EDWARD SAWICKI: PRESIDENT of the CINCY BLUES SOCIETY and PHOTOGRAPHER

EDWARD SAWICKI

"I have always been very passionate about music."  

PRESIDENT of the CINCY BLUES SOCIETY
and  

PHOTOGRAPHER

I was introduced to the Cincy Winter Blues Fest in 2016 by working with a fellow friend, filmmaker and blues musician Chuck Land. The festival, along with others, is held every year by the Cincy Blues Society. I was taken back by the music and, especially the people, so much that I volunteered the following year in 2017.  Reaching out and receiving a message from the President, Mr. Edward Sawicki. We spoke on the phone and immediately I could feel his passion for music and the Cincy Blues Society. He enthusiastically welcomed me aboard to volunteer and took care of me from the moment I arrived at the Festival. Since then, I have become a proud member and have volunteered for more events. I invited Edward to be on the blog and he delightfully agreed to share his story.  



Edward's background is in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry. For over 36 years, he has worked for Procter & Gamble, and just before there he performed "cancer research at Roswell Park Memorial Institute." He explains, "I joined P&G as a technologist, which is where I spent the first half of my career. In the last half, I lead a department buying more than a half billion dollars per year of materials." 

  "Eight years ago, I moved into our business development organization where today I specialize in deals and creating new business models that have a high technology component."







"With P&G, I have travelled extensively.   I had the opportunity to live in Germany, Belgium and Egypt, and have been to over 70 countries on the job.   Living and working abroad has been a phenomenal experience and helped shape who I am."

Edward is by far a coat of many colors. Aside from his work,  from being the President of the Cincy Blues Society, and his photography, he also teaches Tae Kwon Do. 

   "I started martial arts 40 years ago and it is a passion of mine.   Tae Kwon Do helps keep me fit, deal with the stresses of life and the job, and gives me an opportunity to teach. "  

"Teaching is and always has been a key part of who I am.   In addition to this, my other hobby is art and photography.    It is something I got away from for 40 years, but I am renewing my skills."   

"You will typically see me at music events around town with my camera.   This allows me to have fun with my artistic side while at the same time, capturing images that help promote the bands and our music events." 

Ed has lived an amazing life and along that road it has been shared with his beautiful wife Jenifer Sawicki.  In 1979, he met his wife at the University Freshman Orientation.  

Edward Sawicki (right) Graduation 1981 from the University of Buffalo

They practiced and performed Sports Acrobatics together.  Being both friends, lovers and with common interests.  Jenifer supports Edward in his love of music and photography, attending all the events and also being a member of the Cincy Blues Fest. 

They've just celebrated being married and together over 38 years.
    

Edward has much to be grateful for, he's humble and always has such a positive attitude. He takes nothing for granted. One of the highlights of his life was meeting his inspiration, Eric Clapton.

Photo by Edward Sawicki 

"Probably my earliest influences came from UK Blues Rockers as part of the British Invasion.   As a little kid, I remember first by being enamored with The Animals House of the Rising Sun.   Soon after that, I became a huge fan of Clapton and it grew from there."  

"One of the most exciting things for me was when I got invited earlier this year by a member of Clapton’s family to sit with them at  opening of his 2017 World Tour at Madison Square Garden."   

Photo by Edward Sawicki 

"What a special experience.  Words cannot describe how much this meant to be to be part of this.  Eric was an idol of mine as long as I can remember."

Three and a half years ago, Edward became a Cincy Blues Society Board Member. A year ago, he was elected by the board members and members of the Cincy Blues Society to become President, which he truly enjoys.  When sharing about the Blues Festival I asked him how do they choose the bands that perform. He explained, "Our festival and music directors’ goals are to put on a great show.  We select by talent and aim to provide something for everyone from the very traditional to those performers who explore new territory in modern blues."  

(Left to Right) Edward Sawicki, Paul Weibel, Peter Carcieri (Vice President), Mark Bubash  

Event Flyer created by Edward Sawicki

"We all listen and share with our musicians and fans.   We go to big events like the Blues Cruises, the Big Blues Bender, the IBC Competition and Blues Awards in Memphis.   On a local basis, we are always looking for new talent (you will see me out 3-5 nights a week) and we use our annual blues challenge as a means of picking top bands.  The society has built up one of the largest challenges with 24 artists competing."

"I have a strong desire to give something back to the community.  I always felt a city with a vibrant music scene creates a great place to live."  

"Additionally, I wanted to do something that reaches out and help kids, ideally with music.   I feel blessed that my daughters benefited greatly by being part of the May Festival Youth Chorus and I was looking for something similar where I could help." 




"Being part of the Cincy Blues Society was a perfect fit."   

Doug Hart - Photo by Edward Sawicki

When he decided to be a Blues Society member he shares, "It had the music I love, outstanding musicians, an opportunity to grow the scene, and 

it offered the Blues In the Schools program mentoring young musicians and provided education."  

Samantha Fish - Photo by Edward Sawicki

             





I asked why he wanted to be President he said, "To impact the community, help to bring the society to the next level and importantly, help promote and showcase the bands in the society.   We have such great talent in our region, I want to get our musicians seen by as many people as possible."   

Davina and the Vagabonds - Photo by Edward Sawicki

Photo by Edward Sawicki

While I have met many business executives, senior government officials and more recently notable musicians, my favorite people are the normal person who simply want to talk and share a little bit of their life."

When I asked Edward, "Why the Blues?" ... 

In the most heartfelt way, he says 
"Simply the music and the people." 

(Cincy Winter Blues Fest - Radio DJ Ken Hanes, Edward Sawicki)

(Behind-the-scenes Cincy Blues Fest - Photo by Natalie ProudCherokee)

 (Lead Singer Katrina Campbell with Tempted Souls - Photo credit by Edward Sawicki) 

Photo by Edward Sawicki

"Blues is powerful in that it speaks to the soul.  It is exciting, powerful, introspective, inspirational peaceful and simply fun.  It can be so many things."

He closes out the interview with this compelling and touching story: 

"One of my favorite stories was when I was traveling in India in the late 80’s.   We were heading from a closed military town to Agra about 6 hours away to see the Taj Mahal.   Half way through, our taxi broke down in the middle of nowhere near a remote village.  We walked to the town square, and our taxi driver tried to get us ride.  The town no phones, no vehicles, no power, no one who spoke English.  It was over 100 degrees that day, so I sat down cross legged in the square and waited.  Soon all the little kids soon formed a wide circle around me.   One brave little kid timidly came up to me, and touched my face.  It was clear that he had never seen or touched someone with my complexion.  Soon all the little kids came over and we started to play games and sing songs.   We had no common language, but words did not matter. This went on for few hours, when my taxi driver came over and said the town elders walked over to the next village which had one jeep, brought it over and they drove us the remaining 3 hours to Agra.  They refused to take any compensation no matter how hard we tried, because of the kindness we displayed towards their children.  I never knew the names of all the people I met that day, but it thought me an important lesson about kindness and compassion and that richness lies within one’s heart and how people interact with each other.  

Why I share this story is that life is about making real connections.   Music is a powerful force.  It brings people together, elevates the soul and connects people in very strong ways.  Because of music, I have made more connections than I ever thought possible."

Thank you so much Ed for sharing your life, doing all you do for the community and for being on the blog. It was an honor and pleasure! 


To checkout more of the Cincy Blues Society just click on the links: 

Website

Facebook

And, as always, Thank you everyone for reading! 

DAVINA LOZIER: SINGER/ SONGWRITER of the band DAVINA and the VAGABONDS

                             SINGER DAVINA LOZIER from
                                                         
                                                                      DAVINA and the VAGABONDS

Cincy Streets and ProudCheorkee Productions are very honored to have this National and International Artist on the blog. Please enjoy reading about the amazingly talented Davina Lozier with Davina and the Vagabonds

You may have seen Davina and the Vagabonds on the Bluegrass Underground television show. She performed the hit song, "I'd Rather Go Blind," by the legendary Etta James, seen here in this video.  

Davina received a standing ovation, which came to be a surprise to the gracious singer. The performance brought her, and the band, much deserved recognition, which, in my opinion, was long overdue. 

Davina Sowers-Lozier was born in a small railroad town in Altoona, Pennsylvania. She was considered an eccentric, someone who didn't quite fit in. She lives by the beat of her own drum. Davina comes from a musical family and was classically trained on the piano. She shares, "When I was young,  I learned piano at 6 years old, and, as a teen, my mom showed me a few things on guitar." She also plays "a little ukulele," and adds, " I just tried my best to be self taught." You can see and hear her perform on the ukulele on her first song ever written called, "Bee Sting."

Her love of music began instantly, she said, "I have always been a sponge with music. I really started to understand through a lot of the English blues; Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, and then listened to who they were influenced by. Then I understood why there were doing what they did. I started listening to Little Walter, Muddy Waters (who is my favorite). That lead me into the love of Soul music and even more."  

I asked her, when did you know you wanted to be a singer? She replied, "For as long as I can remember." She explains, "My first audience show was during my lunch period in second grade. I got up in front of the whole school and sang. My first paid gig was at a coffee house when I was 16 years old."

Davina has been compared to legendary singers Amy Whinehouse, Etta James, and Janis Joplin. She has an enticing grit in her voice, and tones ranging from low to high.  She is a powerhouse without a doubt. 

Davina is a survivor of family and personal struggles. Through no fault of her own, she was forced to become an adult at an early age. After a decade of what seemed to be a dark time for her, she made the conscious decision to move to Minnesota and rebuild her life. Her incredibly strong will, her faithful beliefs in God, and her gifted talents, are the miracles that have saved her life and helped her share her talents with the world.  She is truly an inspiration and a spiritual fighter. 

Behind the scenes, Davina is an extremely friendly, caring and humble soul. On stage, shines her bravery, adventurous and daring nature.  She is not afraid to express her emotions through her music. She truly sings with everything she's got.
  

I asked her what inspired her singing and music, she genuinely replied,  "My heart. The situations around me. The ability to be truthfully who I am." 

When talking about why she chose the blues, she says, "It gets me through life. I'm not just a blues singer though. I was born with a broken heart, people say,  but you can find those in many different blues based genres." 

Davina works extremely hard, not only as the singer, but also as the Band Leader. She shares, "The business is very stressful. It's really dog-eat-dog. It's a man's world, I have to keep it altogether.  I keep four people employed full time, that is their job. I pay them every week, the same thing, whether they work or not. And so that puts a lot of pressure on me.  I'm the one that does all the road management and all of the flight buying. I'm a perfectionist. I'm really a Type A. Socially, I get anxiety, especially with the Vagabonds.  Because there's a fine line of friendship and I want to treat them right." - Excerpt from The Current Radio Station 89.3, in Minnesota. 

She is passionate not only about her music, but for her band members, and her fans. They have traveled North America, as well as parts of Europe. They have been invited multiple times to appear at popular events.  

Davina has shared the stage with Legendary Buddy Guy, Little Feat, Elvin Bishop, The Lamont Cranston Band, The Blues Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Irma Thomas, James Hunter and many more. Davina and the Vagabonds have played numerous venues and festivals including the House of Blues in Atlantic City, the Bayfront Blues Festival, Edinburgh Festival, and the list goes on. When asked what her most memorable places to perform she smiles and says, "So many, it's hard to pick one. Monterey Jazz Festival, Bluegrass Underground stick out."

Davina and the Vagabonds recently headlined at the popular Cincy Blues Fest, hosted by the Cincy Blues Society. 

Davina told the crowd that this was on her Bucket List. She shares, "It's just been on my bucket list for years. Being from Pennsylvania, there is a certain feel to Cincy. Work hard, play hard, blue collar cities are my favorite. The Queen City here has that beautiful balance. "

After a long day in the sun, traveling and playing for her fans, she stayed for a meet and greet, signing CDs and memorabilia. 

From morning 'til night, she is smiling and genuinely kind. She doesn't show how tired she must be from all her hard work. Davina is ever so humble. Which is what makes her even more lovable, as a musician and as a human being. She never takes anything for granted.  

   

Davina is not afraid to be open and share her feelings. Her music is unique but also has a New Orleans feel to it. She expresses, "I love this new genre way of approaching music our younger generation has. I'm not a blues purist, which is a common factor in the blues scene. I'm just grateful that older music, in general, is finding its way to newer generations."  Her ability to "let go" on stage comes from her inner strength. Davina explains, "It's the only place I can take advantage of it or I might explode if I don't." 

Her advice to the younger generation: " Feel it, listen to it, pick songs you can relate to. It takes a bit of time to get the feel of blues. It's not necessarily just the chords… but it's being able to convey what the feel is and the story behind it that is the most important."

To find out more about DAVINA and the VAGABONDS click the links below: 

FACEBOOK

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS WEBSITE 

Thank you Davina, and the Vagabonds, for being on Cincystreets! 

And to the readers, as always, thanks for reading! 

JESS LAMB: SINGER and SONGWRITER

JESS LAMB 

Singer/ Songwriter

Photo credit: Annette Navarro 

One night, my friend (Actress) Carrington Rowe, asked if I would meet her at Japp's Bar Downtown, owned by the wonderful Molly Wellman. We were sitting there, at a table with friends, just talking about the day to day. There was this energy in the room, a strong energy. We heard singing and music playing. It instantly grabbed my attention, I glanced near the front of the room and there was Jess Lamb. She was boldly playing the piano and had such a powerful presence. You could barely see her eyes from under her elegantly rimmed hat and large feathered earrings. She was playing her song, "The Morning," which at the time I had no idea. I was so moved by her incredible talent and just had to find out more about her. Thankfully, she graciously accepted my offer to be featured on Cincy Streets. 

Here is our interview. 

Jess lamb is a singer and songwriter, with an amazingly gifted voice. She sings from her whole body and soul. Jess has accomplished so much in these last few years, she began her music career officially in 2010. 

 (Photo credit, copyright by Brian Glass/Concert-captures.com)

I started playing piano when I was 8 years old. I learned to play by ear as I sat next to my aunt on the piano stool in a little Pentecostal church in Red Lion, OH. 




My entire family is musical, busting out their instruments and harmonies at family functions. 

Music was the thing that connected us, whether it was for fun or for worship. 

I always knew I wanted to sing, but it wasn't until I was in college at Miami University that I realized I could make a living with music.






There are so many artists I've been inspired by. I grew up listening to Mahalia Jackson, Mississippi Mass Choir, and a bunch of Southern Gospel artists. I was deeply inspired by their harmonies and positive message. Today I am most inspired by Portishead and Regina Spektor. 

                               

Jess Lamb, in 2015, performed on the notable and popular TV Show American Idol. She has been featured in CityBeat, Dayton Daily News, Cincinnati.com, WLWT channel 5, WCPO Channel 9, radio station Warm 98, radio station Class X, and many more. Jess has performed at the Prince Tribute Purple Reigns in 2016. She has toured many cities, especially in Los Angeles, and including playing with the Legendary Bootsy Collins. 

Here she is playfully playing alongside with singer, musician, Harry Connick, Jr. during her appearance on American Idol.  







She was ecstatic when she was chosen to go to Hollywood. Although she didn't win, she has become successful in Cincinnati and is a force to be reckon with.

Her appearance on American Idol opened many doors. It gained the interest of respected and prominent producer David Sisko. He has worked with artists like Bryan Ferry, Justin Timberlake, Destiny's Child, Kelly Clarkson, and many more. 

March 30th 2015 released single “Memories,” she originally wrote it in 2009, and by 2015 it was remixed by Sisko.

She has been nominated and won CEA Awards (Cincinnati Entertainment Award), as well as performed at the CEAs.

Her 2017 newest album is called, "Collection" from the Jess Lamb and Factory. 



















What are one of your memorable moments thus far as an independent musician? Thoughts on the indie scene?



We kicked off our first West Coast tour in 2016 opening for Bootsy Collins in Oakland, CA. As an indie artist it was exciting to perform for a sold out, massive, attentive crowd for the first time ever. The indie scene usually consists of playing smaller venues that we book and market on our own. But it is empowering to be an indie artist these days because we can own our publishing, release our music in all the major outlets and stay true to who we are without giving a percentage to a label.









Where did you learn to sing and play? Where do you play around Cincy and where have you played outside of Cincinnati?

I learned to sing and play in the church. Now, as I am more spiritual than religious, I perform in my Queen City, primarily in OTR and Northern KY. I hold a residency gig at Japp's in OTR every Thursday in which area musicians come to share their music and network. When we do tour, we perform on the West Coast (primarily LA).











How hard is it to be a performer? What are your struggles?



Performing isn't the biggest struggle I encounter. I am happy and free when I perform. As an indie artist, the struggle happens behind the scenes- booking, networking, publishing, marketing, etc. It is all worth it though.
                            
                                                          


                                                               

                                                          


Any advice for indie artists?


Master your craft. Sing and write everyday, even if you don't feel inspired. Inspire yourself. Support your musical peers. Collaborate with other artists. Be confident. And most of all, be present when you perform- music connects you to people in the audience in such an intimate way. The frequency you evoke when you are truly present can change the energy in a room. You are most powerful in that moment.







SONGS (recommended) 

Memories Album 2015           

Step Out of the Dark Album Dig Deep 2016 

The Morning Album 2017  



Thank you Jess Lamb for being a guest on Cincy Streets, it was an honor! 




If you would like to hear more of her music, contact information and background, just click the links below: 


JESS LAMB OFFICIAL WEBSITE       

JESS LAMB MUSIC 

FACEBOOK                 WLWT CH 5 Appearance with reggae band The Cliftones

TWITTER                                         CityBeat Interview

AMERICAN IDOL APPEARANCE 2015

AND.... as always, thanks for reading!