Note from Stu: Since I have been handling the booking and sound at A Dough Re MI for about five years, I would find it impossible to objectively tell you about The Lowcountry Blues Club Jam that happens there every Tuesday night . There is just too much of my heart (as well as my wallet) invested. So I asked my friend, Lua Wells to give you the lowdown. Lua and her family are the type of music fans that make playing music fun. They really care and are very supportive of the artists they like.

For the past two and a half years, the Lowcountry Blues Club has held a weekly blues jam at a local Mount Pleasant restaurant called A Dough Re Mi. The jams took place every Tuesday night, and a group of blues club members looked forward to the fun and camaraderie and great music each week. But just recently, the Dough announced its closing, and the Lowcountry Blues Club lost its "home".

Eventually, the owners of the Dough hope to re-open in another location, but for now the Dough will be sorely missed. The owners, Dave and Beth Clark, have been great supporters of live music. I'll never forget the thrill of seeing Jason Ricci, a show-stopping blues harmonica player, and his band play there during the Lowcountry Blues Bash organized by Gary Erwin.  There were so many great blues bash performances there, by Wanda Johnson, Motor City Josh, and Beverly Guitar Watkins, to name just a few.

Back in 2007, a local blues enthusiast named Dereck Curry got together with Stuart Johnson, the sound man/booking agent at A Dough Re Mi, and Tommy Thunderfoot, a local blues musician. Together, they decided that they would like to try having a jam every week, and the owners of A Dough Re Mi were all in favor.

The Clarks created a nice stage when they renovated their place, and it was a perfect spot for the new club. To support this effort, more friends and blues enthusiasts joined in, creating the first Lowcountry Blues Club board, and the jams began.

In the beginning, the crowds were small, and sometimes there were more musicians than audience members.

But the people who came had a great time, and word spread. Tommy Thunderfoot served as the jam master for the first year, making sure that the jams ran smoothly. Craig Campany was the original bass player, and Greg "the Motor" Levkus was the drummer then, and still is now.

Johnson has managed the set-up and sound for most of the jams, and sings a few songs here and there, too.

The current jam master is Dan Wright, who moved to Charleston from Detroit a few years ago. Each Tuesday night for the last year and a half he has played at A Dough Re Mi, honing his own skills, and helping others gain confidence on stage. He and his band recently won a battle of the bands sponsored by the Lowcountry Blues Club, and he earned a chance to represent the club at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.

This opportunity gave him a reason to get serious about songwriting, and he found that, much to his surprise, he was really good at writing songs.

There is a group of teens who have been regulars at the Dough jams as well, and it has been a lot of fun to see how their skills have grown over the past couple of years. Keep your eyes out for a chance to see Sarah Cole if you get the chance - she's only 17, but has been playing blues for several years already. I remember the first time I heard her sing, so quiet. Nowadays though, she's not afraid to make some noise!

You should also keep an eye out for Tanner Cooper or Sammy Derrick on drums, Wyatt Garey, Matt Foster, John Shafer, and Charlie Kendall on guitar - all very young, but very good. I can't name all the exceptional musicians who come to the Tuesday night jams - there are too many of them. You'll just have to come see for yourself. But since the club has lost its "home", I can't tell you right now where to come to.

But you can check www.lowcountrybluesclub.blogspot.com, or become a friend of the Lowcountry Blues Club on Facebook. Support live music!

(Stu Johnson can be contacted at sjohnson@allnightkungfu.com).