Issuu

contents IN EVERY ISSUE Talk of the Towns.................................................................12 Blues News ........................................................................16 Cocktail of the Quarter ......................................................19 Music on the Couch ...........................................................20 Wang Dang Doodle .............................................................20 Miss Behavin’s Haven Menu ...............................................21

FEATURES Tim Kreitz Adventures..........................................................7 West Texas Via Motorcycle Once There Was a Cigar Box..............................................14 Matt Isbell Neil Gaiman .......................................................................18 Rockstar Author

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNS Salty Dog ............................................................................8 Inspired by a True Story, Embellished for Fun Good Eats ...........................................................................10 Addie’s Diner • Midland, Texas

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.

Classical Mystery Tour Tribute to the Beatles Sat, May 2 - 7:30pm Chicago Tue, May 5 - 8pm Celtic Woman Sun, May 17 - 3pm & 7pm An Evening with Neil Gaiman Wed, May 20 - 7pm Steve Miller Band Thu, Jun 4 - 8pm Move Live on Tour Sun, Jun 14 - 7:30pm Brit Floyd Tue, July 28 - 8 PM Whitesnake Tue, August 11 - 8 PM BJ Thomas Fri, August 14 - 8 PM For more info or to purchase tickets for these shows, go to wagnernoel.com.

Living Life Good

SPRING 2015 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 and food.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ronn Reeger MANAGING EDITOR Lisa J. Grissom CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tim Kreitz

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sam Daulong, Randy Ham, Kasey Vasicek, Marcel ‘Mac’ Broussard

PUBLISHER Promising Projects, Inc. 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.

this issue’s contributors

Lisa J. Grissom, Blues News 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.

Kasey Kelly Vasicek, Feature Writer Kasey Kelly Vasicek is the financial manager of Bessero Oil Company where she has worked with her husband since 2003. She has worked as a free lance reporter for several publications and volunteers at the Jubilee Food Pantry and Rock the Desert. Kasey believes that anything can be fun, if you want it to be and can usually be seen on the dance floor at the Tall City Blues Fest. When she is not cooking for her family, she loves to sing and travel. If she could do anything, Kasey would most likely be found being a lounge singer.

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.

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.

Randy Ham, Feature Writer Randy Ham is the Executive Director for the Odessa Council for the Arts & Humanities. A confessed ‘Book Nerd,’ Randy has spent most of his professional life in libraries and bookstores, working his way up from part time bookseller at B. Dalton Bookseller to National Author Events coordinator for Hastings Entertainment. Now in his second year at OCA&H, Randy has worked with the council and the public to expand the organization’s mission to include producing literary events and commissioning a public art program for Odessa. When he’s not reading, he’s looking for something to read. 5

from the editor I’d like to introduce myself, as this issue marks a change of sorts. I’m Ronn Reeger and I’m Lisa Grissom’s business partner. As many of you may know Lisa to have been at the helm of this magazine as Editor-in Chief, she is also at the helm of producing Tall City Blues Fest, which will be held this year in downtown Midland’s Centennial Plaza July 10-12 and is presented by Mazda of Midland/Odessa. As we assessed our division of labor as every company should periodically do, we realized that stepping into the role of Editor of West Texas Blues was more in my wheelhouse, while focusing on the Fest was so much more in hers. Since the purpose of West Texas Blues has always been to use the blues as a tool to build community among all the West Texas towns, Lisa will of course will still have a hand in shaping the magazine as Tall City Blues Fest and West Texas Blues are inextricably linked. In this issue, you’ll find some familiar favorites such as Salty Dog, Good Eats and Miss Behavin’s Haven, which everyone always asks us “Where is this place?” And rightfully so with the yummy menu they present on page 21, but as is indicated in the heading it’s a fun, fictional place although you can grab the recipes that make your belly roar from their website. We also present to you in this issue Talk of the Towns, which showcases a half-dozen West Texas community events that would be worth your time, if it suits your fancy. Our feature article in this issue, “Once There Was a Cigar-Box” was contributed by Kasey Vasicek and discusses the work of cigar-box guitar maker, Matt Isbell, who performed at last year’s Tall City Blues Fest with his Memphis-based band, Ghost Town Blues Band who stole the show on Friday night. Randy Ham, Executive Director of the Odessa Council for Arts & Humanities also contributed an article on rock star author, Neil Gaiman, who will be coming the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center on May 20 for a free “An Evening with Neil Gaiman”. In Blues News, I’d like to call your attention to our 2015 line-up for Tall City Blues Fest, featuring 14+ performances that will be available to general admission patrons. We focus on award-winning talent, so take a peek at the creds for this year’s line-up. Astounding! And sure to whet your appetite for discovering some amazing talent that is worthy of your following. We’ve also started something new that we affectionally call a Wang Dang Doodle. Take a peek at page 20 for more info and details. Music on the Couch host, Vinny Marini, who showcases “live, uncut and uncensored conversations with musicians you should know” every Monday night on Blog Talk Radio also recently handled the world premieres of brand new albums from two musicians, Brandon Santini and Jeff Jensen, who you’ll get to see before the end of summer—Jeff Jensen at the upcoming Wang Dang Doodle on May 30 and Brandon Santini on Friday night of this year’s Tall City Blues Fest, presented by Mazda of Midland/Odessa. See pages 16-17 for details and page 20 for info on how to listen to the Music on the Couch shows that featured these two world premieres. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you about a brand-new first year blues fest coming up in Abilene. It’s called Key City Blues Fest (see page 21 for details) and we are so thrilled to see another blues fest pop up on the West Texas scene that can complement what we’re doing with Tall City Blues Fest (July 10-12) and what San Angelo does with their Simply Blues Fest (May 9). Bring on the blues, baby!

Ronn Reeger, Editor-in Chief 6

Tim Kreitz Adventures Popular YouTube Channel Documents West Texas Locales Via Motorcycle

the concept beyond simple blogging, he changed the name of the channel to Tim Kreitz Adventures and began giving many of the channel’s episodes a documentary feel, complete with cinematic camera work and compelling music. “I had the idea to start visiting ghost towns and little mom & pop businesses in the rural and remote places of West Texas, with each episode comprising a 5 to 10 minute travel show,” he said. “So I did a series of ghost town rides to test the idea, and people really seemed to like it.” Since then, the Tim Kreitz Adventures channel has gained thousands of subscribers and views. Locations so far have included the ghost towns of Stiles, Girvin, Texon, and Royalty. The ruins of Fort Lancaster and Rattlesnake Bomber Base have also been featured.

Musician and artist Tim Kreitz has always had a passion for both motorcycles and West Texas. So several months ago, he decided to start using his professional videography skills to show some of the lesser-known locales of the area while telling the stories that go along with them.

In addition to employing television-quality camera work, audio, and editing, Tim makes ample use of special effects and computer graphics to add even more flare. The episodes are sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always fun to watch. He says there are more adventures planned for summer 2015.

“I actually started out with the intention of doing point-of-view motovlogs,” Tim explained. “But I started to realize that my friends and I were riding to places in West Texas that most people don’t even know exist. I wanted to feature those places and convey some of the related history.”

“We’re already planning rides to the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains. But there’s a lot of interesting stuff to be found in transit, too, so definitely tune in to see what fun we’ve got cooking for this year. There are few things better in life than riding motorcycles, and that enthusiasm shows in each video.”

The word ‘motovlog’ is a neologism created from the phrase, “motorcycle video log”, a popular form of video blogging on YouTube. But seeing the potential to expand

To check out the Tim Kreitz Adventures channel, visit Tim’s website at www.timkreitz.com and click on the YouTube icon.

The Salty Dog Inspired by a true story, embellished for fun by Marcel ‘Mac’ Broussard As I shut the door behind me, I could see the morning sun peaking under the vinyl fence. The light of the day was encouraging the heavy dew on its way, seemingly despondent as it it dripped off the car door and I tossed in my backpack and walking sticks. I knew from the forecast that the wind would shift, becoming westerly, and the dew would ultimately succumb. Jim was pulling in for our quarterly hike. This time it was May. The open roads of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico encourage an open throttle, and in less than three hours we’d covered 250 miles to the trailhead. The Guadeloupe Mountains are an isolated treasure for the few that frequent the area. It’s not uncommon to see only two or three people during a full day of hiking— fewer if you’re lucky. This being a weekday and not a holiday, we were banking on such luck. We signed the log, pulled our straps tight on our backpacks, and planted the bottoms of our walking sticks into the crisp trail, heading up Bear Canyon and around the Bowl. It always feels good to finally be on the path. Openness—vast openness—cradles a desert landscape seemingly unaltered for thousands—maybe millions— of years. With every passing minute, the view improves along with the elevation. By the first break, we are in the trees of Bear Canyon and once again in awe. Giant boulders filled our site with a mix of pines and an occasional centipede with visibility for miles to our backs as we crested out of Bear Canyon into the Bowl. Just one last switch back. My attention turned immediately to the sound of boots sliding through gravel followed by the grunt of air instantly leaving the human body. Jim was down. I flipped my pack off and gained speed too quickly as I ran toward his fall. My footing was bad and my speed 8

too great. I leaned back and landed flat on my back sliding on the rocky trail for nearly ten feet. Jim was laying, stunned, several feet below me when we made eye contact. He grinned and let out a “What the f*&%?”, which lead to laughter from us both. We pulled out thorns, cleaned scrapes, and wrapped his knee. “Time to turn back?” I asked. “Nah, I’m fine…it’s not like there’s a fire.” We crossed the Bowl Trail, found our campsite, unpacked, set up, then lost the sun. Within a couple of hours we had retired to our tents. It would be a long uncomfortable night, and sleeping on the ground with bruises and scrapes would prove to be the easy part. Dreams overtook me and I fought a worried nightmare where I was alone with poor vision. Sounds of tree branches snapping and seeing unfiltered light left me anxious in my dream. The banging…on nylon…the banging on nylon…the banging on nylon. “Get up! Get up! Get up!” a voice screamed repeatedly. I sat straight up thinking my nightmare had woken me, but that would have been too normal. Jim continued yelling. “Get up! We gotta go! Fire! Fire! Fire!” I kicked out of my sleeping bag and burst out of the tent to a western sky filled with an orange sunlight. The wind had picked up tremendously and it carried with it the smell of real trouble to our campsite. Animals sporadically ran past on both sides of our camp, birds following overhead. “We gotta go man,” Jim repeated. I frantically tried to jam my things into my pack. “Leave it. Take what you have and let’s go, now!” He barked. “You’re right,” I mumbled with disorganized agreement. I could tell right away Jim was limping. His knee had swollen and he was hampered. Within minutes we realized we had lost the trail. The brush thickened and tore at our skin through our clothes with callousness and purpose. The wind was strong, and with it came light from the fire. It was closing in on us and we had no trail or direction. “This isn’t good.” Jim said, looking back at the haunting glow. We battled poorly to no gain, still losing ground. From the heat we could tell the fire was close. The orange, menacing glow lit the way, but that was the opposite of comforting. We would have preferred darkness. “Shit!” We could go no further. Peering over a cliff ’s edge, our retreat path had cheated us. There was no escape—too steep to traverse and the fire too wide to flank. We drifted a few yards left then right peering over the edge, the heat covering whichever half of our bodies faced west. “There!” I yelled at Jim. To our left, a boulder jutted out that looked like it might be wide enough to hold us, but it was a least seven feet below the cliff ’s

edge. We both knew our only chance was to jump down and hope it would hold us. Once down, we planned to cover as best we could and hoped the fire would “jump” us. But for now, our “jump” was imminent. I turned to Jim to start a game plan and before a sound could cross my lips he was airborne. I heard him hit like a bag of deer feed being tossed from the back of a truck, except the feed sack wouldn’t have grunted in pain when it hit its mark. Leaning over I shouted, “Room?” Jim responded, “Jump!” and I obeyed. On impact, my momentum caused me to lunge forward. I only had a small piece of the rock deck to land on without hitting Jim. For a half second I knew I was going the rest of the way over into the dark canyon below. That feeling of no center of gravity that puts a hollow pit in your stomach had entered my body. My arms instinctively starting jerking in a circular motion as I tried to regain balance. Jim grabbed a handful of my shirt, about neck high, and yanked me back against the cliff wall. Neither of us spoke. We didn’t even look at each other. Winded. Beat up. Still not out of danger. Pulling anything we could out of our packs, we blanketed ourselves. We prepared for the fire to make the same jump we had, only we hoped its momentum would cause it to clear our ledge. It was on us. The heat was intense. Embers randomly found their mark. Smoke. Heat. How long would this last? Our minds were racing too fast to be afraid. We certainly couldn’t feel pain from all the adrenaline barreling through our veins. I thought about the consequences of burns and the suffering that ensues but still had not contemplated that this could be the end. A memory crashed into my thoughts that left me shaken. Jim’s dad had been severely burned years ago while under the hood of an old stalled pickup truck as he helped a stranger. He had poured fuel into the carburetor in an effort to get it running. The driver unwittingly turned the key before Jim’s dad was clear, and a mist of fuel covered him that was instantly followed by an untimely but successful ignition. The mist of fuel that layered Jim’s dad immediately caught fire, engulfing his upper torso in red and orange flames. Jim had often shared with me the difficulties his dad endured from his injuries and I was certain those images were in the forefront of Jim’s mind at this very moment, as they were mine. The sounds of a wicked forest fire are unbelievable. Sometimes it sounds like a freight train hurtling toward you at great speed. Other times it sounds like that same train pulled its breaks at high speed while colliding with a pissed-off dinosaur. The moans, light, smoke, and heat were now on us. “Hold on,” I said.

“This is gonna suck,” came from under the makeshift shelter next to me. We both awkwardly chuckled, followed by anxious silence. The speed at which the fire moved past us was unbelievable. 60-70mph winds had sent the majority of the assailant traveling vertically as it passed the cliff from which we had jumped. We suffered very minor burns and, over the next few hours, pain would replace adrenaline at a steady rate of exchange. We had survived.

We decided to stay on the ledge until daylight and then make a decision about our exit. Exhausted, we eventually both fell asleep. “I got two right here,” a voice shouted from above, ending our slumber. “They alive?” said another invisible voice that sounded a bit fainter and further away. We were now staring expressionless into the face of the park ranger whose discovery of us had startled our sleep. “Yeah, they’re alive.” The Rangers got us back to the trailhead and treated our wounds. We refused further medical treatment, signed some papers, and then left the mountain. The ride back was quiet and at a much slower pace than our usual return. As we entered my driveway, I glanced over at Jim. We both laughed once more, again without words. I parked and we silently began to unpack our gear. I clicked the remote to lock my car just as Jim was climbing into the driver seat of his truck. Walking away, I looked back over my shoulder at him, my hands clutching what remained of my gear and said, “So this puts us like August or September for our next run, right?” Jim responded, “Yep.” We both had a slight grin on our faces but neither of us looked back. 9

Good Eats Addie’s Diner • Midland by Sam Daulong

Photos by Sam Daulong Our lunch was a small sampling, and for the record, I feel compelled to share that I’m told by reliable sources Addie’s breakfast is spectacular. So to start, I had the fried pickles. Perfectly fried, great breading, good sauce. Period.

So many times in the rush for a good lunch, it’s easy to overlook the south side. Living here now almost 15 years, I could probably do an entire book of great spots on the south side of Midland, as opposed to the generic offerings in west Midland. In fact, other than three favorite restaurants, the rest are all “south siders”. The beauty is you can’t quite put your finger on why that is so. Is the flavor of the food that much better? Is the service that much friendlier? Are the owners more committed to giving you their very best every day? Well, in my opinion, yes to all the above. So naturally, I’m drawn to exploring any south side place that pops up. Some come, some go, some stay and I’m happy to say that a relatively new south side diner is easily standing the test of time. Addie’s Diner located at 304 E. Florida was an instant favorite when it opened four years ago. Viewing from Super Taco on Florida, we would watch Addie’s slowly being built and transformed into “The Diner”, so it’s only right to celebrate this fun food spot in this issue. Addie’s has all the things a great little diner should have. Good flavor, good portions and good service. 10

Now for the steak fingers. If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you know that I’m a Chicken Fried Steak nut. Well, a good steak finger is right up there with CFS. Addie’s seems to do a no frills approach their steak fingers. Properly cut, not too big or too small, nicely coated, seasoned and cooked. Their steak fingers are nothing short of a sliced chicken fried steak piece of perfection, perfectly executed and tossed in a basket with some yummy cream gravy and a plethora of sides to choose from (you get two). I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you the French fries were old school, fresh cut. Next to me were two business professionals having lunch. They both ordered cheeseburgers that were absolutely insane. Since I didn’t taste it, I can’t tell you about it, but what I can tell you is they told me it was one of their favorite burgers in town and they eat there at least once a week. This review would also not be complete without mentioning that Jennifer and Perla Mata were the type of servers that I was eluding to at the beginning. Efficient and professional, yet they made me feel at home by just being downright friendly. Ms. Mata, you should be proud! So next time you’re racing through your brain trying to think of a place to eat in Midland. Think South. Think Addie’s. Your brain and belly will smile.

SAN ANGELO

Simply Texas Blues Festival May 9 San Angelo, Texas This festival features San Angelo Blues Society’s competition for their International Blues Challenge entrants. The night’s entertainment will feature Ghost Town Blues Band and Samantha Fish.

Talk of the Towns

SNYDER

Western Swing Festival June 9-13 Snyder, Texas No one does Western Swing like Snyder does! The festival features twelve different entertainers, and activities start each day from noon till 11:00 p.m.

ALPINE “Annie Get Your Gun” Rodeo Production

June 26-July 19 The Theatre of the Big Bend will mark its 50th season with their unique “rodeo production” of the Irving Berlin musical Annie Get Your Gun. Fridays-Sundays at 8:15 p.m. in the S.A.L.E. Rodeo Arena at Sul Ross State University.

FORT STOCKTON

Water Carnival July 16-18 Fort Stockton, TX A nearly 80-year musical and water production held at the historic Comanche Springs Pavilion and pool.

ALPINE

Drive Big Bend July 30-August 1 Alpine, TX Drive Big Bend is a new car festival featuring antique, classic and performance cars. Enjoy the best unmatched-in-the-state driving roads and three days filled with cars, tours, music and happy hours, plus a car show in the historic Kokernot Field. For more info, go to drivebigbend.com.

ABILENE

Key City Rhythm & Blues Festival June 6 Abilene, TX A first year blues fest benefitting United Way of Abilene featuring renowned blues artists Tommy Castro, Ruthie Foster, Marcia Ball, plus others. For more info, go to keycityblues.com.

February 13 - May 31, 2015 Experience an exhibition about an era when the stock market boomed. Prohibition banned alcohol. Formality lost. Optimism won. Women got the vote, and hemlines rose.

Featuring fashions from Steven Porterfield and live music by Austin-based band,

White Ghost Shivers! This will be a no-fee, ticketed event. For tickets or more information, contact the museum or visit our website.

Museum Hours: Sun: 2-5 Tues-Sat: 10-5 | 4909 E. University. Odessa TX 79762 | 432.550.9696 | noelartmuseum.org

Once There Was A Gigar Box By Kacey Vasicek

The son of an architect and a clothing designer, Memphian Matt Isbell was destined to become a creative. Isbell’s name may ring familiar to you because you could have seen this blond ponytailed, raspy-voiced wildman perform with his band, Ghost Town Blues Band (GTBB) last year in downtown Midland, or you could have been one of a dozen that took his cigar-box guitar building workshop, or you could be one of two that won one of his custom creations at auction—all of which took place at Tall City Blues Fest 2014, presented by Mazda of Midland/Odessa. Isbell leads quite the charmed life, magnetizing people to him with his infectious rapture wherever he goes. A little bit of Isbell goes along way. After spending a few hours with him, you feel like you can conquer the world...and then crash. To recuperate. Before becoming the full-time working musician that he is today playing over 200 gigs a year, Isbell honed his chops first working for a Memphis area record label. Then he taught music at a Memphis area Catholic School, but it was the valet parking job that changed everything. One evening, he overheard two guys walking around the world compete for their chance at landing a out of a Stax party where he was on valet duty. One guy top three placement. said to the other “Why are white guitar players that are any good so hard to find?” As Living Blues Magazine said, “GTBB is fast becoming the toast of the town, with a sound that blends the Then 20 years old, Isbell promptly seized the moment by earthen fortitude of Mississippi hill country stomp with shoving an office supply store, perforated edged business the excitement of hot n’ heavy electric Chicago blues card that he’d printed at home in their hands and two wrapped up in a funky package.” weeks later he was playing at the Orpheum Theater as part of the Stax Academy show. To that point, he’d been Part of this charm is Ghost Town’s use of eclectic inplaying in a 80’s corporate band. struments in their shows including a mic’d broom that drummer Preston McEwen uses during one song, as “Soul-sucking is the only phrase I can think of that accu- well as the hand-built cigar box-guitars Isbell uses on rately describes that experience. But it paid good. Man, stage that are his own creations. Being one who is always the things we do for money,” Isbell lamented. pushing the envelope on being both creative and resourceful, Isbell built his first cigar-box guitar (CBG) In 2008 though, shortly after the passing of his mother, for a buddy. “I saw someone with one this peculiar Isbell was ready for a change. He got a group of guys instrument and you know I thought that looks easy and together and landed a resident gig at a local hole-in-the- whipped one up,” he shared. wall sports pub every Sunday from 3-7 PM. “It was like a ghost town in there every time we played, so that’s why “Then I thought, ‘Hey, we can use these in our shows.’ we started calling ourselves Ghost Town Blues Band and and my next thought was ‘Hell I can make a business the name just sort of stuck.” out of this’,” he added. From there, he created Memphis Cigar Box, which he runs out of his garage, the place Fast forward six years to 2014 and GTBB landed a 2nd where he hand crafts his unique brand of instruments place win at the prestigious International Blues Chalmade from repurposed materials, including his CBG’s lenge (IBC) that takes place annually in Memphis. and bottleneck slides. For his raw CBG materials, he Over the course of five days, more than 200 bands from purchases cigar boxes from a local Memphis company. 14

Essentially, a CBG is a primitive chordophone, which is a fancy word for “stringed instrument” that uses an empty box for a resonator. “Take an old wooden cigar box, a piece of a broom handle and a couple of wires from the screen door and voila, a guitar is born,” said Isbell. He also gathers all sorts of sundry items with which he adorns his guitars—almost anything will work, including items like dominoes, license plates, bullets, skeleton keys, door knockers, bottle caps, bolts, gas cans, silverware—whatever it is, Isbell will eventually put it to use in some creative fashion. “Cigar box guitars are supposed to be made out of things you find laying around, but it’s really whatever the customer wants.” Recently he had an order from a customer who indicated he was born in 1953, so Isbell used a five/three domino to commemorate his clients birth year. Each guitar is hand-made and individually numbered, and at the time of this writing, he is up to #279. Tall City Blues Fest producer, Lisa Grissom, owns #222, a Mississippi license plate electric CBG and Isbell’s work has even caught the eye of well-known names such as Cyndi Lauper, Joe Bonamassa and Spin Doctors guitarist, Eric Schenkman, just to name a few. So does he have a favorite CBG? Well yes and no. “They are all like your children, you can’t love one more than another.” Isbell joked. There are however a couple of stand outs. One of the first ten he made was crafted from his paternal grandmother’s silverware box, which he regularly uses in GTBB’s live shows. This one was special because of its very nature. “She would have definitely made me go pick a switch if she knew what I had done to her silverware chest.” he said lovingly. But the one that he is most sentimental about is No. 199, which was featured in GTBB’s new recording A Hard Road to Hoe, their third studio release. “I’m not a sentimental man, but I think I am going to hold on to No. 199 for a while.”

Besides creatively making delta instruments that he feels are environmentally responsible, in the process he also discovered that he could use this passion to introduce the blues to a new generation of musicians. Isbell fears the blues genre is getting lost on the younger generations and he uses his guitars as a way of inspiring them to appreciate the blues. “When you throw a funky looking guitar down in front of someone they can’t help but be intrigued.” he said. To further help this endeavor, Isbell teaches CBG building workshops, such as he did at last year’s Tall City Blues Fest and for which you can find a less than 5-minute video published by West Texas Public Radio on his website. He also publishes Don’t Fret Quick Tips that cater to his fans and customers’ questions about the blues and cigar box guitars. Recently, Isbell was sought out to be the subject of a documentary film about cigar box guitar building, which has been featured at 17 film fests thus far and won several awards including in Germany and the U.S. Filmed and directed by Alexander Conrads, the documentary was appropriately named “Once There Was A Cigar Box”. This DVD along with Isbell’s CD of the same name can be purchased at MemphisCigarBox.com. Of course, if you order a CBG from him, you’ll get the CD and a bottleneck slide for free. Isbell includes these items with every order he ships. Connect with Matt Isbell on Facebook at /memphis cigar box and on his website at MemphisCigarBox. com. You can also catch a live GTBB performance in West Texas coming up November 14 as part of the Wang Dang Doodle series of mini-events hosted by Tall City Blues Fest, in partnership with the Doubletree by Hilton in downtown Midland. For more info or to get tickets to GTBB’s show, go to TallCityBluesFest.com.

For his hand-cut bottleneck slides, Isbell goes to area restaurants and picks up used wine bottles. The rest of the wine bottle gets used to make oil lamps and chandeliers. “At least these things won’t end up in the landfill. They may be made of sand, but they really don’t decompose for a long time,” said the now 34-year old. Isbell’s website says “So you want a guitar or a slide or just want to have me make you some sort of crazy delta instrument…..First you email me and tell me what you want…..Then I make it and you pay by cash, credit card or PayPal….Simple as that.” A sampling of what he has built and created can be seen on his website at MemphisCigarBox.com; and on his Facebook page of the same name, he actually posts pictures of each numbered CBG when it is finished, along with other delta instrument creations, such as a railroad tie lap steel and a suitcase guitar amp.

Photo: Rob Smith 15

Blues News

SATURDAY, JULY 11 WOMEN IN BLUES SHOWCASE DOUBLETREE INDOOR JAM STAGE

On March 26, Tall City Blues Fest 2015 presented by Mazda of Midland/Odessa announced its 2015 line-up. This year’s Fest will feature 14 public performances, plus one West Texas invitational act that will open the Cimarex Energy Main Stage on Saturday evening. Additionally Tall City Blues Fest will host a Sunday Gospel Brunch on July 12 in partnership with Macedonia Baptist Church co-led by Big Jim Adam and Big Llou Johnson of Sirius/XM Channel 70’s B.B. King’s Bluesville.

2 PM - Lisa Mann (Portland, OR) Blues Blast’s 2014 Sean Costello Rising Star of the Year

Tall City Blues Fest Announces 2015 Lineup

FRIDAY, JULY 10 CIMAREX ENERGY MAIN STAGE 6 PM - Big Jim Adam (Melbourne, FL) 2012 Telluride Acoustic Blues Winner

1 PM - In Layman Terms (Williamsburg, VA) Brother/Sister Acoustic Duo named by VEER magazine as Best Emerging Artist in 2014

3 PM - Annika Chambers (Houston, TX) 2015 Blues Music Awards Nominee for Best New Artist Debut for ‘Making My Mark’

7 PM - Noah Wotherspoon (Cincinnati, OH) 2015 International Blues Challenge 2nd place winner and Best Gibson Guitarist 8:15 PM - Lionel Young Band (Denver, CO) The only musician in the history of the International Blues Challenge to ever take home the title not once, but TWICE

9:30 PM - Brandon Santini & His Band (Memphis, TN) 2015 Blues Music Awards Nominee for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year

4 PM - Missy Andersen (San Diego, CA) 2015 Blues Music Awards Nominee for Best Female Soul Blues Artist

SATURDAY, JULY 11 CIMAREX ENERGY MAIN STAGE 5 PM - West Texas Invitational Band (TBD) 5:45 PM - Tas Cru & His Band of Tortured Souls (Syracuse, NY) 2014 Keeping the Blues Alive Award Recipient and 2013 New York State Blues Hall of Fame Master Blues Artist 7 PM - Jarekus Singleton (Clinton, MS) 2015 Blues Music Awards Nominee for Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year, Contemporary Album of the Year, and Album of the Year for ‘Refuse to Lose’

10:45 PM - Big Llou’s All-Star Jam Led by 2013 Best New Artist Debut Recipient for ‘They Call Me Big Llou’, Big Llou Johnson of B.B. King’s Bluesville 16

8:15 PM - Anthony Gomes (Toronto, CA) #1 Billboard Charting Musician and Music Tasters Choice Top 10 Guitarists in the World

ABOUT TALL CITY BLUES FEST

Tall City Blues Fest 2015 is presented by Mazda of Midland/Odessa and offers both an outdoor and indoor stage showcasing awardwinning performers in a family-friendly environment. The Fest also hosts educational workshops in partnership with Midland College, where 100% of the registration proceeds are donated to KIDS’ College; conducts a juried silent art auction sponsored by InWest Retirement Solutions, where selected artists receive 70% of the proceeds; holds a midnight spectator jam, presented by Eddie & Debbie Wallace; as well as an autographed memorabilia raffle and a Sunday Gospel Brunch.

ABOUT MAZDA MIDLAND/ODESSA

HEADLINER 9:15 PM - Tab Benoit (Houma, LA) Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Inductee and Five-Time Blues Music Awards Recipient

Mazda Midland/Odessa is comprised of Mazda of Midland and SKY Mazda of Odessa. In addition to offering new Mazda vehicles featuring the SKYACTIV technology designed to enhance driving performance and boost fuel economy, Mazda of Midland and SKY Mazda of Odessa also continue to offer a large selection of preowned cars and trucks across nearly every make and price point. It is the mission of Mazda Midland/Odessa to bring ease and integrity to the car buying process while making the experience quick, easy and enjoyable.

Presents the 2014 McLaren Comedy Festival Winner

Written by John & Jenni Mars

FINALE ACT 11 PM - Mississippi Blues Child, Mr. Sipp (McComb, MS) 2014 International Blues Challenge Winner Tickets available online now at tallcitybluesfest.com and will go on sale at ticket outlets on Monday, June 1. Weekend Fest Passes are $40 and include admission to the Friday and Saturday evening Cimarex Energy Main Stage concerts, as well as the Saturday afternoon Women in Blues Showcase. Day Passes are $25 and valid for a single evening admission to the Cimarex Energy Main Stage concerts. The Sunday Gospel Brunch on July 12 is separately ticketed from the Fest. For more info, go to tallcitybluesfest.com/ sunday-gospel-brunch.

May 8 – 30, 2015 • Mabee Theatre II CoProduced by Concho Resources, Inc.

Recommended for 8 and up

Neil Gaiman

Rock Star Author By Randy Ham Authors are my Rock Stars. There I said it. While other people may be following the exploits of The Real Housewives or trying to Keep up with Kimye and baby North West (seriously, the kid is already on Anna Wintour’s naughty list), I’m looking for that hard to find Stephen King short story or begging publicists for an advance copy of Michael Chabon’s yet to be published new novel. Reading is one of the great joys in my life, and I’m grateful for the authors who have given me stories that have enriched my soul. People tend to forget that stories are everywhere: that song you just heard on the radio? Story. That movie you saw this weekend? Story. Everything starts as an idea/story. To me, books are stories in their most basic form: words on a page. It’s amazing to me that 26 letters arranged and rearranged countless times can give us so many stories. It’s one of the reasons I am so proud of One Book Odessa and the community response to the program. In a nutshell, One Book Odessa is a city wide reading program designed to encourage everyone to read the same book at the same time. During the run of the program, several community partners host book club discussions or other events tied into the themes of the novel. At the end of the program, the author visits the community for a Q&A and book signing. One Book Odessa was launched in 2011 with Brad Meltzer’s novel, ‘The Book Of Lies.’ We had a tremendous response to the program with comic book art classes, screenings of films like ‘Superman,’ and community book discussions. Brad even made a visit to West Texas, and brought his 10-year-old son with him as he lectured at UTPB, talked to media, and previewed his TED Talk to a crowd at Odessa College. Having a bestselling author and History Channel TV host as our first author set the bar pretty high, and our 2013 selection was well scrutinized. 18

Although she was a first time novelist, Erin Morgenstern had written a critically acclaimed novel with plenty of buzz. We took a chance on, ‘The Night Circus,’ and it paid off in ways we never could have imagined. Not only were our book club meetings well attended, but we were able to bring the circus to life with candy making classes, lectures on the history of magic and tarot reading, and the grand finale of a Night Circus gala at the Globe of the Great Southwest. So many people attended, including Morgenstern herself, dressed in her gothic finery. It was so well received that we began to panic about how to follow up. Enter Neil Gaiman. Neil is the Beyonce of the literary world, if I am to continue my rock star comparison. He is a genre unto himself, counting critically acclaimed award-winning adult novels, middle grade novels, children’s picture books, comic books, screenplays, short stories, music, and TV shows among his works. Gaiman routinely sells out when he makes appearances in support of his work, or in support of his passions, which include libraries and bookstores. He regularly appears on NPR, CNN, and has even played himself on an episode of The Simpsons. Gaiman began as a journalist in Great Britain in the early 1980’s, a job that gave him the opportunity to interview many writers and get advice on how to write, including how to make a living writing. After a few years of doing interviews, he was able to land work writing comics for DC Comics. In 1995 he began work on his critically acclaimed ‘Sandman,’ comics series. The series would revolutionize the comics industry, and win 26 Eisner awards, a World Fantasy Award, a Bram Stoker Award, and countless others. As he continued on Sandman, Gaiman also branched

out by authoring, ‘American Gods,’ for adults, ‘Coraline,’ for middle grade children, and ‘Chu’s Day,’ for young children. His novels, ‘Stardust,’ and ‘Neverwhere,’ have been adapted for cinema and television respectively, and he has also written two episodes of Doctor Who. Believe me when I say, most people have been exposed to the works of Gaiman even if they don’t know it. Gaiman’s latest novel for adults, ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane,’ was the perfect pick for One Book Odessa 2015. At just over 200 pages, it’s an easy read, and a beautiful fable that will appeal to the reader in everyone. Having such a varied body of work, we’ve been able to set up some programming to celebrate a smorgasbord of novels and short stories, as well as his Doctor Who connection. At $50 or more, tickets for Gaiman’s appearances routinely sell out in minutes. To be able to bring him to the Permian Basin, and offer his event for free is such a coup for West Texas. I can’t wait for Neil to be introduced to the great people of West Texas, and for West Texas to meet him. Tickets for the May 20th ‘An Evening with Neil Gaiman,’ are available at: wagnernoel.com/events/ evening-neil-gaiman/ The event is free, but tickets are required, and a convenience charge may apply. Visit facebook.com/onebookodessa for more information on One Book Odessa programs and events. Randy Ham is the Executive Director of the Odessa Council for the Arts and Humanities and founder of One Book Odessa and Books in the Basin.

A Wang Dang Doodle references a Saturday night soirée and was a song written by Willie Dixon, then popularized by Howlin’ Wolf and later Koko Taylor. As the chorus says, “We’re going to pitch a Wang Dang Doodle all night long.”

LIVE, UNCUT, AND UNCENSORED CONVERSATIONS WITH “MUSICIANS YOU SHOULD KNOW” The show streams live every Monday at www.blogtalkradio.com/musiconthecouch and is then archived at www.musiconthecouch.com under the Monday Shows Link. Here are a few shows we recommend:

SHOW # 250 - WORLD PREMIERE of the new Brandon Santini Album “Live & Extended”.

Wang Dang Doodles are held inside the Reserve Lounge at the Doubletree by Hilton located at 117 W. Wall Street in downtown Midland.

Upcoming Wang Dang Doodle May 30, 2015 Feature Performer Jeff Jensen (Memphis, TN) Presented by Festival Founders D. Craig Smith & Marc Maddox Doors at 8 PM, Concert 8:30-11:30 PM Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door

Catch Brandon live this summer at Tall City Blues Fest on Friday, July 10th. See Page 16 for details.

Sunday Gospel Brunch

SHOW # 251 - WORLD PREMIERE of the new Jeff Jensen album, “Morose Elephant”.

Set Free Men’s Gospel Group (in affiliation with True-Lite Christian Fellowship) Brunch served at 10:30 AM Service 11 AM -12:30 PM Tickets are $40/person

Catch Jeff live at the Wang Dang Doodle on May 30th. See details at right.

Translation: Let’s party!

May 31, 2015

For more info or to purchase advance tickets, go to tallcitybluesfest.com/wangdangdoodle.

Saturday

June 6th, 2015 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.

SPRING/SUMMER 2015 APPETIZERS Scallops el Adobo Adobo Rub Oacaxa Cheese Dip Bayou Sam’s Stuffed Mushrooms SALADS Bar Nothing Ranch Dressing Blood Orange Mesquite Garlic Vinaigrette Lettuce Wedges with Thousand Island Dressing Winter Tangerine Riesling Vinaigrette MAIN DISHES Tenderloin with Bernaise Prime Rib With Red Wine Jus Crawfish Etouffee, Miss Behavin’s Way

Frontier Texas Abilene Tommy Castro Ruthie Foster Marcia Ball Malford Milligan Mojo Assassins and more...

SIDE DISHES Smashed News Potatoes - From The Big House Carrots In Vermouth Cayenne Vodka Pasta Fire Roasted Garlic Risotto Vermicelli la Semplice Bar Nothing Ranch Chicken Artichoke & Rice DESSERTS Pecan Pie Tortuga Rum Pinapple Praline Cake Apple Cream Cheese Tart Retter’s Nanner Puddin’ COCKTAILS Vesper Eighth Ward Jocko’s Choco Murphapolatin

For more information keycityblues.com 21

Life Before the Dinosaurs

NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT

MAY 1 THROUGH JULY 26, 2015 HOSTED BY

MUSEUM OF THE SOUTHWEST Image: Julius Csotonyi, Pelycosaurs

MADE POSSIBLE BY City of Midland Hotel/Motel Tax Board FMH Foundation Concho Resources Beal Foundation J. Robert Jones Charitable Trust Union Pacific Foundation Learn more at: MuseumSW.org/MONSTERS or mcplf.org/portfolio/permian-monsters