Beat the winter blahs at KUNI Blues Blowout

WATERLOO --- The magic comes after midnight aboard the twice annual Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.

For a week at a time, a ship packed with famous musicians and rabid fans sails through the sapphire waters of Caribbean Sea or the Pacific Ocean, making music all the way.

But the daytime concerts and artist showcases are mere appetizers compared to what happens when the sun goes down.

"At the end of the night --- about 1 in the morning --- all of these musicians would get together and jam on the big pool deck," said guitarist and vocalist Tommy Castro, a frequent blues cruiser. "People would stay up until 6 in the morning watching ... I said to myself: 'We need to figure out a way to do something like this everywhere we go.'"

So Castro and his band elicited the help of several other blues musicians, including harmonica player Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz and pianist and saxophonist Deanna Bogart. Together the artists formed "The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue" and began touring on land in January 2007. The three musicians will headline KUNI's winter Blues Blowout at Waterloo's Electric Park Ballroom Feb 9.

And, in the tradition of the blues cruise, the night will conclude with a massive jam session.

"We'll go out and do our separate shows," said Castro, who has toured with B.B. King. "But then at the end of the night the jam thing happens and we have just a blast. We try to break out the new stuff that we haven't done before, and it makes us better musicians."

The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks also performs with the Revue, but will not grace the stage at the group's Cedar Valley appearance.

Still, the ensemble has a lot to offer for the area's blues hounds. The sea tours fill up seven years in advance, according to the blues cruise Web site.

"There's such a high demand for these cruises," said Scott Vezdos, KUNI spokesperson. "We thought it would be fun to bring a little bit of the excitement that is on the blues cruises to Waterloo."

All the Revue's performers have the ability to anchor a large-scale music event on their own, he added.

"It's really like having three headliners in one show," Vezdos said. "I think people will especially enjoy when all the performers come together. This is one of those Blues Blowouts that people should not miss."

Event coordinators were especially pleased to book Castro and his band for the event. KUNI Blues Blowout officials have tried to schedule the gravely guitar slinger for past fundrasiers. In 2006, the San Jose native was named "Blues Artist of the Year," by Blueswax, a West Des Moines-based online magazine with 150,000 subscribers around the world.

"Tommy is one of the outstanding live performers in our genre," said Steve Sloan, executive vice president and editor-in-chief of Visionation, which publishes BluesWax. "His shows are always fantastic. You know that if you buy a ticket to a Tommy Castro show, you are going to get your money's worth."

While talking over a cell phone as the band's bus rambled through North Carolina last week, Castro said he's enjoyed reclaiming the post-midnight musical magic of the blues cruises. The Revue will release an album, "Command Performance," in March. But for now, the performers are focused on keeping the bar high for their on-land gigs.

During the interview, Castro stopped the conversation to fetch a CD for the group's horn players, and later paused to offer the band's driver a cup of green tea.

"This is what life on the road is --- hectic --- but having the chance to perform with these guys makes it all worth it," he said.

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.

{M3Go & Do

What: {M3KUNI's Blues Blowout featuring the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue

{M3When: {M38 p.m. Feb. 9

{M3Where: {M3Electric Park Ballroom, Waterloo

{M3Cost:{M3 $20 in advance; $25 at the door

{M3For more information: {M3Call (319) 273-6400 weekdays or visit www.kuniradio.org