAL SHOW The weather outside was not frightful, but it was not real friendly. So, we setup our store and displays inside. Directors and volunteers were there to set up our area and to get the stage setup with the backline. You could tell that performers and audience were excited for the show. Downbeat went without a hitch as did the whole show. Van Wilks was inducted into our Hall of Fame for his contributions to blues music. Bobby Mack was inducted back in 2012. Anthony Wright was a recipient of the 2014 Sam Baird Scholarship. A star studded event enjoyed by an appreciative audience. Merchandise sales were strong as always. Drawings for the gift baskets raised good money for our Scholarship Fund, as did the Silent Auction items. Many private donations were made (a special thanks to our silent donator for their large gift). The 2024 Sam Baird Scholarship Fund got it's major infusion from the Robert Johnson show as it does every year. Thank you to artists and audience, members and sponsors, and our friends of the blues. Below we continue with the recap, make sure you check out the show fotos. This event was a huge success. And now we march on to Fiesta!

Bobby Mack and Scott on the air with Kory [REPLAY PODCAST]

Anthony Wright and Victor visit with Kory [REPLAY PODCAST]

RADIO TIME  KRTU 91.7FM, Trinity University, has us over twice a year, helping us promote our Fiesta Blues Heritage Series event and Robert Johnson S.A. Sessions celebration. We always have a great time with Kory on the show. One of the artists performing at the upcoming event join us for good conversation and live music. This year they offered us two spots and we gladly accepted the opportunity. For the first show we brought in Bobby Mack and Anthony Wright joined us for the second. Enjoy the podcasts by clicking the links above. We thank Monica Reina, Kory Cook, and the staff at KRTU for supporting Our Missions these many years.

EVENT PHOTOS  We record as many events as possible to capture the images of the great shows we are at. Through the efforts of our volunteers culling through the hundreds of stage shots and posting them on our web page, we can look back at some real fun times at some real fun shows. We have compiled an extensive gallery of photos from the RJSAS'2023 featuring the three great artists. Enjoy!  [VIEW SHOW FOTOS]



GOOD SALES AND DONATIONS HELP FUND THE SCHOLARSHIP  We record as many events as possible to capture the images of the great shows we are at. Through the efforts of our volunteers culling through the hundreds of stage shots and posting them on our web page, we can look back at some real fun times at some real fun shows. We have compiled an extensive gallery of photos from the RJSAS'2023 featuring the three great artists. Enjoy!

Thank you to everyone!  Now ... ON TO FIESTA!!

If you know a local area high school student getting ready to graduate and want to continue their musical endeavors, we are accepting applications for the 2024 Sam Baird Scholarship.    [FIND OUT ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP]

 international blues music day 2023 

INTERNATIONAL BLUES MUSIC DAY  The first Saturday in August has been set aside as International Blues Music Day. This year we will celebrate the event at The Elbow Room starting at 4:00. Since Saturday afternoons at The Elbow Room are the weekly Saturday Blues Jam, we asked Mike Ellis and The Fabulous Funtones to host the event, and SABS will be there for the event. Mike and Crew will open the show, followed by Special Guests and the Big Ol' Jam. Jackie has a fine silent auction set up with proceeds going to our Sam Baird Scholarship Fund. There is no cover. This is a wonderful event with friends celebrating the music we love, played by the musicians we love to hear! 

PERFORMING SABS BANDS  MIKE ELLIS AND THE FABULOUS FUNTONES • DAVID NORIEGA TRIO • JUDY BLUES BAND • RIVER CITY SLIM AND THE RHYTHM KINGS • SOUTH SIDE JUMP 
Special Guest PAUL LOUIS SIMMONS  ...  Big Ol' Jam follows thru the night!

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS

 fiesta blues heritage series 2023 

YOUNG STARS OF THE TEXAS BLUES TRAIL 

Sunday April 16 2023  •  Sam's Burger Joint
Doors 2:00 ... Show 3:00

        Starring:  MATHIAS LATTIN 
            with   ADAM JOHNSON   and   WILL OWEN GAGE

THE EVENT  The San Antonio Blues Society's "Fiesta Blues Heritage Series" is our annual festival of blues and blues influenced music joined with recognition of musical and scholastic achievement by local area students. The San Antonio Blues Society is Texas' longest established and still active Blues Society, dedicated to preserving and promoting the blues. This event funds our various projects, namely Blues in the Schools and the Sam Baird Scholarships. 

This year's event will feature three unique and tasty blues performances by three young blues players from the Great Texas Blues Trail of Austin - San Antonio - Houston. In true Texas fashion, they are bringing their power trio bands. Each of these stars got their start early with influence from their families and from the schools. Family record collections are normally where it starts. Then the relatives that play assorted instruments or sing in the church choir. These stars have dedicated their lives to being musicians, with all the trials and tribulations, with all the thousands of miles they have logged. With the great reward of a thankful audience. And it all started with home concerts. For their folks.

MATHIAS LATTIN  Mathias Lattin grew up in the rich culture of Houston, Texas. His attraction to sports entered his life early as his grandfather, "Big Daddy" Lattin, was basketball royalty. But it was music that Mathias chose and he seriously chose it. He trained as a jazz guitarist, and interestingly the music that influenced him came from B.B. King, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Albert Collins, and Wes Montgomery. His music and songwriting is infused with his love of soul driven funky rhythms and jazzy notes. Successfully completing his education at Houston's renowned Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts solidified his early music training. Acclaimed as a rising young Texas guitarist, Mathias was now ready for the world. In 2018, Mathias made his first bid at being Best in Show at the IBC. He we representing the Houston Blues Society in the Youth Showcase category at that IBC event. Although he was not the winner, he was noticed, and people started following his progress. Some of those noticing this young star have had Mathias on their ticket, including Keesha Pratt, Annika Chambers De-Lauries, and Christone Kingfish Ingram. Just five years after competing in the 2018 IBC, at the age of twenty, Mathias and his band won the 2023 IBC. First place! To top that off, Mathias was also awarded the Gibson Guitar Award for Best Band Guitarist. The Living Blues Magazine's review of his debut EP “Let’s Start Here” determined, “…there’s enough promise here to mark him as an artist to watch.” This young man's future is so bright: he has the talent, the discipline, and the support from family, friends, and the whole city of Houston to do really great things.
WEBSITE   FACEBOOK

ADAM JOHNSON  Adam Johnson has been associated with our Society since before joining in 2011. He had been performing solo shows, duets, and trios. In San Antonio he was bringing the Adam Johnson and The Pay Me's shows. He was basing out of the San Marcos area, booking gigs north to Austin, south to San Antonio, and definitely all points in between. Especially towards the weekend he would be booking two and three acts for a day. This helped him get his name out to so many stages and so many new fans. About six or so years ago, Adam was able to travel across the great pond with his dad to the British Isles. Years later tours were being booked at pubs and stages all over the UK. This happened for a few seasons. Adam next returns to Europe as part of an international traveling ensemble that more resembles a full carnival than just a full stage show. Many many thousands of miles Adam has travelled in so relatively few years. Since early on it is so apparent how at ease Adam feels on stage; by himself or with a group. By wise parenting he was enrolled in a school emphasizing the arts. He continually broadens his musical horizons with hard work, a deep love of music, and a great knowledge of how music should sound. It has been too many years since Adam has been on stage in San Antonio. You can bet he is excited to get back and play his favorite San Antonio stage. 
FACEBOOK

WILL OWEN GAGE  Thousands of hours listening to bluegrass, blues, and boogie woogie. That was part of Will's growing up and for sure you can hear it in every piece of music he plays. It made sense to him back then just as it makes sense to him now. Just as the solar system made sense to Galileo. Blues became his musical obsession early on, thanks to a copy of "Family Style" from the Vaughan Brothers. His roster of influencers has the names of Albert King, Howlin' Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor, Elmore James, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lightnin' Slim, Albert Collins, Otis Rush, Little Walter, and Willie Dixon. For sure the list is double that, but these were the legends he heard when young. Will has always been outwardly thankful to those who shared their style and shared their stage with him. Those who helped him get on stage here in San Antonio. He honors them by playing with talent and respect. Respect to the art form of the blues. Respect to the artists that give their art to grateful audiences. Fittingly, in his senior year, Will opened for and backed up Stephen Stills at a show in Austin. After graduation Will went full tilt boogie: opening for famous bands, touring the U.S. and Europe. Will did take time out from traveling so that in 2013 he was able to release his album "Travelin' Man". It will be great to see Will back on stage at Sam's, where for so many years we watched him as a young guitar slinger play blues with his friends and mentors.
WEBSITE   FACEBOOK

AWARDING OF THE SAM BAIRD SCHOLARSHIPS  First announced in 2006, the Sam Baird Scholarship has been established by us to help local students pursue their musical aspirations. This scholarship is continually funded by our members, business partners, and private citizens. The award winners exhibit both scholastic and musical excellence. This scholarship continues the legacy of noted musician and SABS member Sam Baird, who supported and nurtured the growth of the area music community for many years. Announced in 2006, this local scholarship is awarded to students displaying academic strength and musical ambition. This award is presented at the Fiesta Blues Heritage Series. S.A.B.S. works in conjunction with Art and Music Directors to announce and promote this opportunity to eligible local students. This is an ongoing endeavor that we put our full effort into - working with schools, parents, sponsors, corporate members, and community leaders to get as many students involved as possible. The award winners are announced at our annual spring event, Fiesta Blues Heritage Series. As you can imagine, it is a special day involving family, friends, and an appreciative audience. If you know a student who could benefit from the scholarship, please let them know. Applications for this year's scholarships must be submitted before the end of March. Click on the link for complete details.
SAM BAIRD SCHOLARSHIP

HEAR GREAT BLUES FROM THESE TEXAS STARS  We have a great show for you here. Three Texas Power Trios headed by three acclaimed Texas Blues Players. This show highlights how musical opportunities presented to the young ones can turn out to be such musical success stories. The parents and relatives normally have the biggest impact. Later on music teachers, instructors, and tutors have help mold the future star. And we can't forget about the friends who joined in the band. That is what this show will celebrate. Be there to share the experience. Making the show will help SABS continue doing what we do. Please make this show. It is a guaranteed wonderful event. Three great groups. Scholarships awarded. Families having a great Sunday afternoon. Come join us.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS