Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week: David Bromberg, Rock and Roll Circus, Honeyboy Edwards

Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and PledgeMusic have been a boon to independent artists eager to bypass the traditional label system and release music they retain control of. But the downside to these sites is that so many artists use them, it’s sometimes difficult to dig through the pile to figure out who you should support. That’s where I come in. Every week, I will highlight three crowdfunding campaigns that you may want to check out. Think your campaign should be featured? Send me an e-mail.

Archivum: Rock and Roll Circus

So far in this column, I’ve only featured musicians who have launched new crowdfunding campaigns, but this week, I’m leading off with a photography book from noted photographer Michael Randolph. Archivum: Rock and Roll Circus documents The Rolling Stones’ 1968 Rock and Roll Circus show, which also featured The Who, Jethro Tull, John Lennon, and Taj Mahal among others, as well as a one-off supergroup called The Dirty Mac, made up of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell. The show also marked Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones last appearance as a member of the band. The book will not only feature Randolph’s images from the Rock and Roll Circus, but also behind the scenes tales about the show.

David Bromberg- The Blues From D to B

70 year old David Bromberg has seen it all and has explored numerous facets of roots music. Throughout his career, he has ventured into bluegrass, folk, jazz, jam, and even a touch of progressive rock. On his new album, The Blues From D to B, Bromberg will turn his eye to blues music, from Delta blues to Chicago blues to its influences on jazz and rock and roll. Bromberg has help from Grammy winner Larry Campbell as producer. Backers can get such unique rewards as a signed David Bromberg Birthday Bash poster, to a bottle neck used in recording, to an opportunity to introduce and MC a David Bromberg show.

David “Honeyboy” Edwards Live at The G Spot by Jeff Dale

There aren’t enough words to accurately describe the influence David “Honeyboy” Edwards had on blues music and on later rock and rollers like Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page. He was also the last direct link to Delta blues progenitor Robert Johnson. When Edwards died in 2011 at the age of 96, he was still performing. Fortunately for fans of the blues, one of those last performances, from Sept. 2010 at The G Spot in Los Angeles, was recorded and now the leader of Edwards’ backing band that night, Jeff Dale, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to release a CD/DVD set of this last live recording of a legend. Backers can get unique rewards like a personal screening of the film in their living rooms to a house concert from Jeff Dale and the Woodlawners.