July 28, 2010
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Ike Turner honored with Mississippi Blues Trail Marker! Ike Turner was a brilliant guitarist and pianist who is considered to be the founder of Rock & Roll. A great business man, producer, arranger, band leader, and talent scout, Ike Turner helped to launch the careers of Howlin' Wolf, Little Milton, B.B. King, Elmore James, and many others. He is best known for his work with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, and for a villainous and misleading portrayal in the movie What's Love Got To Do With It. Ike passed away on December 12, 2007, at age 76, leaving an amazing musical legacy.Though considered a controversial figure in today's world, nobody can deny that Ike was a simply brilliant musical force. Ike Turner will be honored with a Mississippi Blues Trail marker which will be unveiled in Ike's hometown of Clarksdale on Friday, August 6th. The ceremony takes place at 10 am at 127 Third street in downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi. Thanks to Alex Thomas of the Mississippi Department of Tourism for this information. To see a photo page dedicated to Ike, click here.
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Cousin Joe on YouTube! Cousin Joe was a New Orleans based blues piano master with a gift of writing songs that tell a story. Please enjoy these two masterful performances, filled with personality:
2) Performing "Life Is A One Way Ticket", click here
July 22, 2010
RIP Phillip Walker, February 11th, 1937 - July 22, 2010. It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Phillip Walker this morning at 4:30 AM of heart failure. He was 73. Phillip was a great singer and guitarist who was considered legendary, though he never broke through to the success that his talent merited. He played guitar on the Specialty and Chess recordings of Phillip Walker (Phillip once said that it was him and Etta James singing the backup on Clifton's song "My Soul"). He moved from Louisiana to California in 1959, and released his first record "Hello My Darlin", produced by J.R. Fulbright. Phillip's first full album, produced by Bruce Bromberg and called Bottom Of The Top was released in 1973 on the Playboy Record Label (actually a business division of the magazine). He also made great recordings on Galaxy, Vault, Joliet, HighTone, JSP, Black Top, Rounder, Alligator, P-Vine, MC, and most recently on Delta Groove. Additionally, Phillip was a noted sideman who contributed to albums by Lonesome Sundown, Eddie Taylor, Percy Mayfield, and Johnny Shines. Phillip toured frequently with a great band that included his longtime partner, James "Broadway" Thomas, on bass. He was lovingly booked by Tom Radai of Blues Management Group. His passing highlights the loss of the few remaining blues artists of his generation. We salute Phillip for always delivering the true blues, for his kind and giving personality, and for his unique and awe inspiring blues style. To see Phillip Walker's website click here , for an extensive bio click here. So long Phillip, we will miss you.
July 20, 2010
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Part 2 of the Andre Hobus Blues Photo Library now online! The André Hobus Photo Library features beautiful, candid images of great bluesmen taken during the 1970s and 1980s by Belgium-based photographers André Hobus, Bob Vanderschueren, Claude Meyer, Annique Massange, and Marc De Jonghe. Last year we presented a part 1 of the Andre Hobus Blues Photo Library (Click here to see part 1) and we now proudly present an amazing second installation. Included are spectacular and historic photos of Sunnyland Slim, Freddie King, Big Walter Horton, Sam Myers, Johnny Dyer, Maxwell Street, The Delta Fish Market, Andrew Brown, Eddy Clearwater, Little Willie Anderson, Louisiana Red, Hubert Sumlin, Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis, Pat Rushing, L.V. Banks, Left Hand Frank, Good Rockin' Charles, Smokey Wilson, Wille Kent and more! Click here to see this 8 page photo presentation, and click "next page of Andre Hobus photos" to get to all the pages.
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Blues In The Schools Benefit this Sunday at the Rhythm Room. The Phoenix Blues Society hosts a Blues For Bits Benefit this Sunday, July 25th at the Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd. in Phoenix. BITS of course stands for Blues In The Schools. One can not overemphasize the need to present the blues to the next generations. An awareness of this great music form will help to shape appreciation, and encourage future participation and leadership in the blues community. The Phoenix Blues Society has always stood for an educational outreach as part of its cause. This event includes Hans Olson, Kathy Mabry, Booya, The KC Blues Band, The V-Knights, The Common Ground Blues Band, Hank Tomlin & The Tomcats, and The Blues Hounds. Doors open at 3:30pm, and a full day of music begins at 4:30pm. For more information on this event, and the Phoenix Blues Society click here. For more information on the Rhythm Room click here. Also at the Rhythm Room this weekend are our friends Debbie Davies and Robin Rogers, who appear on Saturday night, July 24th.
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RIP Randy Joe Fullerton, Sept 18, 1949 - June 27, 2010. This news comes in from Will "Smokey" Logg. Bassist Randy Joe Fullerton passed away on June 27 in Dallas, Texas. He was 60. Fullerton was a popular blues bass player in the late 60s and 70s who worked with Luther Allison, Rod Piazza, Paul Filipowicz, Jim Liban, Billy Flynn, Madison Slim and many others. He is probably best known as the young, long haired bass player in the 1970 video of Howlin' Wolf performing Highway 49 at a blues festival in Washington D.C. where he was a capable fill in for Wolf's curtailed bass player. To see this unbelievable video, click here. To see Randy Joe Fullerton's myspace, click here. Randy remained an active performer his whole life and is considered a top shelf bassist by all that knew him. He will be greatly missed.
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RIP James "Slim" Sroggins, April 28, 1953 - July 9, 2010. Phoenix based blues and soul drummer James "Slim" Scroggins was a talented and popular performer in his home town. He died on July 9th at age 57 from complications of blood clots. Over the last 30 years Slim worked with some of the quintessential Phoenix artists and bands including George Bowman, Big Pete Pearson, Fire In The Sky, The Whitehead Brothers, and his own James Matthews Band. He most recently was the powerhouse drummer with Cold Shott & The Hurricane Horns. Slim stood 6' 8" tall and had a professional and charismatic personality. For more information about James "Slim" Scroggins from the Cold Shott website click here. There will be a marathon memorial concert for Slim on Friday August 6, at the Rhythm Room, hosted by Cold Shott & The Hurricane Horns with many special guests.
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Amanda's Roller Coaster Update. Pre-Party lineup expands! Amanda's Roller Coaster tickets are just about sold out and perhaps by the time you read this, the show will be. If you want to make a last effort in that direction, you can visit the website and put in your request by clicking here. For those new to this news letter, Amanda's Roller Coaster is a spectacular 3 day harmonica happening that takes place at the Rhythm Room on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Acts include James Cotton, Billy Boy Arnold, Lazy Lester, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, James Harman, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Johnny Dyer, Bharath Rajakumar, Johnny Sansone, Jerry Portnoy, Al Blake, Dave Waldman, Bob Corritore, Troy Gonyea, RJ Mischo, Steve Marriner, Billy Flynn, Scott Dirks, Chef Denis Depoitre, Lynwood Slim, and Vincent Bury. The spectacular backing musicians for this event are Larry Taylor (bass & guitar), Randy Bermudes (bass), Richard Innes (drums), Jason Moeller (drums), Junior Watson (guitar), Billy Flynn (guitar), Jon Moeller (guitar), Mike Keller (guitar) & Barrelhouse Chuck (Piano), plus Hubert Sumlin will perform with James Cotton, and Dave Riley will appear with Bob Corritore. The recently added pre-party on Thursday, Sept 30th, has taken on a life of its own. For the pre-party the host band will be the Nighthawks, who will perform a set, followed by a harmonica showcase that will include an ever growing list that currently includes Bill Tarsha, Martin Lange, Ronnie Shellist, Randy Chortkoff. Raoul Bhaneja, Thomas Fiacco, Little Barry G, Dennis Gruenling, Jerry Swartz, Mark Heffington, Ed Marien, Mr. & Mrs. Alaimo, Ken Johnson, Greg Johnson, and Kim Field! Advance tickets to the pre-party are a separate ticket and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by clicking here. Special thanks to Bill Wax, host of B.B. King’s Bluesville on Sirius/XM Satellite radio, for his recent interview with Amanda about the event.
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Billy Branch interview in Harmonica 411! Jeff Silverman, the proprietor of the Harmonica 411 website, writes to tell us of a newly published interview with our friend Billy Branch. Jeff reports "This not-so-new Kid on the Block talks of his friends; Junior Wells, Billy Boy Arnold, and more. He offers opinions on the state of the blues harp today and preaches on about the blues like no one but Billy can." Harmonica 411 is a website devoted to the harmonica and its players. To see this website and the Billy Branch interview click here.
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Billy Boy Arnold and Junior Wells remember Sonny Boy Williamson I on YouTube! This video and explanation was provided by harmonica ace / writer Scott Dirks. Here is what Scott had to say:
"The Billy Boy Arnold video was part of a feature that was produced by Mark Baum and the Fox Valley Blues Society in honor of the 60th anniversary of John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson’s first recording session in 1937, which took place in the Sky Room club on the top of the Leland Hotel in Aurora, IL, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. For many years the Leland Hotel was the tallest building between Chicago and St. Louis (I think it’s 17 stories), and on the top floor was a ballroom and nightclub that was known at various times as the Sky Room, The Sky Club, and The Blue Sky Lounge. As with many hotels of the era, the ballroom featured a live dance band, sometimes broadcast on a local radio station. This was not a blues venue though - it was strictly white dance and pop bands. But in the ‘off hours’ it served as a good place for recording sessions, since it had decent acoustics and was already set up for radio broadcasts, and was acoustically isolated from the guest rooms. The story I’ve always heard is that Sonny Boy’s record label, in order to dodge the powerful musicians union in Chicago, rented the space for the sessions in Aurora so they could be outside the jurisdiction of the union. At any rate, Sonny Boy’s first several recording sessions were held there, along with early sessions by people such as Big Joe Williams, Robert Lee McCoy (who recorded the song “Prowling Night Hawk” there, which gave him his nickname Robert Nighthawk), Walter Davis, Yank Rachell, Henry Townsend and many others. Because Billy Boy was mentored briefly by Sonny Boy, and was profoundly influenced by his music, he was invited to be interviewed by Mark Baum and myself for a video production for local cable TV in Aurora. The cable TV studio was literally in the shadow of the Leland Hotel building, which by this time had been converted to Fox Island Place Condos. The management graciously allowed us access to the ballroom (which had in recent years been divided up for use as dance rehearsal studios), so after the interview, we went up and shot video of Billy Boy performing a couple of Sonny Boy’s songs which had been recorded in the same room 60 years earlier, along with one of Billy Boy’s own songs from his recent Alligator CD. The whole thing was produced into a one hour feature which was shown on local cable TV a few months later, coinciding with the Fox Valley Blues Festival, which is held a couple of blocks away from the former Leland Hotel I attended that festival strictly as a fan, but while I was there, Mark Baum asked if I would do a brief interview Junior Wells, who was playing on the fest. Junior had of course also been deeply influenced by Sonny Boy, having recorded several of his songs including “Good Morning Schoolgirl”, “You Better Cut That Out”, and “Hoodoo Man Blues”. 10 minutes later we were on our way up to the Sky Room again, where we did a brief and completely off the cuff interview with no notes, no preparation, about 20 minutes to go before Junior was scheduled to hit the stage – and maybe most importantly, no air conditioning or open windows on one of the hottest days of the year. Not exactly ideal conditions, but I’m glad I was able to do it, and of course Junior was as gracious as could be and a complete pro. Little did we know at the time, but this was probably Junior’s last interview; not long after, Junior was diagnosed with cancer, ceased public appearances, and died the following January." Here are the clips:
2) Billy Boy singing "Black Gal" (click here) 3) Billy Boy singing his song "Man Of Considerable Taste" and end credits (click here)
July 7, 2010
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Happy Birthday Pinetop Perkins! Today Pinetop Perkins turns 97 years old! Born Joe Willie Perkins on July 7th, 1913, Pinetop is still an active touring musician, and is widely considered the greatest living blues piano player. His new album Pinetop Perkins & Willie "Big Eyes" Smith / Joined At The Hip on Telarc is receiving high praise. As a testament to his longevity, Pinetop will be traveling to Spain today to participate in the Hondarribia Blues Festival. Please take a moment to write Pinetop a happy birthday wish on his Facebook page (click here to access Pinetop's facebook). To see a photo page devoted to Mr. Perkins, click here. Thanks Pinetop, for being our inspiration!
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Chico Chism, Sam Moore, and the Reed Family inducted into Arizona Music And Entertainment Hall Of Fame! The Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall Of Fame has a diverse group of inductees from all types of entertainment, and all genres of music. This year the inductees include three from the blues corner: Chico Chism, who was best known as Howlin' Wolf's last drummer, moved to Phoenix in 1986, and thrived as a blues performer and celebrity until his death in 2007, Sam Moore is best known as the Sam of Sam & Dave, the Stax and Atlantic Records soul sensation, and the Reed family which includes Francine, Margo, Michael, Bucko, Mellody, Laverne, and Girley have brought rich gospel, blues, soul and jazz vocal textures to the Phoenix area. Thanks to AMEHOF for including a healthy showing for the blues in the recently announced new inductees. The ceremony will take place on February 13th, 2011 at the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix. Please visit the AMEHOF web site by clicking here.
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Special Thanks to the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival and to Wilbeski's Blues Saloon! Dave Riley & Bob Corritore are appreciative of this past weekend's gigs in the Midwest! Dave & Bob had the honor at performing at the legendary Wilebski's Blues Saloon in St. Paul, MN, which has been the home of many great blues performances. Then it was off to Davenport, Iowa, for the spectacular IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival! Thanks to these venues and to the many fans that came out to see us. Thanks also to the IHMVBF for another exceptional lineup, their warm hospitality, and the ridiculously fun nightly after-party/jams!
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Blues Blast Music Awards voting begins tomorrow! The voting for the 2010 Blues Blast Music Awards begins on Thursday, July 8th. Voting is open to anyone who is a Blues Blast Magazine subscriber. Subscriptions are free and you can sign up as part of the voting process. Please consider a vote for Dave Riley & Bob Corritore / Lucky To Be Living, which is nominated under the category of "Best Traditional Blues Recording." To see a complete list of all nominees and to vote please click here. The awards, put on by Blues Blast Magazine, will take place on Thursday, October 28th, at Buddy Guy's Legends new location of 700 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605
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Phoenix Vintage Blues Anthology gets reviews in Living Blues and ABS magazines! Earlier this year the Southwest Musical Arts Foundation released a compilation of vintage Phoenix Blues titled Flyin' High, A Collection Of Phoenix Blues, Rhythm, and Spirit from the 1950's and 60's. The CD's 27 tracks include Big Pete Pearson's first recordings, Reverend Louis Overstreet, J.C. Arline, The Lone Wolf, Duke Draper, Maxine Johnson, John "Oklahoma Zeke" Lewis, Dumas King, Roosevelt Nettles, Budd Spudd & The Sprouts, Jimmy Knight, Baby Jean, the Curtis Gray Combo, and more. Flyin' High recently received 2 more great reviews, one in Living Blues Magazine by Jim DeKoster, and the other in France's ABS Magazine by Vincent Joos. You can read these and other reviews on-line by clicking here. To see the cover art for Flyin' High, click here, and to read the extensive liner notes by John Dixon, click here. This CD is currently available through Bluebeat Music and can be purchased by clicking here. Proceeds from the sales of this CD will go to the Southwest Musical Arts Foundation, who are planning more historically important blues releases.
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Amanda's Roller Coaster Update. Nighthawks to host Thursday preparty concert / harp jam! Amanda's Roller Coaster is a spectacular 3 day harmonica happening that takes place at the Rhythm Room Room on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Acts include James Cotton, Billy Boy Arnold, Lazy Lester, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, James Harman, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Johnny Dyer, Bharath Rajakumar, Johnny Sansone, Jerry Portnoy, Al Blake, Dave Waldman, Bob Corritore, Troy Gonyea, RJ Mischo, Steve Marriner, Billy Flynn, Scott Dirks, Chef Denis Depoitre, Lynwood Slim, and Vincent Bury. As an additional feature of the event, Thursday, September 30th, has just been added as a preparty with the Nighthawks, who will perform a concert set at 8pm, and then host a harmonica showcase. This will serve as a wonderful preparty, and as a way for many of the attending harmonica players who are not on the main bill, to have an outlet to showcase their playing. So far Martin Lange has signed on as the first special guest harmonica player for the preparty. Please be aware that at the time of this e-mail only 50 tickets remain for this soon to be sold out event, and only 20 discount rate hotel rooms remain at our host hotel. For more details, a schedule of performances, hotel information, and to order tickets, check out the Amanda's Roller Coaster website by clicking here.
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Acoustic Freddie King on YouTube! Please enjoy these great performances by Freddie King at Travis County Jail from April 11, 1976. Freddy and his brother play acoustic guitars and cover "Sweet Home Chicago", and "Let The Good Times Roll". You can really see the star quality of Freddie from these clips. Click here to see.
June 30, 2010
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The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival this weekend! Each year the Mississippi Valley Blues Society host a top notch, 3 day blues festival during the 4th of July weekend at beautiful LeClaire Park in Davenport, Iowa. This Festival is considered one of the best blues gatherings in the country with a consistently stellar lineup. This year the 26th annual IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival program includes Li’l Ed and the Blues Imperials, Ana Popovic, Zac Harmon, Vasti Jackson, Rosie Ledet, Ruthie Foster, Billy Branch & the Sons of the Blues, Shawn Kellerman, Lucky Peterson, The Legendary Blues Cruise Revue featuring Tommy Castro and Debbie Davies, Dave Riley and Bob Corritore, The Nighthawks with Hubert Sumlin, Bill Sims, Jr. & Mark LaVoie, Nicole Mitchell & The Black Earth Ensemble, Olga with Cody Dickinson, Little Joe McLerran, and a tribute to descendants of blues legends, featuring Mud Morganfield, Bernard Allison, Little Pink Anderson, Caroline Shines, Lurrie Bell, and Shirley King. The festival also includes free blues workshops, and "BlueSKool" for the kids. Award winning blues photographer David Horwitz will be presenting a workshop on blues photography, and David Berntson will be providing free harmonicas and lessons. Also adding to the educational aspect of the event will be two children's blues organizations; Charles Weir Johnson & the Martin Luther King Center Kids, and the Winter Blues Academy Kids (moderated by Ellis Kell and Hal Reed.) Dave Riley & Bob Corritore will perform as a duo on Sunday, July4th at 3:30 pm at the Tent Stage. Dave and Bob will also host a 1pm workshop on the subject of a performing as blues duet. For more information about the festival, click here
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Amanda's Roller Coaster, the greatest harmonica show ever, happens Oct 1, 2, and 3. Tickets going fast! Amanda Taylor, the wife of Kim Wilson has created an amazing harmonica showcase and DVD filming called Amanda's Roller Coaster (named after the brilliant Little Walter instrumental). The 3 night event happens on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 2010 at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. Acts include James Cotton, Billy Boy Arnold, Lazy Lester, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, James Harman, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Johnny Dyer, Bharath Rajakumar, Johnny Sansone, Jerry Portnoy, Al Blake, Dave Waldman, Bob Corritore, Troy Gonyea, RJ Mischo, Steve Marriner, Billy Flynn, Scott Dirks, Chef Denis Depoitre, and Vincent Bury. Amanda has just added the legendary Hubert Sumlin to the bill to add extra spice to James Cotton's set! Amanda also promises some surprise guests! A documentary of this event will be filmed by Dan Karlok (who directed the Antone's documentary), and recorded by Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recorders, for a 2010 CD and DVD release on MC Records! Only 200 tickets total are being sold for this show, and at the time of this e-mail over half have been purchased. If you are considering attending, then it would be advised to order tickets right away as this show will likely sell out shortly. Please note that there is a special hotel room rate available for out of town attendees, and shuttle service to and from the event. For more details, a schedule of performances, hotel information, and to order tickets, check out the Amanda's Roller Coaster website by clicking here. To see the article about this event on the Hohner Harmonica website click here.
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Louis Jordan singing "Caledonia" on YouTube! Louis Jordan represented a fun loving side of the blues with his animated personality, jumping grooves, and great storytelling songs. Please enjoy this vintage film clip of Louis singing his big hit "Caledonia" (click here to see!) And here is Louis singing "Honey Child' (click here), and "Buzz Me" (click here.)
June 25, 2010
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2010 Blues Blast Music Awards nominations announced! Dave Riley & Bob Corritore / Lucky To Be Living nominated for Traditional Blues Album! The Blues Blast Music Awards are now in their third year and already have quickly become an institution in the blues world. The awards, put on by Blues Blast Magazine, will take place on Thursday, October 28th at Buddy Guy's Legends new location of 754 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605. This week the 2010 nominees were announced and among 6 very worthy candidates listed in the "Best Traditional Blues CD" category was Dave Riley & Bob Corritore / Lucky To Be Living on the Blue Witch label. To see the complele list of all the 2010 Blues Blast Music Award nominees click here. Voting to determine the winners begins July 8th, 2010 and continues until August 31st, 2010 at http://www.TheBluesBlast.com. Voting is open to anyone who is a Blues Blast Magazine subscriber. Subscriptions are free and you can sign up as part of the voting process. Thank you Bob Kieser and everyone from Blues Blast Magazine!
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Phoenix CD Party for Chris James & Patrick Rynn's new Earwig CD this weekend at the Rhythm Room! Chris James & Patrick Rynn's sophomore release, Gonna Boogie Anyway on the Earwig label, finds this unstoppable blues team exploring their award winning formula on a set of mostly original songs. Chris and Patrick will celebrate their new release tonight and tomorrow, Friday, June 25th, and Saturday, June 26th, at their monthly gig with the Rhythm Room All-Stars at the Rhythm Room. The Rhythm Room All-Stars lineup consists of Big Pete Pearson, Bob Corritore, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Brian Fahey. Gonna Boogie Anyway will be available for sale at this event! The Rhythm Room is located at 1019 E. Indian School Rd. in Phoenix, and doors open at 8pm with a 9pm showtime.
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RIP Calvin Leavey 1940 - June 6, 2010. Arkansas blues singer/guitarist Calvin Leavey was best known for his often covered hit "Cummins Prison Farm". He died Sunday, June 6th of complications from Diabetes. He was 70. Aside from "Cummins Prison Farm", Calvin also had regional hits with "Going Back To The Dogs", and "If Life Lasts, Luck Is Bound To Change". Sadly his songs were prophetic as Calvin would be sent to Cummins for a drug related charge. He passed away with just one more year of time to serve. His rich, warm voice, great guitar work, and perfect blues songwriting will assure him his eternal place in blues history. To read more about Calvin Leavey, click here, and to hear "Cummins Prison Farm" click here.
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Sixties Mickey Baker on YouTube! Please enjoy this 1966 film clip of blues guitar master Mickey Baker playing a groovy blues instrumental to some dancing hipsters! To see this clip click here.
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Happy 70th Birthday Bob Porter! Noted producer/radio host/reissue compiler Bob Porter celebrated his 70th birthday with a wonderful jazz/blues party on Monday at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Englewood, New Jersey. The amazing house band at the party included Bernard Purdie, Melvin Sparks, Bill Easley, and Akiko Tsuruga and the night included guest appearances by David Keyes, Bob Corritore, Guy Davis, Angel Rissoff, Duke Robillard, Shemekia Copeland, and Lou Donaldson. Also in the house was the great Houston Person. Leave it to Bob Porter to find the perfect common ground between jazz and blues. Happy Birthday Bob Porter, and thanks for all that you have done and are doing for the blues!
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Chicago Recap! I always love going back to my home town of Chicago during the Chicago Blues Festival, as it allows allows for many great reunions and performance opportunities. Being back home also reconnects me with many fond musical memories and reminds me of what I most love about the blues. Chicago blues as a musical genre has a glorious, distinctive sound filled the tradition of its forefathers. Though many of the originals are now gone, the sound, albeit updated somewhat, remains intact and widely performed around the city. Speaking of forefathers, this year's fest honored the centennial of Howlin' Wolf's birthday, with many performances and panel discussions centered around the mighty Howlin Wolf. Here is an incomplete list of just some of the many highlights of my week in Chicago:
1) Harp & Soul Festival. Thanks to Lynn Orman, Scott Shuman, Bill Wax and Dave Specter for this magical night which was equal parts musical showcase and reunion. My set opened the show with a great group that included Billy Flynn, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Bob Riedy, and a guest appearance by the legendary Sam Lay! Other sets were by Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Rob Stone (with Sam Lay on drums!), Grady Champion, and Billy Flynn (who in addition to his fine guitar and mandolin work that night played some spectacular chromatic harmonica). Martin Lange also made a brief guest appearance,sitting in on Rob Stone's set. 3) Lunch with Amy Brat! Amy Brat is best known for her photography and for her work with the Windy City Blues Society, Amy has always been a goodwill ambassador for the blues. Though we have known each other for years through various blues events that we frequent, this was the first time we had to sit down and have an extended conversation. We met for a nice Italian meal at Cafe Baci on Michigan Ave and had a great conversation about how the blues fits into various forms of social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. BTW, I recently started a new Facebook page which you can visit by clicking here. Thanks Amy for the good information and advice! 4) Interview with Clarence Stevens and Cookie Taylor. While at the Chicago Blues Festival, I stopped by the Koko Taylor tent. Though Koko had passed about a year ago, her daughter Cookie, is maintaining the tent and Gary, Indiana blues radio host Clarence Stevens and Cookie were taping interviews for his "Blues You Can Use" radio show. How reaffirming to have Koko's daughter thanking me in the interview for recording her mother (Koko Taylor is featured on the opening track of my new CD, Harmonica Blues, on the Delta Groove label) 5) Billy Flynn's gig at The Smoke Daddy! Billy Flynn has a magical quality of bringing a scene together for his shows at The Smoke Daddy. He is a great musician who is best known as a guitarist, but also plays great mandolin, harmonica, and drums. Billy had invited me to make a guest appearance on his Friday show. Billy's core group included Eddie Kobek on drums (recently back from a year long playing hiatus), and Mike Flynn (Billy's brother) on the bass! Guests appearances were also made by the legendary Jody Williams, Dave Waldman, Martin Lange, Scott Dirks, Kate Moss, Rockin' Johnny, and Eugene Plotnick, a fine harmonica player from New Jersey who I met that night. A real Chicago blues party! 6) Saturday with Sam Lay and Bob Riedy! It has been a joy to have become good friends with Bob Riedy over the last few years, and to be regularly included on his shows. Bob was a major musical and business force in the seventies, and more then anyone else, can be credited for bringing blues to the north side of Chicago during that time period. His RMR productions created booking arrangements with various clubs to rotate blues bands from his roster of great talent. Bob has been a major influence in my life as an example of how to combine business savvy with musicianship. The Bob Riedy Blues Band was part of the lineup of a new stage at the Chicago Blues Festival called the Street Stage, which was booked and coordinated by the Windy City Blues Society. This stage was a big hit at the festival because of its very entertaining and high quality rotation of acts. We had a 5pm slot on Saturday with a one hour show. The great Bill Lupkin kicked off the set singing and playing harmonica for the first half of the show. Then they called Sam Lay and I up to perform together for the remainder of the set. Though raining at that point we had a huge crowd, many of whom had umbrellas and raincoats and endured the weather for our set! Other band members include Jon Hiller, Mark Wydra, Jim Wydra, and Frank Capek. Later that night, the same band would appear at Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in Willowbrook for a fun show that would be filmed as part of a documentary DVD project that Bob Riedy and David Jack are working on. The Chicken Basket is a wonderful stop on Route 66 complete with great home-style meals. I had a wonderful chicken dinner complete with some of great chicken dumpling soup, the best biscuits ever, and the locally brewed root beer called Route 66 Beer! The car ride home with Sam Lay, Bob Riedy, and photographer Daniel Swadener was hysterical with Sam Lay cracking jokes the whole time. It is a great honor to be included in this group! 7) Delmark Blues Brunch. It is a tradition to go to the Delmark Blues Brunch at the Jazz Record Mart on the Sunday of the Blues Fest. The brunch provides a showcase of Delmark artists as well as great gathering of blues people and a great excuse to do some nice CD and LP shopping! I had to stop in to visit with my lifelong friend of Bob Koester. I started going to the JRM when I was in my early teens. and Bob and his wife Susan have seen me through all my stages of life. It was great to hang with my former employers Tail Dragger and Willie Buck, who have both come into prominence in recent years from their recorded work on the Delmark record label. Also performing at the brunch were John Primer, Eddie C. Campbell, Scott Dirks, Martin Lange, Little Al Thomas, Quique Gomez, Pierre Lacocque (of Mississippi Heat), and many others. The blues was alive and well that Sunday Morning at JRM! 8) Buddy Guys Legends! I was able to attend two shows at the new Buddy Guy's Legends; the Grammy chapter blues show, and Li’l Ed and the Blues Imperials. The new club maintains the vibe of the original club, but with a slightly larger room, a better sound system, and a fresh coat of paint! What a blues party! 9) Joe Filisko's Harmonica Class! Joe Filisko is a proactive force of blues harmonica, as a great performer and recording artist, a craftsman of his namesake brand of customized harmonicas, and as a nuturing teacher of the instrument who has had a class at the Old Town School Of Folk Music. It was an honor to be invited to speak at this class on the Monday after the festival. Joe has cultivated this earnest and suppotive enviroment for his students, of which many have gone on to be highly respected working musicians around the Chicago area. After some class instruction by Joe (which I thoroughly enjoyed) there was a break before my presentation. Joe had four of his star students (Zoe Savage, Kirk Manley, Grant Kessler, and Highway Rickey) start out the presentation with a song each. I was knocked out by each of their performances, and it highlighted the level and commitment of the class! Then I was called up for my presentation, which I approached with equal parts performance, history, and philosophy. The class asked many informed questions (about Big Walter, Paul Butterfield, producing records, etc.) and I did my best to answer each one in the most informative way. The positive feedback that I received from the class was reaffirming and overwhelming. Along with the students, I was pleased by the attendance of harmonica aces Scott Dirks, and Ivan Marcio who came by to check out the class, as well as my longtime blues buddy, Paul Hopkins, whom I used to see many a show with in the 1970s! Thank you Joe, for the honor of participating in your great class! All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and it appears that the blues is going strong in Chicago. Many more great moments occured that were too numerous to mention, but I have listed some of my favorites! Thanks to Barry Dollins for years of service to the Chicago Blues Festival as word has it that he will soon be retiring from the fest's coordinator position.
