Doug Carter

(I heard the news) No More Good PartyTonight

Another old friend and unsung Hamilton rocker has recently passed away.  Michael ‘OB’ O’Brien.I was just out of school and on my first real job when I met Michael.  He was hired to replace me when I made my first step up the corporate ladder at Dofasco in early 1964. We got to talking and I found out he followed the music I liked and had seen the band I played with on weekends, Son Richard and the Chessmen, a few times around town.  

At the time he was especially interested in Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, stuff like “Little Boy Blue”, “Farther Up The Road”, “Cry, Cry, Cry” and “Don’t Cry No More” which I had on Duke Records 45s I’d picked up in Buffalo.  We would get together and spin discs and talk about bands and such.  I introduced him to other Duke recording artists of the time and lots of other obscure to the top 40 general public, R’nB and rock ‘n roll artists.    

Soon I was bringing Son Richard (Newell) out to meet O’Brien and the world turned from there. In 1971, after Richard left Crowbar and formed his own band The Real Gooduns, OB let us rehearse endlessly for weeks in his basement in Westdale to get ready for an upcoming tour. Later on after the Gooduns, Michael decided to put his rock & roll smarts together and form his own band. I was asked to play bass and from then on I played with OB in several bands he formed and fronted on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, off and on, right through the mid-1980s.

The first band I participated in with him was when OB and Michael  “Greek” Short set up The M&M Band  in the fall of 1973.  I spent a lot of quality bass time with “The Mikes,” at the Elmar Tavern at Main and Caroline South in the Hammer, then the hottest weekend draught room gig in town.  OB handled vocals and Short played piano while Rick Golka on Telecaster and Steve Bannon  on Les Paul, shared guitar duties.  Ray “Buddy” Fennell, later replaced by Greg “The Shark” Zark, smacked drums and tinkled tin.  In 1974, Stratford’s John Till late of Janis Joplin’s Full Tilt Boogie Band and Ronnie Hawkins’ Hawks replaced Rick.

We did a number of recent but relatively obscure songs that didn’t make the Top 40 but FM radio was becoming the king of airwaves in the mid-1970’ so we did songs like “It Takes A lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry” and lots of other electric Bob Dylan like “Down In The Flood” and “Lay Lady Lay”.  And psychedelic country stuff like New Riders of the Purple Sages’Branded Man. “Dim, Dim Lights” and “White Line Fever,” as well as Chicago Blues like J. B. Lenoir’s “Mama, Talk To Your Daughter” and Muddy Water’s version of “Walking Blues.” Throw in lots of Chuck Berry, including “School Days and “Childhood  Sweetheart” with some Merle Haggard, “Last Night The Bottle Let Me Down,” “Mama Said” and “Branded Man.”  And some original music too.  Upon request we did a mean take on Ronnie Hawkins’ version of Bo Diddley’s “Hey, Bo Diddley,” which, being the Hammer, meant we played it most every night and probably twice. It was the Rock‘n’Roll Hammer’s favourite anthem at that time. It was a good gig with loyal audiences.  It lasted for a of couple of great, rockin’ years.

In 1977, I heard through a friend that the new owner of the venerable Park House at King Street West and Locke Street had renamed the old beer hall “Kilroys” and was looking for a band. Specifically a “vintage” pre-British Invasion Rock & Roll band. Stuff like from 1954 – 1959.  I gave Mike O’Brien a call andOB talked to the cat and nailed the gig. We got together again with former Chessmen and M&M’s lead guitarist Rick Golka and newcomer Jain Dickinson, on vocals and drums. OB was the lead vocalist and played rhythm guitar while Rick blew lead and sang harmony as either Phil or Don in the numerous Everly Brothers songs we covered, from “Bird Dog” to “Claudette.” Twenty years or so in the time was right for rock and roll revival, the audience loved “Wake Up Little Suzie.” We did Buddy too. As in Holly. “Not Fade Away.” “Oh Boy.” “Think It Over.” “Rave On.” “Peggy Sue.” If a’ ya’ knew!  And Michael was a great vocalist---he did fabulous Elvis before the Elvii impersonators arrived!

We called the band Almost Grown Berry after the Chuck Berry song.  Yeah, we played lots and lots of Sun-era Elvis and, much to my delight, tunes by one of my all time favourite R’nB singers, Hank Ballard.  Jain sang “The Twist”, “The Hootchy Kootchy Koo” and “Sugaree”.  We pulled out old 50s favourites like Gene Vincent's “Lotta’ Lovin’”, “Woman Love” and his big hit “Be-Bop-a-Lula”. Jain did tasty versions of Little Richard’s “Lucille” and Jimmy Reed’s “You Don’t Have To Go” as well as duets with Mike like Brook Benton and Dinah Washington’s “Baby, You’ve Got What It Takes” and many other assorted Rock & Roll, Blues and R’nB ditties.  The crowds love it and every weekend there were line-ups at the door.

In late 1977 Golka left the band and again was replaced by John Till. With John back in the mix the music got updated and veered towards tunes like David Lindley’s “Mercury Blues”, Muddy Water’s “Why Do People Act Like That” and the Band’s version of “Ain’t That A Lot of Love.” Jain began singing more leads as well as the duets. We also started doing original tunes incorporating songs written by Ron Copple: “Ass In Dixie” and “Teacher’s Pet”. We did Rick Golka’s “Here’s To You”, and we did the tune I had co-written with Richard Newell, Caledonia River, a local favourite at that time.  Yeah, we were definitely bending vintage rock to our own rockin`blues style.

Outside in the real world, retro-vintage was getting weird. One day while I was hangin’ at OB’s when in walks this kid with a pompadour, black slacks and a white sports coat, the whole ball of wax. Turned out MIchael was givin’ this kid “Elvis lessons.” And the kid was paying MIchael money. Real green. Awesome!  Subway Elvis (Michael McTaggart) also showed up in OBs life around this time. What a hoot Subway was, getting lots of media attention back in the late 1970`s hair like Elvis etc., swivelling his hips and belting out Elvis tunes in the Toronto subway system.

Back at Kilroy’s Almost Grown was getting hotter. In April of 1977 we went to Thunder Sound inToronto, a hot recording venue in Canada at that time, and recorded Copple’s “(Getting’ My) Ass In Dixie” and Golka’s “Here’s To You[”.  In the end though, MIchael couldn’t find a label for them. But man it sure was great to be in a recording studio again doing original tunes.

After a couple of really great years the venue went belly up. Tax problems. Everyone from the owner to the waitresses, from the bartenders to the band to the guy who swept the floors probably, got audited by Canada Revenue. What started so great ended in a big screw-up!  Sorry Mr. Taxman, I had no idea what was going on; please don’t hurt me.

I played lots of pickup gigs with O’Brien off and on through the mid-1980’s.  We sure had a wonderful time.  And OB, let’s do some juicin’, pass me a toke and reserve me a room at the Rock-It Hotel.  Here`s to you Michael I’m drinkin’ to ya’!

Babe Myles RIP ... our best blues drummer

This past week while famous music and media people where going down left and right, including the Hammer’s Blues & Jazz Hall of Famer, Jackie Washington, an unsung warrior of the local music scene quietly passed away. Drummer John ‘Babe’ Myles, affectionately nicknamed by Richard Newell aka Son Richard aka King Biscuit Boy, as “Baby Milo”.

 I first met Babe when he became the second drummer for Son Richard and the Chessmen back in 1964, a band I played electric bass in with Ron Copple and Steve Caskenette, guitars, and Richard “Son” Newell on vocals and harmonica.  As I recall, when Babe came into the Chessmen, he had been playing with some rock ‘n' roll band from his northeast Hamilton neighbourhood somewhere around Beach Road.

He told us he’d got his drum skills together playing snare drum for a marching band, the Navy Cadets or some such.  All his life he did marching-band drummer tricks with his drumsticks when things slowed down on stage.  Babe had a great sense of humour, slapstick style.

I played bass with Babe in many bands over the years starting with The Chessmen in 1964.  After a trip touring England & Germany in the summer of 1965, The Chessmen, by then renamed the Gooduns, broke up.  

In 1970, Richard,  now King Biscuit Boy to the music world, split from the band Crowbar after recording the material for two very successful Blues albums with them for Frank Davies’ Daffodil Records, the first of which was “Official Music”.  The second album “Real Gooduns” was about to be released.   

Richard needed a band.  He came home from T.O. to the Hammer and hired Babe on drums, myself on bass, Garnett Zimmerman on keyboards and a cat I was playing with at the time, Earl “the Pearl” Johnson on lead guitar, who later went on to fame & fortune with Canadian cult band Moxie.  

We became The Real Gooduns.  We toured behind the two albums for awhile and then went into the studio for Paramount Records and recorded Richard’s third album.  After it’s un-release due to financial circumstances out of the band’s control, the Real Gooduns slowly disintegrated.

Babe loved to drive.  When we toured Ontario, eastern Canada and the eastern
United States with Richard in the early 70s, Babe drove the station wagon loaded with 5 guys and their axes and luggage everywhere.  He just wouldn’t let anyone else behind the wheel in case they weren’t good enough.  Babe was a great wheelman!   I think we only had to wake him up after too many hours at the wheel once, oh well, maybe twice.

There were a few other attempts between myself, Babe, Ron Copple and Blues harp player & vocalist Mike Oddie to get a ‘proper’ Blues band together to keep the Blues alive in the Hammer during the '70s and early '80s.  Remember Travolta-inspired Disco and Urban Cowboy style C& W crazes of the time?  Babe probably played a lot of Country & Western and Dance tunes in his playing time, but his first love was playin’ the Blues, Chicago style. Particularly the Chess Records sound of Muddy Waters and Little Walter.  And he was good at it from the get go.  You can hear Babe’s drumming on “Badly Bent: The Best of King Biscuit Boy”, Unidisc AGEK-2164 on the cuts “Caledonia River”, “Deaf, Dumb, Crippled & Blind”, “Gotta’ Be A Goodun” and “Blues For Duffy’s Tavern”.  

Babe always asked when you ran into him around town: "Anything happening Blues band wise?" That he’d rather be playin’ the Blues if it was helpin’ payin’ the bills.  "Deaf, Dumb, Crippled & Blind" and another cut from that session, "T.H.&B. Railway" can also be heard on my blog Blues Rockin' in the Hammer at dougcarter.typepad.com.

Babe seemed to survive on playing drums and who knew what else?  But once, he was very secretive about his very complex loves and lives, the man dropped a hint that he revitalized old but not too old cars and got them back to people that needed cheap cars, and did it working from his backyard garage.  But he always had gigs.  Babe knew how to play quiet and still keep the groove goin’.  He played old style.

In bands with Richard, he’d switch to brushes from sticks to play quiet sections of Chicago-style songs à la Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith and S. P. Leary.  He could keep it simple but drivin’.  From Little Walter’s “Tell Me Mama” to “Biscuit’s Boogie”, Babe was there.  Say Tommy Tucker’s “High Heel Sneakers”, Slim Harpo’s “I’m A King Bee” or Jr. Well’s “Snatch It Back & Hold It”... Babe got it!

I played with Babe again in the mid-90s for a couple of years in a band still going today, The Stingrays. Organized by Hammer Blues guitarist extraordinaire John LaRocca, it included myself and Babe as the rhythm section and Willie Leigh on vocals and harp. The band, now with a new rhythm section, did and still does feature the best of the electric Blues from the 50s, 60s and 70s.  It was great playing with Babe again.  So easy to play with someone who is equally enthusiastic to play and knowledgeable about the ‘Blues’.  It was the last time I played with Babe in a ‘regular’ band.  

And the last time I played on stage was with Babe and Ron Copple, John and Willie at the first Richard Newell memorial event back on February 11, 2003, which celebrated Richard’s musical life. Newell had recently passed away earlier that year on January 5.  I don’t think there will be a memorial concert for Babe but I did love playin’ with him!

Babe left no will and no record of any family.  His body sits in some public morgue awaiting someone, a relative, to release his body to for proper burial.  Anybody out there know anything about John ‘Babe’ Myles, his family, his children etc.?

BUTT-ROCKIN'

Kim Wilson and his Fabulous Thunderbirds at Brock University, Thursday, April 16

I saw the Fabulous Thunderbirds in the late 80's at McMaster University’s Wentworth House.  Jimmy Vaughn was still in the band and they'd just got their new bass player from Roomfull of Blues, Preston Hubbard, and he was great playing both stand up and Fender bass depending on the groove the song demanded.  The best part...we opened for them, Guitar Mikey & the Real Thing.  The T-Birds were rockin’ that night!

So there I was many years later heading down to Brock University to see Kim Wilson & the Fabulous Thunderbirds.  Jimmy Vaughn left back in 1989.  It had been a long, long time.  What would the guitar players be like?  How would the rhythm section sound.  They were all excellent that night.  Kim's current band is really good and well versed in the whole tradition of electric blues and R 'n B from the late ‘40s to the ‘60s.  To quote Kim "To be in the T-Birds, you need to understand the different styles of music and different ways of playing.  You have to be willing to adopt a more contemporary style. The guys we have now are able to do that."  After hearing them play a diverse selection of songs many of which I’m familiar, I’d say they’ve definitely got it.

Songs included T-Bird classics like ‘She’s Tough’, ‘Wrap It Up”, ‘Tuff Enough’ and ‘Two Times My Lovin’.  Third song in he has the band vamping a medium shuffle behind him while he wanders the aisles of the theatre wailin’ on his harp.  The last song of the set, a Little Walter style rocking blues shuffle, featured an extended amplified harmonica solo with the band leaving the stage while Kim did his boogie thing à la James Cotton.  Amazing set of lungs on the man.  For the encore Wilson came out solo, walked up to the mic and did an amazing version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Nine Below Zero’ at times uncannily sounding vocally and on the harp like Sonny Boy.  Gave me the shivers.

The current T-Birds line-up features Jay Moeller on drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitars and Randy Bermudes on Fender bass.  Johnny Moeller's style on the Strat really cranked my handle.  He effortlessly blended old school blues guitar with a funky contemporary feel and some outrageous soloing.  And at the other end of the stage Mike Keller was covering Jimmy Vaughn very nicely on his Tely.  The rhythm section was just right, understated but always kickin' the groove.  Butt-Rockin'! 

Seeing the T-Birds made me head to the video rental joint a couple of nights later and pick up ‘Cadillac Records’.  The movie reaches out to a new generation using contemporary music stars to recreate a few of the key moments in the history of American music via the Chess Records story. The timeline is not always accurate but the anecdotes are right on and the soundtrack cooks!  Kudos to Kim Wilson for the fine Chicago sounds.  It seems that Steve Jordan, the cat who made ‘Cadillac Records’, had Kim Wilson put together the band I heard at Brock for the movie.  Kim plays all the harp in the movie except for Little Walter’s ‘Last Night’.  Eamon Walker as Howlin’ Wolf and Jefferey Wright as Muddy Waters were great.  Mos Def was a credible Chuck Berry.  Adrian Brody made a great Leonard Chess and Columbus Short as Little Walter was perfect.  Check it out!   And the T-Birds will be at The Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on May 1.  Another great venue to see and hear bands.

Soul-icious!

It was a privilege to enjoy James Hunter and his band at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at Brock University in St. Catharines last week.  James delivers early 60's R'nB at the edge of soul but makes it sound all new again. 

James has a great guitar sound based on Lowman Paulings progressive picking of the late 50's and early 60's.  Lowman was the driving force and song writer behind one of my favourite black vocal groups, The Five Royales.  Lowman is generally credited with being the first to deliberately use the distorted fuzz-tone guitar sound in the recording studio.  He did this years ahead of when the first Brit Rockers made the sound a standard.  Hunter did two of Pauling's songs, "Think" and "Baby Don't Do It" mixed in with cuts from his 3 CD's.  James did about 18 songs in an 80 minute set. 

Lined up behind him on tenor, Damian Hand, on baritone sax, Lee Badau, the killer B3 organ cat is Kyle Koehler, Jason Wilson, stand-up bass and on drums, Jonathan Lee.

Hunter's sound always has the drums coming back to the cha-cha beat that fused with R'nB in the very early 60's.  James' band has been together for a couple of decades according to his web site and they sure sounded like it.  All the dynamics you'd ever want and tight as a...well you know.  He mostly writes all his own material except for the afore mentioned Pauling tunes and he did do Bobby Bland's house rocker "Turn On Your Love-light" in duet with Van Morrison on his first CD, "Believe What I Say".

All the tunes were enhanced by great soloing from the horn blowers and I am especially fond of baritone solos.  The B3 cat displayed great chops using elements of the Jimmy Smith style of playing & quoted from Georgie Fame, Jimmy McGriff and other great organ players of the 60's in his solos. With James' guitar picking and dancing and talking up the audience it made for a rockin' occasion.

A native of Colchester, England, James Hunter fell in love with Soul and R&B music early on. Later, he cut his chops playing clubs and the festival circuits in England. He's also toured extensively with Van Morrison, singing alongside greats like John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells, Jimmy Witherspoon and Georgie Fame.  His influences include Lowman Pauling, guitarist & song writer, the Five Royales, Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Bobby Bland, Lee Dorsey & Van Morrison.  If you haven't already check out James at http://www.jameshuntermusic.com/

The Nine Below Zero Blues

The Nine Below Zero Blues

Carlos Del Junco: Steady Movin’
Live at Zooma Zooma

Thanks to the already too long cold and snowy winter, I haven’t been getting out much at all but did make it to Jordan in mid-January to take in Carlos Del Junco at Zooma Zooma.  Well worth the journey over snow covered roads.  Carlos is a must hear & see for any fan of the harmonica.  He plays in all styles.  From Sonny Boy Williamson to Toots Thielemans and mix in a bit of Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats for good measure.  Carlos did a great version of Little Walter’s “Just Your Fool” that blew me away.  As well he played assorted cuts off his new CD, “Steady Movin’ ”.  He plays Hohner Golden Melodys, a ten hole diatonic harmonica and uses a continuous breath technique that produces the most amazing sounds.  At times you’d swear there was a least two of him up on stage if not more.  With the very classy Kevin Breit on guitar, it was a world class night.

http://www.carlosdeljunco.com/

Kudos to The Mississippi Kings’ for their take on Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On”.  I loved it from the first few bars. It sounds so right and it makes me dance.  Their new album is out, “Long Time Coming”.  Check the new album out at http://www.myspace.com/mississippikings  
or at their web site
 http://www.themississippikings.com/

 

What to do on these long, nasty winter nights, why curl up with a good book, a DVD or a new CD or two.  I recommend the following:

 

Moanin’ At Midnight:  The Life & Times of Howlin’ Wolf
(The Updated & Revised Version)
James Segrest & Mark Hoffman
Thunder’s Mouth Press

The story of the 6’3”, 300 plus pound Wolf, he of the size 16 feet.  From his first recording session in 1951 for Sam Phillips at the Memphis Recording Service to his last sessions in August 1973 at Chess Studios, it’s all there including a complete sessionography and bibliography.  It’s the secret history of rock ‘n roll.
Wolf and his guitar players especially Hubert Sumlin had untold influence on the budding Brit blues and rock scene.  This is a must read for a deeper understanding of modern blues, not just the music, but the men who lived it.  Howlin’ Wolf, 1910 – 1976.
http://www.howlinwolf.com/

 

The Clash by The Clash
Grand Central Publishing

The story of the Clash 1976 – 1984 as told by the Clash.  Strummer, Jones, Simonon and Header telling it like it was in their own words plus scads of tour posters, artwork, and photos of the band at home, on stage, in the studio and on tour.  All the stuff about what went on with the band that I’ve always wanted to know about. 
www.theclash.com/

 

Joe Strummer:  The Future Is Unwritten DVD
directed by Julien Temple

A celebration of Joe Strummer before, during and after The Clash, with a ton of old footage mixed with various peoples memories.  Great watching Joe develop from his early years through The Clash and out the other side.
www.joestrummerthemovie.com/  

 

And last but not least Hank 3’s new CD,  “Damn Right Rebel Proud” came out in the fall.  Wild-ass honky tonk hillbilly.  Fabulous picking by the band once again and all songs by Hank except one.  Great story telling and featuring some experimental mixing on a couple of cuts.  Once again recorded at his old wood house in east Tennesse.  Warning ‘strong language', not for the faint at heart or those of the straight and narrow.  Hank talks about the making of it at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu6AF0QX8fs&feature=related  
My kind of country.Go Hank Go!
www.hank3.com/

Doin' The Canal Bank Shuffle!

Wow! It’s a Thorold Canal Bank Shuffle Saturday night.  The Blues is everywhere in aid of fund raising for local charities.  The cause is good.  We arrive in town and it’s off to locate the local legion where we’re going to kick off the night with a pint and the...

Johnny Max Band @ the Thorold Legion (downstairs), 8:30 pm

John started his set with the classic Blues rocker “Ain’t That Just Like A Woman”.  Fats Domino and B.B. King both had great versions of the song out on vinyl.  The audience was hooked.  Johnny does a lot of cha-cha influenced R’nB a’la Bobby Bland and company from the early 60’s.  Check out Bobby’s Duke recording of “Love and Affection”.  A prime example that evening was Johnny’s take on Clyde McPhatter’s, he of the Drifters, “Lovey Dovey”. The women in the audience loved it.  They were up dancin’ in 2’s and 3’s from the get go and the ones too shy to get up on the floor were rockin’ in their seats.  He did a great version of Johnny Otis’ “Willie and the Hand Jive” the highlight of which was how many of the original dance moves he knew.  I’m talking about the ‘hand jive’ moves.  And the good times rolled.

After his set it was upstairs to see for the first time

Jerome Godboo @ the Thorold Legion (upstairs) 9:15 pm

Not having seen Godboo before, I was very impressed with his take on the harmonica Blues tradition.  He started off with a Slim Harpo sound alike song reminiscent of Slim’s Excello Record hit from the early 60’s “Baby Scratch My Back”.  Then it was on to what sounded like a Buddy Guy sound alike, Buddy’s “Let Me Love You Baby”.   And next a rewrite of Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker” except he slowed it down some and changed the hook line to “shake your money maker all across the floor...”  To me they were weak rewrites lyrically but Godboo and the band sounded wonderful on these classic Blues grooves.  Very progressive harp playing from Jerome had me zoning in on his solos and when they packed the dance floor with the Stones’ “Miss You” I knew where some of that sound was coming from, Sugar Blue.  Wha wha wha wha wha wha...

But hey check the watch, we’re outta’ here.  It’s up and on the trail. We’ve gotta’ get to Downchild who I hadn’t seen in years.

Downchild Blues Band @ the Holy Rosary Hall 10 pm

Of course it was the Best of Downchild featuring Chuck Jackson on vocals and blues harp and Mr Downchild his own self, Donnie Walsh on lead guitar, vocals and blues harp.  They also did some songs from their new CD Live at the Palais Royale.   The legendary Toronto Blues bass picker, Gary Kendall, was in attendance as well.  When the band started at 10, every seat was taken and the rest of us were lined up along the walls of this big old high school gymnasium and they still kept coming in.  Some of us had been out around the town checking out other acts but a ton of people were already at the Holy Rosary Hall.  Jack De Keyser and been entertaining the crowd since just after 6 pm with a couple of sizzling sets. 

Most everybody had stuck around wanting to see Canadian Blues legend Donnie Walsh. After the opening instrumental featuring Chuck and Donnie on dueling Blues harps the dance floor was packed for the rest of the evening.  Old school Blues, simple with a rockin’ dance beat.  Oh yeah and a great 50’s style sax too!

Next we tried to get into the Summit Tavern to see Fathead but it was wall to wall.  They sounded great too.  It was so good to see so many people out to hear and dance to the Blues and it’s just great to walk around a downtown business area and hear great Blues coming out of barroom doors and social halls and floatin’ on down the street.  I’m already looking forward to next year’s Shuffle.

 

 

 

The Blues & Other Knews...

Bring your running shoes, the 2008 Canal Bank Shuffle is back in Thorold.  It's kicking off Thursday night October 23 at the Holy Rosary Hall with Cale Hawkins at 7 pm, Shakura S'Aida 8 pm and Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials at 9:30.

 

On Friday night, October 24, I recommend at the Club Capri, 8:15, Jill West & the Blues Attack, at the Holy Rosary Hall it’s Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials (a must see), 9 pm and at 10 pm on to the Summit Tavern to see the SRV tribute, Couldn’t Stand The Weather.

 

Saturday night brings to town Jack De Keyser, Johnny Max, Morgan Davis, Fathead and the Downchild Blues Band.  The Who’s Who of Ontario Bluesmen.  And check this scheduling out, it’s Jack at 6 pm, at the Holy Rosary Hall, 7 pm it’s Morgan at the Moose & Goose, 7:45 Johnny Max is downstairs at the Legion, back at the Holy Rosary Hall for 9 pm it’s Downchild and at 10 over at the Summit Tavern it’s Fathead. 

 

Admission is $15 and includes access to all performances and venues.  Visit their web site http://www.canalbankshuffle.com/ for more information about other venues and acts playing that weekend.  The site also has a link to find accommodation for the night in case you wanna’ really Blues it up!

 

It was sad news the other day that Frankie had gone on.   Man, I’ve still got my 45 of “Picture My Face” b/w “Tearin’ Me Apart”.  And wow, it sez’ it’s in stereo.  Epic E4-8273.  Love it to this day.  Got to see the boys the first time at the Rose & Thistle, a huge venue in Dundas formed out of an old bowling alley building by the end of the Coote's Paradise canal, which no longer exists.  Every musician in town of all ages seemed to be in the audience.  The word was out on the street, the cats could rock!  But loud, jumpin’ jehosophats, never had heard a band that loud before in my life!  A mountain of sound systems cranked to the max.

 

I got to see them a number of other times in their early days.  One memorable night was upstairs in some hall on Upper James just north of Fennel on the west side that someone had rented and brought in the band.  The place was packed.  The audience dancin’.  The band cookin’.   Here’s a couple of sketches I was compelled to do that rockin’ night.

 

More sad news.  Ground breaking rock ‘n roll drummer, Earl Palmer, has gone on as well.  I first knew of Palmer as part of the New Orleans rhythm section backing Little Richard on “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally”.  I was hooked; he remains my favourite drummer to this day.  He played on Fats Domino’s first hit “The Fat Man” way back in 1949.  I just recently learned he was the drummer on Eddie Cochrane’s much loved classic “Summertime Blues” and Ritchie Valens’s super hit “La Bamba”.  The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ “.  Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High”.

Who knew, back then the major record labels made it a trade secret who played on what recording and what year, month and where it was recorded.  And most improbably he was drivin’ the intro to The Flintstones.  He beat the traps as well on the Mission Impossible theme, I Dream of Jeanie, Ironside, The Odd Couple and M*A*S*H.  He played on movie sound tracks and with countless famous musicians.  Earl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, one of the first session musicians to be so honoured.  Little Richard calls him “the greatest session drummer of all time”.  Drummed on Herb Albert tunes? 

Who knew!

 

 

Smokin’ On The Water

 

Bharath and his Rhythm Four / Duke Robillard

Live On The Welland Recreational Canal,
Downtown Welland, Ontario, Saturday, August 23

 

I’d been looking forward all summer to the Duke giggin’ for free in Welland as the closing act for a summer of free blues and jazz events put on by the Welland Blues and Jazz Society, but boy was Bharath Rajakumar my cup of tea. By their own admission they do not play a tune written after 1958. What they do play and very, very well is early electric Chicago Blues in the style of Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers and especially Little Walter. Authentic equipment, stand up bass, minimal drum kit often played with wire brushes. Bharath wailin’ on Blues harp and those gritty vocals along with Ben Caissie, guitar, Mark Peetsma, bass and Colin Perry, drums make up the Rhythm Four. Out of Montreal.

Oh so official, King Biscuit Boy would have been proud of this group. Half of their songs Biscuit and I learned and played in the Hammer’s first Chicago style Blues band, Son Richard and the Chessmen. Tunes like Little Walter’s, “Rocker”, “Mellow Down Easy”, “Too Late” & “Tell Me Mama”. Muddy Water’s “Louisiana Blues”. Jimmy Roger’s “Rock This House”. J. B. Lenoir’s “Do What I Say”. All played with the essential constant change in the volume levels that Muddy’s bands perfected to very dramatic effect. Elements of the crowd went wild over their authenticity.

 

Then up came the Duke who I’d seen a couple of years ago at the very intimate Readers Cafe (now Flyers Cafe) in Dunnville. That night Robillard played almost exclusively cuts from his at that time latest CD, a tribute to Blues guitar legend T-Bone Walker. Blues 1940's style. This past Saturday he was rockin’.  Working with a fabulous sax player that evening Duke started off his set with “Red’s Riff” and “Jump The Blues For You”, songs in the early 50’s urban rock ‘n roll style of Arthur “Red” Prysock, Sil Austin, Joe Houston and Lee Allen, that featured extensive soloing and minimal vocals. The baritone sax work (my favourite sax sound) was amazing and very authentic as was the sax man’s hard blowin’ tenor work. The group also included a really great stand up bass player and again a stripped down to the essentials drum kit. He switched grooves to the blues rockin’ “Blue Coat Man” and again when he played “Deed I Do” from his latest CD, "A Swinging Session", and the jazzy “Sunday Morning”.   “You’re Killing Me Baby” had the sax player switching to Blues harp. The Duke played like the Blues guitar master he is. Soloing in many styles and frequently quoting from other tunes he laid down a solid barrage of guitar to suit the moment. Not a flashy front man he made the guitar pickin’ look easy. The crowd ate it up.

Way to go Welland. The venue in Merritt Park along the old Canal was sensational what with the floating stage and fire pots everywhere on the water and for once this summer the weather cooperated. 

Next Saturday and Sunday, the Blues and Jazz Society is staging “Live On Request” International Music Festival at Welland’s Market Square in the downtown just a block from Merritt Park which features 12 acts over the two days. Saturday’s events kick off with Shift at 3 pm, Big Rude Jake at 5 pm, Jack de Keyser, 7 pm and the night closes with a tribute to the 3 Kings (B.B., Albert and Freddie) featuring Teddy Leonard, Steve Strongman, and Steve Grisbrook. Sunday the action starts at 1 pm with Take 2, continuing at 3 pm with B-3 whiz Roger Niznik and his trio.  5 pm brings Sophie Perlman and Pat Carey to the stage, at 7 pm it’s Little Miss Higgings and the weekend wraps up at 9 pm with a set by Paul Quarrington and the Pork Belly Futures. $15 a day or $25 for the weekend. General seating banquet style (round tables), first come first served and it’s licensed. 905.735.7557 for more info. To top it all off the barbeque is by Joe’s Meats of Port Colborne and that’s not to be missed!

Skin Deep: A BLues Rockin' Anthemn For The Ages

Buddy Guy, Blues Master

Hey I picked up the new Buddy Guy CD, "Skin Deep" last weekend.  Smell the funk.  From the opening cut "Best Damn Fool" through "Skin Deep" (the song) and "Who's Gonna' Fill These Shoes" to the closing cut "I Found Happiness", Buddy delivers a master class in the Blues.

This latest release by the 70 plus and still burnin' Mr. Guy features Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, steel guitar picker extraordinare, Robert Randolph and the incomparable Blues white guy, Eric Clapton.  And on the bass guitar, the amazing Willie Weeks.  All the grooves from the early Chicago stylings to the birth of funk.  My kind of guy. 

Buddy plays a variety of classic guitars including his own version of the Fender Strat...as well as, Holy Indian Sub-Continent Batperson, the Jerry Jones sitar and on two, count 'em cuts.  Yeah well he also sounds great on the '57 Strat and the '74 Telecaster too, then there's the cuts with a version of the classic Gibson ES335 Custom. 

Buddy and Eric get philosophical on "Everytime I Sing The Blues"...just wanna' get the truth across, let the feeling take over and blow the Blues!  Do it!

And yeah!  Who is gonna' fill the shoes of this Louisianna Witch Doctor?

P.S.  A reminder, Duke Robillard is playing live on a waterborn stage out in the old Welland Canal in downtown Welland this Saturday, August 23.  He'll probablly hit the stage about 8:30 pm or so.  Opening the show will be Bharath and the Rhythm Four about 7 pm.  It's free.  Bring a lawn chair or blanket and watch the show.  It's happening just south of Main Street where it crosses the Welland Recreational Canal.  Just look for the fire pots out there surrounding the stage.   The event is the closing show of the Welland Blues and Jazz Society's Downtown Summer Music Festival.

Keep on Blues Rockin'...

welland: home of the summer blues ...

Saturday, July 26, downtown refurbished (almost) happy 150^th birthday, Welland and I'm back from an extended working holiday.  I've missed the first four concerts between this, that and especially the weather but hey!  Blues radio show host Danny Marks from Jazz-Fm Toronto is live on stage in front of Welland City Hall on the plaza.  Brought to us free by the Niagara (Welland) Blues and Jazz Society.

Blues it wasn’t.

Jazz it wasn’t.

I didn’t expect jazz but I thought Danny Marks, radio blues guy, guitar player, blues and jazz society...I wonder what kind of Blues he plays having never seen him live.

Gee whiz, I didn’t know “Eve of Destruction” was a Blues song.

Blues it wasn’t but great sixties rock ‘n roll from a guitar master of that eras pickin’ styles.

Lean and clean too, with just a bass and a drummer.

Danny did his own bio from stage while presenting a few tunes from his new CD, “Big Town Boy” including a tune from his days with Edward Bear, “Down In Mexico” as well he covered  Richie Knight and the Midnights’ “Charlena” and something I sort of remember by Robbie Lane and the Disciples. “Pipeline” was and a crownd favourite as was "Louie, Louie".  My personal favourtie was his cover of Sam the Sham and the Pharaoh’s “Wooly Bully”. Rock on Danny Marks.

Next up the Blues and Jazz Society’s Saturday evening summer music series is bringing in,  Saturday, August 2, 7 pm, the reggae stylings of the “Riddim Riders” in front city hall on East Main Street.. And the one I’m waiting for down the line is on August 23 , Duke Robillard and his band playing on the floating stage out in the old Welland Canal.  Check their website for info on the other concerts scheduled. 

Next weekend, down in Port Colborne at the Canal Days Festival, a surprise entry in the long weekends festivities, Snow-Heel Slim and the Boogie Infection, are giggin’ at the Windjammer drinking hole on West Street right on the canal by the bridge, August 2 at 8 pm or so.. My jaw dropped when I found out they were in town and that they played Mississippi Hill Country style Blues a’la Fat Possum’s roster and the North Mississippi Allstars (check their last album}. And they were from Selkirk and Cayuga and Caledonia?  Check out their MySpace page. They sound like the real deal. T-Bone Ford would’a been proud of you boys. Burnside too! (editor's note: they're also on jamilton: www.hamiltonspectator.com/jamilton/artists/255/

See you out there on the Blues Hi-way weather permitting.