Quarterly Publication of the Lehigh Valley Blues Network ISSUE 78 W inter 2009 LVBN to Hold Annual Membership Meeting The LVBN will hold their annual Elections and host a General Membership meeting on Sunday February 15th at the Salisbury Fire Company. The meeting will begin at 4PM sharp. Come early and have a beverage and some food at the bar. Board of Director positions and President of the LVBN are all up for election this year. The office of VicePresident is not due until 2010 (the President and Vice-President hold two-year terms, in alternating years). A letter went out to all members in October 2008 requesting nominees by end of December 2008. Board of Director duties include, but are not limited to, attending monthly Board of Directors meetings, staffing the Sunday jam, assisting with our quarterly Bluesnet publication, staff LVBN events, staff LVBN booth at area Blues Festivals. Also included are Merchandising, web site, membership, and volunteer committee involvement. (For more information please see the LVBN By-Laws on our web site www.lvbn.org) The work is rewarding but sometimes falls inordinately on the board of directors’ shoulders. Please plan to attend the General Membership meeting on Sunday February 15th. The Sunday Jam will follow the meeting. Annual Meeting Sunday, February, 15 Salisbury Fire Co. 4 p.m. Sharp Andrew ‘Jr. Boy’ Jones to Star In Godfrey Daniels/LVBN Show Mark your calendars for Saturday April 18, 2009 when the LVBN partners with Godfrey Daniels to present WC Handy nominee Andrew ‘Jr. Boy’ Jones. Guitarist, songwriter and singer Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones began working professionally at age 16 with Freddie King's backing band, the Thunderbirds. He got his first guitar from his uncle, jazz musician Adolphus Sneed. Jones cites an eclectic array of influences: Freddie King, Cornell Dupree and Larry Carlton. For many years, he's backed various Dallas-area vocalists on guitar, but in the mid-1990s, he came into his own as a vocalist with an album for JSP Records, I Need Time (1997), which showcases his crafty songwriting, great guitar playing, and powerful singing. In 1967, Jones joined Dallas-area vocalist Bobby Patterson's outfit, the Mustangs. Through most of the 1970s, Jones backed various artists, including Patterson, Johnnie Taylor and Charlie Robertson. In late 1987, he went to California and joined the Silent Partners with bassist Russell Jackson and drummer Tony Coleman, the latter of whom is best known for his work with B.B. King's orchestra. Jones recorded with Bay-area piano player and singer Katie Webster on her critically praised Alligator Records album, Swamp Boogie Queen. Jones met harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite at a Sonny Rhodes recording session, and Musselwhite persuaded him to stay in California and join his band. Jones played guitar on Musselwhite's three late-1980s/early1990s albums for Alligator Records (Ace of Harps, In My Time, and Signature). He also had the chance to do some extensive world touring with the harmonica master. Andrew ‘Jr. Boy’ Jones Jones left Musselwhite's band amicably in the mid-1990s and is now back in Dallas, where he accompanies Dallasarea blues singers like R.L. Griffin, Hal Harris and the Lowlifers, and others. In early 2005, Andrew and 43rd Big Idea Records began planning for Jr Boy’s 4th CD a live recording that captures the true essence of Andrew’s sound, enthusiasm and the spirit that led to Jr Boy’s previous WC Handy nomination and had catapulted him back into the blues limelight as one of this countries living blues legends. Advance tickets are $15.00/$20.00 at the door and available through Godfrey Daniels – BYOB (Beer/Wine only) www.godfreydaniels.org 610-8672390 • 7 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015 Lehigh Valley Blues Network PO Box 20865 Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0865 www.lvbn.org OFFICERS President......................Walt Garvin Vice President...Glenn Wasserman Secretary...................Allison DelRe Treasurer....................Mike Carlson Directors...................Bill Hubbardl Dave Irvine Matt Roman Lori Donovan John White COMMITTEES Membership......Glenn Wasserman Merchandising......................(open) Concert..............Glenn Wasserman Website.............Glenn Wasserman NEWSLETTER Managing Editor............Scott Davis Assistant Editor..........John White Writers..........................Walt Garvin Carl Snyder Dave Howell Scott Davis Photography.................Scott Davis ADVERTISING Full Page...........................$90.00 Half-Page..........................$50.00 Quarter-Page....................$30.00 Business Card...................$15.00 Contact: Glenn Wassserman [email protected] DEADLINES From the Prez Greetings Blues Lovers! Happy New Year and welcome to 2009 from all of your friends here at the LVBN. I don’t know about you but there are quite a few people who are glad to see 2008 hit the dustbin of history. Like them, I am hopeful that 2009 will usher in the much-needed change for the New Year. This is the 1st edition of Bluesnet for the New Year and I want to thank our editor, Scott Davis, for getting us off to a great start. The LVBN has a lot of plans that you’ll find out about in this issue of Bluesnet, so let’s give you a preview. First off is the 25th International Blues Challenge scheduled for February 4-7, 2009 in Memphis, TN. This event is hosted by The Blues Foundation and its affiliates, including the LVBN. Representing the LVBN this year is the Friars Point Band, and Donovan-Roberts will be doing the honors in the Solo-Duo category. Good luck to everybody. Our General Membership meeting and Board of Directors elections is scheduled for the same month so please make your plans to attend and vote for our officers and directors. Remember to renew your membership, or if you are new to the LVBN join now, by registering on line at our web site. Your support goes a long way in helping the LVBN to keep the blues alive. Later in April the LVBN will be partnering with Godfrey Daniels on Bethlehem’s South Side to bring in WC Handy nominee “Andrew ‘Jr. Boy’ Jones”. Get your tickets early for this show – It is sure to be one you won’t want to miss. All of these stories are in this issue of Bluesnet - So sit back, put on some Blues tunes, and enjoy your new issue. Get in the groove and join the LVBN for what looks to be a great New Year! All the best! All contributions and advertising must be submitted by deadline: Acceptable formats and items include Microsoft Word, Text Files, e-mail, PDF and image files. Materials can be mailed to above address or e-mailed to [email protected]. The Lehigh Valley Blues Network is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Blues in the greater Lehigh Valley area. 2 Walt Garvin The Lehigh Valley Blues Network is a proud affiliate of www.wlvbn.org ON THE AIR MONDAY 6-8 P.M. ........The Dutchman Show WMUH-FM 91.7......The Dutchman Allentown, PA 6-8 P.M. ...............Briefcase Blues* WLVR-FM 91.3.............Dave Behn Bethlehem, PA 8-10 P.M. ........Solid Sender Show* WLVR-FM 91.3................Jim Mertz Bethlehem, PA 10 P.M.-1 A.M. ............The Rev Mr. WLVR-FM 91.3 Capwell Show* Bethlehem, PA 11 P.M.-1 A.M. ...........Blues Cruise WDIY-FM 88.1 Allentown, PA TUESDAY 3-5 P.M. ............Bluesday Tuesday* WLVR-FM 91.3.........Rich Cristman Bethlehem, PA 11 P.M.-1 A.M. ..............After Hours WDIY-FM 88.1 .........Steve Capwell Allentown, PA WEDNESDAY 6-8 P.M. ......Bob’s Blues Collection WMUH-FM 91.7.......Peter Chomka Allentown, PA SATURDAY 3-5 P.M. ...........................Bluesville WDIY-FM 88.1 ...........Chicago Carl Allentown, PA and others 6-8 P.M. ........Cruisin’ for a Bluesin’ WMUH-FM 91.7...............Jim Mertz Allentown, PA Album of the Year The Mannish Boys - Lowdown Feelin' Curtis Salgado - Clean Getaway Buddy Guy - Skin Deep Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On 7 P.M.-1 A.M. ........The Blues Show WXPN-FM 88.5 ......Johnny Meister Philadelphia, PA *These shows air during school. www.lvbn.org 3 25TH ANNUAL BLUES CHALLENGE TO BE HELD IN MEMPHIS The 25th International Blues Challenge is scheduled for February 4-7, 2009 in Memphis, TN and is sure to be a great one. The event is hosted by The Blues Foundation and it’s affiliates, of which the LVBN is a proud member. Representing the LVBN this year in the Band category is the Friars Point Band. Friars Point has performed several shows as part of their fundraising efforts to travel to Memphis. Brian Berlanda of Friars Point says “Thank you LVBN for this opportunity… We are working hard to do the Lehigh Valley & Pennsylvania proud!!!” Representing the LVBN in the Solo-Duo category in Memphis is Donovan-Roberts. Lori and Jeff have also been busy making arrangements for Memphis. Their final fundraiser was scheduled for January 25th at Magnolia’s Vineyard. The LVBN is delighted to have these great artists represent us at the IBC. Good luck to everybody. Friars Point Band B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Janiva Magness Watermelon Slim Bobby Rush Lil' Ed Magic Slim Billy Sharp drives an 18wheeler. He owns a nightclub in a tough part of Newark, N.J. When you hear him sing, you'd never guess he was 76 years old. On "SEARCHING" he covers material by Bobby Bland, Joe Williams, Joe Turner and B.B. King; he also adds a couple of originals, the hard-rocking title tune, and "Homeless", a spine-chilling slow blues. He is backed up by a band of Lehigh Valley musicians including a three-piece horn section and the late great bassist Al Guerrerro. To order, send check or money order for $10 to Lost World Music, P.O. Box 265, Zionsville PA 18092-0265. 4 www.lvbn.org Chicago Carl’s Corner: “Around the Keys” By Chicago Carl Snyder The other night, on a sudden hunch, I checked YouTube to see if there were any videos of Junior Wells with me on them. There it was - "Trouble No More," from the Lonesome Pines special we did for PBS in Kentucky in 1988. A nice, cooking performance by Junior, who plays some searing harmonica; and the eight-piece band, including three horns, sounds nice and tight. Which was a minor miracle, considering that although it was the middle of the day, most of us were pretty smashed; one of the guys had run out to the liquor store at about 8:30 in the morning. So by the time we were soundchecking onstage, it was pretty hazy from where I stood. And Junior had this ten-dency to talk X-rated (the Lenny Bruce of the blues, I always thought); he liked to end some of his numbers by stopping the band and playing or singing a short cadenza before using a certain vulgar expression to sign off and bring in the final chord. When we were taping for PBS Junior knew he had to be on his good behavior, so he kept it clean. At first. Then he forgot where he was and used the, ahem, vulgar expression. Several times, as I recall. Which made us laugh and prompted the producers to write Junior's agent a letter of complaint. But the bottom line was that they edited what they had to, and wound up with a good show. Junior was an extremely charismatic individual who commanded great respect everywhere in the blues world. This was partly due to his wit--he was extremely funny--and partly due to his ability to empathize with other people, to focus on them and feel their pain. But it was also due to his reputation on the street; it was well known that he had faced down the Blackstone Rangers back in the Sixties. According to the legend, Junior had thrown Jeff Fort, founder of the gang, out of Theresa's one night, after which the gang was supposedly looking for him. And when they caught up to him on the street, he whipped out a shotgun; following that, they left him alone. “Chicago” Carl Snyder trigger twice, with nothing happening. As Junior put it, God had saved both of them. And I thought, maybe I should tell him I used to be a writer; someone should do a book with this man. I didn't act on that impulse, but I did later when I was playing a series of gigs on the Southside with Louis Myers. He was the guitarist and leader of The Aces, a defining group in the history of Chicago blues, but he never became famous, and here he was playing, sandwiched between the door andthe radiator, in a little bar owned by his cousin where he wasn't always getting respect from the customers or the musicians. On one occasion he expressed a wish to be interviewed by a writer, so he could straighten out some things in the historical record. He wanted people to know, for instance, that Little Walter and Otis Spann both played with him before they went with Muddy Waters. So I revealed my true identity, and we taped an interview at his apartment, during which he told me of his god. "It's not the same as your god," he said; then he told me how he believed that all living things embodied spirits--exactly the same thing I believed, though I didn't tell him so. The interview was published in Magic Blues, a nice little magazine put out by the late Lois Ulrey. She decided to promote it by giving Louis a "life-time achievement" award, and the event was scheduled for B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted. Only trouble was, by the time it took place, Louis had been partially disabled by a stroke, and he had to sit there stiff as a board while lesser entertainers, who were theoretically there to salute him, took turns promot-ing themselves. Truly a bittersweet occasion; as they say, that's the blues. The story, Junior allowed to me in one of our pre-gig rap sessions, was real. We were sitting in a club in Canada, and Iwas basically watching and listening while he drank straight gin (doubles and triples) and told stories--of his troubled youth, of his apprenticeship with Muddy Waters, of his tours with the Rolling Stones, of his State Department tours with Buddy Guy. He told me about the time, in his punk days, when he held a gun to a man's head and pulled the www.lvbn.org Band of the Year Magic Slim & the Teardrops Nick Moss & the Flip Tops The Mannish Boys Watermelon Slim & the Workers Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials 5 6 www.lvbn.org Blues Guitar 101 By Craig Thatcher Hello and welcome to another installment of “Blues Guitar: 101.” I thought we might explore BB King's biggest hit, “The Thrill Is Gone,” written by Roy Hawkins, a San Francisco area blues pianist who first released the song in 1951. It became a hit for BB in 1969, on both the pop and R&B charts which was rather unusual for its time. It also charts in at #183 of Rolling Stone magazine's “Greatest 500 Hits of All Time.” Craig Thatcher Anyway, to the song. It is a minor key blues which BB first recorded in the key of Bm: (note: there are later versions in several different keys but we'll stick with BB's first released version). And also, it uses a Major 7th chord voicing (root, 3rd, 5th & 7th tones from the major scale) which is not common to the standard blues form however, its use here is very effective. Here's the form. Notice that I've put the chord changes on the 2nd and 4th beats of each measure. When you listen to the recording you won't actually hear BB play that (because BB doesn't play chords) but you can certainly feel the rhythmic pulse hitting on those beats. When I and many others play this tune, this is usually how the rhythm guitar is played. Of course there are other rhythmic variations to choose from but this is a “101” level article so we'll just stick to what's shown here for now. the changes along with the recording and have fun getting that strong backbeat or “2 & 4” feel going. You want to make it as natural sounding as you possibly can. As I say to my students (this applies to just about everything), “internalize it.” Have fun and and keep on picking the blues. Adios til next time. – Craig Thatcher I've included some easy chord voicings but please feel to use whatever forms you're comfortable with. If you already know some ninth chord forms (major, minor and dominant) try variations of them as substitutions so that you aren't playing the exact same chord form every time you play through the tune. Play along with the record and simply strum your chords beats 2 and 4 with a percussive, short attack. In other words, don't let the chords ring out. We'll cover soloing over these changes in the next installment but for now just play www.lvbn.org 7 Havin’ The Last Word (Alligator) All good things must come to an end. Although many of you might have thought the end of Saffire occured years ago with 2001’s Ain’t Gonna Hush and the 2006 release of their best of CD, Deluxe Edition, that was not the case. Ann Rabson, Gaye Adegbalola and Andra Faye have been pursuing solo careers and projects over the years, and thought it only fit ting that they should get together and officially put the old dog to bed. Havin’ the Last Word is a fitting closure to their storied carreers. There’s the obligatory ribald gems, Bald Eagle and Too Much Butt, just to keep things interesting. There’s Ann Rabson barrelhousing through Travelin’ At the Speed of Love on piano, and her vocals sound good to boot. Gaye sounds good on the opener, Goin Down to the River, and her playing is solid throughout. There are covers here, including Gina DeLuca’s Nothin’ In Your House and E.G. Kight’s Somebody’s Gotta Give. All in all, it’s like a comfortable pair of old shoes. If you like Saffire, try this on. Scott Davis www.blueshound.net BILLY SHARP - Searching (Lost World Music) CLARENCE SPADY - Just Between Us By age seventy-six most people have ended or slowed down their searching, but Billy Sharp is still traveling that blues highway. Sharp takes the road at an easy pace, but he has a lot of backup power with a band that includes three horns ( Dan Batarick on trumpet, and Dave Dionisi and Jed Koch on tenor sax) and two keyboards (producer “Chicago” Carl Snyder on piano and Dan McKinney on organ). The late Al Guerrero contributes his trademark solid bass. The title track and the second, “I’d Rather Be Homeless,” were written by Sharp. The lyrics have the usual “my baby left me” theme. The first has a funky beat, though, and it is hard to resist Sharp’s world weary vocals on the second. “Flip, Flop and Fly” has an easy-going blues feel, a nice change from the usual swing revival treatments of this standard. “If You’re Gonna Walk on My Love” is pretty sad, so much so that it seems to be tongue-in-cheek. Even the overdone “The Thrill Is Gone” gets some drama as Sharp prefaces it with a spoken word introduction about meeting a long lost love on the street. Phil Pilorz, who plays lead guitar on all but one track, does wonderful understated slide here. Sharp has a tender feel for the ballad “Members Only” and hits an upbeat groove on “All Right Okay You Win.” It’s too bad there are only seven tracks. Sharp’s amazingly still clear vocals have a downhome inflection, but also a jazz-like smoothness. If you are searching for something a little different, you’ve found it. Dave Howell 8 (Severn) When I first heard Clarence Spady, about a dozen years ago, I thought "Wow, this guy's got the skills and the intensity to be one of the greats." I wasn't alone; my Chi-town homey,Bill Dahl, dubbed him "the future of the blues." Since then,despite releasing a couple more very compelling albums, the singer-guitarist has allegedly wrestled with some issues that have held him back. No more; both the sound and sense of this marvelous CD testify that from now on, it's full speed ahead for Mr. Spady. Musically, it's more R&B than straight blues, though we get one classic twelve-bar in Be Your Enough, which has a structure and feel reminiscent of Muddy Waters' "Just to be With You." Spady's brand of soul music -smooth, subtle and sexy -- is somewhere in between Walter "Wolfman" Washington and the Ohio Players. It's highly danceable; but when you sit back and focus on the lyrics, you get an inspiring tale of redemption, told by one who knows how it feels to be stuckbehind the 8-ball. "I'll Never Sell You Out" recalls the hijinks of the past: "We used to drive through the night/Riding in fastcars/Looking for another high/To take us back to Mars." It's followed by the inevitable payback, in Enough of You: "Never burn your bridges/Take it from one who burned down the town/No excuses, though I had a few/Baby, give me one more chance/She said, 'I've had enough of you.'" By the time we get to I'll Go, things have turned around: "I'm on a new program, one you might understand/Help me to conquer my fears/And what it takes to be a man." Powerful stuff, straight from the heart, and delivered with the touch of a great artist. --“Chicago” Carl Snyder www.lvbn.org JANIVA MAGNESS - What Love Will Do (Alligator) Janiva Magness' latest album - her eighth, and her first on Alligator-won't doanything to hurt her rising reputation, or that of the label. It's a generous collection that does a lot of rocking and rolling, then adds a bit of blues shuffling and afew moments of reflection. All of it works. The material is mainly comprised of covers, starting with Little Milton's funky That's What Love Will Make You Do, and going on to include such tasty items as Al Green's So Glad You're Mine and Marvin Gaye's Don't Do It. Not the easiest songs to take on, but Magness keeps them sounding current with a voice that's convincing in any range. The Los Angelesbased artist, who survived a troubled youth in the Midwest to become one of today's most-lauded blues performers, also benefits from a top-notch band that combines smooth horn charts with deep electric rhythm, not to mention sizzling guitar provided by several payers including co-producer Dave Darling. The Ike-and-Tina rocker, Get It Get It, was an instant favorite here; but it was also very nice, in this era of the disappearing shuffle, to get a couple of minor-key specimens, I Don't Want You on my Mind and Freedom is Just Beyond the Door. The show ends with a Jeff Turmes-penned ballad, Sometimes You Got to Gamble, that puts everything in perpective: "Sometimes bread costs a little/Sometimes it costs a lot/Sometimes it falls from heaven/Sometimes it can't be bought/Everybody needs a little good luck/When bad luck is all you got." LIL ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS - Full Tilt (Alligator) Lil’ Ed Williams has released the finest album to cap off a long and often troubled career. He blends originals, songs penned with him by his wife, Pam, and a few covers seamlessly. From the moment he rocks into Hold That Train, Lil’ Ed serves notice that there’s some serious blues going on here. He has a crack band with Michael Garrett on guitar, James “Pookie” Young on bass and Kelly Littleton in drums, and has Johhny Iguana on piano and organ, Eddie McKinley on tenor sax and David Basinger on baritone sax to round out the sound. If you’re not awake by the third track, Ed’s ringing guitar on Don’t Call Me sounds the bell. Check My Baby’s Oil is a humorous look at infidelity, backed up by Love Don’t Live Here Anymore. But all is not lost! He covers the good times too, on Woman Take A Bow, a sweet sounding tribute. It’s good, too, on My Baby Moves Me, “like a rolling stone,” with Ed’s guitar sounding fine indeed. There’s a message delivered on Dying to Live, and certainly on the James Young cover of Every Man Needs a Good Woman. Ed Heads, rejoice! Scott Davis www.blueshound.net --"Chicago" Carl Snyder SCOTT ELLISON - Ice Storm (Earwig) Ellison is an OK vocalist and accomplished guitarist. The trouble with this CD is its lack of originality. Ellison is far from alone in this – it is the biggest problem in the blues today. This CD has the required first-track rocker, “Steamin’”; the slow blues “Big Blue Car” and “I’m In Trouble”; the Clapton-inspired ballad “Keys To My Heart”; and songs with uninspired titles like “King of the Blues” and “Cadillac Woman.” And they all have plenty of guitar solos, including lots of slide, fast runs, and note bending, all of which you have heard before. There are horns and background vocals on some songs, but they are buried back in the mix. Ellison has put out a perfectly solid CD with smooth production, using different styles on each song without copying his influences too much. Ellison wrote all of the disk’s twelve tracks: songs like “Who Will Be The Fool” show some writing talent. But except for the swinging instrumental title track, nothing here is memorable. Dave Howell www.lvbn.org 9 DAVIS COEN - Blues Lights for Yours and Mine (Soundview) GAYE ADEGBALOLA - Gaye Without Shame - There's a lot of good stuff on this set by a young Memphis troubadour who comes basically from the folk/blues side of the tracks but delivers songs in a variety of styles, with guitar sounds to match. I wasn't so crazy about the openingselection, a Dylanesque soul ballad with a heavy organ sound and Coen riffing on electric guitar - too hard to make out the lyrics - but things got in a better groove with the New Orleans-styled Mambo Jambo, followed by a lively slide-guitar update of Lemon Jefferson's Jack of Diamonds. New Shoes Blues is a ragtime tune, with Coen on the acoustic but with full-band accompaniment (i.e., both piano and organ); for the sparser Accelerated Woman he goes back to the electric and moans along with the guitar in classic country-blues style. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand is a creditable version of one of Professor Longhair's less famous songs, with sure-handed piano by Adrian Duke. Lordy Lord is not a gospel tune but a Lightnin' Hopkins-styled shuffle; however, Since I Laid My Burden Down is indeed the gospel. Coen plays both on the acoustic, with bass-and-drums backing. Down in the Alley is not the Clovers' tune but an r&b/blues shuffle, Forties style, with the full band; on it Coen more or less declares his musical credo: "Take me down in the alley/ If you want to satisfy me." “I’m here now and I’m queer now/You better get over it” sings Gaye Adegbalola on the first song of this CD, “Queer Blues.” She makes it clear that this is a very personal CD, with her originals mixed in with blues standards. Sometimes her message is a bit overbearing. There is even a sixand-a-half-minute speech near the end, although that leads into a moving protest song with the Fredericksburg Freedom Singers. But more often, Adegbalola takes a lighter, and occasionally humorous, look at gay issues, like “Bareback Rider,” a plea for gay men to use condoms, and the swinging “Tippin’ On the Down Low” and “Hetero Twinges.” “Step Parent Blues” takes a more serious view at a common problem, but one that is rarely expressed in song. Adegbalola writes on the sleeve notes that “my blues comes in all flavors, all shades,” which she says includes New Orleans style, jump, Doo-wop, R&B, Chicago, Piedmont, and Delta. There is also a bit of gospel on “Déjà Vu Blues.” One of the best examples of her versatility is her work on “It Hurts Me Too.” She gives this oftendone song new life. She handles the vocals well on all of them. There is even a version of the Platters’ “The Great Pretender” with spoken rap in the middle of it, and the standard “Let It Be Me,” done as a duet with a singer named Cleome. Besides Adegbalola’s spirited vocals, the best thing here is Bob Margolin on electric and acoustic guitar and bass. Margolin, a long-time bluesman, is the perfect choice for a CD of many different styles. Roddy Barnes on piano has a great feel for boogie and rock. Jim Brock on drums, Adegbalola on occasional guitar, and particularly the three women who sing background (“the Gaye-Lets”) also enhance the sound. There are seventeen tracks of music, which makes for a long CD. It never lags, though, except you probably won’t want to listen to the speech more than once. And best of all, it takes a different approach for the message of the blues. - Dave Howell --"Chicago" Carl Snyder “LIVE From Bluesville” – Fiona Boyes/Mookie Brill/Rich DelGrosso - XM There are only three people on this all-acoustic CD: Fiona Boyes on guitar, Mookie Brill on bass (harmonica on the first track), and Rich DelGrosso on mandolin. All three take vocals on various tracks. All three are top-notch musicians, so the sound is never sparse, and there is more than enough rhythmic feel to make up for the lack of a drummer. Each member of the trio also has a fine knack for blues vocals. The trio, which got together at the studio of the “Bluesville” channel of XM radio, are now touring Australia. Mandolin is not often used in blues, but it has a history with the music, and DelGrosso does not seem out of place at all. The liner notes call this first CD by the trio “a unique take on acoustic blues.” I’m not sure. Like most blues fans, I have heard a lot of acoustic blues and many versions of “Smokestack Lightning” and Arthur Crudup’s “My Baby Left Me” over the years. On the other hand, the mandolin certainly adds a different texture to the proceedings. And all three have a feel for traditional blues as it ought to be played, not by fitting in as many notes as possible, but letting everything flow easily and effortlessly. The liner notes report that the CD was recorded in four hours without “dubs, multiple sessions, or takes.”It sounds like it. Not that it was hastily done, but that it was recorded by musicians with a real love for and mastery of the blues. - Dave Howell 10 (Hot Toddy) Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year Gaye Adegbalola Marcia Ball Robin Rogers Bettye LaVette Janiva Magness Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year Michael Burks Elvin Bishop Sean Costello Watermelon Slim Buddy Guy SUPER CHIKAN - Sum’ Mo’ Chikan (Vizztone) James “Super Chikan” Johnson is not only a fine guitarist, but a great eccentric of the blues world. The cover of his latest CD shows him holding two of his psychedelically painted, self-customized guitars in front of a couple of run-down shacks. And inside, there is a photo of Johnson and Steven Seagal! Johnson explains his moniker on the second track, “Crystal Ball Eyes,” talking about raising chickens: “I used to talk to my chickens. I used to eat a lot of chicken. I never ate my own chickens, though. And I never choked my chickens.” This track comes complete with rooster crows. “Hookin’ Up” combines a John Lee Hooker tribute with yodeling. This includes Johnson imitating his mother in a back-and-forth dialogue about yodeling, something he says “only white people do.” The rest of the CD, unfortunately, does not reach this level of inspired lunacy. But it still has plenty of gutbucket electric blues. The best of the remainder of the twelve tracks are those that show off Johnson’s guitar work. He throws in effects now and again, not in a Hendrix-like style, but that sound more like, of course, chicken scratching. Johnson’s strong point is not songwriting, so there are a few ho-hum spots with songs like “November Nights” and “Full Moon Blues.” And, yes, you have heard some of these song structures before. But it’s like Johnson says on the CD sleeve: “you already know the story of a poor broke boy from Mississippi.” But nobody tells it like Super Chikan. - Dave Howell Jeff Healy Honored at CanadianBlues Award Ceremonies The late Jeff Healey was the big winner at the Maple Blues Awards. The Canadian blues guitarist and his band won seven out of 17 awards handed out at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Monday, including best entertainer, electric artist, guitarist and recording of the year for his posthumous album Mess of Blues. His accompanists — drummer Al Webster, keyboardist Dave Murphy and bassist Alec Fraser — also won their respective instrument categories. Healey died in March after a battle with cancer that robbed him of his sight when he was a baby. Contemporary Blues Album of the Year Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On Watermelon Slim & Workers - No Paid Holidays Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do Sean Costello - We Can Get Together Buddy Guy - Skin Deep 11 Quarterly Publication of the Lehigh Valley Blues Network PO Box 20865 • Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0865 CLUB LISTINGS (IF IT ISN’T LISTED OR ACCURATE, SAY SO! ALSO VISIT WWW.LVBN.ORG GODFREY DANIELS 7 E. FOURTH ST. BETHLEHEM PA 610-867-2390 INDULDGE 570 UNION BLVD. ALLENTOWN PA 610-433-6666 CLUB 316 316 MAIN ST. EMMAUS PA 610-965-6590 PEARLY BAKERS ON THE CIRCLE EASTON PA 610-253-9949 RAVEN’S NEST 625 OLD BETHLEHEM RD. QUAKERTOWN PA 215-536-5369 WARMDADDY’S 6 SOUTH FRONT ST. PA 215-627-8400 PHILADELPHIA WWW.LVBN.ORG
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