DAVY KNOWLES by Nelson Onofre

Greetings Blues fans! I hope everyone kept up with the activities at the International Blues Challenge. All sorts of things went on there. ABN's own Robert 'Nighthawk' Tooms provided excellent coverage of the activities.

This week I am featuring photos of Davy Knowles from his Nov. 30, 2009 show at the Bowery Ballroom in NY. There has been quite a buzz going on about Davy. One reviewer said it was probably a bit of an exaggeration to compare Davy to blues greats like Robert Johnson, BB King and Clapton but he thinks Davy is probably the best blues guitarist/singer outside of Doyle Bramhall Jr. Quite a hefty claim!

Numerous people have raved about Davy's version of Jimi Hendrix's 'Red House.' He's been called a Blues-Rock guitar prodigy. There seem to be no shortage of accolades for this young guitarist. Davy was born and raised on the Isle of Man, which lies in the Irish sea between the United Kingdom and Ireland. That's where he was inspired by Blues artists like Rory Gallagher, Eric Clapton and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. I have to say I was quite impressed with Davy's chops on the guitar. This young man has obviously done his homework and is a talent to be reckoned with. Go out and catch Davy when he's at a venue near you and get a taste of this young guitarist.

Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
my websites: http://www.electriceyes.us/
http://electriceyesphotography.blogspot.com/

photos: All Rights Reserved
click on images for a larger view

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

Davy Knowles
Bowery Ballroom, NY, Nov. 2009
http://www.davyknowles.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2009 Copyright

you might also like Billy Sims Jr. here

Guest writer Daryl Davis by Monica Yasher

I asked Daryl Davis to be our guest writer this week. As a guest writer, I write the guest some questions and email them. The guest answers them at their convenience and emails them back to me. I think Daryl is a great writer!

I met Daryl at Blues Week at Elkins, WV a few years ago. Daryl and I talked about writing music. Probably the best advice he ever gave me was to not rely on song critiques in my songwriting. He stressed to me the importance of performing the song! Watch the audience and see how they react to what you are singing, he told me.

Why was this such good advice? I had a song that I received a critique on from a Nashville source. I was told pretty much to keep the hook and throw the rest of the song away.

About a month or so later, I had the chance to perform and decided to do the song. The reaction to the song was AMAZING! Needless to say, I kept the song and didn't do a major rewrite on it. Will it be a number one hit? Maybe not. Hopefully so! But, it definitely connected with many that day and for performances after that.
BTW, Daryl, this wasn't the song we discussed! Thank you for your insight and knowledge, Daryl! Let's see what else Daryl has to tell us!

If you weren’t singing the blues what would you be doing?

When I was a child, I was fascinated with James Bond and equally fascinated with computers. At that time, computers took up enough space to cover a large living room in a house. I knew that computers were the future and that they would get smaller, but never dreamed they would become the size of a laptop, let alone a smart phone.

I liked spy movies, all the James Bond movies and James Coburn’s In Like Flint and Our Man Flint, and Dean Martin’s Matt Helm movies. Sean Connery and Roger Moore in my opinion were and always will be the best Bonds. I still have my 007 briefcase that shoots plastic bullets and 007 secret belt buckle decoder. I could probably get a nice sum for them on E-Bay or something, but they are childhood memories that still remain close to my heart and I will not part with them.

So I struggled back and forth with the notion of going into espionage or computers. Back then, they weren’t really related. Today of course they are attached like Siamese twins, with forensics, CODIS data bases and cyber espionage. There’s a good chance, that would have been what I would be doing today had I not made a left turn somewhere and went and got a college degree in music.

What is your strongest point as an artist? What would you like to improve upon?

I think it’s important for an artist to have many strong points of which have equal value. It is important to create one’s own identity or style that can be identified or easily recognized by the public. For example, Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Andrew Wyeth and Norman Rockwell are all artists whose styles are readily recognized by the public at large. An artist should also be ever-evolving, open to new ideas and not be pigeon-holed into any one particular thing as they strive toward mastering their art. Once they have reached master status, they can then settle into whichever medium they feel serves them best. Equally important musically, is the ability to balance what is self-satisfying to the artist with what is satisfying to the audience.

I am still developing as an artist and am a long ways away from mastery. I do well in certain genres and am constantly exploring and learning other styles. One of my strongest points is in my ability to not only play the music, but to also provide the entertainment aspect to my performance, which is what the majority of the audience is there for.

The musicians will appreciate technique and skills that the non-musical audience doesn’t understand. But the audience will appreciate the simplicity of being entertained which many seasoned musicians don’t understand and fail to deliver in certain settings. Thus, they wonder why they don’t receive the recognition they deserve from the public while another musician of a lesser caliber is idolized. The ability to discern my audience and their needs is one of my strongest points.

From all the performers you have played with, which one did you learn the most from? Why?

I have had many influences and have been fortunate enough to work with a number of them. Chuck Berry, Pinetop Perkins, and Johnnie Johnson are 3 of the many performers I admire and with whom I have worked and learned a great deal.

Pinetop and Johnnie each personally taught me their styles of playing piano and how to phrase and enhance what the lead artist is doing by intertwining my own creative playing around their vocals and riffs. Then, how to cut loose when given a solo. This has lead to my being hired to work with countless other artists, including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley’s Jordanaires, Sam Moore, The Legendary Blues Band, Percy Sledge, Hubert Sumlin, The Drifters, The Platters, The Coasters and many more. Those two piano players essentially gave me the nuts and bolts that have become my bread and butter, so to speak.

Chuck Berry has taught me how to read an audience. How to pace the material, be spontaneous and how to play Rock’n’Roll. After all, he invented it!!! His songwriting and insight has been a great inspiration to me. Chuck has also taught me how to conduct business in the music world. He is very savvy and his practices are the handbook for how a musician should conduct business without getting ripped off. He has readily given me advice when I ask him on a gig or I call him on the phone with a question.



Do you have a memorable moment to share with us?

I have many memorable moments and am very fortunate to have been able to meet and work with many of my musical idols. So many of us have musical heroes who we only came to know through their recordings and they have passed on before we were born or old enough to go see them in person. Others have idols who are still living but who they are not likely to ever meet because of the walls that are in place around celebrities. I’ve met just about everyone I’ve wanted to and worked with most of the ones with whom I’ve wanted to work.

My favorite song of all time is Johnny B. Goode. Playing it on stage with Chuck Berry who wrote it is one of my favorite moments each time I do it. I am as excited doing it now as I was the first time and I’ve been doing it on and off for 29 years.

You are a gifted songwriter/composer. How do you go about getting inspired to write music?

Just take a step back and look around you. What do you see? What are people doing that is fun? What political situations are ever present that demand a voice? Love is always a constant topic. How do two people express their love for each other? Who’s cheating on who? What humorous things do you see or can you make up to which every listener can relate and laugh?

These are all various components of stories that are told in song. The key is to select a topic to which the masses can relate or a specific topic targeted at a specific audience. Take The Beach Boys for example. Many of their songs are about fun. Grab your surfboard, get in your Woodie and drive to beach where you can chase those California girls. Well, that works for people living in LA or Daytona. They can relate and they buy those records. The beach scene may not work so well for people living in the Harlem or Montana. But people in those regions can relate to love, cars and other common situations. These are all things that inspire me to write the songs I’ve written. Chuck Berry said he would write about cars, chasing women, and falling in love because everyone could relate to those things. Works for me!!!

Do you find it challenging or does it come fairly easy to you?

Actually, it does come fairly easy to me. Of course there are times when you have other things on your mind and blocks are thrown up in the path of your creativity. But once I clear my mind and decide to write, it tends to flow with ease. Sometimes the melody or music comes first and other times, it’s the lyrics that come first. The real work comes in putting them together in a manner that doesn’t sound like someone else’s song or the same old progression as thousands of other songs. You want to have something that gives it a uniqueness but isn’t so foreign that people are reluctant to listen to it all the way through.

Were you self taught on the keyboards?

I was both self-taught and formally trained. I was fortunate enough to learn to play Blues and Boogie Woogie piano with hands-on training from the legendary masters Pinetop Perkins and Johnnie Johnson. I also went to Howard University in Washington, DC where I studied Jazz and graduated with my degree in music.

What do you think sets a great keyboardist apart from a good one?

Well the terms “good” and “great,” are subjective. A great keyboardist could be one who has a mastery of the instrument in many different genres as opposed to just being able to play one style. Then again, a keyboardist could be a great keyboardist in a particular genre which he has mastered. For example: Ray Charles was indeed a genius.

Ray could play any style on the keyboard, Jazz, Country, Rock’n’Roll, Blues, Pop, R&B with the ability of a master in each genre. He has the hits to prove it. It could therefore be said that he was a great keyboardist. On the other hand, Jerry Lee Lewis excels at playing Rock’n’Roll piano and anyone would be hard pressed to top him. Even though he can’t play Classical music as well as say Liberace, Jerry Lee is without a doubt a great keyboardist in his element.

A good pianist is a category unto itself in which I would say describes someone who is a utility player. He/she would be able to play sufficiently within the idiom or idioms but without exceptional proficiency.

Do you still work at this everyday?

Absolutely! I am always learning new things and honing what I already know.

Elton John studied piano for most of his life. However, he has stated he can not play the piano like he used to since he only plays chords to accompany his singing. Do you think this is a rut that players can fall into easily? And if so, any suggestions on how to avoid it or it just doesn’t matter?

Elton John is a fine pianist. He is known primarily for his songs. He’s a singer who happens to play piano and play it rather well. He does not strive to set the world on fire with his piano playing, nor does he need to. He has great solists in his band and can hire other great ones for his recordings. You don’t hear of Elton John licks on the piano like you hear of Jerry Lee Lewis, Pinetop Perkins, Johnnie Johnson licks. In fact, I’ve heard Elton John play some of their licks as he was indeed influenced by them and Little Richard.

What he does on the piano is enough to sell his records and give him a certified place in the world of music. He doesn’t need to edify his playing anymore at this point in terms of his musical marketability. Certainly for his own edification and enjoyment he may wish to stretch out more in with his pianistic skills. He played Blues when he first got into commercial music and he still has that knowledge. His chops may be a little rusty from having been dormant for so long, but I believe with a little woodshedding, if he wanted to, he could unearth them from the depths of his soul.

You didn’t mention him, but Billy Joel is another one whose piano abilities are underrated. I had the pleasure of being at a performance with my friend Jerry Lee Lewis who was performing along with many other great pianists, including Billy Joel. Backstage, I stood next to Billy as he played a piano that was sitting in the hallway. He played things that he never plays in public or on his recordings and therefore is probably never heard outside of his privacy. He truly is quite a remarkable pianist and I was highly impressed. He plays these things for his own gratification but doesn’t have to do as much to sell himself to his fans. I think many of his fans would appreciate his hidden abilities, but that’s me the musician talking because I can see the value and complexities of what he was doing whereby his non-musical fans may not appreciate those things.

Did you find it painful or liberating to write your book?

KLAN-DESTINE RELATIONSHIPS is a nonfiction book I wrote about my encounters as a Black man with members of the Ku Klux Klan. I found it at different times to be painful, liberating, exciting, educational, and funny.

What did you hope to accomplish by writing the book, if anything?

I wanted to explore the topic of racism by sitting down with KKK from all over the country and getting them to tell me first-hand how they could hate me without ever knowing me. It was quite an experience. There were a lot of negative things, but there were many positive things as well with quite a few surprises in my book. My initial intent of writing the book was to provide information on why the Klan feels the way it does as told to a Black author. Most books written on the Klan are by White authors. There have been two books written by Black authors who detailed how each author escaped a lynching; one in the 1930s and the other in the 1940s. My book was the first book written on the KKK by a Black author who sat down and talked with his would be lynchers. As it turned out, the book became more than just something to provide opinions. It offers hope and insight to solutions to curbing and ending racism and explores a great deal of unchartered territory.

Would you like to share an except from your book?

One of the many incidents that played a role in my meeting members of the Ku Klux Klan and eventually writing my book was this one.

In 1983, I was the only Black playing in a Country band of which I was the Black member and usually, the only Black guy in whichever venue we were performing.  One night we were playing at an all White truck stop lounge in Frederick, MD.  By all White, I don’t mean Blacks couldn’t come in there, I mean they didn’t come in there by their own choice.  It was usually a good choice on their part, as they were not welcome.   Well, here I was, the only Black in the joint.  After the end of the first set, the band took a break and I headed to a table to join my bandmates when a White guy walked across the dance floor and put his arm around my shoulders. 

He said he really enjoyed our music and that he had seen the band before but had never seen me and asked where I had come from.  I explained that I had recently joined the band.  We shook hands and introduced ourselves and he remarked, “I’ve heard a lot of piana players but this is the first time I ever heard a Black man play piana like Jerry Lee Lewis.”  I was taken aback with no idea as to why he would find that so unusual and asked him, Where do you think Jerry Lee learned how to play?”

He informed me that Jerry Lee had invented that style of playing.  While I acknowledged that Jerry Lee certainly had an identifiable style, I assured this fellow that Jerry Lee certainly did not invent it.

I explained that he had learned much of it from Black Blues and Boogie Woogie pianists.  He refused to believe this even after I told him that Jerry Lee Lewis was a personal friend of mine who even told me himself where he had learned to play.  He laughed and I could tell that he didn’t even believe I personally knew Jerry Lee.

He invited me back to his table to have a drink.  I don’t drink but agreed to have a soft drink with him.  He had a buddy sitting at the table.  We shook hands and I sat down across from both of them.  When the waitress brought my drink, he cheered my glass by clinking it with his and announced, “This is the first time I ever sat down and had a drink with a Black man.”  The first thing I thought was, “This guy is having a night of firsts.”

Again, I had no idea what this was all about and I found it extremely odd that given the fact that he was probably in his 40s, that he had never in his life sat down with a Black guy before.  In my 25 years on this Earth at that time, I had sat down with literally thousands of White people and had a beverage, meal, conversation, and any other type of socialization.  I asked him why he had never done this and he didn’t answer me.  His buddy elbowed him in the side and said, “Tell’im, tell’im.”  I said, “Tell me.” 

Just as plain as day, he said, “I’m a member of the Ku Klux Klan.”  Well, I burst out laughing in disbelief.  He went into his wallet and pulled out his Klan card and handed it to me.  It was real.  So I stopped laughing.

He and I over a period of time became friends and some years later I decided to write a book on the Klan and my experiences.  I do not subscribe to, or advocate for, any views of separatism or supremacy, Black or White.  I believe we all are equal human beings.  I later interviewed this Klansman and his Klan leader extensively.   I would set up meetings with KKK members and leaders all over the country without telling them that I am Black.  They all were shocked when they met me.  Many, after getting over the shock would interview with me. Some declined and some tried to physically attack me.  All of these stories along with some surprises are in my book titled, KLAN-DESTINE RELATIONSHIPS. 

What has been your greatest moment?

In addition to meeting and/or working with some of my idols, without a doubt, the moment I realized I could make a living playing music, maintain good credit, pay off my home and not rely on the help of a girlfriend or wife like so many of my musical peers do is indeed, one of my greatest moments of all.

What do you wish to accomplish next?

To keep on learning and improving my music and to do my best to foster promote harmony between the races in our country.

Would you change anything that you have done? Why?

No, not really, but I would have liked to perhaps have started learning music earlier than I did. I didn’t start until I was 17, a junior in high school. There is no substitute for experience. I started out at an older age than most people, so in order to catch to everyone who could already play, I had to learn how to play fast. That’s why I play Boogie Woogie, heh, heh.

What would you like your audience to know about you that hasn’t been said?

Pick up a copy of my book. There’s a lot more information in there that provides insight into who I am. Come out to some of my gigs. I’m very approachable and always enjoy meeting people.

Would you like to write anything additional?

Thank you for taking the time to learn about me by reading this. Please check out my website: www.DarylDavis.com and feel free to drop me a line at Daryl@DarylDavis.com

The Birchmere Blues by Bluesman

(Washington D.C.) I'm sitting in my Man Cave (basement), trying to get some inspiration to write this weeks article . I go to You Tube and play some smooth Michael Burks videos, and the inspiration comes quickly. There is nothing like the Blues to get me in the right frame of mind.

Where are the good Blues shows this Winter/Spring? There's the obvious websites to check out ... Blues Alley, 9:30 Club, Madam's Organ . Well, to ME, those clubs standout as the obvious first looks when I'm looking for a good Blues show. As the music soothes my mind, a special show comes to mind; Joe Bonamassa and Susan Teseschi at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. A quick Google search for The Birchmere, and I was pleasantly surprised to read the Calendar of future shows.

February 4th, legendary Bluesman Bobby "Blue" Bland will play a show to celebrate his 80th birthday. I have heard mixed reviews of his shows of late, but he IS Bobby "Blue" Bland, and always worth the price of admission to his shows. Showtime is 7:30PM and the admission that night is $29.50.

Three days after Mr Bland's show, Sonny Landreth will take the stage at The Birchmere. Sonny recorded a CD in 2000 with John Hiatt, Bonnie Raitt, and The White Trash Horns, titled Levee Town Expanded Edition. Making a special appearance with Sonny will be Tom Principato, a good show on his own merits. Showtime is February 5th at 7:30PM and the admission is $25.00.

A personal favorite of mine, Dr John, will be taking the stage February 10th at 7:30PM. I first heard Dr John when he recorded Wrong Place, Right Time in the 70's. He is well known for his unusual vocal style, and while he isn't for everybody, his is definitely a great show to catch. Showtime is 7:30PM and the admission is $39.50.

Friday, February 16th, true Blues legend John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers will be making a concert apearance . I have seen John Mayall perform Live, and I would count this as a "can't miss" show. Mayall's guitarist is Rocky Athas, a guitarist who "Queen" guitarist Brian May says was an influence on his guitar style. Showtime is February 16th at 7:30PM and admission for this show is $35.00. I will be there !

Non-Blues shows at The Birchmere are also quite impressive. Some of the entertainers are The Neville Brothers February 9th, The Association February 13th, Arlo Guthrie February 19th, and the great Leon Redbone March 5th.

The Birchmere is one of the premiere venues in the Washington D.C. area to catch a show. There is a Vegas style showroom where many of the top shows are held , and there is a bar atomosphere section as well , seperate from the "Vegas room." Both areas are a great place to listen to some great live music, and the dress code is casual. The Birchmere serves food, the prices are reasonable, and there are no minimums for food and drinks! Seating is all GENERAL ADMISSION, so the earlier you get there, the better the seats you get.

I will be looking into where the Blues Festivals are this Spring/Summer, and readers of this site will be let in on all the details such as venues, lineups, admission, etc as soon as I get the information. There are many good Blues Festivals in the area, and in my opinion, you can't beat the great outdoors for good music, however, it is coooold outside right now so I am sticking with the great indoors.

For more info on The Birchmere, go to www.birchmere.com.

The Birchmere

3701 Mt Vernon Ave

Alexandria, Virginia 22305

703 549-7500

NEXT WEEK : Anthony Gomes interview ... A great Blues guitarist who is now playing a great brand of Southern Rock with his new band, The New Soul Cowboys.

Billy Branch Attends L V Banks' College of the Blues by Gatorman

(Chicago, Illinois) Let me say this up front, “Billy Branch is the top Mississippi saxophone player in the world”. Mr. Branch is a three time Grammy nominee and well deserving of such accolades.. I met Billy a number of years ago through a mutual friend John. John is a music rep who owns Jamm Distributing based out of a far south suburb of Chicago.

Billy is a native Chicagoan who was raised in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois and holds a degree in political science. His initial goal was to become a lawyer. During those  college years Billy would hang out at one of the most legendary blues clubs that Chicago has ever birthed; Theresa’s Lounge. Sadly the club is no longer with us, but it lives on in blues folklore. Billy served a dream blues apprenticeship under the tutelage of such greats as Carey Bell, Junior Wells, Big Walter Horton, James Cotton and the great Willie Dixon. He replaced Cary Bell in the famous Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All Stars. He now performs with the greatest blues band that has ever graced the blues stage. They are “The Sons of Blues” S.O.B’s for short. The S.O.B.’s are; Nick Charles - Bass - Vocals, Dan Coscarelly - Guitar - Vocals, Ariyo - Piano - Vocals and Mose Rutues - Drums - Vocals. (Happy B-day)

This past Saturday I took my blues buddy the Great L. V. Banks to see Billy Branch and the S.O.B’s at Rosa’s Lounge. Rosas’s is an outstanding blues club that is warm and friendly. Its owners have to be commended for keeping it that way.

L V and Nick Charles go all the way back to Greenfield Mississippi. Nick credits L V as his blues mentor. L V Banks certainly deserves all the credit he can get. He is a living legend. When Billy Branch performs and L V is in the house he always  acknowledges L V as the senior statesman of the blues. He is correct. There are not many artists like him left. He is old school blues and that is my favorite kind.

Billy called L V up. L V slowly made his way through the crowd to the stage. L V used Dan’s guitar because he left his at home. The first note from that guitar turned all eyes towards the stage. A smile came across Billy Branch's face as the sweet bluesy, soulful sounds of the senior statesman poured into the audience and filled the late night Chicago streets.

Mr. Banks plays one of my favorite style of blues, namely Lumpty Lump. It was like Jimmy Reed and Elmore James were in the house, but make no mistake about the comparison,  L V is the master. People rushed the stage and danced and danced and danced. L V, on that stage, on that night, in that small, maybe 100 person full club made blues magic happen. If there is a blues God he most assuredly was listening . It is a rare occurrence in this age of youtube and blues wannabes to hear and see such a. legendary artist.

I was personally overwhelmed with emotion, because not only was L V on stage, but Billy Branch, Nick Charles, Mose Rutues and Aryio were also. They were backing up L V and for that short 20 minutes L V took them all to school. Somehow I do not think anyone minded. Dan unfortunately had to sit out. I do not think he minded either, because there are just a handful of people that can say "L V Banks once played my Guitar."


Gatorman

L V Banks CD can be purchased here

Copyrighht Terrance B. Lape all rights reserved. Reproduction of this website, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from author is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use 

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Interview with David Bromberg and Jorma Kaukonen by Monica Yasher

The Grammys are on Sunday January 31, 2010, and I had the wonderful opportunity to interview David Bromberg. For those of you that do not know David, David is a 2008 Grammy nominated artist. This was quite an honor for me to be speaking with David. David has quite a sense of humor which is conveyed in his answers and his songwriting. I am glad that I had the chance to meet David.

David was taking a break from his violin shop, as he is presently touring with Jorma Kaukonen. I always wanted to interview Jorma and it was quite unexpected when he joined us in our discussions. Jorma was a person in my quest for interviews. Jorma was named in 2008 as one of the top acoustic blues guitarists, according to a poll in Acoustic Guitar Magazine. From that time, I have set out to interview all of the named. And, now I am half way there! It's always good to have goals in life. Jorma is an inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is a former member of Jefferson Airplane.

Both men are extremely articulate and they have incredible knowledge of blues history. It was a pleasure to capture their thoughts here with you.

Monica: David, I see that you have mastered many instruments.

David: I wouldn’t have claimed to have mastered anything!

M: Which ones are the most challenging for you?

D: Well all of them! I mean I play a tiny bit of fiddle. Just a tiny bit. A little bit of mandolin. A little bit of dobro. When I pick them up to practice, my guitars yell at me!

M: Do they?

D: Yeah. They say, “You’re not done with me!”.

M: You do practice everyday?

D: No, I should. But I do practice.

M: I’m always amazed how some artists still tell me that they practice. What about you Jorma?

Jorma: Yeah, the same thing. I probably don’t practice as much as I should. But you know if you don’t keep at it, it goes away rather quickly. My practicing involves running through songs that I already know. I never learned to practice scales. But whatever your method, whatever your practice thing is, everybody has to practice.

M: And both of you are teachers as well?

J: We are!

D: I actually stopped playing entirely for twenty two years.

M: Why?

D: Why?

M: Yes, Why?

D: I actually got burned out on the road and didn’t recognize it as burn out. I realized when I was home, I wasn’t practicing. I wasn’t jamming. I wasn’t writing. There’s nothing about that, that’s a musician. So I felt that I was no longer a musician. I didn’t want to be one of those guys that drags his butt up on stage and does an imitation of what he used to do, cause he doesn’t know any other way to earn a living. So I decided that I have to find another way to live my life. So I did.

M: So that’s when you did the violins?

D: Hmm mmm, which I am still doing.

M: Do you enjoy that too?

D: Yes. It’s like music. No one will ever learn all of it. There is no end.

M: Question for both of you. I hear all of the time, as an artist, you want to make blues new and innovative. How can you make something classic, as the blues, new and innovative today?

J: I’m sure David has a take on this too. If you think about…I don’t think you can look at any music as an immutable form. At one point blues was a popular music for a lot of people and so in that moment, it was something new.

There are certainly things that we all need to do. If you don’t do them it doesn’t sound like blues. We don’t have to get into what the notes are and stuff. You know what I’m talking about. There are certainly things you need to do for it to sound like blues. But there are a lot of different places for it to go. That’s the beauty of the form.

I find that every now and then you run into someone that goes, “Well I think blues are boring.” and I go, “You are not listening to the right blues. “ I’m not sure that I consciously set out to try to make things innovative. But, I’m constantly learning from my friends. Whether I like it or not, it makes my music go someplace else.

M: David?

D: I steal from my friends.

J: I call it the folk process.

D: Blues was a marketing term developed in the thirties when they started selling those discs. Anything that a black person sang they called blues or race records. They developed some other names. All of this stuff was not as popular as the religious music at the time. That was much more popular.

I think anybody who is worth listening to, even if he is doing something old, makes it his own. I always feel that any tune I do belongs to me at least for the period of time that I am doing it. It might be someone else’s before and after. But while I’m doing it, it is mine and I can do what I want with it. So, I, ah, end up ruining a lot of them!


M: I doubt that! Whenever you say that it’s your own, for the blues, do you think it is more important to have the feel and sing from your heart or sing it technically correct?

D: What is technically correct? I don’t think there is a technically correct in the blues. I was telling Jorma the other day. John Sebastian and I had kind of parallel careers. John and the Loving Spoonful. That John Sebastian. His father was John Sebastian too. We both took care of old blues players amongst other things. We had other parallels.

He watched after Lighnin’ Hopkins. He told me about one session where Lightnin’ was recording with one of the young up and coming jazz bass players. After a take the bass player said, “Mr. Hopkins, I believe that the last chorus you played thirteen bars“. Mr. Hopkins said, “Yeah?” “Well I thought the blues was supposed to be twelve bars.” Lightnin’ said, “What man said that?”

M: You made it your own.

D: Yeah. That’s it. In making it your own, you make a lot of changes to the correct way. The whole idea of correct is what has killed all kinds of music. You can’t play ‘High Society’ with a dixie land band unless you do that famous clarinet obligato. So everyone does that famous obligato. It’s dead. The music is dead. You have to make it your own and it will live. Classical music has absolutely no surprises. People go in to hear what is old and comfortable to them. And the people who it isn’t old and comfortable to aren’t interested. It’s dying.

M: You stated you write songs. Don’t you think as a song writer your audience expects verse, chorus, verse. Specifically for radio, there are expectations and standards.

J: I have to jump into that. I’m sure David has a take on this also. That’s a good question. None of us…people always say well I don’t play pop music. No one wants to play unpopular music. But there are a lot of different ways to approach things. I think that if you are one of these tunesmiths trying to write hit songs that’s an art unto itself. If I had, I would probably have more money than I do.

When you put things together, my responsibility to my art is to give them an honest pure show. That’s as far as it goes. I don’t write things that are going to cater to what they want; and at the same time, I don’t say f*** you or whatever to them because I don’t think that either. What I do just comes from the heart because that’s when I write, when something moves me. If I was a professional songwriter things would be different. I would still write from the heart but I would be drawing from a wider palette.

As it is, if you listen to some of my songs, some have hooks, the good ones have hooks, some don’t . Some have choruses some don’t. That’s just the way it is. If you listen to a lot of music, some of the stuff you really like, as David says, is really true. There is sort of a seductive thing about something that you feel comfortable to listen to. That’s OK to. There is also something really exciting about those surprises of what just happened in a tune.

D: I agree with Jorma one hundred percent. If you are trying to do what you think your audience expects or what you think your audience wants, you are not being true to music. I believe that the people who are successful in pop music are successful because they like that. They’re successful because that means something to them just as what I do means something to me. If you want to trash Brittany Spears you are talking to the wrong guy. I’m not a fan of Brittany Spears but I feel she is probably awfully good.

J: Taylor Swift is a young country singer. She’s not my thing. She writes all her own stuff, she works very hard, she is very talented.

D: She’s into it.

J: Yeah.

D: Both of them are into it. They both put a lot of work into their music. What was that book that someone wrote on the hundred thousand hour principle? That a genius is someone who spent a hundred thousand hours working his tail off of at what he does. I don’t know about genius. But both of these people Taylor, Brittany, Christina Aguilera who I’ve become a fan of. They put in that time. They put in a LOT of time and hard work.

M: You said hours. I always heard and read ten years to be a master on a instrument or as a songwriter.

D: Ten years if your working a lot of hours a day. I don’t think that everyone can be a master. I’m not sure what a master is.

J: It’s sort of a mutable concept because we are dealing with language. To me, contained in that word, master, it’s almost like it means when you get there you are done. And we all know that you are never done. If you spend a lot of time you get good at what you do, hopefully. You have to keep an open mind and keep listening to stuff and learning and absorbing or stealing as some of my friends like to say..stuff from their buddies. That’s exciting stuff.

If you just…one of the things that are dangerous for guys like us that have been around for a long time… One of our strengths is a lot of our stuff has been around for a long time to our fans. God bless them. It evokes the sound track of their lives. And, I’m the same way about stuff that I like. I know Eric Clapton very casually. Some of my favorite stuff of his is Cream and that’s his least favorite, you know. I understand totally. That was exciting for you but not exciting for me. That’s all right.

I know enough songs over the years, so I don’t play songs that I don’t like to play. The good news for me is I can find songs that I find extremely enjoyable and will do it tonight. I have songs that I’ve been playing for almost fifty years that evokes that sound track of your life and at the same time opens people’s minds when you play something new. It’s very easy to get…I like the way you put it….trying to be…
imitating yourself. That’s such a depressing thought. I’ve never reinvented myself and I probably never will. I sound like me no matter what I do.

The good news is at this point in my life I only have to sound like me. Now when I was a kid and I was learning how to play, I wasn’t one of those guys that could learn these blues things form the masters and do it that way. I caught a lot of flack from those New Yorkers about it. You know, Blind Mississippi Driveway, he didn’t do it like that. I said he didn’t, but I did. All that I really wanted to do was to play for people. I didn’t get hung up in that. What may have been a shortcoming to some people back then, has turned out OK for me because I just have to sound like myself.

D: There is such a thing in every genre of music…there are bluegrass Nazis and blues Nazis. These people will come up to you when you do a tune and let you know that T-bone Walker, who recorded that, didn’t play that chord. Well., maybe not when he recorded, but he may have performed it that way a number of times. He only has one recording of one performance. You don’t know what happened.

J: Yeah.

D. Besides which, this is how I play.

J: Yeah.

D: The whole idea of all of this stuff is to bring somebody with you to transport someone…to take someone outside of themselves and transport someone. You can’t transport them to somebody else’s place. You can only transport them to your place . You therefore have to do it the way you do it, which at the same time it’s not to say you don’t listen to anybody or pay your respects.

I mentioned that I have become a fan of Christina Aguilera. Also what attracts me, is the respect they showed for where they came from. I was never a Christina fan because the tunes I heard, she always seemed to do every vocal thing she could in every tune. And, then I saw her on a Grammy show and they did a tribute to James Brown and she did ‘It’s a Man’s World’. And she DID it. I mean she sang the hell out of it with no tricks. She just did it and it was gorgeous and she was paying her respects. That won my heart.

I was nominated for a Grammy and went to the Grammy awards and Beyonce did a duet with Tina Turner. Tina wasn’t dancing for whatever reason. Beyonce did all of her moves. I said this woman knows where she came from. She is giving her respects. That won my heart.

Etta James was kinda bitter. She wanted to play herself in that terrible movie. She was lucky not to be a part of it. But Beyonce sang ‘At Last’ and she sang it as close to Etta as she could possibly do it. There was no doubt she listened to it really, really carefully and studied it. I have to respect that and at the same time both of these women do things the wrong way.

M: The song was close but there were some subtle differences.

D: There had to be, of course. Even if she didn’t intend for there to be, there would be.

M: Christina is a Pittsburgh girl.

J: I didn’t know that. No kidding. Cool.

D: The girl can sing.

M: What do you think you’re your biggest legacy is. The fur peace ranch? You played? What are you most proud of?

J: I guess the thing I’m most proud of is that I turned a lot of people onto the music where I got my start. The American traditional music. I guess that’s really it. I just love the traditional songs so much. There are so many great new artists. There are so many great old artists. Every now and then you get the question, What do you attribute to the resurges of the blues? I go, hey listen. It just never went away. Maybe there is some good looking kid who has a hit now and that’s why you know about it.

D: I think people should start doing it their own way and stop trying to parrot note for note and lyc to lyc on the record. It’s good to learn every one of those lycs so you have them in your vocabulary. But then when you do it, you have to do it with spontaneity. The same way those things were recorded. If I can just interject.

J: Absolutely.

D: Jorma was personally responsible for popularizing the work of my teacher, Reverend Gary Davis. He deserves huge props for making people aware of that music and performing it and giving them the spirit. We did a show last night and Jorma sang ‘Let Us Get Together’ and it just got to me.

M: Jorma did you sit in with him to?

J: No. My mentor was this guy in Buchanan, may he rest in peace. He was one of the Reverends. But the interesting thing to me, after the fact, was his aunt introduced me to the Reverend and showed me his take, which was different from the Reverend too. I didn’t realize it at the time, because I was just so excited to be learning that stuff . Ian…my mentors real muse, was Lonnie Johnson. So, there are all these great connections out there.

When I went to New York, I had a job out there and I met the Reverend a number of times and went to see him when I could. But, I didn’t have the three or six bucks an hour. I didn’t have the money. I just watched him when I could and talked to the guys I knew who knew him and absorbed it that way.

In my opinion Reverend Davis is one of the great figures of 20th century American music and not just because of his guitar playing. His use of harmony, singing, I mean he was a deep cat. A really deep cat. Woody Mann is doing a really interesting documentary about him. He has been working on it for a couple of years now. I think it is going to be really enlightening.

M: I hear the Reverend was pretty tough. I interviewed Ernie Hawkins this week.

J: Ernie is the man too, by the way.

D: So did Stephen Grossman. Woody Mann. In return for the lessons I used to lead him around. Some of that was extraordinarily valuable to me. I spent a lot of time in Church. One of the biggest influences aside from the Reverend were some of the other preachers that I heard at these churches. Jorma just mentioned Lonnie Johnson. Lonnie Johnston was the biggest influence in my theory, anyhow. Lonnie Johnson and preachers. If you take Lonnie Johnson technique and tone and combine with a preacher’s phrasing you have BB King, Albert King and Freddie King.

J: You mentioned Ernie Hawkins. He is one of the heaviest cats I know. You are so lucky to have him here in Pittsburgh. He is a great player. He can certainly do all of the stuff the Reverend did if he wants to. But, he has his own style. He plays his way. Ernie is brilliant. He really is.

M: What do you admire most about the person you are taking the stage with?

D: Oh oh.

M: I know such a chick question. Really throwing you off.

J: We have been friends for a long time. I guess the thing I admire the most is what I admire about Barry. He stayed true to his tradition all of his life. You can say he didn’t play for twenty two years, but he never left it. You hear it in his playing. His commitment to his roots are strong. You have to love that.

D: He plays. He means it. He means it in every part of his life. There is not much I wouldn’t do for Jorma. He’s one of the best people walking the earth.

M: That’s so nice.

D: It’s true.

M: Let’s finish up with talking about where you are going.

D: Straight to Hell. We’ll meet all of our idols there! (We all laughed)

J: We are on this tour for the next couple of weeks. We are both fortunate that there are many aspects to our lives. I have a daughter at home that takes a lot of my time when I am home. We teach. Doing things with my friend Barry. Just trying to stay as sharp as I can as I slip moderately gracefully in my dotage.
I’m the luckiest guy. In the course of my life, I’ve occasionally had to do things I would rather not do.
But, I never had to do something I really didn’t want to do. That’s lucky stuff.

M: What’s in store for you David?

D: I’m doing a CD. A really strange one. I asked a bunch of people I’ve known through the years to write a song for me then produce me doing it. I’m calling it “Use Me”. So far I have three tracks in the can. One with Los Lobos. One with Tim O’Brian. One with John Hiatt. I don’t want to mention the others. But, they are good people.

M: It will be interesting what they pick for you. That’s gutsy.

I thought we were going to wrap up. But, we kept going and I have to share because this is in a sense documenting some blues history.

M: Anything you want to share with me that I didn’t ask you?

J: You are pretty darn on top of it.

D: You asked really good questions. I hate when people ask me where do you think music is going today?

M: I sometimes ask a similar question of where do you think blues is going. There is such a fine line between blues, rock, country. Where is that line?

D: I don’t care where music is going. I care where I go.

M: You are so diverse. That was one of my questions that I didn’t ask. Do you think it helped or hindered you, being so diverse?

D: Commercially speaking it is a huge liability because you are not accepted. I’ve never been accepted by the blues community. I haven’t sworn allegiance to just do blues. The same thing with the bluegrass community. Things are loosening up a little bit. Things used to be tight like that.

Early in my career I had the pleasure of being asked to produce Johnny Shines. I’m very proud to say that in many of his interviews he has said that my producing was one of his best. It was the one he liked most. I had the pleasure of sitting with him. Johnny Shines probably spent more time with Robert Johnson than anybody else ever knew of. He told me a few interesting things about Robert Johnson.

He told me that Robert only had one hit. It wasn’t really blues. It was terra plane blues. He was a professional musician. According to Johnny Shines, he would sing a Bing Crosby song as much as ‘Hell Hound on My Trail‘. He had to do whatever his audiences wanted him to do. He did everything. If you read John Work and Alan Lomax’s account of their travels when they discovered Muddy Waters, they not only interviewed these singers and recorded their music, they checked to see what they had. They went to every juke joint that they passed in Mississippi to see what was in the juke boxes. The thing that was in every juke box and in Muddy Water’s collection, and it wasn’t a big collection, was Gene Autry.

J: Yeah you have to check Gene out.

D: Woody Herman’s stuff was widely listened to. We listen to these blues guys and think this is all they did, and no it wasn’t. It was all the record companies wanted to record them doing. Which is a totally different thing. So, did I make a mistake for being diverse? I don’t know. I heard a rumor that when Hank Williams played Kansas City Charlie Parker would sit in.

J: Jimmy Rogers recording of ‘Waiting for a Train”, it’s Willie Armstrong playing trumpet.

D: And Bennie Goodman is on one of those early ones.


J: Funny thing is, I started out as a folkie before I got into Rock ‘n Roll. I become a well paid folk musician as a result of Jefferson Airplane. Also as a result of that, when I started out playing straight acoustic music, I didn’t play the wooden music gigs because I was tainted by Rock ‘n roll. That’s how it was.



M: We talked about a lot of things. I want to thank both of you for your time. Take care.

In 2008 Jorma was named one of the best acoustic blues guitarists in Acoustic Guitar magazine. You may enjoy reading about Chris Smither who also was named.

If the electric guitar sound is your cup of tea, you may wish to read my Robin Trower interview.

Catch the Grammys on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 8:00 pm on CBS. Here are the blues nominated artists:

BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM

A Stranger Here
Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Blue Again
The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito

Rough and Tough
John Hammond

Stomp! The Blues Tonight
Duke Robillard

Chicago Blues: A Living History
Billy Boy Arnold, Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, & John Primer

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM

This Time
The Robert Cray Band

The Truth According to Ruthie Foster
Ruthie Foster

Live: Hope at the Hideout
Mavis Staples

Back to the River
Susan Tedeschi

Already Free
The Derek Trucks Band

Should be an interesting night for Derek and Susan, since they are married and all!

Copyright © 2010 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 Charles Bennett. All Rights Reserved.

Johnny Childs' Blues Before Sunrise, Film Review - by J. Blake

(New York, NY)

BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE is a documentary chronicling one bluesman’s struggle to obtain a “record deal” before his 30th birthday. The film opens in California, with a 29 year-old Johnny Childs (a.k.a. Yonah Krohn) crashing on a friend’s couch. The year is 2001, just 6 months before his self-imposed deadline. He is broke, living off of the kindness of his friends and pawning his guitar from week to week for survival money.

The camera follows Childs through the various steps he takes to try and achieve his goal; cold calling record companies in attempt to get people to come to his showcases, paying homeless people to wear signs that count down the days until his deadline and even trying to weasel his way on to The Howard Stern Show. The singer/guitarist is charming, talented and very determined. His professional struggle is engaging and relatable, but the film’s real strengths lie in the story of Childs’ past and in the struggles of his personal life.

Born to a large and “ultra-conservative” Orthodox Jewish family, by age 12 Yonah Krohn (a.k.a. Johnny Childs) had already fallen into bad habits and found trouble with law (on several occasions). Outcast from his family, he spent his early teenage years as an entrepreneur, running everything from cleaning companies and painting businesses to dealing drugs. By age 15 he was a little Jewish Tony Montana, completely on his own and the toast of the town; dealing cocaine in Miami Florida to a wealthy clientele that included fashion model industry. It was during this time that he took up playing the guitar. He spent the following years honing his musical skills, being thrown off of open-mic stages in New York, fronting a hard-rock band in Israel and finding his calling as a blues artist in California. As the film brings Childs’ trials and tribulations up to the present day of 2001, we see the unknown bluesman struggling to take care of his drug addicted brother, failing miserably at running a ‘speed-dating’ service and spending over a week in the L.A. County Jail for outstanding traffic warrants.

As for the film itself, it suffers from the same problems that many ‘one-man’ productions suffer from. As the producer, director and editor, Childs is most likely unable to separate himself from the material enough, to watch the film with an objective point of view. The film runs a tad long, spends a little too much time on some of the less interesting aspects of his life and because of its flashback-heavy structure, knowing where you are within the film’s (and Childs’) timeline can be a bit difficult at times.

However, with all that said, the musician/filmmaker’s story is easily compelling enough to overcome these flaws. He has led an extraordinary life and amazingly most of it seems to have been captured on video. The sheer amount of footage spanning the entirety of his 30 years (up to 2001) is nothing short of astounding. As a filmmaker, he weaves an engaging underdog tale that manages to be both familiar and fascinating.

This film took 8 years to complete and proves to be just one more example of Childs' undying determination. I recommend BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE to both music and film lovers and I strongly urge blues fans to check out Johnny Childs’ music. Perhaps the film’s biggest flaw is that it and his life, overshadow his music and the fact that he is an exceptional blues talent; with a unique guitar-style and infectious energy.


*If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy: Tommy Castro Interview

Thanks and keep reading American Blues News!!!

Copyright © 2010 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved

Toyland Ball in Tulsa and Nancy Apple's CD Release Party by Nighthawk

(Memphis, Tennessee) The Reba Russell Band traveled to Tulsa, Oil Capitol of the World, again this year to play the fabulous Toyland Ball held at the Doubletree Hotel. Proceeds from this event go to the Parent Child Center of Tulsa which does great work in stamping out child abuse through its outreach programs of treatment, education, prevention and identifying at risk behaviors.


The Parent Child Center was established on May 1, 1990, as a result of the merger of two United Way agencies: The At Risk Parent Child Program and Child Abuse Prevention Services (CAPS).

Here's their site: http://www.parentchildcenter.org/History_June%2008.html

Drummer Doug McMinn prepares a set list before the gig

Ice sculpture crowns the entrance to the ballroom

Author does his part to support charity through wine sales

Josh Roberts, Reba Russell, Wayne Russell

Wayne's groovy new swing tie

Mrs. Oklahoma Rachel Roberts and Reba Russell

Reba and our friend Aida

Party-goers hang with the band during the big auction

Guitarist Josh Roberts and the author lounge in the hotel before the gig

Thanks to Art Fawcett for making the fedora

Nancy Apple releases her new CD "Shine" in Memphis


This week we travel to the Tad Pierson's American Dream Safari indoor trailer park for my friend Nancy Apple's big CD release celebration. Nancy recorded this CD at SUN Studio with our friend Keith Sykes co-producing with Nancy and James Lott at the helm of the big board. James has been a bit under the weather lately and we are all glad to see he is feeling better these days.


Here's a link to Tad's cool site where he provides chauffeured tours across Memphis and the Mississippi Delta in his pink 1955 Cadillac: http://www.americandreamsafari.com/


Tad keeps the big Caddy parked inside a huge warehouse where he also has several vintage travel trailers parked in the world's largest indoor trailer park. It's damn cool.


All these great photos are taken by our friend, Kelly Holland, who is seen braving the 35 mph wind at the entrance to the big warehouse. Thanks, Kelly.

Nancy Apple and the author

Jumping James Cunningham, Nancy Apple and Robert Mache

Deborah Sweeney, Phoebe Lewis(Jerry Lee's daughter), Jake Kelly, Nancy Apple, Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms on harp

Here's a cool article about Nancy and the new CD: http://www.gomemphis.com/news/2010/jan/22/singer-songwriter-shines-despite-personal/

Author and my pal Nancy Apple. Thanks for letting me play on your cool record, Nancy


Nancy Apple and the very talented Robert Mache on that crazy cool Telecaster with a Bigsby(uh, no, it's not a factory job. I asked.)


Jake Kelly and my band mate Ronnie Vandiver(we played with the late Billy Lee Riley)

Nancy's "back hoes" are joined by Jimmy Davis and Reba Russell

Reba Russell and Nancy Apple


Oh yeah, she plays the accordion too.

Nancy was kind enough to allow me to play piano, harp and Hammond B-3 on her record and I had a truly splendid time hanging with some world class musicians and recording in the same room that produced so many hits by Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Lee Riley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Warren Smith, Howlin' Wolf, Little Milton, Junior Parker, James Cotton, B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, and Roscoe Gordon.

Playing Jerry Lee's piano on this record was enough to give me chills, particularly since his daughter, my friend Phoebe Lewis, was sitting in the control room. She is a great singer and performer in her own right and her singing on this record shines.

Nancy Apple and the author

Nancy Apple, Ronnie Vandiver, author, James Cunningham, Robert Mache
(photo by Donita Cunningham)

As you are asking yourself, "where can I buy this cool new record?" allow me to direct you to Ringo records where lots of cool CD's are available including some featuring me and my old partner in crime Delta Joe Sanders of the Memphis Sheiks.

The site features loads of music for you to hear before you buy it so if you are curious... just click here:

http://www.ringorecords.net/

RCT

check out my website at http://RobertNighthawkTooms.com

Next week I will be covering Bobby Blue Bland's 80th Birthday Bash so come back next Monday for the story here at the American Blues News.

Bookmark us at: http://www.Ameriblues.com/

©Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms, 2010