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This year's free Summer And Music concert series is well under way, and tomorrow's Roots and Blues show is going to be smokin'. At 5:00pm on Pine Avenue, between 3rd & Broadway, Long Beach 'super-group,' The Dibs will open the show. Primarily a vehicle for lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Hanlin, the band has also featured Brett Bixby, Chris Paul Overall, and Rae Enrico, all great singer/songwriters.

Second on the bill is James Harmon. He has been a staple in the Southern California Blues scene for as long as I can remember, but he's actually an import from Alabama, by way of Florida, Chicago, New York, and New Orleans. He's an authentic Blues man, with a style and sound all his own.

Closing the show is Cold As Ice with King Cotton. Cotton is a character. Normally, I'd massage his language to follow the conventions of spelling and grammar but, in this case, I think his words deserve to stand just as he shared them. In an on-line interview, I asked him how he got his start as a singer.

King Cotton: Ize raised on a dairy-farm back in Navasota Tex & I used to sang along to th' tunes that were playin' on mah transistor radio set-up in th' window & with th' milkin' machines all ah churnin' to those great RnB beats & cool mambos of th' day. I would find mah sef sangin' & freeflowin' like crazy. That was when 'n how I got hooked.

Sander: Did your singing affect the quality of the milk?

King Cotton: Oh yes Sir, most defiantly....Mah sangin' turnt it sour!

Sander: What caused you to expand your audience beyond the cows to people?

King Cotton: Now that's ah goodun. I'd have to say....GIRLS! It was purty-much ah natchel' progression & ah no brainer to me, as It jes made since to take it from th' farm to th' stage if I ever wanted to better mah chances of snaggin' the attention of th' opposite sex.

Sander: How did that work out for you? Were the ladies impressed?

King Cotton: Still are, last I checked!

Sander: It seems that roots music goes through cycles of popularity. Where do you think it is now?

King Cotton: Well, I'm hopeful it'll be in mah corner, at least for our up-commin' performance on Broadway 'n Pine in th' good-doin' LBC this Sat'dee eve. All seriousness aside though, I'm of th' notion that it never has waned & shall always be in vogue as they say. As some old-school Jamicians say: "Now pop no style. I strictly Roots."

Sander: How does Texas blues differ from other styles, like those from Mississippi, or Chicago? Is it bigger?

King Cotton: Th' blooze hath no borders & is neither big nor small, it's jes sad chunes that make most folks happy.

Long Beach has always had ah special place in mah heart and soul and this I promise: If you do show-up to catch me 'n mah new outfit this Sat, you're sho- nuff gon get ah show wit cho monies, coz I'll be pourin' out ev'ry drop of mah heart 'n sou fa yal...See yawl out there on th' street.

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Remember that, next weekend, SAM is presenting two free shows! On July 10th, catch Swing Saturday from 5-9 PM in the East Village Arts District, and Battle of the Tribute Bands in Rainbow Harbor on Sunday from, 1 - 6 PM.


King Cotton with SAM organizers Justin and Ashley Hectus. Photo by Daniel DeBoom

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