Warning to editors: it will be difficult to be brief with seven months to cover. I will forego some of the news such as many obituaries (sigh) which already been noted in print and online. E-zines, chat boards, etc. at least mean that news gets spread more quickly than ever. And as always, I apologize to the people and events I’ve forgotten. I do want to note a few passings. Chico Banks’ untimely demise last fall robbed the Chicago blues scene of one of its brightest smiles and most flamboyant guitarists. He had been filling in with Koko Taylor’s band, and was especially a fixture at B.L.U.E.S. His latest, excellent DIY CD STRAY KITTY KAT reminds me a bit of Luther Allison and is a sad testimonial to what we’ll miss.
Other recent local departures include guitarist Willie Davis (while serving time for child molestation) and comedian/mc/vocalist Manuel Arrington, whose flava will be missed around town. Nationally, I have to wish godspeed to my friends Robert Ward, Pete Mayes and Snooks Eaglin who are taking a lot of great music with them but leaving indelible happy memories and some fine recordings. It was also eerie to see Ray Charles saxophone mainstays David “Fathead” Newman (whom I went to hear right after New Year’s only to find that he’d canceled), Hank Crawford and Leroy Cooper all pass away during January; it’s a cliche, but if Ray really did call the band back together, either the music in heaven just added some major bliss or else I’m ready for whatever sector of the afterlife they’re touring now!
On the recording front, I’ve been busy working on Eddie C. Campbell’s Delmark CD TEAR THIS WORLD UP (due out May 19); everyone seems happy with the results. Delmark has also been producing a nice r & b-tinged Quintus McCormick CD, another DVD of Tail Dragger on the west side and a CD and DVD from their 55th anniversary show at Legends in March, 2008. I want to rave briefly (and unsolicitedly) about two reissue sets: the Hank Ballard & the Midnighters box on Bear Family and the complete Little Walter Chess compilation. Both cover landmark bodies of work wonderfully and are recommended unreservedly. It was also interesting and amusing when Mark and Ellen Naftalin passed through the area in March, bearing recently unearthed tapes of Mark’s Minneapolis high school band Johnny & the Galaxies.
Speaking of Chess, I made sure to see the movie CADILLAC RECORDS during its brief theatrical run. Anyone looking for a literal or even factual biography or documentary will be frustrated; “based on a true story” is about right, and there are many details and matters of chronology out of place. Jody Williams (who would have been a great resource for the film-makers, had they called upon him) expressed his confusion to me because events were portrayed so differently from the reality he witnessed (like the fatal stabbing of Henry Strong). But I thought most of the casting and acting worked out well, and that it was a great topic for a movie, well worth a couple hours. I do wish the musicians like Billy Flynn, Kim Wilson, Barrelhouse Chuck, Eddie Taylor Jr., Bill Sims and others who did such a nice job recreating those classic sounds had gotten more props in the two “making of” documentaries on the DVD, but I recommend the DVD over the soundtrack CD set, which has several flaws in execution. Now we’ll see if the other Chess movie gets distribution.
On the local club scene, it remains to be seen how Chicago’s privatizing the parking meters will affect businesses, now that metered parking costs a lot more and goes around the clock in some areas. There are already problems with incorrectly marked meters, meters full of quarters, etc. and I fear more backlash as more people suffer the consequences and figure out that this screws the public for the benefit of a private contractor. The club scene is pretty much status quo, including Buddy Guy’s usual successful January stand at Legends, where the timetable for relocating up the block remains uncertain. One welcome new addition is Cool River at 12622 W. 159th in south suburban Homer Glen, whose frequent blues bookings have included Ronnie Baker Brooks, Eddie C. Campbell, other local stalwarts and a Thursday jam. Chord On Blues in St. Charles shows signs of life but not of returning to consistent blues bookings. Nick’s at 1516 N. Milwaukee has offered some blues for a long time, and is sort of becoming the new Smokedaddy (but without the food) with a similar vibe and bookings (Barrelhouse Chuck, the welcome return after seven years of Rockin’ Johnny, the Hayes Brothers, Bill Lupkin, etc.); a few blocks away, Smokedaddy does still offer occasional blues. I’ve heard rumors of possible development that could have a negative impact on Rosa’s, which recently celebrated their 25th anniversary; let’s hope that works out okay.
As for larger shows; well, first I must confess that I am no longer a virgin, having been on the October Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. I’ll spare the details of the outstanding lineup here, having written a recap for the Blues Festival Guide’s weekly bulletin. But the bottom line is that I re-enlisted immediately for next October. Any reservations about whether the setting is too far removed from the traditional milieu were dispelled by seeing Magic Slim and Koko Taylor having the time of their lives, and hearing how often the music was truly inspired. The late night jams are always a highlight and worth developing some stamina (through rigorous training in local venues before the Cruise) to stay awake, but as the week goes on, the musicians mingle and the lineups for their regular sets also blur considerably, even without factoring in hangovers as a cause. Friendly people united because they love the blues, beautiful weather, some interesting ports (Mexican in this case), top notch blues around the clock, and impeccable pampering make it a wonderful and recommended combination. They did make me work; with help from Elvin Bishop and Magic Slim I did a presentation on record producing, and also facilitated a very successful music/interview segment on Chicago blues with Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Elvin Bishop, Ronnie Baker Brooks and his keyboard player Steve Nixon, Cookie and Koko Taylor, and cameos from Leon Blue and Curtis Salgado. Another Cruise note; Delbert McClinton announced that the 2010 Sandy Beaches Cruise will be the last.
An after-effect of the Cruise was the decision to go to Austin in February for Marcia Ball’s 60th birthday blowout weekend at Antone’s. (Marcia was on the Cruise.) Friday night was three zydeco bands capped by Sonny Landreth. Saturday night featured the Antone’s women: Marcia, Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton and Sarah Brown, plus Tracy Nelson, Maria Muldaur, and LaVell White. Seeing Derek O’Brien and Kaz in the band made it extra special. Afterward I strolled three blocks and caught a couple of killer sets by Alan Haynes, who really deserves more than the local and European recognition he gets now. Sunday was a Pianorama with five keyboards played simultaneously by up to nine pairs of hands, mostly local but also including Detroit octogenarian boogie woogie master Bob Seeley. It could have been chaos but was one of the musical highlights of the year so far for me; John Nicholas especially did a fine job anchoring the proceedings. Delbert and band wrapped things up with a typical rocking roadhouse set. People came in from around the country and over $100,000 was raised for charity. Congratulations to Marcia and all who helped on a job well done for a good cause.
Other noteworthy events included the thrill of seeing (from afar) Bettye LaVette being a highlight (with Jon Bon Jovi) of the Presidential inauguration in January, and the annual touring Blues Is Alright package in Merrillville, Indiana on March 14, featuring abbreviated but enjoyable sets by Floyd Taylor (with Hollywood Scott on guitar) evoking his father Johnnie via covers and a tribute; Theodis Ealey; Bobby Rush (now with TWO pairs of oversized women’s drawers as props); Shirley Brown; Bobby Bland, sounding nice with four horns; and headliner Willie Clayton, throwing in some Jimmy Reed. A lot of the big names which were once the foundation of these packages have departed in recent years; it’s good to see the torch still burning, especially if we don’t spend too much time pondering the average age of the audience.
Unfortunately, the economy and change in general are having a negative impact. Blues Festivals are going calling it quits (San Francisco; Tom Mazzolini deserves tremendous kudos for the 37 year run of that event, and its demise may not be permanent) or scaling back (Chicago). Other lineups lack their former beef due to attrition, funding problems or both. The annual July Muddy Waters commemoration is being supplanted this year by a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. And in the business, the bankruptcies and closings continue, whether they involve ever-disappearing retail outlets or satellite radio broadcasting (although I don’t know if SiriusXM has actually filed for bankruptcy after retaining consultants). Nonetheless, as they say, the blues rolls on, and this dispatch, which just touches on one person’s little corner of the experience, should give some idea of how much of a robust blues scene is still out there for us to savor. The Chicago Blues Festival is June 12-14 and looks like three full and fun days even after the cutbacks. On to warm weather and festival season!
----- DICK SHURMAN
