Los Angeles, JT Ross, The Harmonica Boss, By Jerry Rosen

JTRoss the Harmonica Boss has blues and entertainment in his blood.  His father, who is a  well-known New York City based artist, illustrated album covers for blues legends such as Sonny Boy Williamson, Eric Clapton, Hound Dog Taylor and more and is also responsible for designing the Alligator Records Logo.  In appreciation for his father’s creation, Bruce Iglauer (the President of Alligator Records) use to send JT every Alligator release.  JT’s mother (a Chicago stage actress) moved the family to Los Angeles when she landed a TV pilot. JT spent the first 13 years of his life in Chicago, and due to his father’s connections, hung out with blues luminaries such as Howlin’ Wolf, James Cotton and Hound Dog Taylor. In fact, JT’s two first harmonica teachers, when he was a kid, were Cotton and Junior Wells - nothing like learning directly from the masters. 

 Once on the West Coast with his family, JT honed his harmonica and singing chops. The Southern California region has been a hotbed of exceptional harp masters, starting with George Harmonica Smith and continuing to Rod Piazza, William Clarke and Kim Wilson.  Ross cites Cotton and Clarke as two of his primary influences. In fact, many of JT’s sidemen, including the lineup on his “Loaded” CD, played with Clarke.  Ross’ CD, which was released on Southside Records, received excellent reviews in all the main blues magazines including Living Blues, Blues Revue, Big City Blues, Southland Blues and many others.  The CD was produced by the legendary Jimmy Morello and features John Marx on guitar. Ross is an acknowledged expert on the chromatic and his live shows are high-energy affairs, but he is very respectful of the genre. 

 I first met JT in 2001 when I was preparing to record the Mary Dukes CD (“Introducing the Divine Ms. Mary Dukes”) on the Southside Records label.  I was co-owner of the label at the time and we were looking for a hot harmonica player to blow on a few tunes.  South Side Slim brought JT into the studio and, with absolutely no preparation, he blew some amazing riffs on a number of tracks.  Some of the biggest compliments I got about the CD were for the harp work.  JT joined the Mary Dukes band and we did dozens of gigs with him.  But, JT was itching to do his own thing and we encouraged him to start gigging around Southern California.  Years later I signed Ross to blow harp on the Kara Maguire CD, “Nobody’s Girl” (released on the Albatross imprint) and, again, his work was stellar.  In fact, I had sent the CD to Bruce Iglauer at Alligator and Igauer’s main praise was for the harp work.

 JT’s all star band always feature the best guitarists in the blues world including Zack Zunis, Kirk “Eli” Fletcher, Rick Holmstrom, Junior Watson and others.  He has played thousands of gigs on the west coast and as appeared at every top blues club on the Coast including Harvelle’s (where he has been a regular for 6 years), The Blue Café, Café Boogaloo and Biscuits N’ Blues, just to name a few.  He also toured Eastern Europe and Russia for two months and played in blues clubs and headlined festivals all over that area.JT’s debut CD entitled “Loaded” charted in the top 20 on the Living Blues radio charts and thousands of copies have been sold on the stage, in stores and online. JT is the hardest working local blues guy I know. While so many blues players sit around and lament about not working enough, Ross “lives on the phones,” and works the net like nobody else. Consequently he plays anywhere from three to five times week and makes decent money. This is very impressive, considering the sorry state of the economy.  He has the “never –give-up” attitude which is a trademark of the greatest blues players. JT is planning to get signed to a larger blues label and secure a national booking agency.  There is no doubt he will succeed.  I can assure anyone who is consider signing JT Ross, that they will get a dude who will work around the clock to make any release a success.  Some of my most enjoyable gigs have been with JT. He can expertly back up a singer, blow rhythm and solo with the best of them.  Furthermore, his vocals are solid and he puts on as good a show as anyone in the business.  He is the consummate bluesman.

 

Q: I’d like to give the reader some idea of what it takes to run a blues band.  Can you address some of the following points a) organizing a solid band b)booking gigs c)getting people to your shows d) entertaining crowds e)dealing with club bookers.

 

Answer

a. I am blessed with the fact that Los    Angeles is home to some of the finest musicians in the world. Organizing a band takes patience and as a bandleader my advice to aspiring bandleaders is to be patient with your musicians. Treat them with respect and care as if they were your family members. Be careful in maintaining their respect as leader. If you need more musicians to ad to your roster hit the local JAM nights and scout talent – get numbers and emails.

 

b. The best thing I can say to bands who are trying to earn a living playing in small clubs and bars is to get rehearsed, get tight, record a CD, print up a few hundred copies (make them look professional) and start getting gigs.Leave no stone unturned. Call the club and/or bar in your neighborhood (which has live music) and insist that you have a band, which would be perfect for their room, ask them to give you a chance, and promise that you wont let them down. Be adamant about meeting the booker in person and dress to impress and bring your CD when you do. If they wont arrange to meet you – get the names (and keep notes of when you called) of bartenders, bookers, managers, owners or whoever else might be responsible for booking your band. Give them your website and make sure you have current photos, sound files and some form of press, bio or copy on your website/facebook/myspace . Then follow up by calling once a week. Don’t give up.

 

c. With the assistance of today’s social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter – promotions are less burdensome. Where as I used to print thousands of cardboard color flyers (which is environmentally unsound and against my moral principals) I now print almost NONE except for very special occasions. I do put up promotional posters, which are hung at the clubs weeks prior to the performance. Bring an email list to your performance and push it as hard as you push your CD. Get those emails and feed them into your Facebook & Twitter etc. . . Keep your fans posted with updates etc. . .

d. make sure to get a contract and “get it in writing”. Spread the word and get people to your shows – let’s face it, bars & nightclubs are in business to earn money by selling liquor - so no matter how good your band is . . . unless people are drinking as well as having a blast listening to your live music - you’re not doing your job. Each club is different just learn from each experience and keep a journal of do’s and don’ts at each venue.

 

Q: I mentioned that you have worked with some of the greatest blues guitarists (including Marx, Zunis, Fletcher, Holmstrom, Watson and others).  How does an excellent guitarist add to your show?  What are some the similarities and differences between these guys?

 

ANSWER

Southern California is home to some of the finest Blues Guitarists in the world and each of the top guns brings a unique flavor to my live performances. Without the backing and knowhow of these musicians I am just another blues harp player on the scene. The players you’ve mentioned above are (to me) the best for backing my style of Chicago Blues Harmonica, which incorporates elements of jazz, west coast jump and swing. Having been hand reared on Little Walter and Junior Wells I know what these guys should be playing - and trust me they’re playing it all, and then some. My LA fans sorely miss Zack Zunis since he’s moved back east, but Zack still does a few So-Cal dates with his old friend Janiva Magness. When Rick Holmstrom’s not touring with Mavis Staples he often will take gigs with my band (it helps that we’re neighbors here in Venice Beach CA). Junior Watson is a wildman and has the stage energy of a 13 year old hopped up on red bull.  Kirk Fletcher is absolutely amazing and one of the nicest human beings you will ever meet.

 

Q: What is it about blues music that has caused you to devote your life to playing it?

 

ANSWER

The blues bug bit me at a very early age and I feel strongly about carrying the authentic blues tradition forth. Making these blues my personal contribution to the humanities is my life goal. I am always seeking new ways to expose younger audiences to this amazing music. Blues is a truly rich American art form, which must be cherished and preserved as a national pastime.

 

 

Q: Can you cite some of your influences?

 

ANSWER

To name just a few. . . Little Walter, Junior Wells, George Papa Lightfoot, Jimmy Reed, T Bone Walker, Buddy Scott, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, George Harmonica Smith, Big Wallter Horton, William Clarke, Big Mamma Thornton, Freddie King, BB King, Albert King, Hound Dog Taylor, Paul Butterfield, Magic Sam, Lowell Fulsom, Otis Rush, JB Hutto, Robert Nighthawk and a thousands more of America’s (virtually unknown) musical geniuses.

 

Q: Can you tell the reader a little bit about your family’s involvement in the “business?”  What effect has this had on you as a person and as a musician?

 

ANSWER

Growing up in a “showbiz” family has both helped and hurt. One could say a bit jaded as a result. On the bright side it has humbled me to the fact that the big time isn’t always where it’s at and oftentimes blues dive bar gigs are a lot more fun than some of those uptight corporate Hollywood gigs.

 

 

Q: How did you find the experience of being produced by Jimmy Morello and working with first class musicians on your CD “Loaded?”

 

ANSWER

Jimmy was awesome and really helped the project take form and materialize. Although we argued on some arrangements ultimately we worked things out so the CD would benefit musically. The world-class musicians Jimmy & I hired for the LOADED sessions are all LA based players who brought their many years of studio experience to the project which helped immensely.

 

Q: Can you talk about your experience touring Europe?  How did the fans there react to your music?

 

ANSWER

European fans are stellar and always buy CD’s at the shows. They keenly pay attention to every single solitary word I sing. I’ve experienced countless diehard blues fans in the Czech Republic and Russia. I heard (and later had a few shots of chilled vodka with) several Romanian Jazz and Blues musicians in Kiev at a festival after party. I was blown away by their authentic retro sound and attention to detail. I cannot wait to go back to play in Prague it is such a beautiful city.  

 

Q: What advice would you have for a person who wants to start playing professionally in the blues world?

 

ANSWER

Practice as much as you possibly can. Find like-minded players and JAM whenever you can. Listen to as much old school blues as you can get your hands on. Keep practicing and recording whenever you can. Find a local blues mentor/teacher (preferably a working professional musician) and learn all you can from them directly. Once you get good enough, ask to sit in with their band and build from there.

 

Q: What are your opinions on the current state of the blues?

 

ANSWER

The blues is [and always will be] America’s purest art form. I steer away from terms like “Keep the blues alive” since it implies that the blues is dying. The blues is alive and well – the Blues are everywhere and continue to be incorporated into most all [modern] pop, rap and R&B music. So, I’d say “current state” of the blues is quite alright – wouldn’t you ?

 

Q: What is the next step for JT Ross?

A brand new CD comprised of all original material to be produced by a blues luminary TBA.

For current updates find me @

www.harmonicaboss.com

Or follow me on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/harmonicaboss

Copyright: The content of this article belongs to Jerry Rosen. To purchaes a copy of it  please email jssrecords@aol.com

If you liked this harmonica article, you may like these harmonica pictures on the Blues Harp Blowout!

Los Angeles; An Interview With Candye Kane, Super Hero By Jerry Rosen

Candye Kane is a blues “lifer.”  Ms. Kane has spent about twenty years as a professional touring/recording blues artist.  She has 10 CDs and has established an excellent international reputation.  In 2008, she was nominated for the National Blues Foundation Award for Best Blues Contemporary Female.  She was raised, musically, in the East Los Angeles area having played in the eighties with Social Distortion, Dave Alvin, the Blasters, X, Los Lobos and other East Side bands.  Her latest CD, Super Hero, on the Delta Groove label, debuted at #10 on the Billboard blues chart, which is a big deal for a blues release.  If you buy just one blues CD this year, you owe it to yourself to get Super Hero.  I have listened to this disc many times and it is an exceptional record. 

 One thing I don’t like about some contemporary blues CDs is that the song is secondary to the soloing.  Many blues CDs have over- the-top guitar and/or harmonica soloing and the vocals are just there to fill up space.  What made blues music so great, at its inception and throughout the fifties and sixties, is the heartfelt singing and the actual lyrics that spoke to the difficulties faced by the singers.  Ms. Kane is a serious artist who puts the songs front and center.  The lyrics have meaning; some are sad, some uplifting, and others are funny.  Furthermore, the musicians are there to support the songs and they do so with reverence for the genre.  Finally, Ms. Kane has a very distinctive vocal style.  Her singing is somehow both tough and sweet at the same time.  I know this sounds a bit contradictory, but you really have to hear it because my limited prose ability can’t do justice to her style.  Many blues singers have sort of an affected style; Ms. Kane has her own style.  In summary, this disc is a joy from start to finish.

 One highlight of the disc is the guitar work of Laura Chavez.  Ms. Chavez is a young guitarist who co-produced the CD with Ms. Kane, and is Ms. Kane’s regular guitarist.  I’m a hard-core blues type and I was blown away by Ms. Chavez’s work.  She is quite effective at supporting the vocals with chords and riffs and she plays with real taste and style.  Her soloing adds texture to the songs.  I read an interview with Jack White (of the rock group the White Stripes) where he takes a poke at blues bands by saying that most blues players are “note pushers” who only play in sports bars.  I won’t argue with this (having played in my share of sports bars, pushing notes), however, Ms. Chavez is no note pusher.  She respects the genre and plays with restraint and originality.  Her playing adds to the excellence of this release.  She definitely deserves to be recognized for her work and is a strong role model for any budding young blues/roots guitarist.  I learned a lot by listening to her.

 Ms. Kane is a survivor of pancreatic cancer.  This form of cancer is often a death sentence and most don’t survive.  She was diagnosed with the disease in February 2008 and, a year later, she was pronounced cancer free.  A number of songs on the Super Hero CD obviously reflect her positive attitude towards life and her upbeat outlook will help others.  This summer she has been on tour in Europe with her charity United By Blues Music.  She talks about this endeavor in the interview below.  I found her answers to my questions to be frank and informative.  She clearly spells out the problems faced by blues music and by blues musicians.  For more information see http://www.myspace.com/candyekaneband.com

Q: First off, let me congratulate you on the success of your new Super Hero CD.  It is a dynamite disc.  Can you tell us about the recent chart success you had with the CD?  Also, explain to the reader why this is significant for a blues release.

 A: This is my tenth CD and my first for Delta Groove. It debuted at #10 on the billboard blues chart and stayed there for three weeks. It is an awesome thing to know that DJS are playing the disc and enjoying it. It increases the downloads on it and makes everyone more money. It calls attention to the existence of the recording and hopefully piques interest and makes people buy the CD. It’s exciting because blues music is so often marginalized. You have to search to even find the blues charts in billboard magazine or online. The blues is not a mainstream music so it’s exciting when somebody out there is playing it on the air or on the Internet. I feel that we blues lovers have a responsibility to expose others to this music we love. Blues is such specialty music that you must be introduced to it by a friend or family member or perhaps you stumbles across it by accident at a music festival or bar. Most people don’t know what blues is and the line is constantly being blurred between blues and rock. So I am thrilled that a pretty much straight ahead blues record is getting attention. I think we really need to make sure that young people embrace and are educated about blues music. So make a CD of your favorites today and give it to a child or teenager. Explain how Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and many other huge stars were and are influenced by blues.  And maybe we can keep the torch going for another generation.

 Q: How is your current European tour going? High points? Low points?

 A: I am on tour now with my charity, www.unitedbymusic.eu  I am the music director and co –founder of UBM with Joris Wijngaarden. UBM is a wonderful project. I teach young people with disabilities about blues music and how blues music was born of severe oppression. You can read my blogs about it on Facebook and Myspace. I recently wrote a blog called “The Parallels between blues and people with disabilities.”

We just appeared in Dublin at the World Down Syndrome Conference. We featured two very talented down syndrome performers in our show. Sujeet Desai www.sujeet.com or Buffalo Ny played clarinet, sax and piano with our group. Haley Rehbock of Capetown South Africa was our co-emcee. In UBM, I teach disabled people how to write songs and find songs that give them strength to overcome their daily challenges. My positive affirmation songs are a good example of this practice. We audition people from all over the world and give them a chance to perform onstage with a big American blues band. It’s the most rewarding project I am involved in. I don’t sell many CDs or tee shirts here but I am so rewarded by the enthusiasm, sheer joy and growth of our UBM performers. Its amazing to witness native Dutch speakers singing and speaking a second language, English. It makes you wonder who really is the so-called normal person and how do you really judge or gauge intelligence.

 Q: People sometimes say that touring in Europe is more rewarding than the states.  Do you find this to be true?  Are there any differences?

 A: The main difference is that here in Europe, young people are allowed in bars. It is the biggest mistake in the USA that you cannot go to a bar to attend a music show with your parents if you are under 21.  I had a friend from Europe, a big blues fan, recently visit the USA with his 17 year old son and daughter. He went on a tour of the south and visited New Orleans, Memphis, Austin and Clarksdale. He was shocked and disappointed that his children could not attend any live music shows, even with their own father as a chaperone. We need to change the laws in the states so that parents can bring their underage children to bars to be exposed to live music, especially blues. The reason why the blues demographic is getting older and greyer is because of our punitive bar laws. Children are not exposed to the possibility of playing live music at a smaller level. They see American Idol or people like The Jonas Brothers and Brittany Spears on TV and they think that is the only way to make music. They rarely, if ever, stumble across blues and jazz before the age of 21 unless they are lucky enough to have blues and jazz music lovers as parents. In Europe, music and the arts are valued as essential parts of the culture. The arts are not marginalized here. Seeing live music is a family experience – not a luxury, a necessity.  I wish it were that way in the USA.

 Q: I notice you are on Delta Groove – which is a newer label that seems to be promoting their artists fairly hard.  Can you speak a bit about the label and what they have done for your career?

 A: Delta Groove Records is amazing. They do a wonderful job there and are just completely focused and hard working. The founder, Randy Chortkoff, being a musician himself, is so dedicated to the blues and to his artists. I have never been in such a supportive label environment. I am very lucky to be on their label.

Q: I have been following you on Facebook and it seems that you have been quite busy throughout the summer.  Is this a better time for touring? 

 A: The summer is always the best time for tours because of the weather and all the festivals.

Q: I found that some of the songs on your CD are somewhat personal.  Have some of these tracks been influenced by your recent health issues?  What type of message are you trying to get across to the public about fighting cancer?

A: Well, yes, Super Hero is very personal. The song itself, and several others on the CD are about my cancer fight. I wrote the liner notes about my struggle also and how lucky I am to be here. Pancreatic cancer is very deadly and people die sometimes within three months of diagnosis. I feel obligated to speak openly and candidly about my cancer struggle at my shows. I know I am a miracle. The fact that I was able to beat down pancreatic cancer is very inspiring to so many. My shows have become somewhat of a heal-a-thon where people come up afterwards and share their heartbreaking and sometimes inspiring stories of losses and triumphs over cancer. I cry a lot at these moments but am so grateful for the chance to tell my story. I am humbled when people feel so close to me that they share such deeply personal stories of loss and heartache. I feel like a healer. The songs have always been positive and personal but now more than ever, I think people want to hear my positive words and songs and are more open to the message.

 

Q: What is your opinion about the current state of the blues – is it harder to lead a blues band?  Is roadwork more or less difficult now than in the past? What are some of the differences?

 A: Well, again, as I said prior, the bar age in the USA is helping to grind live music venues and opportunities to a screeching halt. And as we become a more health conscious nation and the government talks about raising taxes on everything from obesity, junk food, soda pop, to beer and alcohol, this will have a long term, devastating effect on bar owners who are already suffering from a bad economy, stricter drunk driving laws, more stringent songwriter taxes (such as BMI, Sesac and Ascap.)

Bar owners hire DJs because they are cheaper to manage and you only have one ego to deal with instead of five musician egos. You can see the decline of live music when there is a line around the block to get into the disco and only fifty middle aged people in the blues bar next door. We desperately need to find a way to interest our youth in live music. The Internet has changed the way we experience music as well. Most youngsters’ first exposure to music is thru technology such as the Internet. They may never even see a live band until they are drinking age. And the internet makes it possible for any hack musician wanna be to make a professional looking CD product and flood the market with more mediocre music. Many of these home studio musicians and songwriters have no desire or resources to get a show on the road but their CD is on the desk next to the road bands who need to do this work to survive. It has become more competitive and more dire than ever. Very few bands are able to consistently tour unless they have a very good agent, a very good reputation and a source of income besides just the shows. I also see more hands out to get a piece of my income, from the guy making the t-shirts to the bars and festivals that charge an artist as much as 25% to sell their own merchandise. I recently played a club where they took 20% of my merchandise sales. That 20% would have paid for our hotel rooms that night, but instead it went to the club along with the cover charge and the bar and food sales. We were paid but we only have merchandise to sell in order to make ends meet. In the past, it was unheard of for a small club to take a cut of your merch but times are tough and everyone is cutting back. Again, this all goes back to the culture and our American view that music and the arts are luxuries. As long as this attitude is widespread and pervasive, it will have a negative impact on those who play live music to survive and those who present live music in their venues. The government also shows live music venues very little value or respect with the open harassment many bar owners deal with – crazy insurance rates, Alcohol enforcement, smoking fines etc. I am scared for the state of live music unless somehow, we can change the bar age restrictions and let young people in with their parents. Add to these already serious problems, the reality of free downloading of music and you have a lot of areas where we musicians used to be able to make a buck and cannot anymore. I used to be able to play a big festival and sell tons of product. Now at many festivals, there is already a record store there with a booth and they have stocked all my titles. I will still sit there and sign CDs because I want small record stores to thrive and prosper but its one more competitor for me and one less way for me to make money on the road. The free downloads of our CD, and CD burning also effects my songwriter royalty statements and all around, the money supply is dwindling or there are more people taking a cut. It’s a bit crazy.

 Q: Can you speak a little about running a band?  What are some of the issues that you have to deal with as a bandleader of a touring/recording band?

 A: I do the job of a road manager, tour director, driver and sometimes baby sitter. We all share roles like driver, merchandise handler, mechanic. Technology has made things a bit easier. Having a GPS, having XM radio, a laptop with wireless and having a cell phone helps a lot on the road and keeps my business going while I travel. I remember the days of searching for a pay phone to call my kids at home so the cell phone has really made life better.  Websites like price line and hotels.com have changed my business too. We can stay in a nice hotel usually for the same price as the motel 6 or Econo Lodge so that helps everyone’s morale on the road. Sometimes being a bandleader is a bit like being a babysitter. You have to deal with alcohol and drug abuse from players and you have to be willing to fire people that you may really love but cannot work with when they are inebriated. You are like a family on the road but of course all of us know family members get on each other’s nerves. Its hard for me post cancer, to always find the healthy food I need so that is also a challenge out here. I just do my best.

 Q: I see that Laura Chavez played guitar on most of your tracks.  I found her work to be excellent and she seems to be well informed about the blues greats of the past.  You deserve to be commended for giving a newer talent a chance to shine.  How did you meet Laura?  Is she touring with you now?  What is your opinion of her playing?

 A: Yes. Laura is with me now and she is my best friend. She has been playing with me for over a year and a half and it was great to co-produce our new CD, Super hero together and write songs together. We hope to do more producing and songwriting together for other artists. We are constantly together and we have a great time on and off the bandstand. I am so lucky to have her and every night, playing next to her is just a thrill. She is so humble and plays from her heart with such emotion. I find my face hurts after a show because I have been smiling so much at her every lick. I feel lucky to have found someone who I click with on so many levels. I have Sue Foley to thank for telling me about Laura. Sue called me when my last guitarist, Heine Andersen quit and told me that Laura would be perfect for me. Sue has always been my favorite female guitarist and she knows I love simplicity in style and old school jump blues and swing. Laura never overplays and is always expressive and tasteful. And when we met, we realized we shared the same macabre tastes in skeletons, day of the dead, cemeteries and Tim Burton and Charles Bukowski. Laura also volunteers in hospitals and has worked a lot with sick children so she has a lot of heart and compassion when it comes to illness. She stood by me while I had cancer and is often the first to notice when I am ill or am having digestive issues. We take care of each other.  I was so happy when Vintage Guitar magazine said about her “she’s not a rising star, she’s already arrived!” I thought that was really cool.

 I am proud to feature Laura and don’t feel a need to be commended for that. I think all of us need to find a way to pull up the next generation of blues artists. Laura is just 27 and I recently had UK singer/songwriter Dani Wilde, who is 24 on some of my East Coast tour dates. I am honored to expose these amazing young women to new audiences. I feel a strong feminist alliance with other women in music and have always made it my mission to promote female talent as much as possible because I see the shortage of female instrumentalists. There is room for all of us to be successful and make music. The more we are inclusive and kind to others, the more good karma we create for ourselves. Plus I am constantly inspired and educated by surrounding myself with younger musicians. My son Evan Caleb is my drummer. He is 28 and he and Laura hang out together often. I learn about new music from them because I have a tendency to listen to music between 1920 and 1970. They know so much more about modern bands and they keep me in the loop about new bands and such.

 

 

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Los Angeles, My Successes and Failures Running a Blues Label, Jerry Rosen

I’m a 55 year old college math professor and my two main passions in life are blues and the New York (football) Giants.  In this article, I’ll speak to the first passion.  Why should you care?  As a complete neophyte in the independent music world, I started a blues label, got distribution, found a booking agency for two of my bands and learned about some of the hard cold realities of trying to make it in the record business with limited resources.

When I was a kid, I virtually lived in the Fillmore East.  My favorite bands were the blues rockers, such as Johnny Winter, Allman Brothers, Ten Years After, Paul Butterfield, Hendrix, Clapton, etc. Thanks to Bill Graham, I also got to see BB, Albert and Buddy (not at the same time) and was forever hooked on blues.  Blues is really the only music I listen to when I’m alone and there is no greater blues lover than me.  The fact that I play is secondary to my love for the music.

I played guitar through college, but put it down in the late 70's.  In 1995, I was in a music store in Santa Monica, browsing through the blues CDs, when a guy standing next to me suggested I buy Magic Sam’s West Side Soul and the Wells’/Guy Hoodoo Man CD.  That was it!  I was back into the blues in a major way.  I listened to those CDs over and over and over and couldn’t believe the sheer, raw power they were putting out.  I traded my old Martin (a huge mistake), for a so-so Les Paul and started playing again. For about three years I led my own band.   In 1998, I started attending weekend jam sessions at a club called the New Safari Club in the “hood” (aka South Central Los Angeles).  The master of ceremonies was a bass player named “Oklahoma” Ollie.  Ollie put me in the house band and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I spent six hours playing and watching blues.

                                                                                                                                     

LA had a booming blues and jazz scene in the 40’s and 50’s, which started slowing down in the 60’s.  Many musicians moved to LA from around the country and when they could no longer support themselves with music, they joined the working class.  But, on a typical night, at least a dozen people would come to the club to sing and/or play guitar. One of these people was a younger guy who went by the moniker Little Hank, later known as South Side Slim (I’ll refer to him as Slim).  He reminded me a bit of Magic Sam; he had a similar vibrato thing happening in his vocals and he played guitar a bit like Sam too.  Slim always put on a good show.  I put Slim in my band and we started playing together all over the greater LA/Long Beach area.  Eventually, we got the “bright” idea to start a record label.  I found a few investors and we were off and running.  The idea was to record some of the people I had met at the Safari Club.  Many of the people there had played with the likes of T. Bone Walker, Albert King, Albert Collins, Percy Mayfield, Pee Wee Clayton, and many others.  Two of the better-known names we recorded were Smokey Wilson (who owned the Pioneer Club in South Central) and Deacon Jones (who was Freddie King’s keyboardist in the 70’s).                                                                                                                                           

The label was called South Side Records and our first release was Slim’s “Five Steps.”  The CD featured Slim singing and playing his original numbers, but it also featured Deacon Jones and the backing band was also from the South Central area.  The CD received excellent reviews and we landed a distribution deal.  Our second release was called “More Blues From the South Side” and it had Smokey Wilson doing five numbers.  I also found a female singer Mary Dukes who joined my band and we also recorded a CD.  The distributor ordered enough copies of our releases to give us a decent start and the various blues magazines helped us with nice reviews and stories about our artists.                               

But there were problems.  I couldn’t get a national booking agent for Slim or Dukes and that proved to be frustrating.  There is a belief that you have to pay your dues in blues.  Meaning, you have to be “out there” doing endless numbers of gigs, for years at a time, gradually building a following, until bigger labels or booking agencies will consider you.  But things are considerably more expensive now than in the 50’s or 60’s, and opportunities for playing blues on the road are more limited.  I called every major booking agency, spoke to the head of each one of them, and the story was always the same:  they can’t take on a band that does not command a large salary, because the booking fee is 10%.  While I could understand this on an intellectual level, it seemed to me that it would restrict blues to people with enough money to weather the myriad of expenses necessary to record and tour.  I could see for myself from following the national blues scene that this was impacting the type of emerging blues artist.  One has read the stories of how Bruce Iglauer started Alligator on $1500 (in the early 70’s) by taking Hound Dog Taylor on the road, hitting a lot of college towns.  This is no longer feasible, unless you have huge financial backing.

However, I did manage to land a mid-level booking agency by offering them 20% (you have to be creative).  In the summer of 2002, they booked Slim and Dukes into a few major festivals on the east coast (N. Atlantic and Pocono) and also booked them on month-long tours along the Atlantic Coast.  As you can imagine, this was an enormous expense for my backers and myself, because vans had to be rented and blues clubs don't really cover motel expenses for no name bands.  But we did the tours (I toured with Dukes) and it was amazing to think that, just in a few years, people who had been playing in total obscurity were now being seen by thousands of people.  The tours went well and the bands were well received, but the expenses tended to diminish some of the excitement I felt.  By then, my investors were getting anxious and the financial fallout during the post 9/11 era was damaging. 

My distributor, City Hall Records, was a solid national one who got us into most of the chains and dealt with a large number of smaller regional distributors.  However, Tower Records was the only chain that took our CDs in nationally.  Borders, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Sam Goody, and others, only took us in regionally and so we didn’t have enough CDs in the stores to cover expenses.  My investors refused to put up more money if there wasn't enough product in the stores to at least have a chance of making back the investment.  I was caught between a rock and a hard place.  The distributor claimed that it was the label’s job to create interest and that it wasn’t necessary for product to be out there.  Eventually, Tower Records went under and that was pretty much the end of my financial involvement in the label.

But, one of our goals was to put out black blues and give deserving black blues artists a chance to play their music and get some publicity.  In this regard, we were successful.  Dozens of South Central artists played on our CDs, gigged with us, and were written up in blues publications.  Slim took ownership of the label in 2005 and has kept it going and carrying forth our original plan.  He has found people to help release CDs, but without a large amount of money, it is virtually impossible to make any.                    

Large retail chains that sell CDs won’t deal with you if you don’t have a huge budget for promotion.  Furthermore, blues radio is quite limited and doesn’t reach nearly enough people to have an impact on CD sales.  Of course, CD sales are down in general and so it is even harder than ever to sell CDs.  In blues, it is vitally important the artists tour because this obviously brings in publicity and is also the main way for bands to sell CDs.  But the number of blues clubs is shrinking and the pay scale is quite low.  Only very well known bands, on major labels such as Alligator, Blind Pig, Telarc, etc., are able to find booking agencies capable of booking decent tours.  So this Catch 22 of "no label = no publicity and no publicity = no label" permeates the blues world.  This means there is no chance of making money by playing blues unless you have a bunch of it to start off.  Consequently blues rarely attracts the type of people that made it so great in the 40’s and 50’s.  People like Muddy, the Kings, Wolf, Sam, Rush, James, Koko Taylor, Guy, et al, went into blues, in part, because they could make a living at it.  This is no longer possible for many talented people.  I believe that those who care about sustaining this art form need to think of ways to find and support talent in their formative years.  I believe there are ways to do this, and it would be interesting to continue this discussion.

Copyright This article is owned by Jerry Rosen

 

Los Angeles, Interview With Bob Margolin, By Jerry Rosen

Bob Margolin has been one of the most active blues musicians in the world during the past forty years. Here is a brief summary of his career. Many more details are available at his highly informative website www.bobmargolin.com. Muddy Waters invited Bob to join his legendary band in 1973. Muddy was impressed with Bob’s mastery of the “Old School Chicago Blues” style. Anyone who knows blues and has heard Bob play will testify to this. Bob was with Muddy until 1980.

Bob supported himself as an independent blues artist in the 80’s. During this time, he did special shows with the likes of James Cotton, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Johnny Winter, George Thorogood and many others. Starting in the 90’s, opportunities for independent blues bands were starting to decrease and Bob turned to recording as a means to maintain and elevate his career. He recorded well-received CDs for the labels: Power House, Alligator, Telarc and Blind Pig during this decade. In 1994, Bob began playing with some of Muddy’s old band members in the Muddy Waters Tribute Band. This enterprise produced award winning blues music; it also gave many deserving blues artists a chance to make some money and extend their careers. Bob has been nominated for and won many awards. Of particular note are his Handy Award for guitar in 2005 and his Blues Music Award for guitar in 2008. Bob was also instrumental in helping Muddy’s son Big Bill Morganfield launch his career in the late 90’s. Bob has played regularly with the legendary Pinetop Perkins who is still going strong (Pinetop was one of Muddy’s piano players). Bob can currently be seen with The Bob Margolin Allstars who, over the years, have featured James Cotton, Carey Bell, Jerry Portnoy, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Calvin “Fuzz” Jones, Bob Stroger, David Maxwell and Mookie Brill. Bob is also a regular columnist for Blues Revue magazine. One wonders how he finds the time for all this.

I would like to preface my interview with Bob with some personal experiences I have had with him because I believe these do a better job addressing his true character than merely listing his many accomplishments. I first met Bob over the Internet in the late 90’s. I had recently started playing blues (after a fifteen-year break) and had my own band. I was surprised that Bob took the time to communicate with a complete unknown. He gave me valuable advice about running a blues band and recording. When I started a blues label (South Side Records) in 1999, he was very generous with input on this endeavor as well. Bob invited me to come see his touring band at the Blue Café in Long Beach, California and he told me to bring my guitar. The place was packed with well over two hundred people. During his first set, I was mesmerized by the sheer power and professionalism of his trio. I was impressed with Bob’s ability to fill out the sound with only three players. His vocals, slide, rhythm and lead work gave the music a propulsive feeling that made it sound like a much larger band. There was a young guy playing bass who also sang a few songs; he played two solo numbers on slide guitar and played some harmonica too. It was clear that Bob was giving him a chance to show his stuff. In the second set, after a few numbers, Bob stepped up to the mike and said, “In the house is one of L.A.’s top blues guitarists, Jerry Rosen.” He then called me up and asked if I wanted sing a few numbers. I was too scared to sing, but Bob let me solo on four tunes. Up to that point, I had just been playing in dive bars in remote areas of Los Angeles. I got a standing ovation when I was finished (mostly because the backing band was amazing) and that had to be one of the high points in my life.

The next time Bob was in town, he was playing at the Café Boogaloo in Hermosa Beach, California with Pinetop Perkins. He invited me along with my band mate South Side Slim to sit in with his band. He let Slim sing two songs to a packed house and we were completely stoked having played with one of the greatest blues legends of the 20^th (and 21^st) century.

A few years later, Bob invited me, my singer Mary Dukes, and singer/harp player JT Ross to come see him play with the Muddy Water Tribute band at Pepperdine University in Malibu (probably the richest setting for a blues concert you’ll ever encounter). After their set, Bob invited us backstage, showed us the touring bus and spent at least an hour talking to us about blues. Anyone who reads Bob’s column in Blues Revue knows he often writes about undiscovered talents in an effort to give them some publicity. He started the VizzTone label group as a vehicle for helping artists release their own CDs. He is the personification of someone who has given back to the music that has given him such a successful career.

Below is a short interview I did with Bob. Even though he was on the road, and clearly busy, he took the time to answer my questions.

JR: What were some of the things you learned from your time with Muddy Waters that have helped you as a bandleader?

BM: Treat the band with respect and friendliness. Invite them to communicate. Never mess with anyone's money.

JR: What specific musical influences did Muddy’s music have on your own?

BM: Before I met him, he was my favorite musician. I wanted to play Old School Chicago Blues and I still do. But by getting into his band, I learned it directly from him onstage.

JR: What is your opinion of the blues music scene today?

BM: It is artistically exciting -- there are great Blues musicians emerging with talent and ambition. It is also economically challenging -- it is harder than ever to build a career and make a living.

JR: What are some of the pros and cons of recording for an indie label, such as Alligator (or any of the other ones you have been on)?

BM: A label may finance the recording, give the artist an advance, take care of distribution, advertising, promotion, and lend the artist any prestige that the label has accumulated from putting out good music. On the other hand, the label will want to recoup its money before the artists gets any, and take a big share of the profits. Also, some labels will try to influence the music and create uncomfortable pressures on the artist. That can be good if the artist needs the guidance or bad if he doesn't.

JR: Why did you form your label VizzTone? What have you learned from this endeavor?

BM: It started out having a partner in forming my own record company, Steady Rollin' Records, to put out my In North Carolina album in 2007. Then we took on another partner with more record company experience. Then we realized we could bring this service to other artists. VizzTone is not a label; it's a label group. The artist has his own label and produces his own CD, but we provide artist services in partnership and take less of a cut than a label would.

JR: I’ve heard it said that blues music must expand to stay alive. Some people say that the I IV V model is dead. What is your opinion on this?

BM: Who's counting? I doubt there's anyone analyzing the music for chords and rejecting anything with a simple Blues progression. Blues never was mainstream popular, and a lot of people either don't care for it or aren't even interested in hearing it. But those who love it really love it a lot and sustain the scene.

JR: Why do think there is such a limited market (even compared to jazz and classical) for blues music?

BM: Blues isn't marketed like rock or pop music. You still see almost no Blues on TV. The Internet provides great access to it but it's still a "limited market." It's amazing that Blues doesn't just fade away, but as in the last answer, those who love it really love it a lot.

JR: What are some of the difficulties for a working, touring blues band?

BM: It's much harder to book and play a tour that takes a musician from city to city with only a few days off and have the band make more money than they spend to travel and do business. There are less weekday gigs than there used to be. Some bands are able to do it. I prefer to work on weekends and then come home for weekdays anyway, and I've been out here long enough so that it sustains me.

JR: Can a band support itself from touring revenue?

BM: "A band" is general. If it's a huge band with a lot of people in it that needs expensive transportation and accommodations. If it's 3-5 people, maybe. And they have to be decently paid for gigs and sell lots of their CD's from the bandstand. If they become very popular and can draw people to their venues, a lot of money can at least pass through their hands on the way to paying their bills.

JR: What advice do you have for aspiring blues artists who have yet to land a label deal or secure a booking agency?

BM: Do it yourself. Try to use the Internet to stay as visible as possible. But most important is to play music that is so deep and powerful and exciting that the soulful Blues audience will want to hear them. That's the hardest part; they've got to really stand out artistically.

JR: What are some of the highlights of your career?

BM: Well, you could take a list of awards and big gigs from my website, but for me the highlight is living a life of playing my best music for soulful people.

copyright Jerry Rosen To purchase the rights to reprint this article please email jssrecords@aol.com