Does Eddie Dean ever bother to check his facts when he writes his articles? His latest article, “The D.C. Blues Implosion” (1/17), contains some gross inaccuracies, which I find offensive to myself and my bandmates.
Dean writes that Nevada Newman is an outlaw moniker, and a legend in his own mind. If he had bothered to check, he would have found out that Nevada is in fact Mr. Newman’s real name. Newman is a talented and respected guitarist and singer. He is a member of the Daryl Davis Band, one of the best blues bands in the D.C. area.
Dean mentions “a band of porkpie-hatted, cigar-smoking suburbanites called the Resonators.” I am a member of the Resonators (a band Newman also plays with). I have to admit I am a suburbanite, but the other members are D.C. residents. I was not there the night Dean saw the ResonatorsI wonder if he even listened to their set? And does being a suburbanite make one a lesser musician? I may live in the suburbs, but I am heavily involved with the D.C. blues community, as a harmonica player, writer, and D.C. Blues Society director, and I have performed at some of the best blues clubs in the area.
I think that Dean owes Newman and the Resonators an apology, and he should check his facts before writing his near-slanderous articles.
D.C. Blues Society
Music Monthly Magazine
College Park, Md.
via the Internet