Here are a few recent items sent in by yourselves (thank you very much) that I think are worth a little more attention.
First, here's an interesting little blues memory from Dutchomatic, who posted a comment, but posted it to an item back in February, so chances are it won't get much exposure. (This is the post he's referring to)
Greetings all,
Reading the post and comments above reminded me of a few years back. Please pardon my typos.
Loved the old Thunderbirds lineup (of course) but I am a really big fan of Kid Ramos. I have a number of his CDs.
I have been playing, touring and recording a bit for a number of years. i don't do it anymore after my wife and I moved to Texas. Back in the 90s Rod Piazza and his band with Rick Holmstrom aka. LA Holmes did an amazing show in a dreadful venue back home in Arkansas in an Eagles Club. It was a local Blues Society event and i think the original venue plans fell thru at the last minute. I don't think Rod and his guys were all that very happy about the conditions. It reminds me of the scene from Spinal Tap where they were relegated to playing on an Air Force base for some "dance" or something. It seemed to come out in the treatment of fans between sets.
I had met Rick when he was playing with Johnny Dyer on the CD they did in the early 90s. I was stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. Seemed like a nice guy and he even turned me on to a guitar shop in Phoenix that I ended up working in once I left the military. At the time I was playing similar in style to him as a big Hollywood Fats fan. He and I looked a lot alike, oddly enough, and that with the playing got me a one-nighter with Bill Tarsha's Rocket 88s at Warsaw Wallys in Phoenix. Bill had both Rick and another amazing guitarist Pat Boyack with him in Phoenix with the Rocket 88s before I got there. Bill's guys (and gal) were good to me, but I was moving back to Arkansas for college that very next week. We did a show with Pat Boyack and the Prowlers in 98 or 99 in Fort Smith. Those guys were good to us too. Great show.
I met Mr. John Hammond, Jr. while in Scottsdale AZ at the Rockin' Horse. He'd just completed his documentary on Robert Johnson at the time. John had played with Duke Robillard that night and after the show he and I sat and talked at length about making that documentary. John was such a genuine guy to talk to. There was an amazing lightning storm in Scottsdale all while he was playing. The sky was on fire. Once he stopped and Duke went on the storm had stopped. When John and i parted after talking the lightning came back with furious intensity. John shook my hand, smiled, and told me to "enjoy the weather". Can you imagine? I was 23 or 24 at the time. I will never forget that.
Cheers to you all and happy playing.
Here's a note from Tim, who went up the Allegheny the other night to see Delbert McClinton, and recently out to see Chris Smither -- both of whom I enjoy very much, but I didn't see either show:
the kittanning venue is a beautiful amphitheater overlooking the allegheny river. we came up from Irwin and it took us a little over an hour -- nice roads and easy driving the whole way up.
Delbert pulled the plug fast, just like he did at 3RAF a couple of years ago; a little bit of rain and he's back in the limo on his way to the next gig. ANYONE could see that it'd be quitting. It had stopped completely before they had the drum kit dismantled.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf5pUxYkEYY&feature=channel
also, you gots to be giving Chris more props -- his Mississippi John Hurt DNA is evident throughout his show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LidGlgH9nPE&feature=channel
btw. check out my other vids -- lots of shows you've been to, and usually a link to stills in the info section.
Here's a note I received from a frustrated "blues" festival fan that sort of fits in with some recent BlueNotes discussion about what is and is not the blues:
I guess I will have to check out all the performers for this year. I hoped to just go and enjoy blues performers, but in the last five years the blues festival has more head banging rock groups than actual blues musicians.
why do you think the rock groups think they are playing blues. how did this happen?
The last two festivals I left a little upset and frustrated so now I think I'll check out the lineup and go only one nite and at a time the blues will be playing.
bebe
And finally ... a frustrated clubgoer complains about show that don't get advertised. I'll leave his name off to avoid any embarrassment, but I do think this can be a problem. Just in case anyone is looking for links, I use this page on the Moondog's web site as my guide to his shows, even though it's also limited. I also try to check the WYEP blues calendar as well as other club sites. But some shows don't always get much publicity.
Hi Jim- sadly, you were the first I heard about the Castro show; I read it on the day of the show. It's another example of the sad promotional habits of Moondog's. Ron's web site only shows that weeks shows, not future dates, so , as was my case, I didn't check that week. I miss a good show, and Ron sells a few less tickets (and a LOT less beer and food...). There has to be a better way....
Thanks to all who send e-ails and post comments (e-mailers, remember, you can register and post your own comments.)
Posted
Jun 25 2009, 02:00 PM
by
Jim White