Salute to the Blues

‘The Blues are the roots, and everything else are the fruits.´

Perhaps, but those fruits make up an ever smaller percentage of record sales, a problem that isn’t lost on many Blues performers. In an attempt to rectify this, lovers of the genre are trying to spread a more positive word in 2003, which has been declared "The Year of the Blues" by the U.S. Congress.

The official kick-off of the yearlong celebration occurred with the Salute To The Blues concert at Radio City Music Hall. Blues legends such as B.B. King and Ruth Brown were accompanied by pop, rock and R&B stars including Aerosmith, Natalie Cole and India Arie with collaborations designed to attract the non-Blues listener. 

Lighting Designer Tom Kenny specified a plethora of Martin gear for the Salute to the Blues concert, bathing Radio City Music Hall in a wash of colored light – including, you guessed it, blue. Three back of stage pillared frames, borders for three large projection screens, as well as side walls were illuminated. In fact, the entire venue was aglow in colored light.

Lighting Company Paradigm Production Services of Florida supplied 12 MAC 250, 18 MAC 300, 32 MAC 500 and 42 MAC 600s along with 28 MAC 2000 Profiles and 12 MAC 2000 Wash for the event.

Besides the Salute to the Blues concert, Director Martin Scorsese is producing a seven-part series for PBS (public television) to air this fall, and the Experience Music Project, a museum in Seattle, is sponsoring an education program and travelling exhibit.   

Negotiations are underway to broadcast the concert, directed by filmmaker Antoine Fuqua and executive-produced by Scorsese, on television or even make it into a theatrical movie release.  Concert proceeds benefited The Blues Music Foundation, which promotes the genre and assists needy musicians.  

Lighting Company: Paradigm Production Services
Scenery Company: Atomic Design
Lighting Designer: Tom Kenny
Set Designer: Tom McPhillips
Programmer: Jorge Valdez (aka Green Frog)
Conventional Board Operator: Eugene (Jersey Boy) 
Gaffer: Mike Callahan
Lighting Crew: Brad Hafer, Steve, Mike Grimes, Brian, Gary Mass, Osy Orta