The Blues Goes to School
Eugene Morgan, veteran blues performer and instructor, took the blues to the Avonsworth Middle School on November 19, 2009. This project was made possible by Ken Lockette, High School principal, BSWPA member and fan of blues roots music. The students of the American Popular Music class were also joined by student photographers and journalism students.
Eugene asked the class, “Have you ever heard of Jim Reed, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker? They were pre rock and roll. You are in for a treat today!” He continued to talk about how those “cats” of music influenced him and inspired him to play the guitar. There was a sing a long to “Got my Mojo Working.” He told of how blues legend, Muddy Waters, changed his name continuously to play on different record labels just to keep playing. The presentation included excerpts of songs from Tampa Red, Robert Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson. The students learned that Son House changed the blues by “taking it on the road in his travels.” They heard about how the early blues singers would hop on trains and ride to the next stop. The students heard how Lighting Hopkins let the rock and roller see what was coming in the mid 1970's to Pittsburgh.
Eugene told the students that you have to have “a lotta soul to play blues and put your soul in it.” He explained that blues is a natural music. (Eugene showed the students that he played his guitar without a pick to feel more soul in his guitar.) The students were then asked, “How many of you have heard the blues?” Amazingly, over half of the class raised their hands. The lesson continued. They soon learned that Muddy Waters from Mississippi changed the “concept” of what a band was when he went to Chicago. Muddy “plugged in” and went electric. Muddy took the acoustic music from the South and made it the electric of the North. The students identified with a John Lee Hooker song that ZZ Top made into their own. He went on to explain that today’s American music is all based on the roots of blues music. Eugene said that blues is a means to bring people together. All of the musical influences enable every band that we know to explore and to take a song farther …just like ZZ Top did. He asked, “What makes as song a blues song?” He continued the lesson by talking about the steps of three-chords and then demonstrated how different variations will change one song.
Eugene was asked about electric blues and about the British invasion that brought the blues back to America. He answered by saying that merchant marines took our American records overseas. The Europeans embraced the music. Musicians like Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page loved the blues. Eugene then asked the students if they had heard of the group, the Rolling Stones. He claimed that the Brits loved the blues and that the Rolling Stones took their name from a Muddy Waters tune. The “Stones” came to Chicago and wanted to record at Chess Records where their idol, Muddy Waters, had recorded. They wanted to sound like their hero but ended up sounding like themselves.
Eugene was asked, “Would you have progressed in the blues if you had stayed in the South?” His response, “I think that I would have continued to play. However, my move to Western Pennsylvania exposed me to more of the blues as well as other music. The move gave me a better outlook into my love of the music.” Once student then asked about Eugene Morgan’s “Blues for Food” project. Eugene’s response, “I call blues my baby. Musicians get together to raise money. I am a giver…I got that from my mother. “Blues for Food” allows people from all walks of life to share the blues and to bring donations to help those in need.”
His parting advice, “Do your homework. If you don’t dream, you have nothing. The life of a musician can be a tough road. If it is what you want to do, seek out professionals for advice. If you become good at what you want to do, then success will follow.”
~ Jonnye Weber
The Historic Palisades
The historic Palisades in McKeesport, PA is alive and kicking again and now features 'The Blues.' The Palisades has been around almost a century. It had featured boxing, wrestling, skating, dancing and some great national acts. Lawrence Welk and Guy Lombardo played there in the 30’s. Ray Charles and Savoy Brown played there in the early 70's. One of the area’s best record stores was there in the 70's - Zambos.
In 2002, the city of McKeesport remodeled the place. They spent over a million dollars, mostly through federal and state grants, to restore it. It is now known as Palisades Center for the Performing Arts. Later, Jeff Ingersoll, of Bonedog Records, helped with the acoustics, adding stage curtains and acoustic baffling along with a surround sound system.
I have attended two shows there and hope to attend more. Many of the local blues bands are playing there now. Billy Price, Gary Belloma, Mystic Knights, Miss Freddye and Blue Faze, Jimmy Adler and more. The place is spacious and the sound is great.
So blues lovers, keep it in mind when looking for places to see live shows next year.
~ Don Vecchio
BLUES CHALLENGE WINNERS WEEKEND - Memphis Send Off!!!
Join us in wishing our duo act, Bubs McKeg and Dr. Blue and our band, Felix and the Hurricanes, a safe and a successful journey as our entries in the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee on January 21-23, 2010.
The band and duo winners of the 2009 BSWPA Blues Challenge will be filling the weekend of January 15 and 16 with music before they ourney to Memphis, Tennessee.
Felix & the Hurricanes - Felix Kos, Jeff Clapper and Bobby Walters are members of this group. With over twenty years together as a band, this group from Altoona, PA, is well known and popular. This band traveled with a strong contingent of their followers to the BSWPA competition. Felix and his band were presented with the $1000 prize and will also compete in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge in January, 2010.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010 - 9:30 pm
FELIX AND THE HURRICANES
(Altoona, PA/2009 IBC Regional Winner)
The Baltimore House Raw Bar Raw Blues
176 Curry Hollow Rd, Pleasant Hills 15236
412/653-3800
No Cover
FELIX AND THE HURRICANES
(Altoona, PA/2009 IBC Regional Winner)
The Baltimore House Raw Bar Raw Blues
176 Curry Hollow Rd, Pleasant Hills 15236
412/653-3800
No Cover
Bubs McKeg and Dr. Blue - Bubs McKeg, the songwriter, was the only contestant from the USA to be a finalist in the 2007 International Blues Songwriting Competition in Finland. He was also a finalist in the solos competition at the 2009 International Blues Challenge. McKeg was also a member of the Diamond Reo band. Dr. Blue (Jeff Coben) is a former band mate of McKeg and is a harmonica specialist. While in medical school, Dr. Blue states that Sugar Blue was his greatest influence and inspiration. This duo won the $500 solo/duo prize and the opportunity to compete in Memphis.Saturday, January 16 @ 9:00pm
BLUES NIGHT OUT
SEND OFF PARTY FOR BUBS MCKEG AND DR. BLUE
and the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania
Hop House, 2749 Noblestown Road,(Crafton)
Pittsburgh, PA 412-922-9560
No Cover
CD RELEASE PARTY - BLUES IN THE BURGH #2
The BSWPA is very excited to
announce that the release of their second CD compilation will be
available soon. A plan for a CD
release party is in the works.
Details will soon be made available.
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Blues Foundation
Annual membership is $20, and includes a year’s subscription to the BSWPA Newsletter, discount on merchandise and events.
Visit us on the web at:
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Blues Trivia
Even though no blues recordings had yet been made, the year 1915 was a huge one for the blues. No fewer than eight substantial modern bluesmen were born that year. Can you name them?
(find answer at the end of this issue)
MUSICIAN’S CORNER - Find out about the local bands
The BSWPA will resume doing a bio on a local band(s) quarterly. Our original effort was the interview with Gil Snyder in one of our earlier issues. Special note: Bands and fans…Please be patient. We will not play favorites. Our space is limited. There are a lot of local bands. We will try to feature every band in turn.
Blues Orphans - circa 1974… Thirty years and still going strong
The band members include: Bob Gabig on guitar and vocals, Andy Gabig on harmonica, Mark Custer on trumpet, Nelson Harrison, PH.D. on trombone and trombetto, Dave Yoho on drums and Joe Briggs on upright bass. This very cohesive group recently suffered the loss their long time bass player and friend, Roy Fitzpatrick due to illness. Dave Erny sits in when Joe Briggs is unavailable.
Harmonica player, Andy Gabig, has described the Blues Orphans as “straight-up American music.” Theirs is a complex and very diverse mix of music that goes from traditional old-school blues, bluegrass and country and western to hip hop, rap and urban honky-tonk. This fun loving and very musically inclined band “plays in the jam-band vein.” They have had many sit in with them: Chizmo Charles, Sugar Blue and Big Wheeler plus many, many others. They deliver a fun filled and musically charged performance. They are known for their wit and superbly self-crafted songs. They have been listed in The Jazz and Blues Lover’s Guide to the U.S. The Blues Orphans have four CDs out. Their last CD, Root Rot, was released in 2007 to much acclaim. They have also been voted #1 in the City Paper’s reader’s poll four times in the last seven years. When not in first place, they have placed 2nd behind Jill West as a copy cover band.
‘You can never be sure what you’re going to get at a Blues Orphans Show. The group calls itself a blue band but it jumps from genre to genre without apology.” (J.E. Rosenfeld, City Paper)
You can find their gigs listed on the calendar at bswpa.org or pghlivemusic.ning.com
Angel Blue and the Prophets
The band members are: Angel Blue on lead vocals, Mojo Mike on guitar, Scottie-2-hottie on drums and Guapo on bass.
Angel Blue and the Prophets have a style that includes blues, blues and more blues. Their music is a representation of Electric, Chicago Blues, Texas Swing, Boogie, Rock, R&B and at times “every funky groove in between.” Several reviews have stated: “It moves you, it grooves you” and “…hard driving rocking blues that cuts through you.” They have opened for legends Dick Dale, James Cotton and Indigenous. Their style and unique sound is attributed to the influences of greats that include: Eric Johnson, BB King, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Bottom of the Bottle Blues is still being requested. Their last CD, Bottom of the Bottle Blues, secured their place among blues fans with its rave reviews. Their newest CD, Crazy Ass Blues, will be out in early 2010.
“Chizmo Charles”
Julie Toye of the Herald-Standard once said that “Chizmo” Charles Anderson had earned the title: “Pittsburgh’s Senior Statesman of the Blues.” With over fifty plus years in the music world, the first song that he sang in public was, “Everyday I have the Blues.” He stumbled into music as a career; he wanted to be a dancer. Laughingly, Chizmo once remembered that in his early days in music he did not know what his fellow players meant when they asked “what key” that he wanted a song played in. The musical jargon and the charisma came with time. Jim Hamel, a local musician and BSWPA board member, commented that Chizmo has a “wonderful way of interacting with the audience. Chizmo can make just about any situation work on stage. He is a walking musical history lesson. Every day there is something new to learn from him. He lived and worked through so many important periods in our musical culture.” Hamel added, “He is the most fun singer that a band could want.”
Chizmo’s fans can feel his love of the music as he mingles, sings and commands the attention of an entire room during his performances…and always with a smile. Billy Price once said: “Chizmo is a great blues singer, a great entertainer and most importantly, a nice man. He brings a smile to my face every time I see him…” With the talent that Chizmo Charles possesses to do heavy hitting songs like “Love Won’t Let Me Leave,” fellow musician Norm Nardini once commented: “Chiz is a Pittsburgh treasure. He is a fantastic, high-level singer.”
Chizmo has sat in with just about every player in town. Jill West once said that she admired Anderson’s smooth ability to transition from one musical genre to another without missing a beat. She also praised him for jamming with everyone ‘from the pros, the rookies and to the wannabees.’ She also was thankful for his guidance early in her career. In 2003, his previously released CD, “Up All Night,” was reissued on Decade records. The resurgence of that CD took Chizmo on the road during the year of his 75th birthday. He even opened for BB King. Back in the Burg, Chizmo was the opening artist on the BSWPA’s CD, “Blues from the Burg.” Chizmo’s rendition of “Bed Bug Boogie” received noteworthy accolades from Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records and Blues Revue magazine.
BLUES FOR TOTS
The BSWPA held “Blues for Tots and Toys” drive on Friday, December 4 at Moondog’s. Shot O’ Soul and Katie Simone and Soul Sensation provided the music. The blues fans supplied the toys. Ron Esser provided the location and the holiday snacks. Thanks to everyone who participated. Your generosity helped to brighten up the lives of many children in the Western PA area.
click image for larger view
Talking with Mud Morganfield
Coffee, orange juice, croissants, and a spectacular view of Lake Lucerne with the snow capped mountains looming as a back drop...what could be better. I soon found myself listening to the four men talking at the next table. Actually, eavesdropping is a very dangerous sport. I almost fell off my chair trying to hear their plans for their roles in the Lucerne Blues Festival. “Getting down to business” were Mud Morganfield (Muddy Waters, Jr.), EG McDaniel (the bassist who was the son of Floyd McDaniel and cousin to Bo Diddley), Neil O’Hara (keys), and Rick Kreher (lead guitarist). Neil was going over the long playlist. Mud led the pack on deciding what was going to be done during their segments in the festival. All four men discussed what worked and what did not work, what sequence the songs should be in, what they felt comfortable with and who would do what. They decided what key different tunes would be in. Neil volunteered to look them up on the computer and have a retyped set list available later in the day. Mud discussed his trip to Russia and was very excited about it. This band leaned over the table that was laden with large cups of coffee and hot tea. They worked very hard to “make it right” for the next two nights. Their enthusiasm to do their best was exciting. They all agreed that they wanted the “crowd to leave saying that it was the best.” Mud claimed that he “wanted to keep bringing the music to them and not just the same old stuff.” He also added, “Sure, I have to do Muddy Waters tunes and do it the way the crowd wanted it.” They agreed on “Stairway to Heaven” which boggled my mind. They decided when to put their 'key piece', "Got my Mojo Working," into the act. I soon heard, “Let the kid, (Rick), speak up.” Mud asked his keyboardist what his opinions were about the upcoming show and the playlist. (The “kid” was still in college and had been playing music since he was seven years old.) They worked until all four were in agreement. I started to break into a sweat wondering “whether “we” had gotten it right.” I finally slithered my way onto the extra chair at their table. I was amazed that these music veterans would have to spend so much time “working out the details.” When questioned, Mud stated…”Always work at your trade. Find out what works and play it to your advantage. If it does not work, find out why and work it to your potential and the fans’ satisfaction.” Later that night I heard Mud play in the opening show at the Casineum Theater in the Grand Casino. I felt that “we” had put a good show together. I saw him and the band play the next night in the main room at the Grand Casino. After the performance, I slid onto the seat beside Mud where he was signing CDs and talking with his fans. I told him that I liked the last performance better. (During our initial talk, Mud Morganfield had told me to tell him what I liked and what I did not like.) He thought his performance on the first night was better. I had to disagree….he seemed more relaxed on the second night, the band was more congealed on the second night and the fans responded more to Mud and the music. Mud even started smiling more on the second night. The first night, he seemed more intent on making a defiant statement. All in all, Muddy Waters, Jr. had a powerful and rich voice. His act was one that was worth seeing. (Mud, you asked and I gave you my opinion…)
~ Jonnye Weber
AD - Harvey Wilner's Village Tavern
HARVEY WILNER’S
VILLAGE
TAVERN
1620
Pennsylvania Avenue
West Mifflin, PA 15122
West Mifflin, PA 15122
412-466-1331
www.harveywilners.com
WE NEED YOUR HELP
If you have the desire to help the BSWPA, we have a need for you.
If you have skills that we may be in need of, let us know.
We are in need of the following:
· Grant writers
· Assistance for the web master
· A group to obtain raffle items and sponsors
· Musicians to help with Veterans programs, etc.
· Assistance with the Blues in the Schools program
· People to help at events
· Articles for the newsletter
If you have skills that we may be in need of, let us know.
If you would like to volunteer your time, call 724-378-8926
AD - Web & Graphic Designs
Web and Graphic Designs
Maria Kovacs
729 Perry Highway
Pittsburgh, PA 15229
412-367-5830
www.webpooldesigns.com
Webmaster and graphic designer
Blues Society of Western PA
CD REVIEW - Anna Popovic …. Blind for Love
I suppose I should start this out with a disclaimer: I can't possibly do an unbiased review of Ana Popovic.....I'm in love with the woman. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. When I saw her at Moondog's last year, I made a point of sitting at the far end of the bar, just in case I lost control and tried to storm the stage. ("Somebody stop me!!!")
Aside from being flat out gorgeous, she's a world class guitar player, mesmerizing performer, gifted song writer, and an absolute angel to meet in person. And that accent.....damn.....
OK, so while it may be tough for me to be unbiased, that doesn't mean that any praise I may heap on her is unwarranted. You can see for yourself on her web site, where there are clips of each of the songs on her latest CD, "Blind for Love":
http://www.anapopovic.com
The album starts out with Nothing Personal, an upbeat groove about falling for someone that doesn't realize it. Like most of what she writes, the lyrics are passionate, sexy, and honest. "Excuse me, while I spend another hour with you. Don't get me wrong, I just wanna breathe the air you do." Lucky bastid.....
Wrong Woman is a real sweet rocker that portrays what must be a never ending ordeal for Ana.....gettin' hit on by guys that think they're God's gift. In no uncertain terms, she cuts Romeo off at the knees. The lyrics of all the tunes, btw, are included in the liner notes. It's nice to be able to pull them out and check something you're not sure of. It's also a good excuse to look over the gorgeous pictures of her.....again.
The third cut is a funky little slide thang called Steal Me Away that shows just how versatile she is on guitar, and that she's got the chops to do justice to the blues. Ana ain't just a pretty face.....her talents are many. A quick glance at the credits shows that she's a hands-on musician when it comes to the nuts and bolts of production, and even in the look of the CD. Her passion for graphic design, which she studied before her musical talents demanded all her time, is quite evident in the look and feel of her web site. Her biography on there is well worth checking out.
The title cut, Blind for Love, slows things down into a nice and comfy piece of smooth jazz, and keeps the vibe rollin' with More Real.....beautifully arranged, and sexy as hell. Again, the lyrics aren't just a means to an end, as in something to fill up a CD and get it in print, but are a glimpse of her soul. The girl can write.....
Putting Out the APB picks up the pace with a finger popper that showcases Ana's outstanding slide work, yet again, and Get Back Home to You continues in the same vein. But then, as if she doesn't want to be pigeon-holed as a blues rocker, she turns Dave Brubeck-esque with The Only Reason.....sweet as honeysuckle in full bloom.....
Next up is somethin' pretty special. Part of Me (Lullaby for Luuk) was written for her son, who was born in May of last year. I saw her a couple of months after he was born, and wouldn't have believed that she had just had a baby. But after graciously spending quite a while talking with me, and promising to contact a friend of mine to be interviewed for his thesis on graphic design, she apologized and said that she had to get back to the hotel to feed her baby.....talk about a full schedule! Very impressive woman.
Lives That Don't Exist gets down and damn funky, complete with horns, and Ana once again does a masterful job of crafting her words to shed a little light on the rigors of fame. Like I said earlier, her lyrics are a glimpse of her soul.....like you've been granted a peek in her diary. Passionate, sexy, and honest..... Need Your Love is a fantasy waiting to happen.....back you up against the wall kinda deal. I think that's about all I should say about that.....it's gettin' a little warm up in here.....
Finishing up beautifully is Blues for M, a smoky little blues thang that I can't seem to quit playin'. Powerful guitar in sensitive hands, the voice of an angel, and absolutely stunning lyrics.....so good, they're spooky. Damn baby.....
If I were a bettin' man, I'd put good money on Ana havin' "Real Deal" tattooed on herself somewhere. And if she doesn't.....she should.
~James Bartilson
CD REVIEW - JJ Grey & Mofro….Orange Blossoms
Once again, I have to make room on my radar screen for a band with whom I was not familiar. I have heard and seen the name JJ Grey & Mofro for a while, but never seemed to bother to dig any deeper, until now. I wish now I woulda started lookin' sooner.....I love these guys! They produce a kinda funky, swampy, southern-rock, bluesy sorta mix that feels like it's been simmerin' in the gumbo pot all day long.....very complex, but at the same time, familiar and comforting.
Far from being the typical three or four piece band, Mofro breaks the mold with seven members: JJ Grey (vocals, guitar, harmonica and keyboard), Daryl Hance (guitar), Art Edmaiston (sax), Dennis Marion (trumpet), Andrew Trube (bass), Anthony Farrell (organ), and Anthony Cole (drums). That would explain the complexity of their music, since none of them are simply there as filler.....each of the instruments have their own "center-stage" moments, and blend deliciously together. The horns produce the funkiness, and JJ's gritty vocals and lyrics give it that lazy, north Florida swamp feel.
Their MySpace page has a nice sampling of tunes: http://www.myspace.com/mofroband , and their web site has a ton of info on the band, as well as the lyrics to all their songs: http://www.mofro.net/lyrics/
The title cut, “Orange Blossoms,” starts it off with JJ's recollection of learnin' about love in the orange grove with a sweet young thang.....until her daddy put a stop to it. This song kinda gives you an idea of how he writes his lyrics, from personal experience, and his honesty in portraying those experiences. Eleven of the twelve songs on the CD were written by JJ, and all are outstanding.
“The Devil You Know” sounds to be dedicated to some junky buddy that has taken advantage of JJ for the last time. He offers some wise advice: "habit got you changed mind body and soul / and you’ll never feel free until you learn to let go of that / that bag full of bricks you been dragging around."
In what could be sub-titled "Wise up, Tiger," “Everything Good is Bad” delves into the age old problem of forbidden fruit: "your love is like the sweet forbidden fruit in life / I’m another woman’s man you’re another man’s wife / we both know the difference between right and wrong / life is full of temptation it’s hard to be strong." Whether or not he has learned his lesson is left up to the listener, but I kinda doubted it.....until I listened to the next song.
“She Don't Know” is not the greatest love song of all time, but they don't get much more poignant. Soulful vocals, bluesy keyboard, and what sounds like a drummer from a funeral march.....all set up a tune that shows a man head over heels for his woman who loves him unconditionally, and yet he seems worried that she does not understand what she means to him: "lord but she don’t know how much I love her / and she don’t know how much I need / if the morning finds her gone I don’t know that I could carry on / she don’t know" My guess is, JJ.....she knows.
In the same vein, “The Truth” is another pouring out of his love for his woman...a beautiful recounting of coming off the road to what he calls The Truth in his life...the love of his woman. "no words can say no words won’t mean a thing / no answers tell what you mean what you mean to me" Besides all the glitz and glamour of a musician's life, I've always felt it's gotta be unbelievably hard satisfying crowds that expect to see you performing at your best...night after night...regardless of how you feel. In JJ's case, it sounds like what keeps him going is the anchor in his life.....his Truth. 
“WYLF” is a funky little thang that breaks the ice with a girl by explaining "What You're Lookin' For", and the funk spills over and grows in “On Fire”...a tune about the woman, that we have all seen, that's workin' all the boys in the bar for drinks. This line I especially liked: "we tried to look away we all tried to be cool / but she had an ass as thick as an army mule’s" Yup...that'll do it every time. “Move it On” is a sweet, rolling, intricately layered gem that is pretty much about gettin' over, to be honest: "come on baby come on yeah / come on whisper in my ear / if you ain’t going to make your intentions sugar / make ‘em crystal clear / cause every second is another golden opportunity / slipping on by / another chance Lord another chance baby / for me to make it make it alright." Careful ladies...the boy's a smooth talker.
In what sounds like another message to his junky buddy, “Higher You Climb” does not pull any punches: "spend the grocery money trying to make you a name / while your kids can’t read or write I guess you ain’t gonna change / and now you say they got you pimping for the DEA / rolling on your boys cause you say you getting paid." In “Dew Drops,” he writes: "mama ain’t a day goes by I don’t think about him / well I can see his face still / dull grey eyes burnt out to ash Lord to hell and gone again / I got to get away from him." Sounds like JJ needs to distance himself to keep from being dragged down into the same hell. As with all the songs, the lyrics paint the picture perfectly, warts and all.
“Ybor City” sounds like the perfect place to get JJ's mind off of the mess that his buddy is in: "I know a rowdy place where the whiskey’s warm and women are too / when I get to Ybor City / all them women going to love me through and through." Works for me.
The CD closes out nicely with “I Believe (in everything)”...another beautifully layered love song. JJ Grey has an exceptional voice, writes from the heart, and is backed by more than just another run-of-the-mill band in Mofro. The groove they lay down is infectious, and the proof of that can be seen in the fact that Alligator Records (the best record label on the planet!) signed the band in 2007.
This CD was a pleasant surprise... a band that I will be keeping an eye and ear on for years to come.
~Jim Bartilson
2010 International Blues Challenge Application
2010 International Blues Challenge Application
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Ramada Inn (Greentree), 401 Holiday Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 412-922-8100
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION:
MARCH 10, 2010
Mail application and $45 fee to:
BLUES SOCIETY BLUES CHALLENGE,
P.O. BOX 97978, PITTSBURGH, PA 15227
NEED MORE INFORMATION:
Jonnye Weber, BSWPA President
724-378-8926
2golfers2@comcast.net
www.bswpa.org
CASH PRIZES
$1000 CASH TO WINNING BAND
$500 CASH TO WINNING SOLO/DUO
Opportunity to represent the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania at the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee
There will be a Jim Weber Blues Guitarist Award given to the best overall guitarist in the competition. The winner of this award will be based on merit, talent and originality. The recipient does not have to be a part of the winning band entry or the winning solo/duo entry.
What Was I Thinking About?
In search of a place to escape, the award winning 2009 Lucerne Blues Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland came spiraling at me. The fascination of my past European travels beckoned. I suddenly envisioned quaint villages, wonderful landscapes, outdoor cafes, the intrigue of the local culture, and ….the blues. Thus began my odyssey of planes, trains, trams, busses and…the blues. After finalizing the travel plans for my European trek, I had a frightening thought…What was I thinking…Switzerland in November? (I hate cold weather.) The lures of the Blues proved to be too great.Being a veteran of many blues festivals in the States, I wondered what the differences and what the similarities were of an overseas blues festival. Would an American landing in Switzerland be warmed by the music? Was the ideology that the Blues is universal true? With pen and notebook, I went in search of the true essence of a festival that had been given the 2007 Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation.
I was disappointed during my first two days there (prior to the concert). I walked everywhere in that Swiss-German city. I saw many posters announcing the Lucerne Blues Festival…but I did not hear the chatter that I normally hear leading into a festival. Bah humbug! As I stood in the streets, it was difficult to refrain from yelling Jill West’s line, “the blues is back in town.” Thankfully, I soon saw musicians, young and old alike, scurrying in and out of my hotel. My first blues encounter was with JW Jones of the JW Jones band. He was having issues at the hotel’s front desk…he wanted his laundry done immediately...he had a show to do in an hour. (I did chuckle at his frustration and the hotel clerk patiently explaining… “It is like this…”).
The 2009 Lucerne Blues Festival was being held in Lucerne’s Grand Casino. It was a large, grand building; very simple in nature and very unlike our neon casinos here in the states. I boarded the escalator to the second floor, 500-seat banquet hall where the festival was being held. The chatter and the flurry surrounding the festival was warming up and spirally into full tilt. Fans were entering and eager for a show. I was now excited…this “gig” was finally shaping up. The back portion of the room was on an elevated platform. A formal dinner with wines was being served. (Many of us that did not speak German wondered how you got those seats!) I went further and found the front half of the room was “reserved” for the rest of the fans. It was rough duty. The show started at 7pm and went until 1am. (The shows started on time and ran on time.) It was literally “standing room only.” There were no seats. (I did perch in the sound booth during Marcia Ball’s performance. When the stool and I shifted in opposite directions, I was sent back out to join the crowd.) There were fans from Germany, Britain, Ireland, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Finland, Norway, France and from all over Switzerland. They did not mind the inconvenience of the long distances that they had traveled and were totally thrilled to see the music. This reporter soon found that there were many blues purists. The Europeans love the traditional bluesmen from America. Of course, there were many opinions- the purists vied with those that preferred the modern types of homogenized blues. Everyone loved talking about the blues and their blues interests.
The Americans in the festival line up were: Dave Riley and Bob Corritore, Lurrie Bell with Eddie Shaw, Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, Mud Morganfield aka Muddy Waters, Jr., Dorothy Moore, Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors with Rusty Zinn, Tomcat Courtney and the Rhythm Room All Stars, Holland K. Smith, Marcia Ball, CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band and Michael van Merwyk & Blue Soul. Also on the playlist were two young bands: the JW Jones Band from Canada who reminded me of our local Ian Arthurs Band and BB and the Blues Shacks from Germany who seemed to be a late crowd favorite. The crowd was patient, responsive and quiet during each performance. An Irish gent leaned over at one point and commented on how “reserved” the crowd was. (Translated…no pizzazz.) They were amazed that people from the states danced so much. The crowd was a little more ambitious on the second night. When the Cajun music started on the third night, the crowd was elbow to elbow but managed to two-step and “tear up the dance floor.” All ages, all walks of life, all nationalities…there were no barriers at all during the three day festival.
Many were amazed when I mentioned that we regularly see performers like Tommy Castro, Walter Trout, Jimmy Thackeray and Tinsley Ellis (thanks to Moondog). I told them some of my experiences: having ice cream in Tampa with Watermelon Slim, how Michael Burkes always goes out in the crowd before and after a performance, how Mark Hummel was eating an ice cream cone while visiting our booth at Heritage, Tommy Castro visited in our booth at the Pittsburgh blues fest, talking with Joe Bonnamassa on the streets in Memphis, talking with award winners waiting for their turns at an awards show. Yes, they were impressed. Most said that they did not have the opportunity to get “up close and personal” and were thrilled to hear about the personal interaction that we enjoy here in the states with the blues musicians. There are many blues bands traveling in Europe but the European blues fans are mesmerized by the American greats. Yes, six hours standing and working your way in the crowd was not easy duty. I laugh when I think about jockeying for space at the front of the stage with the paparazzi. The front rows were all camera hounds. There was an extraordinary amount of camera equipment lying on the stage that belonged to the throngs of photographers. It was a camera shop in the making. I was smacked several times with the large zooms. (Dusty, please give them a 101 in camera etiquette.)
The after jams were held in a room that only seated two hundred people. Entire bands would go up for a set and then their fellow, festival musicians were asked to sit in. I was disappointed that we did not get to experience some of the lesser known musical talent in the area. The jams lasted until 4:30 a.m. Only the strong survived. Actually, Europeans do not start their evenings until at least 11:00 p.m. Many were just getting their second wind. Everyone “lost” their inhibitions at the after jam. (We finally had seating but everyone was too busy dancing to sit down.) The energy in the room exploded and the fans were off the charts. (It was now starting to really feel like a blues show.)Smoking was not allowed anywhere in Switzerland…except at the Casino. I was amazed that a cigar company was handing out cigars to the fans and then lighting them. (cough, cough) There were more women smoking them than men. Whew, it was a sight to behold…the musicians, the fans, and the blues…”all going up in smoke.”
Personal thoughts …I heard one band singing in another room at the hotel nightly while I was getting ready. (I thoroughly enjoyed my “personal” concert.) It was wonderful talking with all of the international journalists and photographers. They surprised me when they asked to look at the BSWPA website. They had many questions and then offered some thoughtful, positive and creative feedback.
Dave Riley and Bob Corritore had the honor of opening the concert. Their type of fundamental Chicago blues was impressive. Lurrie Bell talked of his personal losses during the past year and put that emotion into his music. Eddie Shaw was an old-school sax player who energized the joint with his selections. BB & the Blues Shacks rocked the place with their energy and their stage presence. (However, they went from solid blues to leaning heavily towards R&B.) Mud Morganfield thrilled me by asking about his performance (and listened to my responses). He definitely has the Muddy Waters gift for music. Mark Hummel brought his brand of blues harp to the main stage. He was definitely a crowd favorite. However, I think that his second set later that evening at the after jam leaned heavily towards jazz. Tomcat Courtney was devilish when he asked me to sit on his lap for a picture. Marcia Ball, keyboardist extraordinaire, tore up the keys and revved the crowd. Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges did half of his set acoustic which proved to be rich, powerful and heartfelt. “Hideaway” then brought out his band and added Bob Corritore. Wow, what an amazing sound. The contrast showing his different art forms was very much a fan favorite. JW Jones, after sorting out his laundry issues, proved worthy of the band that he was fronting. With much flair, versatility and showmanship, each of his band members switched up instruments several times. CJ Chenier had us thinking that we were down in the bayou. He played blues with a Cajun twist on his accordion. The entire room ignited once he started. Finally, the crowd had lost their “reserve.” He played almost three hours and the fans were still begging for more. (No air conditioning either, folks. Whew!). The go-to musician for the event was Bob Corritore. He organized, he played and he shared. My personal favorite (and it actually surprised me) was Dorothy Moore. Her elegance and warmth oozed out on the stage. She sang her key songs and the fans were putty. Claiming that she was “settling in,” Dorothy kicked off those high heels and wowed the crowd by playing a few tunes on the harp. While talking with her later, she said that she had only been playing the harp for one year. (Great shoes, Dorothy!) On a sad note, I was very disappointed that Bryan Lee cancelled due to health reasons.~ Jonnye Weber
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