Blues Society of Western PA - Newsletter

The 2010 Blues in the Schools program visited  Dilworth Elementary in March.  Jim Franciscus had originally led a fine group of musicians during our initial visit in 2009. Our return visit was to provide a more in depth understanding of the Blues concerning its history and its culture. The children were ready and eagerly waiting....and just as receptive.  They were treated to Eugene Morgan's rendering of the blues. Their interest and excitement  were heartwarming and encouraging.

While there, the BSWPA presented two guitars to the music class courtesy of Kevin Nay. A saxophone was also given to the schools by Lori Romano. Many of the children at the school  are financially distressed and their families cannot afford instruments. Their instructor, Lori Russo, makes it possible for them to learn about music and to play music during school hours. Much of their equipment is purchased by Lori from her own funds to make it possible for these eager youngsters to explore a new world.  Many of the young students gingerly touched the instruments while they looked at them. The children were "over the top" while taking dibs on when they would get their chance to play the new instruments. It was like being Santa on Christmas morning... looking at the shining, smiling and hopeful faces.

The afternoon had started with a presentation of a thank you card that the students had created for the BSWPA. The school had also added a book, Ruby Sings the Blues, to the library in Jim Weber's memory. They also awarded a memorial plaque in Jim's name for "bringing the Blues to the school and waking up their interest in music." Wow! it was overwhelming. We high fived afterwards..kids and adults...no one was spared. Many of the students came up to us afterwards and thanked us profusely for bringing the wonderful music . One youngster who was vigorously playing his "air guitar" commented that he could not wait to get his turn to learn to play.

Kudos to all involved!  Thanks to Kevin and both Loris.


A plea for instruments :

If anyone has gently used instruments...in good condition, new instruments, or would like to make a donation to the PITCH (Putting Instruments in the Children's Hands) program, please contact us.  These generous donations will be appreciated far more than most of us  will ever know or fully realize.. What better way to engage a child then to enable them with the gift of music.  724-378-8926

“Jim, Jim,….Jim?” Two students from the fifth grade had just come into the auditorium and had a note for Jim (Cisco) Franciscus. They were young, eager, earnest and impatiently waiting for an answer. Jim very seriously read the large note that had obviously been hand written. These young men were part of the Brazilian Drum group. Their teacher had sent them on a mission. The group wanted a chance to sit in and “jam” with “our” musicians before the Blues Presentation started. We all laughed when Jim, chuckling, commented that it had been a “long time since he had had a note passed to him in school.”

This was our introduction to the students at the Dilworth Elementary School. It was a magnet school for the performing arts within the Pittsburgh city limits. The Blues Society musicians dubbed themselves, The Dilworth All Star Blues Band and included Tuck Majeron on harp, James Franciscus on vocals, Ken Laminson on bass, John (JT) Toal on drums and Ian Arthurs on guitar. Barb Gangone and Jim and Jonnye Weber were there to support the effort. There was an eerie hush among us as we all looked around and realized that we had not been back to grade school in a very, very long time…the wooden seats, the posters, the high ceilings, and the linoleum floors. The silence was soon broken as the two young students raced back into the auditorium. Trailing behind them at a fast pace were fourteen jubilant other young musicians. Their instrumental music instructor, Lori Russo, was close behind. The “group” fell in and tried to follow the Dilworth All Stars. The students switched up regularly on the snare drums and the assortment of Brazilian drums. They also took turns playing the percussion instruments. The teacher finally asked our guys, The Dilworth All Star Band, to follow them and the music that they had been studying. (It was the first time that the school’s band had ever “jammed” with real musicians.) The BSWPA did us proud. They managed to follow and turn the music into a blues/ jazzy mix. It sounded very much like a Bo Diddly tune. Cisco even sat in on the drums. Everyone was really in full tilt. Finally, the instructor had to end the jam and prepare for the first onslaught of young people from the fourth and fifth grades.

The set started out with the 1937 version of Crossroads; a simple form of blues music. When the song ended, Jim (Cisco) Franciscus quoted Muddy Waters to the children, “The blues had a baby and called it rock and roll.” The Dilworth All Stars then did the same song, Crossroads, but did Cream’s rock and roll version. The children clapped and rocked to the music. The show was now underway. Cisco then talked about Robert Johnson’s contributions to the Blues genre of music. He also told the children about Johnson’s writing a song about a town in Illinois that was titled “Kokomo Blues” but was now known to many as “Sweet Home Chicago.” The interaction was overwhelming between the band and the students.

Amazing facts about our musicians came out during the show. Tuck talked about how he liked Post War blues. He explained that the blues originated as a rural, acoustic type of music. Tuck added that that rural music eventually developed into an electric type of music that was influenced by the noise and fastness of city life…. “and everything is fast in the city.” Being a harp player, Tuck was influenced by Little Walter, James Cotton, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Ken Laminson then began his talk. He told the children that when he was their age, around eight years old, that he had become interested in music. Back then; Ken was watching cartoons on television (not playing video games or playing on the computer). During one of those cartoon shows, Ken said that he saw his first guitar player, Joe Negri. What an impact that had on him! Finally, when Ken saw and heard the Beatles in 1964, he knew what he “definitely” wanted to do...play guitar. While in the Cub Scouts, Ken’s best friend had a big brother named, Joe Grushecky. Joe had an amazing record collection that Ken was grateful to be able to use. (His first favorite album was Paul Butterfield’s, “East West.” He next favorites were Elvin Bishop and David Sanborn.) He then told how in those days that kids listened to records not CDs and Ipods. Ken added that people did not have the money to keep buying records so that “when a guy had a chance to borrow one….you did.” He ended by saying that the Blues was a great way to view other music: rap, rock, etc. The Blues is still his main focus. The quietest person (vocally) and the one who made the most noise while on stage (playing drums) was John Toal. JT had been on the road with Elvin Bishop in 1978. ( …and JT keeps THIS quiet?) Ian Arthur followed.

Sheepishly, Ian stated that he was the “youngest” of the group. Ian told the children how he was into jazz and the blues. His interests followed the older music of Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon from the 1920’s and 1930’s. He then showed the children that he liked the Bottle Neck Slide that he learned from the Mississippi Delta, which was adapted from black music. Stevie Ray Vaughn was undoubtedly Ian’s modern blues inspiration. The music of John Mayer and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, according to Ian, enabled him to experience the thrilling “rebirth of the blues.” Ian Arthurs’ parting words to the young musicians were to listen, to play and to keep an open mind. His final words were, “Everybody listens to everybody. You just have to check it out.” Jim Franciscus finished the informational segment by saying that he was inspired by some soul and then moved into blues. Listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Mahal and Eric Clapton developed his interest in the blues. His greatest hero has been B.B. King. His motivation for the Blues Goes to School had been his young son. Cisco finished by saying, “It is all about sharing. We have to teach the younger ones to keep the music alive.”

After a short break, the Dilworth All Stars readied themselves for the over exuberant first, second and third graders. Little did we know that our guys would be brought to their knees by the excitement that the youngsters created. The songs were the same and the talks were the same. However, the All Stars beamed and played harder than they did in their first segment. The children were definitely an inspiration. They clapped, rocked and swayed with the music. The “kids,” both young and old, were definitely enjoying themselves. In fact, the guys were overwhelmed with the children’s response. How often does a performer play to a full house that screams for more…and more…and more??? The day was ended with a “Call and Response” form of music that is unique to the Blues genre of music. Cisco went down in the audience to begin, “Got My MoJo Workin’.” The children were certainly warmed up. In fact it was a red-hot audience. Cisco worked his magic as he worked the room. As the children were dismissed that afternoon, many were on the way out the door still singing, “Got My Mojo Workin’” It was a great day at school. The Dilworth All Star Band (and all being Blues Society members, themselves) did us proud. They were tested and passed the grade that autumn day.