What's up Blues fans! As of today I believe Spring is just about 3 weeks away. Baseball is not far behind, my N.Y. Yankees will go out to defend their title and go for their 28th world championship! This week I am submitting photos of Johnny Winter from his Jan. 18, 2010 show at the BB King Blues Club in New York. This was my second time seeing Johnny. I saw him back in the 70's sometime at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately like most shows I saw back then I don't remember much about it.
Johnny's band at BB's consisted of Vito Liuzzi on drums, Paul Nelson on guitar and Scott Spray on bass. As expected the band was in fine form and while I enjoyed Johnny's playing I'll use a baseball phrase and say that Johnny has lost a little off his fastball. A couple of guys I had talked with felt the same way but you know what, it's still Johnny Winter. If he happens to come to a venue near you go check out this Texas blues-rocker and give a listen to his latest Grammy nominated disc entitled "I'm A Bluesman"
I am also posting some photos of another blues-rocker, Jon Paris. Jon opened the show for Johnny Winter and has actually toured with Johnny. Jon is a veteran of the New York Blues scene and can be seen every Monday night at Lucille's Grill, for free! Lucille's Grill is right next to the main room at the BB King Blues Club and you can always hear some good bands playing there. Even my last band played there about 9 years ago. Stop by!
Until the next go-round, keep supporting the Blues. As you can see these cats are working hard to lay it down for you.
On January 27, 2010, the Wolf Moon rose, the biggest and brightest moon of the year to come, and quietly, yet brilliantly, punctuated the end of the day Warren King set down his guitar and walked on. My personal knowledge of Warren is limited, so I talked with two musicians who have known him for decades, Bryan Bassett (Foghat) and Gil Snyder (Mystic Knights).
Bryan recalled the first time he saw Warren play. It was during the late 1960's, in a parking lot, outside of a business in Monroeville, PA. Bryan saw "this guy with long blond hair, suede fringed jacket and a red Gibson 335 guitar who looked a bit like Duane Allman." "He was the first good guitar player I ever saw" and, he said, became his first inspiration, "he really turned my head and made me think of being a musician myself." Looking back, Bryan noted that he has known Warren "pretty much my entire professional life" and although their paths crossed continuously over the years, they rarely actually played in a band together except for the occasional jam on stage in Pittsburgh. "Either he played or I played, but hardly ever in the same band at the same time -even though we played in the same bands. In Florida, at King Snake Studios, we worked together, and, in fact, with Byrd Foster and Warren there I felt like we had our own little 'Pittsburgh Club' in the studio. When I was on the road with Foghat, Warren would work on projects and when Warren was back in PA, I would fill the same chair in the studio." Quite a few of the recordings had both of them engineering and playing. "Warren was one of the most well known and respected guitar players around and anyone who knew music, knew Warren, Bryan said, "he was someone who had that spark, that presence, that you would go out of your way to see. He had that star quality. On stage he was not very gregarious, but his playing was captivating to watch - he was very focused- he'd play with his eyes closed. His expression, energy, style and phrasing were very powerful to watch."
Interestingly, Warren and Bryan did share the stage briefly back in the 1980's when Dominic DiSilvio, legendary owner of The Decade in Pittsburgh, approached Warren to form an "all-star" band to pump up an otherwise slow Monday night. Warren once recalled in those days, he would recruit " whoever I could get up before it got dark." So, for a time, this all-star jam band was composed of Warren, Byrd Foster, Bryan and keyboardist Gil Snyder. Eventually, the lineup changed and the band became "Warren King and the Mystic Knights of the Sea."
Gil recalls meeting Warren "back in the college days when I was in Brick Alley and Warren was in Diamond Rio." Brick Alley opened for Diamond Rio at a local theater, a gig that was not very well attended. "I remember feeling very disappointed that not many people showed up and then Diamond Rio went on stage and played as if they were playing for a thousand people - they powered through the set and from this I learned to perform to your highest level under any circumstance." Gil, also a young filmmaker at the time, had a Grammy nominated animated short called "Ooze." In 1977 or '78, Gil followed up with a second animated short "Space Infection." "Warren and I made the soundtrack, and believe it or not, we named ourselves the U2 band - long before we ever heard of U2!" Then came a period of time in which both Warren and Gil had recording contracts, Warren with the Silencers and Gil with the Iron City Houserockers. "We did a few jobs together, but he was going his way and I was going mine." Towards the end of the Houserockers era, the band was looking to find a replacement guitarist and Warren stepped in for about six months. "At this time we weren't afraid to walk around in a rather flamboyant fashion. After a gig at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, we didn't bother to change our clothes - we were staying at Swingo's - so instead of changing backstage (we had just opened for Ian Hunter) Warren, Mick Ronson and me decided to take a cab to the hotel and change there. Warren's hair was dyed orange and I had a bright red suit on with spiked hair (this WAS the 80's). So we arrive at the hotel and get into the elevator with another man and his pleasantly plump escort. The doors close, the elevator takes off and this couple just STARED at us. Suddenly, the elevator stopped and we were stuck. So there's the three of us, in our strange get-ups, and two very, very normal looking people. The woman started going berserk realizing that she was stuck in this small cubicle with these three human oddities. The woman was really being intolerable and Mick and I were just willing to stick it out, but Warren wouldn't. He started looking for a trap door. In those days there were no cell phones and this elevator had no emergency phone. So Warren, Samson that he was, tried to pry open the elevator doors and sure enough, he did it. To our dismay we discovered we were stuck between two floors. The opening to the next floor was about two foot high. The woman continued to scream and cry. Warren looked at us, and at her, and jumped out. Then the English fellow [Mick] said "I've had enough" and followed Warren. To get to the lower floor you had to swing out and if you didn't do it correctly there was a chance of falling down the shaft. By this time we were drawing a crowd and the woman in the elevator was still screaming. I'm trying to decide what to do when a cop shows up and shouts at me "stay there!" I looked at this woman and headed for the opening. The cop grabbed me as I made my escape and said "What's the matter with you Santy Claus?" I gave him a smart remark back and almost got arrested. By this time it was determined that the elevator wasn't going anywhere so Warren and I got to watch as this lady slides out of the elevator, feet first, as her dress goes all the way up to her neck. Warren and I often chuckled over "what color were her underpants?" Actually, we talked about this story not too long ago."
A few years ago Warren came back to PA and wanted to get back together with the Knights - the Mystic Knights "Kingfish" logo still tattooed on his arm from the early days- and so he came back to his roots and the band went into the studio to record. After becoming aware of Warren's declining health "we had hoped to do a benefit for him, to help him out. I talked to him about this and he asked that we wait until spring. Unfortunately, we didn't get that spring with him. We have a lot of great Warren King material in the can, my plan is to finish the product, he was anxious to do so, and release it in his memory. We are all going to miss him."
Brian ran into Warren about 6 or 8 months ago and had a chance to sit, talk, catch up - Warren talked about his plans, his hopes..."I never really expected it to happen that fast, he was a great guy, wonderful guitarist and fun to hang out with."
Warren played up until a short time before he died. As Bryan said, "playing is a personal comfort; hopefully playing made him feel better even for that short period of time. Warren was an ever present person in my life and now another good soul is gone. Please tell all my friends in Pittsburgh that I wished I could have been with them at the memorial and even though I wasn't there in person, I was there in spirit, in my heart." Bryan and friends also had a memorial jam for Warren in Florida.
For this writer, I'll always remember the time Gil and Warren crashed at my house after playing a local gig. The next morning Warren insisted on making the "best scrambled eggs you've ever eaten." And so, there was Warren, bopping around my kitchen, humming a tune, beret tilted to the sly, cooking up a storm. He was such a kind and gentle soul...
With the guitar laid down one last time, the stage lights dimmed, the studio chair waiting to be filled and the Wolf Moon sitting silently in the sky, we said farewell to an amazing musician who will be deeply missed. And as Bryan said, concluding our interview, when thinking of Warren, "just remember the music..."
The Blues Foundation announced the 2010 Hall of Fame Inductees. Since 1980, the Blues Foundation has honored past and present individuals in the following categories: Performers, Non-Performers, Classics of Blues Literature, Classics of Blues Recordings (Songs), Classics of Blues Recordings (Albums). The people honored are individuals that have impacted the blues genre.
These honors are presented in a private special awards dinner in Memphis, on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee,the night before the Blues Music Awards. The inductees are determined by a private panel that discusses who should be nominated and awarded and is chaired by Jim O'Neal, founding editor of Living Blues.
The inductees selected for the year 2010 are:
Lonnie Brooks who hails from Louisiana and is based in Chicago. Charlie Musselwhite, blues singer and harpist. Bonnie Raitt, singer, songwriter, guitarist and social activist. W.C. Handy, "The Father of the Blues". Gus Cannon and Cannon's Jug Stompers who are jug band pioneers. Amos Milburn, who penned, "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer," Peter Buralnick an American roots music writer. Sonny Payne who is the host of the King Biscuit Time program on KFFA radio in Helena, Arkansas. Sam Charters' who did groundbreaking research on the blues in the 1950s and '60s that resulted in several books including this year's Classics of Blues Literature inductee - The Bluesmen.
Works of individual art that are inducted are: "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" by Otis Rush "Fever" by Little Willie John "Key to the Highway" by Big Bill Broonzy "Match Box Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson "Spoonful" by Howlin' Wolf.
Album Works are also being honored: Strong Persuader by Robert Cray, Hung Down Head by Lowell Fulson I Hear Some Blues Downstairs by Fenton Robinson.
Congratulations to all of the 2010 Blues Hall Of Fame inductees!
CHICAGO LIVING LEGENDS Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, John Primer and Billy Boy Arnold
(Chicago, Illinois.) I had to think long and hard before voicing my opinion of this year's Grammy Awards. The Blues world has taken a step backwards at this year’s Grammy Awards. Jack Elliot, a folkie got the nod over Chicago Blues: A Living History CD. Come on guys! You nave got to be kidding!
Scanned Album Cover
Billy Boy Arnold, Billy Branch, John Primer and Lurrie Bell, the Chicago Four as I like to call them, are the real deal folks. I know one of the four on a personal level and believe me when I tell you this, he is as true to the craft as one can be. As are the others. They do not and I repeat do not come from a folk background. These four outstanding Blues men have earned the right to be called just that, “Blues Men”. I mean no offense to Jack Elliot’s talent. He is a great "Folk Singer" along the lines of Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan. There is something drastically wrong with the system when a folk singer wins over seasoned Blues artists. I wonder who had the better publicist?
Truly a Cowboy.
Mr. Elliot’s own Press kit states (http://ramblinjack.com/bio) the following; “One of the last true links to the great folk traditions of this country, with over 40 albums under his belt, Ramblin' Jack Elliott is considered one of the country's legendary foundations of folk music.” Jack Elliot is truly a a folk icon not a Blues Artist. I just hope and pray that Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, John Primer and Billy Boy Arnold do not record a folk album,,,,,, EVER!
BLUES ME OR LOSE ME Terry "Gatorman" Lape Copyright reserved 2010
Current Chicago Land Jam Sessions Tequila Road House 11957 S Pulaski , Alsip Thursday's 8:300pm
Boundary Waters Lodge 514 N. Halleck DeMotte IN. Wednesdays 219-987-5757 Starts Wed., the 3rd, and continues every Wed. March 3rd Guest Host, Delores Scott March 10th, it's Cory Dennison March 17th, the Amazing Eric "Guitar' Davis Broadcast Live by, the Spot Studio at justin.tv/thespotstudio Photo's by Mary Hampton
T-Bird Huck (Original Joliet Jake) Bull Pen 716 Cottage (Rt 59) Shorewood, Illinois 2nd and 4th Sunday @ 4:00 pm.
The Olympics in Canada are still going on, and I would like to continue my writing in tribute of our US neighbor, Canada. Last week you read about Harry Manx, as I focused on an acoustic blues artist. This week we will meet up with Shawn Kellerman, who is a rocking electric blues artist. Though the Olympics will be over, I owe it to Sue Foley to continue with the Canadian coverage offering the female blues perspective on March 3. But, for now, let’s concentrate on Shawn.
Shawn Kellerman will be playing at Moondogs in Pittsburgh on Friday, February 26, 2010, at 9:00 pm with his band that includes Joseph Veloz and Andrew “Blaze” Thomas. The first time that I met Shawn was at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival. Shawn is a powerhouse to watch and gives a fan their money‘s worth. He knows how to work the stage and play that guitar!
I tried to speak with Shawn several times. On one occurrence he was flying back from Russia and the plane had to do an emergency landing. I was glad that Shawn remained safe. I am also glad to have had the opportunity to speak with him on his CD, his guitar, and some of the events that got him where he is today. Let’s see what Shawn had to tell us.
Monica: Hello Shawn?
Shawn: Yes?
M: This is Monica how are you?
S: Good, thanks.
M: I wanted to talk to you about your CD, “Blues Without a Home“. When did that come out?
S: April 2009.
M: How did that title come about?
S: Just kind of putting words together. It was kind of…to be honest…it was from my bass player, Joseph Veloz. It was kind of an interesting play on words in a way. I googled it to see if we were being original, and nobody else put that together and I thought it was kind of smart. Secondly, it was kind of personal to my life, as I had split up with my wife and things were changing in my life. In one way it was kind of funny and in one way it wasn’t.
M: It intrigued me. You travel, for instance to Russia, and I was thinking you are always with the blues without a home. That’s what I thought you would share and there you have so much more to it.
S: That was number three on the list. The traveling and more traveling so much going everywhere. It was kind of that too. But, it was many different things. And the funny thing about it, through all of these interviews, you are the actual first person…I have been kind of wondering in interviews if I would ever get asked…and, you are the first person who ever actually asked me.
M: As a songwriter, I could see all the play on words. I guess you have to love wordsmithing to pick up on it. I saw a lot of meanings in that. I thought that was really cool! Congratulations on your cool idea.
S: Thank you.
M: What is your latest effort coming out?
S: We have an idea of a CD already recorded. It’s not the final recording. The whole idea is kind of written. It’s so close. I may release something in the year. My next focus was really a DVD, a live performance. I thought with the touring, I was thinking of doing something a little different. I thought a DVD. We’ll see by the end of the year ,there will be a new product, a DVD or CD. I’m also doing some web casting, and it seems that I’m doing one every month now.
M: How does that work?
S: There’s this bar I play in called, Rascals, in Illinois. There’s a cam setup and he tapes everything. I have to more fully understand it. I have done others. We did a Christmas show back here in Canada as a web cast.
M: I see there is more of that. I’m not understanding what that does for someone. You can’t sell your CD’s to the audience. So, what does that do for an artist? I’m just curious on the new technology and what it does for an artist.
S: We had 600 people on line watching it. I’m not sure what it does. It’s fun. But, as you said, I’m not sure what it does.
M: Let’s move to your guitar work. I read the following, “You are an inner circle of musicians that define modern blues”. So, what is the definition of modern blues to you?
S: Modern Blues…trying to write a song that has strong blues roots. Everybody has their definition of pushing the envelope of how far out can you go.
My mentor was a guy named Mel Brown who played blues, jazz, country. I’m sure several people looked at him as an old blues, a black blues guy. But, he wasn’t. He did what was called for. Maybe I have a weird concept of what modern blues might be, because he was the type of guy that…and I learned from that…he mixed a little bit of everything and that is what I am doing. I like all the blues. I like the swing blues. I like soul blues. I have done hip hop in 2007. I played a whole Albert King guitar solo hip hop. It had a hip hop groove. I’m just trying to have fun with it, trying to be a little bit new, and trying to put my own little edge. I don’t think I’m in no way shape or form a huge innovator. I’m trying to put my mark on trying to push the envelope a little bit, to go to make it a little bit newer.
M: It looks like you played with Mel Brown, Deborah Coleman and Bobby Rush. These people all mentored you, but which one influenced you the most?
S: Mel Brown. He moved to Ontario when I was 18, so I was highly influential. He was the first guy and he was a guitar player. His sense of melody and when he played the guitar, it was like conversing. It was like he was using words. But it was just his guitar. And to me that really touches my heart. It was probably the biggest influence.
Bobby was an influence for a certain feel that he had in his band that was really intriguing to me. Secondly, his ability as an entertainer. The way he presents it to people. The way he throws it out there. When I joined his band, I was a little kid. I was touring a few years, but I was still a shy guitar player. It was basically…it’s your time…and when he points to you on the stage, you better shine.
That was told to me first by Otis Clay. I was like 22. He told me that, “You’re getting to be a great guitar player, but you need more discipline. You need to join that band that is going to take you and make you shine and go out there”. Everything needed to be shined up a little more and polished. That took a couple of years. I took his advice and went on the road. I joined Bobby’s band and thought this is how you come out performing a festival. I learned a lot that way from Bobby.
M: I met up with Bobby at the Heritage Blues Festival. He really has showmanship down. Very impressive.
S: Oh Yeah. A great person too.
M: I think it was his guitarist that wasn’t feeling well, and he was deeply concerned about his fellow band member. He was like a Dad with his kid. He still did the interview though. I told him that we could do it over the phone at a later date. That goes to show you what a great blues artist he is that he felt he had to do it. What a great guy.
S: Yeah. He always tried to make something happen. Sometimes someone would call and conditions may not be the best. But Bobby would always make it happen. He’d always..things would be tight…things would be rough…not everything was perfect….but it would always come off. There would always be a show. Someway or another it would always come off.
M: Let’s talk about the touring. I was watching the movie “Ray” and the Chitlin’ Circuit was mentioned in that movie, and I didn’t know what it was. Whenever I talked to Bobby he was the first person I talked to that mentioned it. Obviously you toured that with him right?
S: Right.
M: You hear the Chitlin circuit. Why is it so special? What is that experience like? Why does everyone want to do it? I’m still curious. What can you tell me about it?
S: Well. The Chitlin circuit is basically black run clubs all across the country. You know, I would have to say, that 99 percent of the time it’s an all black club. So, that’s the nickname it gave us. Bobby would play there the majority of the time there. So, when I joined the band, people would tell me that you better watch it. There was not a big fear of a white man from Canada coming down to play black clubs. It was never ever once an issue. I was part of the band and if Bobby hired me I must be doing something right. It was great and I got to see all the great bands that I love like Denise LaSalle, Little Milton, Bobby Blue Band. We did shows with them. Johnny Taylor. It was great. I might not see them anywhere else. So it was a great experience. I learned a LOT from some of the greatest performers today. I got to see some amazing shows when I did that with Bobby.
M: You have a lot of kudos out there. For instance, you performed at the 80th birthday celebration for BB King. What do you think your best moment is on a stage. What do you hold dear through your whole career?
S: I’d have to say my best moment was when I was playing with Bobby Rush. We were playing in Arkansas and I was playing with him for a year and it was just after Christmas. We were playing in a club. I felt like I got it. It was like I felt all of a sudden that I knew how to play guitar. Or, I knew that I finally got this thing that I came to Mississippi to learn.So I asked the guys how they could deal with me for the last year because now I felt that I got it. From there, it was just trying to hone my craft. It seemed like I just stepped over a huge hurdle. That was a long time ago. Maybe ten years ago now. Yeah. That’s probably the most memorable. There’s lots of great memories. I traveled the world to Moscow. For a personal feeling that is probably the biggest.
M: How many years were you at it before you encountered that feeling? For those would be artists? How long did it take?
S: I was about 25 or 26. I was probably playing for ten years. I mean who knows. I just feel that I play a lot differently now and today I feel that I reached a whole different kind of hurdle. The other day I was just thinking, “Wow”. And it wasn’t as quite an impact as the Bobby Rush night. But I feel like at 37, I’m really coming into my own as what I do as a guitar player and performer. I never thought and it’s kind of weird. I was so into Albert King and Albert Collins and Mel Brown. It’s kind of like I’m evolving almost into a more Shendrixy kind of thing and it’s like I never would have thought that EVER. We are kind of experimenting. We are doing dirty delta blues or we are doing even some rocky blues. I don’t want to say that we are turning into this power trio. But we’re just really experimenting with different things and we’re not trying to keep it into one little category.
M: You’re having fun.
S: That’s what I like the experimentation and trying new things.
M: I can see that when you’re on stage that you are very high energy. How do you pace yourself?
S: It’s just…someone sent me an email once and they said, you know, I’m a long distance runner and when I watch you play, I don’t picture you as this frantic energy. I can tell that you are in shape, and you know how to deliver it for 75 or 90 minutes at a festival. That’s the only guy that ever said that I have control of the energy. He said he really liked it. I do go to the gym and all that and everything is about a healthy energy to me. When I do the most high energy festival show, I feel the best after that. I feel physically the best. People say you must be worn out. I’m not. I feel more energy from it.
M: The energy with being a vocalist, you have to pace yourself. You can’t be winded. You have to figure that out. You can’t be jumping up and down and singing a whole bunch of notes. That has to be….
S: Yeah. Once in a while the coffee helps, but for the most part it is good health and keeping it together. As a full body physical experience, you have to keep it together. If you look at Luther Allison, before he passed away, he was a healthy guy and he was 57. I looked at him and said wow! This guy was 30 years older than me and his energy level was off the charts. I watched blues of Freddie King when he was in his 40’s and 50’s. So there’s no excuse for me not to go up there and perform. There’s just no excuse. Just give it my all. Once I was categorized as this guy that makes faces as Jonny Lang and I said, you know, when I was making my first face, Jonny Lang was 4 years old. I’m not copying Jonny Lang by any means. You see I have pictures of me when I was 15 years old, and I was making the stupidest faces. If you do the math, Jonny was four (LOL)!
M: At 15 did you have the backing of your family?
S: I started in the family band. My step mother sang and my father played piano. We had a drummer and bass player and played some clubs. I had the bug of being on stage after about 8 months. I was playing rhythm at first. I was so intrigued by all these lead players that registered something. Quickly I became the guitar player and I started getting calls and I just started playing in other bands. There was a blues club locally and they would let me in underage and I would watch the greatest bands from Chicago and Mississippi. It was Robert Cray before he was Robert Cray. The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Otis Clay. Lonnie Brooks. The list is way to long.
M: What’s next for you? Touring?
S: It’s festivals in the summer and we are still touring on this CD. It’s just getting more recognition. I’m still a minnow. I’m the new dog right now. It’s getting more people to recognize who we are. Keep plowing through.
M: That’s what it takes, perseverance.
S: Even last year, it was great for Ron…I appreciate him…recommending me for the festival and playing in front of Curtis Salgado and Los Lobos. Not everyone would do that, so I appreciate that.
M: Curtis Salgado came back into Pittsburgh in November. He has an intriguing life. I’ve met so many cool people by doing this. Thanks Shawn for being one of them.
S: Your welcome.
Barely a few hours after the death of blues legend Mel Brown, March 20, 2009, grief-stricken guitarist Shawn Kellerman pays wordless tribute to his musical mentor with a heart-wrenching rendition ...
Shawn, to use your own words. "It was like he was using words. But it was just his guitar. And to me that really touches my heart."
This past week, almost exactly two years after New York City’s Madison Square Garden housed three historic concerts by two of England’s most influential rockers, the venue known as “The World's Most Famous Arena” once again hosted a legendary team up of British rock (and blues) royalty. On Thursday February 18, 2010 Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton took to the stage for their first of only two USA concert dates and entertained the capacity crowd with close to three full hours of rock ‘n’ roll, jazz fusion, reggae, classical and a heaping helping of blues.
Unlike the 2008 Winwood/Clapton concerts, which found the two music titans taking the stage together for the entirety of their performances, Beck and Clapton opted for a different approach. Mimicking their original joint concerts in Japan of February 2009, the two Yardbird alumni split the evening into three sets; Beck and his band opening the show with 45 minutes of instrumentals, Clapton following with his own band and an a hour’s worth of career-spanning hits and the two joining forces for a blues-filled 40 minute finale.
As Jeff Beck took the stage at 8:01pm with his band and a 30 piece orchestra, patrons were still making their way to their sits. The arena was not yet filled, but there was excitement in the air. The guitar virtuoso opened the evening’s festivities with a medley of John McLaughlin’s “Eternity’s Breath” and Bill Cobham’s “Stratus”. The remainder of his set was full of Beck show staples like “Led Boots”, “Big Block”, “Brush with the Blues” and his Grammy nominated instrumental arrangement of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life”. The orchestra waiting patiently, only accompanied the aging guitar-legend on the above mentioned Beatles cover and a handful of songs from his forthcoming album, EMOTION & COMMOTION; including a melodramatic encore of Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma”, an aria made famous by the late Luciano Pavarotti.
As always his playing was exceptional; his technique and execution light-years beyond the capabilities of any of his “British Blues Boom” contemporaries. His set-list, noncommercial sensibilities and unorthodox/confrontational playing-style may have found the majority of the classic rock loving audience a bit off guard, but it was clear that he had won them over by the intermission.
After a 30 minute resetting of the stage, Clapton emerged from the wings. He began his set seated with an acoustic guitar in hand; opening with renditions of Charles Brown’s “Driftin’” and Jimmy Cox’s “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”. “Running on Faith” from his 1989 album JOURNEYMAN as well as “I’ve Got a Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart” from his currently running T-Mobile television spot, followed. As he stood up and strapped on his Stratocaster, newly revived Dominos classics like “Tell the Truth” and Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway” elicited cheers from the audience.
The highlight of Clapton’s set unsurprisingly came in the form of reggae. Some of his most inspired playing of the evening occurred as the band vamped in the key of ‘G’ over a standard reggae beat; before launching in the signature riff of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”. A slow blues arrangement of Robert Johnson’s “Little Queen of Spades” and yet another lackluster version of J.J. Cale’s “Cocaine” concluded Clapton’s solo set and though his set certainly satisfied the casual concertgoer, it undoubtedly left the Clapton fanatics in the audience (like myself) slightly disappointed.
His hour long set was casual and laidback, but unfortunately not in a good way. The song selection would’ve been better suited to a smaller venue and despite a few sparks of musical intensity, his playing as a whole seemed a little cold, distant and uninspired. His lack of a rhythm guitarist, though a rare and interesting occurrence, sadly left some of the songs sounding hollow and empty; i.e. “Running on Faith” sans its familiar slide-guitar/dobro accompaniment.
Fortunately the evening was not yet over. As “Cocaine” came to a close Jeff Beck strolled on to the stage with a Telecaster slung over his shoulder and a bottleneck slide on his finger. The two former blues disciples returned to their roots, launching into a lively cover of Elmore James’ “Shake Your Moneymaker”. In fact, with the exception of an oddly chosen and crudely executed version of Johnny Mercer’s “Moon River” and an energetic cover of Sly Stone’s “(I Want to Take You) Higher”, the bulk of their time together on stage was spent (for better or for worse) exploring the simplistic beauty of the 12-bar blues.
As on Jeff Beck’s 2009 DVD, PERFORMING THIS WEEK…LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTTS, the night’s highlights were undoubtedly Willie Dixon’s “You Need Love” and Muddy Waters’ “Little Brown Bird”. On these songs, the two guitar-legends lived up to their titles with their musical interplay and Clapton’s vocals were particularly passionate and on point. From a trivial standpoint, it is also worth noting that “Little Brown Bird” actually appeared as the B-side to Muddy Water’s original Chess single of “You Need Love” in 1962.
Their cover of Jimmy Reed’s “Wee Wee Baby” was also exceptional and their joint set was rounded out by covers of two former Cream blues classics; Blind Joe Reynolds’ “Outside Woman Blues” and an encore of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads”.
It was a fun evening of music and it undoubtedly satisfied the bulk of those in attendance, but for guitar enthusiasts and Beck/Clapton fanatics (like myself), the performance just did not live up to expectation. Though their separate sets were certainly entertaining enough, they did not reach the bar that either artist has set for themselves in previous solo performances. Unfortunately the night became more about waiting for their inevitable team up, as opposed to being awed by their individual talents.
Sadly even the team up, as great as it was, just managed to miss the mark. Obviously seeing these two masters play the blues together was a thrill, but to only play eight songs and have six of them be so similar; it seemed like a bit of a waste and quite frankly, a little beneath them. Seeing that these are two of the greatest guitarists to ever strap on a Fender, a more varied and complex set-list would’ve been more satisfying. What they played together may have been unbelievable in a small club, but for a sold out (19,500+) crowd, Beck and Clapton needed to step it up just a bit.
Unfortunately the two guitarists did not share the same kind of chemistry that Clapton and Winwood had on stage. They did not seem to be having fun while they played together and they appeared to lack that friendly rivalry that could have pushed them both to new heights. If anything, their joint set seemed to be more about dumbing down Beck’s skill, than pushing Clapton out of his comfort zone; a harsh contrast from Clapton’s exceptional performances with The Allman Brothers Band in March of last year.
With all that said, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton are legends of rock and blues guitar and their team up is iconic. Their performances may not have completely satisfied this picky critic, but thousands of other music fans that were in attendance that night left Madison Square Garden with their minds blown and I would be lying if I said the performance wasn’t well worth the price admission.
(Memphis, Tennessee)Wilroy Sanders, a true old school blues showman and friend, died on February 16, 2010, from complications caused by his battle with lung cancer. Wilroy owned Memphis' famed Green's Lounge, also known as Dorothy's Lounge at 2090 E. Person Ave., which was the blues hotspot of the Orange Mound area until it burned several years ago. Wilroy continued to play at clubs like the Blue Worm but recently his playing was limited to sitting in for a couple of numbers because of his declining health. His loss of vitality and health and growing inability to play deeply troubled him.
Willie Roy "Wilroy" Sanders was the leader of the Fieldstones, a true inner city blues band that claimed its origins and style from the Mississippi Delta blues players. Byhalia, Mississippi, was Wilroy's birthplace. His family farmed in that area until relocating in what was then rural Memphis, actually outside of Collierville, Tennessee, in the 1930's.
Wilroy began building his own guitars as a young boy and when I first met him back in the early 1980's he was playing a cool electric guitar he had made from a wooden 2 by 4. We used to call it the "Wilroy guitar" and it had a really cool sound. I had never seen such an instrument before and was amazed at Wilroy and his guitar.
A young Wilroy Sanders in his Army days 1953-1955
My band, the Wampus Cats, pulling a U-Haul trailer behind my '71 Cadillac, rolled into the town square of Oxford, Mississippi, in 1982 and played a fun couple of sets there in the afternoon before the Fieldstones went on stage. I became quick friends with their lovely and remarkably talented bassist, Lois Brown, who was one of the few rare female blues bass players I had ever seen. The Fieldstones were comprised of Wilroy Sanders (vocals, guitar); Little Applewhite (vocals); Wordie Perkins (guitar, piano); Bobby Carnes (organ); Lois Brown (bass guitar); Joe Hicks (drums); Clarence Nelson (guitar).
In the subsequent years I jammed with different combinations of the band's members and also became friends with Wilroy, Joe, Wordie and Bobby. Everyone in the Fieldstones band was trained by Leroy Hodges, Sr., father of my friend Leroy "Flick" Hodges who played on so many great Hi Records including lots of big hits by Al Green.
the author and the great Howard Grimes
Mr. Hodges, Sr., was the father of all the guys in the Hi records house band, Teeny, Charles, Leroy. Drummer, Howard Grimes, my old friend and band mate, was the only member of the Hi Records house band that was not a son of Mr. Hodges, Sr.
Hi Rythm, the Hi Records house band with Willie Mitchell Standing: Leroy Hodges, Teeny Hodges, Archie Turner, Charles Hodges and Howard Grimes
Wilroy blended his gospel vocals with the blues and emerged a soul singer with the help of Mr. Hodges. His vocals were heartfelt and moving and the band played so much that they became a tight unit. As a young man, Wilroy was in several Memphis blues bands, including the Binghampton Blues Boys who wrote the blues classic, "Crosscut Saw."
Author and ethnomusicologist Dr. David Evans, head of the doctorate program of Ethnomusicology at the University of Memphis, discovered the band and produced two 45 rpm recordings of them on the High Water label. In 1983 he produced the album Fieldstones, Memphis Blues Today on High Water. David is a good friend who not only authored scholarly texts on music but also plays in the Last Chance Jug Band here in Memphis.
A couple of my buddy Dr. Dave Evans' CD releases.
David discovered and recorded the Fieldstones in the early 1980's
Wilroy Sanders, the Last Living Bluesman
Sanders even became the subject of a 1999 video documentary, produced by local music label Shangri-La Projects, titled “The Last Living Bluesman.” It can be obtained at Shangri-la's site here:
We in Memphis were all thrilled to see the video of the Fieldstones back in late 1980's when MTV still played an occasional song and was looking desperately for some video content. The Fieldstones video, replete with the glowing background lighting of Massa's liquor store on 3rd Street, was both a testament to the past, to deprivation, and concurrently a ray of hope that even some humble blues players could be seen on MTV. As the famous Ramones point out, after the market became glutted with video content, MTV had no time for them or such indelible roots music as the Fieldstones.
To help defray Sanders’ funeral costs, Shangri-La Records, located at 1916 Madison Ave., has set up a charity fund. Anyone who donates $25 or more will get their choice of a free copy of Sanders’ “The Last Living Bluesman” CD, book or video. Sanders is survived by his wife Dorothy Mae Tucker Sanders, and more than two-dozen children
Other Fieldstones:
Wordie Perkins would occasionally find himself off the Fielstones roster for imbibing tooo much in the spiritus fermenti, but he always returned to light up the show with his inimitable style. Wordie, who once drank so much he passed out before the first song at an overseas festival only to wake up, on stage, for the last number, and play to an overwhelming round of non-stop applause, has passed on to glory. God bless you, Wordie, it was a pleasure to be on stage with you. The last I heard of my friend, Lois Brown, she had lost a leg to diabetes and moved back with a family member in Pennsylvania. These are the last remnants of the Fieldstones original blues players from my area that still plied their craft despite the vicissitudes and trials of time, age, infirmity and changing tastes.
My greatest hope is that others, with even a shred of such soulfulness and virtue, will replace the lost Fieldstones in the blues pantheon. Memphis, Tennessee, has lost a beautiful, poignant and enduring voice in Wilroy Sanders. I will never forget you, Wilroy, and I can still see you with your self-made 2 by 4 guitar playing and singing with the enduring soul of man down at that stage in Oxford, Mississippi.
What's up Blues fans! This week I am submitting photos of harp-player extraordinaire, James Cotton from his Jan. 2010 show at the BB King Blues Club. The list of awards that James has won is long and it includes a 1996 Grammy Award for his traditonal Blues album, "Deep in the Blues". He is also an Honorary and Lifetime Member of the Sonny Boy Blues Society.
This was my second time seeing James, I saw him many years ago at a show he played in New York's Central Park. I met his current guitar player, Slam Allen, last year at Terra Blues. I was covering one of Slam's solo acoustic shows at Terra Blues and wasn't aware at that time that Slam was the guitarist for James Cotton. As expected James and the band were in fine form at BB's. Later in his set James was joined on-stage by 9 year old harmonica player Joshua King. I saw Joshua on-stage last year at Mark Hummel's Blues Harp Blowout. This talented kid is making a name for himself, keep an eye out for this future star.
As of this writing James will be in Japan for a few dates in March and then will be back in the U.S. for some shows so keep an eye out for him and check him out.
Until the next go-round, keep supporting the Blues. As you can see these cats are working hard to lay it down for you.
Pleased to be part of this great blues adventure, some of the great blues artists she has met with are: Shannon Curfman, Delta Highway, Roger Earl, Jace Everett, Sue Foley, Sonny Landreth, Moreland & Arbuckle, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Bobby Rush, Gina Sicilia, The women of Saffire, G.E. Smith, Chris Smither, Derek Trucks, and Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds!
Monica's passion for music started with songwriting. She has been named as a suggested artist in the VH1 Song of the Year Contest. Her song, The Whiskey's All Gone, placed as number one on the billboard country blues charts on Soundclick.com. Her proudest accomplishment thus far, has been an invitation to perform at a weekday show at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville!
Having honed her skills with intensive one-on-one mentoring sessions with songwriting gurus John Braheny, Rick Beresford, and Debi Cochran, Monica continues to develop her songwriting craft.
Monica has studied voice with blues great, Gaye Adegbalola. Kirstie Manna has also mentored Monica on the many aspects of her stage performance as a blues artist. Monica is excited to share her words and music with you!
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
Paul Nelson
Jon Paris
Jon Paris
Jon Paris
Jon Paris
Jon Paris
Jon Paris
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=fc8fa662-b990-4f8f-9d33-30c1af9e5a18)
