Chi-town Bound

A month or so ago, decent round trip air flights to Chicago enticed me into planning a trip up yonder during my 16 year old son's Spring Break from school. Of course, he'd rather that we head south to some tropical spot. He questioned my sanity in regards to heading to where the temperatures still may be freezing. I figured that no one but us would be traveling that direction for the break.
My wife's father was born and raised in that great American city, so she was all in with the idea. It'll be a bit cold, but I don't think a blizzard will attack us--never know, but don't think do. Been wanting to go, so it's a done deal.

Plans are to slip into the Windy City on March 16th. By the way, I always thought that the city's nickname came from the breeze blowing in from Lake Michigan, but my research indicates that it is as much from what politicians there had a tendency to generate during a certain era more than anything else. (hmmm, Obama's the senator from where?). Anyway, we plan on tackling the city on their "L" trains, buses, and taxis, so we'll catch the Blue Line from O'Hare to Hotel 71 in the downtown loop section of town.



We'll try to get checked in and may check out some of the museums and such in the downtown area. Maybe visit what was once the the tallest building in the world--the Sear Tower, which isn't the tallest any longer and isn't the Sears Tower any longer. It's the Willis Tower now.

The Art Institute of Chicago and the tower are both within a short walk. I've heard that the Hancock Tower offers better views. We'll have to check 'em out.
Can't go to Chicago without hearing some blues now can we? Now can we? No, of course not. Why go, if we ain't gonna hear some blues being laid down? I mean, golly gee, that's what this blog is all about. Well, the biggest obstacle to that is that most blues clubs just ain't gonna allow a 16 year old through their doors and this being a family outing, I had to get creative with that goal. Buddy Guy's Legends club ain't letting us in after twilight, but we can visit there for lunch and they said that someone will be bending a few blues strings. So that's an option. Also, I found that Morry Sochat and the Special 20s are holding court at Shaw's Oyster Bar on the 16th and it is less than a mile from the
hotel, so we'll check them out. I wrote a short piece about his latest release awhile back in regards to his harp blowing, which is steeped in a little swinging style blues along with the ChiTown grooves. So, we'll grab a little Great Lake seafood and listen to a good band serenade us.


Depending on the weather, but either on Wednesday or Friday, I think we'll take the Green Line over to Oak Park and seek out Virginia's dad's homeplace. That area is supposed to be a very well kept, historical area of Chicago and his old house has been well preserved by subsequent owners. This is also a neighborhood that contains a large number of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural designs, including his former home. There is also, from what I read, a great independent bookstore in the adjacent Forest Park neighborhood that I want to check out. It is called Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore on 7419 W. Madison. I love independent bookstores, and since I my
second career plans involve being a crime story author (soon as someone somewhere jumps on my manuscript and publishes it), then this one specializing in such tales must be investigated by the Bushdog. Maybe they'll stay in business long enough for me to come back around for a book signing. Hah!

Wednesday evening offers the possibility to attend a blues jam. I contacted jam host, Rick Trankle, about the scenario at Jerry's Sandwiches (yeah, a blues jam at a sandwich shop--but my teenager can attend also). This one is called Highway RickEy's blues jam and he plays drums and blues harp in a type of cup that allows him to get pretty good tone. So, I've got to decide whether I want to travel with a case of harps or not. He has a Sonny Junior 410 amplifier, so the equipment should be there. So, that's a maybe.



Thursday, we'll take the Purple Line north to Evanston and check out the area. Maybe climb Mount Trashmore while we're there. Mount Trashmore is a 65 foot tall mound that once was a landfill site. It is now a park and at one time a popular ski slope for the urban dwellers, before THEY shut down that activity. Back in the day, the a Northwestern University football coach planted a Rose Bowl flag at the top to inspire his players to sprint up its sides. Have to check it out and since son John will be college-bound soon, maybe the University while we're over there. The REAL purpose to go to Evanston is for a concert featuring some great harmonica blowing at Evanston S.P.A.C.E. (which stands for Society for the Preservation of Arts and Culure in Evanston) and all ages are allowed inside.
Eric Noden and Joe Filisko will kick things off, followed by the Jim Liban Trio. Harp players reading this know how good Filisko and Liban are with harmonicas in their mouths. So, this will be a highlight of the trip for me--and hopefully my wife and son.

At some point we'll eat some more good food. I'm guessing that we've got to get some Chicago Deep Dish Pizza somewhere. Rosebud's Steakhouse has been very highly recommended. We'll check out Wrigley and Soldier Field and the Great Lake and the Magnificent Mile and whatever else crosses our paths. We'll pray for Global Warming to jump up and bite us while we're away. 'Nuff for Now.

The Great American (blues) Novel

Did I mention that I've written The Great American Novel? I didn't? Well, I didn't--but I did wrangle a mystery tale from the recesses of my brain cell. I have mention my River Bottom Blues a time or two (and will do it a time or two again, beginning now). Anyway, I've been shopping my ideas around to various and sundry agents in the form of a query letter designed to entice them into representing my work to a publisher (been doing that for awhile now). One day back around the first of February, I sent a query straight to a small, but reputable, publisher. They sent back a request for the full manuscript, so my "jump for joy" meter needle swung over to "ecstatic" (even though I really did know better). Alas, a month later, the rejection simply said something like "sorry, Charlie-- or tough luck Chuck--or something like that". Basically, they just reiterated just how competitive the market is at their publishing house, and wished me success with someone else.

I did happen to read an interview with the publisher, who outlined their publishing process. This, I think, more or less applies to most of the publishing houses and also agents selecting clients. He mentioned that from the thousands of queries that they get, that they'll request to see somewhere around 2,800 full manuscripts (one was mine), and from that number only 200 or so make the cut to be read by their editor-in-chief. The chief will choose four or five to be published for THAT year. What are the odds? Well, better than the lottery, I guess. Very, very selective.

I do correspond with other writers who have agents or have published with companies that I find interesting. One in particular submitted to this same publisher and did end up in the last cut, only to be rejected in the end. This author was told that her mystery's theme just had too narrow of an audience. Her hero? A blues guitar slinging gal attempting to clear a murder. Hmmmmmm.

If you are still reading at this point, my book has an evil bunch of yahoos knocking off blues harmonica players. Heck, us harmonica players garner way less respect than guitarists, which I guess would translate to an even skinnier sliver of an audience. See, they just don't understand that no one to this day has been arrested for killing Sonny Boy Williamson I in 1947, nor Little Walter Jacobs in 1968. So, it is quite possible that my crew could be out there carrying on such a tradition. Someone out there thinks like I do, so I'll just keep on sending out queries--until that blues loving, harmonica playing, mojo man (or mama)of an agent sends me a reply that says, "Yeah, buddy, send that baby to me and let's work together...come on,come on, let's work together". Sorry--got carried away.

'Nuff of that stuff--back to blues music. I've got Kid Andersen on my mind and iPod, and I promised anyone listening (or actually reading--the Rick Estrin show revies in particular), that I'd get to a post offering my take on the two recordings that I love by the Kid. Coming up--so stay tuned. In the mean time, just get your hands on his music. Oh, and if your cousin, aunt, uncle, or brother is an agent or...naw, I ain't pandering.

Falling Through The Cracks

Doug Deming
and The Jewel Tones
Falling Through The Cracks
Mighty Tiger Records
MTD 601

The title cut of Doug Deming's newest release kind of sums up my relationship with his music--he's basically fallen through the cracks of my listening habits. I've known about him for years, due basically because of his affinity to record with harmonica players on board (surprise!), but I've never bought any of his stuff, even though Fingers Taylor, Kim Wilson, and Dennis Gruenling have all recorded and gigged with him. That in itself lends a bit of legitimacy to his music; in my book, anyway.

But, the closest that I've come to Doug Deming is to sample his samples on-line, and I guess that his vocals are what has kept me from springing for his CDs. Don't get me wrong here, the man can sing and has nice chops. Too nice--for the blues, though, I always felt. What convinced me to finally grab one of his discs in the fact that the words Special Guests Kim Wilson and Dennis Gruenling are printed on the cover (surprise! again), so I just couldn't resist this time. I mean, anyone who has had enough respect for the blues harp guys, to keep including them on his releases,just begs for my support. Glad I made that decision.

On the program of fifteen well composed originals, Gruenling blows his deep toned licks on three of the cuts, beginning with the rockabilly style opener, Tonight Is The Night. I know I use "deep tone" too much, but Gruenling does get the deepest, bassiest, tones this side of Big Walter when he lays it down. He provides some great comping and backing rhythm on this tune, and then Deming just lets him loose to rip into a solo with plenty of innovative ideas. Then he gives Gruenling much more space on East Side Hop , which is the typed of jump blues which Dennis Gruenling excels at blowing on big chromatic harmonica, with horn lines more in line with a tenor sax player than a harmonica dude. Sounds to me as if Deming wrote this instrumental with DG in mind.

Kim Wilson is employed on the more straight forward, down in the alley style of blues, such as on the ChiTown shuffle grooves of Only Time Will Tell. No one nails it down like Wilson does. The addition of Al Hill's Spann type piano runs helps flesh out that feel. Again, Deming lets the harp player run with it, and Wilson does his thing. Nothing inventive or new, just Kim Wilson doing it better than anyone in the business. He and Deming do just a duo with some deep slow blues called Don't Worry Me Pt.2, which is a heck of a showcase for Wilson's harp.

Not one of the advertised features, but no less talented, is Dave Morris. Morris earned his blues harp stripes in Big Dave and the Ultrasonics, a successful regional blue outfit led by guitarist, Dave Steele. He rips a boogie woogie on Don't Worry Me Pt. 1, which of course out tempos Pt.2 by a mile. Morris plays some likety split and go licks that helps propel the rave up. He also proves he knows his way around a chromatic on Put It Down, which Deming starts off with a swampy Creedance Clearwater type of riff.

Okay, okay, what about Doug Deming? The man can throw down on guitar with a variety of styles--he does the rockabilly on the opener, gets a really nice, reverbed Magic Sam vibe going on the title cut, which features the core trio of Jewel Tones of Deming, Bob Conner (bass),and Julian VanSlyke (drums). This cut probably sums up the band the best for me--because it's just them, without the featured guests or in the case of on It Was The Wine, a full blown band with piano, tenor/baritone sax, and trombone added. It's on these sophisticated, jive blues (in a Johnny Guitar Watson picking mode) , or on the smoky, jazzy, ballad mood of Every Night When I Get Home on which his vocals work best, but you know, I found his blues singing has grown on me--his darned musicianship just drew me into what he's doing. Anyone who has listened to the blues long enough, can pick out his stylistic influences, but he uses them as jumping off points for his own original ideas.

So, if you're in it just for the nine cuts with great harp riffs, go pick out cuts 1,2,4,7,8,9,11,12,&13 and download them, but you might as well spring for the entire package and buy Falling Through The Cracks. I'm going to have to back track and see what Fingers Taylor brought to his previous parties now. Just to see what fell through the cracks. 'Nuff for now.

Bobby Mack Live Stream

Man, I don't know why I didn't post this sooner. Sometimes my old brain fizzes out, I guess. I've posted clips on the blog of Bobby Mack's playing before (along with my harp buddy Stephen Schneider), but this is a real treat. I tuned in the last time Bobby streamed his live show from The Big Easy in Houston. He and John McVey smoked 'em on down with some of the finest blues guitar that I'd heard in a long time. I felt that I was sitting at a ringside table at the club. He's at it again this Saturday with McVey and added guest, Texas Johnny Brown--who's a bit of a Houston blues treasure. Might even be a little harp thrown in before the end of the night by Steven. Go over to Bobby's website for this don't miss for sure blues show.

Here's a post from Stephen S fills in a lot more information:
"Another Bobby Mack live stream from the world-infamous Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club in Houston scheduled for 9:30 Central U.S. time, Sat. February 13 on http://www.bobbymack.com if you care to tune in to what will likely be A WHOLE LOT OF GREAT REAL TEXAS BLUES GUITAR (not the widdly-widdly blues-rock kind) and maybe a little bit of harmonica if the logistics allow the latter. The guitar lineup is Bobby & John McVey again, and this time they're adding the illustrious Texas Johnny Brown, former bandleader for Junior Parker and Bobby Bland, former Duke/Peacock session guitarist, composer of "Two Steps from the Blues" among other songs. Johnny's got the energy of a man half his age, doubt he'll do much of his own material but I'd really like to hear him work out on other people's stuff at length for a change because he & Sherman Robertson are the very last two active members of the original Houston school of blues guitar (e.g., Gatemouth Brown, Johnny Gtr. Watson, Albert Collins, Clarence Hollimon, Pete Mayes, Joe Hughes, etc.). McVey, as I said before, toured with Larry Davis, Hook Herrera, Paul Orta, folks like that before stepping out on his own; Bobby you know from the Antones videos of the LW pedals.

So if you like to cleanse your palate with first-rate guitar blues on occasion, check it out, and turn your guitarist friends onto it. Might be in the right time slot for after your Saturday gigs in Europe. I will get the Harp Attack into the PA if I can; it's going to depend on the recording channel situation, probably, and of course one defers to Texas Johnny in this situation. He's a blues treasure, the best senior bluesman you've never heard of, really at the height of his powers today, and this is likely to be more of an old-school and Austin blues context than you would ever see him in otherwise. So I may turn up for several songs, or I may not, but quite a guitar show regardless--"


So there you have it--tune in tomorrow night and see what's what. 'nuff for now.

Best Of The Blues???

Not everyone subscribes to Blues Revue magazine, so I thought that I would post up their results of polling music journalists on their top picks for blues albums of the past decade. Of course, everyone has their own take on "best of" lists, but this is theirs:

1. Buddy Guy--Sweet Tea
2. R.L. Burnside--Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down
3. Otis Taylor--White African
4. Solomon Burke--Don't Give Up On Me
5. Koko Taylor--Old School
6. B.B. King--One Kind Favor
7. North Mississippi Allstars--Electric Blue Watermelon
8. Irma Thomas--After The Rain
9. John Hammond--Wicked Grin
10. Bobby Rush--Raw
11. Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials--Rattleshake
12. Buddy Guy--Skin Deep
13. The Holmes Brothers--Simple Truths
14. Mavis Staples--We'll Never Turn Back
15. Corey Harris--Mississippi to Mali
16. Nick Moss & the Flip Tops--Play It 'Til Tomorrow
17. Tommy Castro--Painkiller
18. Corey Harris & Henry Butler--Vu-Du Menz
19. Watermelon Slim & The Workers--Watermelon Slim & The Workers
20. Hubert Sumlin--About Them Shoes
21. James Blood Ulmer--Bad Blood In The City
22. Mighty Mo Rodgers--Redneck Blues
23. The Mannish Boys--Lowdown Feelin'
24. Otis Taylor--Recaptuing The Banjo
25. Kenny Wayne Sheppard & Various Artists--10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads

I can't quibble with what I haven't heard and, of course, if you know me then you know the ones that I have contain more that a smidgen of blues harp playing. Those would be numbers 9,19, 20, and 23. I can't judge the rest of the best, because I've only heard selected tunes on satellite radio....but I do think that they could have chosen a few more albums with some greasy blues harp playing gettin' it on. That's just my prejudice, and this is my blog, so I think that they could have found something by one of these bands that rank with the best:

1. Charlie Musselwhite
2. Little Charlie and the Nightcats
3. Rod Piazza
4. Mark Hummel
5. R.J. Mischo
6. Billy Branch
7. Kim Wilson
8. James Harman
9. Steve Guyger
10. Dennis Gruenling
11. Collard Greens & Gravy
12. Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets
13. John Nemeth
14. Mitch Kashmar
15. Darrell Nulisch
16. Gary Primich
17. The Hollywood Blue Flames
18. Sugar Ray Norcia & the Bluetones
19. Paul Oscher
20. Cephas and Wiggins

And so on and so forth...in my narrow minded ways. 'nuff for now.

Don't Mess With The Hookers

John Lee Hooker
featuring Earl Hooker
If You Miss 'Im...
I Got 'Im
Beat Goes On Records
BGOCD392

While sitting around minding my own business one day and listening to BB King's Bluesville satellite broadcast, a song came on with someone singing and sounding very close to BB King, and some nice wah wah slide guitar, sounding like Earl Hooker. Now, that didn't really catch my attention, but what did tweak my interest were the really nicely played blues harp licks in the song. Naturally, I had to find out just who the heck was blowing those fat tones. I'd heard the song before, but didn't remember such nice harp playing. Nice thing about the satellite radio station is that they tell you who's playing the song at the time. Sure enough, the credits said Is You Ever Seen A Blind Woman Cry by Earl Hooker. A little research using the wonders of the internet explained that Andrew "BB" Odom sang the song on an Earl Hooker album recorded for Bluesway back in 1968, and that Jeffrey Carp played the harp on that session. Having very little harp from Carp led me on a www search for this release. Jeff Carp's claim to fame is being tapped to play harp along with Paul Butterfield on Muddy Waters' Fathers and Sons lp, and I had a snippet here and a snippet there of his recorded output. I know, I know, I'm taking a way long time around getting to the point of this review--but much of the point is Jeff Carp as much as the Hooker boys. ANYWAY--I found some of those Bluesway recordings on recent a release of an Earl Hooker compilation from MCA called Simply The Best(which I'll grab at some point). I did find the song in question on Rhino's Blues Master Vol. 15--Slide Guitar Classics, by the way. I didn't find Earl's Bluesway album, but I did find this one under John Lee Hooker's name. Seems that Bluesway had both the Hooker cousins in the studio together for a several releases, AND Jeffrey Carp played in both of their bands. Hence and therefore, I picked up If You Miss 'Im...I've Got 'Im, which was recorded in 1969.

I got what I wanted--Jeffrey Carp's harmonica playing is all over this release, and he proves that he was a heck of a talent at playing that nasty ol' Chicago style blues harp. He and Earl play off each other very well and provide solid backing to John Lee's idiosycratic rhythmic style. I've got quite a bit of John Lee Hooker and this quickly became my favorite, not just because of Carp, but John Lee kicks butt with a band that includes heavy piano pounding by Johnny 'Big Moose' Walker, Chester 'Gino' Skaggs' bass thumping, and Roosevelt Shaw's driving drum kit. Paul Asbell leaps in a time or two on guitar when Earl isn't coaxing wah wah's.


If you know John Lee Hooker, then nothing is going to surprise you here. I think the fact that John Lee and Earl are paired up is special. Of course, plenty of blues fans feel that John Lee Hooker's best work was when he recorded with just him, his guitar, and his stomping foot. I think that could be the case when a backing band's not allowing him to be John Lee Hooker and takes his unique timing away--he did his own thing and tuned his own way, much like Lightnin' Hopkins did. It took a musician with big ears to back up either of these guys, and Jeffrey Carp exemplifies that--he played with both of 'em. Some of celebrity musicians on John Lee's '90s recording could have taken a lesson from John Lee Hooker's band here. It doesn't matter if he's doing his deep, brooding blues like Lonesome Mood (which is close to his hit I'm In The Mood) or doing his world reknown boogie stuff, as on Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang (which of course knocks off Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom), the band surrounds him in support, and Jeffrey Carp is a big part of that, most especially on the low down, slow grooves. Carp's harp drips and oozes heavy blues juice on If You Let Me, I'll Take Care Of You, he and JLH trade some nice licks back and forth. Just when you think that maybe the band will swamp him, they step back, and let those signature licks of John Lee Hooker blast through. They know how to let John Lee Hooker be John Lee Hooker. This is just good late '60s blues played right under the guidance of the man who put the boogie in boogie. By the way, the headline for this post is quoted by John Lee Hooker within the title cut about a night on the town he and Earl take, and how they run into some ruffians and how he tells Earl..."if you miss 'im...I've got 'im".

There may be better examples of Jeffrey Carp's harmonica playing out there somewhere, I just haven't found it. Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musselwhite are the well known entities of white boys blowing the blues back in the day, but I'd say, based on what I hear, that Jeffrey Carp's star was destined to rise--if. If, I don't know. Seems to be a mystery as far as just what happened to Jeff Carp. I have heard numerous tales, and most of them are along the lines of what the album producer Ed Michel said in the liner notes of the re-issue CD, "...Jeff Carp either fell off a boat while going up the Amazon, or fell off a boat while smuggling something back into the United States on the way back from South America. Went overboard and was never seen again". Other's claim that he fell off a boat while partying somewhere off a Carribean island. Dunno--but I do know that we lost a darned good blues harp player, and I'm glad that I found this example of what he could do with a Marine Band in his mouth. 'nuff for now.

p.s.--here's the post that Mike Lynch refers to in his comments on this post. I've heard this story before also, and Dick Shurman probably knows as well as anyone.

From the Blindman Blues forum:
I knew Jeff. He used to come see me when his boss at the time Sam Lay (before Earl Hooker hired him and guitarist Paul Asbell away from Sam) used to ask him to learn songs just like the record, to hear the records he was supposed to learn. (I believe he recorded with Sam for Testament.) I also saw him with Hooker a few times. He and Paul flew home from Cal. as soon as they got paid for the "Don't Have To Worry" LP because of Hooker's usual financial mistreatment. Jeff was one of the smartest people I ever knew, but also on the wild side. When there was campus unrest in early '69, Jeff was a liaison between the parties.

Supposedly he and his lady celebrated the Wolf "London Sessions" by booking a holiday cruise off Panama. Amid the New Year's Eve revelry onboard, a messed-up passenger went berserk and started stabbing people. Jeff jumped overboard, even though he couldn't swim, and that was that.

Playboy published a special magazine called "The Hippies" (you can imagine how insightful it wasn't) in the early '70s, and it includes Janis Joplin (with whom Jeff had a brief thing) taking an impressed reporter to see Jeff.

Jeff was originally from NYC, supposedly raised on the same block where King Curtis got killed.

Little Walter Wins A Grammy

It's official the Little Walter Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967 won a grammy. That is pretty cool for a blues harp player to snag one--especially 42 years after his death.