For those of you in the vicinity of Glen Cove, Long Island:
"An Evening of Harmonica Blues to Benefit Veronica Cruz"
This Friday, May 18, 2012 there will be a benefit concert for Veronica Cruz that features two harmonica-based blues bands. Veronica Cruz is a 12-year old middle school student who suffered an AVM rupture (like a stroke, except the affected blood vessels in the brain were malformed probably since birth) and she has undergone two serious brain surgeries. She is working on her rehab and learning to walk and talk again, but the family needs our help... Veronica's mom had to quit her job to care for her daughter. So, we're having a benefit concert to raise funds for her family to take some of the pressure off of them while Veronica heals.
***Lil' Cliff and the Cliffhangers*** will be playing from 7pm to 8pm. They're a great band, featuring Lil' Cliff Bernard on harmonica and vocals. Cliff is a great harpman and an even better singer. They've been a top-10 finalist at the Memphis IBC. They have a West Coast-influenced sound, but they show other R&B and early rock-n'-roll influences as well. Lil' Cliff and his band also have lots of original songs! They are an awesome band and easily worth your time to come see... great vocals, great tones and sounds abound. Their website is www.lilcliff.com if you want to check 'em out.
***Chicken Foot Express*** will follow, from 8:20 to about 9:20 or so. The CFE features me, MBH forum member Bill Lifford (screen name is cliffy) on harp and singing. We are primed to play and ready to have a great time. We'll be playing some original tunes of ours as well as some classics. For the gear-heads among you, I'll be playing a mix of a Weber 5F2H kit amp and a Fender Bassman, modified by Kendrick to have their Texas Crude harp amp installed, with a Turner mic wried up by Dennis Oellig.
Here's a clip of Lil' Cliff:
The benefit will be at Wunsch Arts Center at Glen Cove Middle School, 1 Forest Ave, Glen Cove, NY, on Long Island's North Shore. Tickets are $10 at the door and there will be raffles and auctions and food. Doors open at 6PM, music starts at 7PM sharp. Parking is free and there are lots of good restaurants in the area if you want to grab a meal first or hit the bars afterwards.
If you are nearby, please come check out the Benefit and help out a family that really needs it!
Let me know if you're coming, I would love to meet any MBH members that show up (maybe jam on our last tune??) :) my email is william.lifford@gmail.com and cell # is 516-459-5857.
Last Edited by on May 15, 2012 4:59 AM
Checked out your gig from the LI Blues Warehouse,Great Stuff.On some of your tunes are you using a octave generator,great organ like sound?I wish I was closer otherwise I,d be there.Keep up the great material.
I am actually not Lil' Cliff... my screen name is cliffy because my last name is Lifford, and I always tell people "it's like Clifford, without the C". Somehow that morphed into folks calling me Cliffy.
Some coincidence that Lil' Cliff is playing a combo gig with a Cliffy! :)
I will pass your comments on to Cliff, though; I an unsure as to if he is a MBH forum member. I'm sure he will be pleased to hear them. I really like his band and they are easily the best and most professional blues band around here.
Thanks, Bill Lifford (cliffy)
Last Edited by on May 15, 2012 6:12 AM
