By Dani White
Berthoud Recorder

In the evenings of the first and third Tuesday of every month, you can hear the soulful sounds of blues drifting across the streets of Berthoud from the open doors of the Lighthouse Café. This is where a free, area-wide jam session is open to anyone wanting to participate or listen.

The new Tuesday night Berthoud Blues Jam is a special, on-going event facilitated by the blues band Davey and The Blu Dog, who have also promoted other area jam sessions and blues programs, including Blues in the Schools.

The blues band is driven to support live music and keep the blues alive for younger generations by encouraging community involvement. The members include: vocalist/guitarist David Michael Boyd, vocalist/bassist Gary Hamor, drummer Braden Vandenberg and vocals/keyboard manned by George Van Campen. The band explores the spectrum of blues expression, while wandering along margins of rock and jazz.

This skilled Fort Collins quartet plays a few solo sets, then invites musicians of all ages and talents to play along for a good majority of the evening.

Boyd explains that a blues jam “is a fun way to encourage creativity,” because “blues is about community.” Blues music holds a strong meaning and purpose with similar implications to folk and soul. A blues jam distinctively coalesces the collective talents of a random group of musicians in a unifying experience for all involved.

The Berthoud Blues Jam will bring people together again on Aug. 18 for another unique community experience.

Check out www.myspace.com/DaveyAndTheBluDog, send an e-mail to  DavidMichaelBoyd@gmail.com or call (970) 402-1822.