Local Long Island Blues Musicians Unite March 14th To Benefit The Paul Butterfield Fu

Local Long Island Blues Musicians Unite March 14th To Benefit The Paul Butterfield Fund and Society

On Saturday March 14th, Retro69 to host Retrofest 19, a gathering of local long island blues artists tributing the music of Paul Butterfield from 1965 through 1987, benefiting the Paul Butterfield Fund and Society on Saturday March 14 2009 at the Sunset Grill in Seaford, NY.

(RETROFEST) On March 14 2009, Allan Spielman, Retro69, and Thomas Mezzapella of T-bone and the Hatchetmen will host a tribute concert to benefit the Paul Butterfield Fund and Society.
The concert will closely follow the Butterfield repertory from 1965 through 1987, focusing on the early years of the PB Blues Band with Bloomfield, as well as the Monterrey Pop Festival and the Woodstock 1969 performances. Together with the house band Retro69, the brass section will be lead by Earl Shelton, veteran of many Stax record horn sections. An ever-changing sample of the music to be covered can be heard at www.retro69.net. Eddie Kaercher, who played with "The Band" as a guest at Woodstock 94 and performed with Paul Butterfield in Pennsylvania in the late 1980’s will be performing some of the later work. Invited guest performers include Mike Miller, Jon Sobol , The East River Blues Band, Speedo Billy Rose Band, Sonny Hudson, Frank Lattore, Dennis Natter, Killer Joe, Jim Moran, Russ Hitman, Aviv Roth, Nike Manne, Joe Vicino, and Kerry Kearney.
Paul Butterfield was a dynamic bridge between races and cultures and his impact on the masses are so vast and so diversified, bringing forth years worth of quotes reflecting on Paul's instrumental role in the blues or Paul's overwhelming influences upon that individual and these dominant documented quote sources include, but are not limited to such prominent characters as B. B. King, Dan Aykroyd, Paul Rothchild, Bill Graham, Dave Sanborn, Eric Clapton, Sam Lay, Mike Bloomfield, and countless others. There simply is not a record company around that does not recognize the Butterfield name, particularly as Paul helped put numerous companies on the map, nor is there a harp player in the world who does not know who Paul Butterfield is.
The Benefit will take place at the Sunset Grill located at 4068 Sunrise Highway. Seaford , NY 11783 516-785-4952. The PBFS is planning on earmarking half of the events proceeds to a planned Blues Harp Program in the New York City Schools.
For sponsorship and volunteering opportunities please contact Allan Spielman at 917-583-2505 .
The Retrofest Mission
· To help revitalize the great genre of music from the great Pop festivals of the late 60's - early 70's
· To use music as a vehicle for doing good
· To create opportunities for musicians young and old to relive the genre and get back on the stage.

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About The Paul Butterfield Fund and Society

The Paul Butterfield Fund and Society" (PBFS) was recently established by Salli Squitieri & Gabriel Butterfield-son of Paul Butterfield, with the assistance of Dan Aykroyd and his wife Donna Dixon-Aykroyd and the sponsorship of Fractured Atlas (www.fracturedatlas.org) a NYC based non-profit art organization.

PBFS is membership supported and dedicated to the preservation and revival of the memory, legacy and many contributions of Paul Butterfield and to the rich traditions of the Blues styles of music with the support of the arts and those involved with the arts. Likewise, striving to assist struggling artists with emergency relief, project support and cultural enrichment. With particular focus on projects dedicated to underprivileged and at risk children.

Additionally, PBFS is working on a series of ongoing projects and on the development of The PBFS Educational Archival Exhibit representing segments of Paul's life and career. Currently, the exhibit includes memorabilia--posters, handbills, tickets, and artwork etc, photographs, music, videos and personal artifacts of Paul's. PBFS seeks members, volunteers, sponsors and networkers.