THE
GROOVE THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CROSSROADS BLUES SOCIETY
BITS Update pg. 6
Crossroads Blues Fest pg. 8
WAYNE BAKER BROOKS pg. 4 MAY-JUNE 2018 EDITION
2018 Midwest Blues Fests pg. 10
Page 2
Editorial
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Steve Jones, Editor and CBS President
Greetings! We’ve made a few changes to the layout of the newsletter. We hope that you like it– please let us know what you think about it! The big event over the last two months was our show at the Nordlof Center with Wayne Baker Brooks on March 24th. We had over 100 people buy tickets and show up, which almost covered all our costs and kept us from going far into the red. The show as amazing and Wayne and his band were fantastic! Crossroads is in its’ 24th year now. The 2017-2018 School Year began as we entered our 24th year and so far it has been our biggest year ever! We have conducted 90 BITS programs so far this school year with another 4 planned for May to wrap things up. We will serve over 10,000 students this year, which is an amazing and great accomplishment for us. We began BITS May 1, 2002, so we now have 16 years under our belts. It hardly seems possible that by May 18th we will have completed 335 programs for over 68,000 students. The last 3 years have exploded with new programing like Residency programming at East HS and Blues in the Pre-School for Rockford Head Start. We have had students from younger than age 2 to over 18 enjoy and learn about the blues. We will bring our 25 minute BITS program to this year’s festival in between acts on the main stage. Wheatbread Johnson, Bob Haendler and I will do a complete program in the Pavilion and show everyone what it’s like to learn about the Blues! Planning for our festival is moving along smartly. First and foremost, thank you once again to Lonnie’s Carpet Max and Lonnie’s Stone Crafters for stepping up to become Festival Level Sponsors. It means a lot to us to be able to bring quality programming to the fest and to know that we have a head start for funding our BITS programming for 2018-2019. Thanks to Lonnie Presson and his son’s Mark and Luke for their commitment to us and the Rockford area in general. The Presson family makes such an impact with their community support! The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and Rockford Area Arts Council have also provided Platinum Level Funding for our fest. With these donors and our
regular donors we are on a path for a very successful year financially. We hope that our fest attendance is the biggest and best yet, too. Our lineup is superbly solid and our venue is amazing. Ticket sales are already brisk and we look forward to our best festival yet!
We continue our work with the Hope and Anchor and Lyran Society, bringing three great shows a month to the Rockford area each month. Without these show things might be a little boring around town. We strive to make live music successful and hopefully other venues will jump on that band wagon more frequently and hire more blues bands to play in our area. We have worked the past few summers to do outdoor and other events that blues fans can enjoy, too. We were approached by the Burpee Museum to co-host an event at their out door venue on the river front. Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers will be there Wednesday, June 27th for a show at 6 PM. We are excited to work with the folks at Burpee and bring in one of Crossroads favorite guitar players in Jimmy Thackery. We are also trying to set up an outdoor show or two at Lyran Park if we can, so stay tuned for news on that. The summer approaches and the fests in the Midwest always bring major talent to the area for us to enjoy. We’ve got some of our annual coverage of those events included in this issue as we have in past May-June Newsletters.
Thanks for your support– I hope to see you at our festival and other events this summer. We have some great stuff planned as do others, so come on out and enjoy live music and have some fun with us! Very blues-ily yours,
Page 3
May-June 2018 Edition
Contents Editorial………………………………………..……………….…..2 Contents, Board, Local Radio & Application……………………………………….………...….3 Wayne Baker Brooks Nordlof Center…………….…....4 BITS Update……………………………………...……….…….6 2018 Crossroads Blues Festival Update ……………...8 Area Summer Blues Events..…………………...……...10 Music Reviews……………………………………...…….....12 Karen Howard Scholarship…………………………...….25 March and April Shows…………………...……………...30 Upcoming Crossroads and Other Shows... ………..32 Member Update…………………………………..….….....39 Hope and Anchor Shows……………………..….……...39 Lyran Club Shows……………………………..….……....39 Blues News and Upcoming Events……………...….40 Cover photo by Rick Davis The Groove is a bi-monthly publication of the Crossroads Blues Society. The PDF version (typically 32 to 40 pages) is emailed to members of Crossroads. Hard copies (12 pages) are sent out to members without email ($5 membership surcharge). Editor in Chief: Steve Jones Music Reviewers: Rick Davis, John Mitchell, Marty Gunther, Mark Nelson, Steve Jones and Mark Thompson. All un-credited content by Steve Jones
Blues on Local Radio WNIJ - 89.5 FM
Membership Application
www.CrossroadsBluesSociety.com Yes! I’d love to be a part of the Crossroads Blues Society!
Name_____________________________________________
•
Friday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with Harold Brown
•
Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM with David Rosik
•
Saturday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with David James
•
Phone_____________________________________________
Rich Gordon fills in regularly
Email Address____________________________________
Crossroads Blues Society Officers and Board Members Contact Info President: Steve Jones
sub_insignia@yahoo.com
Vice-President: Bill Graw
williamjgraw@gmail.com
Secretary: Bonnie Fox
bonitafx@gmail.com
Treasurer: Terry Keller Board of Directors: Denny Barker Rick Davis Bob Haendler Ken Pearson
Rick Hein
Street Address___________________________________ City________________ State______ Zip Code________
Date_______________________ This will be a membership for an/a: New -orIndividual ($15),
Returning Member Family ($25),
Band ($25)
$5 extra for newsletter via regular mail Please check all applicable interests: Festival Volunteer
Serve as Officer/Board
terry@markpack.com
BITS Volunteer
Volunteer at Events
Review CDs
Public Relations
harkthebark@mchsi.com rick_davis_937@comcast.net rhaendler@comcast.net cntrylivng@aol.com
Edit Newsletter
Other:___________________
mrrickhein@sbcglobal.net
Please cut out or copy and mail this form and payment to:
Crossroads Blues Society P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010
Bring this to our next meeting and get a free CD!
Page 4
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Wayne Baker Brooks Show Nordlof Center
and refreshed. The second set began with Wayne, Kenny and Scott sitting down and offering up a front porch sort of home style performance that gave an air of intimacy to the event. After a long while it was back on their feet doing many of dad Lonnie’s tunes and other classics to the crowd’s delight.
The Brooks Family was well represented in it’s return to Rockford on March 24th. Wayne Baker Brooks returned to the Forest City and put on an amazing show for the 100+ attendees at the show. Featuring Kenny Kinsey on bass and vocals, Scott Tipping on guitar and vocals and Jerry Porter on drums, they and Wayne put on a superb show for the music fans there. The first set Wayne and the band did some of Wayne’s great originals and the songs he has recorded for us to enjoy. The long set had folks on their feet and really enjoying the music. Break time meant refills on drinks provided by Prairie Street Brew House which keep everyone cool
Lonnie left us last year on April 1st which Wayne noted during the show. Wayne paid homage and tribute to his Dad and family throughout the show, showing humility and humbleness. He knows he has so much to be thankful for; his talented father gave both Wayne and Ronnie their
May-June 2018 Edition
Page 5
starts, featuring them both with his band on stage all over the world and introducing them to the royalty of the blues world whom they interacted with on a frequent basis. But Wayne also gets props for being a fantastic guitar player, singer, song writer and performer in his own right. Talent oozes from this young man as he plays guitar with precision, thoughtfulness and an intense musicality. I am always impressed by him each time I see him on stage.
our local CBS affiliate. The featured our show on their entire show, and our thanks go out to them and Culture Shock for helping us promote the show.
Wayne also came out early to promote the show, giving a pop-up concert at Culture Shock Clothing and Record the Tuesday before the show at the Nordlof Center and then appeared on Andy Gannon’s Morning Blend TV show on WIFR Channel 23,
We plan on having Wayne back soon. It was far too many years since he had been here with his own band. Look for him to return some time this fall or winter for a reprise of this great show and maybe some new music, too!
Thanks to Rick Davis for his great photos, one of which served as our cover photo, and to Lee Ann Flynn for the fantastic shots in this article. We also thank JR Kortman’s Gallery, Pig Minds Brewing, Grand Avenue Pub, Guzzardo Performance Music and Culture Shock for serving as our ticket outlets.
Page 6
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Blues in the Schools Update
We thought we’d hit a pinnacle last year with 63 school programs overall. We had added our new program Blues in the PreSchools and served the Head Start and some Rockford School District RPS-205 Childcare facilities with 29 programs and we did 34 others in local schools. We did so many programs that we hoped we could repeat that great run that we had in the 20162017 school year. Well, 2017-2018 looks like the final count will be 94 programs! We did 58 with Head Start this year plus we will have done another 36 in area schools so we topped all of our expectations. We
have four programs yet to do in May with Dave Fields and Ivy Ford, but the total at press time was 90 programs completed through April. March and April were very busy months for us. Wheatbread Johnson did the second half of his residency programs at East HS on March 1st and 2nd, doing 4 more programs for guitar and choral students. It was a great set of programs as the students learned new techniques and enjoyed themselves at the same time.
Page 7
May-June 2018 Edition
We finished up the last three days of Head Start programming in March. Wheatbread Johnson, Steve Jones and Bob Haendler spent the day at Fairgrounds Early Education Center on March 12th and completed 8 programs with the children there. Then on March 20th and 22th they spent a half day doing 4 programs each day at the Trinity Lutheran and YMCA Head Start Day Care facilities. That completed the 58 programs for Head Start and over 1,500 kids got to play and dance to the blues with us! On April 6th Bobby Messano returned and did two programs with us. Lewis Lemon ES in Rockford and Jean McNair ES in
Winnebago got to hear the blues and almost 800 more students were exposed to great music programming. Then on April 13th the West View ES student body had two programs with Wheatbread Johnson in the morning (over 500 students total) and then we reprised our short program with three first grade classes at Rockton Grade School for about 100 more students in a more intimate setting in their classrooms. The kids loved playing instruments and dancing to the blues in this format. Photo credits to Rick Davis for Bobby Messano BITS.
Page 8
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
2018 Crossroads Blues Festival As we approach our ninth annual Crossroads Blues Festival it seems like things have come together nicely. Perhaps we’ve learned a few things over the years; we have stuck to our roots and management plan from the start.
Winnebago Snyder Pharmacy
As noted, Lonnie’s Carpet Max and Stone Crafters have stepped up to become Festival Level sponsors. We are proud to have them on board and we will try to make this our best event yet. Their sponsorship enables us to take things up a notch over all while reducing risks to funding our Blues in the Schools programs. Thanks to Lonnie Presson and his family for their support! The Northern Illinois Community Foundation and Rockford Area Arts Council have given us grants at the Platinum Level, which also helps enormously.
Mount Morris Maggie’s Idle Hour
Tickets are on sale now. Our ticket outlets are primed and ready to sell tickets. They are still $5 and are at: Rockford Woodman’s Market Valle International Fresh Market Culture Shock Records and Clothing Guzzardo Performance Music Just Goods Fair Trade Store Loves Park Hope and Anchor English Pug Valle International Fresh Market CD Source
Oregon Snyder Pharmacy
Byron Snyder Pharmacy Felkers Market New Millford New Mill Tap Tickets are also available on line at: CrossroadsBluesSociety.com or by mail order with a SASE at: Crossroads Blues Society P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010 Advanced tickets will be limited this year, so make sure you get yours early. Changes this year include adding some new food services. Veebo Wood Fired Pizza and The Olive Branch Greek Food Truck were added to our lineup of great food vendors. We are looking for an Asian styled food vendor and an ice cream truck to add to the mix. Returning are An-Jans Eats, The Smoke House BBQ, Mary’s Tacos and Gala Snacks who have served great food to us for several years now and we look forward to seeing them again!
Machesney Park Pig Minds Brewing
We will also be lighting up the parking lot to make it easier at night to see what’s going on. We have some diesel powered light trailers arranged to make things a lot easier to see at night.
Beloit Grand Avenue Pub
We will return a great assortment of beers, ciders and wines as we have done the past two years. Beer and
Freeport Logan’s Bar and Grill
Page 9
May-June 2018 Edition wine remain at only $4. We will have shirts at the festival with the logo shown on the poster on the prior page. Fest shirts in orange, navy blue and tie dye will be available along with an assortment of Crossroads merchandise like baseball hats, koozies, and shot glasses. Our lineup is one of the top we’ve seen for a one day blues fest. Here is the schedule of events: 11:00 AM Fest Opens 12:00 PM Dave Fields on the Main Stage 1:30 PM Riding Atlas in the Pavilion 2:00 PM Kilborn Alley on the Main Stage 3:30 PM Joe Filisko Harmonica Workshop in the Pavilion 4:00 PM Lauren Mitchell and Joe Moss on the Main Stage 5:30 PM Blues in the Schools Program with Wheatbread Johnson, Steve Jones and Bob Haendler in the Pavilion 6:00 PM Toronzo Cannon on the Main Stage 7:30 PM Warren Beck in the Pavilion 8:00 PM Monster Mike Welch and Michael
10:00 PM
Ledbetter– The Welch Ledbetter Connection on the Main Stage Fest Closes
Merchandise vendors will also be on site, including Culture Shock, Wild Bill’s, purses, jewelry, and other cool stuff for your shopping enjoyment. We are working hard to make this our best festival yet. We hope you will come out, have a fun day and help us keep the blues alive. All Crossroads proceeds support our Blues in the Schools Program! We hope to see you on August 25th at Lyran Park for our Ninth Annual Blues Festival!
Thank you to the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and the Rockford Area Arts Council for their 2018 grants in support of our 2018 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park!
Page 10
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Area Summer Blues Events May Monticello Spring Fling May 21st at Lake Montesian Community Park in Monticello, WI. Acts include The Jimmy's, Precocious" and Cherry Pie. https://www.facebook.com/events/452300041627758/
June LaSalle Art and Music Festival June 1st through 3rd in Lasalle Rotary Park in Lasalle, IL. Acts TBD. http://www.enjoylasallecounty.com Chicago Blues Festival June 8th through 10th in Millenium Park in Chicago, IL. Featuring 65th Anniversary of Delmark Records Celebration, Little Walter Tribute, Mavis Staples, Kenny Neal and much more. https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/ chicago_blues_festival.html/ Blues on the Fox June 15th and 16th at River Edge Park in Aurora, IL. Acts include Aaron Neville, Sonny Landreth, Toronzo Cannon, and Samantha Fish. https:// riveredgeaurora.com/events/botf-2018/ Monroe Balloon & Blues Festival June 15th and 16th at Green County Fairgrounds in Monroe, WI. Acts include Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal, the Cash Box Kings, the Jimmys, Alex Wilson Band and Madtown Mannish Boys. http://monroeballoonrally.com/ Madison Blues Picnic June 16th at Warner Park in Madison, WI. Acts include Ivy Ford Band, Altered Five and the Chris O’Leary Band as headliners. https://www.facebook.com/events/1935170180137618/ Brews and Blues June 16th at Ryland Park in Lancaster, WI. Featuring the Chris O’Leary Band and the Madtown Mannish Boys. https://www.brewsandblueswi.com Woodsong Concert June 17th at Klehm Arboretum in Rockford, IL. Featuring Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal. http://klehm.org/joshhoyer/
July Mississippi Valley Blues Festival July 6th and 7th at LeClaire Park in Davenport, IA. Acts include Walter Trout, Shaun Murphy and Jonny Lang. http://mvbs.org/blues-fest.php New Glarus Blues, Brew & Food Truck Festival July 14th at New Glarus Village Park in New Glarus, WI. Featuring the Mike Wheeler Band, Joyann Parker, Ivy Ford Band and the Birddog Blues Band with Mel Ford. https://www.facebook.com/NGBBFTF/ Woodsong Concert July 17th at Klehm Arboretum in Rockford, IL. Featuring Danielle Juhre. http://klehm.org/danielle-juhre Prairie Dog Blues Festival July 27th and 28th on St. Feriole Island in Prairie DuChien, WI. Acts include Laith Al-Saadi, Carolyn Wonderland, Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Southern Avenue and the Igor Prado Band. http://www.prairiedogblues.com
August Blues on the Chippewa August 3rd through 5th in Durand’s Memorial Park in Chippewa Falls, WI. Acts include Ghost Town Blues Band, Hamilton Loomis, and Annie Mack. https://www.bluesonthechippewa.com Waukesha Rotary Blues Festival August 10th and 11th in Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield, WI. Acts include Joe Lewis Walker, Carolyn Wonderland, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater and Nikki Hill. http://www.waukeshabluesfest.com/ Joliet Blues Festival August 11 at Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet, IL, Acts include The Mike Wheeler Band, Blues Victim, Jamiah Rogers and Big Dog Mercer. https://www.jolietbluesfestival.com/ McHenry Rotary Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival August 17th through 19th in Peterson Park in McHenry, IL. Acts include Delmark Recording Artists Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames, Demetria Taylor and Mike Wheeler, The Blooze Brothers, Brother John Katke, Jimmy Nick & Don't Tell Mama, John Primer and Big Dog Mercer. https://www.mrbbb.com Woodsong Concert August 19th at Klehm Arboretum in Rockford, IL. Featuring The Jimmys. http://klehm.org/woodsong-concert-jimmys Big Bull Falls Blues Festival August 17th and 18th at Fern Island Park, Wausau, WI. Acts include Walter Trout, Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Robben Ford, Curtis Salgado and the Jimmys. https://www.wausauevents.org/big-bull-falls-blues-fest.html Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park August 25th at Lyran Park (private park) in Rockford, IL. Acts include Welch Ledbetter Connection, Toronzo Cannon, Lauren Mitchell and Joe Moss, Kilborn Alley and Dave Fields. http://crossroadsbluessociety.com/ Paramount Music Festival August 31st to September 2nd at Coal Dock Park, Port Washington, WI. Acts TBD at press time. https://www.facebook.com/events/211989579560005/ Peoria Blues and Heritage Music Festival August 31st to September 2nd at Peoria, IL Riverfront. Acts TBD at press time. http://peoriabluesandheritagefestival.com/
September BBQ & Blues Fest September 7th in La Salle, IL. Featuring The Ghost Town Blues Band and The Jimmys. http://www.enjoylasallecounty.com/venue/downtown-lasalle/ Windy City Blues Fest September 22nd and 23rd in Lyons, IL. Acts include Mike Wheeler Band with Nellie Tiger Travis and Lurrie Bell, Eddie Taylor Jr. Band and Tomiko Dixon with The Chicago Blues Queens and The Original Chicago Blues All-Star Band.
Page 11
May-June 2018 Edition There are some clubs and summer shows coming up in with blues bands, too. Here’s what we’ve seen advertised for the start of the summer season. Friday May 11th at Just Goods Listening Room in Rockford features Missy Anderson at 7 PM. Missy is a great soul and blues singer and Crossroads is helped to co-sponsor the event and get the word out. See the poster on page 37 and photo to the left. Wednesday June 27th the great Jimmy Thackery appears at the Burpee Museum in Rockford at 6:30 PM as part of their Music on the Rock Summer Series. See pages 36 and 39. Looking ahead, Prairie Street Brewhouse in Rockford has The Jimmys on Thursday August 12 and then the Alex Wilson Band on the 19th of August. Music starts at 6 PM for all the Dinner on the Dock Shows throughout the summer. These are the only two blues nights amidst all the other shows. Alex was there last summer and the Jimmys have been on the dock in prior years. The Rockford Park District features live music at Sinnissippi Park’s bandshell with 7 PM shows. Interesting shows include June 14th with the Rhythm Rockets, June 19th with Big Daddy Woo Woo, June 28th with Danielle Juhre, July 12th with Laura Rain and the Caesars, and July 19th with the Blooze Brothers. Levings Lake Park also has music all summer,
so check them out, too. Summerfest in Milwaukee and Ravinia in Highland Park always have great music and feature some blues. Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang are at Ravinia July 8th. Summerfest features Bonnie Raitt and George Thorogood June 28th, Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang June 30th, Edgar Winter July 1st, John Nemeth and Walter Trout July 5th, and John Batiste with the Dap Kings and the James Hunter 6 July 7th. Lots of other great music at both venues, too. Wisconsin Brewing in Verona, WI has lots of live music, too. The Blue Olives May 4th, Reverend Raven May 25th and July 20th, The Jimmys June 22nd and August 10th, Ryan McGrath Band September 14th, and the Madtown Mannish Boys September 28th. It’s a great setting for live music, the beer is great and they have a number of food trucks to dine at. Friday nights in Mount Morris, IL features a plethora of fun music events in the Bandshell from 7 to 9 PM. Larry Ubben schedules those, so watch for them once announced. There is also a Farmers Market on Fridays there. The Hairy Cow Brewing Company is supposedly opening this summer and we have talked to them about live music on the Rock River in the old Sunshine Park in Byron, IL that is now becoming their Brewery. Stay tuned for that, too! On Tuesday nights in Oregon, IL there is live music on Tuesday nights in June and July. Those also are not yet announced. Chicago has far too many live music events to list. Check out Millennium Park and the Pritzger Pavilion for their events. Right now it’s mostly rock and some other genres with not much blues scheduled. And for long range planning, the Logan Center continues its tradition of celebrating and promoting the rich cultural landscape of Chicago's South Side with a three day festival of concerts, workshops, film, food, and conversation. From October 19–21, 2018, the Logan Center Bluesfest will feature local and national musicians and artists in spaces throughout the Logan Center. Go to: https:// www.loganbluesfest.org/ to stay current. It’s going to be a great summer and beyond! May gets things warmed up and the hot stuff keeps going all summer long into the early fall. There will be more than is listed here, so keep your ears open to learn about other events coming up! Enjoy the music this summer!
Page 12
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Music Reviews Ivy Ford – Time To Shine Ivy Ford Music https://www.ivyfordmusic.com/ 10 Tracks At the time of my first review of Ivy Ford, she was close to releasing a new original blues CD with a unique style all her own. At the same time, her band was headed for Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge, representing the Crossroads Blues Society. Her stellar performance at the IBC earned her yet another performance in the semifinals, a reflection of her glowing personality, stage presence, and prowess as a singer, songwriter, and guitar player. Time To Shine is a testament to that performance, as seen by her newly acclaimed fan base in Memphis, with her new original material paving the way capturing the attention of many. The album opens with the rousing blues gospel title track, a great introduction by this rising star. Willie J. Rauch on bass and Dave Axen on drums establish a steady rhythm following Ivy's guitar introduction. Her fabulous vocals are further enhanced by background vocals from the soulful gospel group "the friends of Ivy." Ivy has been known to include a little soul and funk with the blues during her live performances. Along with a strong rhythm section on "Tell Me You're Sorry," Ivy hits us with some soulful rhythm guitar riffs behind her lead guitar solos. On the tune "Gimme' That Guitar," she gives us soulful guitar riffs with some of the funkiest guitar you will ever hear. Strong bass lines keep pace with rhythm and lead guitar parts on "Baby Come Home," blending well Ivy's seductive, soulful pleas for the return of her significant other. "Hate To Have To Go" establishes a hypnotizing groove that builds throughout the track as she tells us with convincing vocals that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Ivy will melt your heart with her soulful vocals on the slow ballad "Ain't Had Enough of You." The band switches gears with the up-tempo jump blues tune "Girls Night" that will make you jump, jive, and wail. "Mr. Right" is a blues shuffle showcasing the musicianship and strong sassy vocals you might experience if you attended an Ivy Ford performance. "Mama Don't" will rock you with one of the funkiest guitar performances since "Uptown Funk" hit the airwaves, showing the diversity of this contemporary blues diva so early in her career. As her collection of originals comes to a close with "Don't Handle Me," Ivy sets some guidelines as she emphatically declares "don't tell me what to do," that comes across loud and clear in her vocals. Time To Shine captures the essence of her competence as a blues singer, songwriter, and guitar player. As a blues fan, I can only hope she has a long and prosperous career on her journey to the top. She is light years ahead of artists in her age bracket. Reviewed Rick Davis
Victor Wainwright And The Train Ruf Records www.victorwainwright.com 12 tracks/ 62 minutes New band name, new record label, Victor Wainwright has gone for a blank canvas while retaining the best elements of his previous music. Perhaps the intention is there to see on the clever cover where all manner of musical instruments have been formed into an oldfashioned steam train. The result is an excellent disc with many strong songs, all written by Victor (with assistance on three songs from previous band members Stephen Dees and Nick Black). The core band is Victor on vocals, all keyboards (and, on one track, ‘belly tambourine’), long-standing drummer Billy Dean, Terrence Grayson on bass and Pat Harrington on guitar. Roomful of Blues horn players Mark Earley (sax) and Doug Woolverton (trumpet) appear on eight tracks, Nick Black, Patricia Ann Dees and the fabulous Reba Russell are on B/V’s, co-producer Dave Gross plays varied guitars/percussion, Jeff Jensen acoustic guitar and there is a trio of guest lead guitarists: ‘Monster’ Mike Welch, Josh Roberts and Greg Gumpel. Several of those names will be familiar as members of Victor’s previous band The Wild Roots. Recorded in Memphis in January 2017, mixed by Dave Gross in New Jersey, it looks as if Victor waited until he had the right label to release the album but the wait was worth it. Opening track “Healing” sets off at tremendous pace pushed by the horns, Victor urging us to all “board the train” and find salvation, the gospel overtones laid bare for all to hear as Victor pounds the piano, a ‘churchy’ middle section before Pat’s guitar, Victor’s wild organ and the choir take us home – quite a ride! “Wiltshire Grave” has a New Orleans flavour with Doug’s growling trumpet and Billy’s odd assortment of percussion effects, including bicycle bell, baseball bat and knife, before the rollicking title cut “Train” delivers a dose of Victor’s trademark boogie piano, the horns adding even greater propulsion to the frantic pace – just try sitting still to this one! Victor then shows a completely different side to his music on the soulful ballad “Dull Your Shine” (with Greg Gumpel’s delicate guitar work) before Victor recounts the humorous tale “Money” in which he is pursued for payment by the IRS and several shady characters. Mike Welch lends his talents to the touching BB King tribute “Thank You Lucille” as his very appropriate guitar fills complement Victor’s heartfelt vocals on another highlight of the album: “Thank you for giving my mentor’s hands a place to rest, a place to call home. The thrill will never be gone, your music will always live on. That’s just the way I feel – thank you Lucille”. After that we probably do need a touch of Victor’s wit and energy which he delivers on “Boogie Depression” - “playing the piano
Page 13
May-June 2018 Edition to cure my depression”. Victor strikes a more serious note on the affectionate ballad “Everything I Need” before his rolling left hand starts up the gospel stomper “Righteous” with Josh Roberts’ slide and the backing vocalists helping Victor to whip up a storm. Victor’s great sense of humour comes to the fore on the hilarious “I’ll Start Tomorrow”, his response to advice on cutting back on his excesses, complete with boogie piano and a superb sax solo by Mark Earley.
Band but the main points of interest to readers of The Groove are the two tracks with guest blues guitarists. Walter Trout’s guitar and Corne’s harmonica add urgency to the upbeat “Ridin’ With Lady Luck” which is definitely the closest we get to the blues here with Walter and Eric trading licks as Eric sings of life’s excesses: “If it’s contagious I want it all to myself”. “Pull String To Inflate” also has a blues-rock rhythm over which Rick Holmstrom plays some tasty guitar.
The album closes with two extended tracks: “Sunshine” opens with Pat doing his best Derek Trucks impression over percussion effects and Mark’s flute before the tune develops into Jamband/ Allmans territory, Victor even sounding like the late Gregg Allman on his short vocal part; “That’s Love To Me” is a heartfelt ballad over soulful backing with Victor on organ and Pat again showing why he is such a highly-rated young guitarist with a soaring solo.
Readers whose tastes run wider than straight blues may find something of interest here.
There are several strong songs here that will doubtless grace Victor’s live shows. Probably best known for his larger-than-life personality and boogie piano, this album shows several sides to Victor’s music and should take him to the next level. Recommended! Reviewed by John Mitchell
Eric Corne – Happy Songs For The Apocalypse Forty Below Records www.ericcornemusic.com 12 tracks;/42 minutes Eric Corne’s name will perhaps be best known for his work with John Mayall whose recent discs have appeared on Corne’s Forty Below imprint. He has also worked with Walter Trout on his recent album We’re All In This Together and wrote much of Karen Lovely’s last album Fish Outta Water. Corne handles lead vocals and plays guitar, ukelele and harmonica as well as producing and engineering the record. He is joined by a lot of special guests, the ones of main interest to blues fans being Walter Trout and Rick Holmstrom who play guitar on one song each and Matt Tecu (formerly Janiva Magness’ drummer) who plays on two tracks. Corne does also record with country and folk artists and much of this album fits more into those genres than blues. Lyrically the album condemns the modern obsessions with technology and materialism: opener “Mad World” has weeping pedal steel and acoustic guitar behind Corne’s vocals and the album closer “Sing, Little Darlin’ Sing” finds him solo with just his ukelele supporting his tender vocal dedicated to his young daughter whose laughter can be heard at the end of the track. Elsewhere there are fiddles, pump organ and harmony vocals, providing pleasant Americana music. David Ralicke’s horn arrangement adds a mournful sheen to “Trail Full Of Tears” which recalls The
Reviewed by John Mitchell
Music Reviewers Needed We are looking for music reviewers to write for The Groove. We will get the CDs to you. The Groove is published every other month, six times a year. We go to press in late February, late April, late June, Late August, late October and late December. Reviewers need no prior experience other than a love of blues music, the willingness to listen to music and honestly critique it and to possibly do a little research about the artist. Even one review per issue would be a great help. We have tried to stay ahead of things and do not have a backlog, so we are proactively seeking to increase our writing staff. In most cases we review all of the CDs that we receive . When the CD is obviously not a blues CD at all we will likely not review it, but the blues genre is a wide playing field of music so we have over 30 CDs on average per issue that need to be reviewed. That is slowly growing over time and sometimes our reviewers are unavailable for an issue or two so we could use a little help. Contact Rick Davis at rick_davis_937@comcast.net to volunteer or get more information. We have training materials to help you and we will coach you in your reviewing if desired. It’s not very hard and who doesn’t like to get new, free CDs?
THE
GROOVE THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CROSSROADS BLUES SOCIETY
Page 14 Ghost Town Blues Band—Backstage Pass Self Released http://www.ghosttownbluesband.com 9 Tracks From the legendary city of Memphis we have the 4th release from Ghost Town Blues Band. Backstage Pass is a live document of their outstanding stage show. GTBB was on the Crossroads Blues Festival stage a few years ago and were very well received. Matt Isbell provides the lead vocals, guitar, and cigar box guitar. The rest of the band includes Taylor Orr (guitar, vocals), Suave Jones (trombone, vocals), Kevin Houston (sax, vocals), Tim Stanek (B3, piano, keys), Matt Kramer (bass, vocals) and Preston McEwan (drums). This performance was tapped July 29, 2017 at Lafayette’s Music Room in Memphis. It contains 5 originals and 4 covers. It mixes blues with other roots music for a rockin’ performance. The high energy opener is a wild cover of the “Come Together” by the Beatles. It has a hill country vibe to it, with snippets of “Whole Lotta Love” and “Norwegian Wood”. This tune should grab every listener’s attention. The groove slides down the Mississippi River to New Orleans with the rumba infused Isbell/Orr tune “Tip Of My Hat”. The horn section shows their chops with nice solos by Jones and Houston. “Shine” is full of Stax Records feel, and that is usually a great thing. In has a bit of Wilson Pickett “In The Midnight Hour” feel to it. The original material continues on “Givin' It All Away” is an Allman Bros. type guitar jam driven tune. The horns ride into the last part of the tune and really provide great energy for the tune. “Big Shirley” is a boogie woogie bone rattling tune. Tim Stanek really tickles the 88’s on this one. There is even an add-on of Led Zep’s “Rock And Roll” at the end of the tune. The crowd I am sure was up dancing. The 6th tune is a cover of the classic Allman Bros. track “Whipping Post”. The GTBB version stretches out to almost 16 minutes, so there is plenty of room for the band members to stretch out. The audience loved it. Things head back to New Orleans with a cover of the George Porter Jr./Meters classic “I Get High”. This is another long tune at nearly 10 minutes. This is a funky tune, though it jams out with a bit more Allman feel to it, followed by a swipe at “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” Suavo Jones adds a bit of a rap after the Rolling Stones piece. Things return to the blues on “One More Whiskey”. It is a lively shuffle, with the horn section again doing their part. This one is off of their initial release Dust To Dust. The set closes out with the Robert Randolph penned tune “I Need More Love”. The entire band joins in and jams on the sacred steel tune. They break into a bit of “Gimme Some Lovin’” from Steve Winwood and Spencer Davis. This is a wonderful live document of performance by Ghost Town Blues Band. They play wonderfully together and cover many types of music in their performance. Locally you can catch them August 3rd at Blues On The Chippewa and Sept. 7th at the BBQ and Blues get-together in LaSalle, IL. Stop by and catch
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter them live. You might also want to get one of Matt Isbell’s cigar box guitars while you are there. There were many song snippets of well known songs that are not always necessary, but can be a crowd pleaser. This is a band that can have a long a wonderful career. I hope a release of new material will follow soon. I hope we are listening to them for the next 25-30 years. For now enjoy this fine live recording and catch them live. Reviewed by Mark Nelson AJ Ghent [J-Ent] - The Neo Blues Project Ropeadope Records https://ajghent.com/home 6 Tracks AJ Ghent [J-Ent] is part of the Sacred Steel musical community in Florida. Ghent was born into a legacy of famous lap steel guitar players such as his great uncle Willie Eason, grandfather Henry Nelson, and father Aubrey Ghent Sr., who greatly influenced his son's career. Robert Randolph and The Campbell Brothers continue this style today. AJ has moved to Atlanta, and is embracing the styles of music there into his own writing. Some time was spent playing with the great Col. Bruce Hampton. He performed all the music on this release with a bit of backup vocals from his wife. There is only one cover tune. This is not his family type of Sacred Steel. AJ is moving into a more modern sound on this release, using blues, funk, rock and soul in his tunes. “Do The Rump!” is a Junior Kimbrough tune that Ghent is making a soulful rework. Ghent’s slide guitar work is pretty good. Certainly this is a modern look on the raw sound that Kimbrough had for the track, but there is elements of Kimbrough remaining. I like “Wash Ya Hair”. It has good lyrics, and gathers a bit of Curtis Mayfield soul. The song might make a great title tune for a movie or TV show. Things rock out on “Power”. This could be a Lenny Kravitz type of powerful rock and soul. There is no pedal steel on this track. “Mercy” is a more tender ballad that rocks out a bit with the pedal steel during the song. It is a pretty tune. There is a laid back style to “Long Lost Friend”. It is an impressive tune, with some nice vocal support by his wife Marla. The EP closes out with “Gonna Rock”. This tune gets an oldie feel towards Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley. The slide work is fine. This is a labor of love. Ghent shows off his playing, writing and vocal skills. At age 31, he is seeking his own path in today’s world of music. This is not Sacred Steel music, but it is nice and certainly a more modern set of tunes. I hope Ghent finds his way to his personal success. I have enjoyed his family music for years. I am certain it will always be an influence for him too. I wish best of luck on the future to you AJ. Fans, this is an interesting listen, though not really Blues. If you want to branch out your ears may thank you for this. If you just want your blues, then this is not likely one for you. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Page 15
May-June 2018 Edition Greg Sover – Jubilee Self-Release www.GregSover.com 7 tracks; 33 minutes This EP follows on from Greg’s 2016 Songs Of A Renegade and he is again backed by the members of Deb Callahan’s band: Allen James on guitar, Garry Lee on bass and Tom Walling on drums; Wally Smith adds keyboards and guests Mikey Junior (harp), Joseph Arnold (violin), Yoni Draibiate (cello) and François Zayas (percussion) each contribute to one track. Greg is on lead, resonator and acoustic guitars as well as lead vocals. The material is all Greg’s apart from one collaboration with Garry and there is one cover. Greg and Garry produced the album which was recorded in Philadelphia. The EP certainly shows several facets to Greg’s talent and therefore acts as something of a showcase for him. “Emotional” is a chugging rocker with lyrics about some of the things in the modern world that cause Greg to show his emotions, a tune that could have been on a Bon Jovi album, even down to the fleet-fingered rock guitar solo. The title track is definitely blues as Greg shows his resonator skills and Mikey Junior adds some downhome harp. To add to the diversity “Hand On My Heart” is an acoustic ballad complete with strings that Greg sings well; the song appears in two versions but the second is simply a radio edit. “I Give My Love” is again very different with an island vibe from the additional percussion and a happy tale of a chance meeting on an island – not blues but good fun. Having shown several different sides to his musical personality Greg then covers “As The Years Go Passing By” and whilst the world hardly needs another version of this classic song Greg does a good job on a slow-paced reading of the song and a strong guitar solo and his blues credentials are further underlined by a live version of “Temptation” which is a rough and tough piece of blues-rock with a frenzied guitar solo. There is certainly promise here and Greg shows that he can play blues as well as other styles. He has a strong and pleasant voice that adapts to all these styles effortlessly, so it will be interesting to see which way he heads on future recordings. Reviewed by John Mitchell Rockwell Avenue Blues Band – Back To Chicago Delmark Records www.delmark.com 15 tracks/70 minutes Five veterans who have all recorded, played and lived in Chicago at one time have banded together to produce this excellent album. Ken Saydak has been a go-to Chicago keyboard player for years and came up with the idea of bringing these five guys together; guitarist Steve Freund is now based in California but recorded many fine albums in the Windy City; Tad Robinson worked in Chicago and started his recording career with Delmark before moving to Indianapolis; Harlan Terson (‘the bass
person’) has graced many albums, as has drummer Marty Binder who spent many years with Albert Collins. Three of the band sing and they share the vocals equally, four of them write and between them they wrote all bar one of these songs: Tad contributed two originals and combined with Ken and Harlan on the title track; Steve wrote four songs and Ken five, as well as contributing to two others; Harlan chipped in one original and there is a single cover. Tad’s “Blues For Hard Times” opens the CD in fine style as he sings of “hard times out on the cold, hard streets” over smooth organ and an insistent guitar riff; “Free To Love Again” is Ken’s song and his electric piano work here is excellent, the song suiting Tad’s soulful style perfectly. “We Believe” is a stirring gospel tune with a message, written by Ken, Fred James and Mary-Ann Brandon and Tad sounds utterly convincing when he sings “we’ll kill and die just to prove we’re right; we’d rather crawl through the darkness than walk in the light”. Tad’s “Rich Man” is another soulful tune with Ken’s swirling organ and Steve’s guitar sitting behind his vocals and the title cut (a collaboration between Ken, Tad and Harlan) is one of those songs about lost love with Steve contributing some superb guitar lines throughout. Neither Steve nor Ken has Tad’s pipes but both deliver their songs well. Steve’s quartet of originals starts with the appropriately titled “Boogie In The Rain”, a song that explains why he chose the West Coast over the Midwest (“when I was a child all we had was rain and snow – that’s why I’m out in California, can’t stand that stuff no more”). The band cooks up a boogie here that recalls Canned Heat in their prime, with Tad providing some spirited harp. “Have You Ever Told Yourself A Lie” and “Lonesome Flight’”are both classic slow blues, the former featuring Steve on slide and Tad on harp while the latter discusses the depressing subject of a family bereavement. “Hey Big Bill” lightens the mood with a jaunty shuffle that references Big Bill Broonzy’s music as Steve’s clean guitar lines mesh with Ken’s piano and Tad’s wailing harp, making the track a great deal of fun. Steve’s other vocal is on the sole cover, Elmore James’ “Stranger Blues” with Marty’s drum skills well to the fore on a latin-tinged take. Ken’s songs lend a sense of humour to the disc, his gruff vocals delivering several amusing tales such as “Chariot Gate” where Ken recalls his younger days of “acting the fool, playing the clown”, but now finds himself before the gates and just hopes that his “driver is a little bit late”, as he is not ready to depart this earth just yet! “For A Reason” is a swinging shuffle with an underlying message about gun control while “That Face” finds Ken in love but the girl does not reciprocate the depth of his feelings, Tad delivering some aching harp on a tune that has some similarity to Willie Dixon’s “I Want To Be Loved”. Ken confesses that his role in life is to dream “float on the river, get carried downstream – I don’t need to be sleeping to dream” on the slow blues “Dream” and also sings Harlan’s tune “Love Police”, a shuffle led by Ken’s organ. Overall, a fine album of varied blues by Chicago veterans. For this reviewer there are few singers who can match Tad Robinson’s delivery and his features are my personal highlights, but there are no clunkers at all in a generous selection of material. Recommended! Reviewed by John Mitchell
Page 16
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Willie May—New Country Blues Self Released http://www.williemaymusic.com/ 10 Tracks
Mud Morganfield—They Call Me Mud Severn Records www.mudmorganfieldblues.com/ 12 Tracks
This is Willie May’s 19th release. That is quite an accomplishment. The country/Americana side of the blues is the target for this release. Coming to us from Buffalo NY, he is a mainstay in that area ’s blues scene. Willie wrote all of tunes for this CD. Willie plays guitar, dobro, bass, jaw harp and sings on this release. As in prior releases, he is supported by a large group of area musicians on other instruments.
Today we have the new release by Mud Morganfield. Mud is the oldest son of Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield). The pedigree is top notch, and so is the performer. Mud sings, and plays a bit of bass on this new release, his 4 th domestic CD and 6th overall. He is joined by Rich Kreher and Billy Flynn on guitar. Other fine talent featured on the tracks is Studebaker John (harmonica), E. G. McDaniel (bass), Melvin Carlisle (drums) and Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi (piano). The music is Chicago blues, and 10 of the 12 tracks are originals. There are a number of guest performers that will be mentioned later. Rick Kreher and Mud produced the tracks for the CD. Mud dedicated the work to Barrelhouse Chuck and his Godfather James Cotton.
“Gypsy Eyes” is the opening track. This is a middle tempo country blues tune, with a full band behind him. Doug Yeomans adds guitar to this solid tune. I like “Plenty Of Problems”. This one lends itself to the country side of music. The tempo is nice and the production work is pretty good. Up next is an old country style ballad called “Looking For Jesus”. Jim Whitfield adds some fine pedal steel to this one. The mood shifts to some Cajun influenced music on “Get It Ready”. I can see the dancers going for this one. The country blues is represented on “Thirty Days”. I hear May’s jaw harp on this one. On the 6th cut “Wicked Ways”, May gets back into the straight old country groove. It is a pretty nice tune from that genre. “Where Did We Go Wrong” is another country song, telling the story of lost love. It is a story song that fits well into the CD overall. The banjo and accordion arrive for “Don't Know Where”. This one is a bit more in the western type of music. The sound is simple, but it tells a good story. “Smile” is a fast paced treat, that has some of the country and Cajun feel to it. The accordion tries to keep up with the fast paced drumming by Randy Bolan. Closing out the recording is a pretty good country blues tune called “Stop Hurtin' Me”. May and his gang of musicians really sound good on this one. Overall this is an OK CD. It hits more on the country side, which is what it was advertised as. Willie May has some talent, and one has to admire the drive to put himself out there with all the music he records. Much of this has been on past releases, so if you have been collecting his stuff before, you may have this already. If you are new and like this type of music, this is a great place to start. We can look forward to the magically 20th release in the next year. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
The music starts with “They Call Me Mud”. I think this is a good song, and seeks to push Mud to a bit more of an individual identity from his famous father. Phil Perkins (trumpet) and Michael Jackson (sax) add to this track. The blues get soulful on the next track “48 Days”. It is a love plea/apology for a second chance to get back together for love. It will remind you a bit of “The Thrill Is Gone”. The brass due of Perkins and Jackson remain for the third straight track, the soul ballad “Cheatin' Is Cheatin'”. Mud’s voice shows off his baritone range on this tune. Things pick up on “Who's Fooling Who”. This one gets a bit funky. Mike Wheeler joins on guitar and Bryant T. Parker on percussion. The mid tempo tune moves well, and keeps solid beat. “Howlin’ Wolf” is a cover of one of Mud’s father’s tunes. This is straight up electric Chicago blues. The crack band really shines here. Any blues fan will like this one. The 6th tune is “24 Hours”. Mike Wheeler is back on guitar for this one. It is a more modern electric blues tune, with a touch of soul. “Who Loves You” is a more R&B based ballad. Mud’s daughter, Lashunda Williams, sings a duet on this tune. The brass is back and is joined by Anne Harris (Otis Taylor’s Band) on violin. It is a longer tune at almost 6 minutes. “Oh Yeah” is a bit faster tune with a Memphis feel to it. “Can't Get No Grindin'” if the other cover, and it is also a Muddy Waters tune. This is certainly a classic Chicago blues tune, with Fine harp work by Studebaker John. The horns return on the next tune” Rough Around The Edge”. Ariyo puts down some fine piano on this one too. I like this tune very much, with the stretched out play by all the musicians within the blues confines. The band is a big force on “Walkin' Cane”. It is a solid electric Chicago blues tune, with plenty of fine musicianship. Bodies will be swaying when this tune is played. Billy Branch joins up for the finale, with a jazzy feel to it. “Mud’s Groove” is a solid instrumental tune. It adds to the wider range of material on this release.
Page 17
May-June 2018 Edition Mud will always be attached to the legacy of Muddy Waters. This release will help him establish his own work as being important to the blues today. I like the different styles Mud shows on this release. I am sure they reflect things he was exposed to during his life. He put together a crack band, with fine special guests. I like this CD, likely his best release. All blues fans should all get something fun to listen to on this release. Mud is
Good Looking” gets a bluesy cover with nice guitar, piano and organ work. Toussaint McCall’s “Nothin’ Takes The Place of You” is a sad, bluesy ballad with mournful vocals and guitar. It’s a nice cover of a very cool song and Pate adds his guitar to spice up the cut. “I Got The Blues” is the other original. It’s a well done and mid tempo paced shuffle that’s a lot of fun. His guitar answers his vocal calls and he delivers another big guitar performance.
becoming relevant to the future of the blues, while still keeping a toe into the classic past of the genre. Pick up this CD and enjoy it. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Freddie Pate – I Got The Blues Self-Released www.freddiepate.com 11 tracks/41 minutes Freddie Pate is a Los Angeles native who began playing guitar at 4 years of age. He left home at 17 and moved to Texas and spent almost 20 years in Houston and Dallas as a sideman for country artists. He left Texas for Louisiana and has been there since traveling the globe with Wayne Toups and Zydecajun. Of late he’s spent more time in Texas and hooked up with Delbert McClinton and has played on his cruise. He met Mike Zito on one and they became friends. He released a country album entitles Crossroads in 2016 but Zito pushed him to record a blues album and this is the result. Recorded at Marz Studio in Nederland, Texas, Zito helped Freddie produce this album. Appearing on the CD with Pate (who does the guitar work and vocals) are Terry Dry on bass, Matt Johnson on drums, Lewis Stephens on keys and Mike Zito on rhythm guitar. The guitar work here is pretty damn good and the songs are all a lot of fun. The recording is well-crafted, balanced and has a good sound. Pate has a gravelly blues shouter approach to his vocals. Some may like by them some may not, but most will appreciate them for their authenticity and his overall exuberance. Pate wrote two of the songs here, so there are two originals and nine varied covers. The party begins with “Let The Juke Joint Jump.” He offers up a mean guitar solo and shows his prowess on guitar on this cut Koko Taylor made famous. Elmore James’ “Sho-Nuff I Do” is a cool slow blues that Pate delivers with emotion. He growls as the backing musicians support him and then delivers a stinging solo on guitar before growling out the conclusion to the song. Have You Ever Loved A Woman” is the first original, a cut with a driving beat and big lead guitar and solo work. It’s a tune folks will dance to with abandon. Hank Williams’ “Hey
Fat’s Domino’s “Hello Jospehine” is next, paying more homage to his time in Louisina. Pate’s guitar offers up a sweet intro and then Pate gets into the groove vocally. His guitar does not rest as Freddie gives us another well done and varied solo. “My Babe” follows, a Willie Dixon classic. He uses a little echo and reverb on the vocals and guitar here to change things up. Pate takes Clifton Chenier’s “Jolie Blond” and turns it into a jumping, rockabilly styled enjoyable blues number. The pace drops for a bit as he breaks into some cajun vocals and then re-initiates the attacks with his guitar. “Dance With Me Baby” is a B.B. King song that Pate makes his own. Piano and guitar pace the vocals nicely and then Pate once again delivers some killer guitar. Pate concludes with “Beer Drinkin’ Dog,” listed as a Niles K. Jones cut. Jones wrote “Your Poodle Dog,” released on the Pittsburgh Gemini label (and very similar to the Tampa Red “Let Me Play With Your Poodle”) but I did not find another recording of this one. It’s a boogie that’s slowed down a bit with more big guitar and fun lyrics as Pate takes us home. The vocals are rough; that’s part of Pate’s charm. The guitar work is stellar- I really was impressed. I would enjoy going to see this guy based on the CD- I get a vibe from the songs that show me he’d be a lot of fun to see and hear live. The LA/Texas/ Louisiana influences blend together well as Freddie Pate delivers a high energy and fun set of songs on this CD. Reviewed by Steve Jones
9/29/18 Rockford IL Tebala Events Center
Tickets on Sale Now! http://www.thebbmas.com/
Page 18 Downchild—Something I've Done Linus Entertainment http://www.downchild.com 10 Tracks Formed in Toronto in 1969, the Downchild Blues Band soon became the premier blues band in Canada, becoming the counterpart to the Eastern US band, The Roomful of Blues started in 1967. The two jump blues, horn driven bands are still going strong with live performances and studio releases today. The groups have won awards during this span of time too numerous to mention. Downchild was co-founded by brothers Donnie Walsh and Richard Walsh. "Albany, Albany" is a Marti Gras celebration waiting to happen with a full horn section and that familiar voice of Chuck Jackson who penned the opening tune. Pat Carey performs an exceptional sax solo while Michael Fonfara takes the spotlight on piano. With his harp echoing, his sharp vocals projecting like notes billowing from a juke joint, and a gospel background vocal response, blended with resounding keys from Fonfara, Jackson and the band keep their nostalgic Downchild sound on the bluesman David Vest's hit "Worried About the World." The rhythm section keeps a steady pace for Carey's baritone sax and Fonfara's dobro guitar on "Can't Get Mad At You." It's time to travel to the Delta for some home-grown, knee slapping rhythm that keeps your feet moving on "Mississippi Woman, Mississauga Man." Keyboard virtuoso Michael Fonfara takes control on "Take A Piece Of My Heart," the slow soulful ballad written by bassist Gary Kendall, featuring a strong emphasis from the full horn section. The horn section and keyboard keep you rocking on "Mailbox Money" featuring Peter Jeffrey’s trumpet solo and Pat Carey’s sax work. This one brings out that classic Downchild Blues band of old again. Onetime Downchild member and writer, the late singer John Witmer, keeps that nostalgic sound moving in the right direction with yet another classic in "She Thinks I Do." With the passing of Witmer, the song was included as a tribute to John. With a powerful horn section performance blended well with organ and tasty guitar solos with Chuck Jackson setting things straight about the life of a musician on this tune. Some boogie woogie-piano gets things rolling at a fast pace on the title track "Something I've Done." Donnie Walsh delivers some great harp work as an added bonus to compliment the solid performance from both the rhythm section and horn section. A soulful shuffle, "Into The Fire," is a tune penned by drummer Mike Fitzpatrick. The Canadian group ends with "Evelyn," a snappy instrumental tune featuring Donnie Walsh on harp. It's good to see that tradition continuing year after year with Downchild. They have touched many musicians and chances are will continue well into the 21st century. Something I've Done makes great strides to unlock that special blues quality that we have continued to enjoy for many years. Reviewed by Rick Davis
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter The Reverend Shawn Amos— Breaks It Down Put Together Music http://www.shawnamos.com/ 9 Tracks This is the 3rd Shawn Amos CD I have reviewed. Shaun Amos is the son of former William Morris agent Wally “Famous” Amos (Yes, the cookie man) and R&B singer Shirlee May. He has produced Solomon Burke, John Lee Hooker and Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Shaun grew up in Hollywood, and went on to be an S&R executive with Rhino, and VP of A&R at Shout Factory. Music is in his DNA. As a trustee for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, he helps carry on their mission in music. He also finds time to play blues in LA clubs and do some touring. There are 2 famous covers on this release, the rest are original Amos tunes. Amos sings and plays harmonica. The music will touch soul, blues, a bit of rock and a pinch of gospel. It is all full of emotion and some message. The opening track “Moved” was recorded in Muscle Shoals. Chris Roberts supports on guitar while Amos sings and plays harmonica. It is a slower, haunting tune. On “2017” Amos sends a message to the listeners about the issues of the year 2017. It has a Staples Singers feel to it. The Hi Rhythm Section (Al Green’s backing band) plays on this one as does Chris Roberts on guitar. This is a pretty good tune. There is gospel feel and message on “Hold Hands”. It is Amos’s appeal for peace in the world. The first cover in the fine tune from David Bowie “The Jean Genie” it has a bluesy fell to this classic tune. Blues radio certainly liked this tune. It is slower than the original, and certainly highlights the groove of the original tune. Up next on the CD is a 3 song suite of tunes. It opens with a short a cappella version of “Uncle Tom's Prayer”. This is about the fight against segregation. The 2nd tune is credited to Booker T. Washington. “Does my Life Matter” is a gospel rock tune also about peace in the world. The closing piece of the triad is “(We've Got To) Come Together”. This is a fine soulful tune, with messages from Dr. Martin Luther King. The 3 pieces together send a plea for peace and hope to the listeners. We get some fine blues with the tune “Ain't Gonna Name Names”. It is a fine mid tempo blues tune, with horns! Amos takes the Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello tune “(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding” to the gospel shed. It is a fine version of this often covered classic. Two keyboards and several vocalists handle the music. It is very haunting and enjoyable. This is fine work, though a bit short (30 minutes). Amos is quite capable and puts effort into his craft. This release has lots of politics in it and does so in the vein that it was done in the 60’s. I hope he gets to the area one day for a show. I’d like to catch all this live. Until then grab up this release, I think it the best of the 3 I have reviewed. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Page 19
May-June 2018 Edition Lara And The Bluz Dawgz—Out Here In The Blue Lock Alley Music http:// www.laraandthebluzdawgz.com/ 11 Tracks
I think you will agree after listening to this album that this group has grown immensely as a talented solid blues team. This blues band is force to be reckoned with instrumentally and vocally, with these seasoned veterans that offer something special. I think you will enjoy this album with its well thought out lyrics that work well with the superb musical arrangements.
Lara and The Bluz Dawgz is a relatively new band out of Nashville founded by the husband and wife team of Lara and Gregg Germony. They have all the elements in place for a strong blues band with Lara on vocals, the album producer Gregg on bass, Al Rowe on guitar, Carlos Ruiz on drums, Reggie Murray on sax and B3 organ, Dan Nadasdi on keyboards, Stuart Naylor on trumpet, Chuck Lyons on trombone, and Eric Walker on baritone sax.
Reviewed by Rick Davis
Their third album, Out Here In The Blues is a collection of 11 originals done by this group of seasoned musicians. I have not heard a band this tight in a long time, opening with "Easy Come, Easy Go." Every note and every solo falls into place like inseparable elements in the universe. In this tune, I hear direct, emotional vocals paralleling those of Lara's Canadian counterpart Sabrina Weeks, with instrumental solos arranged to perfection. If I were listening to a live show, Lara's vocals on "Do What You Do" would connect soul to soul to her audience with her captivating, sultry voice. Those emotions are heightened ever more with sharp, torrid guitar riffs and smoky sax solos. For the title track "Out There In The Blue" the stage is set on saxophone and the B3 for Lara to take center stage with her mournful vocals as she plays our emotions with those lonely lyrics "lost out here in the blues." Al Rowe shows no mercy with his slow, painful guitar solo as the band joins in once again to complete this mournful ballad of the blues. Lara offers the challenge for her lucky lovers to "Catch Me If You Can" but warns she is hard to handle for all those who may try. They turn up the heat on the instrumental side as Lara's convincing lyrics seem to spell things out with the intensity of her vocals on "Walk Away." The dynamics of the band seen to put an exclamation point on her confident message.
Today we have the latest recording (their second) by Laurie Jane & The 45s out of Louisville, KY. Their music starts with electric blues and mixing in country and rock/ rockabilly elements. Eight of the 11 cuts are originals (written by Cort Duggins). Members of the band are Laurie Jane Duggins (vocals), Cort Duggins (guitar, piano and lap steel), Jason Embry (upright bass) and Scott Dugdale (percussion). Their schedule has dates mostly in the Kentucky and Ohio area. So on to the music!!
The rhythm section gets your heart pounding and feet moving as the driving force for the entire band on the instrumental tune appropriately titled "Smoke Break." Once again the scene is set for that lingering passion of two lovers as they reminisce, looking back at yesterday on the track "Love Slips Away." The mood is created with a combination of sax and guitar solos and the lonely, hypnotic vocals of Lara Germony engulfing their listeners. The band picks up the tempo a bit as the groove is set once again by the rhythm section and a full horn section on "Where Have You Been" laying down a penetrating jazz sound. The "Custom Made" recipe calls for some lively Texas blues guitar and some boogie woogie piano to convince Lara that she "never needs to worry" on this tune. The band includes some soulful, tasty 60s R&B to round out this magnificent collection of blues, soul, and R&B with the original track "Moonlight." Lara and the Bluz Dawgz conclude their third album with a no holes barred the explosive blues track "Wrong Question" featuring the entire allstar band going out with a bang!
Laurie Jane & The 45s—Midnight Jubilee Born In The Alley Records https:// www.lauriejaneandthe45s.com/ 11 Tracks
The opening cut is a fine country blues tune called “Wait So Long”. The musicians really on this track shine, with the drums and guitar work standing out. The vocals of Laurie Jane are featured on the slower “Lucky Boy”. This one is a bit more country than blues. “Midnight Jubilee” opens with some thumping percussion and develops into a fine song. The vocals are top notch. A cover of the great Howlin’ Wolf’s “Howlin' For My Darlin'” has a more Memphis and rockabilly feel than Chicago blues. Certainly the vocals are sweeter than those from The Wolf. “Fine By Me” is a slower country rocker, with some nice piano in it. The 6th cut is “Down This Road”. This has a blues with a tinge of country feel to it. Vocals are solid with some nice guitar. For “It's Been A Long Time” we hear a slower blues tune, with solid guitar work and vocals. This is a fine blues ballad. “Couldn't Cry Alone” is a slower old time country song. Laurie Jane hits it well with her singing voice. I like the blues tune “Got Me Where You Want Me”. There is maybe a hint of country in the musicianship, but the blues wins out. Again it is a bit of old time electric blues. The blues continue on “What's A Girl To Do”. This is a nice tune, with sharp percussion and guitar work. The band rocks their blues with “What's A Girl To Do”. It is a nice tune, and closes out the CD well. This is a fine piece of music. There may not be enough blues for the heavy blues rock fans. The focus is on Laurie Jane’s vocals and the tight country blues musicianship of the band. The songwriting is OK. There will be dancing with these tunes, so if you want to dance give this a spin, and enjoy the good songwriting and singing. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Page 20 Jane Lee Hooker—Spiritus Ruf Records https://www.janeleehooker.com/ 10 Tracks Roaring in from New York City is the rocking blues of Jane Lee Hooker. The music has a tough gritty feel from the city with rock blues and punk in their veins. This is their second release. The new release has eight originals and 2 interesting covers. The band members have great nicknames. Dana “Danger” Athens sings and handles all the keyboard needs. Tracy “High Top” Almazan and Tina “TBone” Gorin do 6 string guitar duties. The backbeat is handled by Melissa “Cool Whip” Houston (drums) and “Hail Mary” Zadroga (bass). Yes, this is an all women band, and they will rock you. The opening cut is a hard blues rocking tune about being on the road. “How Ya Doin!” is surely an opening cut for their live show, and relates to the cities running together, but the performance goes on no matter what the city is. Dana “Danger” shows off her strong voice. “Gimme That” is a mid tempo rocking tune. I like the groove of the tune. The 3rd cut “Mama Said” is really solid. It goes to a bit more of the rock side (some Thin Lizzy?), but could really get some radio play. Vocals and instrumental playing are very solid. I like the Stone’s guitar intro to “Be My Baby”. This is a bit slower blues rock tune that roars out before the 6 minute song finishes. The band really shows off their skills on this one. On “Later On” the band slows things a bit. It seems to be a bit more southern rock. Dana “Danger” really shows off her vocals. On “Black Rat”, Big Mama Thornton cover, we hear the collision of The Runaways, Hill Country blues and modern blues rock. The band burns hot on this tune. It might be a bit too punk for blues fans, but it sure rocks! “Ends Meet” is an original, with some Stones feel again. It starts out a bit slower, but powerful. At about mid song, the band really take off. I would guess this is a highlight tune of their live set. The band heads off to a ballad on “How Bright The Moon”. It has an almost gospel feel to it. Dana “Danger” holds down the piano on this one. The playing is solid and the voice is quite good with a raw power to it. The second cover is the Don Robey penned “Turn On Your Love Light”. It is often covered, including great versions by Bobby “Blue” Bland, Van Morrison and Grateful Dead. Jane Lee Hooker’s version carries the spirituality of the tune with some blues and rock sensibilities. I liked the ending drum solo and the guitar work. This one stands up to the past versions. The final cut is “The Breeze”. This is a mostly instrumental track that the band really jams on. At almost 10 minutes it starts out slow and builds from there. The 5 musicians really feed off of each other on this one and throughout the release.
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter Overall, this one is a treat. I was not sure what to expect when I first put it on. It is enjoyable CD. All of you blues-rock fans need to grab this one. It is not for the country, pre-war blues fan. This is a powerful band that Ruf should be applauded for signing. Let’s hope they get out on the road this summer. I would enjoy catching them live. Right now there are a couple of German dates and a few festivals in New York on their tour schedule. My guess is more dates will follow. Until then give this release a good listen, and maybe get their first release No B!. It has great covers of Muddy’s “Champagne And Reefer” and “Mannish Boy”. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
The Bush League—James RiVAh Self Released http://thebushleague.com/ 12 Tracks The Bush League has been tearing it up since 2007. The band was started on a front porch by college friends. Their following has grown by working their tails off playing everywhere in the Virginia area. The music is highly influenced by Hill Country blues, Memphis soul and some gospel thrown in. Ten of the 12 tunes are originals for this release. James RiVAh refers to the James River in Virginia. This is their second studio release to go with several live recordings. The band includes lead vocalist John Jason “JohnJay” Cecil. Other members include Royce Folks (bass), Wynton Davis (Drums) with Brad Moss (guitar). Additionally they recruited Trenton Ayers (Cedric Burnside Project on guitar), Jeremy Powell (Southern Avenue on trumpet and keyboards), Suavo Jones (Ghost Town Blues Band on trombone), Paul Biasca (sax), Ari Morris (synth) and Vince Johnson (harp) for this recording. On the opening cut, Wynton Davis really sets the pace with his drumming. “River’s Edge” is a hard driving Hill Country blues tune. A frantic cover of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Kokomo Me Baby” is next. I like the guitar work of Trenton Ayers on this cut. It is old blues with just a tint of jazz in it. Things mellow down with “Say Yes”. It is a sweet soulful ballad showcasing Cecil’s powerful voice. The horns add a sweet touch here too. On “Show You Off” the deep groove will definitely lead to dancing. Jeremy Powell’s keyboard work helps set this tune into DANCE mode. The great Muddy Waters first brought us “Catfish Blues”. The band puts a more Hill Country spin on this classic. Cecil puts his might into the vocals on this track. Suavo Jones lends his trombone to “Kick Up Your Heels”. This is a dancing track with Ari Morris kicking in with his synthesizer. Wynton Davis keeps it all tight with his drumming. “Long Gone” is a love not working song. It is a pretty good tune, with solid guitar and lots of deep, dark emotions in the vocals. “Hearse” really rocks out at 6 ½
Page 21
May-June 2018 Edition minutes. The tune is a song about going back to prison knowing his woman is not there for him. It is blues based, but certainly has a strong rock side.
“Lungs.” Mick Kolassa backs up vocals on a few tracks and Claudia Hernandez provides spoken Spanish on track 6. Bass s provided by Melvin Powe, Bill Ruffino, and Cliff Starbuck.
Things slow down on “Tuxedo Blues”. Vince Johnson adds some harmonica to the mix, and the horns are back. This is a soulful tune about the return of a tux after a tough day at the altar by the groom. Weddings can go sideways!! I like this tune. The band cuts loose on “Moonshine”. Jeremy Powell really pumps up the power with his keyboards. It is a good song with great lyrics about making and running moonshine. Things go back up Hill Country with “Cold Shower”. The feel of a cold shower is the wake up that the song lyrics deliver. The young girl keeps the man at a distance when he wants to get to what she has been promising him. Good guitar solo by Brad Moss. Closing out the set is “What's Wrong With You”. It has a fast paced ‘go to meeting’ feel, complete with hollerin’, clappin’ and stompin’. Jeremy Powell’s keyboard work is top notch and really helps the song take off.
Things begin with a spooky and spiritual intro to the song entitled “On The Way Down.” The intro is deep and dark, reeking of swamp and dark and mysterious places. Deb and John sing on this and then the song is the second track with Deb handling vocals and John and the band driving an intense beat. John’s guitar is forceful and blazes as the rest of the folks provide a throbbing and cool performance. The title cut follows with a feel and sound like a theme song to a spaghetti western mixed with a Debbie Harry song. The big, hollow electric guitar sound evokes old soundtracks and Deb’s vocals really made me feel like this was Blondie Goes West. It’s an odd combination but it’s cool. Rocking, not really blues, but cool nonetheless. Very ’60’s like and they use the transformational symbol of the dragonfly to describe what they’d been going through and feeling for a couple of years. “Lungs” is the lone cover, a thoughtful and introspective sort of piece with some killer guitar work and vocals by both parties.
The Bush League has paid their dues, and this could be their breakout recording that brings them a more national presence. The music is top notch blues, and they are writing most of it themselves. I like the Hill Country influences that they make into their own music. There tireless touring has paid off, and I hope they get a big reward. Keep an open eye out for expanded touring this summer. Congrats on a fine new release. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Long Tall Deb and Colin John – Dragonfly Vizztone Label Group www.longtalldeb.com http://colinjohnmusic.com 11 tracks Long Tall deb and Colin John have collaborated to make an intriguing and delightfully evocative album. Their web site says, “Following up on the themes of their 2015 EP, Streets of Mumbai, DRAGONFLY incorporates a bedrock of blues and soul sensibilities with rock and roll, surf, spaghetti western, noir jazz, pop, Americana and world roots influences gleaned from their travels throughout America, Europe, India and Nepal.” That kind of sums it up. Blues, soul. and all sorts of cool stuff woven into an interesting album! Deb is on lead and backing vocals. Colin does a duet on the first and fourth tracks and also does backing vocals while playing many forms of fretboard instruments and even piano on one track. On drums are mostly Jimmy Castoe; James Cunningham and Jo El also so a track each on drums. Michael Hill is on slide for “Trouble.” Nate Hofman is on organ for 5 tracks and Chris Stephenson is on another. Jeff Jensen plays rhythm guitar on
“I’ll Be The One” follows, a soulful rocker with inspiring vocals. Psychedelics and sitar make this another one that is out there yet restrained. Cool stuff. Next us is “Pull The Pin,” a dark song about a relationship gone so bad Deb pleads for the pin to be pulled on the grenade or the trigger pulled on the gun. They might call this noir jazz, but it’s hard to pin a genre on “Pull The Pin” (no pun intended). Bluesy, perhaps a little country, entirely slick. “Trouble” comes up next; big, thumping beat, stinging guitar and strident vocals. A nice blues rocker for sure! The next cut is “Horizontal Lightning,” jazzy with a sort of tango feel to it. Slow, deliberate, mellow and subtle. The guitar and vocals both are restrained and interesting. “Lights That Shine” emotes Americana. Cool slide and a small guitar riff that had to be from The Stylistics woven into it (from “You Make Me Feel Brand New”). The final cut is “Dragon Fly, Slight Return.” It could easily be and instrumental from an Ennio Moriconi soundtrack from the 1960’s or 1970’s. Very cool. There is some blues here, but this is more than the blues. So many influences and genres get fleshed out here. There is something for everyone, delivered by an outstanding singer and superb guitar player. I enjoyed this a lot and if you want to hear a band just give it their all and enjoy making music of all sorts then jump right on board! Reviewed by Steve Jones
9th Annual Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park sponsored by Lonnie’s Carpet Max and Lonnie’s Stonecrafters
Page 22
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Katy Guillen & The Girls – Remember What You Knew Before VizzTone Records http://kgandthegirls.com/ 11 tracks/39 minutes
to pick up and enjoy. Guillen and her band are well equipped to give you an enjoyable musical ride.
Katy Guillen & The Girls are a delightful Midwest blues and roots act. Kansas City born and bred, Guillen and the Girls play a form of roots root well steeped in blues and Americana. This is their third album, following on the heels of Heavy Days. They toured the last year in support of that CD, opened for the likes of Robin Trower and played major events King Biscuit and the Big Blues Bender.
Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival—Badlands Put Together https://www.jenniferlynmusic.com/ 10 Tracks
Guillen’s vocals have a hint of a hauntingness to them that adds to the rootsiness of the sound. Her guitar work is sold as is the backline support. Guillen does all the guitar work and lead vocals along with some piano. Claire Adams plays the basses, sings and plays piano. Stephanie Williams is on drums and percussion. Lennon Bone is on piano on the next to last track and adds percussion to tracks 4 and 10. “Slingshot” opens the set with a folksy, almost western sort of sound and brisk tempo. Acoustic guitar and resonator along with electric guitar blend into a unique sound. Next is “The Load,” a down home, front porch blues with dirtied up percussion and nice guitar make for an authentically rootsy performance. “Waiting Till The Day” is a nice little ballad with a touch of cool Flamenco guitar (sounds very much like mandolin) for extra flavor. The following cut is “Gabriela,” featuring acoustic guitar with a Hispanic flavor and the extra percussion claps and such add a nice touch. “Humbrucker” has some very nice resonator and a thumping, throbbing beat that is quite cool, a really well done blues rocker. “Can’t Live Here Anymore” is a larger scale sounding roots rocker with a more in your face approach to guitars and vocals. “Stalling On Dreams” returns to the folk an roots ballad sound with some vocal harmonies that I liked. Up next is “Biwi,” a mid tempo country blues/Americana rocking piece that blends Guillen’s various guitar work sweetly. “Quiver” is a haunting acoustic cut that then builds up with added layers of music and fills in with some more cool Flamenco guitar. “Funny Place” is a folk rocker with a beautiful and ethereal sound and more forthright piano support. The final track is “If You Were Gone,” another mid tempo cut with good electric guitar work threading in and out of the consciousness of the song. The lead and backing vocals also layer together nicely. Taking a little blues, a hint of country and a lot of folk and Americana, Guillen & The Girls present a flowing and well done set of original tunes for us to savor. The rootsy, American rock sound is timeless and cool. The trio blends together seamlessly on vocals and their instruments, giving the listener an enjoyable right. This not a heavy blues rocker sort of album; the sound is more akin to Joni Mitchell than Grace Slick. If you like a down home and rootsy style of music then this is something you ought
Reviewed by Steve Jones
Jennifer Lyn brings us her first full length release following an EP release in 2016. Hailing from North Dakota, the music is a mix of blues & rock with soulful vocals. Lyn sings and plays guitar. She is joined by Kevin Holm (drums), Darren King (bass) and Richard Torrance ( backing vocals, guitar, dobro and keys). All songs are originals from the band. The music was recorded in Bismarck, ND. The opening cut is “Burned It Down”. It has some solid opening guitar, which stays powerful throughout the mostly rock tune. The strong guitar rock continues on the title track “Badlands”. There is some blues feel to the 3rd tune “Let Go This Time”. Lyn does have a good voice, and it shines through on this tune. The guitar work is pretty good too. Things slow down a bit on the heavier ballad “Give In To You”. Her early influences from the 70’s show up in this tune. On the tune “Muddy Water” we get some country blues feel with almost a hint of Cajun in it. I really like this tune, especially the twin guitar exchange later in the song. There is a strong guitar attack on” Anything But Me”. It takes us back to the driving 70’s blues rock (like ZZ Top meets southern rock). It is a powerful tune. I hear some Robin Trower in intro of “I'm Running To You”. This is another powerful guitar performance. The band really cuts loose on” Gonna Let You Go”. Lyn and her vocals keep up very well. It is a powerful rock tune with some good dancing vibe. The blues rock in “West To Bismark” is pretty good. It is a fast paced tune, with the ever present strong guitar. “Goodnight Sweet Darling” slows down the band. Eric Kubischta adds some slide guitar licks on this longer, strong ballad. This tune is laced with a folk music feel, yet retains power thru the strong slide guitar work. It might be my favorite tune here. This is a rock release, with some blues feeling on a few cuts. If you like strong guitar and solid female vocals, then this one will get a few extra listens by you. Music is a mix these days. There is not a great deal of straight blues anywhere. I like to see good music come from the outer regions of the country. The band has music inside them too, and this one is certainly listenable. It will be interesting to see where they take it from here. If passing through North Dakota check out the band’s touring schedule to see if you can catch a live show. Good luck!! Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Page 23
May-June 2018 Edition The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling—The High Cost Of Low Living Alligator Records https://www.nickmossband.com/ 13 Tracks Nick Moss has defined the essence of Chicago blues for a long time, joining forces with up and coming artists like Michael Ledbetter and most recently harmonica extraordinaire Dennis Gruenling. With Nick's new album The High Cost of Low Living, his first on Alligator records, I hear some West Coast blues influence along with his Chicago blues guitar in his superb guitar riffs. Nick introduces the album with some West Coast blues guitar, opening the door for Dennis to step in with some harmonica solos so hot you won't want to stop playing "Crazy Mixed Up baby." "Get Right Before You Get Left" grabs your attention with some swinging, jump blues that just won't let go. They return to a slower Chicago blues sound with the original "No Sense," a great tune for the Jimmy Reed fans and all of his music on VeeJay Records. Hound Dog Taylor is in the house for some classic slide guitar via Nick Moss, powerful harp solos from Dennis Gruenling, and an old school piano showcase from Taylor Streiff on the title track "The High Cost Of Low Living." Dennis Gruenling aka "Count Chromatic" adds his magic touch to the collection with his penned track "Count On Me." Moss offers his plea for the return of his baby after coming home and finding a "Note On The Door." Surrounded by a superb harp performance from Gruenling, you can hear Moss howling in the background and being consoled by his guitar riffs and the rattling the piano keys. They call on the piano legend Otis Spann for his 1964 Chicago blues classic on the Decca Records, "Get Your Hand Out Of My Pocket" for the new release "Get Your Hands Out Of My Pockets," keeping that same authentic sound with the addition of the explosive Dennis Gruenling on harp. "Tight Grip On Your Leash" gives me an electric jump blues groove as does the "Tight Little Mama" by Roomful Of Blues," with Dennis replacing the horn section with his streaming harmonica. "He Walked With Giants" is a tribute to the late great Chicago piano legend Barrelhouse Chuck and all of the Chicago blues giants he knew, with Taylor Streiff pounding out all those familiar notes that we all heard from Chuck night after night. Nick leaves us with those profound lyrics "and I know he is somewhere walkin' and he's playin' with those giants again tonight," that will remain as a vision in our minds forever. Nick's guitar solos and harp solos from Dennis meld together to ignite the blues shuffle "A Pledge To You," that can be proudly called Chicago's own! Dennis takes us on a blues journey with his second track, "Lesson To Learn," that jumps into overdrive as one of the most volatile numbers on the album. The band puts their label on a familiar Johnny Farina instrumental "All Night Diner," to create a snappy jump blues tune with the individual band members adding their creativity to this remake. The Nick Moss Band trav-
els back to the vaults of Modern Records for the up-tempo, 1952 release from Boyd Gilmore, "Rambling On My Mind," to complete this new album. This tune was done earlier by Robert Johnson becoming a standard of excellence for many artists who followed. It was a great finish to an excellent album. With The High Cost of Low Living there is something for every blues fan, with familiar sounds and fresh new material, all with that that magical sound from this band and in particular with the new partnership of Nick Moss and Dennis Gruenling. Reviewed Rick Davis
Markey Blue Ric Latina Project – Raised In Muddy Water EllerSoul Records www.markeyblue.com 11 songs/48 minutes Since forming their partnership about four years ago, showbiz veterans Jeannette Markey and Ric Latina have built a rock-solid following with their original brand of music that blends traditional blues, soul, swamp, rock and roots. And this album, which features contributions from Chicago legend Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater and other heavyweights, proves again beyond a doubt that star’s still on the ascendant. But that should come as no surprise for anyone familiar with the duo. A native of Hemet, Calif., Markey is a full-throated alto who got her start as a Las Vegas showgirl at age 19 and worked with a virtual showbiz who’s who as a singer, standup comedienne and actress. In the blues, she’s worked with Taj Mahal, Anson Funderburgh, Delbert McClinton and Bobby “Blue” Bland. One of the top sessions guitarists in Nashville, Latina is a Rhode Island native who’s made a name for himself as a bandmate of country stars Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams III, Suzy Bogguss and others and is a stylish axe man who delivers tremendous emotion in only a few, well chosen notes. Heavily influenced by Robben Ford, Larry Carlton and B.B. King, he was fronting his own R&B/jazz/blues-rock outfit, The Bomb Squad, a Music City favorite, before hooking up with Markey. The duo met by chance when they were backing other artists booked on the same show about five years ago and started working on a songwriting project that resulted in a four-tune eponymous EP. Exhibiting a strong Memphis/Stax influence, they served as the opening act for Steve Cropper one night. They performed one tune in particular that he loved so much, he said he couldn’t get it out of his head. Their resulting relationship proved so strong that he wrote the liner notes for Hey Hey, which was a 2015 Blues Blast Music Award nominee for best debut album.
Page 24 Other honors have followed, including a 2016 BBMA nomination for the Sean Costello Rising Star Award and four nominations for the Independent Music Awards, and eight of their tunes have been picked up for TV and movie airplay. This all-original CD is the third in their catalog, and the first on the EllerSoul imprint, following the well-received The Blues Are Knockin’, which was released under their former band name, Markey Blue. The lineup for this one includes drummer Marcus Finnie, timekeeper on Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’s 2018 Grammy winning TajMo, as well as Tim McGraw’s bassist, John Marcus, Charlie Daniels’ keyboard player Shannon Wickline and a horn section comprised of Jim Williamson (trumpet) and Doug Moffet (sax). Brian Allen (bass) and Wes Little (drums) appear on the final cut, a live bonus track, Blues Hall Of Famer Clearwater shares the mike with Markey and trades licks with Ric on a duet, and EllerSoul label owner Lil’ Ronnie Owens adds harp to one track. Latina gets right down to business on six-string to open “Raised In Muddy Water” and takes you straight to the Delta before Markey launches into a description of “a king without a castle, a man without a name” who’s “turned and walked away from his Godforsaken land.” The funky “Corrina Shine” serves as a smooth Southern rock tribute to Taj, influenced by one of his most enduring original love songs, “Corrina.” Another tip of the hat follows, this one to John Prine, in “A Little More I Die.” It’s an unhurried slow blues account of an aged couple who’ve lost the ability to communicate after so many years. Latina’s mid-tune single-note solo is simple, but spectacular and deep. The medium-tempo shuffle “Red Room” features Owens as it describes someone trapped and deprived of all her desires before “Mississippi Soul” takes to straight to bayou before the slow blues “Walking Over This Line” describes the bitter end of a love affair. “I Like It Like This,” featuring Clearwater, describes the positive side of a relationship with he and Markey heaping praise on each other’s good traits. His six-string interplay with Ric shines. “Tears All Over The World” urges love and understanding across a troubled planet. It flows smoothly into the jazz-flavored love song, “When I Close My Eyes.” A tribute to McClinton, “Come And Go,” features Latina on slide before the live-recording bonus track, “Drowning In His Ocean,” brings the disc to a close. Available through Amazon and other online retailers, Raised In Muddy Waters is a straight-ahead soul-blues treasure of new tunes just aching to be heard. Strongly recommended. Reviewed by Marty Gunther
Lil’ Davy Max – Prove Your Love To Me Self-Released www.lildavymax.com/ 13 tracks/56 minutes This disc is something of a curiosity. The sleeve states that it was recorded in 2014, the CD that it
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter was released in 2015. So, why a review in 2018? Well, the disc is now being promoted by the Blind Raccoon agency and it has come across the Crossroads desk for consideration. Apart from the scant details on the sleeve it has proved tough to gather much information about Lil’ Davy Max and I suspect that readers of The Groove may well know more about Davy than I do as he hails from Wisconsin. What is clear is that he has a good sense of humour, the disc being labelled a ‘Dead Game’ production, written ‘in jail’, recorded at ‘Wisconsin Shuffler’ studio and ‘available on Ebay’! Davy plays everything, a list that includes drums, bass, piano, harp and all guitars, the only exception being drums on one track played by ‘Two Dollar’ Bill Janke. Davy also wrote all the material which pays tribute to many of the styles of country blues and illustrious forebears such as Howling Wolf, Jimmy Reed and Big Bill Broonzy. The album opens with the title track which bounces along in a full production with sharp guitar, piano and harp, Davy immediately proving that he can deliver the lyrics convincingly over a loping Jimmy Reed shuffle. “Roscoe Brown” is the tale of a local celebrity: “Roscoe Brown is a hell of a man, Roscoe Brown is a ladies man”. However, Roscoe meets his match: “One day Roscoe met his match, she was a big legged woman with a big old ----: Roscoe said ‘I’m going to have my way’ but the big legged woman put him in his grave.” Played over a tune that resembles Big Boy Arnold’s “I Wish You Would”, Davy delivers the amusing lyrics well and plays some great harp. Next up Davy plays resonator slide in the style of “Little Red Rooster” with Wolf-like vocals on “I Wonder Who” before a title that will be familiar - “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now” - though the rocking Texas tune is more Fabulous Thunderbirds than other tunes with similar titles and is an excellent cut. The odd title “Monkey On A String” has a Louisiana swamp feel and “Jump The Broom” is great fun with Davy’s deep-toned vocal offset by his slide and harp work as he explains that he is not yet ready to tie the knot as there are still girls out there he has not yet met! The tempo drops for Davy’s lonesome harp intro to the gospel feel of “I’ll Get By” before he moves smoothly into “It Never Hurts To Be Ready”, a tune that might have suited a soul-blues singer like Bobby Bland. “I Ain’t Going Nowhere” is an uptempo tale of Davy waking up to find that he definitely over-indulged the night before. “Mean Old Gal” adapts the tune of Ray Charles’ “Lonely Avenue” to relate another of Davy’s unfortunate encounters with the opposite sex. Guest drummer Bill appears on “Emmett Till”; Davy adds banjo to a moody account of the infamous 1955 murder of a fourteen year old black boy who had whistled at a white woman – effective and reverent, this is an excellent song that shows that Davy can be serious as well as amusing, as does the slow-paced “Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?” Davy returns to more uptempo material for the closing umber “A Little Love Is Better Than No Love” which even has horns that accentuate the soul credentials of the song, a good end to a varied and satisfying album. Anyone who missed this disc back in 2015 should investigate what Lil’ Davy Max has to offer. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Page 25
May-June 2018 Edition Ally Venable Band—Puppet Show Connor Ray Music www.allyvenableband.com/ 11 tracks
Ally once again showing her chops. “Sleeping Through the Storm” concludes the set with Venable backing herself on vocals. Another rocking cut, the band shows that they can play with a sound and talents that seem beyond their years.
This is the sophomore release for 19 year old Ally Venable and her band. Ally and the band play some massive, driving blues rock that will give the blues rock lovers something to savor. Her performance belies her age– this album of mostly original music (8 new songs written by Venable and 2 covers) is well-crafted and shows real maturity.
If you like rocking tunes with a bluesy side and big time Texas guitar blues then this will be for you. The guitar solos tend to be long to mostly good effect; she ’s not a shredder and her guitar work is impeccable. Texas blues tend toward the heavy guitar sound, and Venable maintains that tradition. Already established locally in Texas in her mid-teens, I think Ally Venable and her band have a bright future ahead of them as they are discovered across the country and around the globe!
The band is Ally Venable on vocals and guitar, Elijah Owens in drums and Bobby Wallace on bass. Several guests also add to the mix. Produced by rick Romano, this was recorded at the Red Shack Studio in Houston, Texas. Lance Lopez is her guitar mentor and both he and Venable like to showcase their guitar in their work. Ally was the 2014 and 2015 East Texas Female Guitarist of the Year and she and the band won honors in 2015, 2016 and 2017 as East Texas Blues Band of the Year. Things open with “Devil’s Son,” a big and bold cut with some massive slide guitar. This is rocking blues that is not for the faint of heart. Gary Hoey makes a guest appearance on guitar. “Bridges to Burn” follows, a straight up mid tempo rocker. Lance Lopez is a guest on guitar here. “Cast Their Stones” is another rocking cut with an impassioned vocal lead. The big dirty harp is broken out for the greasy and gritty “Back Water Blues,” an enjoyable big Bessie Smith blues cut that Venable updates and nails. Steve Krase does the honors on harp and offers up some nice stuff. It’s just the harp and Ally to start, kind of stark and cool but then things break into a big and rocking guitar blues with the harp overlaid. Some big solos on both guitar and harp are impressive here. “He Caught the Katy” is up next, a cut with a vocal lead with attitude and sass. Eric Steckel adds depth on the keys here and Krase finishes up his work on the CD with some more nicely done harmonica. This is the other cover, a Taj Mahal track that Venable works into her own. Next is the title track with another vocally charged up performance by Venable. The track builds into a highly charged vocal and guitar solo that once again showcases her guitar talent. Steckel once again supports sweetly. “Comfort in My Sorrows” is a slow bluesy ballad which shows variety and another side of Venable’s music. A stinging guitar lead and solo complements the emotions from the vocals nicely. “Survive” is another rocking cut with more well done organ work by Steckel and guitar by Venable. “Waste It On You” is pretty much a rocker with
Reviewed by Steve Jones
Karen Howard Scholarship We are happy to announce that we are awarding the 2018 Karen Howard Memorial Scholarship to Kailey Margaret Woolard from Dixon High School. Kailey resides in the southwest corner of Ogle County and attends Dixon High School. She will be attending Monmouth College in the fall where she will be pursuing a double major in Psychology and Music. She intends on embarking on a career in music therapy where she can blend her passions for both music and helping people. Kailey has an impressive musical resume. She was thrilled to hear the news after the IMEA District Festival that she had not only made the All -State Choir but that she had also been selected to the Honors Choir. No one from Dixon had been selected for this is in the past 8 years and she was the first female selected for this from Dixon. This earned her a spot in the top 2% of all state HS musicians. She competed at the 2014-2017 IMEA District Festivals, was in Madrigals at school from 2014-2017, was in Jazz Choir 2015-2017, was in the Sauk Valley Talent Showcase all 4 years of HS and has been in Honors Choir every year, too. She has performed in seven musical plays in the past few years, was in Concert Band 2015-2017, performed at various functions around the area and on the radio, participated in the school talent shows, Marching Band 2016-2017, and has been associated with a host of other musical activities. She is truly deserving of our inaugural scholarship. The scholarship will be award on Wednesday, May 2nd at the Honors Ceremony at Dixon HS at 6:30 PM. Congratulations once again to Kailey Woolard!
Page 26 Gus Spenos—It's Lovin' I Guarantee Self Produced https://www.gusspenos.com/ 13 Tracks Since I have been an avid disciple of the blues, and in particular jump blues with an up-tempo beat, I have followed groups with strong horn sections, tracing back to Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris, Big Jay McNeely, and Joe Liggins, or on the contemporary blues scene, groups like Roomful of Blues, Big James and The Chicago Playboys, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and most recently the Ghost Town Blues Band. In reviewing CDs today, it seems that horn sections are reappearing more in the recording studios. It's not often that you find a full time hospital neurologist fronting a jump-blues band with the vocals of Roomful Of Blues singer and sax player like Greg Piccolo, Duke Robillard, or Sugar Ray Norcia on vocals. With a band capable of tunes much like Louis Prima's "Jump, Jive, an' Wail" or Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Time Roll" and the depth of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's "King Of Swing," Gus Spenos is back with his sophomore album It's Lovin' I Guarantee just as hot as his debut album If You Were Gold Baby. The band opens performing the title track, with Gus setting the pace on vocals and tenor sax, accompanied by Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Corey Wilcox on trombone, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Tatum Greenblatt on trumpet, Walter Blanding on tenor sax, Bruce Williams on alto sax, Jason Marshall on baritone sax, Chris Burger on bass, Cecil Brooks III on drums and Brad Williams on guitar, rounding out his band of renown. Songwriter and drummer T.N.T. Tribble wrote the next track "She Walked Right In," a tune carefully selected by Gus Spenos, which was a standard for Gatemouth Brown and done later by Roomful Of Blues. The sax and trumpet solos were done to perfection, with Gus being joined on vocals by his three backup singers. Gus calls on Eddie Boyd, blues pianist, singer, and songwriter for Eddie's song "Hush Baby Don't You Cry," with trombone and sax solos engulfing a magnificent big band sound. Spenos captures the wonder years of Count Basie with the classic blues number "Fool's Blues," penned by Basie's singer Jimmy Rushing, with keyboard, muted trombone, sax solos, and total band performance rivaling that of Basie's. Gus's next track is his original "Every Tic's Got A Tock," with an arrangement that could set a standard for most any 40's tune and individual solos on sax and trombone. The 1956 Bobby Elvin tune "The Blind Boy" has a West Coast flavor in contrast to the big band sound delivered by Spenos, with horn solos superior to the original rendition. The added backup singers give this version a little added punch. This band does a nice job of inserting their originals at just the right time, adding "Livin' Is A Crime" which opens with a smooth guitar and sax intro, setting a slow tempo for this great blues tune.
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter Brandon McClure creates a little more spice with his piano solos, giving the original Buddy Johnson instrumental "Lil' Dog" a more robust performance. Jump blues is at it's best with the 1955 classic Billy Brooks number "I'm Gone" with both the new and old arrangement. Spenos makes this one his own with his lively, finger-snappin' arrangement guaranteed to keep the dance floor busy. East Coast R&B singer and songwriter Titus Turner penned the 1957 soulful tune "Have Mercy Baby," another hand-picked track by Gus for it's dominate sax solos with and impressive trumpet solo added. The heavy-horn track "Hey Girl," originally done by Lucky Carmichael, demonstrates the expertise of arranger, composer, and keyboardist Collin DeJoseph. Spenos returns to the 40' and 50's vaults this time for another R&B giant, Eddie Mack. "Kind Loving Daddy," defining the Brooklyn blues scene during the early 40's and 50's R&B era, kept Mack in the spotlight during his heyday. As with all the tracks on his sophomore album, Spenos takes this classic to a whole new level with this all-star band. I can't think of a better way to complete this collection of hits from two fading genres, than with his final original song "Got Myself A Diamond," featuring once again the backup vocalists (including two ex-Raelettes), a ten-time trombonist of the year Wycliffe Gordon, the legendary drummer Cecil Brooks III, and this entire band other veteran performers. Spenos has done a spectacular job of hand selecting blues, jump blues, R&B, and big band jazz numbers from the past, along with his originals, to create a new, fresh, recharged album for the second time. We are fortunate to have talented artists of this caliber to keep this music alive forever. Reviewed by Rick Davis
Membership Note We had a little burp of the membership database last month and it looks to be all fixed now. We think everyone is properly updated. We reset back about 2 years and had to reconstruct the new members, which was fairly easy because we save all the membership forms. Reconstructing renewals with the form was also easy, but lots of people just hand over their dues at a show and we annotate them when we get home. We think those all got done, but we appreciate your patience if we missed you. Membership has been creeping up and up. We are near 200 paid up to date members. Thanks so much for supporting live music as a member of Crossroads Blues Society. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy being part of what we get done. We are looking for fest volunteers, music reviewers and more folks to get involved. Contact any board member if you are interested.
Page 27
May-June 2018 Edition Lil’ Red & The Rooster – Soul Burnin’ Lil’ Red Records LLR03 12 songs – 47 minutes www.lilredandtherooster.com Splitting their time between Ohio and France, Lil’ Red & The Rooster are an interesting duo who deliver a classy take on traditional, jazz infused blues in this collection, which was produced and recorded by Chicagoan Dave Specter. The duo features Westerfield, Ohio, native Jennifer “Lil’ Red” Milligan on washboard and vocals. She’s a multitalented artist who’s been performing since childhood with careers in theater and choreography as well as music. At 22, she traveled the national as a lead artists in a national touring company presentation of Hair. Influenced heavily by Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Dinah Washington, she’s also taught jazz vocalization under the direction of the late Michelle Horsefield, who worked with Fats Waller, Eddie Condon and Cliff Jackson, and her blues training has come under the tutelage of both Diunna Greenleaf and Teeny Tucker. This is Lil’ Red & The Rooster’s second CD, a follow up to 2013’s Out Of The Coop. Two years after that release, they represented the Columbus Blues Alliance at the International Blues Challenge and also were finalists in a French competition. Her partner in this venture is classically trained guitarist Pascal Fouquet. Raised on a farm in France ’s Normandy region, he plays traditional, baritone and banjo axes. His background includes three CDs with in the early 2000s with the famed The Hoodoomen, with whom Lil ’ Red also recorded, and several more with band leader Drew Davies, one of the top saxophonists in Britain. A 40 -year veteran of the music business, Fouquet won back -to-back honors as French blues guitarist of the year.
today’s world that speaks out against rape, senseless murder of innocent blacks and more acapella as she preaches for cross-cultural love and understanding. She’s a powerful, expressive alto. Fouquet joins in guitar after the first few bars before the rhythm section starts swinging to join the action. Nye takes you to church with a brief organ solo, and Pascal’s touch on the strings is light and breezy throughout. The subject lightens for the Delta and slide flavored “Catch That Train,” a tribute to chance meetings on the rails that lead to lasting friendships, while “Listen” offers up some sound advice: Fighting your obstacles doesn ’t always work; often it’s best to separate yourself from the action and pay attention to what’s truly going on. Next up, “Narcissistic Blues” features Specter and Nye as it slams self-involved people with a true Chicago mid tempo shuffle feel. Fouquet stretches out on the six -string for the pleasing instrumental “Coq A Doodlin’” next, giving the rhythm section space to shine, while “Black Cat Fever” – a tune that would have fit comfortably in a high society saloon in the ‘50s — puts an interesting spin on being doomed after biting the apple and letting the serpent win. “Respect Your Sisters” delivers a funky warning to lady friends who talk behind Lil’ Red’s back before the jazzy “TicToc” sings about a man who’s late in arriving for a date with Lil’ Red discovering much too late that he’d simply fallen asleep at home. The theme continues with “Hey Mister Mister,” who’s bringing the lady down, before the instrumental guitar bonanza “Big Boy Boogie,” “Chicken Scratch,” which describes Lil’ Red’s first meeting in France with Pascal with a Howlin ’ Wolf tune playing in the background, and the ballad “Occupy My Mind” bring the action to a close. Relaxed and sweet throughout, Soul Burnin’ is totally enjoyable blues with a cabaret jazz feel. Available through Amazon, this one’s for you if you’re adventurous. It’s original and different. Reviewed by Marty Gunther
Recorded in Chicago at Blaise Barton’s JoyRide Studio, all of the tunes on Soul Burnin’ were written by the duo in full-band arrangement aided by boogie keyboard player Ricky Nye, who splits his time between his native Cincinnati and Paris, and the French rhythm section of drummer Denis Agenet and upright bassist Abdell “B. Bop” Bouyousfi. They’re augmented by Specter, who contributes guitar on three tracks, as well as vocalists Shaun Booker, Caroline Rau and Jeff Morrow. Lil’ Red channels blues singers of the ‘30s and ‘40s as she opens “Soul Burnin’ Wrong,” a highly topical original in
Page 28
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
March and April Crossroads Shows
John Primer at Hope and Anchor
Olivia Dvorak at Lyran Club Rick Davis Photo
Paul Filipowicz at Lyran Club with Benny Rickun
Wayne Baker Brooks at Culture Shock Pop Up Concert
Steve Jones Introduces Wayne Baker Brooks on the Moring Blend WIFR Channel 23
Page 29
May-June 2018 Edition
Wayne Baker Brooks at Nordlof Center Rick Davis Photo
Bobby Messano at the Lyran Club
Chicago Wind at Hope and Anchor Matthew Skoller Deitra Farr Johnny Iguana Rick Davis Photos
The New Savages at Lyran Club Rick Davis Photos
Page 30
Featured Food • • • • • • •
The Smoke House BBQ An Jans Eats Mary’s Tacos Olive Branch Greek Food Veebo’s Wood Fired Pizza Gala Snacks And More!
Merch Vendors • • • • • •
Culture Shock Records Wild Bill’s Kathy’s Purses Essential Oils Jewelry And More!
30+ Beers and Wines! •
• •
Budweiser, Miller and Coors Products Over Two Dozen Craft Beers Wine, too!
Tickets $5 in Advance $10 at Gate
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 31
May-June 2018 Edition
Featured Food Trucks • • • • • • • • • • • • •
El Wiscorican Italian Ice and More Smokin Dragon's BBQ Company New Glarus Hotel Restaurant Fibs - Fine Italian Beef & Sausage Toasty Cheese Jolly Frog Anjan's Eats Cafe' Costa Rica S'Wisco Taphaus Tofflers Pub & Grill Shepherd of the Hills Walking Taco
ww.facebook.com/ NGBBFTF/
Craft Vendors & Farmers Market Free Admission New Glarus Brewing Company
Page 32
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Blues Blast Awards Show Coming 9/29/18 Tebala Event Center
7910 Newburg Rd, Rockford, IL 61108
Tickets Now On Sale! About 15 All Star Bands Expected at the Show www.thebbmas.com LaQuinta is the Official Hotel of the BBMAs Past performers appearing at the BBMA’s… 2008 Magic Slim & the Teardrops Lurrie Bell Nick Moss Gerry Hundt John Németh Kilborn Alley Blues Band Dave Riley Bob Corritore Eden Brent Sugar Ray Norcia Teeny Tucker Too Slim & The Tail Draggers Gina Sicilia Deak Harp Mary Lane 2009 Robin Rogers Eden Brent Shirley Johnson Albert Castiglia Dave Gross Cedric Burnside Lightnin’ Malcolm Chris James & Patrick Rynn Bob Corritore Dave Herrero Guy King Kenny Neal Nick Moss & the Flip Tops Curtis Salgado Matthew Skoller John Primer
Lurrie Bell Billy Boy Arnold Billy Branch Carlos Johnson Kilborn Alley Blues Band The Insomniacs 2010 Candye Kane Laura Chavez Joel Paterson Zora Young Jackie Scott & The Housewreckers Little Ray Neal Eddie Shaw Quintus McCormick Shaun Murphy Band Dave Riley & Bob Corritore Kilborn Alley Blues Band Mississippi Heat The Cash Box Kings 2011 Buddy Guy Tom Hambridge Reba Russell Band Tony Rogers Sharrie Williams Gina Sicilia Dave Gross Karen Lovely Band Teeny Tucker Band Matt Hill Peter Parcek Rob Blaine’s Big Otis Blues Chris O’Leary Band Vincent Hayes Project
Dave Riley Rich Del Grosso John Del Toro Richardson Reverend Raven And The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys Eddie Turner Nick Moss Band 2013 Andy Poxon Big Joe Maher Kevin McKendree Lil’ Ronnie Kevin Selfe James Buddy Rogers Brandon Santini Little Joe McLerran Mike Wheeler Band Bob Corritore Mud Morganfield The Cash Box Kings Teeny Tucker Doug MacLeod Doug Deming Sena Ehrhardt Eddie Shaw & The 757 Allstars Andy T/ Nick Nixon Band Albert Castiglia Shaun Murphy 2014 Bobby Rush & Blinddog Smokin’ Andy T Nick Nixon Band Back Pack Jones Annie Mack Band Adrianna Marie And Her Groovecutters
Brent Johnson & The Call Up Josh Hoyer Rachelle Coba Lisa Mann Bernie Pearl Barbara Morrison Steve Dawson Lisa Biales Mark T Small Norman Taylor Dave Riley Bob Corritore Trudy Lynn Tweed Funk Shaun Murphy Band Too Slim & The Tail Draggers Albert Castiglia RB Stone Sean Chambers 2015 Dan Phelps Big Dave McLean Steve Dawson The Duo Sonics Missy Andersen Tad Robinson Eight O’Five Jive Showplace Review w/ John Ginty Alexis P. Suter Slam Allen Deb Ryder Altered Five Blues Band Big Harp George Chris O’Leary Band Andy T/ Nick Nixon Band
Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys Dave Specter Bob Corritore Oscar Wilson Mud Morganfield Eddy Clearwater Markey Blue Band Magnus Berg Ghost Town Blues Band Bobby Messano Anthony Gomes 2016 Dave Muskett John Spear Band Peter Karp Guy King Eugene “Hideway” Bridges Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames Markey Blue Band Fiona Boyes Bob Margolin Henry Gray Bob Corritore Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater Too Slim & The Taildraggers Shaun Murphy Band Anthony Geraci Danielle Nicole “Monster” Mike Welch John Del Toro Richardson Corey Dennison Band Andy T/ Nick Nixon Band
Page 33
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
May-June 2018 Edition
Page 34
May-June 2018 Edition
Page 35
Page 36
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Let us know what you think about our newly re-formatted newsletter. We are proud of the new look for The Groove and hope that you like it, too. The print edition remains 12 pages in greyscale. This issue is 36 pages; we now normally range from 32 to 40 pages with our PDF version. Let us know what you think via email at sub_insignia@yahoo.com.
May-June 2018 Edition
Page 37
Page 38
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
The Groove - 2018 Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter May-June Edition
Jimmy Thackery!
New members: John Arvites Susanne Moore Richard Muniz Christal Tompkins
http://www.burpee.org/musicontherock/
Hope and Anchor English Pub Second Saturday Blues
Membership News We continue to grow with new members and renewals continuing to sign on! Thank you for supporting live music and helping to keep the blues alive to all our new and returning members!
We added a great show for summer working with the Burpee Museum. On Wednesday, June 27th at 6:30 PM none other than Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers will be at the museum rain or shine. If the weather holds out it will be at their cool amphitheater and if it rains we’ll move into the museum. VIP tickets and parking are $15 and general admission is free. It’s part of their Music on the Rock Summer Series:
Page 39
The Hope and Anchor Second Saturday Blues is a fun monthly event at a super restaurant and pub! Shows are from 8 to 11:30 PM. There is a $5 cover charge. Featuring fine English pub fare, the Hope and Anchor is a great spot for dinner, craft beers and liquors, and great live music! Located at 5040 N 2nd Street, Loves Park IL, USA, phone 815-633-2552 for info!
Renewing Members: Jerry Bueche John Capitelli Family Jim & Jamie Deming Steve Dougherty Rebecca Heaslip Family Ron Holm Joyce Hunt Link Leary The Petri Family Randy Palmino Gail Rothermel Dave Sawtelle David Stine Michael Smith Roger Thompson Greg & Patricia Zachweija
5/12/18 The Cash Box Kings
New members get a CD upon joining and new family members get two CDS. If you did not get any please let us know the next time we see you! The Email newsletter averages between 32 and 40 pages an issue and is in full color, delivered as a PDF to members. Mail newsletters are 12 pages and printed in greyscale. Mail members have a $5 surcharge to help with printing and postage costs. We produce six newsletters a year with about 30 reviews and all sorts of other great information related to the Society and our events. Again, we thank our members for their support and helping us to keep the blues alive!
The Lyran Society featured blues, a fish fry, other great food and a lot of fun. The Lyran Club has great shows twice a month outside of summer. Located half a block east of 7th Street at 1115 4th Ave, Rockford, IL 61104, you can call (815) 9640511 for info. There is no cover charge, it’s a free show. Open to our members and friends, all ages are welcome!
www.bluesblastmagazine.com
6/9/18 Don Collins & the Night Shift 7/14/18 Paul Filipowicz 8/11/18 Ivy Ford Band 9/8/18 Howard & the White Boys 10/13/18 Ray Fuller & the Blues Rockers 11/10/18 The Jimmys 12/8/18 Reverend Raven & The Chain Smoking Altar Boys Featuring West Side Andy Linderman
Lyran Society First and Third Friday Blues
5/4/18 Dave Fields 5/18/18 Ivy Ford Band June 2018 TBD July 2018 TBD August 2018 TBD
Crossroads Blues Society P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010 On the web at: crossroadsbluessociety.com/ Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park: www.crossroadsbluesfestival.com Email us at: sub_insignia@yahoo.com Call us at: (779) 537-4006
THE
GROOVE THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CROSSROADS BLUES SOCIETY
Keeping the Blues Alive Since 1994 2014 Blues Foundation Keeping the Blues Alive Affiliate Award Recipient 2014 Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Inductee 2005 Rockford Area Music Award Winner– Community Service
Mail to:
Blues News and Upcoming Events By now you might have noticed the new format for The Groove. We’ve made a few changes to clean up the look and feel of the newsletter and make it look more like the magazine it has pretty much become. Please let us know what you think about it!
lenge Winner Ivy Ford and her band who represented us at the 2018 IBC! May is going to be fun at the Lyran Club, and shows are free and open to Lyran and Crossroads members and friends of member!
May and June begin festival season in the upper Midwest where we live. See inside for a review of what is going on this summer blues festival-wise.
Just Goods features the soulful singer Missy Anderson on Friday, May 11th. Showtime is 7 PM. Crossroads is cosponsoring the event with Just Goods. Another great show to enjoy!
May is a big month for us. We have the Cash Box Kings returning to play for us, the first time in a few years. We are excited to have Oscar Wilson, Joe Nosek and the Band back to play for us. At the Hope and Anchor on Saturday, May 12th. They have a great CD they are promoting, their first on Alligator Records, which will be available at the show! At the Lyran Society we have Dave Fields and his Band on Friday, May 4th and on Friday May 18th we have our 2017 Crossroads Blues Chal-
June brings us the 2nd Annual Byron Blues Block Party at Steve Jones’ house. It will run from 2 to 7 PM at Steve and Annette Jones’ and neighbors Doug and Cindy Wilken’s; admission is free but we are taking donations to cover the band cost and the band will be the Ivy Ford Band from 3 to 6 PM! Please bring your favorite beverages and some food to share. We will have stuff like hot dogs and brats. Open to neighbors and Crossroads members in good standing!
June at Hope and Anchor is Don Collins and the Night Shift on the 9th. Lyran will be scaling back to one show a month for summer and that is yet TBD at press time. Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers are coming tot the Burpee Museum Music on the Rock Concert Series Wednesday, June 27th. See inside for more info! Heads up for July– Jimmy Voegeli, Steve Jones and the New Glarus Chamber of Commerce are starting the Blues, Brews and Food Truck Festival on July 14th in the Village Park in New Glarus. See inside for more info! 2018 Crossroads Blues Fest tickets are available now at all our ticket outlets in addition to on line. Thanks to Lonnie’s Carpet Max and Stone Crafters for their financial support for 2018. It’s going to be a great fest– see inside!