Last year, officials in Marshall, Texas, declared its city the birthplace of Boogie Woogie music. But 13 years ago, local pianist Ricky Nye started a tradition that has made Greater Cincinnati (or, more precisely, Newport, Ky.) one of the premiere active hubs in the U.S. for the rolling, rollicking American style of Blues/R&B music that dates back to the late 1800s.  

Block out next Saturday, Nov. 13, on your day planner for the 10th annual BRINK New Music Showcase, which this year morphs from a one-venue event (at the Southgate House) to a multi-venue extravaganza in Northside. Tied to the annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, BRINK is a chance to check out the next wave of new, original bands in the Cincy area.  

Ricky Nye, the local master of the Blues style known as Boogie Woogie, hosts the 12th annual Blues & Boogie Piano Summit at the Southgate House Saturday. The U.K.'s Julian Phillips, Belgium's Patrick Smet and Detroit's Bob Seeley join Nye for the 9 p.m. show.  

The Cincy Blues Fest returns to Sawyer Point Friday and Saturday. Along with quality headliners, organizers from the Cincy Blues Society will once again present some cool side-stage offerings and loads of local performers. Friday night's highlights include the New Orleans-flavored "Pardi Gras" stage and singer Candye Kane.   

The Cincy Blues Fest returns to Sawyer Point Friday and Saturday. Along with quality headliners, organizers from the Cincy Blues Society will once again present some cool side-stage offerings and loads of local performers. Saturday's highlights include the Arches Boogie Woogie piano stage and a huge lineup of local bands.  

The names of many of the performers for this year's MidPoint Music Festival (coming up Sept. 23-25) have been leaking out gradually over the past few months. But this Friday, mpmf.com will unveil a new interactive schedule with all of the artists scheduled to play the event.  

There's nothing out of the ordinary about a band doing a string of local dates to celebrate the release of an album. It is unusual when the album is nearly two years old and the band has to fly in from France for the shows. For Boogie Woogie Blues piano master Ricky Nye, the CD release hoopla is turning out exactly the way he envisioned it, if slightly after the fact.   

The upcoming MidPoint Indie Summer concert series on Fountain Square (three bands for free every Friday) opens with Scottish Indie Pop darlings Camera Obscura June 4, the much-buzzed about Neon Indian June 11, MidPoint vets Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit June 18 and reunited Pop/Punk Chicago band Smoking Popes June 25. And that's just the first month.  

The Cincy Blues Society's annual "Winter Blues Fest" is coming up at the end of January, but Monday you can get your Blues fix via a stellar lineup at Play By Play in Silverton. And it's for a good cause: helping area artists spread the good word of Midwestern Blues. The "Road to Memphis 2010" raises money to help local musicians get to Memphis to battle in next month's International Blues Challenge.  

The showcase raises money to help local musicians get to Memphis at the end of the month to battle in the International Blues Challenge against entries from around the world. Scheduled to play Monday (and head to Memphis) are Cheryl Renee with Them Bones, Ricky Nye, Twelve-Eight and Jimmy D. Rogers.