Hello again. Here is another edition of a newsletter setting out all the blues news for South East Queensland.
There is lots happening over the next few weeks. If you are not heading to Byron Bay for the ECBRF, check out all the other events round town, particularly the Tell Heaven gospel tribute on Easter Sunday, at the Jazz Club.
And don’t forget, you can see this newsletter on the net. Click here
Cheers
Mark Hipgrave
0418 556048
NEWS
RADIO/TV
FESTIVALS
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
NEWS
A Note from Dave Hole:
Dave wrote on 18 March:
Hi Everyone,
Just a quick note to let you know that the long-awaited DVD is finally available. If you are one of those that have been waiting for it you can get one by going to the website and clicking on “CDs & Audio”. It’s been produced as a direct response to the numerous requests I’ve received over the last few years and a strictly limited number are being offered exclusively from the website.
NO Pianist Eddie Bo dies at age 79
Eddie Bo, an exuberant New Orleans pianist and singer who wrote for and worked with artists like Irma Thomas, Etta James and Art Neville of the Neville Brothers, and whose song “I’m Wise” became one of Little Richard’s biggest hits, as “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” died on 18 March. He was 79 and lived in New Orleans.
The cause was a heart attack, said Karen Hamilton, his booking agent.
Mr. Bo, a rhythm-and-blues belter and florid barrelhouse pianist, came of age when New Orleans street music, based on marching band traditions, was being translated into a distinctive local rhythm and blues style. He flourished as a songwriter and performer, making the transition to funk in the early 1970s.
More, including a Youtube link, from the NY Times here.
Eddies bio, from his own website is here.
Record Store Day – April 18
Current.com.au writes:
JB Hi-Fi stores throughout Australia will be celebrating Record Store Day on 18 April 2009. The concept is to get consumers back in music retail stores, but is such a promotion really necessary?
The day is being organised and promoted by the Australian Music Retailers’ Association (AMRA), an organisation that represents both major chains and smaller or otherwise independent stores. Current members include Leading Edge, Sanity, Hum and Angus & Robertson.
By running a promotional campaign to support the record store in general, and with events planned at various stores on the day, AMRA is hoping that consumers will return to the sales floor to support retailers with their music purchases.
Competing music websites, which sell individual tracks for downloads at or around $1.70, have been blamed for perceived drop in physical CD sales. This may be more myth than reality, with the Australian Record Industry Association reporting on 4 December 2008 that “CD sales have jumped as much as 57 per cent on a week-by-week comparison over the same period last year”.
AMRA has set up a dedicated website for the promotion, but news of the event is struggling to disseminate through the community.
But there is a tiny bit of dissent. See also:
JB Hi-Fi And Co. Looking For A Bigger Slice Of The Music Pie from Current.com
Will The ‘Real’ Record Store Day Please Stand Up, from Mess and Noise
Fight for right to sell music from The Age.com.au
Press Articles – Various
The Who at the Melbourne Grand Prix Presser from FasterLouder
Blues Hall of Fame Inductees for 2009 from the Blues Foundation
Mel Brown Passes Away, also from the Blues Foundation
Rip Lester Davenport, also from the Blues Foundation
2009 Jus Blues Music Awards - Voting has begun, from the Chitlin Circuit
Motown drummer Uriel Jones dies, and obit, both from The Guardian
Jimi Hendrix's acoustic Electric Ladyland tape to be auctioned, also from The Guardian
Pop, country singer Dan Seals dies of cancer, from the Houston Chronicle
Exclusive: B.B. King and Buddy Guy’s Backstage Blues Summit, from Rolling Stone
Afro-Cuban All-Stars remain proud crusaders for their musical heritage, from the Chicago Sun Times
Eric Clapton – Melbourne Gig Review, from undercover.com.au
And some recent articles about the upcoming ECBRF and artists appearing there:
Booker T. Jones back in groove for Byron Bay Bluesfest, from the Courier Mail
Drive-By Truckers hit their mark with Booker T Jones, also from the Courier Mail
Music DVD Review: Tinariwen - Tinariwen Live In London, from Blog Critic
Ruthie Foster - The Truth According To, from Radio PBS Melbourne
Ben Harper Tells 'White Lies' With New Band, from Billboard
Festival Preview, from Australian Musician (page 28)
RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE
Arthur Elliot reports on his upcoming Sidestream shows– for Brisbane listeners 99.7 FM, Wed 7pm to 9pm.
On Wednesday 1st April, we feature the excellent new compilation ‘Water For Life’, with artists including Sinead O’Connor, Heidi Talbot, the Alison Brown Quartet, and Crooked Still. As well, you’ll hear from Ben Bedford, Bruce Cockburn, Juke Baritone, Deb Bond, Rachel Garlin, and others.
In the 8pm blues hour, there’s blues music from Australians Anni Piper, Dallas Frasca, and the Silverbacks, plus the duo Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm, Buddy Guy, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Guy Davis, David Bromberg and more.
The Daily Planet, Weekend Planet and Music Deli (ABC Radio National)
The Daily Planet website, the Weekend Planet website and The Music Deli website all have links to shows broadcast over the past few weeks.
Listen especially to Mavis Staples on the 24 March edition of the Daily Planet
Coming Up On ABC2 TV
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - Black Superstars of Music
7:00am Sunday, 05 Apr
James Brown: Live In Montreux 1981
8:45am Sunday, 05 Apr
Eagle Rock Music Package - The Doors: Live In Europe
10:00am Sunday, 05 Apr
Nina Simone: Live At Montreux Jazz Festival 1976
3:05pm Sunday, 05 Apr
Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... - Lou Reed And Julian Schnabel
8:30pm Friday, 10 Apr
Full program details are here
Video Selections
Sorry – I can’t help myself ….
‘Leonard Cohen – Anthem’ from Live in London
FESTIVALS
Ipswich Festival – 15-26 April
There’s a free ‘Jazz, Wine & Blues’ concert commencing at 3pm Sat 25 April, as part of this festival. The lineup includes Wiley Reed, Barb Fordham, Mojo Webb, Renee Geyer and Chase the Sun
Here is the festival flyer.
Urban Country Music Festival
The sixth annual Urban Country Music Festival returns to the Caboolture Showgrounds on from 1-4 May, with:
‘over 500 artists on 11 stages in 16 different venues. Best of all 15 of these events are FREE, yes free! So bring your family and friends down to Caboolture and help us celebrate our fifth birthday.’
Brisbane Blues Festival
The Brisbane Blues Festival finds a new home at The Jubilee Hotel in Fortitude Valley on Saturday, May 16 and this year’s line-up features some rare treats.
The Chrome Daddies, after being on an extended hiatus are back as well as Big Kitty and the Scaredy Cats. Johnny Hucker and Coojee Timms perform rare solo spots and crowd favourites Natural Ball, Blind Lemon, Asa Broomhall and Mojo Webb return to the festival stage.
Add in new boys and girl band Mama Voodoo and you have daylong feast of the blues. Doors open at 2PM and tickets will be available at the door on the day. More information at http://www.brisbanebluesfestival.com/ or 3252-4508
Wintersun 2009
Australia's Leading Rock & Roll Nostalgia Retro Event....
Wintersun 2009 starts on Friday 29th May and ends with the huge Best of Wintersun Concert on Monday 8th June. Wintersun is Australia's leading annual Retro Nostalgia Festival. Featuring almost 1500 Hot Rods, Custom and Classic Cars, more than 100 bands and performers, dancing, movies, and competitions.
The festival is held in the border coastal towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on the New South Wales & Queensland border. Many events are free, some are in the streets while others are in the local clubs and shopping centres.
The lineup is now available here.
International headliners include Sonny Burgess and the Legendry Pacers, The Vargas Bros and pinup model and burlesque star Sabrina Kelley.
Blues on Broadbeach
The lineup for this festival, at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast from Wed 27 May to Sun 31 May has been announced
The Dreaming – 5 – 8 June at Woodford
A reminder that ‘early bird’ tickets for The Dreaming expire midnight on the 31st March.
‘The Dreaming is a vibrant, exciting and a valuable destination where local, national and international audiences look forward to their annual ceremony time along with the most comprehensive showcase of Indigenous arts from across the country and around the world.
This three day and four night festival will have performing arts venues, bars, Ceremony grounds, traditional healing, galleries, rituals, campfire story circles and a mass of stalls, workshop avenue and food outlets.
Presented by the QFF, and under the artistic direction of Rhoda Roberts, the program will also feature film & literature components, performing arts, New media and Digital technologies, food & wine fare, comedy, ceremony, exhibitions, performance artists, physical theatre, Visual arts, craft workshops, music program, street performers, musicals and a youth program.’
The program won’t be available next month but you can book your early bird tickets (for a few more days) here…
The Noosa Longweekend jumps around the calendar every year it seems. This year it will be held over two weekends, from 19-28 June (about two weeks earlier than 2008). The programme will be released ‘soon’.
New Orleans and Chicago Blues Festival
If you are travelling in June, you can check out the 40th New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival over two weekends in late April/early May and then The Chicago Blues Festival which runs from June 12-14.
Both these major events have lineups we can only dream about – check their websites.
Interestingly, the Chicago festival is featuring Muddy Waters’ eldest (‘lost’) son Mud Morganfield (who grew up with his mother as Larry Williams). Mud will be here at the Jubilee in July – see below.
And finally, the Redlands Bluegrass Convention will be held from 10-12 July.
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
There is more blues at the Palmwoods Hotel in April:
Kicking the month off on Sat April 4 at 8pm will be fiery young blues duo 19 Twenty. A new act to Palmwoods after a previous performance was scuttled by a Nullabor plains car crash, Jason and Kane have not let their desert bingle curtail their touring schedule and blow into the Palmwoods to play their soulful blues folk on the way from Sydney to Western Australia.
www.myspace.com/19twentymusic
Then Palmwoods Got The Blues returns on Sat April 18 at 5.30pm with talent drawn from the Sunshine coast, the NSW mid north coast and Canada
Chris Assaad will be opening the show and this young guy, on his first trip to Australia is a real unknown gem. After fronting the Toronto-based band I.An.Eye for several years, early in 2008, Chris Assaad embarked on a musical journey to develop his own eclectic soulful blend of folk, roots, rock and reggae. Chris' songs capture the essence of struggle, spirit and sincerity reminiscent of artists such as Ben Harper, Ray LaMontagne and the legendary Bob Marley. At the same time, his music enjoys the freedom and raw energy of bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kings of Leon
www.myspace.com/cassaadmusic
In the middle spot will be on of the sunshine coasts original roots music masters David Flower. After fronting Mad Flower for several years, Davids working with a new improved lineup but his wonderfully buoyant funky groove continues unabated. Perfect for inducing a packed dancefloor, its been to long since the David Flower band played Palmwoods Got The Blues and if last time was anything to go by, dancefloor space will be at a premium
www.myspace.com/davidflower9
Finally, Barrelhouse make the long haul from Port Macquarie to rock the Palmwoods after debuting at the East Coast Blues & Roots festival the weekend before. It’s a testament to the high level of talent and skill displayed by Barrelhouse that the promoters of what is regarded as on of the top 5 music festivals in the world have selected these guys to play the fest in 2009. Barrelhouse’ first gig at Palmwoods was a real revelation for both young and old alike and now is a perfect time to catch these guys before they hit the stratosphere.
www.myspace.com/barrelhousetunes
Tell Heaven at the Brisbane Jazz Club
Leah Cotterell wrote to say that her all-star gospel review will put on their annual Easter show this year at the Brisbane Jazz Club on Easter Sunday, April 12, at 10.00am.
‘Also - Tell Heaven recorded/videoed a performance at St Mary’s on the 28th February. It was a very heart-felt concert, right in the middle of the most intense period of resistance for the community and the priests. Their emotion was really strong in the room. And apart from the prevailing atmosphere, we found it was so satisfying to perform inside a REAL church that we’re going to document the event by publishing a live DVD of the best eight tracks of the event – probably in time for the Easter date.’
There is blues on at the Jubilee Hotel in the Valley, every Sunday afternoon, commencing 1pm, but also look out for:
· Sat 18 April Blues Harmonica Blowout, featuring Ian Collard, Mojo Webb, Jamie Symons, Mark Gibbons, Greg Baker & more to be announced. Ian Collard will be back the next day running a harmonica workshop
· Sat 2 May 09 Even Divas Get The Blues - featuring all your favorite lady blues singers, singing their favorite lady blues singers. Kate Meehan (Koko Taylor and Mama Thornton) Natural Born Lovers (Etta May), MamaVoodoo (Renee Geyer), Kath Butler (Louann Barton), Blond On Blue (Janis Joplin)
· Sat 16 May Brisbane Blues Festival (details above)
And mark your diary for:
· Fortitude Valley Festival of Blues Sat. 25 Jul 09, with Muddy Waters' Number 1 Boy Child - Mud Morganfield, Mojo Webb, 8 Ball Aitkin, Asa Broomhall, Mick Hadley and the Atomic Boogie Band, Mamavoodoo, J B Lewis, Natural Ball, Natural Born Lovers, Sly Jack, The Medicine Show, Jam Stage + many more.
At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi
Look out for:
· Thurs 26 March Luka Bloom
· Sat 28 March Dallas Frasca
· Fri 3 April Ruthie Foster
· Sat 4 April Marshall & The Fro
At The Tivoli you can catch
· Sun 5 April CW Stoneking
· Sat 11 April Zappa plays Zappa
· Thurs 7 May Bob Evans
At the Cooly Hotel
· Fri 3 April The Go Set
· Sat 9 May Bob Evans
And at The Judy.
Coming up:
· Thurs 2 April Ruthie Foster
At The Zoo
· Sat 21 March The Gin Club
· Sun 5 April Paprika Balkanicus
At The Soundlounge, Currumbin
· Thurs 30April Afro Dizzi Act & Oka
And look out for Lori Lee’s next outings:
· Sat 2 May The Vaudevillains cd launch at The Step Inn with The Jim Rockfords and more.
More details here
Lori let slip last week that after a few years without an international headliner at Greazefest, she has got one booked for this year’s festival, coming up on the weekend of 30 July to 2 Aug.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wynonie Harris
Wynonie Harris – Broadcast Jan 2008
No blues shouter embodied the post war good times that he sang of quite like raucous shouter Wynonie Harris. "Mr. Blues," as he was not-so-humbly known, joyously related tales of sex, booze, and endless parties in his trademark raspy voice over some of the jumpingest horn-powered combos of the period.
Those high livin’ ways brought on an early death at age 54, but not before he scored a string of hits from 1946 to 1952.
Hank Penny number, from 1951, at the height of his career
1. Bloodshot Eyes – Feb 1951 – Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 13 – 2.40
Harris' mother, was fifteen at the time of his birth in 1913 and unmarried. Harris' father's identity is uncertain, although was probably a Native American. There was no father figure in the house until his mother married a Luther Harris, fifteen years her senior, in 1920.
He grew up in a middle class environment in Omaha, Nebraska, and in 1931, Harris dropped out of school. In the following two years he fathered two children to two different girls. Both children were raised by their mothers.
Harris formed a dance team in the early 1930s which performed around North Omaha's flourishing entertainment community. It wasn't until 1935, however, that Harris was able to earn his living as an entertainer.
In 1940, Wynonie and his then wife Ollie moved to Los Angeles. His big break in Los Angeles was at a nightclub called the Club Alabam.
Performing almost continuously as a dancer, drummer, and singer, he was in Chicago in late 1943 and was spotted by band leader Lucky Millinder who asked him to join his band's tour.
On May 26, 1944, Harris made his recording debut with "Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra" and in April 1945, a year after it was recorded, Decca released "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well". This song went to number one on the R&B charts on July 14 and stayed there for eight weeks.
2. Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well – May 1944 – Blues Collection – Tk 1 – 2.56
Harris' success and popularity grew as Millinder's band toured the country, but he and Millinder soon had a falling out over money.
Harris eventually returned to Los Angeles. Now back in California, the success of "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" opened many doors.
He made his first recording under his own name in July of 1945 at an L.A. date for Philo. A month later, he signed on with Apollo Records, an association that provided him with two huge hits in 1946: "Wynonie's Blues" and "Playful Baby." These were squarely in the emerging jump blues style then sweeping the West Coast.
3. Wynonie’s Blues – Aug 1945 – Blues Collection – Tk 5 – 2.51
After scattered dates for Hamp-Tone, Bullet, and Aladdin Harris joined Syd Nathan’s King Records in Cincinnati in 1947. There his sales really soared.
Nathan was a tough Jewish businessman who was looking to expand his label into race or R&B music, and he figured Harris, already an established artist, would fit the bill
Harris’ biographer Tony Collins writes of Syd Nathan’s first meeting with Harris ….:
His biggest King hit was the 1948 chart-topper "Good Rockin' Tonight." Ironically, Harris rejected it when composer Roy Brown first offered it to him, and only when Brown’s original version took off did Wynonie cover the track, The record provided an easily followed blueprint for the imminent rise of rock & roll a few years later (and gave Elvis Presley something to place on the A side of his second Sun single).
4. Good Rockin Tonight – 1948 – Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 1 – 2.42
The relationship with King records was mutually beneficial. King supplied Harris with good material, good production and backing musicians, and Harris repaid this with thirteen Top 10 chart entries over the next four years, four in 1949 alone.
Through to 1952, his offerings grew more boldly suggestive. Here is a selection of tracks from this period, the first two from 1949
5. Grandma Plays The Numbers – 1949 – Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 3 – 2.37
6. I Want My Fanny Brown,- 1949 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 4 – 3.05
Three more from 1950
7. "Sittin' on It All the Time – 1950 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 8 – 2.37
8. "I Like My Baby's Pudding – 1950 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 9 – 2.41
9. "Good Morning Judge – 1950 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 11 – 2.39
The track with the most risqué title and lyrics was this one from 1952:
10. Keep On Churning Till The Butter Comes – early 1952 – Lovin’ Machine – Tk 8 – 2.52
Tracks like this were fine in the 40s when they were played on ghetto jukeboxes, but by the mid 50s the number of radio programs being beamed to black, and later white audiences, meant that DJs became reluctant to play such records
By 1952 though, his hits stopped coming. It certainly wasn't Harris' fault — his King output rocked as hard as ever but changing tastes among fickle consumers that accelerated Wynonie Harris's sobering fall from favor.
11. Wasn’t That Good – March 1953 – Lovin’ machine – Tk 16 – 2.60
Another rocking drinking song..
12. Quiet Whiskey – Sept 1954 – Lovin’ Machine – Tk 18 – 2.26
By the end of 1954 his career was fading fast. He had not had a hit for over 2 years, and he was regularly antagonizing promoters and audiences with his profane language and bad behaviour. King decided not to renew his contract. From his last King session:
13. Fishtail Blues – Nov 1954 – Women, Whiskey – Tk 7 – 2.38
Sides for Atco in 1956, a couple more for King in 1957, and Roulette in 1960 only hinted at the raunchy glory of a short few years earlier. The touring slowed accordingly. Harris moved back to L.A., scraping up low-paying local gigs whenever he could..
King track from 1957...
14. There is No Substitute For Love – July 1957 – Women, Whiskey – Tk 20 – 3.05
In 1964 he resettled for the last time in Los Angeles
Harris spent the sixties running taverns in the New York area, and then, becoming more indebted, was forced to live in less glamorous surroundings. He moved out to the West Coast and did the same in Los Angeles, and then in Oakland, California.
He had one last three song recording session for Chess Records in Chicago in 1964, but nothing was released from that date.
His final large-scale performance was at the Apollo (in New York) in November 1967, where he performed with Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy Witherspoon and T-Bone Walker.
On June 14, 1969, aged fifty-four, Harris died of throat cancer in Los Angeles. a bigger-than-life R&B pioneer whose ego matched his tremendous talent
Wynonie Harris with a penchant for hard partying and high times, lived the life he wanted despite its toll on his health. He is a true American original and is deserving just as much as anyone else you can name, as the "inventor" of rock 'n roll - the music that changed everything. "
Order CDs featured in this transcript:
No blues shouter embodied the post war good times that he sang of quite like raucous shouter Wynonie Harris. "Mr. Blues," as he was not-so-humbly known, joyously related tales of sex, booze, and endless parties in his trademark raspy voice over some of the jumpingest horn-powered combos of the period.
Those high livin’ ways brought on an early death at age 54, but not before he scored a string of hits from 1946 to 1952.
Hank Penny number, from 1951, at the height of his career
1. Bloodshot Eyes – Feb 1951 – Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 13 – 2.40
Harris' mother, was fifteen at the time of his birth in 1913 and unmarried. Harris' father's identity is uncertain, although was probably a Native American. There was no father figure in the house until his mother married a Luther Harris, fifteen years her senior, in 1920.
He grew up in a middle class environment in Omaha, Nebraska, and in 1931, Harris dropped out of school. In the following two years he fathered two children to two different girls. Both children were raised by their mothers.
Harris formed a dance team in the early 1930s which performed around North Omaha's flourishing entertainment community. It wasn't until 1935, however, that Harris was able to earn his living as an entertainer.
In 1940, Wynonie and his then wife Ollie moved to Los Angeles. His big break in Los Angeles was at a nightclub called the Club Alabam.
Performing almost continuously as a dancer, drummer, and singer, he was in Chicago in late 1943 and was spotted by band leader Lucky Millinder who asked him to join his band's tour.
On May 26, 1944, Harris made his recording debut with "Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra" and in April 1945, a year after it was recorded, Decca released "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well". This song went to number one on the R&B charts on July 14 and stayed there for eight weeks.
2. Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well – May 1944 – Blues Collection – Tk 1 – 2.56
Harris' success and popularity grew as Millinder's band toured the country, but he and Millinder soon had a falling out over money.
Harris eventually returned to Los Angeles. Now back in California, the success of "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" opened many doors.
He made his first recording under his own name in July of 1945 at an L.A. date for Philo. A month later, he signed on with Apollo Records, an association that provided him with two huge hits in 1946: "Wynonie's Blues" and "Playful Baby." These were squarely in the emerging jump blues style then sweeping the West Coast.
3. Wynonie’s Blues – Aug 1945 – Blues Collection – Tk 5 – 2.51
After scattered dates for Hamp-Tone, Bullet, and Aladdin Harris joined Syd Nathan’s King Records in Cincinnati in 1947. There his sales really soared.
Nathan was a tough Jewish businessman who was looking to expand his label into race or R&B music, and he figured Harris, already an established artist, would fit the bill
Harris’ biographer Tony Collins writes of Syd Nathan’s first meeting with Harris ….:
His biggest King hit was the 1948 chart-topper "Good Rockin' Tonight." Ironically, Harris rejected it when composer Roy Brown first offered it to him, and only when Brown’s original version took off did Wynonie cover the track, The record provided an easily followed blueprint for the imminent rise of rock & roll a few years later (and gave Elvis Presley something to place on the A side of his second Sun single).
4. Good Rockin Tonight – 1948 – Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 1 – 2.42
The relationship with King records was mutually beneficial. King supplied Harris with good material, good production and backing musicians, and Harris repaid this with thirteen Top 10 chart entries over the next four years, four in 1949 alone.
Through to 1952, his offerings grew more boldly suggestive. Here is a selection of tracks from this period, the first two from 1949
5. Grandma Plays The Numbers – 1949 – Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 3 – 2.37
6. I Want My Fanny Brown,- 1949 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 4 – 3.05
Three more from 1950
7. "Sittin' on It All the Time – 1950 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 8 – 2.37
8. "I Like My Baby's Pudding – 1950 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 9 – 2.41
9. "Good Morning Judge – 1950 - Good Rockin Tonight – Tk 11 – 2.39
The track with the most risqué title and lyrics was this one from 1952:
10. Keep On Churning Till The Butter Comes – early 1952 – Lovin’ Machine – Tk 8 – 2.52
Tracks like this were fine in the 40s when they were played on ghetto jukeboxes, but by the mid 50s the number of radio programs being beamed to black, and later white audiences, meant that DJs became reluctant to play such records
By 1952 though, his hits stopped coming. It certainly wasn't Harris' fault — his King output rocked as hard as ever but changing tastes among fickle consumers that accelerated Wynonie Harris's sobering fall from favor.
11. Wasn’t That Good – March 1953 – Lovin’ machine – Tk 16 – 2.60
Another rocking drinking song..
12. Quiet Whiskey – Sept 1954 – Lovin’ Machine – Tk 18 – 2.26
By the end of 1954 his career was fading fast. He had not had a hit for over 2 years, and he was regularly antagonizing promoters and audiences with his profane language and bad behaviour. King decided not to renew his contract. From his last King session:
13. Fishtail Blues – Nov 1954 – Women, Whiskey – Tk 7 – 2.38
Sides for Atco in 1956, a couple more for King in 1957, and Roulette in 1960 only hinted at the raunchy glory of a short few years earlier. The touring slowed accordingly. Harris moved back to L.A., scraping up low-paying local gigs whenever he could..
King track from 1957...
14. There is No Substitute For Love – July 1957 – Women, Whiskey – Tk 20 – 3.05
In 1964 he resettled for the last time in Los Angeles
Harris spent the sixties running taverns in the New York area, and then, becoming more indebted, was forced to live in less glamorous surroundings. He moved out to the West Coast and did the same in Los Angeles, and then in Oakland, California.
He had one last three song recording session for Chess Records in Chicago in 1964, but nothing was released from that date.
His final large-scale performance was at the Apollo (in New York) in November 1967, where he performed with Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy Witherspoon and T-Bone Walker.
On June 14, 1969, aged fifty-four, Harris died of throat cancer in Los Angeles. a bigger-than-life R&B pioneer whose ego matched his tremendous talent
Wynonie Harris with a penchant for hard partying and high times, lived the life he wanted despite its toll on his health. He is a true American original and is deserving just as much as anyone else you can name, as the "inventor" of rock 'n roll - the music that changed everything. "
Order CDs featured in this transcript:
Roy Brown
Roy Brown - Broadcast March 2008
Last time we covered blues shouter Wynonie Harris, and in doing so we mentioned Harris’ biggest hit – Good Rockin Tonight. Today we will cover Harris’ contemporary and the man who wrote that track – an R&B star who like Harris, exerted a primary influence on the development of rock & roll, Roy Brown.
Let the man introduce himself …
1. Mighty Mighty Man – Oct 1947 – Hard Luck – Tk 4 –2.29
Roy Brown was 12 years younger than Harris, born in September of 1925 in New Orleans. Like so many of the artists we cover in these sessions, his mother was a church organist and also a director of the local gospel choir, and so like so many black performers before him, young Roy received his musical upbringing from the church. In 1939 Brown's mother passed away and as soon as he finished high school he moved to Southern California. In his late teens he tried his hand at boxing and had a short career numbering eighteen fights. He did well enough winning most of them, but he soon quit the game and looked for something else to do with his life.
At the age of twenty Brown entered an amateur singing contest held at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles by doing an imitation of Bing Crosby. After a few local gigs in the L.A. area, he returned to Louisiana and landed a steady singing job in Shreveport and then on to Texas where he got some work in Houston and Galveston.
In Texas Brown put together a song with a snappy up tempo beat that he called "Good Rockin' Tonight" which got good reaction in the Galveston area.
Pianist Cecil Gant heard the tune and had Brown sing it over the phone to DeLuxe label boss, Jules Braun. Braun was also impressed all of which led to Roy Brown recording the tune in mid 1947 for DeLuxe.
2. Good Rockin Tonight – Jul 1947 – Hard Luck – Tk 1 –3.00
A NO DJ called Dr Daddy O later said of this track, with perhaps just a little exaggeration:
If I had to put my finger on an exact moment when rhythm and blues started in NO it was when RB came out with GRT. That really turned things around for music in NO. GRT was the first instance where NO felt there was such a thing as black music
(Daddy O is an interesting character – an arts professor from Chicago Dr Vernon Winslow who became NO first black DJ – working through to the early 1980s)
The record was an immediate sensation and despite inadequate distribution by DeLuxe, was soon a national hit. Along the way however, a strange thing happened. Wynonie Harris who had originally thought very little of the song had a change of heart and recorded his version for King Records and soon his cover version outsold the original and became a country wide sensation, and was later covered by Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many more early rock icons.
In Aug 1948, DeLuxe was sold to Cincinnati's King Records, the purchase was made to secure Brown’s recording contract, and this brought him to the same label that had Wynonie Harris.
Roy Brown didn't have to wait long to dominate the R&B lists. He scored 15 hits from mid-1948 to late 1951 for DeLuxe. Here are a few of them
3. Rockin at Midnight – Jan 1949 – Very Best – Tk 3 –2.42
4. Fanny Brown – Jan 1949 – Very Best – Tk 4 –2.45
And a typical double entendre number from the period:
5. Butcher Pete – Nov 1949 – Very Best – Tk 7 –2.26
His biggest ever hit came in 1950 - crying blues
6. Hard Luck Blues – April 1950 – Hard Luck – Tk 13 –3.04
Strangely, his sales slumped badly from 1952 on, even though his output for King Records rate among his hottest house rockers.
The decline of his fortunes coincided with his successfully winning a lawsuit against King Records for unpaid royalties in 1952, one of the few African-American musicians to do so in the 1950s. This has led some to believe that Brown may have been unofficially blacklisted.
7. Hurry Hurry Baby – Dec 1952 – Very Best – Tk 17 –2.27
Track covering Big Mama Thornton’s Hound Dog, which she recorded in 1952 and released early in 1953, and his own number from 1947
8. Mr Hound Dog’s In Town – March 1953 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 1 –2.31
Another track from 1954
9. Gal From Kokomo – May 1954 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 12 –2.34
An update on the fortunes of Miss Fanny Brown, also from 1954
10. Fanny Brown Got Married – Sept 1954 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 13 –2.22
11. Black Diamond – Sept 1954 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 15 –2.31
Brown was unable to cash in on the rock & roll idiom he helped to invent and in late 1956 King Records dropped him after a decade with DeLuxe and the King label.
He returned to King in 1959, but the tracks were sometimes excruciating
12. School Bell Rock – May 1959 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 20 –2.24
13. Good Looking and Foxy Too – May 1959 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 25 –2.14
He kept at it for a time in the early sixties cutting records that were quickly forgotten. He recorded a number of sides for the Memphis based Home Of The Blues label. He even had a shot with Chicago's Chess Records that produced some unreleased work. Sporadic recordings popped up in the later sixties on Bluesway, Summit, and a couple of labels he started himself. For a time he was a door-to-door salesman selling encyclopedias.
After a long dry spell, Brown's acclaimed performance as part of Johnny Otis' troupe at the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival and a 1973 LP for ABC-BluesWay began to rebuild his long-lost momentum.
In the late 1970s a compilation LP of his old work brought about a minor revival of interest. In 1978 he had a successful tour in Scandinavia and from 1980 until his death he enjoyed considerable popularity. Shortly before his death he was on a major upswing, performing at the Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, California and headlining the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival during the spring of 1981.
But it came too late; Brown died of a heart attack in 1981 at age 56, his role as a crucial link between postwar R&B and rock's initial rise still underappreciated by the masses. After his death, BB King said “he was my idol” and Bobby Bland added “he was the guy we all tried to sound like, but you know, none of us could”
One commentator wrote: “Roy Brown was one of the originator's of the style of music that took the world by storm in the mid fifties. It is such a raw deal that he did not benefit from the music he helped invent.”
Order CDs featured in this transcript:
Last time we covered blues shouter Wynonie Harris, and in doing so we mentioned Harris’ biggest hit – Good Rockin Tonight. Today we will cover Harris’ contemporary and the man who wrote that track – an R&B star who like Harris, exerted a primary influence on the development of rock & roll, Roy Brown.
Let the man introduce himself …
1. Mighty Mighty Man – Oct 1947 – Hard Luck – Tk 4 –2.29
Roy Brown was 12 years younger than Harris, born in September of 1925 in New Orleans. Like so many of the artists we cover in these sessions, his mother was a church organist and also a director of the local gospel choir, and so like so many black performers before him, young Roy received his musical upbringing from the church. In 1939 Brown's mother passed away and as soon as he finished high school he moved to Southern California. In his late teens he tried his hand at boxing and had a short career numbering eighteen fights. He did well enough winning most of them, but he soon quit the game and looked for something else to do with his life.
At the age of twenty Brown entered an amateur singing contest held at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles by doing an imitation of Bing Crosby. After a few local gigs in the L.A. area, he returned to Louisiana and landed a steady singing job in Shreveport and then on to Texas where he got some work in Houston and Galveston.
In Texas Brown put together a song with a snappy up tempo beat that he called "Good Rockin' Tonight" which got good reaction in the Galveston area.
Pianist Cecil Gant heard the tune and had Brown sing it over the phone to DeLuxe label boss, Jules Braun. Braun was also impressed all of which led to Roy Brown recording the tune in mid 1947 for DeLuxe.
2. Good Rockin Tonight – Jul 1947 – Hard Luck – Tk 1 –3.00
A NO DJ called Dr Daddy O later said of this track, with perhaps just a little exaggeration:
If I had to put my finger on an exact moment when rhythm and blues started in NO it was when RB came out with GRT. That really turned things around for music in NO. GRT was the first instance where NO felt there was such a thing as black music
(Daddy O is an interesting character – an arts professor from Chicago Dr Vernon Winslow who became NO first black DJ – working through to the early 1980s)
The record was an immediate sensation and despite inadequate distribution by DeLuxe, was soon a national hit. Along the way however, a strange thing happened. Wynonie Harris who had originally thought very little of the song had a change of heart and recorded his version for King Records and soon his cover version outsold the original and became a country wide sensation, and was later covered by Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many more early rock icons.
In Aug 1948, DeLuxe was sold to Cincinnati's King Records, the purchase was made to secure Brown’s recording contract, and this brought him to the same label that had Wynonie Harris.
Roy Brown didn't have to wait long to dominate the R&B lists. He scored 15 hits from mid-1948 to late 1951 for DeLuxe. Here are a few of them
3. Rockin at Midnight – Jan 1949 – Very Best – Tk 3 –2.42
4. Fanny Brown – Jan 1949 – Very Best – Tk 4 –2.45
And a typical double entendre number from the period:
5. Butcher Pete – Nov 1949 – Very Best – Tk 7 –2.26
His biggest ever hit came in 1950 - crying blues
6. Hard Luck Blues – April 1950 – Hard Luck – Tk 13 –3.04
Strangely, his sales slumped badly from 1952 on, even though his output for King Records rate among his hottest house rockers.
The decline of his fortunes coincided with his successfully winning a lawsuit against King Records for unpaid royalties in 1952, one of the few African-American musicians to do so in the 1950s. This has led some to believe that Brown may have been unofficially blacklisted.
7. Hurry Hurry Baby – Dec 1952 – Very Best – Tk 17 –2.27
Track covering Big Mama Thornton’s Hound Dog, which she recorded in 1952 and released early in 1953, and his own number from 1947
8. Mr Hound Dog’s In Town – March 1953 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 1 –2.31
Another track from 1954
9. Gal From Kokomo – May 1954 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 12 –2.34
An update on the fortunes of Miss Fanny Brown, also from 1954
10. Fanny Brown Got Married – Sept 1954 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 13 –2.22
11. Black Diamond – Sept 1954 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 15 –2.31
Brown was unable to cash in on the rock & roll idiom he helped to invent and in late 1956 King Records dropped him after a decade with DeLuxe and the King label.
He returned to King in 1959, but the tracks were sometimes excruciating
12. School Bell Rock – May 1959 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 20 –2.24
13. Good Looking and Foxy Too – May 1959 – Mighty Mighty Man – Tk 25 –2.14
He kept at it for a time in the early sixties cutting records that were quickly forgotten. He recorded a number of sides for the Memphis based Home Of The Blues label. He even had a shot with Chicago's Chess Records that produced some unreleased work. Sporadic recordings popped up in the later sixties on Bluesway, Summit, and a couple of labels he started himself. For a time he was a door-to-door salesman selling encyclopedias.
After a long dry spell, Brown's acclaimed performance as part of Johnny Otis' troupe at the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival and a 1973 LP for ABC-BluesWay began to rebuild his long-lost momentum.
In the late 1970s a compilation LP of his old work brought about a minor revival of interest. In 1978 he had a successful tour in Scandinavia and from 1980 until his death he enjoyed considerable popularity. Shortly before his death he was on a major upswing, performing at the Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, California and headlining the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival during the spring of 1981.
But it came too late; Brown died of a heart attack in 1981 at age 56, his role as a crucial link between postwar R&B and rock's initial rise still underappreciated by the masses. After his death, BB King said “he was my idol” and Bobby Bland added “he was the guy we all tried to sound like, but you know, none of us could”
One commentator wrote: “Roy Brown was one of the originator's of the style of music that took the world by storm in the mid fifties. It is such a raw deal that he did not benefit from the music he helped invent.”
Order CDs featured in this transcript:
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Screamin Jay Hawkins
Screamin Jay Hawkins – Broadcast May 2008
Today we will cover a man who by far the most outrageous performer during rock's dawn. Prone to emerging out of coffins onstage, a flaming skull named Henry his constant companion, Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an insanely theatrical figure long before it was even remotely acceptable.
And Hawkins' life story is almost as bizarre as his onstage performances.
1. Little Demon – 1956 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 2 –2.24
Jalacy J. Hawkins is born in Cleveland (Ohio),. He is placed in an orphanage as an infant and adopted at the age of 18 months by some Blackfoot Indians.
Jalacy begins to show an interest in the piano and soon learns to read and write music. He admired opera singers Paul Robeson and Enrico Caruso and later studied piano and opera at the Ohio Conservatory of Music.
At the age of 14, Jay begins boxing, before dropping out of school to join the army.
He starts playing the tenor sax in military, and spends his time as an entertainer.. Hawkins however, later claimed that he fought in the Pacific and was a POW for 18 months.
While still in the military, won a number of amateur boxing competitions, and later, in 1948 the middleweight championship of Alaska.
Hawkins got his first musical break in 1951 as pianist to veteran jazz guitarist Tiny Grimes.
On leaving Tiny Grimes, he began drifting between bands - he was fired out of Fats Domino's band for continually upstaging the boss by wearing a gold and leopard-skin outfit and turban.
He was eventually encouraged to turn solo by Wynonie Harris.
In the early 1950’s he had a number of goes at recording a track he called "Screamin' Blues", including one session with Atlantic records chief Ahmet Ertegun who wanted Hawkins to sing smoothly - like popular 1950s crooner Fats Domino. The tracks were never released.
He then moved to the Columbia subsidiary Okeh.
OKeh producer Arnold Maxim wanted Hawkins to re-record "I put a spell on you" and Maxim wants it wild. He decided to turn the session into a picnic, supply Jay and the musicians with enough food, beer and whiskey, then turn on the tape. Hawkins later told the Los Angeles Times: "[Maxim] got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version. I don't even remember making the record.‘
The track was released as "I put a spell on you" and is a sensation; At first the snorting delivery gets it banned from radio stations across the country. "They said it was cannibalistic, that it sounded like a man eating somebody," Hawkins has told the Washington Post. So OKeh edited the offensive portions and the song eventually sold more than a million copies
2. I Put a Spell On You – 1956 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 1 –2.29
This recording was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
New York DJ Alan Freed convinces Screamin' Jay that popping out of a coffin might be a show-stopping gimmick . Hawkins then begins barnstorming the country with his coffin, his skull and his extremely odd repertoire of deconstructed standards and novelty songs.
"The cats dig my wardrobe", Jay said in 1957. "Sometimes I mix it up. Last night [part of a week's engagement at the Apollo with Dr. Jive's Rhythm & Blues Revue] I did a show wearing a green turban, red tux, purple tie and white shoes. Man, the chicks were gassed..."
3. Frenzy – May 1957 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 6 –2.09
His toured through the US in the late 1950s are full of stories about mishaps with his stage props.
Once at the Apollo Theatre he got locked in his stage coffin through a misunderstanding with a mermber of the Drifters, who were supporting him.
He was inside it, dressed in a white tuxedo, tails, gloves, hat, cane, spats and all. He panicked, and started kicking it open from the inside. The coffin fell of its display stand and when it hit the floor it busted open. The audience thought it was part of the act, but Jay fell out, got up and started swinging.
I commenced to punchin' out every Drifter I ran into. I hit about three of them and had my sights on Ben E. King. They didn't show for the last two shows. It took seven years before we started talking again."
4. Yellow Coat – May 1958 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 11 –2.21
Like many 1950s rockers, Hawkins had a difficult time in the following decade. He worked in clubs in Hawaii and toured US military bases in the Far East.
Hawkins then joined forces with female singer called Shoutin' Pat Newborn who suffered burns when one of Hawkins' fuseboxes exploded at a club in Miami while she was watching his act. Nevertheless, they became close friends and formed a partnership: Screamin' Jay and Shoutin' Pat.
5. Ashes – 1962 – Spells &Potions Disc 2 – Tk 3 –2.49
While in Honolulu Jay Hawkins married a very pretty woman six years his junior. The marriage do not please Pat, who stuck a nine-inch butcher's knife into Jay's chest, puncturing his lung and diaphragm.
In early 1965, he went to UK for his first British tour. Jay emerged from UK customs at six in the morning, setting fire to his beard as he made his entrance.
The tour opened at Wallington Town Hall:
‘he ran on and off stage, did the splits, played piano, waved his cloak like a rabid bullfighter and screamed a slew of rock'n'roll classics for well over an hour. Jay clutched his friendly skull Henry throughout throughout his act and even made the thing smoke a cigarette’
Subsequently Hawkins has a profound influence on Arthur Brown, who copied his style. The famous stage act was also replicated by the rock group Black Sabbath (Ozzy Osbourne) for its fans.
In June 1969 he recorded a live album at a North Hollywood, Club Amigo. A fairly conventional track was released as a single with this one on its B side
6. Constipation Blues – 1969 –Voodoo Jive – Tk 17 –4.20 –play
Another track from the same session shows Hawkin’s innovation with lyrics:
"I would deliberately try to concoct lyrics that created weird images for the listener. I'd go into drugstore soda fountains and steal menus, read advertising flyers from grocery stores, then sit down and see what I could come up with."
7. Feast of the Mau Mau – 1969 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 15 –3.29
During the 1970s Hawkins split his time between Hawaii, New York City, where he played in local clubs, and Europe, where he remained a popular attraction. He quit drinking in 1974 and found he can do "I put a spell on you" just as well sober as he could drunk.
By this stage he is collecting royalties from the many cover versions of his songs, including Nina Simone and Creedence Clearwater Revival, who in 1965 and 1967 both covered "I put a spell on you"
Track from a 1973 Nashville album
8. Itty Bitty Pretty One – 1969 – Blues Collection – Tk 2 –2.26
In 1976 Hawkins suffered second degree burns and temporary blindness when he was burned on stage by one of his trademark flaming stage props. This results in a two years break from touring.
In Dec 1979 he recorded a disco version of I Put a Spell On You with Keith Richards supporting, and a year later, he opened the Rolling Stones concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Following the use of his music in a couple of films, and his own personal appearances, interest in Hawkins now mounted in earnest and a wider audience began to appreciate Hawkins's talents. He began touring the United States regularly.
In Paris, in 1988 at the Hotel Méridien: Screamin' Jay Hawkins live recording for Black & Blue Records
9. Lawdy Miss Clawdy - 1988 – Live & Crazy - Tk 1 –5.18 –play
In 1991 he was again in Australia and in Sydney recording the album I SHAKE MY STICK AT YOU
Track from a 1993 albun called Stone Crazy
10. Strange - 1993 – Stone Crazy - Tk 1 –3.15
11. Stone Crazy - 1993 – Stone Crazy - Tk 5 –2.35
In June 1996 The performance of Screamin' Jay Hawkins closes the "13th Chicago Blues Festival".
Dime-store fright props litter his piano, including a huge rabid rat, a motorized severed hand and a hopping black spider. Set on a platform just to Hawkins' left is a toilet (for the "Constipation blues") and a coffin (sadly never used). The singer, decked out all in red with a long feather boa, assaults the crowd with classics Hawkins shouts and screams, the 3-foot-long (plastic) bone he frantically waives and the tiny one he puts in his nose, and, most of all, the walking staff complete with cigarette smoking skull,‘
In Feb 1998, Screamin' Jay Hawkins is honored with the Pioneer Award at the 9th annual Rhythm & Blues Foundation dinner and awards ceremony at New York's Sheraton Hotel, hosted by Smokey Robinson.
Hawkins died in France on Feb 12 2000 at the age of 70 after surgery to treat an aneurysm.
Hawkins had nine wives (the last a 29 year old in 1998, when he was 68), and lots of children, about 55 were known (or suspected) upon his death. A friend set up a website to get them all together and the 55 soon became 75.
Finish up with a track from the album he recorded in Australia in 1991
12. Rock, Australia Rock - 1991 – I Shake My Stick At You - Tk 11 –3.45
Order CDs featured in this transcript:
Today we will cover a man who by far the most outrageous performer during rock's dawn. Prone to emerging out of coffins onstage, a flaming skull named Henry his constant companion, Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an insanely theatrical figure long before it was even remotely acceptable.
And Hawkins' life story is almost as bizarre as his onstage performances.
1. Little Demon – 1956 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 2 –2.24
Jalacy J. Hawkins is born in Cleveland (Ohio),. He is placed in an orphanage as an infant and adopted at the age of 18 months by some Blackfoot Indians.
Jalacy begins to show an interest in the piano and soon learns to read and write music. He admired opera singers Paul Robeson and Enrico Caruso and later studied piano and opera at the Ohio Conservatory of Music.
At the age of 14, Jay begins boxing, before dropping out of school to join the army.
He starts playing the tenor sax in military, and spends his time as an entertainer.. Hawkins however, later claimed that he fought in the Pacific and was a POW for 18 months.
While still in the military, won a number of amateur boxing competitions, and later, in 1948 the middleweight championship of Alaska.
Hawkins got his first musical break in 1951 as pianist to veteran jazz guitarist Tiny Grimes.
On leaving Tiny Grimes, he began drifting between bands - he was fired out of Fats Domino's band for continually upstaging the boss by wearing a gold and leopard-skin outfit and turban.
He was eventually encouraged to turn solo by Wynonie Harris.
In the early 1950’s he had a number of goes at recording a track he called "Screamin' Blues", including one session with Atlantic records chief Ahmet Ertegun who wanted Hawkins to sing smoothly - like popular 1950s crooner Fats Domino. The tracks were never released.
He then moved to the Columbia subsidiary Okeh.
OKeh producer Arnold Maxim wanted Hawkins to re-record "I put a spell on you" and Maxim wants it wild. He decided to turn the session into a picnic, supply Jay and the musicians with enough food, beer and whiskey, then turn on the tape. Hawkins later told the Los Angeles Times: "[Maxim] got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version. I don't even remember making the record.‘
The track was released as "I put a spell on you" and is a sensation; At first the snorting delivery gets it banned from radio stations across the country. "They said it was cannibalistic, that it sounded like a man eating somebody," Hawkins has told the Washington Post. So OKeh edited the offensive portions and the song eventually sold more than a million copies
2. I Put a Spell On You – 1956 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 1 –2.29
This recording was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
New York DJ Alan Freed convinces Screamin' Jay that popping out of a coffin might be a show-stopping gimmick . Hawkins then begins barnstorming the country with his coffin, his skull and his extremely odd repertoire of deconstructed standards and novelty songs.
"The cats dig my wardrobe", Jay said in 1957. "Sometimes I mix it up. Last night [part of a week's engagement at the Apollo with Dr. Jive's Rhythm & Blues Revue] I did a show wearing a green turban, red tux, purple tie and white shoes. Man, the chicks were gassed..."
3. Frenzy – May 1957 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 6 –2.09
His toured through the US in the late 1950s are full of stories about mishaps with his stage props.
Once at the Apollo Theatre he got locked in his stage coffin through a misunderstanding with a mermber of the Drifters, who were supporting him.
He was inside it, dressed in a white tuxedo, tails, gloves, hat, cane, spats and all. He panicked, and started kicking it open from the inside. The coffin fell of its display stand and when it hit the floor it busted open. The audience thought it was part of the act, but Jay fell out, got up and started swinging.
I commenced to punchin' out every Drifter I ran into. I hit about three of them and had my sights on Ben E. King. They didn't show for the last two shows. It took seven years before we started talking again."
4. Yellow Coat – May 1958 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 11 –2.21
Like many 1950s rockers, Hawkins had a difficult time in the following decade. He worked in clubs in Hawaii and toured US military bases in the Far East.
Hawkins then joined forces with female singer called Shoutin' Pat Newborn who suffered burns when one of Hawkins' fuseboxes exploded at a club in Miami while she was watching his act. Nevertheless, they became close friends and formed a partnership: Screamin' Jay and Shoutin' Pat.
5. Ashes – 1962 – Spells &Potions Disc 2 – Tk 3 –2.49
While in Honolulu Jay Hawkins married a very pretty woman six years his junior. The marriage do not please Pat, who stuck a nine-inch butcher's knife into Jay's chest, puncturing his lung and diaphragm.
In early 1965, he went to UK for his first British tour. Jay emerged from UK customs at six in the morning, setting fire to his beard as he made his entrance.
The tour opened at Wallington Town Hall:
‘he ran on and off stage, did the splits, played piano, waved his cloak like a rabid bullfighter and screamed a slew of rock'n'roll classics for well over an hour. Jay clutched his friendly skull Henry throughout throughout his act and even made the thing smoke a cigarette’
Subsequently Hawkins has a profound influence on Arthur Brown, who copied his style. The famous stage act was also replicated by the rock group Black Sabbath (Ozzy Osbourne) for its fans.
In June 1969 he recorded a live album at a North Hollywood, Club Amigo. A fairly conventional track was released as a single with this one on its B side
6. Constipation Blues – 1969 –Voodoo Jive – Tk 17 –4.20 –play
Another track from the same session shows Hawkin’s innovation with lyrics:
"I would deliberately try to concoct lyrics that created weird images for the listener. I'd go into drugstore soda fountains and steal menus, read advertising flyers from grocery stores, then sit down and see what I could come up with."
7. Feast of the Mau Mau – 1969 – Voodoo Jive – Tk 15 –3.29
During the 1970s Hawkins split his time between Hawaii, New York City, where he played in local clubs, and Europe, where he remained a popular attraction. He quit drinking in 1974 and found he can do "I put a spell on you" just as well sober as he could drunk.
By this stage he is collecting royalties from the many cover versions of his songs, including Nina Simone and Creedence Clearwater Revival, who in 1965 and 1967 both covered "I put a spell on you"
Track from a 1973 Nashville album
8. Itty Bitty Pretty One – 1969 – Blues Collection – Tk 2 –2.26
In 1976 Hawkins suffered second degree burns and temporary blindness when he was burned on stage by one of his trademark flaming stage props. This results in a two years break from touring.
In Dec 1979 he recorded a disco version of I Put a Spell On You with Keith Richards supporting, and a year later, he opened the Rolling Stones concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Following the use of his music in a couple of films, and his own personal appearances, interest in Hawkins now mounted in earnest and a wider audience began to appreciate Hawkins's talents. He began touring the United States regularly.
In Paris, in 1988 at the Hotel Méridien: Screamin' Jay Hawkins live recording for Black & Blue Records
9. Lawdy Miss Clawdy - 1988 – Live & Crazy - Tk 1 –5.18 –play
In 1991 he was again in Australia and in Sydney recording the album I SHAKE MY STICK AT YOU
Track from a 1993 albun called Stone Crazy
10. Strange - 1993 – Stone Crazy - Tk 1 –3.15
11. Stone Crazy - 1993 – Stone Crazy - Tk 5 –2.35
In June 1996 The performance of Screamin' Jay Hawkins closes the "13th Chicago Blues Festival".
Dime-store fright props litter his piano, including a huge rabid rat, a motorized severed hand and a hopping black spider. Set on a platform just to Hawkins' left is a toilet (for the "Constipation blues") and a coffin (sadly never used). The singer, decked out all in red with a long feather boa, assaults the crowd with classics Hawkins shouts and screams, the 3-foot-long (plastic) bone he frantically waives and the tiny one he puts in his nose, and, most of all, the walking staff complete with cigarette smoking skull,‘
In Feb 1998, Screamin' Jay Hawkins is honored with the Pioneer Award at the 9th annual Rhythm & Blues Foundation dinner and awards ceremony at New York's Sheraton Hotel, hosted by Smokey Robinson.
Hawkins died in France on Feb 12 2000 at the age of 70 after surgery to treat an aneurysm.
Hawkins had nine wives (the last a 29 year old in 1998, when he was 68), and lots of children, about 55 were known (or suspected) upon his death. A friend set up a website to get them all together and the 55 soon became 75.
Finish up with a track from the album he recorded in Australia in 1991
12. Rock, Australia Rock - 1991 – I Shake My Stick At You - Tk 11 –3.45
Order CDs featured in this transcript:
Bluesnews 17 March 2009
Hello again. Here is another edition of a newsletter setting out all the blues news for South East Queensland.
I finally got to see my first Peregian Original’s show last weekend. This free event happens on the grass beside the Peregian Surf Club every second Sunday (or thereabouts), and highlights Sunshine Coast musicians. It’s a great atmosphere – you can sit on the Surf Club balcony, or have a picnic on the grass (there’s a bottle shop across the road) and enjoy four acts from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Last Sunday’s event headlined a band who impressed at Woodford – A French Butler Called Smith.
Unfortunately, this very popular event, (which has been running for around nine years) is being hassled by a group of (not very nearby) neighbours who don’t like the noise/cars/happy faces/life in general/whatever. The event organisor, Jay Bischoff, is doing a great job trying to keep these residents happy and the music happening.
You can join his email newsletter and get notified of future events here. Make the trip one Sunday to see for yourself.
And don’t forget, you can see this newsletter on the net. Click here
Cheers
Mark Hipgrave
0418 556048
NEWS
RADIO/TV
FESTIVALS
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
NEWS
John Cephas, Guitarist With the Duo Cephas and Wiggins, Dies at 78
John Cephas, a guitarist and singer who kept the Piedmont blues style alive as part of the duo Cephas and Wiggins, died on Wednesday 4 March at his home in Woodford, Va. He was 78.
The cause was pulmonary fibrosis, said his companion, Lynn Volpe.
Since teaming with the harmonica player Phil Wiggins in 1977, Mr. Cephas had been one of Piedmont style’s most prominent exponents, winning a National Heritage Fellowship in 1989 from the National Endowment for the Arts. Cephas and Wiggins were regulars at music festivals around the world.
More here and here.
Willie King, Bluesman, Is Dead at 65
Alabama blues singer and guitarist Willie King died Sunday near his home in the rural community known as Old Memphis, 8 March. He was 65.
His death was announced on his website.
The NY Times reported:
He died suddenly of a heart attack, said Rick Asherson, who had been playing keyboards with him for several years.
With a voice reminiscent at times of Howlin’ Wolf and a style similar to John Lee Hooker’s, Mr. King appeared at blues festivals here and abroad. He first came to prominence outside west Alabama with his critically acclaimed 2001 CD, “Freedom Creek,” on the Rooster Blues record label. He brought an understanding of history and contemporary subject matter to songs like “Second Coming,” which invoked John Brown and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Mr. King started the Freedom Creek Festival in 1997 on his farm on Freedom Creek in Pickens County, Ala., near the Mississippi state line. Since then, it has attracted top blues musicians and bands. It is scheduled for May 29 and May 30 this year. Mr. Asherson said there were hopes of keeping the festival going as a memorial to Mr. King.
Robert Johnson Speeded Up??
Arthur Elliott sent me this link to an interesting article which was published on the web a few years ago.
It starts out:
An abiding mystery about Robert Johnson is the rpm conundrum. Is it true, as a Japanese musician told me it is widely held to be in Japan, that Robert Johnson’s records play way too fast? Should he actually sound much more like his great mentor, Son House?
And finishes off with
If the theory I’ve advanced is not completely crazy, a possible motive for speeding up Johnson’s records might have been to try to make them more exciting for an age in which the Delta tradition he came out of was already a thing of the past.
The author includes sound bites of RJs music as currently published, and slowed down. It’s an interesting proposition. Check it out for yourself.
The theory has generated lots of comment on guitar bulletin boards
If that’s not enough, here is a recent article on the continuing arguments surrounding RJ’s burial site.
If you want more here is a review of a book ‘Crossroads: The Life and Afterlife of Blues Legend Robert Johnson’ published in Oct last year
Press Articles – Various
John Lee Hooker Jr.’s drug addiction almost killed him, but it also gave him the blues, from Boulder Weekly
Bob Dylan announces 'romantic' new album release date, from The Guardian
Alan W. Livingston, Talent Spotter Who Signed Beatles, Dies at 91, from the NY Times
A Tradition for 20 Years: Allman Band at the Beacon, also from the NY Times
BB King & Buddy Guy Play the Beacon, NY, from Jam Base
That 1 Guy in Chicago, also from Jam Base (he’s playing at ECBRF)
RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE
Arthur Elliot reports on his upcoming Sidestream shows– for Brisbane listeners 99.7 FM, Wed 7pm to 9pm.
There is new music galore in Sidestream on March 18, with top class CDs from Canada’s Annabelle Chvostek, the Hot Club of Cowtown, Buddy Miller, Danny Schmidt, Euphonia, the duo Liz Carroll & John Doyle, and others.
More new music follows in the blues hour at 8pm, with Chris James & Patrick Rynn, Fontaine Brown, Bobby Jones, Mitch Kashmar, and Steve James, plus Kate Meehan and Roadhouse Rebels from Australia.
In the first hour of Sidestream on Wed March 25, you’ll hear music from Roger McGuinn, Catherine MacLellan, the Field Mouse Conspiracy, Konono No.1, Rodney Crowell, and Australian bands Sunas and Symbiosis.
Then from 8pm, there’s an hour of blues, with excellent recent albums from Collard Greens & Gravy, Mark Easton, Leigh Sloggett, and Steve James, as well as Asa Broomhall, Eddie Martin, Roomful of Blues and more.
The Daily Planet, Weekend Planet and Music Deli (ABC Radio National)
The Daily Planet website, the Weekend Planet website and The Music Deli website all have links to shows broadcast over the past few weeks.
Check out the James Hunter past program on the Daily Planet archive for 4 March
Coming Up On ABC2 TV
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - 70s Rock
7:00am Sunday, 22 Mar
Joni Mitchell: Woman Of Heart And Mind
7:55am Sunday, 22 Mar
Wyclef Jean's All Star Jam At Carnegie Hall
10:00pm Monday, 23 Mar
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - World Music
7:00am Sunday, 29 Mar
Johnny Cash: Behind Prison Walls
7:55am Sunday, 29 Mar
Classic Albums - Deep Purple: Machine Head
5:10pm Sunday, 29 Mar
Full program details are here
You Tube Selections
Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater from 1978
Willie King -1
Willie King -2
FESTIVALS
ECBRF Announces More Acts and a Cabaret Stage
Easter is now only a few weeks away. Last week, the organizers announced:
‘New artists announced today include recent Grammy award winning Zydeco master Terrance Simien, the toast of the last Tamworth music awards Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, well-known Kiwi icon of sheer songwriting quality Tim Finn, ska-punk-funk legends Fishbone (exclusive Bluesfest performance), singer / guitarist from the righteously popular Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, and one-man rhythm and groove band, and absolute hit of the recent Woodford festival, That 1 Guy.’
We told you about the new InDIG stage, a few weeks ago. Taking the lead from the very successful and popular cabaret stage at Woodford, the ECBRF people have added their own:
‘Bluesfest 2009 introduces a brand new Cabaret stage featuring international and local artists including – Mic Conway’s National Junk Band, Mojo JuJu & The Snake Oil Merchants, Opposable Thumbs, Old Spice Boys, Pugsley Buzzard, Kush Cabaret and a further assorted motley crew of jugglers, fire eaters and twirlers, ferals and real live hippies!
You might recall I raved about Mojo JuJu after her appearance at Woodford. Let’s hope she brings the mechanical cow and the milkmaid!
It’s also good to see the Old Spice Boys get a gig again after an absence of a few years.
Full details on the ECBRF are here
Brisbane Blues Festival
Festival founder Rob Hudson writes:
The Brisbane Blues Festival finds a new home at The Jubilee Hotel in Fortitude Valley on Saturday, May 16 and this year’s line-up features some rare treats.
The Chrome Daddies, after being on an extended hiatus are back as well as Big Kitty and the Scaredy Cats. Johnny Hucker and Coojee Timms perform rare solo spots and crowd favourites Natural Ball, Blind Lemon, Asa Broomhall and Mojo Webb return to the festival stage.
Add in new boys and girl band Mama Voodoo and you have daylong feast of the blues. Doors open at 2PM and tickets will be available at the door on the day. More information at www.brisbanebluesfestival.com or 3252-4508
Wintersun 2009
It’s a while off but,
Australia's Leading Rock & Roll Nostalgia Retro Event....
Wintersun 2009 starts on Friday 29th May and ends with the huge Best of Wintersun Concert on Monday 8th June. Wintersun is Australia's leading annual Retro Nostalgia Festival. Featuring almost 1500 Hot Rods, Custom and Classic Cars, more than 100 bands and performers, dancing, movies, and competitions.
The festival is held in the border coastal towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on the New South Wales & Queensland border. Many events are free, some are in the streets while others are in the local clubs and shopping centres.
The lineup is now available here.
Blues on Broadbeach
The lineup for this festival, at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast from Wed 27 May to Sun 31 May has been announced
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
There is more blues at the Palmwoods Hotel in March:
Entering the 3rd month of 2009 and with the worldwide recession in full swing, the Palmwoods Hotel is providing a stimulus package tailored for dancing, carousing and partying the economic woes into submission.
On Sat March 21, from 5.30pm, the Palmwoods triples the value of your blues & roots dollars
With no less than 3 of the East Coasts premier blues and roots acts on the bill for the all inclusive price of $0, maybe K Rudd should be jumping the courtesy bus and shaking out the cabinet cobwebs at the sunshine coasts home of quality blues & roots
Mark Easton likes to sing about the skeletons in his closet. Back in the 80’s he was the hard living frontman of Sydney rockers “The Candy Harlots”. These days, he’s a little more considered in his lifestyle choices but no less hard core when it comes to performing his blues. His new album “Money Is The Root Of Evil” is the realization of his musical and philosophical vision and will be available for the first time at the show
Long regarded as one of the sunshine coasts finest singer/songwriters, Asa Broomhall will be returning with his rocking 3some to continue the high quality roots rhythms as day turns to night and the bar staff start to run
The last time Mojo Webb played Palmwoods, he was recovering from a shocking motorbike accident which left him in intensive care. After 3 months of 7 nights a week playing in Thailand, its hard to know if he’s recuperated but there’s no doubt that he’s playing better than ever and with his roadhardened band in tow, the joint will be rockin…if not reelin
At the Jubilee Hotel in the Valley, every Sunday afternoon, commencing 2pm:
· Sat 21 March BASEQ Rent Party with Blind Lemon
· Sun 22 March Bushfire Fundraiser
· Sat 18 April Blues Harmonica Blowout, featuring Ian Collard, Mojo Webb, Jamie Symons, Mark Gibbons, Greg Baker & more to be announced. Ian Collard will be back the next day running a harmonica workshop
· Sat 2 May 09 Even Divas Get The Blues with Kate Meehan & Skip Landy, Mama Voodoo + More
And mark your diary:
· Fortitude Valley Festival of Blues Sat. 25 Jul 09, with Muddy Waters' Number 1 Boy Child - Mud Morganfield + more
Coming up at The Troubabour
· Sat 21 March Dallas Frasca, Blackwater Fever and Texas Tea
· Sun 22 March Martin Martini
At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi
Look out for:
· Fri 20 March Bill Chambers
· Sat 21 March Martin Martini
· Thurs 26 March Luka Bloom
· Sat 28 March Dallas Frasca
· Fri 3 April Ruthie Foster
At The Tivoli you can catch
· Thurs 19 March Eric Bibb
· Sat 28 March Luka Bloom
· Sun 5 April CW Stoneking
· Sat 11 April Zappa plays Zappa
At the Cooly Hotel
· Sun 21 March Mason Rack Band
· Fri 3 April The Go Set
And at The Judy.
Coming up:
· Sat 21 March Dhafer Youssef
· Thurs 2 April Ruthie Foster
At The Zoo
· Sat 21 March The Gin Club
· Sun 5 April Paprika Balkanicus
At The Soundlounge, Currumbin
· Fri 27 March Dallas Frasca, Blackwater Fever & Texas Tea
And look out for Lori Lee’s next outings:
· Sat 2 May The Vaudevillains cd launch at The Step Inn with The Jim Rockfords and more.
More details here
Lori let slip last week that after a few years without an international headliner at Greazefest, she has got one booked for this year’s festival, coming up on the weekend of 30 July to 2 Aug.
I finally got to see my first Peregian Original’s show last weekend. This free event happens on the grass beside the Peregian Surf Club every second Sunday (or thereabouts), and highlights Sunshine Coast musicians. It’s a great atmosphere – you can sit on the Surf Club balcony, or have a picnic on the grass (there’s a bottle shop across the road) and enjoy four acts from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Last Sunday’s event headlined a band who impressed at Woodford – A French Butler Called Smith.
Unfortunately, this very popular event, (which has been running for around nine years) is being hassled by a group of (not very nearby) neighbours who don’t like the noise/cars/happy faces/life in general/whatever. The event organisor, Jay Bischoff, is doing a great job trying to keep these residents happy and the music happening.
You can join his email newsletter and get notified of future events here. Make the trip one Sunday to see for yourself.
And don’t forget, you can see this newsletter on the net. Click here
Cheers
Mark Hipgrave
0418 556048
NEWS
RADIO/TV
FESTIVALS
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
NEWS
John Cephas, Guitarist With the Duo Cephas and Wiggins, Dies at 78
John Cephas, a guitarist and singer who kept the Piedmont blues style alive as part of the duo Cephas and Wiggins, died on Wednesday 4 March at his home in Woodford, Va. He was 78.
The cause was pulmonary fibrosis, said his companion, Lynn Volpe.
Since teaming with the harmonica player Phil Wiggins in 1977, Mr. Cephas had been one of Piedmont style’s most prominent exponents, winning a National Heritage Fellowship in 1989 from the National Endowment for the Arts. Cephas and Wiggins were regulars at music festivals around the world.
More here and here.
Willie King, Bluesman, Is Dead at 65
Alabama blues singer and guitarist Willie King died Sunday near his home in the rural community known as Old Memphis, 8 March. He was 65.
His death was announced on his website.
The NY Times reported:
He died suddenly of a heart attack, said Rick Asherson, who had been playing keyboards with him for several years.
With a voice reminiscent at times of Howlin’ Wolf and a style similar to John Lee Hooker’s, Mr. King appeared at blues festivals here and abroad. He first came to prominence outside west Alabama with his critically acclaimed 2001 CD, “Freedom Creek,” on the Rooster Blues record label. He brought an understanding of history and contemporary subject matter to songs like “Second Coming,” which invoked John Brown and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Mr. King started the Freedom Creek Festival in 1997 on his farm on Freedom Creek in Pickens County, Ala., near the Mississippi state line. Since then, it has attracted top blues musicians and bands. It is scheduled for May 29 and May 30 this year. Mr. Asherson said there were hopes of keeping the festival going as a memorial to Mr. King.
Robert Johnson Speeded Up??
Arthur Elliott sent me this link to an interesting article which was published on the web a few years ago.
It starts out:
An abiding mystery about Robert Johnson is the rpm conundrum. Is it true, as a Japanese musician told me it is widely held to be in Japan, that Robert Johnson’s records play way too fast? Should he actually sound much more like his great mentor, Son House?
And finishes off with
If the theory I’ve advanced is not completely crazy, a possible motive for speeding up Johnson’s records might have been to try to make them more exciting for an age in which the Delta tradition he came out of was already a thing of the past.
The author includes sound bites of RJs music as currently published, and slowed down. It’s an interesting proposition. Check it out for yourself.
The theory has generated lots of comment on guitar bulletin boards
If that’s not enough, here is a recent article on the continuing arguments surrounding RJ’s burial site.
If you want more here is a review of a book ‘Crossroads: The Life and Afterlife of Blues Legend Robert Johnson’ published in Oct last year
Press Articles – Various
John Lee Hooker Jr.’s drug addiction almost killed him, but it also gave him the blues, from Boulder Weekly
Bob Dylan announces 'romantic' new album release date, from The Guardian
Alan W. Livingston, Talent Spotter Who Signed Beatles, Dies at 91, from the NY Times
A Tradition for 20 Years: Allman Band at the Beacon, also from the NY Times
BB King & Buddy Guy Play the Beacon, NY, from Jam Base
That 1 Guy in Chicago, also from Jam Base (he’s playing at ECBRF)
RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE
Arthur Elliot reports on his upcoming Sidestream shows– for Brisbane listeners 99.7 FM, Wed 7pm to 9pm.
There is new music galore in Sidestream on March 18, with top class CDs from Canada’s Annabelle Chvostek, the Hot Club of Cowtown, Buddy Miller, Danny Schmidt, Euphonia, the duo Liz Carroll & John Doyle, and others.
More new music follows in the blues hour at 8pm, with Chris James & Patrick Rynn, Fontaine Brown, Bobby Jones, Mitch Kashmar, and Steve James, plus Kate Meehan and Roadhouse Rebels from Australia.
In the first hour of Sidestream on Wed March 25, you’ll hear music from Roger McGuinn, Catherine MacLellan, the Field Mouse Conspiracy, Konono No.1, Rodney Crowell, and Australian bands Sunas and Symbiosis.
Then from 8pm, there’s an hour of blues, with excellent recent albums from Collard Greens & Gravy, Mark Easton, Leigh Sloggett, and Steve James, as well as Asa Broomhall, Eddie Martin, Roomful of Blues and more.
The Daily Planet, Weekend Planet and Music Deli (ABC Radio National)
The Daily Planet website, the Weekend Planet website and The Music Deli website all have links to shows broadcast over the past few weeks.
Check out the James Hunter past program on the Daily Planet archive for 4 March
Coming Up On ABC2 TV
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - 70s Rock
7:00am Sunday, 22 Mar
Joni Mitchell: Woman Of Heart And Mind
7:55am Sunday, 22 Mar
Wyclef Jean's All Star Jam At Carnegie Hall
10:00pm Monday, 23 Mar
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - World Music
7:00am Sunday, 29 Mar
Johnny Cash: Behind Prison Walls
7:55am Sunday, 29 Mar
Classic Albums - Deep Purple: Machine Head
5:10pm Sunday, 29 Mar
Full program details are here
You Tube Selections
Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater from 1978
Willie King -1
Willie King -2
FESTIVALS
ECBRF Announces More Acts and a Cabaret Stage
Easter is now only a few weeks away. Last week, the organizers announced:
‘New artists announced today include recent Grammy award winning Zydeco master Terrance Simien, the toast of the last Tamworth music awards Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, well-known Kiwi icon of sheer songwriting quality Tim Finn, ska-punk-funk legends Fishbone (exclusive Bluesfest performance), singer / guitarist from the righteously popular Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, and one-man rhythm and groove band, and absolute hit of the recent Woodford festival, That 1 Guy.’
We told you about the new InDIG stage, a few weeks ago. Taking the lead from the very successful and popular cabaret stage at Woodford, the ECBRF people have added their own:
‘Bluesfest 2009 introduces a brand new Cabaret stage featuring international and local artists including – Mic Conway’s National Junk Band, Mojo JuJu & The Snake Oil Merchants, Opposable Thumbs, Old Spice Boys, Pugsley Buzzard, Kush Cabaret and a further assorted motley crew of jugglers, fire eaters and twirlers, ferals and real live hippies!
You might recall I raved about Mojo JuJu after her appearance at Woodford. Let’s hope she brings the mechanical cow and the milkmaid!
It’s also good to see the Old Spice Boys get a gig again after an absence of a few years.
Full details on the ECBRF are here
Brisbane Blues Festival
Festival founder Rob Hudson writes:
The Brisbane Blues Festival finds a new home at The Jubilee Hotel in Fortitude Valley on Saturday, May 16 and this year’s line-up features some rare treats.
The Chrome Daddies, after being on an extended hiatus are back as well as Big Kitty and the Scaredy Cats. Johnny Hucker and Coojee Timms perform rare solo spots and crowd favourites Natural Ball, Blind Lemon, Asa Broomhall and Mojo Webb return to the festival stage.
Add in new boys and girl band Mama Voodoo and you have daylong feast of the blues. Doors open at 2PM and tickets will be available at the door on the day. More information at www.brisbanebluesfestival.com or 3252-4508
Wintersun 2009
It’s a while off but,
Australia's Leading Rock & Roll Nostalgia Retro Event....
Wintersun 2009 starts on Friday 29th May and ends with the huge Best of Wintersun Concert on Monday 8th June. Wintersun is Australia's leading annual Retro Nostalgia Festival. Featuring almost 1500 Hot Rods, Custom and Classic Cars, more than 100 bands and performers, dancing, movies, and competitions.
The festival is held in the border coastal towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on the New South Wales & Queensland border. Many events are free, some are in the streets while others are in the local clubs and shopping centres.
The lineup is now available here.
Blues on Broadbeach
The lineup for this festival, at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast from Wed 27 May to Sun 31 May has been announced
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
There is more blues at the Palmwoods Hotel in March:
Entering the 3rd month of 2009 and with the worldwide recession in full swing, the Palmwoods Hotel is providing a stimulus package tailored for dancing, carousing and partying the economic woes into submission.
On Sat March 21, from 5.30pm, the Palmwoods triples the value of your blues & roots dollars
With no less than 3 of the East Coasts premier blues and roots acts on the bill for the all inclusive price of $0, maybe K Rudd should be jumping the courtesy bus and shaking out the cabinet cobwebs at the sunshine coasts home of quality blues & roots
Mark Easton likes to sing about the skeletons in his closet. Back in the 80’s he was the hard living frontman of Sydney rockers “The Candy Harlots”. These days, he’s a little more considered in his lifestyle choices but no less hard core when it comes to performing his blues. His new album “Money Is The Root Of Evil” is the realization of his musical and philosophical vision and will be available for the first time at the show
Long regarded as one of the sunshine coasts finest singer/songwriters, Asa Broomhall will be returning with his rocking 3some to continue the high quality roots rhythms as day turns to night and the bar staff start to run
The last time Mojo Webb played Palmwoods, he was recovering from a shocking motorbike accident which left him in intensive care. After 3 months of 7 nights a week playing in Thailand, its hard to know if he’s recuperated but there’s no doubt that he’s playing better than ever and with his roadhardened band in tow, the joint will be rockin…if not reelin
At the Jubilee Hotel in the Valley, every Sunday afternoon, commencing 2pm:
· Sat 21 March BASEQ Rent Party with Blind Lemon
· Sun 22 March Bushfire Fundraiser
· Sat 18 April Blues Harmonica Blowout, featuring Ian Collard, Mojo Webb, Jamie Symons, Mark Gibbons, Greg Baker & more to be announced. Ian Collard will be back the next day running a harmonica workshop
· Sat 2 May 09 Even Divas Get The Blues with Kate Meehan & Skip Landy, Mama Voodoo + More
And mark your diary:
· Fortitude Valley Festival of Blues Sat. 25 Jul 09, with Muddy Waters' Number 1 Boy Child - Mud Morganfield + more
Coming up at The Troubabour
· Sat 21 March Dallas Frasca, Blackwater Fever and Texas Tea
· Sun 22 March Martin Martini
At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi
Look out for:
· Fri 20 March Bill Chambers
· Sat 21 March Martin Martini
· Thurs 26 March Luka Bloom
· Sat 28 March Dallas Frasca
· Fri 3 April Ruthie Foster
At The Tivoli you can catch
· Thurs 19 March Eric Bibb
· Sat 28 March Luka Bloom
· Sun 5 April CW Stoneking
· Sat 11 April Zappa plays Zappa
At the Cooly Hotel
· Sun 21 March Mason Rack Band
· Fri 3 April The Go Set
And at The Judy.
Coming up:
· Sat 21 March Dhafer Youssef
· Thurs 2 April Ruthie Foster
At The Zoo
· Sat 21 March The Gin Club
· Sun 5 April Paprika Balkanicus
At The Soundlounge, Currumbin
· Fri 27 March Dallas Frasca, Blackwater Fever & Texas Tea
And look out for Lori Lee’s next outings:
· Sat 2 May The Vaudevillains cd launch at The Step Inn with The Jim Rockfords and more.
More details here
Lori let slip last week that after a few years without an international headliner at Greazefest, she has got one booked for this year’s festival, coming up on the weekend of 30 July to 2 Aug.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Louisiana Red
Louisiana Red - Broadcast March 2009
Last session we covered American folk singer Odetta, who died aged 77 in late 2008. In doing so, we mentioned that Odetta’s obituary in the NY Times listed our subject today as being her third husband. But other sources say that they were only ‘companions”
Interestingly, there is no disputing any of the reports regarding the names of Odetta’s first two husbands – Don Gordon 1959 and Gary Shead late 60’s. Now Gordon was a black film and television actor… but more interesting to me is that the Washington Post listed Gary Shead as being the Australian Painter Gary Shead. Now as far as I can determine, there is only one Australian painter Gary Shead, (born 1942) and who lives south of Sydney. This Gary Shead won the Archibald prize in 1993
So if this is true – in the late 60s, America’s folk queen who would have been in her late 30’s married an Australian artist 10 years her junior.
The third husband, or perhaps companion whom she married in 1977, is Iverson Minter, better known as Louisiana Red
Interestingly this is not mentioned at all in Minter’s website, although he lists two other wives
Let the man introduce himself..
1 I am Louisiana Red – 1962 – Low Down Back Porch – Tk 3 – 3.32
Just as there is uncertainty about whether Minter was actually married to Odetta, (not that that really matters) there’s also uncertainty about his origins. His own website says he was born in Bessemer, Alabama in 1932. However virtually every other document says he was born in 1936 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I think the 1936 date is correct.
What seems undisputed is that his mother died one week later from pneumonia. Five years later his father was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. He was in various orphanages in New Orleans for three years until his grandmother took him to live in Pittsburgh.
She bought him a guitar when he was eleven, and at fourteen he was in the streets playing for change with Orville Witt (one-string tub bass) and Frank Flowers (harmonica). He spent a year in a reformatory after he was caught up in a grocery store hold-up.
In 1950, at age 14 he left Pittsburgh and headed to Michigan, where he got work in the Oldsmobile plant
At 16 he enlisted in the army and spent time in Korea
.After his discharge, he continued drifting and hanging around clubs, studying the blues greats of the da, imitating the masters and developing his own style. He spent two years in the late 1950s as part of the Detroit blues scene, playing with the likes of Little Walter, Eddie "Guitar" Burns, John Lee Hooker and Eddie Kirkland. He recorded many times during these years, including minor sessions for Checker, Fury and Atlas preceded his first major session for the Roulette label
During this time he recorded under various pseudonyms including Rocky Fuller, Guitar Red and Playboy Fuller before settling on "Louisiana Red," a nickname apparently derived from his love of Louisiana hot sauce.
He became a typical example of the lone bluesman ("just me and my guitar"), and many of his songs are rooted in his own personal experiences.
In 1960, he moved to New Jersey and married. In 1962, he met up with producer Henry Glover and his first album, Lowdown Back Porch Blues, was recorded in New York and released in 1963. A track from this album became a national hit.
Listen out to the lyrics - great imagery as to how he would go to the UN and solve the Cuban Missile Crisis, and fix up the US Senate by installing .
Ray Charles and Lightnin' Hopkins
And a guy like Jimmy Reed
Bo Diddley and Big Mabel
Be all I need!"
2 Reds Dream – 1962 – Low Down Back Porch – Tk 1 – 2.48
Another autobiographic number preceding the civil rights marches of the mid 60s, with the lyrics “ride on to your freedom, make the Northern states your home”
3 Ride On Red, Ride On – 1963 – Low Down Back Porch – Tk 7 – 2.52
Red was often characterized as a ‘sponge’ for the music he heard around him, and in the mid 60’s he was doing eerily correct recreations of tracks by masters such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Jimmy Reed. Muddy Waters once said of him ”Well I’ll be damned, that boy sounds just like me”
Muddy Waters number …
4 Rolling Stone – Oct 1965 – Best Of – Tk 2 – 3.06
Elmore James’ style, if not his lyrics can be heard in this track from Nov 1965
5 Freight Train To Ride – Nov 1965 – Best Of – Tk 8 – 3.30
It’s interesting that Red cut a few records as Elmore James Jr
From 1965 to 73 he recorded with producer Herb Abrahamson cutting 78 songs, but only two were released
In 1972, his first wife died of cancer, leaving him with three children to support.
In 1976, he recorded an album with guitarist Lefty Dizz, which was promptly stored away for over twenty years before being released in 2001.
Side note -Lefty Dizz, real name Walter Washington was a flamboyant Chicago bluesman, born around the same time as Red, in 1937 but who died on cancer in 1993. Dizz played with Junior Wells, JB Lenoir and Hound Dog Taylor, but recorded very little under his own name
Start with a few minutes a track recorded at this 1976 session which clearly shows JLHs influence.
6 Going Train Blues – 1976 – Walked All Night Long – Tk 9 – 4.47, play 3.00 then fade
Another track from this session, where the singer is threatening to murder his partner
7 I’ll Pay the Price – 1976 – Walked All Night Long – Tk 10 – 3.08
This track was written by Kent Cooper - a white journalist and songwriter who managed Red for a while, and who obviously had a few issues in his personal relationships.
Cooper regarded Red as an artist of the style of John Lee Hooker or Lightning Hopkins, an intense, mood-setter of a bluesman with a great improvisatory style. His interest in recording Red led to several well regarded albums.
In this live number from a 1978 London club date, he continues the same theme as the last, with a track by the same songwriter, Kent Cooper
It would be hard to miss you baby/with my pistol in your mouth
You might be thinking about going up north/but your brains is staying south
8 Sweet Blood Call – 1978 – Blues Collection – Tk 5 – 3.43
During the early 1980's, Louisiana Red moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at the urging of his friend, harp player Bob Corritore. Red played around town in the local blues clubs and festivals, and recorded the album "Sitting Here Wonderin", which years later came out on the Earwig label. Title track ….
9 Sittin Here Wonderin – Mid 1982 – Sittin Here Wonderin – Tk 6 – 3.36
During the 1980's, the demand for traditional blues in the U.S. seemed at an all-time low, and Red left Phoenix in 1982 to tour Europe. As part of this tour, Red visited Germany, and at the urging of friend and then Hanover resident, pianist Champion Jack Dupree, took an apartment in the same building that Jack lived in. In moving to Europe he joined the long line of US bluesmen like Memphis Slim, Willie Mabon, Wddie Boyd and others. He has lived in Hanover ever since, with his wife Dora whom he married in 1984.
Track recorded in London, in 1990. Elmore James style number with one Jon Cleary on piano
10 Valerie – 1990 – Blues Collection – Tk 4 – 3.43
Red’s ongoing interest in topical and political themes is evident from this track from early 2002
11 Sept 11 Blues – April 2002 – No Turn on Red – Tk 4 – 4.16
Fred McDowell track recorded 18 months later
12 You Got To Move – Sept 2003 – No Turn on Red – Tk 8 – 3.33
Red maintains a busy recording and performing schedule - Tour Schedule for early 2009 shows in Ghana in Jan and early Feb, Netherlands in Feb, Germany and Greece in March and UK in April and early May, and a month in USA in July.
Red has been around for almost as long as Buddy Guy, and to some extent deserves the same stature. But some bad luck early in his career, and his isolation in Europe from the early 80s has meant that he has never received the recognition he deserves.
Close out with a 2003 version of a track Red first recorded in 1965. This is Red’s New Dream. Here he dreams of a trip to Mars and he recounts his conversations with the head Martian
13 Red’s New Dream – Sept 2003 – No Turn on Red – Tk 10 – 5.36
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bluesnews 28 Feb 2009
Feb 28 2009
Hello again. Here is another edition of a newsletter setting out all the blues news for South East Queensland.
And don’t forget, you can see this newsletter plus a whole lotta interesting blues history stuff originally broadcast on the 4ZZZ Nothin’ But the Blues show (Tues nights, 10pm 102.1 FM), on the net. Click here
Cheers
Mark Hipgrave
0418 556048
NEWS
RADIO/TV
FESTIVALS
CD LAUNCHES & REVIEWS
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
NEWS
New Orleans guitarist Snooks Eaglin dies at 72
Snooks Eaglin, the idiosyncratic New Orleans rhythm & blues guitarist with fleet-fingered dexterity and a boundless repertoire, died Wednesday afternoon. He was 72.
"He was the most New Orleans of all the New Orleans acts that are still living," said Mid-City Lanes owner John Blancher.
Even in a city and musical community known for eccentric characters, Mr. Eaglin stood out. Extremely private, he lived with his family in St. Rose. For many years, he refused to perform on Friday nights, reportedly because of religious reasons.
The digits on Mr. Eaglin's right hand flailed at seemingly impossible angles as he finger-picked and strummed a guitar's strings. A set by the so-called "Human Jukebox" could range from Beethoven's "Fur Elise" to Bad Company's "Ready for Love."
More here from the Times Picayune
The NY Times wrote in its obit:
“He played with a certain finger style that was highly unusual,” said the pianist Allan Toussaint, who was 13 when he formed a band with Mr. Eaglin. “He was unlimited on the guitar. Folks would assume, ‘I can do this or I can do that,’ but Snooks wouldn’t. There was nothing he couldn’t do. It was extraordinary.”
Mr. Eaglin was scheduled to perform this year at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, where he was a popular draw. Quint Davis, the event’s producer, said his death leaves a hole in the festival and also in the city’s music scene.
“His death is like losing a Dizzy Gillespie, a Professor Longhair, a Johnny Adams or a Gatemouth Brown,” Mr. Davis said. “He’s one of those unique giants of New Orleans music.”
Here is Snooks live, courtesy of Bob Corritore
Hi Fi Bar & Cloudland to open in Brisbane
Located at 123 Boundary St, West End, (near The Music Kafe) the Hi Fi Bar people from Melbourne plan to open on Wed 29 April, with a venue that will rival the Tivoli and The Zoo in its ability to handle larger audiences. (well at least that’s what I read in the Courier Mail, so it must be true…..)
...The Hi-Fi is on its way to West End. Who you say? Well we have been running Melbourne’s iconic live music venue, The Hi-Fi, for over 10 years and like all Mexicans we’re looking for any excuse to get well up north of the border. Our pledge is great live music and an insane amount of rhythmical largesse.
Details, including a gig guide for May, are here
And after lots of delays, a new bar/restaurant/venue called Cloudland will open at the city end of the Valley at the end of March – details here and here.
Bushfire and Flood Benefits
Lori Lee ran a bushfire benefit raffle at the Rockabilly Bop on Feb 21, and others too have swung into action:
Byron Bay Beach Hotel auction and raffle
The major event will be held at the Beach Hotel on Sunday the 8th March from 2pm to 6pm. Pub goers on the day will be encouraged to donate a minimum of $10 on the door as an entry fee to start the fundraising. The day will feature special guest performances, raffles and an auction.
I can’t find a lineup yet, but one might appear soon here.
And there is a big concert coming up in Melbourne on March 14, and there is also one at the Tivoli on Fri 6 March, but the website sways it is sold out.
There’s also one coming up at The Jubilee on Sun March 22 – see below.
2009 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
The Blues Foundation recently announced the inductees for the Blues Hall of Fame in 2009, …..
including "Soul Queen of New Orleans" Irma Thomas and multiple GRAMMY Award winner Taj Mahal, as well as late Chicago bluesman Son Seals and the Reverend Gary Davis.
Austin club owner Clifford Antone, discographer Mike Leadbitter and radio programmer and producer Bob Porter will be the non-performers inducted this year. The book I Hear You Knockin' by Jeff Hannusch was selected as a Classics of Blues Literature. The induction ceremony will be held at The Blues Foundation's Charter Member Dinner on Wednesday, May 6, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 30th Blues Music Awards. Taj Mahal and Irma Thomas will both attend the induction ceremony.
The following singles or album tracks will be inducted during the ceremony: “Boom Boom” by John Lee Hooker; “Caldonia” by Louis Jordan; and “Sitting on Top of the World” by the Mississippi Sheiks. These albums were also chosen for induction: Amtrak Blues by Alberta Hunter; T-Bone Blues by T-Bone Walker; and the 2 CD set Blues With a Feeling (Newport Folk Festival Classics) by Various Artists.
More here
Press Articles – Various
Kelly Groucutt: bass player with the Electric Light Orchestra dies, from TimesOnline
The Annual UMiss Blues Symposium Approaches, from BC Music
Retro Redux: Tommy Cash - Singin' In The Shadow, also from BC Music
Acclaimed jazz drummer Louis Bellson dies at 84, from the Houston Chronicle
Joe Cuba, Bandleader and the Father of Latin Boogaloo, Dies at 78, from the NY Times
Molly Bee, 69, Country Music Hit Singer, Is Dead, also from the NY Times
Dayton blues musician Piney Brown dead, from Dayton Daily News
Lux Interior, 62, Singer in the Punk-Rock Era, Is Dead, from NY Times
Head Butler on Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, Live at Hollywood Bowl………..and a review from Pop Matters here
Gatemouth Brown to Get Historical Marker, from the Blues Foundation
Will the real reunion band please stand up?, from the Guardian
Dallas building where legendary Robert Johnson recorded could face wrecking ball, from Dallas Morning News
Remembering Odetta, from the NY Times
If you haven’t had enough Leonard Cohen articles, here are a few more:
Pop Music’s Perpetual Old Man, Now 74, Is Back on the Road, from the NY Times
On the Road, for Reasons Practical and Spiritual, also from the NY Times
Leonard Cohen Dazzles at NY Tour Warmup, from Billboard
Head Butler on Leonard Cohen (with a video clip)
RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE
Arthur Elliot reports on his upcoming Sidestream shows– for Brisbane listeners 99.7 FM, Wed 7pm to 9pm.
There’s a wide variety of music in the 4 March edition of ‘Sidestream’. We play tracks from the new unreleased album by Toowoomba’s Jimmy Watts Band. Other music in the first hour includes the Celtic sounds of Grada, a mix of Indian and Canadian music from Harry Manx, great playing from locals Dan Rumour & The Drift, bluegrass from Widow Maker, a song from Bon Iver, a classic from Jorma Kaukonen, and more.
In the blues hour at 8pm, we showcase the mighty skills of Joe Bonamassa, with other blues coming from Caloundra’s Rob Tognoni, an award-winning album from Fiona Boyes, new music from Mark Easton, a great new track from Sean Taylor, and others.
Sidestream on 11 March features a new release from Byrds’ founder Roger McGuinn, including his version of ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
We also have music from Old Crow Medicine Show, a new CD from Danny Schmidt, Australia’s Melanie Horsenell, new music from Jorma Kaukonen, and top guitarist Tony McManus.
The blues hour at 8pm has great music from Phoebe Snow, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Mia Dyson, Doc Span, Rory Gallagher, local Suzannah Espie, and more.
The Daily Planet, Weekend Planet and Music Deli (ABC Radio National)
The Daily Planet website, the Weekend Planet website and The Music Deli website all have links to shows broadcast over the past few weeks.
Coming Up On ABC2 TV
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - Masters of Jazz
7:00am Sunday, 01 Mar
Classic Albums - Lou Reed: Transformer
5:10pm Sunday, 01 Mar
Classic Albums - Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley
5:10pm Sunday, 08 Mar
John Lennon: Live In New York City
4:15pm Sunday, 01 Mar
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - Women of Song
7:00am Sunday, 08 Mar
Elvis Costello: Live In Memphis
8:00am Sunday, 08 Mar
Gimme Some Truth: The Making Of John Lennon's Imagine Album
9:00am Sunday, 08 Mar
Ray Davies: The World From My Window
3:30pm Sunday, 08 Mar
Full program details are here
You Tube Selections
You can spend (waste?) your whole life looking for music on You Tube. Here are a few that have come to me recently:
Lux Interior and the Cramps - http://www.arthurmag.com/2009/02/10/lux-eternal/
RL Burnside – Poor Black Mattie - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8RtayjqqIw
Shemekia Copeland on the David Letterman Show, 20 Feb
http://www.3030fm.com/2009/02/21/shemekia-copeland-david-letterman-show-22009/
And I know this is ‘off-the-topic’ but my brother (who lives in Beijing) sent me this. He knows this guy. It’s good. Trust me:
Dear Friends,
You have received this email because you are in my address book. I do not question how you got there but you are and so I am sending you this email.
You may have heard/read that Tourism Queensland have advertised for the post of Island Caretaker on Hamilton Island dubbed "the best job in the world" http://www.islandreefjob.com/en/
I have submitted an application video which is now online:
http://www.islandreefjob.com/applicants/watch/H0X_R1K1wUs
The video was filmed in Beijing and I hope you will take the time to click on the link and watch it (run time: 60 seconds).
At the end of the video there is a special appearance by former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke filmed specially for the video!
Hopefully the application is good enough for inclusion in the final selection of 50 shortlisted candidates.
The shortlist, from over 34,000 applications, will be announced on 2 March
FESTIVALS
Blue Mountains Music Festival
The 2009 Festival is on March 13, 14, 15. Details are here.
Kiama Jazz & Blues Festival
This festival runs on the same weekend as the Blue Mountains festival - Friday 13th March to Sunday 15th March. Details are here.
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WINTERSUN 2009
It’s a while off but,
Australia's Leading Rock & Roll Nostalgia Retro Event....
Wintersun 2009 starts on Friday 29th May and ends with the huge Best of Wintersun Concert on Monday 8th June. Wintersun is Australia's leading annual Retro Nostalgia Festival. Featuring almost 1500 Hot Rods, Custom and Classic Cars, more than 100 bands and performers, dancing, movies, and competitions.
The festival is held in the border coastal towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on the New South Wales & Queensland border. Many events are free, some are in the streets while others are in the local clubs and shopping centres.
There is no artist listing yet ….
Blues on Broadbeach
The lineup for this festival, at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast from Wed 27 May to Sun 31 May has been announced
No big overseas names that I can see, but a solid lineup none the less
CD LAUNCHES & REVIEWS
The people at Allmusic provide a good list of blues albums released in the USA during the past two weeks
You can also check out the Arizona USA based Blues Bytes review site for reviews of recently issued albums.
The Rhythms Magazine website also features reviews of locally available albums.
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REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES
There is more blues at the Palmwoods Hotel in March:
Entering the 3rd month of 2009 and with the worldwide recession in full swing, the Palmwoods Hotel is providing a stimulus package tailored for dancing, carousing and partying the economic woes into submission.
Kicking off march on Saturday the 7th (at 8pm) will be a band that has gone from journeyman pub rockers to a drawcard at major festivals across the country. Blind Lemon were judged SE Qld’s favourite blues band in 2008 and with packed houses clamouring for more at Woodford and the Australian Blues festival at Goulburn, nobody is in any doubt that they are more than ready for their debut performances at the East Coast Blues & Roots festival at Byron Bay over Easter
Then on Sat March 21, from 5.30pm, the Palmwoods triples the value of your blues & roots dollars
With no less than 3 of the East Coasts premier blues and roots acts on the bill for the all inclusive price of $0, maybe K Rudd should be jumping the courtesy bus and shaking out the cabinet cobwebs at the sunshine coasts home of quality blues & roots
Mark Easton likes to sing about the skeletons in his closet. Back in the 80’s he was the hard living frontman of Sydney rockers “The Candy Harlots”. These days, he’s a little more considered in his lifestyle choices but no less hard core when it comes to performing his blues. His new album “Money Is The Root Of Evil” is the realization of his musical and philosophical vision and will be available for the first time at the show
Long regarded as one of the sunshine coasts finest singer/songwriters, Asa Broomhall will be returning with his rocking 3some to continue the high quality roots rhythms as day turns to night and the bar staff start to run
The last time Mojo Webb played Palmwoods, he was recovering from a shocking motorbike accident which left him in intensive care. After 3 months of 7 nights a week playing in Thailand, its hard to know if he’s recuperated but there’s no doubt that he’s playing better than ever and with his roadhardened band in tow, the joint will be rockin…if not reelin
And K Rudd? Well he’ll just have to wait for the courtesy bus like everybody else!!
Doug McLeod is visiting Australia in March (for the Port Fairy Folk Festival and the Mossvale Music Festival in Leongatha,) but only doing one show in Qld – on Fri 13 March – at St Bernards Hotel 101 Alpine Tce, Mt Tamborine P: 5545 1177
Doug was last here in 2005 where he played two nights in Brisbane (at The Piney, I recall) and also at the Blues on Broadbeach Festival.
At the Jubilee Hotel in the Valley, every Sunday afternoon, commencing 2pm:
· Sun 1 March Mick Hadley & the Atomic Boogie Band
· Sun 8 March Mike Frost & The Icemen
· Sun 15 March 1 Natural Ball
· Sat 21 March BASEQ Rent Party with Blind Lemon
· Sun 22 March Bushfire Fundraiser
And mark your diaries for:
· Blues Harmonica Blowout Sat April 18, featuring Ian Collard, Mojo Webb, Jamie Symons, Mark Gibbons, Greg Baker & more to be announced. Ian Collard will be back the next day running a harmonica workshop
· Even Divas Get The Blues Sat 2 May 09 with Kate Meehan & Skip Landy, Mama Voodoo + More
· Fortitude Valley Festival of Blues Sat. 25 Jul 09, with Muddy Waters' Number 1 Boy Child - Mud Morganfield + more
And while we are here, Mark Doherty’s regular Monday night jam – Blue Monday with Mark D’s Big 3, which until Oct last year was held at the Music Kafe in West End, is recommencing at the Jubilee, every Monday from March 2, at 7.30pm
Coming up at The Troubabour
Sat 21 March Dallas Frasca, Blackwater Fever and Texas Tea
Sun 22 March Martin Martini
At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi
Look out for:
· Thurs 5 March Preston Reed (Ireland)
· Fri 6 March Matt McHugh
· Sat 7 March Paul Greene
· Fri 20 March Bill Chambers
· Sat 21 March Martin Martini
· Thurs 26 March Luka Bloom
· Sat 28 March Dallas Frasca
· Fri 3 April Ruthie Foster
At The Tivoli you can catch
· Thurs 12 March Cat Emoire
· Thurs 19 March Eric Bibb
· Sat 28 March Luka Bloom
At the Cooly Hotel
· Sun 21 March Mason Rack Band
And at The Judy.
I feel bad that I didn’t highlight the Mary Coughlan show here last Wed, where the Irish singer performed songs from her latest album – The House of Ill Repute. If you were there – good. If you missed it, well, as they say in the USA ‘my bad’
Here is what Timesonline said about it
Coming up:
· Sat 21 March Dhafer Youssef
· Thurs 2 April Ruthie Foster
At The Zoo
· Sat 21 March The Gin Club
At The Powerhouse
· Wed 4 March Preston Reed
At The Soundlounge, Currumbin
· Sun 1 March Mia Dyson
· Fri 6 March Tommee Trio
· Fri 27 March Dallas Frasca, Blackwater Fever & Texas Tea
Margret RoadKnight is visiting from Victoria, exactly a year after her last Brisbane concert
Sat night, March 7th, 7.30 - 11pm @ Brisbane Jazz Club (1 Annie St, Kangaroo Point)
Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Ballads, African songs ....& more
She will be supported by keyboardist Mary Jane Carpenter and percussionist Kym Ambrose
And look out for Lori Lee’s next outings:
· Saturday March 14 Rocket to Memphis Warren Earl & The Atomic Rockers Paulie & His Crazy Rhythm Boys DJ Lori Lee The Troubadour, Brunswick St Mall, Fortitude Valley
More details here
In her latest newsletter, Lori writes:
Loud, Punchy & Meaningless?
The Noosa Regional Gallery is holding an exhibition from February 27 - March 28 to showcase a collection of music posters. The exhibition with the debatable title of "Loud, Punchy and Meaningless?" is being held to explore the culture of music events and festivals in Australia and how this is represented in poster design.
The exhibition will include a couple of rockabilly posters designed by Lori Lee, including the recent Rockabilly Xmas Party poster and one of the Rockabilly Psychosis posters. Mimi Kersting will also have a poster featured in the display.
I'm a bit curious over the title of the exhibition, as I don't consider any of the shows I hold to be 'meaningless', but let the gallery and the public come to their own conclusion about that.
Noosa Regional Gallery, Pelican Street (behind the Noosa Council) Tewantin, Feb 27 – Mar 28
I agree with Lori. If you are in Noosa over the next few weeks, have a look yourself.
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