West Texas Blues

contents IN EVERY ISSUE

Blues News ..........................................................................6 Sealy Flats Concerts ............................................................9 Community Showcase.........................................................12 Wagner Noël Calendar.........................................................20 Miss Behavin’s Haven .........................................................21

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNS

Salty Dog .............................................................................8 Thank You Uncle Ronald Art @ Work .........................................................................14 Discover the World of Augmented Reality Blues Notes ........................................................................16 Lowell Fulson: A Tramp of a Blues Man Good Eats ............................................................................18 EJ’s Cotton Pickin’ Dive • Stanton, Texas Health & Fitness ..................................................................19 Five Way Yoga Can Improve Your Quality of Life

FEATURE

Ana Popovic.........................................................................10

FEATURE

Victory is Theirs..................................................................13

SUMMER 2014 West Texas Blues is a quarterly lifestyle and leisure magazine that explores West Texas communities and creates connections by reaching beyond the music into other areas of adventure such as art, leisure, nightlife, travel, entertainment, food and health.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ronn Reeger EDITOR Lisa J. Grissom CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tim Kreitz COPY EDITOR Amanda Hart CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Amanda Hart, Mark Pollock & JP Schwartz, Sam Daulong, Jennie Holt, Marcel ‘Mac’ Broussard, Lisa J. Grisson PUBLISHER Promising Projects, Inc. Cover Photo: Cheryl Gorski ADVERTISING OFFICE 432-618-0705

West Texas Blues specifically seeks advertisers that are offering thoughtful products and services to West Texans.

Find us on Facebook at /WestTexasBluesMag Follow us on Twitter @WestTexasBlues.

To get West Texas Blues directly in your mailbox, go to westtexasblues.com/subscribe.

Copyright 2014 by Promising Projects, Inc. and its affiliates.

All content contained herein is copyrighted by its original creator and sources have been sighted where appropriate.

All rights reserved.

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this issue’s contributors Mark Thomas Pollock, Blue Notes

Mark Thomas Pollock is the proprietor of TransPecos Guitars in Alpine and lives there with his wife Mary. Previously, he owned Charley’s Guitar Shop and co-produced the Dallas Guitar Show, which he eventually sold to his partner. In the 70s, he played guitar for James Cotton, and also Freddie King while on tour with Clapton. He continues today to jam with friends like Jimmy Ray Harrell as part of the Border Blues Band.

J.P. Schwartz, Blue Notes

John Paul Schwartz is a full time osteopathic family physician. He is also a musician and singer/songwriter; his instrument of choice being the Hammond B3. In his spare time, J.P. hosts the Far Out West Texas Blues Monday show on Marfa Public Radio. Currently, he lives in Fort Davis and Marfa and can be heard every Monday night from 7:15-9 PM streaming live at marfapublicradio.org.

Marcel ‘Mac’ Broussard, Salty Dog

Marcel ‘Mac’ Broussard is a Louisiana native where he met his wife of 20-plus years. He has traveled the world, served in the Armed Forces and done everything from roofing houses to producing television commercials. His first love though is traveling the continent of his imagination to share adventurous tales inspired by his own experiences. His connection with the blues is a constant in his life whether it be while he is strumming a guitar or closing a business deal.

Sam Daulong, Good Eats

Sam Daulong is a connoisseur and creator of great food. He is a corporate pilot who has traveled the world over and can often be found indulging his creativity by crafting a new recipe, enjoying an eclectic cocktail, relishing in a good cigar or blowing a few notes on his harmonica. Sam lives in Midland with his wife, Sara, and their two boys.

Amanda Hart, Feature Writer

Amanda Hart is an All-State vocalist, a published writer, and champion drag racer who enjoys family, genealogy, reading and singing in her praise band at church. Serving in education for 14 years, she has a Masters in Educational Leadership and currently serves as a Campus Curriculum Facilitator for Ector County ISD. Amanda is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

She lives in Odessa with her husband and their two young children.

Jennie Holt, Health & Fitness

Jennie Holt is a yoga lover and certified Kundalini yoga/meditation teacher. She walked into her first yoga class 20 years ago hoping to find relief from a chronic health condition and after experiencing her health improving dramatically, she became passionate about the practice of yoga. You can reach Jennie at jlizholt@gmail.com.

Lisa J. Grissom, Feature Writer

Lisa Grissom is the Producer and Co-Creator of Tall City Blues Fest alongside being the Editor of West Texas Blues. She and her partner, Ronn Reeger, founded Promising Projects in 2006 under which they create and launch new and promising projects. Previously, Lisa has worked as a business coach, a financial planning analyst and investor relations liaison, a mergers and acquisitions analyst, and a state and local tax consultant. In her spare time, she loves reading, riding motorcycles and playing pool.

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Educational

WORKSHOPS All workshops will be held inside designated rooms at the Doubletree hotel on Saturday, July 26.

in partnership with

100% of the registration proceeds are donated for KIDS’ College scholarships at Midland College.

Pre-registration is $15/workshop. Walk-up registration is $20/workshop.

PLEASE NOTE: Walk-up registration is subject to available capacity.

All workshops are available to both Festival attendees as well as those not attending the Festival.

REGISTER ONLINE: midland.edu/tcbf REGISTER BY PHONE: Call 432-685-4518 Pre-registration for all workshops is handled through Midland College.

BEGINNER BLUES HARMONICA (Ages 14+) Made Possible by Susan, Bill & Pancho Blair Armstrong Instructor: Adam Gussow (Oxford, MS) Start Time: 10 AM (60 minutes) If you’ve always wanted to learn how to play blues harmonica, commonly referred to as a “harp” for its reference to being a mouth harp, this workshop will open the door and walk you through. You’ll learn how to hold the harp, how to make single notes and chords, how to play a basic train rhythm and how to bend and warble. Handouts will be provided. Beginner harmonicas in the key of C provided courtesy of Hohner Harmonicas. Participants are also welcome to bring their own harmonicas, as long as they are in the key of C. What to Bring: An interest in playing harmonica.

MAKE & PLAY: DIDDLEY BOW BUILDING (Ages 8+) Made Possible by Midland Root Beer Instructor: Ted Drozdowski (Nashville, TN) Start Time: 10 AM (60 minutes) Participants will assemble a primitive one-string diddley bow made from a can, a piece of wood, nails and a wire.

Muddy Waters, Jessie Mae Hemphill and countless other blues greats learned to play on an instrument like this.

After constructing the instrument, which participants will keep, they will get a lesson in playing one-string Mississippi twang with slides provided by Rocky Mountain Slides.

Strings are furnished courtesy of GHS Strings.

What to Bring: An interest in roots instruments.

SLIDE GUITAR BASICS (Ages 14+) Made Possible by Peyton’s Bikes Instructor: Ted Drozdowski (Nashville, TN) Start Time: 11:15 AM (60 minutes) Ever wonder how Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Son House and other greats make their guitars whinny like horses on the Brazos or cry like a lost calf in the back 40?

Learn how to play slide guitar in a few easy steps. This workshop will cover slide selection and materials, the two traditional styles of open tuning and essential tips for using a slide along with basic finger picking. Designed for beginning slide players and fans who want to know more about the magical sound of slide. A handout on basic open tunings will be provided.

What to Bring: An electric or acoustic guitar and a slide.

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FINDING JOY IN THE BLUES (Ages 6-12) Made Possible by D.L. Taylor’s Consulting Instructor: Castro Coleman, a.k.a. Mr. Sipp (McComb, MS) Start Time: 11:30 AM (60 minutes) Participants in this workshop will learn the fun, happy side of the blues, how it has come full circle, including how it started and where it is today. Taught by the 2014 International Blues Challenge Winner, Castro Coleman, he will also show participants how the music of today has evolved from the blues. This workshop will include both a presentation, as well as an interactive follow-along jam.

What to Bring: A curiosity about the blues.

UNLEASHING THE POWER OF STAGE PRESENCE (Ages 10+) Made Possible by Printer Solutions Instructor: Annika Chambers (Houston, TX) Start Time: 12:45 PM (60 minutes)

MAKE & PLAY: CIGAR-BOX GUITAR BUILDING (Ages 8+) Made Possible by Wolf Energy Instructor: Matt Isbell (Memphis, TN) Start Time: 2:30 PM (60 minutes) Participants will assemble an acoustic cigar-box guitar from pre-prepped components the first half of the workshop and be led in a group jam the last half with furnished bottleneck slides. Attendees will keep both the guitar and the bottleneck slides, hand-built by Memphis-based slide and cigar-box guitar maker, Matt Isbell. No heavy or electric equipment will be used during the construction phase of the workshop.

What to Bring: An interest in handmade, simple instruments.

BLUES BY EAR: ADVANCED BLUES ROCK GUITAR (Ages 14+) Made Possible by Touchwood Resources Instructor: Gregg Wright (Los Angeles, CA) Start Time: 2:15 PM (75 minutes)

This workshop is not theory chock-full with silly tips and tricks, but rather an interactive workshop where you will learn simple changes that can bolster your confidence while performing and help you better understand how to engage your audiences. Designed for those that are already performing and would like to hone their stage presence skills or for those contemplating performing and need some basic pointers.

Develop your ear for blues guitar in this intermediate to advanced workshop with former guitar player for Michael Jackson, Gregg Wright. Gregg plays upside-down and left-handed like Hendrix, so this is not a textbook classroom style workshop that will teach technique, but rather a workshop sharing guitar wisdom that can help you plug holes in your playing and take your game to the next level.

A jam session is likely to break out!

What to Bring: Enthusiasm and an open mind.

Prerequisite: A basic to intermediate ability to play electric guitar.

What to Bring: An electric guitar and small amp.

WRITE YOUR BEST SONG SONGWRITING WORKSHOP (Ages 10+) Made Possible by Roger & Lynne Clark Instructor: Tas Cru (Chaumont, NY) Start Time: 1 PM (60 minutes) Participants will learn about developing meaningful song topics, utilizing traditional and non-traditional blues song structures and making words work with rhythm and rhyme. Performance and song content are only part of what makes a good song, so 2014 Keeping the Blues Alive recipient, Tas Cru, will help songwriters craft lyrics that make their songs engaging and memorable in this interactive workshop. Participants will leave with a solid working draft of their own blues song.

What to Bring: Song ideas and drafts of working lyrics. Participants that also play guitar or use a guitar as a songwriting tool are welcome to bring their guitar, but not required.

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The Salty Dog Thank You Uncle Ronald

by Marcel ‘Mac’ Broussard Grabbing the handlebars I leaned the 900 lbs of American muscle to center and kicked the kickstand back. Pressing down my thumb igniting the fuse; the combusting, well-known grumble instantly forced its way out. A quick stomp of the foot, my left hand gradually releasing while my right wrist rolled back and I pulled away.

The anticipation of this moment had been greater than any I had experienced in years, seeming at times, almost childlike. It wasn’t my first bike, not even close. The irony is that ‘this’ bike was the culmination, the last in the sequence. It was the last in a progression that goes from having no opinion on motorcycles to taking what you can get, to thinking you know what you want, and then to knowing and being able to get it. This ‘culmination’, at least for my taste, meant a 2014 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. When you get to the point of ABS breaking, cruise control, Bluetooth and navigation on your motorcycle your cup pretty much runneth over.

Pulling away, the satisfaction was indescribable. The open road is the only acceptable therapy for this condition.

With the cruise set at 82 and endless asphalt ahead, the daily cares began to peel away leaving an open canvas of thoughts and memories. The time to distance relationship that my mind went back was surprising.

Ronald Zimmerman, or Uncle Ronald as we knew him, entered my mind. He was of average height but thin, wiry if you will. Small town tough with the loyalty to match.

Uncompromising. The guy that the other team hated and his teammates loved. His edge had edge if you know what I mean, and it only took one look at him to see it. At the time of my flashback he would have been in his 20s making me around 13.

My father worked internationally on long contracts, and occasionally my mother would visit wherever he was for a month or longer. It was a great stress on my mother trying to coordinate care for me, my brother and sister during these trips, so on one particular journey my mother asked her Sister Theresa (no pun intended) and her husband, Ronald (Aunt Tea and Uncle Ronald), to move into our home and be our guardians during her absence.

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The infusion of Uncle Ronald’s character into my life was nearly instantaneous.

Shotguns, boats and pickups were not anything unusual in South Louisiana, but the level of integration with which Ronald assimilated these items into his life was new to me. Unusual items always seemed to accompany the common ones; for instance, the air boat among his boat collection. Me hanging onto the deck of that airboat with no seat while thundering around the yard (with no water on the ground) were the types of experiences he offered. His truck was lifted, of course, and his gun collection included a loaded pistol in the center console, as I would soon learn.

One day I sat in Uncle Ronald’s truck with the window down while he ran inside a friend’s house. A truck sped down the flooded street and sent a tidal wave of water into the cab soaking me and the entire inside of Ronald’s truck. Upon his return, Uncle Ronald only asked me one question, “If you see that truck again will you know it for sure?”

I agreed and we were off. He didn’t look at me again while we were driving, our eyes scanning for 20 minutes or so until there it was with its owner power-washing the mud off of it at the carwash. Ronald was so pissed off I almost didn’t want to confirm the identity but I did. Without a single second of hesitation he pulled straight up to the guy, rolled down the window and demanded to know, with a deadly stare, if he was the culprit that had soaked me. This guy coming towards us was tough and was not the easily intimated type. He approached us shouting expletives and Ronald reached back with his right hand, pulled the pistol from his console, rolled the safety off with his thumb, and as if he had rehearsed it a 1,000 times, swung his arm around to have the gun pointed right in this guys face just as the distance could not be closed another foot without imminent physical contact.

As if out of a movie Ronald then said, “I’m sorry, what where you saying?”

It was like this guy had just looked back at the Forbidden City because suddenly he turned to stone. Ronald asked him again what had happened, told him to apologize to me and mean it, and then made him say he’d be more careful in the future. Trucks, guns and putting tough guys in their place. Damn! What more could a 13 year old boy ask for? Well, how about a motorcycle?

It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission or so it’s been said, and buying me a brand new Yamaha YZ80 dirt bike definitely fell into the forgiveness category. While my mother was away, Uncle Ronald had power of attorney over my parents checking account and so my love of motorcycles began.

It’s hard to say which is the most impressive memory of having Uncle Ronald around. Waking up to baby alligators in my bed, four-wheeling until the truck was up to its axels or having my first cold beer might suffice to name a few. Sadly though, it’s not hard to pinpoint my most difficult memory of Uncle Ronald.

My mother and father were now back; Ronald and Theresa had returned to their home as well. Ronald was back to putting his boats to good use with time at his camp in the Atchafalaya Basin. One night I heard my parents discussing that Ronald had not returned from the Basin that day. Aunt Theresa, with young son Zed, and pregnant, was terribly worried. The men of the family were more confident. Ronald was a proven outdoorsman.

The next morning my father woke me up before dawn and told me, “You’re not going to school today boy. We’re going to help look for your Uncle.”

I quickly dressed and we were in route. Ronald’s boat had been found run aground on the bank with the motor burned up. Our hope was he was just lost in the woods.

The scene was overwhelming with the popping of helicopter blades, uniformed Sheriff swarming everywhere and boats covering the water. One boat stood out to me though, the one not being utilized. Ronald’s boat. We spent the day walking the banks and searching in the woods all to no reply. The day ended as it had begun, filled with anxiety and confusion.

In spite of my pleas, my father insisted I attend school the next day. Arriving home from school that afternoon my parents told to me that Ronald’s body had been found a few feet off the bank. The search had been resolved to tragedy. That was over 30 years ago.

For me, as I burn away miles of asphalt and reflect, I just wanted to say, “Thank you Uncle Ronald. Thank you for all the memories and thank you for all the miles.”

Sealy Flats, located in San Angelo, is the only blues joint in all of West Texas. A single visit will only make you want to go back.

We’re just sayin’!

JULY 3 - Hans Frank ‘El Gallo’ (San Antonio, TX) 4 - JT Coldfire (Austin, TX) 5 - SXSO Talent Contest 10 - Marcus & The Wachboard Machine (New Braunfels, TX) 11 - Andy Macintyre (Austin, TX) 12 - Red Tape (San Angelo, TX) 17 - Ramirez & Lindemann (San Angelo, TX) 18 - Mike Milligan and the Alter Boys (Austin, TX) 19 -JT Coldfire (Austin, TX) 24 - Ghost Town Blues Band (Memphis, TN) 25 - Mississipi Blues Child, Mr. Sipp (McComb, MS) 26 - Anika Chambers (Houston, TX)

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Ana

by Lisa J. Grissom

Popovic Ana Popovic is internationally known as a hard-touring, award-winning guitar slinger in part because she is from Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia), but mostly because her smoking blend of electric blues funk and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and tight grooves with soulful, feminine vocals give her an out of this world stage presence.

Her often-commented-on and flattering attire on stage has been the subject of many interviews which undoubtedly adds to her stage presence. Yes, Ana is beautiful. That’s an asset she knows how to use well, but what’s really remarkable about Ana is that she can hold her own among men and shred a guitar with the best of them.

We met up with Ana on March 9 of this year when she was in West Texas to perform as part of the Experience Hendrix Tour alongside Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson and others that were part of this all-star line-up.

By this time, we had already booked Ana to headline this year’s Tall City Blues Fest, but we weren’t announcing that until March 27 at our first ever line-up release party. What we didn’t have though was an autographed guitar for our annual autographed memorabilia raffle that we do every year as part of the Fest. So the gods of blues took favor upon us, the stars aligned and before we knew it we had plans to meet up with Ana and get our guitar signed, which of course meant we had to run out and buy one!

So this five-time Blues Music Award nominated, Billboard chart topping force in contemporary blues, Ana Popovic (pronounced pop-o-vich) that performed this year in Japan, Brazil and also did an extended European tour, is coming back to West Texas to play Tall City Blues Fest 2014, presented by Mazda of Midland/Odessa.

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MARK GOODMAN

We don’t usually have a guitar in waiting to be signed, because we try to match at least the make if not also the model of guitar to what the musician plays. For example, last year we got Buddy Guy to sign a black-and-white polka dot Fender Strat.

On Saturday, July 26, Ana will headline the Fest against a backdrop of West Texas stars on the Cimarex Energy Stage at 9:45 PM. It’s a show you don’t want to miss!

About Ana Popovic

Ana Popovic was born in Belgrade and grew up in a music-oriented family.

Her father, a guitar-player in his own right, often held jam sessions among friends at their home. Listening to her father’s impressive collection of blues and soul records and witnessing these jam sessions throughout her youth, Ana finally picked up her father’s guitar at age 15. As a college student, Ana studied Graphic Design and only after having a tape selected that she submitted on a whim to Utrecht’s Conservatory in the Netherlands, did Ana make the switch from graphic designer to professional musician.

Performing against the backdrop of the fall of Communism in the mid 90s, Ana began playing throughout Europe with her first band ‘Hush’ ultimately climbing to 100 shows a year by 1998.

Today, Ana is endorsed by Fender, Mesa Boogie, Ovation and DR strings.

She has shared headlining stages with B.B. King, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang and many others. When not on tour, Ana lives in Memphis with her husband and manager Mark van Meurs and their two children, Luuk and Lenna.

Ana Popovic

Selected Awards/Accomplishments 2002 Nominated for Best Singer, Best Guitarist and Best Album (Hush!) by the French Blues Awards 2003 Nominated for Best New Artist Debut (Comfort to the Soul) by the Blues Music Awards (the only continental European artist ever nominated in this category) 2004 Wins the Jazz a Juan-Revelation Award in Juan Le Pins, France 2006 Nominated for Blues Artist of the Year by BluesWax Magazine 2007 Appears at the Sundance Film Festival ‘Still Making History’ debuts at #8 on the US Billboard Charts 2008 ‘StillMaking History hits #3 on the US Billboard Charts 2009 Takes part in Robert Radler’s guitar documentary, TONE, about the world’s best guitar players ‘Blind for Love’ is released and ranked the #1 played album by the Roots Music Report 2010 Nominated for Best Overseas Artist by the British Blues Awards 2011 ‘Unconditional’ peaks at #7 on the US Billboard Charts and #1 on Amazon’s Contemporary Blues Bestsellers 2013 ‘Can You Stand The Heat’ is released (Ana’s ninth full-length release) and remains in the top three of the Billboard Charts for 10 weeks 2014 Nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist by the Blues Music Awards

Giulia Ciappa 11

Community Showcase 12

Hot Summer Nights with Cool Music Concert Series

What began on June 6 in Odessa will continue through August 1 with weekly free Friday night concerts. Shows include high voltage polka, classic swing, jazz, bluegrass, classic rock and Tejano. Bring a lawn chair and relax in Noel Heritage Park in downtown Odessa. For more info, go to mainstreetodessa. com.

ODESSA Sunday Summer Lawn Concerts

Presented by the Museum of the Southwest, these free concerts are just like the name implies—on Sunday’s and on the lawn. Held on the grounds of the beautiful Turner mansion that the Museum now calls home, these concerts are free and will run through Aug 10. Styles covered include classic rock, country, mariachi, pop and jazz. For more info, go to museumsw.org.

MIDLAND

Viva Big Bend (July 24-27)

Featuring more that 75 shows over six days, this multi-town festival covers Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa, Marathon and Lajitas. For the price of one four-day pass, you can nomadically roam the venues of far West Texas progressive style while indulging in a diverse showcase of Texas music. For more info or to get tickets, go to vivabigbend.com.

ALPINE • FORT DAVIS • MARFA • MARATHON • LAJITAS Tall Townes Backyard BBQ (July 12)

This second annual soirée will take place at KD’s Bar-B-Q offering a palette of Texas singer/songwriter, Americana and indie folk/rock music from Uncle Lucius, The Greencards, Wild Child, Doug Moreland, John Edward Baumann and more. For more info or to get tickets, go to talltownes.com.

MIDLAND

Star Spangled Salute (July 4)

Presented by Devon Energy, this downtown Midland Independence Day Celebration is a free family-friendly event offering an early-morning Freedom Run, a Children’s Sidewalk Parade, Kid’s Zone, a concert and the best fireworks show in all of West Texas. For more info, go to midlandtxchamber.com.

MIDLAND

Firecracker Fandango (July 4)

Beginning at 10 AM with the Jaycee’s Independence Day Parade, this downtown Odessa celebration morphs into an evening family festival featuring live entertainment from La Mafia and Cory Morrow, children’s activities, food booths and exhibits all culminating into a choreographed fireworks finale. For more info or to get tickets, go to westtexastix.com.

ODESSA

Mr. Sipp

Matt Isbell

Victory is Theirs

by Lisa J. Grissom

Castro Coleman, a.k.a. Mr. Sipp, Mississippi Blues Child, took home the win at this year’s International Blues Challenge after competing for this coveted title among 230 bands.

Mr. Sipp actually performed as a guest on Tall City Blues Fest 2013 headliner Zac Harmon’s set who won the IBC in 2004. Harmon has said that “winning the IBC is like having a $100,000 advertising budget” because it catapulted his career so rapidly.

So this year, Mr. Sipp will have a time slot all his own to perform his award-winning at this year’s Fest.

Additionally, Mr. Sipp will lead the Sunday Gospel Brunch, which takes place at the Doubletree July 27 from 10:30 AM - 1 PM. The Brunch is separately ticketed from the Fest and tickets are available online now at tallcitybluesfest.com.

So what can get better than having the 1st place winner of the International Blues Challenge play Tall City Blues Fest 2014? Having the 1st AND 2nd place winners play the Fest!

Sunday Gospel Brunch

Ghost Town Blues Band, led by multi-instrumentalist and roots instrument maker, Matt Isbell hails from Memphis.

They took home second place at this year’s Challenge.

Both Mr. Sipp and Ghost Town are not only musically talented, but they have their performer chops finely tuned.

Both of these guys put on a really remarkable show.

Like Mr. Sipp, Ghost Town will also be helping us do something really special by leading our first ever Main Stage spectator jam on Friday night at the Fest. We are billing Friday as “A Night of Memphis” because all the performers that play the Fest Friday night are ones that we either saw, met or discovered in Memphis. Ghost Town, who plays last on the bill and IS from Memphis, will segue right into bringing the Friday night performers back on stage for a Memphis-style jam.

To download a complete concert schedule, go to tallcitybluesfest.com/concert-schedule.

July 27th, 2014 10:30 A.M. - 1 P.M. Doubletree-Midland Tickets On Sale Now at tallcitybluesfest.com/ gospel-brunch 13

Art @ Work

Augmented Reality

By Amanda Hart This issue’s Art @ Work column will be taking a turn.

Instead of focusing on a particular artist and the experience of creating their work, I’d like to introduce you to a new, cutting-edge technology called augmented reality where you can be the artist of your own experience.

Hint: Reading this article will be interactive.

Touch the brackets in the bottom center of your

screen and use the camera on your smart device to hover over the Tall City Blues Fest shield on

this page.

Augmented reality (AR) is an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on top of an image. Basically it fuses the real world and digital world. Of course, since it’s the summer, which brings us Tall City Blues Fest, I’ve got the perfect platform for demonstrating very simplistically how this works. What better way to communicate than to show you, right?

So was that cool? Well, it can get even cooler!

Ok, so let’s get started altering your reality:

From the app store on your device, download the free app called Aurasma.

Set-up a free account (takes 30 seconds)

After your account is created, you’ll land on the app’s dashboard.

Touch the magnifying glass and search for “Tall City Blues Fest” 14

Go ahead and try it…I’ll wait.

Markers, such as the Fest shield, can appear on all sorts of products such as t-shirts, resumes and consumer products; even locations can be used as markers. These apps can offer data that is location-relevant such as finding your way around a city, offering consumer reviews on shops, helping you remember where you parked the car, and they can even name the mountains around you or the stars in the sky.

There are all sorts of augmented reality apps covering a plethora of topics in your app store that you may never have imagined were there. So about that “getting cooler” part? Well, here are some of my faves that I recommend you try. These apps do come with a warning label though: Prepare to have your mind blown. After browsing through them, you’ll be creating a whole new folder called “Augmented Reality” on your phone!

OTHER AR APPS Colar Mix 3D Coloring Book

I print these coloring sheets and take them to restaurants with Crayolas to keep my children occupied.

Spacecraft 3D

NASA’s augmented reality application that lets you learn about variety of spacecraft.

Amazing Space Journey-3D Solar System Great app to help conceptualize the solar system.

Anatomy 4D

Transport yourself into the human body.

Zoo-AR

A zoo with the coolest bug ever.

ARBasketball

Play basketball anywhere!

Puppy Dog Fingers Play with puppies.

Dinosaurs Everywhere: A Jurassic Experience

Yep, it’s just what it sounds like!

c.AR

Want to see what that sports car you’ve been wanting all your life will look like in your driveway?

Home Decorator

Take a photo of a room in your house and paint the walls in AR before you paint them for the reals!

AR Ghosts: Detect Paranormal Activity

Remember late night ghost story telling? Say hello to the ghosts in your house that now you can see!

Find Your Car with AR

Trace your steps back to where you parked.

Bowmaster Augmented Reality

Unleash your inner Robin Hood in this virtually projected real-world environment.

Blippar

Unlock everyday objects to reveal hidden interactive experiences and exclusive offers.

TALL CITY BLUES FEST

2014 LINEUP 17 PERFORMANCES

Friday, July 25 - A Night of Memphis CIMAREX ENERGY MAIN STAGE Rock Island Rollers (Des Moines, IA) Annika Chambers (Houston, TX) Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen (Nashville, TN) Ghost Town Blues Band (Memphis, TN) Memphis Jam led by Ghost Town Blues Band

Saturday, July 26 Doubletree Indoor Jam Stage Johnny Long (Springfield, MO) The Blues Doctors (Oxford, MS) Tas Cru & His Band of Tortured Souls (Chaumont, NY) Ruben V (San Antonio, TX) Jeska Bailey & the Platform Souls (San Angelo, TX)

CIMAREX ENERGY MAIN STAGE Tim Kreitz Band (Midland, TX) Gregg Wright (Los Angeles, CA) Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat (Dallas, TX) Mississippi Blues Child, Mr. Sipp (McComb, MS)

HEADLINER

Ana Popovic (Memphis, TN)

FINALE ACT

Too Slim & the Taildraggers (Nashville, TN) To download a complete concert schedule, go to tallcitybluesfest.com/concert-schedule

acrossair Augmented Reality Browser

An AR browser that functions as a navigator showing points of interest.

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Blue Notes

Lowell Fulson: A Tramp of a Blues Man

By Mark Pollock & J.P. ‘Jalapeño’ Schwartz, a.k.a Doc Cactus

considered for duty on a submarine, but said, “I bluffed my way into the kitchen and worked up this special chicken dish for the base commander. That helped decide him I didn’t need shipping out on no submarine.”

He mustered out in Oakland, California, and stayed there after the War to make his first recording. It was 1946. His first hit came with ‘Three O’Clock Blues’, which would later be covered

by B.B. King, and was released in 1948 on Down Town records.

It reached #6 on the blues charts. From 1949 to 1950 he had five hits, including ‘Blue Shadows’ which hit #1. He toured with his band that included sax player David ‘Fathead’ Newman, and it was also during this time that he hired an unknown blind piano player from Seattle named Ray Charles. From there, he only produced three more hits in the 50s and without more hits, unfortuantely times got tough. The dry spell lasted until 1967 when he recorded the song ‘Tramp’ for Kent records, which was an instant hit topping the charts at #5 and later covered by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.

According to Doc Cactus, the cover photo for the ‘Tramp’ album has Lowell dressed trampily with two women in elegant clothes standing beside him in a train yard. The story behind the photo is that is his two grown daughters spent hours sewing rags to a suit and even making a country bumpkin hat for Lowell to wear, but he said it made him look like a “scarecrow” so for the picture, he insisted on wearing his own fine Dobbs fedora. As fate would have it, Mark Pollock, owner of Transpecos Guitars in Alpine actually has this hat. THE Hat. EXACTLY the one he is wearing on the album cover photo!

Inscribed inside on the hat band is: Art’s Men’s Wear 6417 S Halstead - 807 E 63rd St. 4009 W Madison Evergreen Plaza Chicago Mark adds, “I used to have his sunglasses and wore them a lot, but they broke. They’re probably around here somewhere.”

One of the biggest stars of the West Coast blues scene after World War II was Lowell Fulson. He was equally as popular and talented as B.B. King, yet King went on to become one of the most famous bluesmen of all time while Fulson has remained in obscurity. Next to T-Bone Walker, who was best known for the hit song ‘Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)’, Fulson was the most prominent figure in West Coast blues in the 40s and 50s.

Lowell Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. He often bragged about his Choctaw Indian heritage, but his father Henry was a fiddle playing slave who had been brought from Africa in the 1850s. Henry had escaped slavery and went on to marry a Choctaw woman. Eventually, he was adopted into the tribe.

Lowell grew up playing his uncle’s guitar, first performing hillbilly music and then later performing with Alger ‘Texas’ Alexander in the 1940s. Alexander had formed a band with Chester Burnett, more commonly known as Howlin’ Wolf, and Fulson got hired to replace Wolf on guitar. During World War II, Lowell served in the Navy for two years and ended up in Guam. He was 16

Mark Pollock was actaully Lowell’s guitarist in the early 70s. He once asked Lowell how the ‘Tramp’ song came about. The idea for the song started when Lowell was leaving a barber shop with fellow blues man, Jimmy McCracklin. Lowell was trying to make time with two women walking down the street. As he spoke, one of the women shot back “you ain’t nuthin’ but a tramp!” He and Jimmy laughed, and decided this would make a great new song, which was a radical departure from the West Coast swing sound for which Lowell was famous. This song was funky; it had a low-key beat and the cadence of ‘talking blues’, which is a style of blues where the lyrics are more spoken than sung. Immediately, it started getting covered by both American and British bands.

Pollock goes on to tell the story of how he come to play guitar with Fulson: “I was in Austin playing gigs with Doyle Bramhall after he’d left Texas Storm. One day, I got a call from a club owner who explained that he needed a band to play backup for Lowell Fulson. I called Doyle, Bruce Miller and Billy Etheridge and we jumped at the chance to play behind Lowell; we all knew his songs so it was easy money. We backed him that Friday and Saturday and everything fell right into place; we killed it! Lowell and his wife, Sadie, had friends in Austin, plus they needed to

put new tires on the Cadillac, so they hung around there for another week. Finally, one day Lowell said ‘I got to go back to California to play Jimmy McCracklin’s Blues Festival. We could go up to Oakland, play the festival and some other gigs, then get you back to Texas in a couple of weeks. Whatdaya say?’

“Wow! This was one of my biggest idols! Hell yes I’d go!

“I threw my amp, guitar and suitcase (everything I owned) in the huge trunk of his 1967 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. We took off with his wife, Sadie, who incidentally was Guitar Slim’s widow, and that two-week trip lasted almost a year. After that festival we went back to L.A., and Lowell made me an offer to stay. He said I could live at his house and be the band leader for the various pick-up bands he gigged with up and down the California coast.

I was 22 and it was the opportunity of a lifetime! I couldn’t believe I would be on the road with one of my biggest idols!

“Little did I know, this would lead to unbelievable opportunities for me. I got to meet and play with some of the greatest blues artists around. People like Pee Wee Crayton, Albert Collins, TBone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, Big Joe Turner, Big Jim Wynn, Bee Houston, Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris, blues steel guitar players L.C. ‘Good Rockin’ Robinson (he played a Hawaiian stand-up steel guitar), and Freddie Roulette (he would sit on the edge of a stage playing his lap steel). Freddie King came out as well, and we all socialized at Lowell’s house between gigs.

On a final reminiscent note, “I was always fascinated by Lowell’s guitars. He played many guitars over the years, and the one I remember most was a Gibson ES-5. T-Bone Walker and B.B. King also played that model of guitar. It was “THE” West Coast swing guitar. They referred to them as their “big box guitars”. T-Bone’s ES-5 was stolen in Switzerland in the 60s during a blues festival, but Lowell’s met a much worse fate. His first wife stomped it to pieces! I asked him about it one time and all he said was, ‘She got jealous over another woman and stomped that sucker flat!’.

Lowell also had a Gretsch White Falcon, which was more commonly a country rockabilly guitar and way different that what I was used to in Texas where blues were mostly played on Fender Strats and Telecasters.

“Good times those were,” Pollock concludes.

Mark Pollock and J.P. Schwartz with bluesman Lowell Fulson’s Dobbs fedora.

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Good Eats EJ’s Cotton Pickin’ Dive (Stanton, Texas)

by Sam Daulong In Texas, food is a topic worthy of a good debate. It’s a place where brisket is king, ribs rule and chicken fried steak (CFS) is an art-form.

‘Cause I’m in that group being a foodie and all, I was readin’ up on my research and came across an article about the Top 10 Best Chicken Fried Steaks in Texas. Someone said in the comments that “if you wanted a good CFS, try EJ’s Cotton Pickin’ Dive in Stanton. Jackpot! Just what I was looking for!

So I fired up the Shelby and blasted east to Stanton until I landed just on the north side of town at 410 Lamesa Hwy (a.k.a Hwy 137) at a very unassuming place.

I got to sit down with Eric Coronado, a chef-trained passionate man from the Houston area. Right quick I could tell he ain’t some kinda hash slingin’ cook; he’s the real deal. He and his wife, Nikki, moved to Stanton a few years ago at the request of her mother because “there are not enough eating places in Stanton.”

It’s clear that a lot of TLC goes into the food the Coronado’s make. As they say it’s “food that sticks to your ribs”. It shore ‘nuf does, I can attest to that! So let me tell you about it.

The menu features burgers, sandwiches, meatloaf, ribeyes, etc., but I was there for one reason only. The Chicken Fried Steak.

But, of course, I figured why not munch on some finger foods while I wait, so I ordered a basket of onion rings.

They were made with the characteristically sweet Texas 1015 onions and hand-breaded. Yummy!

The CFS, though, was a massive portion of steak, hand breaded and deep fried; it dwarfed its plate. Complimented 18

by a peppery gravy this extra crisp and well seasoned, breaded steak comes standard with two sides. It was full of flavor and if you’re a CFS aficionado, you know that loose sock is not a good thing. This CFS had very little of that and was almost completely fork tender. Definitely a Top 10 contender in Texas and for sure a Top 5 placeholder in West Texas!

Having only 16 tables or so, you can imagine this place gets just a little busy, but the Coronado’s are planning an expansion in the very near future, as well as a larger kitchen area with much more equipment.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. M-W 6a-3p.

Th-F 6a-8p. Sat 7a-8p. Sun 8a-2p.

Go check it out and tell ‘em Sam sent ya!

Health & Fitness

joints. For example, tight hips can cause knee pain and tight hamstrings cause low back pain. Many yoga postures, such as the tree pose develop both strength and flexibility.

If you just went to the gym and lifted weights, you could build strength but that is often at the expense of flexibility.

2. Joint Health/Arthritis Prevention Think of your joints like the brakes on your car. Our bodies have cartilage that protect our joints (like brake pads) and when this cartilage wears out it exposes underlying bone. Yoga is excellent at helping to lubricate our cartilage because it takes our joints through a full range of motion which massages and squeezes fluid onto the sponge-like cartilage. Each time you practice yoga and take your joints through a full range of motion you are working to prevent and mitigate disability.

by Jennie Holt

3. Improved Nervous System Function Ever catch yourself driving and gripping the steering wheel too hard or tightening up your face as you stare at the computer screen? Chronic tension and tight muscles increase our stress and worsen our mood. Although much of the tightening of our muscles is unconscious, the long term effects of this coupled with society’s demand for constant stimulation wreak havoc on our nervous systems. Through regular yoga practice, you become aware of these tight areas such as your eyes, neck, shoulders, and the muscles of your face. By becoming aware, you can consciously begin to relax them. Through the practices of Savasana, which is commonly referred to as corpse pose, meditation and pranayama, which is the practice of focusing on your breath, your nervous system gets afforded much needed downtime.

I would imagine that you’ve heard that yoga is good for you. You may have even taken a yoga class (or several) and discovered that you feel better when you leave. With a regular practice there are many physical and mental benefits. The list can be quite long and includes some obvious benefits like improved flexibility and stress reduction.

There are also many other benefits that are more subtle and equally as powerful, and when combined with the more obvious, can contribute to an increased feeling of overall health and well-being.

4. Chronic Pain Reduction Practicing the asanas, or poses, in yoga combined with meditation is a great alternative to pain medication.

There have been many studies supporting that a regular yoga practice can significantly reduce chronic pain. With conditions such as, fibromyalgia, back pain, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome on the rise, yoga studios are beginning to fill up with people looking for alternatives to managing their pain. When your pain is eased, your entire outlook on life is improved.

Here’s a list of five not so obvious ways that yoga will improve your health with regular practice.

5. Blood Flow and Circulation Twisting poses and inversions force blood to flow into areas of our body where circulation is often naturally low, such as the spine. Relaxation exercises help with circulation because the breath work brings more oxygen to your blood cells, which can aide in the reduction of swelling in the legs, hands and feet.

Five Ways Yoga Can Improve Your Quality of Life

1. Strength Combined with Flexibility Strength building is one of the more obvious benefits of yoga and often the first noticeable. However, when strength is combined with flexibility you’ll notice that aches and pains begin to subside. This happens because tight muscles can cause improper alignment which can strain delicate

Want to get your blood flowing? Practice yoga.

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The Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center is located between Midland and Odessa at 1310 N. FM 1788 and hosts a variety of talent, including Broadway shows, the Symphony, ballet, country, classic rock and comedy.

July 19 7 PM - Odessa Celtic Concerts The Celtic Heritage Society of the Permian Basin presents two concerts in one. Michael William Harrison, a folk singer whose work includes songs from America, Ireland, Scotland and Canada, he sings about war, love, life and especially the sea. The Rogues, on the other hand, are a band of pipers accompanied by hard-driving percussion. Their galvanizing blend of anthems in the Scottish tradition will rouse your through dignity, defiance and ultimately abandoned joy.

Chamber membership makes sense...

Do the math!

Membership in the Midland Chamber of Commerce just makes sense. This year we have expanded our member benefits to include several cost-saving programs, designed to have a positive impact on your bottom line.

See the illustration below for an example (based on 10 employees - using average reported savings).

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Dr. visits that save time and money: 24/7/365 access to Board Certified physicians by phone or email...Chamber Members get 50% off the standard rate.

$10/month savings x 10 employees x 12 months =

Midland Chamber businesses have access to an electricity purchasing group designed to provide the safest, most competitive offer available on the market.

$50/month savings x 12 months =

Are you getting the most out of your business software? Chamber membership now includes access to Lynda.com, a comprehensive Online Training Library with over 1260 courses and 72,272 tutorials.

10 Employees $250/ License=

(+) $1200 (+) $600 (+) $2500

Benefit Savings: $4300 Less Membership Investment: - $327 (Based on 10 Employees)

Cash Flow Value: $3973 In addition to these great benefits, members have access to several memberto-member discounts, several promotional benefits and timely information.

For more information, visit us on the web at: www.MidlandTxChamber.com OR Call: 432-683-3381 20

Aug 14 8 PM - Happy Together Tour 30th Anniversary For one night only, legends from 60s and 70s rock bands will come together for this 30th anniversary performance to bring you classics like ‘Jeremiah was a Blue Frog’, ‘We’re An American Band’, ‘The Loco-Motion’ and ‘C.C. Rider’. Featuring the comedic duo Flo & Eddie from the Turtles, Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night, Mark Farner from Grand Funk Railroad, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels and Gary Lewis & the Playboys, this show will deliver more than 50 of your favorite 60s and 70s hit songs.

Aug 21 8 PM - Damon Wayans After starting to his career on the comedy circuit in 1982, Wayans landed a role on SNL, which launched his career into a 30plus year trajectory. Perhaps, his comedic genius is best known from his work as a writer and co-star on the Emmy-award winning series ‘In Living Color’, where he created memorable characters like ‘Homey the Clown’ and ‘Handiman’.

Aug 24 8 PM - 3 Doors Down Acoustic Part of the ‘Songs from the Basement’ acoustic tour, this show will feature deep cuts from their catalog paired with the intimacy of an acoustic concert.

Aug 28 8 PM - Clint Black A prolific singer/songwriter, Clint Black is one of county music’s brightest stars having recorded and released more than 100 songs and sold more than 20 million albums worldwide. His Triple Platinum album ‘Killin’ Time’ is listed by CMT as one of the 100 Greatest Albums in Country Music.

Sept 22 7:30 PM - The Piano Guys Somewhere between rock and Rachmaninoff, this piano playing and cellist duo have paired up to bring you a innovative musical production chocked full with cutting-edge technology and a dash of humor. Performing their rendition of popular songs, classical compositions and movie soundtracks, this show will bring familiarity with a refreshing twist.

For more info or to purchase tickets for these shows, go to wagnernoel.com.

A fun, fictional place, you won’t find Miss Behavin’s Haven on any street corner, but you can find these yummy recipes on their website at missbehavinshaven.com.

Summer 2014 -AppetizersBayou Rigolette Oysters et tu Brute Ceasar Chipotle Crema Tiki Wings Root Beer Ribs -SaladsSamcello Summer Salad Mango Muscato Vinaigrette Portabello Salad Sear Bar Nothing Ranch Dressing -Main DishesSam’s Chop House Naked Steakbits Steak Butter Cali Tri-Tip Texas Style Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Bayou Sam’s Counter Seasoning Tacos Camarones Zarina Scallops el Adobo -Side DishesCaicos Coconut Rice Bar Nothing Ranch Grilled Polenta Bar Nothing Ranch Risotto Okra and Tomatoes -DessertsKey Lime Squares Fresh Strawberry Pie Lime Sorbet -CocktailsReclamation Cocktail Hibiscus Lowball Necromancer Samarita - Tamed

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