We’ve been busy preparing to hit the road in late July for our 2014 Summer Tour up north.  See our SHOWS page for upcoming dates & festivals in Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana.    If you’d like to book us for your festival, club or house parties between Florida & the midwest this summer, please contact us right away.

We’re excited about brand new posters we just got this week- the first official new posters since 2003!   Look for them at venues we’ll be playing.   We’ve also been working on some new original songs for the next (7th!) album.   Please visit our merch table or STORE page & buy some CD’s, etc.- gotta make room for a new one!

On January 19th, Liz & I saw LEON RUSSELL perform at Vinoy Park in St. Pete- awesome as always!   We also caught Bonerama at Ringside Cafe, & Lauren Mitchell Band opened for Vanilla Fudge at Largo Cultural Center in April.

Our 5th annual BOOGIE WOOGIE/BLUES PIANO STOMP at the Palladium Theatre in St. Pete on Feb. 22 was another huge success.  Featured performers this year were ROB RIO (CA), CHASE GARRETT (IA), BOB SEELEY (MI) and ourselves, and this was our second SOLDOUT Stomp in a row!  Bob, Chase, and Rob all did amazing performances. Special thanks to Paul Wilborn at the Palladium Theatre for making this event possible, & all of you for being there.

On March 11, we bought a new (to us) car!   It was mighty sad to trade in our beloved 2002 purple PT Cruiser, (see photo inside our Boogie Woogie Staircase CD) but if you catch a glimpse of our new car, you’ll see we got the next best thing to it.  Thanks to Bruce at Bay Pines Automotive for the advice,  & Rob Rio for the license plate cover!

It was an honor & pleasure to be included with several Tampa Bay blues musicians & luminaries in a photo shoot at the Don Cesar Resort on April 14th.  BIG CITY RHYTHM & BLUES MAGAZINE is doing a story on the Suncoast Blues music scene, and the group photo will appear on the magazine’s COVER this fall.  BIG CITY RHYTHM & BLUES is a fine bimonthly blues magazine- check them out & subscribe at www.bigcitybluesmag.com or ask for it at your local newsstand or bookstore.

Guitarist/singer Tommy McCoy gave Liz a copy of his CD “Late in the Lonely Night” on Earwig  Music Company.   She co-wrote & played piano on a cut.  From the liner notes: “The saucy  “Never Shoulda Listened” is a swaggering vocal duet with Karyn Denham powered by Liz Pennock’s muscular barrelhouse piano….”

Congrats & thanks to these FREQUENT FAN winners of  2013:   #1 Winner (attended at least 50 shows!!) Diann F., #2 & #3 (40 shows each) Dan H. & Judy R. -wow!   Those who attended at least 20 shows were Priscilla H., Judi L., Barry S., Linda M., Teresa W., Wayne K, & Jim I.    Attending at least 10 shows were Hildegarde & Ralph N., Jean M., Barry H., Art O., John & Helen M., Sarah S., Bob & Gwyneth S., Edna P. & Terry G.     These loyal fans & more of you truly make the crowd livelier & larger,  & therefore help keep us working.  Join them & get your free card at any show.

Speaking of fans, we had some real surprises at some gigs this year, including the Garris’ from Ohio & the Pearson’s from St. Augustine/WV.   We were floored when Beth B. from Ohio walked in one night- she was one of our best Columbus fans & we hadn’t seen her in years!

Sadly, in addition to losing my mom April 9, our good friend and fellow musician CAPTAIN BOB THOMPSON passed away in St. Pete on December 25th, 2013.  We attended each other’s gigs when possible & Liz & Bob often did a cool duet of “Deep River Blues”.    We also lost 2 of our (above mentioned) Frequent Fans recently:   Bob Starr on June 20, who always came out with his wife Gwyneth,  & Jim Isaacs on May 1, who always asked for our original songs.   They were all wonderful supporters of our music & are deeply missed.

We flew to Ohio May 30-June 9 for Mom’s Memorial Service & also niece Shannon’s wedding to Bharat.   It was wonderful to visit with both of our families, including our 18 month old grandbabies.  We even got in some really tasty barbeque at cousin John’s Canal House in Tuscarawas- we play there Aug. 15, so come hungry!

Happy 4th of July,

Dr. Blues

We were sorry to lose Doc’s mom GENEVIEVE SHAMBARGER (aka “MOMMA BLUES”) on April 9th.  At age 94, we were blessed to have her in our lives for so many years and to share so many happy times.  Many of you met her at various shows in Ohio & Florida and knew her youthful spirit & zest for life.

Hi, everybody!  Finally dipping down below 90, so must be fall in Florida!   It’s so good to be home after another successful Summer Tour.  Liz & I returned to St. Pete in mid-September after hitting five states (Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky & Virginia) over our seven-week tour.

On our way northward, we visited our son Drew, his wife Kristen, and our grandtwins Jackson & Julie (they’ll be one year old on Oct. 21st!) in Huntsville, Alabama for a few days before heading up to Cincinnati for the Cincy Blues Festival (our 19th year there).  Great to see old friends and all the musicians at the Arches Boogie Woogie Piano Stage.   We also enjoyed playing DOC’S PLACE in Lebanon, OH the next week & seeing Liz’s three sisters & nieces there.

Another highlight was performing in Indianapolis at TASTINGS and at THE SLIPPERY NOODLE.  At “The Noodle,” we were pleased to see pianist KEVIN WILDER from St. Pete (now relocated to Indy), and also ANDRA FAYE (from Saffire:  The Uppity Blues Women) with her guitarist Scott Ballantine.  All three musicians sat in there, and Andra Faye sang Liz’s song “Take It Slow” with us.  A very cool evening!

The CANAL HOUSE in Tuscarawas, OH was a fun gig with so many relatives it seemed like a family reunion!    So good to see Mama Blues there, too, still going out at 94.   We helped her sort & pack up her Ohio apartment & on Labor Day weekend, my 2 brothers were there to help also.   Though bittersweet, it was good to have everyone together in New Philly one last time.  She’s now living in Nebraska with brother Charlie, so we’ll be looking for gigs there next year.

After playing the ADELPHIA MUSIC HALL in Marietta, Ohio (Liz’s hometown area), we headed southward to Glade Spring, Virginia where we performed at LOUIE’S ITALIAN BISTRO for the first time, thanks to our friend Theresa “T-Bird” Priest who now lives there & helped us book this gig.  It was great seeing T-Bird again after almost two years!

Liz was featured on WEDU’s “ARTSPLUS” show on PBS, which aired on Tuesday, July 11th.  Watch your local listings for this show, & let us know if you see it in your area.    See our LINKS page under “News & Reviews” to view.

Liz & I celebrated our 30th Anniversary on June 18th, 2013.  That’s thirty years of marriage AND performing together. Lots of great memories, fun times, and, by my estimate, over 3,000 gigs!

2013 also marks 20 years since “Walking Mary’s Blues” was released, 10 years since “Live in St. Pete” was released & 5 years since “Boogie Woogie Staircase” was released.   Time flies!  We sincerely appreciate each of you who has bought these albums over the years & keep us going with your support.   With the Holidays fast approaching, please consider our STORE for gift-giving.

Thanks to Sam Johnston for the new promo photos…taken at the Side Door in St. Pete in June.

We’ve been invited back to Paris, France to perform at the INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE ET BLUES FESTIVAL on January 17th & 18th, 2014.   See our SHOWS page for more details & sign up for our email list to be reminded about all gigs.

Our 5th Annual BOOGIE WOOGIE/BLUES PIANO STOMP is slated for Saturday, February 22nd at the Palladium Theatre in St. Pete.  The amazing Bob Seeley will be returning for his fifth appearance at the Stomp, along with two other piano players TBA and us. Last year’s Piano Stomp was SOLD OUT; watch this site & your email for ticket info soon.

Meanwhile, we’ve been enjoying great crowds at JAXSON’S ON THE BOULEVARD in St. Pete Beach, & other local spots.   Look forward to seeing you Florida fans, tourists & snowbirds in the crowd again soon.

Thanks for listening,

Dr. Blues

Hello, everybody!  Once again, we’re writing this from Huntsville, Alabama where we’re visiting our twin grandbabies, Jackson & Julie, 5 1/2 months old already & adorable, of course!  Tomorrow (April 13th) we’ll be playing at BANDITO SOUTHSIDE again. 

2013 marks our 30th year of playing music together, and it has been a great year so far.  Liz & I flew to PARIS, FRANCE to perform at the 15th INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE ET BLUES FESTIVAL at Theatre Columbier on Jan. 18th & 19th.  The two-night festival was sold-out both nights, despite Paris having its worst snowstorm in years!  We shared the stage with ARTHUR MIGLIAZZA (from Seattle, WA), CHRIS WATSON & his band (from Belgium), and the DENIS MAZHUKOV Band (from Moscow), and we played in various combinations with the other musicians in addition to our own sets.  Liz & I had a fantastic time and, despite the snowstorm, we were able to do some sightseeing in downtown Paris; I enjoyed an 18-inch hotdog wrapped in a loaf of French bread beneath the Eiffel Tower- the best hot dog I’ve ever had!

Two days after returning to St. Pete, Liz & I opened for the LAUREN MITCHELL BAND at the Palladium Theatre on January 25th.  This was Lauren’s CD Release Party, and we were playing to her enthusiastic (and sold-out) audience in the Side Door.  Lauren Mitchell (originally from Ohio) and her band are an exceptionally talented & entertaining group- go out & give them a listen if you get the chance.

On February 23rd, we hosted our 4TH ANNUAL BOOGIE WOOGIE/BLUES PIANO STOMP at the Palladium Theatre.  This show was SOLD OUT for the first time (800+ tickets sold), and it was a huge success.  This year, Liz & I were joined onstage by CARL SONNY LEYLAND (from England & California), DARYL DAVIS (from Maryland), and BOB SEELEY (Michigan), the world’s premier boogie woogie master & four-year-veteran of the Stomp.  The show was filmed & can now be seen on YouTube (keywords: boogie woogie Palladium).

WEDU-PBS TV (Tampa) sent a film crew to our show at JAXSONS ON THE BOULEVARD (St. Pete Beach) on March 22nd for a featured segment on their ArtsPlus program, to be aired in Tampa Bay June 11 & nationally after that.  Liz was also interviewed & filmed the following week for this show.   Watch this space & your email for more info.

We have 2 new items for sale- please visit our STORE page & merch table at shows.

Congrats & thanks to these 2012 Frequent Fan winners:  1. Judy R. (attended 40+ shows!);  2. Teresa W., 3. Priscilla H., 4. Art O. (all attended 30+ shows!);  Dan H., Diann F., Judi L., Barry S., Terry G., Barry H., Wayne K., (20+ shows each);  Linda M., Harriett S., Diane G., Robert F. (10+ shows each).   Loyal fans like these contribute greatly to our success & we invite you to join them in the crowd soon, & ask for your free Frequent Fan card while there.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of our new website!  Our thanks to our webmaster & friend MIKE CONATY at Brunswick Media.

If you haven’t received an email from us in the past year, please sign up (again) for our email list on our HOME page.

Hope to see you soon!

Doc

Hello from Huntsville, Alabama where we’ll play BANDITO SOUTHSIDE this Fri. Nov. 30!   We arrived here last Friday night & were thrilled to finally meet our new twin grandbabies Jackson Andrew & Julie Nikole, born Oct. 21.    They are real dolls & even cuter in person than the photos we’d seen!   Congrats to Drew & Kristen!!

We sure did enjoy the rest of our August tour & the Parkersburg & Marietta shows were a fine nostalgic treat seeing all our home folks, including family + several that I went to school with but hadn’t seen in many years!  Longtime fan Dave Garrett from Cambridge/Athens came for his birthday, then sadly passed away in October.  We also lost another longtime fan, Joe Davis from Belpre this year, & our Aunt Doris Seibert from Cleveland in Sept.   She was the sweetest person & always supported our music, as did Joe & Dave.  We’ll miss them all, especially when we play Ohio.

Doc had cataract surgery Sept. 25 & is seeing much better.  Took some time off, then played a nice new venue in St. Pete Beach, BOULEVARD GRILLE for 4 Fridays.   More upcoming gigs there & more places…hope you’ll join us!   We also shared a concert at the SIDE DOOR in St. Pete called BICOASTAL BOOGIE WOOGIE GALS with San Francisco’s CAROLINE DAHL on Nov. 15, & a Swingtime dance at the GULFPORT CASINO with the ST. PETE BLUES ALLSTARS on Nov. 21, then left for Huntsville the next day (Thanksgiving)- whew!

We’re excited to play PARIS, FRANCE Jan. 18 & 19 at LE COLOMBIER- FESTIVAL BLUES ET BOOGIE- please tell your European friends!  And our next BOOGIE WOOGIE/BLUES PIANO STOMP will be Feb. 23 at the PALLADIUM THEATRE in St. Pete- save the date!

It’s hard to believe that the Holidays are here again!  If you’re looking for unique gifts, please visit our STORE page.   The Tshirts are sold out, & we have only 7 Tank Tops left, so hurry if you’d like one.   Our new piano/guitar lapel pins with my art design are now available at shows, & from the website soon.   Diamond Teeth Mary CD’s are for sale at the Red Caboose in Huntington, WV, and our CD’s are now for sale at a cool St. Pete shop:  Main House Antique Center.

It sure has been a busy, good year & we thank each of you for your love & support!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & New Year!       Liz & Doc