Possum County Folk Art Gallery: Featured Artists

"BLUES BAND of the YEAR...2006"
Presented at the BLUES MUSIC AWARDS
May 12th in Memphis
4th time winners.......we're so-o-o happy for them!
They are GREAT ENTERTAINERS and GREAT PEOPLE.
They certainly deserve the accolades!

Pictured here are Rod & Honey Piazza with three pieces of folk art that are now housed in their music room at home in California. The pieces were presented to them by MUROB at The Midway Tavern in Mishawaka, Indiana. The Midway Tavern is KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE.

Last year Rod and the Mighty Flyers released their latest and one of their best CD's yet
called : "FOR THE CHOSEN WHO". It featured their regular band members plus Finis Tasby, Kid Ramos, Phil Guy, Johnny Dyer and others. It comes with a bonus DVD of the making of the album....It's Great!

A while back Honey sent us their latest creation.....a super high quality hi-def DVD called
"BIG BLUES PARTY". An 80 minute action packed DVD of the band in concert and behind the scenes interviews. This is a motion picture quality product. We highly recommend that you add this to your blues library. You can buy these and other Mighty Flyers products at www.themightyflyers.com

BE SURE TO GET THEIR LATEST ALBUM "THRILLVILLE".......order it TODAY!

WE LOVE ROD PIAZZA and the THE MIGHTY FLYERS
if they come to your town....DON'T MISS THEM!

MICHAEL BURKS ....ARKANSAS BLUES MAN The "Hardest Working Man in Show Business"

Michael recently performed at our favorite Blues Venue The Midway Tavern - Mishawaka, IN The night I met him he jammed for two solid hours...took a short break...and was back for another hour and a half. He almost never stops between songs for applause.	I was happy to spend some time with Michael and thrilled to learn that his wife Bobbie is a FOLK ART collector. He and Bobbie are now owners of MUROB artwork
I recommend that you get his last two albums "Make it Rain"......and......."I Smell Smoke" Click here to visit Michaels Home Page ==========================================================================
The Incomparable BLUES STAR DEANNA BOGART KEYBOARD and SAXOPHONE Player, Singer and Songwriter

	Recently Sheila and I had the honor and pleasure of meeting the amazing sax and keyboard wizard DEANNA BOGART from Maryland. She also sings and writes most of the material she records on the Blind Pig Blues label. Such fantastic musicianship and showmanship all in one package. One a scale of 1 to 10... I'd rate her performance about 12-1/2. (She's also a sweetheart of a person). >>> Pick up her latest CD "REAL TIME" >>>If she comes to your town... DON'T MISS HER! Check her web site DEANNABOGART.com

AB and MUROB at WhoFest in Atlanta May 2005 ...........MUROB Presents AB with a guitar at Folk Fest 2005
You'll Love AB's artwork and his latest CD with his great band the X MISS AMERICAS.
Click on the button below to visit Ab's newly revised web site.

MUROB and Midway Tavern owner, (and MUROB's number one supplier of beer
bottle caps) Albertina Wassenhove, standing in front of a MUROB creation "Keepin' the Blues Alive".
Visit her web site and view the video of her talking about her historic place. 83 YEARS and counting!

Albertina presented this MUROB special guitar to OLE HARV
at the Midway - Thur 8 Sept 05
to commorate Harv's 22 years doing "Blues Review" - WVPE 88.1 radio.
Chick here to see
MUROB GUITARS FOR SALE

Albertina presented this plaque to Rod Piazza of
THE MIGHTY FLYERS.
Midway Tavern's BAND of the YEAR - 2005
Rod Piazza (Blues Harp), Miss Honey (keyboard)
Bill Stuve (Bass), Henry Carvajal (Guitar)
and Paul Fasulo (Drums)....they're GREAT!

Here's Ol Harv at his 22nd
year celebration party.

Here I am with Honey Piazza, America's number one
keyboardist. She & Rod received this award as the
"Band of theYear"....and I got a hug for my birthday.

Our folk artist friend BEBO and his dad Fred Daniel have completed their first CD, called Saturday Night Sunday Morning. Some country songs and some gospel songs. Bebo's dad, Fred, sings lead and Bebo sings harmony;

both play guitars. They often sing together at art shows,
and if you've heard them at a show,
you know how great they sound.
You can get this fine CD at Bebo's web site http://www.bebofolkart.com/CD.html

Here's a sign by MUROB on the
radio station control panel of our NEW FRIEND
BLUES MUSIC DJ.....CURT BROWN of Radio Station
WSND 88.9 - FM......(Notre Dame,IN).
Tune in to his fine show every Thursday evening 10 pm till Midnite.

Here's a photo of Murob presenting a Bluesman Guitar
to our Blues friend CURT BROWN - 17 Oct 06

Another GREAT NITE at the MIDWAY TAVERN - 15-Sept-07

It was ALBERTINA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY (I think she's 39) featuring BARRELHOUSE CHUCK

I presented Chuck with a special decorated barrel. Here he is with our mutual DJ friend CURT BROWN

Detroit guitar master STEVE NARDELLA was the featured guest of the evening....HE'S GREAT!!!

Here Chuck, vocalist and Blues Harpist Tom Moore
and I ......."yuck it up" for Sheila's camera

To the left is my good friend (and folk art collector)
Curt Brown, Blues DJ on radio station WSND 88.9
Notre Dame IN. Click here to check out his web site.

Albertina's MIDWAY TAVERN and BLUES BAR is our favorite Blues venue (and supplier of beer bottle caps). It's been in the same family since 1924 and has great atmosphere and a very storied past.

Click here to view a video of Albertina
telling about her unusual establishment

If you get in our area visit her at
810 W 4th Street - Mishawaka, Indiana

Another Fun Nite at the Midway - 14 October 2007 - - - - - AWARDS GALORE!! - - - - - LITTLE CHARLIE and the NIGHT CATS...Albertina's BAND OF THE YEAR OL' HARV'S 24th ANNIVERSARY on the Air and the MIDWAY TAVERN'S.....NEW HALL of FAME

Guitar master LITTLE CHARLIE BATY he's THE BEST	Here I present Charlie with his Albertina's BAND of the YEAR "trophy" sign.	RICK ESTRIN...Harmonica Virtuoso, vocalist and writer of FUN songs (winner of a W.C. Handy Blues song of the year award) a long with J Hanson...drummer and Lorenzo Farrell on bass

Bob Pfeiffer presented this photo to Ol' Harv. Albertina presented photographer JOHNNY MUNOZ and radio personality "Ol' HARV" STAUFFER with trophies commemoring their induction into the NEW MIDWAY TAVERN....HALL of FAME		Here's Ol Harv with his Murob Signpost commemorating 24 years on radio station WVPE 88.1. That's Vicky Darnell staff writer for the BIG CITY RHYTHM and BLUES Magazine

Charlie and Rick are a GREAT TEAM!	Albertina always has as much fun as anyone in the room.	Rick Estrin is a CHARACTER!	Rick gets his 2 cents in Charlie's act
LITTLE FRANK and the PREMIERS.....Midway Tavern..15/Dec/07 with Special GUEST....WILLIE "BIG EYES" SMITH

Willie was drummer for the late MUDDY WATERS for 19 years.. Now a solo act. He's great on vocals and harmonica.	Here's Willie wailing on his Mississippi Saxophone. Willie is such a fine (and fun) gentleman. Once again in 2007 Willie was the Blues Foundation winner as the BEST BLUES DRUMMER. If he comes to your area, don't miss him. Check out his web site and ORDER SOME CD's from him....you won't be dissappointed. I presented him a MUROB signpost.
	Here's Little Frank Krakowski, a great guitar man, he entertained us with his band the Premiers. The band consists of Brian Cook on bass and Robert Carter on drums. The band's harmonica man and vocalist is our friend Tom Moore (right). Little Frank recently learned that an album he made with Pinetop Perkins was nominated for a Grammy as the best Traditional Blues Album of the year. "Pinetop Perkins On the 88's - Live in Chicago" Little Frank is a regular member of Pinetop's band and also tours with Willie Smith. These guys a great together.
The HELLFISH BAND of Louisville our artist JOEL PINKERTON is the Blues Harp Man The Hellfish band featuring: Jimmy Brown, Joel Pinkerton, Jim Schweickart, Jimmy Gardner, Jeff McAllister Go to HellFish Web Site ...
THIS PAGE IS GETTING TOO LONG..... Click on the button below to go to the next musician page.


Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers Band From left to right: Bill Stuve (Bass), Rod and Honey Piazza, Henry Carvajal (Guitar), and Paul Fasulo (Drums)	MUROB and Honey Piazza (Honey brags of her MUROB folk art)

Rod Piazza holding MUROB folk art "King of BLUES HARP Award"	Honey Piazza on keyboard