Blues News - January 1992

8/7/2019 Blues News - January 1992

1/12

Uttle Hatch, harmonica, is joined by (left to right) Hector Watt, FreddieWalden and Eddie Stout at their live recording session at Antone's,

Austin, Tex. (photo by Suzanne Colbert)

BY SUZANNE COLBERTast month, Provine "Little" Hatch,harmonica legend and KCBS Dir-

ector, travelled to Austin, Texaswhere he recorded live for an album to bereleased in late February.

The event, the Fourth Annual TexasHarmonica Rumble, was held at Antone'sblues club on December 6. The record, onFrance's New Rose label, will feature sev-eral cuts by Little Hatch and several by

each of the five harpmen who also per-formed. It is produced by Eddie Stout ofPeeWee Records.

A powerhouse of musicians kept theshow going for nearly five hours. LittleHatch, Mark Hummel, Jumpin' JohnnySansone, Ron Sorin (Big Shoulders), BigAIBlake (formerly with The Blasters) andTedRoddy each did their show; each blow-ing with a distinctive style.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3Election Party

.~ he annual Blues Society electionparty will be held on January 9,1992 at 8:00 p.m. in the Grand

Emporium. The Nace Brothers will be thefeatured entertainment.

This is the single most importantmonthly meeting the Society holds be-cause during the course of the eveningmembers of the new Board of Directorswill be elected. The new directors will becharged with making the decisions thatwill guide your Society through the com-

ing year. Your vote is important and theonly way to exercise your franchise is toattend.

Besides that, it will be just plain fun.Anyone interested in being a candi-

date for the board can contact Suzi Colbertat 452-4251 up to 24 hours before theelection. This will assure your flame get-ting onto the ballot. Write-in candidatesare acceptable, however, and will be an-nounced the night of the election. Thereare 11board members, soeveryone gets tovote for all Ll,Sofar, allthe curren t KCBS

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

1992 ElectionsKansas City Blues Society s annu

Election Party will

rlum. The NaceBrothers will be the

NOT f Snocover charge butyou do have to be a current KC BlueSociety member In order to vote. Letgivethanks to the 1991 KCBSBoardfoa very successful year In keeping thBlues Alive In Kansas City.1992 Blues Calendars

There are plenty of 1992 KC BlueSociety calendars left. Please contacPat Felmlngton at 913-262-9180 afte5:15 p.m. to place yourorder.Also, Pamembership chairperson, can help yowith renewing orbecoming a card carr

CONTINUED ON PAGE

INSIDEBlues Notes 1Membership Report...... 3Music Reviews 4-5Performance Diary 6Interview 6Blues Clubs & Radio 11


2/12

contemporaries asBig Bill Broonzy,Howlin' Wolf, orMuddy Waters, buthis forceful but sen-sitive piano play-ing, hickorysmoked voice, andintelligent compo-sitions have had anenduring influenceon the Chicagoblues.

In physical pro-portions, at least, Big Maceo was a coun-terpart of the giant bluesman Howlin'Wolf.Maceo was well over six feet tall andweighed upward of 250 pounds. When heplayed the piano, the whole ofhis massivebulk seemed to be channeled through hisfingers into the ivories, as he pounded thekeys with a straight-on beat and an eight-to-the bar bassline. His husky smoothvoice has been variously described withphrases like "smoky brown," "dark andgritty," and "hoarse and gentle," but what-ever the label, his singing balanced per-fectly his powerhouse piano playing.It is often related that Big MaceoMerriweather came from Texas, but hereally was born in Fulton County, Geor-gia,just south ofAtlanta, near the town ofNewnan in the year 1905. His family werefarmers, and he was one of eleven chil-dren. As a child, he taught himself to playthe piano. When he was about fifteenyears old, he left the farm and moved tothe Atlanta suburb of College Park. InCollege Park, he worked outside ofmusicbut often played for dances and houseparties. Maceo was in College Park onlybriefly before moving on with the vastmigration ofAfrican-Americans from theSouth to Detroit in the 1930's. In Detroit,Maceo came into his own as a musician.His piano playing evolved into the directand energetic boogie-woogie style indig-enous to the Detroit blues.

In 1941, Maceo moved to Chicagowhere he met the electric guitar wizard,Tampa Red. Ever since Tampa Red hadsplit with piano player Georgia TomDorsey(after Dorsey gave up the blues for gospelmusic), Red had been trying tofind a pianoplayer to suit his highly charged guitar2 JANUARY 1992

style. Big Maceo and Tampa Red pairedup, and the combination led to Maceo'sfirst recordings.

In June of 1941, they recorded a ses-sion for the Bluebird label that included aremarkable composition by Maceo, "Wor-ried Life Blues." It became his biggestcommercial success and an often recordedblues classic. Many ofhis superb and wellcrafted numbers like "Poor Kelly Blues,""Country Jail Blues," and "Maceo's 32-20," still have few equals among bluescompositions. Maceo continued to playand record with Tampa Red, but he alsooften worked with Big Bill Broonzy andJohn Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson.

In 1945, Maceo recorded one of themost dynamic and exciting boogie-woogienumbers ever waxed, "Chicago Break-down." Unfortunately, shortly afterward,he suffered a massive stroke that left himpartially paralyzed. He did recover enoughtoplay again, but only with his right hand.Big Maceo's legacy has been passed on byplayers like Eddie Boyd, Little JohnnieJones, Henry Gray, and, especially, OtisSpann, who not only closely copied Maceo'spiano style, but his singing voice as well."Big Maceo" Merriweather had a fatalheart attack and died on February 26,1953.Primary Sources:1.William Barlow,Looking UpandDown.

Philadelphia: Temple University Press,1989.

2. Sheldon Harris, Blues Who Who. NewRochelle, NY: Arlington House Pub-lishers, 1979.

3. Paul Oliver, Blues Off the Record. NewYork: Hippocrene Books, Inc., 1984.

4. Mike Rowe, Chicago Blues. New York:Da Capo Press, 1975.

dJ.~N a c e B I U J I I u v uailk,q~c~!~ 9S:30pm

JANUARY 1992

66BigMaceo" MerriweatherAut fifty years ago, Major "BigMaceo" Merriweather made hisfirst appearance on the Chi-cago blues scene. He was a piano playerwho came from Detroit where he had beena fixture at Brown's Bar on Hasting Street,the main stem of Detroit blues in the1930's and 1940's. Maceo never achievedthe super stardom (by blues standards) ofr---------, such illustrious

The Kansas City BLUES NEWS is pub-lished monthly by the Kansas CityBluesSociety, Inc. Articles, reviews, band cal-endar dates, and items of interest must besubmitted by the 20th of each month, andbecome the property of the Society.Founding Editor Roger NaberEditor Shirley OwensContribut ing Writer/Photographer. Lany SmithTypesetting/Layout Matt QuinnAdvertising inserts must bereceived by the15th of each month. For more informationon advertising in the BLUES NEWS, call737-0713. FAX: (913) 384-9927.Advertising Rates:

1/8 page $201/4 page $301/ 2 page $60Full page $ 120

Board of Directon and Officers:President .............................. Roger NaberVICe-President Jon LoweVice-President Kenny TaylorSecretary Suzanne ColbertTreasurer Bernie PopeDirector Patrick FlemingtonDirector Larry SmithDirector... Provine HatchDirector Monica LarsonDirector John StuerkeDirector Peter Horak

KCSSChairperson Shirley OwensMembership Chairperson Patrick FlemingtonThe Kansas City Blues Society, a

Missouri not-for-profit corporation wasformed for the sole purpose of promotingand preserving various styles of bluesmusic. Founded in December of 1980, theKansas City Blues Society presents:monthly jam sessions, various local andnational groups in concert, and our mainpresentation The Kansas City Blues andHeritage Festival. .Members receive the newsletter, dis-

counts on Society events and discounts onpurchases at certain participating busi-nesses. Annual dues are SI 0 per person orSI 5 per family and S50 per CorporateMembership. Tojoin the Society send yourname, address, phone number and duesto: Kansas City Blues Society, P.O. Box32131, Kansas City, Missouri 6411 I .For more information,

call 531-7557 or 737-0713.


3/12

U ELECTIONSw FROM P X l e 1Board Members-Roger Naber,Jon Lowe,Kenny Taylor, Suzanne Colbert, BerniePope, Patrick Flemington, Larry Smith,Provine Hatch, Monica Larson, JohnStuerke, Peter Horak and Shirley Owens- will be running again in addition toHans Mierswa, Greg Weimer, John PaulDrum and Susan Dickey.

Ifyou feel you have what it takes andwant to serve the society, be sure and getyour name on the ballot.

A current Blues Society membershipis required to vote. Bring your member-ship card to receive your ballot. A currentactive membership roll will be on hand incase you have renewed or recently joinedand have not yet received your new mem-bership card. You can also renew or joinfor the first time the night of the party.With so many options there is no goodreason not to attend and vote.

Absentee ballots are available uponrequest. For absentee ballots, call SuziColbert at the number listed above.The Nace Brothers have been giggingaround the area for several years perfect-ing their brand of contemporary bluesstylings. During that time they have de-veloped a large contingent of fans andadmirers. If you haven't heard them youhave one more reason to be sure andattend.

Ai; with all monthly meetings of theSociety, admission is free. See you there.

W U rrLE H ATCHw FROM P .A G e 1Hatch's band included Eddie Stout on

bass, Freddie Walden (formerly with theFabulous Thunderbirds, AnsonFunderburgh and the Rockets and MikeMorgan and the Crawl) on drums, HectorWatt, guitar and Mike Kendred, piano.These musicians minus the piano

currently play with Paul Orta and theKingpins. Mter three numbers Sue Foleytook over the .guitar work.The bands traded off'with each otherthe entire evening. Also performing wereLarry "The Mole" Taylor on bass, MikeBuck (The FabulousThunderbirds) on drums andDerrick O'Brien on guitar.

An acoustic set openedthe show with Paul Orta, BobMartin and Walter T. Ligg.

Hatch was the "star" ofthe evening with hisunmatchable style glowingbrightly. He was the eldest ofthe harp players, at least ageneration older than the rest.Amyriad ofadmirers cheeredhim on, and after and beforethe performance sought himout just to shake his hand.Hatch left his mark in Aus-tin.

On Thursday before theFriday recording, a party washeld for the musicians at

Antone's Record shop across the streefrom the club. Ajam featuring each ofthharp players gave a preview ofwhat woulfollow the next evening. Joining Hatch fohis numbers were "The Mole" on guitarStout on bass and Walden on drums.

Stout said he is planning a Europeantour in the spring with all the musicians tpromote the record.

AKansas City record release party iplanned for March, 1992 at the GrandEmporium with Paul Orta and the Kingpins.Be sure and look for this release whichwill feature Kansas City's own.

The stars of the 4th Annual Texas Harmonica Rumble line ufor pictures during a photo session behind Antone's.Pictured (left to right) are Ted RQddy, Ron Sor in, MarHummel, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, Little Hatch and Big A

Blake. (photo by Suzanne Colbert

Kansas C ity B lues.

j JAtve~K~C~

Kansas City is jumping the blues again.The Dan Doran Band, K.C.'s premierjump blues band, captured alive and smok-ing at the legendary Grand Emporium.Alive in Kansas City. It ain't nothin' buta party - Kansas City style. Featuringoriginals by John Selzer and Dan Doran.On Tornado cassettes and CD.s.

r-----------------I OrderNow!. .IName _IAddress _ICity StateI -------------------------IZip _IPlease Send:I Cassettes @ $10 C.D.s @ $15III

Price includes postage and handling.Make check or money order payable to Tornado Records,P.O. Box 8184,Prairie Village, KS 66208. $1from eachunit sold goes to The Harvesters Food Bank.


4/12

3 8 3 ~ M A I N 9 3 1 - 1 9 0 4

G R A N D E M P O B I D M

.....f WINNER OF\" , , : : . S I B L U E S C L U B IN A M E R I " ': : , ,: . t d 1991 &1989. : : : . r' : " . : =

.J!iJiI . .! Iaic/, ' 4 . I I O M M J p~C~ d)~ , 610 8p..,qdlwJ '~SIMa p~

C~~, '" 107p..,1 9 9 2 N E W Y E A R R E S O L U T IO NA L L W E E K N IG H T S H O W T lM E SW I L L N O W B E 8 : 0 0 o r 8 : 3 0 P M.JANUARYSCHEDULE

3 M IK E M O R G A N & T H E C R A1 : 1 : : : : : : : : I : I : I : I : ' I : l : l : l l l : , f ; ; ! ! ! I I : I I : ! ! ! ! : ! ! ! ! ! : ! ! ! ! : l : : : : : : : :

9 K C B S E le c t io n P a r t y w I N a c e B ro s

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ~ I : : : : : : : l g : : : : I I _ : . : : I I I I : : : : : : : :1 1 O T I S C L A Y " C H I C A G O F I R: : : : : : : ': : : : : : : : ~ i : : : : : : : I : I i I : : : : i i ! : : : : : l l : D . _ : : : : I I D . 11 & B IL L Y G O A T / S A L T Y I G U A N A S: ' : : : : : : : : : : : : : 1 ~ : ' : : : : : ! ! : _ : ! . : : I I I B ! I : I ! I : : :1 8 UTILE J I M M Y K IN G & T H E

M E M P H I S S O U L S U R V I V O R S: : : : 1 : 1 : : : 1 : 1 : : : 1 : : : : : : : 1 1 1 1 1 : : : : 1 1 1 : 1 1 1 1 : : : : : : : ; : : : : : : : : 1

2 4 A b b L o c k e w i U n d a S h e l l &t h e R e n e e S c o f i e ld B a n d : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : I : : : : : : : l i i l I I B I I : : : : : I : I ! M I : :ILE

4 JANUARY 1992

The King AlIStarsAfter Hours RecordsAFT-4116 (1991)Selections: Foundation Rock; PeacockAlley; It's a Man's World; Hard ToHandle; Ham; Looks Like I'm Walkin';Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go; Quaker City;Change Your Pretty Ways; Honky TonkThe King All-Stars opens up with"Foundation Rock" a strong party numberfeaturing Hank Ballard on vocals. Itis aR&B orientated in its known roots of the50s. Cal Green (guitar) and Bill Doggett(organ) are featured bluesicians through-

out this release and help open it with abang. The second side also opens with aHank Ballard number, "Let's Go, Let's Go,Let's Go," an inciting song that gets youdown and partying.There are four instrumentals on thisrelease. "Peacock Alley" is the first, atrack that has some very hot horn solos."Ham" mixes the sounds of Cajun and BoDiddley, was written by "Pee Wee" and itsdriving beat will get those limbs a-movin'."Quaker City" is another Bill Doggett tunethat is fast paced and down right funky."Honky Tonk" features Bubba Brooks,Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis, Mark Bradley, andSt. Clair Pinckney on tenor saxes, FredWesley on trombone and Scott Bradley ontrumpet. It is an outrageous example ofthe Kansas City R&B sound.Vicki Anderson does an excellent coverof James Brown's "It's A Man's World".She adds a very bluesy feeling to this hitof the 60s. She also joins Bobby Byrd, as abackup vocalist, on another of Brown'snumber, "Try Me."A down-and-out funky track is OtisRedding's "Hard To Handle" where ClydeStubblefield has a true feeling of the lateRedding and the energies that possessedhim. He does wonders with this song andalong with the soulful sound of the bandbrings his spirit back to us. Get funky onthis one, for sure !IThe sound of the 50s is brought homewith "Don't Change Your Pretty Ways." Itis a great song with a dynamite sax solo by"Pee Wee." Just stay as fine as you are isthe message and you can't do anything butagree!The King All-Stars is a lot of funlistening to, bring back the sound andthoughts of the late 50s R&B when it was

at its finest. The King All-Stars featuresome very fine bluesicianship and is wellworth the time and money invested. Goforit! - Robert D. MurphyJohnny Shines and Friends

Alley-way RecordsPTP-001 (1991)Selections: Dust My Broom; You're theOne ILove; Rock Me; So Glad I FoundYou; Brutal Hearted Woman; Down tothe Highway; The Delta Pines; Hello,CentralJohn "Johnny" Shines was born onApril 26, 1915 in Frayser, Ms., the heart othe Delta. He was raised from an early agein Memphis, Tn. by his Aunt and Uncle. Itwas there that he learned to play theguitar in 1934. He worked the streets fortips until he teamed up with blues Legend,Robert Johnson. From 1935 to 1937 hewent the "hobo" route with Johnson work-ing from the South to the North and oninto Canada.In 1941, he moved North to Chicago inone of the biggest migrations of the BlackSouth. The prospect of work and leaving

the repression of the region were on theminds of many that headed that way.His first record release was on theColumbia-Testament label. This was in1946. It was with this release that he wasto become one of the foremost bluesiciansthat have the traditional Delta sound, theroots of the whole blues.Johnny Shines &Friends gives one adose of that traditional sound. Of the eighttracks, six of them are written by Shines,the other two by both Robert Johnson andMuddy Waters.Shines opens the release with "DustMy Broom." He performs with the great-ness that he has always possessed. It maybe the 90s, but he takes you back to the erawhen the blues were born. He jazzes upthis one with the addition of horns, but itonly helps modernize it, not take anythingaway."You're the One I Love" slows downthe pace giving a dose of his special slowblues of wanting and needing the womanin life. Never being able to get her offhismind, he lets you know that he has theblues.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE


5/12

Dan Doran BandTornado RecordsAlive in Kansas City

B Y L.M . SM ITHIt is always interesting to hear an albumcut live from a performance you attended.It's good to know your memory of theevent matches Upwith thatofthetape. Inthis case it was the Dan Doran Band on aSaturday Night at the Grand Emporiumtearing the place up. And although thestage mics didn't do a good job of pickingup the crowd response, they do show thatthis band can play.

The first side of the tape shows theversatility of this band real well. Begin-ning with the romping R&B of "Tipitina, "to the smooth soul of "Who Will the NextFool Be" to the straight ahead jazz of"Benny's Bugle," this band can play it all.And play it well, I might add.

"Tipitina" opens with some ofDoran'sdriving piano work and alsofeatures someextraordinary work from master guitar-ist Bill Dye. Throughout, saxman DanaSmith is a wonder. In many ways Smithreminds me ofPaul Gonsalvez who playedwith Duke Ellington. He isn't one of thegiants of his horn, but he knows how tobuild a solo and he doesn't burn himself

out doing it. If I had to pick someone whoI thought could match Gonsalves' miracleat Newport, it would be Smith.

"She Walks Right InlIn the Night"again features someoutstanding solowork,as does every cut. But it also shows howthe soloist do behind the singer. Dye,Smith and trumpeter John Selzer taketurns playing behind Doran's reedy wail

. ofa voice, all turning in excellent counter-point. Dye does some superb slide work.

"Who Will the Next Fool Be" is aperfect vehicle for Doran's voice. He doesthe one thing all good singers know how todo - make a song his own. The cut alsoincludes an absolutely gorgeous solofromSelzer.

"Benny's Bugle" is cut short, unfortu-nately. There's just enough of a taste toleave you hungry for more. "Fat GuyWiggle"helps feed that hunger. Dye's solois a little disjointed at first, but comes onstrong. Smith's solo is good, as is that ofdrummer Allan Fishell.

It is easy to overlook the work ofFishell and bassist Paul Hartfield, butthey provide the perfect foundation for thesoloist. Hartfield missed several weekslast year after surgery. When he returned,Dye commented it was like "having yourheartbeat back." That pretty well sums upthe importance of the rhythm section tothis band.

The Doran original, "Marie, Marieallows all the soloist to stretch out, and ashow they understand how tobuild a soloDye demonstrates some exceptional touchin his outing. Doran turns in some rockinpiano.

Overall this is a fine album. There ara couple ofrough spots in the engineering,a condition not totally uncommon in livrecordings, but so what! What the albumshows is one of the area's finest bands itheir best environment-live.

Note: There are two things I'll nevebe accused of. First, being a purist andsecondly, being a traditionalist. With thain mind I have another recommendationfor people like me.

A few months ago I commented ohaving heard Pat Benatar's "Paying theCost to be the Boss." Since then I've heardthe rest of the album True Love, and I canheartily recommend it. The Roomful oBlues horns are superb throughout andsomewhat surprisingly, sois Benatar. Shdisplays excellent control and a good deaof passion. This is not an album for thosewho have a real narrow idea of what theblues should be. But if you are interestedin those cracks where various musicalforms meet and create hybrids, check thialbum out. It's pretty good.

The Best 0 ' , 99'1991 blues saw vinyl vanish and CDs

take over. It was the year of the reissueswith phenomenal box sets. yet, there weremany excellent new releases in 1991. Hereare some of the best:Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Sky is Crying,Epic. Handpicked from the vaults byJimmy Vaughan, has material previouslyunreleased and what a surprise. StevieRay's legacy is still alive and well. Let'shope there's more to come.P Buddy Guy. Damn Right I've Got theBlues, Silvertone. It was about damn timetofinally have Buddy Guy release and onethat certainly is Guy's best to date.P John LeeHooker,Mr.Lucky, Pointblank.Hooker is hot and he knows it. Some ofthebest blues performers are showcased tomake this an outstanding recording.PRobert Ward, FearNo Evil, Black Top.Recorded in the fall of 1990 and released

in March of 1991, Robert Ward's guitarwork is one ofthe best and admired by all.P Johnnie Johnson, Johnnie B. Bad,ElektraINonesuch. Pianist Johnnie John-son shows just how bad he can be. EricClapton and Keith Richards lend theirtalents on this fine release.P Charles Brown, All My Life, Bullseye.What can you say about the best bluesvocalist of the year and instrumentalist?You tell them to listen to this master of thepiano and enjoy it.P Johnny Adams sings Doc Pomus, TheReal One, Rounder. This is a beautifulrelease andJohnny Adams'voice will moveyou.P P P Aiso, mGHLY RECOMMENDED in-clude box sets by Ray Charles, The Birth ofSoul, The Complete Stax/Volt, JamesBrown, Star Time, John Lee Hooker's TheUltimate Collection 1948-1990), The Com-plete Recordings of Bessie Smith, andHowlin' Wolfs Chess Box.

"Rock Me" pays tribute to the late,great Muddy Waters, who originally wrotethe song. He shares with you the truefeeling ofthe Delta and the South Chicagosound of the 50's with this one.

"Down TheHighway" is a slide guitarbased number that gives a true feeling of

that pure Delta blues sound. It has a slow,steady beat which mesmerizes you to thebeat ofthe track. "Hello Central" is a fittingway to end the release. He's saying hello aswe say goodbye to the release. It is more ofthat fine southern blues.- Robert D. Murphy

Membership ReportI along with all the directors of the

KCBS would like to thank you for yourcontinued support. The task ofthe mem-bership chairman is becoming easier.We are growing with the help of peoplelike you, please continue to tell yourfriends about us.

If you have any questions aboutyour membership, or anything aboutthe KCBS feel free to call me after 5:15p.m. at 913-262-9180. I will try to an-swer your questions, or refer you tosomeone who can help you.

The KC Blues Society would like towelcome our new members: Mike Mead,Jim Seelen, Kathy Chase, Nancy Powell,Deanna Hampton, Ronald Himstedt,Gayle Spletstoser, T.S. Drummer, RichFavreau, Dorthy Lloyd, David &BarbraMorgan, Bob & Pam Orr, John Payne,ThornSacco, Robert Schneider, DeborahSengstacken, Pat Caraher, David Tay-lor,Renaud DeWalque, Charles Frazier,Arnel Bruce, Ken Shearin, Hillary Drury,Eugene Smiley, Mable Davis, James &Doris Jackson.

Thanks for helping keep the bluesalive. Dedicated to bringing you moreblues in '92. - Patrick Flemington

BLUES NEW S 5


6/12

Performance Diary-'-"'E!t -,r~ ..... ii...BY lA RE B EA R, PHOTOS BY L M. SM ITHJanuary has rolled around again. Itis a time for optimism about thecorningyear and to reflect on what

a very good year it was musically in Kan-sas City.

The obvious highlight was the KCBlues and Jazz Festival. The two-day ex-travaganza in Penn Valley Park was assuccessful as anyone could have hoped forany way you look at it. But first andforemost, the music was superb. MasterKing and the KoolKrew looking and play-

===."..".,"'" ing some badand nastyR&B. The Bel-Airs showingthey are agreatparty band, asdidDangerfield-MeN ally. RodPiazza work-ing the crowdinto a frenzy.Robert Jr.Lockwood wasa treat. Howmany otherscan start with40s jazz influ-ence then fin-

Master King ish deep in theacoustic delta?Denise LaSalle providing a perfect finishto day one.John Mayall got through to me. ThenBuddy Guy carne along, knocked me therest ofthe way down and walked on me. Icould have gone horne a happy man rightthen, but BobbyBland lifted me up, healedmy hurts, soothed me and sent back intothe world refreshed and ready to face itanew.I t

was aweekendnot to beforgotten.

TheKCBStalentcontestalso stoodout. Thefinalsfea-turingthe DanDoranBan d ,J 0 h nPaul and

The Blues Notions show off their Talent Contest trophy.the Hellhounds, Stevie and the Jivetonesand the Blues Notions showed the depthand quality ofthe local bands. The DoranBand doing that great KC jump sound.The Jivetones showing they are anotherformidable entry in the "screw art-let'sparty" tradition. A much improved JohnPaul and the Hellhounds flashing theirgoods. And then the Notions.

Only a year before this was a bandthat had undergone somemajor personnelchangesthat hadleft theaggrega-tion in awe a k-enedcon-dition.BassistWayneSmithsaid afterthe winthat theband hadtapes ofthem-selvesfrom theyear be-for ew h ic h Bobby Blandtestifiedtohow weak they were. But through hardwork, when the Notions took the stage forthe finals they were a polished outfit that,quite literally, had their act together. Theyhad their songs and their songlist down.

They had the licks and the looks. Therewas nowasted motion ortime as they gavea solid performance that righ tly won themthe contest. Those same qualities helpedthem to a fourth place finish at the na-tional contest.

Hearty congratulations to all of theNotions for ajob well done.

There were a number of other high-lights throughout the year. The Dan DoranBand at the Grand Emporium showedwhat a great band they are live. A largeresponsive crowd egged the band on andthey gladly responded.

My birthday party at Nightmoves,February 25, with the Joanna ConnorBand. This was the best I've ever seenConnor as the band turned in three jubi-lant sets that completely knocked thecrowd out.

John Mayall Buddy Guy6 JANUARY 1992


7/12

The weekend of Hatch's BirthdayParty also rates high. Beginning with theHouse Party at the Emporium on Fridaynight where Hatch turned in a fiery per-formance, followed by Roy Rogers andCharlie Musslewhiteturningin some fineperformances of their own.

drums, daddy Stan on bass, Lonnie onguitar and Hatch doing the vocals on "I'mA Man" saw something special.

That's one of the great things aboutlive music. The performance you just sawmay be the greatest showyou've ever seen,but the next time out it might be better.

The weekend was capped at BB'sLawnside BBQ onSunday night as LonnieRay and the trio hosted a monster jamfeaturing not only Hatch but also mem-bers ofLittle Mike and the Tornadoes andthe Joanna Connor Band. Anyone whosaw four year old Joe Vaughn Mixon on

Dan Doran and Band can jump your blues away.

ON SALE NOW!!Blues Calendar

T o t a lC ~ y / S t a t e l Z 4 > _~~oo~L___j __

Calendar($8 K C I I S m e m b e r s )Calendar($10 f'IJIic)

C he ck p ay ab le to 'K C BS' a nd M a il to : K C BS M e rc ha nd is e D ep artm en t7 94 8 W o ma Ji R d., Su ite 1 20 5 Kansa . City, MO 6 41 14

tERRE 'SUNCAFE

CAJVN&CREOLECUIS INEfriday a day: Live EntertainmentSunday: Blue. Jam featuring Little Hatch

Buffet on Sunday $7.95All you can eat Catfish

5 1 2 D E L A W A R E R IV E R M A R K E TK A N S A S C I T Y , M O 8 1 6 - - 2 8 3 - 3 4 7 4

BLUES NEWS 7


8/12

Sue Foley is only 23 years old. She hasplayed her pink telecaster with some ofthe best blues veterans, such as AlbertCollins and Otis Rush. She grew up inCanada and moved to Austin, Tx. twoyears ago when she signed with the Antonelabel. Young Girl Blues, Sue's first re-lease, will be out in early 1992.

-5" EV1~_jBo.cCl..

Shirley Owens: When will your firstrecording be released?Sue Foley: It's almost done now. We gota couple more touchups to do and then it'scoming out in late January.SO: It's going tobe called Young GirlBlueson the Antone label? Did you do a lot ofwriting for it?Sue: Yeah, it's going to be cool to finallypush something when we're touring. I'vebeen writing steady, only three or four aregetting on the record. If I write lyrics Iwrite it down with a pen and paper. IfIgetan idea in my head, a lick or something, Ijust pick up my guitar and play it soI don'tforget it.SO: You playa Fender?Sue: A Fender Telecaster. When I firststarted playing blues, it was acoustic likeMemphis Minnie, Robert Johnson,Leadbelly and people like that. When Ifinally got electrified and ever since thenIhaven't really been focusing on the acous-tic part.SO: Who are your influences?Sue: Well, Muddy Waters was really oneofthe first ones and then I was into RobertJohnson. And then, T-Bone Walker reallygot me heavy. And Earl Hooker really gotme heavy. I mean I like everybody butcertain people have gotten me heavierthan other people. I like Joe Turner, youknow, Kansas City. I think he's really cool.

8 JANUARY 1992

SO: What does "Blues" mean to you?Sue: Well, it's a great way to make aliving. It's soulful. It encompasses all,encompasses all emotion. It's very emo-tional music. Everything is derived from itbecause it's heartfelt. You know, therewouldn't be no jazz, ifthere was no blues.There would be no rock 'n roll ifthere wasnoblues. There would be noblues ifpeople

didn't have feelings. It's just it, as far asI'm concerned. The deepest one. It's a hardlife and hard to play.SO: Is that what inspires you?Sue: Getting better and improving my-self. Playing with legends like JimmyRodgers, Otis Rush, Albert Collins. Youcan't put a price on that. There' nothingthat compares to that for me.


9/12

" B LUES NOTESw FR OM P~E IIng KC Blues Society member.B lu es N ew s n eed s yo u

72342.

Shirley Owens at 737-0713.Blues Half-Notes

box Is In the making and a four-CD bluesbox with a lot of rare stuff from tradl-

WE WANT TO BEYOURPRINTINGPARTNER

In -house de sign , type a n d came ra . C opyin g a n dprin tin g in qua ntitie s from 1 to 250 ,0 00 on she etsize s from 3x5 to 1 9x25. C om ple te fm ishin g a ndbin de ry se rvic es. F re e pic k-up & del ivery.From start tofinish,we make you look good on paper . SoliS .Insly-prlnts plus

2 0 06 B ro a dw a y474-8211 3509 Broadway753-1616 2 0 12 Swift842-7172

Guy was the best he ever saw him ... IMCAs Andy McKale who has been has been clarified that UffIe JlmmyKlngs

responsible for the series of Chess Box real name Is Manuel Gales. He began

Helena, Ark. Sonny Boy Blues Socl- tlonal blues of Sonny Boy and early Uttleety plans to stage a benefit on January Milton.12 at Antone's, Austin, Tx. The blues There are ",mots that Robert Craybenefit proceeds will help preserve and and Richard Cousins have spllt ....Carlarestore a building In Helena where Sonny Thomas Is back on stage and Is hopingBoy once lived. to tour with Eddie Floyd and, of course,For more Information, call Bubba her father, Rufus Thomas, the world s

Sullivan at (501) 33&3501 or write to oldest teenage ....Roger Naber reportsSBBS, P.O. Box 237, Helena, Arks that on the Ultimate R&B Cruise Buddy

KC Blues News Is In search of volun- sets and more recently Howlln Wolfo. using the name "Jimmy" because of hiteers to help with advertising, proof- Chess Box, reports that Buddy Guys Jirni Hendrix style on guitar. "KIng"reading, writ ing and mailing the news- . complete Chess recordings will be out came from plalng with Albert Klngsletter. next summer. There are 43 masters and band for two years. Albert Is Jlmmy'sHyou are Interested, please contact four altemate takes. Also, a B.B. King adopted grandfather.

dJ.~NaceB~ailkq~c~I~ 9 8:30 pm

~}~ .lOIN THE KC BLUES SOCIETY


10/12


11/12

JAMS - Bring your instrumentsSUNDAY JAMS Epicurean Lounge &Restaurant, 7502 Troost. 333-8383 Pierre's Cajun Cafe, 512 Delaware, 283-3474, Uttle HatCh Ci ty UghtJazz Club, 4749 Pennsylvania, 444-6969, Sonny Kenner JCs, Truman Rd. &Jackson, 241-9030, The Blues Thunder Band, 7:30

p.m. The Roxy, 7230 W. 75th Street, 236-621 I, featur ingThe Blues Notions, 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 p.rn.jsee advert.)MONDAY JAMS Blayney's, 415 Westport Road, 561-3747, 39th St. Blues Band, 10 p.m. Hurricane, 4048 Broadway, 753-884,KCBlues Band, 10 pm-2 amTUESDAY JAMS Blayney's, 415 Westport Road, 561-3747 The Levee, 43rd &Main, 561-2821, Sonny Kenner Blues Band, 8:30 pm The Point, 917 West 44th, 531-9800, Lonnie RayBlues Band, '9 pmWEDNESDAY JAMS The Levee, 43rd & Main, 561-2821, The 1234 Band, 8:30-12:30 pm Nightmoves, 5 I I 0 NEV lVion Rd, 452-4393, The 39th St Blues Band, 8 pmTHURSDAY JAMS The Tuba, 333 Southwest Blvd at Broadway, 471-6510, KCBottoms Band,9:00 pmSATURDAY JAMS Chateau Lounge, 5934 Prospect. 523-9333, The Freeze, 3 - 8 p.m. Grand Emporium (seeadvert.], 3832 Main, 531-7557,Gi lbert's Saturday Blues Party, 4-7 pm Harl ings Upstairs, 3941Main, 531-0303, Diana Ray &RichVan Sant. 2-6 pm H &M Barbecue, 1715 N. 13th, Kansas City, Ks , Abb Locke, 10 pm Me's Lounge, 5709 Troost. 363-9376, Saturday & Sunday, The GouchoBand, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.OTHER CLUBSo Birdland, 1600 E. 19th, 842-8463o Cajun Seafood, 404 E.31st se , 756-3474o Eblon's, 160 I E. 18th Street, 221-6612o The Fabulous Inferno Show Lounge, 4038 Troost Avenue, 931-4000o Grand Emporium,Fridays-t.ittle Hatch's Houseparty, 6-8p.m.o Jimmy's Jigger 1823 W. 39th St, 753-2444o Kiki 's Bonton Maison, 15I 5 Westport Road, 931-9417o MaryAnn son Main, 8th &Main, 474-7025o Patches, 3041 Main, 931-2711o The Phoenix, 302 W. 8th Street, 472-0001o Ouaff Buffet &Saloon, 1010 Broadway, 471-1918o Strouds Restaurant. 454-9600, 333-2132, featuring Roy Searcyo Uptown-Down &Dirty, 6508 Martway, Mission, K s. 236-4300

Your guide to blues radio programming inthe KC metro area and beyond.

KANlJ.FM 91.5Saturday 8 p.m. - "Blues in the Night"with Kyle NeuerKCUR-FM 89.3Friday 8 p.m. "Blues Stage"

9 p.m. "Friday Fish Fry" with Chuck HaddockSaturday 8 p.m. "Saturday Night Fish Fry" Chuck Haddock12 Midnight "Lonesome Pine Special"KKFI-FM 90.1Weekdays 3 - 6 p.m. - Traffic Jam Blues HourKCFX. . f 'M 101Sunday 7 p.m. - "Kansas City Blues Show"

with Undsay ShannonKPRS-FM 103.3Monday-Fri. I 2 noon "Lunch at the Oldies"KCXL-AMSaturday 3 p.m. "Blues for Two' with J.S. Marshall

KIDZ-AM 1510 DailyI":MEMBERSHIP -APPLICATION111111 N A M E1 ADDR~ _1'I1 D A T E :11 Send Check or Money Order to:KANSAS CITY BLUES SOCIETY _:1 P.O. Box 32131 Kansas City MisSouri 64111.------------------

ANNUAL DUES:Single -- $10.00Famlly -- $15.00

aITY/ST~ _TELEPHONE:

BLUES NEWS 11


12/12

q~ C~. 3832Main9 8:30Kansas City Blues SocietyP.O. Box 32131, Kansas City, MO 64111

Bulk RateU.S. Postage PaidPermit #3407Kansas City, MO

Do Not Forward Address Correction Requested Return Postage Guaranteed

Documents

Blues News - January 1992