Velma Landers runs the show at
Boondocks blues nightclub
The Inside Buzz >>

Music benefit to be held in honor
of blues star Gwen Avery

By Sandra Varner

   Bay Area artists are showing their support for Gwen Avery at a musical benefit to be held on Sunday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the Brava Theater Center, located at 2489 24th St. in San Francisco.
    Tickets are $25 at the door. Avery hails from the smoky, sultry speakeasies of rural Pennsylvania, and her vocal style is described as being as soul-stirring as any roadhouse blues belter ever to stand on any southern stage or sing with any Gospel choir.
    I listened to her CD Sugar Mama: Pouring Out the Blues produced by the Grammy-nominated Linda Tillery, and it is a fine artistic rendering of the churchy-home-blues that earmarks the South’s influence on the art form.
    Reportedly, for the last several years Avery had a healthy stretch of gigs, but due to changes in her personal life, she lost her home as well as the management of her music.
    The April 30 fundraiser is the result of a group of concerned friends and fans creating an event to help her continue performing and developing her music.
    For more information call (415) 647-2822 or visit www.brava.org.