Blues Society of Western New York producing 'Jammin' for a Cure'

The Blues Society of Western New York, one of the largest blues societies in the world with more than 700 members, will lend its voices and musical talent to the compilation CD "Jammin' for a Cure." All proceeds will benefit breast cancer research. Adrienne Thompson, a breast cancer survivor and a Blues Society board member-at-large, is spearheading the CD, which features 15 local bands with all of their own original music.

The blues bands featured on the CD include Maria Aurigema, Jony James, Blueshounds, Mark Winsick, Doubletake, Mahfoud-Appleby-Reinhardt, Kate Engler, Rod Nickson, 12PackJack, Civiletto & Coughlin, Electras, Mick Hayes, Gregg Juke, Doug Yeomans, and Dirty Murphy.

"The CD features about 60 musicians, some who have been on the local blues scene for decades, many have opened for national musicians, and many have toured U.S. cities, including L.A., Florida, New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis. There is simply an extraordinary amount of talent on this CD," Thompson said.

One thousand copies of "Jammin' for a Cure" are available at a variety of venues listed on the society's Web site: www.wnyblues.org. The group's annual "Blues Society Super Jam" is on Sunday, June 6, at The Creekside, 2669 Union Road, Cheektowaga. A special "Jammin for a Cure" party will take place Saturday, June 12, at the Queen City Grille, 83 Niagara St., Tonawanda, after the Susan G. Komen Western New York Race for the Cure event in Buffalo.

The Blues Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to unite, educate, promote and inform the blues community of Western New York regarding blues events, record releases, club scenes, membership discounts from participating merchants, introductions to other societies, and blues festival listings and excursions.

"Blues music is the original American art form," Thompson said. "The WNY Blues Society exists to help preserve this art form through educational endeavors and promotional events. We are dedicated to informing WNY about the blues scene from local to national to international. We do this through our ‘Blues in the Schools' program, ‘Amateur Jam,' ‘Blue Thursdays,' our Web site and other events we sponsor."

For more information about the Blues Society, visit www.wnyblues.org. Interested sponsors can contact Thompson at [email protected].