NEW YORK BLUES: The Beat Goes On- Michael Powers & Clarence Spady

I got the chance to briefly chat with Michael Powers after his set and along with being a fine player he is also very gracious. It turns out we played a couple of the same New York City clubs back in the day. I also found out later when reading his bio that he was in a band called Moonbeam. I remember seeing a band called Moonbeam at the Great Gildersleeves club, which Michael played at. I put the two together and it hit me that Michael was probably the guitarist in that band. Imagine that! 30 something years later Michael and I are in the same blues club with me photographing him. Can anyone say small world?!

I am new to the Clarence Spady sound but I was very impressed. Clarence has a smooth, fluid sound. The drummer, as you can see from the photo below, has a very basic kit but he locked it down on the 2 and 4. The band has no conventional bass player, instead the man on the Hammond organ plays the bass lines on foot pedals. Those familiar with the sound of a Hammond going thru a Leslie cabinet know it is a majestic sound. Jon Lord anyone?

Speaking of the Hammond and playing bass with foot pedals, anyone here remember a guy named Lee Michaels and his rousing version of Stormy Monday? It's from an album recorded in 1969 and features just Lee on the Hammond and vocals and a guy named Frosty on drums. That version takes me to church all the time and remains the best version of Stormy Monday I've ever heard.

Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Michael Powers- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.michaelpowers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/powersblues
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
Five Time Blues Music Award Nominee!!
"Michael Powers is without a doubt a true master of the guitar. It was his destiny from childhood. Influenced by the greatest such as Chuck Berry, Johnny Winters, Robert Cray, Jimi Hendrix and John Lee Hooker, Michael's music spans from "Muddy Waters to Jimi Hendrix" in one show! If you didn't like the Blues before, you will now! Even Michael's arrangements of other composer's songs are created into something unimaginably entertaining and new, some winning awards. He perfects anything he touches and never compromises that last detail."

Michael Powers- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.michaelpowers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/powersblues
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Michael Powers- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.michaelpowers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/powersblues
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Clarence Spady- Terra Blues, May 2009
www.myspace.com/clarencespadyband
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
"Once described as "the future of the blues" by Bill Dahl (Chicago Tribune), his sound has matured and is now even more distinguishable. Clarence plays with a depth and sensitivity that can't be taught, effortlessly combining blues, jazz, funk, and rock into his own unique sound"

Clarence Spady- Terra Blues, May 2009
www.myspace.com/clarencespadyband
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

drummer w/Clarence Spady- Terra Blues, May 2009
www.myspace.com/clarencespadyband
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Mark Hamza w/Clarence Spady- Terra Blues, May 2009
www.myspace.com/clarencespadyband
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Clarence Spady- Terra Blues, May 2009
www.myspace.com/clarencespadyband
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Clarence Spady- Terra Blues, May 2009
www.myspace.com/clarencespadyband
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Clarence Spady- Terra Blues, May 2009
www.myspace.com/clarencespadyband
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Friday Morning 2:00 AM 60 miles from the Blues Capital Chicago

I just got in from a jam session at the Cool River Club. I played three songs with Billy King. BK (here we go with the initials again) is a local blues man that I have had the pleasure of knowing for about 15 years. Mr. King's trademark is his bald head, sunglasses and he always wears black. Looks like a blues man, plays like a blues man, must be a blues man and a very good, oh I’ll say it, excellent guitarist. This guy has got it going on. Not only is he a great blues man, he is also very friendly and a truly humble guy. He could also be a stand up comedian if he wanted. He is that funny and when he is on stage the audience knows too. One of his favorite opening lines is, “Ladies and gentlemen I would like to play a song by one of my favorite songwriters (pause) Me. Billy does compose some memorable great tunes. "Big Man" is a song that could be a hit if it got into the right hands. His style of music is akin to what the real deal, old school artists call lumpty lump. If you don’t know what lumpty lump is listen to "Down in Mississippi" By Jimmy Reed. When yours truly plays with those old school blues men and they call out Lumpty Lump, I always inquire, "Do you want one lump or two?"

Billy and I were talking about our favorite blues artists. We share quite a few, Muddy, John Lee, Jimmy Reed and the list goes on. He asked me what the weirdest blues act was that I have heard of or have seen. I replied, "That's easy. Just this afternoon I was sent an email about this band called "Pipapelli." I then pulled a hunk of paper out of my shirt pocket and read the following;

"Pipapelli plays Rockin' Blues....with a Celtic-knotted Twist! Many of the tunes are driven by the Great Highland Bagpipes run through a guitar wah peddle, creating the original "Western Carolina Wah-pyps". ...kinda like a saxophone on acid! We play primarily at blues festivals, bbq's festivals, highland games, state and county fairs, and we just performed at the House of Blues in N.Myrtle Beach. We play tunes from Koko Taylor to the Blues Bros,Led Zeppelin with many eclectic journeys in between. We also incorporate electric & acoustic guitars and Native American Love Flutes. Please check out www.myspace.com/pipapelli
I just discovered ya'll's site and will be keeping up with it."

Billy said really sounds interesting. What do they sound like? I said you gotta hear it to believe it.

Blues Me Or Lose Me
Terry "Gatorman" Lape
Chicago Blues music Society

Billie Holiday Blues Hall of Famer? by Monica L. Yasher, Pittsburgh, PA

Billie Holiday Lived the Blues

Billie Holiday (1915-1959) was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Billie’s blues started at an extremely young age. At the age of thirteen she was thrown out of her parents home after becoming pregnant. She then lived with her grandparents and an older cousin while her mother left to work in New York City. Her father, a banjo and guitar player, left his family to tour with a jazz band. Billie's relatives abused and neglected her. With little help from the grown-ups around her, Billie had to start working as she ran errands and cleaned apartments for people in her neighborhood.
At one point, Billie went to New York to live with her mother. Her mother treated her the same as always...to fend for herself. While there she was raped for the second time in her life. She did the best she could, but found herself spending a few months in jail. When Billie was released, she started singing in night clubs in order to earn money. When she was fifteen, she had to sing the same songs over and over again for customers. Billie learned to be creative and change her voice and timing slightly while repeating the same lyrics. This same style is used by many blues artists today.
Billie suffered from depression and mood swings in her early thirties. Her personal problems worsened when she became addicted to drugs and alcohol. As Billie tried to recover from addiction to drugs and alcohol, she had a comeback period during the mid-1950s. She performed at Carnegie Hall (a legendary, New York concert hall) and toured in Europe. Sadly, Billie was never able to overcome her drug addiction. Her health began to fail with liver and heart disease.

Billie Holiday died on May 31, 1959, when she was 45 years old with seventy cents in the bank.

Billie Holiday Sang the Blues....or did She?
Billie Holiday was considered a jazz and pop singer. Her song style was inspired by jazz instrumentalists as she further honed in on her technique of changing her voice and timing for lyrics. She is best known for putting herself into the music, her emotion is felt and exists in her recordings. She gained her experience as a vocalist from singing in the midst of Harlem’s jazz scene.

Billie’s first record deal was with Vocalion Records. The talented jazz pianist, Teddy Wilson, began recording with her in 1935. This musical relationship continued for 6 years. During the 30's and 40's the work performed with Billie and Teddy are considered important parts of the jazz vocal library. In addition, Billie worked with Count Basie and his orchestra for a year. Billie finished her touring days after being in the band, Artie Shaw’s all-white band. This proved to be a difficult time for Billie, since she could not use the restaurants and facilities that the all white band would use. Discrimination led to Billie ending her touring days.

Billie Holiday has written several jazz standards to her credit. The most known are “God Bless the Child”, “Lady Sings the Blues”, and “Don’t Explain”. She is most noted for her performance of the jazz tune, “Strange Fruit”, and “Easy Living”.

Question for Debate: Should Billie Holiday be in the Blues Hall of Fame?
She is listed as a 20th century master blues artist inducted into the blues hall of fame in 1991. Yet, I see constant references of being a great jazz singer. Billie Holiday’s life definitely reflects the blues. So, what do you think? Should she be there? She is also listed in the rock and roll hall of fame. But, that’s another story!

Regardless of your opinion, Billie can always be considered Fine and Mellow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tNSp7MaADM





Copyright © 2009 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.

Monday night near the blues Capital Chicago

80 Miles south of Chicago with Ana Popovic

I have been fortunate enough to see Ana Popovic perform in a small venue located in Bradley, Illinois. It was then and still is struggling to survive. The club contains two main bars, one in the front and one in the back. The back bar is where they have live music and that area seats about 75 people.

I first heard of Ana in Vintage Guitar magazine. My friend Ricky directed me to the article. Rocking Rick, as I call him, is a walking encyclopedia of musical trivia. Ricky served as “Question Mark and the Mysterions” road manager for three years (96 Tears). When Rick tells me about an artist I have a tendency to listen. The man knows what he’s talking about and I thank him for leading me to Ana.

I walked into that Bradley club and paid the $5 cover. You are reading that correctly 5 bucks. The stage was set with all the equipment and the blues were pounding through the sound system. The show was sponsored by a local blues organization called “The Friends of The Blues”. The only requirement for membership is to attend the gigs. Kind of a loose knit bunch of blues fanatics very weird, but fun. They book bands that are in between gigs. They offer the visiting groups food and lodging and some spending money.

Ana’s band opened up with a couple of numbers. They were quite good. Then it was Ana’s turn. You know how a picture sometimes does not capture the essence of its subject. I had seen her photo in Vintage guitar magazine, but was not prepared for the person. Ana is HOT!!!!!!!!!!

Every head in the club turned and every eye fixated on her pure beauty. She slowly walked from the back of the room towards the front like a Queen. She climbed the four steps that led up to the stage as if she was Queen Cleopatra and Queen for the night she was. She carried a royal scepter and it was her Fender Stratocaster. She carried that guitar like a mother carries a newborn child. She hooked it up counted 1,,2,,3,,4,, and she took us into a steamy den of iniquity. She caressed that strat with such pure innocent sexuality that half, no three quarters, of our jaws dropped. I overheard one woman tell her boyfriend that all the men in the place wanted to make love to her and some of the women too. At that point in time every mothers son was love smitten. Her love flowed through the crowd like fog rolls into a seaside town and we breathed deep, very deep. You know the old adage if you look up a certain word you will find a picture of someone next to it. Go ahead and look up the word sexuality Ana Popovics picture is next to it. She handles a guitar like an exotic dancer handles a pole. I wish I could be her Stratocaster for just one gig.

Once you get past her unusual beauty and extreme sexuality you find a very accomplished talented guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, a woman after my own heart. Her musicality is way beyond most current artists. In short she has SOUL and knows how to use it. Her playing comes from a much deeper place then few have ever been.

She was raised in war torn Serbia and lived there during the horrid years of the Milosovic regime (1990-1996). Milosovic was a tyrants’ tyrant. He was directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. Can you imagine walking down the street to get basic necessities while snipers try to kill you? Crime was rampant and unemployment was at a record 80%. That is a form of the blues that few people have ever experienced.

Out of tragedy comes goodness and that goodness is Ana Popovic. She is a blues angel sent to us from a very special place and no one can deny her right to play the blues. Thank you Ana , thank you.

I have to admit I am in love with Ana and I would gladly string her guitar anytime, anywhere, any place.

Terrance “Gatorman” Lape

Chicago Blues Music Society Vice President

NEW YORK: A Touch Of Faith - by J. Blake

I am a life long Clapton fan and I’ve been lucky enough to have seen some landmark live Slowhand performances, including the Cream Reunion in 2005 and the Eric Clapton and Friends Benefit Concert at MSG for the Crossroads Center in 1999. On February 28, 2008 I was once again very fortunate and saw Clapton and Winwood live at Madison Square Garden.

Last Tuesday (May 19th,2009) two great collections were released to commemorate the historic three concert run. The first is a nicely packaged 2CD set that I feel, as a live album, does a great job of capturing the energy of the concerts (even though the order of a few of the tracks has been altered from how they were originally performed at the shows). The second collection is an equally well packaged 2DVD set, which features a documentary titled The Road to Madison Square Garden and four bonus performances. With the next several paragraphs, I will recount my personal experience of attending the final night of these amazing shows, as well as provide a brief review of the DVD set.

I have now seen Mr. Clapton in concert, somewhere in the ballpark of 12 times and I can honestly say that this show may have been the best live “Clapton” performance I have seen to date. Right from the opening guitar riff to Had to Cry Today it was evident that Winwood and Clapton were having fun, which was something that I feel was clearly lacking from the Cream Reunion, MSG shows. They ran through all of the expected Blind Faith songs and even the unexpected Sleeping In The Ground, which was a staple of the band’s live sets, in 1969. A Blind Faith version of the Sam Myers blues standard didn’t make it to an official CD release until Winwood’s 1995 box set titled Finer Things, but then again found a place on 2001’s 2CD Deluxe Edition of the Blind Faith’s only album. The most surprising thing about hearing these Blind Faith classics was the fact that Winwood’s singing voice has not changed at all in 40 years. Due to modern advancements in instrumental technology the music sounded updated, but Winwood’s voice sounded exactly like it did on the 1969 vinyl LP, except maybe with even a little more soul.

Hearing Blind Faith material was amazing, but the real gems of the night were the songs that can not be found on the 1969 album or on the set lists of the landmark 2007 Highclere Castle & Crossroads Guitar Festival performances. Perhaps the most shocking moment for me was when just three songs into the show, the ever so familiar riff to 1985’s Forever Man came screaming out of Clapton’s amp. I have read other reviews for these shows that claim that this song is a Clapton “staple”, but in actuality he has not performed this song regularly live in almost 20 years. It was probably one of the last "hits" I expected to hear that night, and yet there it was! Clapton’s lead work was explosive, yet tasteful, and the song was made even better by Winwood's vocals on the second verse and backups. It was awesome! (It should be noted that on both the CD and DVD collections, the order of Forever Man and the Buddy Miles tribute, Them Changes, have been switched.)

Other highlights of the show included the Traffic classics Glad and No Face, No Name, No Number, Winwood’s Split Decision, as well as Winwood’s moving solo rendition of Georgia on My Mind on Hammond organ. Surprisingly, the version of No Face, No Name, No Number used for both the DVD & CD features a very rough and slightly “off” vocal performance by Winwood; which is something I don’t recall it being when I saw the show. On the Clapton front, he and the band eased their way into what would become a blistering and furious version of Otis Rush’s minor keyed blues standard, Double Trouble, it was clear that he came to play. In my book this performance alone was worth the price of admission. On this song, which was once a staple of his 70’s live sets, Clapton safely secured his status as a "Guitar God" and laid any worries to rest that he may be losing his fire in his old age. So if you’re not interested in seeing Clapton shred at length, I warn you that this DVD may not be for you.

I am an enormous fan of Derek and the Dominos, hearing Tell The Truth and Little Wing was quite a thrill. I read comments that said Tell The Truth sounded "empty without Derek Trucks’ slide fills”, but I find a few things clearly wrong with this statement. If it was missing anything, it would have been the slide work of the man that originated those “fills”, the late Duane Allman! However on the contrary, I found it to be a fine rendition. Let’s not forget that Clapton played this song without a second guitar player for the entire Dominos tour. It was also a treat to hear Winwood filling in on the Whitlock vocal parts for both the Dominos original and the Hendrix classic.

Following what I found to be quite a moving version of Little Wing, Clapton shocked the audience by singing and playing the opening line and riff to Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile (a song in which Steve Winwood played on the original recording). The slow throbbing/muddy rhythm combined with Winwood’s soulful vocal, conjured the spirits of the blues greats like a mythic Voodoo ritual. Clapton seemed to channel his old friend Jimi as he rifled off several "face melting" solos and dirty blues guitar fills. The version grooved on for 16+ minutes and put the audience into a blues induced trance. The air was hot and steam rose from the crowd as they stood in silence, just swaying back and forth in time to the music. It was breathtaking. Unfortunately the DVD just does not manage to capture the pure magic of actually experiencing the live performance. During this live performance the attention of the crowd was kept by Clapton exorcising his own demons through a fury of amazing blues guitar work. I would not be surprised if some DVD viewers find watching the extended (almost exclusively) one chord jam redundant and at times boring.

The two legends finished the show with Blind Faith’s most famous song, Can’t Find My Way Home, a lackluster version of the tired Clapton staple Cocaine and a fitting encore of the Traffic classic Dear Mr. Fantasy (please note that the order of these last 2 songs are switched on both the CD and DVD sets). It is also worth noting that Clapton’s solo acoustic performance was of Robert Johnson’s Kind Hearted Woman. Clapton played the Johnson’s Ramblin’ On My Mind at two previous shows and also on the CD/DVD sets.

The DVD set itself, like the CDs, does a good job overall capturing the energy and “feel” of the actual live performances. I do find it odd that they decided to switch around the order of the songs (as mentioned above). It is unfortunate that in the production of the DVD they decided to cut out the cover of J.J. Cale’s Low Down, but even with those minor changes the set is well put together and very enjoyable. Viewers who watch the brilliant live performances of the concert film on disc 1, will be treated to several interesting interview segments. These segments include Clapton and Winwood discussing their relationship and the song selection process for the shows. The producers do a good job of supplying just enough of these little gems to enhance the viewing experience, without having them seem intrusive and over abundant.

Luckily a version of Low Down did find a place on disc 2, along with live concert performances of Robert Johnson’s Kind Hearted Woman, which was played exclusively on 02/28/08, as well as Crossroads, which only managed to find its way on to the set list on 02/25/08. In what might be my favorite of the Special Features, disc 2 also contains a wonderful solo Clapton performance of Robert Johnson’s Ramblin’ On My Mind, filmed during one of the sound checks. The entire performance is intercut with tasteful B-roll footage of both, an empty Madison Square Garden and the busy NYC streets just outside of the arena. It also features a bit of an extended instrumental opening and a laid back Clapton just struttin’ his stuff, seemingly for his own enjoyment.

Probably the biggest selling point of the Special Features is the 37 minute documentary titled The Road To Madison Square Garden. It is a little rough around the edges editing-wise, but manages to be both interesting and informative. It contains your “standard/run of the mill” Clapton/Winwood B-roll, but also features new interviews with Clapton and Winwood discussing how they met, their relationship through the years and their careers leading up to the MSG concerts. My biggest complaint regarding the documentary is that it recycles most disc 1’s interview footage. It is something that is perfectly understandable from a producing standpoint, but slightly disappointing for the viewer, because while watching the lengthy featurette, you can’t help but feel like you’ve already heard a lot of the information before…because you have.

Overall the set gets a big thumb’s up from me…especially for its blues content. It is beautifully shot on high-quality HD video, with both DTS surround and stereo audio options. My biggest complaint is visually, the footage is edited too much and too quickly for my taste. I find it frustrating that so many producers these days think that viewers’ attention spans are way too short. This film seems to rarely settle on a single shot for more than just a few seconds and when it does, it always appears to settle on an obscure shot where you can’t really see what Clapton or Winwood are doing musically. I wish that producers and editors would not be afraid to just hold on something, especially when it is a performance as brilliant as the ones captured on this DVD.

Note To Producers: Trust me, people won’t get tired of watching Clapton’s hands move up and down the fret board as he solos, or of a medium shot where you can see both his hands and his facial expressions. I’m sorry, but I’m just not that interested in seeing what Winwood’s foot is doing during a Clapton solo.

Don’t get me wrong, this DVD doesn’t take this style to a total extreme and I’m not saying that the editing ruins the viewing experience, but I just personally feel that the experience could have been made better if they didn’t cut away from the action so often. For example, in Scorcese’s The Last Waltz, almost the entire performance of Muddy Waters’ Mannish Boy is covered in one continuous shot. Granted in that case it was out of necessity, but it still worked. It’s still amazing to watch and the fact that you can see Muddy’s face for the entire performance of that song is absolutely captivating.

Even with my minor complaints, I recommend both of the recent CLAPTON & WINWOOD: LIVE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN sets…especially if you’re a fan of both/either of them. I also recommend that you try to see them as they tour together this June. I’m seeing them in Philadelphia on June 12th and will undoubtedly be reporting back to all of you the following week with my thoughts.

Keep Rockin’,
J. Blake

Check out some NYC Blues with J. Blake & The Earthquake at: www.myspace.com/jblaketheearthquake or http://www.livebluesworld.com/profile/JBlakeTheEarthquake as well as on Facebook.

Track List for CD:

01. Had To Cry Today

02. Low Down

03. Them Changes

04. Forever Man

05. Sleeping In The Ground

06. Presence Of The Lord

07. Glad

08. Well All Right

09. Double Trouble

10. Pearly Queen

11. Tell The Truth

12. No Face, No Name, No Number

13. After Midnight

14. Split Decision

15. Rambling On My Mind

16. Georgia On My Mind

17. Little Wing

18. Voodoo Chile

19. Can’t Find My Way Home

20. Dear Mr. Fantasy

21. Cocaine

(Note: The list is the same for the DVD, minus track #2.)

Set List for:

February 28, 2008

Madison Square Garden, NYC

01. Had To Cry Today

02. Low Down

03. Forever Man

04. Them Changes (dedicated to the late Buddy Miles)

05. Sleeping In The Ground

06. Presence Of The Lord

07. Glad

08. Well Alright

09. Double Trouble

10. Pearly Queen

11. Tell The Truth

12. No Face

13. After Midnight

14. Split Decision

15. Kind Hearted Woman Blues (EC solo acoustic)

16. Georgia On My Mind (SW solo hammond)

17. Little Wing

18. Voodoo Chile

19. Can’t Find My Way Home

20. Cocaine
Encore:

21. Dear Mr Fantasy

Copyright © 2009 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved

NEW YORK BLUES: The Beat Goes On- Ana Popovic

I hope you guys out there are enjoying my images. I'm doing my best to capture these fine artists on-stage doing what they do best. Photography is my thing, not words, but I will try to include a little something about the artists. I will also include a link to a website whenever possible. I highly encourage you to visit the links to learn more about the artists and maybe even hear some of their music. Their own words and music say it better than I ever can. These artists work hard to bring the Blues to you all and we need to help keep this beautiful music alive and kickin'. For me there are very few things as musically enjoyable as a groovin' blues shuffle. When it's cookin' you can feel it down to the bone! Cheers! ...

Nelson G. Onofre
nelson@electriceyes.us

Ana Popovic- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/anapopovic
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
"Yugoslavian-born guitarist plays a kind of mainstream
blues with a bit of everything thrown in; electric funk
and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and raw rock,
tight blues grooves, acoustic slide and soulful guitar."
Check her out!

Ana Popovic- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/anapopovic
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Ana Popovic- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/anapopovic
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Ana Popovic- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/anapopovic
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Ana Popovic- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/anapopovic
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Roni Jonker w/Ana Popovic Band
Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/ronijonker
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Steve Guyger- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/steveguyger
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
"Steve Guyger is one of the finest blues harmonica players and
singers in the world today. Real Blues Magazine gave him the
Canadian Blues Award as Top Harp Player."

Bobby Radcliff- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/bobbyradcliff
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
"When Bobby’s first album on the revered Black Top label
hit record stores all over the world, critics declared him
the next in a long line of guitar heroes. Jazz-lovers awarded
him a coveted five-star review in downbeat, New York rockers
took him to heart for his edgy energy, and blues fans
everywhere knew their favorite music was alive and well."

Bobby Radcliff- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/bobbyradcliff
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

SaRon Crenshaw- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/saroncrenshaw
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
SaRon learned to play guitar at the age of ten.
He has shared stages with talented recording artists such as
Lee fields, Roy Roberts, Denise lasalle, Bobby Rush, Jessie
James, Tyrone Davis, and Chuck Roberson.

SaRon Crenshaw- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.myspace.com/saroncrenshaw
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Junior Mack- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.jrmack.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us

Junior Mack- Terra Blues, May 2009
http://www.jrmack.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
Self taught, he has been playing guitar since the age of nine.
Junior has sat in or worked with The Allman Brothers Band, Derek
Trucks, Robert Randolph, Dickey Betts, and Honeyboy Edwards.
Junior has also recorded an excellent CD, Live Adventures.

Friday Night In the Blues Capitol Chicago - by Gatorman, Chicago.

Last Friday night my "hey let's go hear some blues buddy" Jim and I picked up LV Banks and headed to Kingston Mines. http://www.kingstonmines.com/ Magic Slim and the Teardrops were playing in the south room and Joanna Connor was in the north room. They play one room (Magic) for an hour then everyone goes over to the next room for an hour (Joanna). Back and forth it goes until 4am. They start at 9pm. We caught two sets of Magic. I pulled into my driveway at 3am. It was a long Night.

If anyone knows anything about Chicago they know that parking anywhere in Lincoln Park Friday night is nearly impossible. Let me rephrase that, if you want to park in a parking garage for 20 bucks go ahead or park illegally, but be prepared for about $150.00 parking ticket. Recently the city of Chicago sold all the parking meters to a private company. The new company raised the fees. What they forgot to do was increase the size of the coin boxes. The company cannot empty the cash fast enough and the city has issued more tickets than usual. I have friends that live within a ten minute walk of the Mines. Their house is in a very expensive area of the city. In this area of town you cannot touch a property for less than 1.5 mil. Pete and his wife always invite me to visit. My favorite reply is, "Where do I Park?” They solved the problem. Now when I come over they let me park on the apron of their garage. In Chicago almost everyone has an alley and the garages empty into the alleys. parking in that spot saved us money. We piled into a cab that was driven by a guy from Somalia. In Chicago cabs are driven by guys from Somalia. It is a rule. We took a cab because it was raining. Short 5 minute ride 10 bucks. Wild and short just like a tilt-a-whirl.

Kingston Mines has very tight and large security. His name is BJ. I do not know why people connected with the blues use initials instead of names. You know LV, BJ, BB. I told BJ that we were with LV. BJ gave us a free pass. The Mines charges a $15 cover. LV saved us $75. We entered through swinging doors and there it was the infamous Kingston Mines. The place is not much of a show palace. It’s just a bar, bunch of tables and some Mississippi river boat scenes on the walls, but it is the most famous blues club period. Frank the emcee climbed the three steps up to the stage and explained about fire rules, dancing and his dad doc. Doc And LV go way back and have not seen each other for 20 years. Doc started the mines about 200 years ago. I’m just kidding Doc, about 60 years ago. If there was a blues kingdom Doc would be King. He is BLUES royalty. The list of musicians he employed during those past years are as thick as a Chicago Phone book. Name one that's not on the list.

Magic Slim is a very large man at about 6 and 1/2 feet. When Magic saw LV he smiled from ear to ear. LV and Magic gigged together in the mid 60's. LV told me later about a woman they were both involved with. I do not know if that's true or not. Sure sounds like a good blues story.

John McDonald, Magic's guitar player, and my "hey let's go hear some blues buddy” Jim struck up a nice lengthy conversation. John told Jim that the group is on the road for three months and home for two weeks. Then that cycle repeats. That is a grueling schedule. They are a hardworking bunch.

Magic’s band took the stage. I listen to a lot of blues bands and in my opinion can tell from the first four beats if the group has been schooled in the blues. Magic’s band has three college professors and each member holds a Doctorate Degree with a discipline in Bluesology. Magic's band kicked and kicked it hard. They are a force to be reckoned with.

Magic was escorted to the stage. He sat in a bar stool mid stage. Mike, the goups manger, handed him his guitar while Magic settled back. BOOM that “workweek waiting for Friday night” note hit. The blues lovers went nuts. He knocked it out of the park, he shoots he scores (insert here all catch phrases you have ever heard to describe excellence in performance).

Believe me when I say,” Magic is traditional West Side Chicago blues”. He makes the guitar sing as much as he does. I’ll quote Magic and say his favorite catch phrase “I ain’t lying.”
He is well worth the cost of admission and is very approachable. He is one of the old school blues men. As we say in the business he is “THE REAL DEAL.”

.Blues Me Or Lose Me,

Terry “Gatorman” Lape

CD "Mark of The Gator"