The Blues Club Magazine

Monthly Music Magazine Putting The Blue back into The Blues Volume 1: Issue 06 June/July 2022

Errol Linton London Blues

Jimmy Burns Forty Shades of Blue .. Part 2 John Mayall Riccardo Grosso Blues & Club News ******* 150K Members *******

www.TheBluesClubs.com/magazine https://www.facebook.com/groups/

CONTENT

The bands and musicians that are exciting us with their music and their drive

Features

Errol Linton

08-27 The Bands and Musicians Errol Linton

08

Riccardo Grosso

16

Jimmy Burns

20

Vasti Jackson

24

2 | THE EXPERIMENT MAG

08-15

Blues News

Club News

Admins

28-73

74

Your Blues Your Way Brian Palm - Blues according to Stanno

28

Hal Meggison

44

Brian Palm - Forty Shades of Blues Part 2

50

Curt Brown - John Mayall

60

Backtracking To The Delta - W.C. Handy

66

Blues on Air - Peter Feenstra

70

Find out what’s been happening this month in The Blues Club.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 3

Welcome to The Blues Club Magazine, home of the biggest Blues Forum on FB, The Blues Club. The magazine was founded to help spread The Blues to our world wide Family of Fans and Musicians, that play and love The Blues.

Bill DeTellis

EDITORIAL

Boston Blues

We bring you the blues musicians and bands that we find and love from all all the posts and comments on our forum so keep them coming We hope you enjoy your magazine and feel free to send in your articles, bios, tracks and suggestions to

The May

TheBluesClubMag@Gmail.com.

The magazine and radio station is run for the benefit of our members and your donations are much appreciated.

Big Blues Hugs to you all Herman “Sonny Boy” Primus

Boston "There's no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to. When I play in Chicago, I'm playing up-to-date, not the blues I was born with. People should hear the pure blues - the blues we used to have when we had no money." ~ Muddy Waters (1913–1983)r” -

John Lee Hooker Herman “Sonny Boy” Primus Editor In Chief 4 | THE EXPERIMENT MAGThe Mississippi Delta

July 1st Happy Birthday

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 5

The Blues Club Magazine

The Editorial Team & Contributors

Herman “Sonny Boy” Primus (Ed)

Brian Palm (Editor for Ireland)

Founder of The Blues Club and Chief Editor of The Blues Club Magazine.

American born artist and musician Brian Palm has made Dublin, Ireland his home for more than forty years.

Garth Cartwright Writer Romany Gypsy, New Zealand and American Roots Music and Culture https:// www.garthcartwright.com/

6 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Linda Robinson Editor (Spain) Co Admin Of the Blues Club, and Founder of Strictly Jazz, Blues and Soul.

Hal Meggison Writer (New Mexico) I didn’t find the blues, the blues found me.

https:// www.facebook.com/ groups/4571218429654575

David R. Howard Writer/Producer (UK)

Curt Brown Writer/Blogger (USA)

David and The Doc are the two founders of the website Backpacking To The Roots of the Blues. https://papa-d.uk/

I have been a blues fan and scholar for the majority of my lifetime.

Curt's Blues - Blues.

Only. Spoken. Here. curtsblues.com

Dianne Hastie Photographer/Writer (Australia)

Bands And Musicians Each month we look at the musicians and bands that keep the blues alive and kicking.

Errol Linton

Vasti Johnson

Jimmie Burns

Riccardo Grosso

By Bengt Nyman from Vaxholm, Sweden - EM1B8180, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/ w/index.php?curid=63653274

This month we have the pleasure to introduce Errol Linton, Jimmy Burns, Vasti Jackson and Riccardo Grosso

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 7

Errol Linton

Photo by Catherine Wilson

8 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

London Blues

H

ard as it is to believe but Errol Linton has been playing the Brixton blues for

near thirty years. Initially a busker on London streets and metro, Errol was noticed early on by John Walters – John Peel’s celebrated producer – who would film Errol in 1990 for a BBC documentary (its on Youtube). But even during that era of mega-CD sales no record label dared take a chance on the Lambeth youth who sounded like no one else. Still, those listening to contemporary blues paid attention: I first encountered Errol at The Station Tavern in Ladbroke Grove in 1996. He was leading a

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 9

ragged ensemble of musicians and, with nonchalant ease, they tore the roof off what was then London’s foremost blues pub. No one from that evening’s performance remains in Linton’s current band – truth be told, they weren’t of the calibre of today’s lineup – but in that packed, smokey pub I witnessed the future of British blues.

W

hat do I remember of my first encounter? Errol was, then as now,

wearing a cap and possessed a laconic cool.

For a band leader he appeared quite shy, preferring to let the music do the talking, but gracious when addressing the punters.

I’d heard blues played everywhere by all kinds of people – by Maoris and Romanians and Scots, in Chicago’s Southside bars and deep in the Mississippi delta – but Linton had his own take on the genre, playing a

10 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

reggae-inflected electric blues free of

are many other very talented UK blues

histrionic soloing, and nothing sounded

musicians – the scene receives almost no

forced. The music was warm, loose, very

media coverage (beyond Cerys Matthews’

Caribbean – think how the mighty

championing on her respective BBC radio

Mississippi river flows into the Gulf Of Mex-

shows) – and is far healthier than many

ico just as the music from Texas to New

might expect. But no other player on these

Orleans filtered through to Jamaica via radio damp isles has the individuality, the stations and sound systems – and Errol’s

looseness, the beauty and wit, that informs

songs personified a down-home black

Linton’s best music. And No Entry certainly

British experience, wry and lyrical, sad and

is Linton at his very best. Here, on album

angry. A humble, weary blues unlike any

number 6, he and his band of merry men

other British blues artist I could think of. I

demonstrate what a rich musical blend they

stood there, soaked up the music, then,

create. This is blues as informed by soul

when he finished playing, went up and

and jazz and myriad Jamaican flavours. Its

shook his hand and told him he had played

very much a London blues album, songs

the best blues I’d heard in a long time.

shaped by the Smoke. And it is beautiful to

lmost a quarter century on and nothing

A

listen to. After all these years of following

has changed my mind. Certainly, there

Linton I believe No Entry is the album he was born to make.

Available on Vinyl and CD

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 11

istening to No Entry made me dig out

L

his Radio 2 Blues show. Bookings across

my Errol CDs and listen to how he has

Europe – and in Japan – followed. 2011’s

developed over the decades. His 1997

Mama Said album demonstrated what a

debut Vibin’ It featured the band I saw him

formidable unit the band were, while

play with at The Station Tavern along with

Linton’s songs find him reflecting on

guitarist Adam Blake, the musician who

reaching middle age and the lessons he has

would remain Errol’s sidekick through thick

learnt. Next came 2014’s Dealing With That

and thin. Vibin’ It was released on Errol’s

Feeling, an acoustic album with guitarist

own Ruby Records and financed by funds

Adam Blake. Adam and Errol have often

he raised busking in tube stations. It has all

played duo and trio gigs over the years – in

the rough edges one might expect while

plush restaurants and Soho bars, at parties

displaying great promise. So much so the

and festivals – and this beautiful album

likes of Johnny Walker, Andy Kershaw and

reflects how well they blend guitar,

the late Charlie Gillett all featured Errol on

harmonica and voices.

their BBC radio shows. 2001’s Roots Stew

I

was a more ambitious album, featuring a beautiful blues dub and, in Man Shot Down,

ronically, by 2014 Linton had the band of his dreams: alongside Blake there was

Lance Rose on bass and Kenrick Rowe on

one of the first blues to address the gun

drums, this jazz and reggae trained rhythm

violence plaguing inner-city communities.

section making the sound swing like never

Paul Jones now began championing Errol on

before, while Petar Zivkovic is a magnificent

12 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

the music. But, as Linton noted, getting the

I

band properly recorded is an expensive

Hackney eight-track analogue studio run by

pianist who adds colour and dynamics to

n January 2019 Errol, Adam, Lance, Kenrick and Petar went into Toe Rag, the

task. Fortuitously, Brassdog Records realised Liam Watson. Toe Rag runs on the kind of what no other label had and took the

sonic principals that shaped much of the

Brixton band into Soho’s Dean Street

great blues, soul and jazz recordings across

studios to record 2018 album Packing My

the 1960s and ‘70s: they set up and recor-

Bags. Finally Errol got the sound he had

ded live, playing as if at their weekly

dreamt of and Packing My Bags won him

Wednesday night residency at Brixton’s

much praise and plenty of radio coverage:

Effra Tavern. Producers’ Liam Watson and

BBC radio broadcasters Cerys Matthews and

Tim Bulleyment aimed to let the band have

Robert Elms both championed the album

as much space as necessary. No fussing, no

and the Linton band tore up stages across

tightness, let the music play and record it

the UK.

using Toe Rag’s unique collection of vintage

Photo by Catherine Wilson

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 13

microphones and amplifiers. The results?

Well, they’re here to be enjoyed. So I’ll say no more. Beyond noting once again that Errol Linton leads the best blues band in Britain. Or, perhaps that should read, the best band in Britain.

Garth Cartwright author

14 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Garth Cartwright Photo by Quintina Valero

Chad Jackson; the former two-time Heavyweight World Champion DJ,

renowned turntablist and producer drums up his wicked ways for a scratch-tastic remix of Errol Linton’s already super funky ‘Rain in Your Life’.

Original version appears on this year's outstanding album, 'No Entry' on Bra$$dog Records.

Recorded at Dean St Studios, ‘Packing My Bags’ is Errol's fifth studio album and the first of Errol’s recordings to be released on vinyl. A personal ambition for Errol realized has also drawn fans of the album to get in touch with Brassdog Records. One vinyl lover wrote; ‘superb sounding recording. Errol and the band have a unique sound and the musicianship is outstanding, but I also feel I must mention the recording and production. It is fantastic. I have not heard an album of this quality in a long time.’

THE BLUES CLUB MAG 15

Riccardo Grosso 16 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

iccardo Grosso is a professional

R

I hope to be in the same show one day, so I

harmonica player and Blues musician

can listen to you live!”

coming from Italy who dedicated his life to

F

the music and the harmonica. Leaving a safe day-time job behind his back when he

ast forward to today, after spending years all around Europe performing with

Riccardo Grosso Blues Band on festivals and

was in his twenties, he knew what he

clubs stage, bringing joy to the people

wanted to be since he was a child: a Blues

without compromises (every single concert

harmonica player and discovered himself to

is performed at 100% of energy, honesty

be a singer too.

and true love for the music and the music

H

e decided to leave from Italy for a

fans), he was guest of the Original Blues

while and moved to New Orleans to

Brothers Band in their New Year’s Eve

get soaked in Blues, Jazz and that gumbo

concert in Italy and performed with some

that New Orleans’ music is, carving his own

top- class musicians like Johnny Sansone,

style and sound. Grosso never wanted to

John Fohl (Dr. John’sgui-

sound like anybody else, even if in deep

tarist),PapaGeorge(UK),EnricoCrivellaro, RJ

love with Junior Wells, Paul Butterfield,

Mischo, Motown’s artist Leroy Emmanuel,

Sonny Boy Williamson II and Charlie

just to name a few, Riccardo better like to

Musselwhite’s harmonica style. The latter,

let the music speaks and not be a name

listening to Riccardo’s music, spent really

dropper.

nice words about him: “That’s tremendous!

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 17

iccardo’s philosophy is to play Blues

R

performs with his Riccardo Grosso Blues

music with a twist. You would never

Band: the repertoire is a hand picked selec-

attend a “clichè” Blues concert when he

tion of Blues songs, not just Blues grooves

18 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

play solos

“T

over them.

Riccardo’s musical identity: live, in studio

There are

and as solist. The first part of the album is

meaning

taken from a live show recorded before the

and

big stop that the World has seen due to

message on

Covid-19, then you can listen to Grosso’s

these gems

himself performing an intimate, solo version

and there is

of Sonny Boy Williamson II “Fattening Frogs

the mission

For Snakes” where he sings, plays

to delivery

harmonica and percussion all by himself,

Blues music

and closing the album there’s Tom Waits’

to the next

“Til The Money Runs Out” performed in

generation.

studio, as homage of one of the band’s

P

roducing

heroes and a taste of things to come.

the

band’s

R

albums

the World, and is touring again to promote

without the

the new album and ready to track new

help of

original songs (like he did on “Right Now”,

labels of

the debut album) .

as excuse to

he Road And The Room” is a testimony of three different sides of

iccardo has never stopped teaching harmonica online with students all over

producers, Riccardo is

WEBSITE: www.rgband.com

publishing

BOOKING REQ: booking@rgband.com

the third

TEL: +39 320 191 3530

work with

riccardo@rgband.com

the band titled “The Road And The Room”, coming out on December 15th, 2021 and available on band’s website in pre-order from November.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 19

Jimmy Burns 20 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

“To me, there’s only one kind of music, and that’s good music.” Jimmy Burns

fascinated by music early on. He loved the sounds coming out of the church, and the blues he heard on the streets. Burns’ sang in church and taught himself how to play

S

inger, guitarist, and songwriter, Jimmy Burns is a contemporary bluesman who combines his Delta

roots with R&B and soul to come up with a sound uniquely his own. Burns is a charismatic performer with an expressive, soulful, voice and a melodic guitar style to match.

W

ith a keen sense of his musical heritage Burns has created an upbeat style that has won critical

acclaim both at home and abroad. Born near Dublin, Mississippi in 1943, Burns was

guitar while he was still in the Delta. One of his particular favorites was Lightnin’ Hopkins, His oldest brother, renowned Detroit bluesman Eddie Burns, is also a guitarist who played with John Lee Hooker for a number of years before striking out on his own.

B

urns was 12 when his family moved to Chicago. Within a year he was singing with a gospel group called

the Gay Lites. Secular music also beckoned.

Living on the Near North Side, he was caught up in the music of The Impressions and Major Lance who would rehearse in a

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 21

park near his home. In 1959, at the age of 16 he joined The Medallionaires, an established vocal group, and did some recording. Burns was also part of the folk

H

e formed his own band in the late 60s called Jimmy Burns and the Gas Company. The reality of raising a

family however, cut short Burns’ full-time

scene in the early 60s. He sang and played

musical career. Throughout the 70s and 80s

guitar at The Fickle Pickle, (booked at that

he stayed close to home, continuing to play

time by Mike Bloomfield), the Gate of Horn,

clubs and concert venues around town.

and coffeehouses around town.

With the blues never far from his soul, Burns returned to playing full-time in the mid- nineties.

H

e started out with a regular gig at Smoke-

daddy’s in Chicago, and it wasn’t long before Bob Koester of Delmark Records signed him to record a CD. Leaving Here Walking was a hit right out of the gate, winning Best Blues s R&B turned to soul in the 60s

A

Record of the Year, from the National

Burns cut a few soul singles for the

Association of Independent Record Distrib-

USA, Minit, Tip Top and Erica labels.

utors (NAIRD), the French Academie Du

One of his Erica singles, I Really Love You,

Jazz’s Big Bill Broonzy Award, and two W.C.

is a collector’s item in Great Britain. Burns

Handy Award nominations. National and

traveled throughout the Midwest, with a

international tours followed, as Burns

band called the Fantastic Epics. They

played to enthusiastic audiences in clubs

appeared at the Arie Crown Theatre in

and festivals across the country, and in

Chicago on a bill with Jeff Beck and the

Europe and Japan.

Yardbirds.

22 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

W

ith three Delmark albums under

bass, and James Carter on drums. As the

his belt, and a DVD/CD release

Jimmy Burns Band, this tight band of

in 2007 Burns is primed to take

veteran musicians rocks the house all night

his soulful, rockin’ blues and R&B to a wider

long.

audience. His recently re-formed band includes South and West Side musicians,

Ed

Anthony Palmer on guitar, E.G. McDaniel on

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 23

Vasti Jackson 24 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

V

ASTI JACKSON is a multiple Grammy nominated world renowned guitarist,

vocalist, and Music Director. His many awards and honors include Mississippi Cultural Ambassador, 2022 Jackson Music Awards Life Time Achievement recipient , 2021 JMA Blues Artist Of The Year Award recipient, 2019 Polar international Award recipient (Playing For Change), 2019 Grammy Nominee (producer), 2017 Arts Ambassador, 2016 Grammy nominee (The Soul of Jimmie Rogers), recipient of the 2015 Albert King Lifetime Guitar Award, 2014 Cultural ambassador, 2012 Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, and the 2011 Mississippi Living Blues Legend Award recipient.

F

rom his early beginnings performing in churches, and juke joints in McComb,

Miss., to festivals, concerts, and theatres around the world, Jackson moves effortlessly from blues, to soul, to jazz, to gospel, to world music, and beyond. As an actor Jackson plays Ike Turner in the international musical tour Simply the Best: The Tina Turner Story. He also currently performs as Robert Johnson in the theatrical presentation Robert Johnson: The Man, The Myth, The Music, and as Hobo Bill in the stage play Jimmie Rodgers: Americas' Blue Yodeler. He was a guest artist and composer with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 25

W

ith the Playing For Change Foundation Creating Positive Change

Through Music and Arts Education, Jackson has helped develop fifteen music schools in twelve countries with more than two thousand students. He has been featured in magazines such as Guitar Player, Living Blues, Back to the Roots, Nothing But the Blues, Juke Blues (England), Blues Revue, The 'Sip, Blues Matters, and many other publications. He has performed on Dan Akroyd's House of Blues Radio Hour, Starz Encore Network, WGN-TV in Chicago, and PBS.

H

e has also performed, written, produced, and recorded music for

HBO, VH1, Mississippi Educational Television, the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC), and radio and television programs in Australia, Uruguay, Finland, and Canada.

Jackson is the only Mississippian to have two recordings nominated for the Grammy in the same category, with one win in the same year.

Ed

26 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Created on 2012 in France,

by Lisa Panoyan, the agency LP ARTISTS represented international Blues artists especially as part of the EUROPEAN BLUES CRUISE, but also concerts and tours in France and other continents.

Its bilingual booking and expertise team are at the disposal of venues to coordinate and assist them as well on the technical aspect, that on transportation logistics and the promotion of each Event.

LP ARTISTS offers a unique roster, particularly attractive and 100% blues, including the following greatest Artists of the Blues scene : - LURRIE BELL - VASTI JACKSON - NORA JEAN WALLACE - JIMMY BURNS - MELVIN TAYLOR - VINO LOUDEN - JAMELL RICHARDSON - RUSS GREEN - STACY BROOKS Contact: Lisa Panoyan lpbluesartists@gmail.com +33 6 50 18 60 93 www.lpartists.com

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 27

28 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Blues according to Stano

Blues Views and News Each Month we look at the latest Views and Insights from the world of the blues.

Stano & Brian Palm THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 29

BLUES ACCORDING TO STANO

I

collaborators, but with a remarkably suc-

t is difficult to imagine a more unlikely

cessful track record. Working together in

musical pairing than a Post Punk, non-

STANO’s ‘Loscann Recording Studio’, the

musician electronic composer and a

resulting music created by the pair has been

relentlessly creative Blues harmonica player,

inspired, unorthodox and uniquely original.

but in STANO and Brian Palm that exact creative partnership has resulted in the

T

production of a wide ranging body of

personality to works already in progress,

outstanding collaborative musical artwork.

not unlike one of STANO’s many other

F

ar fetched as the combination may

musical collaborators. However, Palm’s

seem, the confluence of influences

extraordinary imagination, creativity,

he work is undoubtedly STANO’s, with Palm adding aspects of his musical

which brought sound artist STANO and

passion and boundless energy for making

harmonicist / fine artist Brian Palm together

Art is an inspiration to anyone who has

has resulted in the production of a cohesive

worked with him; provided they can avoid

series of musical projects stretching back

becoming exhausted! STANO is excited by

over a number of years. STANO and Palm

enthusiastic artistic collaboration, and

are not musical partners in the traditional

Palm’s lifelong habit of engaging in constant

sense; they do not perform live together or write songs with each other, they do not ‘jam’. They work together first in conversation, then in practicality when they actually enter the recording studio.

W

orking together sporadically, they have

managed to come up with a fascinating intersection of ideas, influences and musical genres.

More often than not, both will be working with other musicians and sound engineers on unrelated projects, but they remain in regular contact. As a result, they are in essence occasional

30 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

creativity of every description is a motivator

input or suggestions. They discuss each

for him. The two artists recently even

other’s work out of genuine interest, and

collaborated on a piece of visual art, with

share an alarmingly open and honest

the resulting painting being exhibited in a

working relationship based on friendship

group exhibition which also included several

and mutual respect.

of Ireland’s leading visual artists. he primary instrumentation of STANO’s

T

music is undoubtedly guitar and

small studio in Dublin back in 1982 when

T

he first collaboration between these highly disparate artists occurred in a

keyboards, but with a major emphasis on drum rhythm as well.

Consequently, harmonica is far down the line of essential instruments for him to include, but there is harmonica on many of STANO’s records none the less.

O

Stano & Brian Palm

f great importance to both participants

during their aural experimentation is a committed determination that their combined projects are brought “across the finish line”; meaning they are fully completed as pieces

STANO invited Palm to add harmonica to

of music, and that they actually wind up on

one of his early works. The recording

albums and CDs for people to hear and

session took place in a studio called ‘The

experience. Any attempt at a coherent

Recording Company’, a long defunct space

description of their combined working

that had a reputation for (occasionally)

methods could be misleading as the two

producing professional quality recordings

artists don’t sit down together and decide to from relatively unknown bands. It was a fitting environment in which both Punk and ‘get creative’. It is more often the case that one or the other will be working on a

Blues sensibilities could flourish because it

particular project and ask for an opinion,

was not a particularly well organized or

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 31

fastidious studio, in fact it was most

together with a razor blade, saving several

definitely an untidy one!

takes where the magnetic tape actually

he producer who ran it was open to

T

snapped in half or the track needed to be

almost any idea, no matter how crazy it

shortened or lengthened.

may have sounded. As a result, absolutely chaotic recording practices were not

P

uncommon there. One reel of tape could

the pub next door, and an atmosphere

contain dozens of bits and pieces from

prevailed where musicians would often

previous sessions by different bands, all

continue working after the producer/owner

jumbled up together. Drink often flowed

had disappeared elsewhere. Although some

freely during recording sessions, and there

very interesting work was created there, the

was constant interaction between the

studio inevitably became a victim of its own

musicians and the actual physical acts

ethos and eventually closed, with the

involved in the recording process at the

producer inexplicably engaged in the pro-

time; a ‘hands on, do it yourself’ attitude

cess of excavating an extremely large hole

prevailed. Palm recalls hitting the ‘record’

below ground where the control room had

button in the control room, then running

once been, using only a shovel. In its day, it

into position in front of the microphone as

was the perfect creative environment in

ints of Guinness were delivered straight into recording sessions on trays from

the reels of tape slowly spun to life. Another which to collaborate with other musicians skill he honed while working in that studio with complete artistic freedom and impunity from ‘official’ music industry judgement. It

Recoding Session in Studio

was his uncanny ability to splice tape

32 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

mature long term projects and neither

I

STANO nor Palm were destined to work

Palm regularly performed in with a number

there for very long.

of acts. In fact, Palm began running Blues

was however, an imperfect environment for

t was located across a small lane from a Blues bar known as ‘JJ’s’, which Brian

gigs in the bar in 1983, and he encouraged

“The studio was known for

the owner of The Recording Company to run a multi core recording cable directly from the studio, above the lane and through

giving unknown bands of every

an upstairs window of the pub, right to the stage. This idea didn't seem at all

description a ‘look in’, which was exceptionally rare at the time

”.

outlandish at the time, and the cable remained in place for over a year.

P

alm’s idea resulted in numerous Irish Blues bands getting their first, and often

only, experience of the recording process.

For a period of time, Palm worked

Musicians in JJ’s Pub. Dublin (No loger in existent)

extensively in that creatively tolerant studio,

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 33

recording harmonica with Blues bands,

so clearly depicted on the ‘track’ (ouch!) by

Rock and Country bands, Punk bands, Rock

carefully selective use of harmonica.

n’ Roll and Rockabilly bands, many of which

T

he performed with in JJ’s as well. It was while recording with a Dublin Rock band

he session which followed essentially kick started the long history of

collaboration between STANO and Palm,

called ‘The Subterraneans’ that Palm first

and it resulted in the inclusion of several

noticed the quiet, dark haired figure of

passages of exceptionally esoteric

STANO sitting on the studio couch.

harmonica on some of STANO’s early, un-

S

TANO had already begun to carve out a

released material.

reputation with his band ‘The Threat’,

T

and he was in the early stages of developing his sound and direction as a producer.

he influence that this Irish artist’s work has had on several following

generations of musicians cannot be under-

He’d been invited to sit in on the session to

estimated; despite the fact that here in

offer his observations and advice. Palm

Ireland it often is. STANO takes this

added sparse but effective harmonica

dichotomy of abundant recognition abroad

during an atmospheric passage, imitating a

versus a dearth of recognition at home

train pulling into a railway station, illustrat-

philosophically: “For years I thought I was

ing the lyrics of the song. STANO was

working in a vacuum because most of my

impressed with how the railway scene was

work was ignored in Ireland with only a few

STANO and writer Theo Dorgan at the premiere of ‘In Between Silence

34 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

exceptions. So when the first reviews of the

recommended to them by Paul Thomson,

reissue of my early work came in from

the outstanding multi-instrumentalist and

‘Quietus Magazine’, I was blown away. They

drummer with ‘Franz Ferdinand’.”

described my body of work as being still

W

uncategorizable. Boomkat in the UK placed my album ‘Content To Write In I Dine

arming to his subject, STANO added: “A few years ago John Byrne of

AllCity Records approached me about

Weathercraft’ at No. 2 in the top 10 reissues reissuing my debut album. I’m always last year, and also placed it in their classic moving on to my next project and tend not album charts alongside some of my musical to look back so didn’t really understand why heroes such as ‘Talk Talk’, Brian Eno, Steve

they’d want to re release it”. As it turned

Reich, and Philip Glass. It was a real

out, the reissued vinyl album was sold out

validation.”

by pre-release orders alone. Also on the

ell known contemporary bands who

W

way is a reimagining of the album by

cite STANO as a major influence

Norwegian DJ Sotofett which AllCity will be

include Fontaines DC, Murder Capitol, Girl

releasing on Vinyl in September.

Band and many others, and the list

D

continues to grow. It is an ironic if unfortunate fact that while such bands get plenty

espite his taste of success, STANO remains refreshingly candid: “Most of

of radio airplay and recognition in Ireland, the artist whose work laid out the groundwork for them to follow gets very little. However, STANO’s work has a large, dedicated following throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S., with his early vinyl albums sought after collector’s items nowadays.

S

TANO’s unswerving self belief and motivation have not always been easy

to maintain, as the artist himself readily admits, but there are always positive motivators to keep him going. “Last week I received an email from a Dutch band called ‘Ratsonrafts’ about ‘Content To Write In, I Dine Weathercraft’. They said it was the record they listened to constantly during

Mary and Shobsy O’Brien in Loscann

their most productive year. It was

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 35

the time you’re doubting yourself and

ideas garnered in Perth and Sidney through

wondering if you are connecting with any-

his experience working with indigenous

body so it’s really good to hear that 40

artist Greg Nanup and others, then working

years later my music is still resonating with

in collaboration with the painter John Duffy

people.”

when back in Dublin. It was through a

fter their initial recording session in ‘82,

A

series of meetings at visual art events that

STANO and Palm understandably

STANO and Palm began to renew their

drifted apart as time intervened; STANO

acquaintance and plans emerged for a new

pursued and developed his musical ideas

recording project.

while remaining professionally engrossed in a career of bespoke woodworking and

P

building. He immersed himself in other

album STANO was in the process of

interests as well, and spent extended

completing. Palm’s harmonica addition to

periods of time in Australia where his

2010’s ‘Blind Sound’ album was brief but

interest in painting was nurtured by his

provocative, with several plaintive

exposure to Aboriginal Art and the outdoor

harmonica notes flavouring ‘Reverse Pres-

lifestyle of his adopted environment. Palm

ence’ and ‘Jackdaw Vampire’ with touches

continued his dual careers as a visual artist

of sinister menace. ‘Blind Sound’ became a

and Blues musician in Ireland before the

remarkable musical departure for STANO,

two met up again around 2009 at an art

eventually even including two original tracks

exhibition in Dublin. STANO had begun

performed by an acoustic chamber or-

painting in earnest in Australia, exploring

chestra. The album proved to be one of his

36 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

alm visited STANO’s Loscann Studios in Dublin to add some harmonica to an

between the two.

most accessible releases to date.

Crazy Crow

T

D

departure, with Palm making a spontaneous

was experimenting with sampled sounds

spoken word cameo appearance, and

being triggered by Brian Palm’s harmonica

adding (at STANO’s insistence) some of the

playing. One sample tested out was the

strangest sounding and disquieting

sound of a Bottlenose Dolphin, which

harmonica Palm has admittedly ever recor-

inspired Palm to begin relating a story of an

ded. On the track ‘Away Rain Washes’ a

incident during which a wild dolphin pinned

funky percussive groove suddenly gives way

him underwater off the coast of Ireland.

to an unsettling environment of a ghastly,

STANO pulled up an unfinished backing

surreal funeral parlour, punctuated by

track and asked Palm to begin telling the

Palm’s outbursts of bizarre harmonica and

story again, this time to the rhythm of the

strange spoken word utterings. It

track. Within twenty minutes the piece of

progresses to an apocalyptic climax with

music was finished, with Palm’s story

evocative and highly accomplished

finishing exactly as the backing track ended.

harmonica the dominant instrument,

A

he following album ‘Unknown Distance’, released in 2013, marked yet a new

contrasted against banks of abstract electronic sound. It was shortly after Palm

uring what seemed to be a routine but productive recording session, STANO

few days later, Palm was in Loscann Studio again recording to a roughly

sketched out backing track. Knowing that

was back in Loscann laying down harmonica Palm had recently traveled extensively in for 2014’s release ‘Decoder’ that things the American West, STANO casually asked if upped a gear in the working relationship there were any stories from the trip out

After the premiere of ‘In Between Silence’ in NYC

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 37

West that might fit the music. As the

around the globe. The only prerequisite

backing track rolled, an incredible tale of an

requirement for inclusion in ‘In Between

adventurous day spent at Wild Horse Mesa

Silence’ is having a story to tell. Many of the

in New Mexico unfolded, with Palm

stories were included in the 2016 vinyl

punctuating his own voice with emphatic

release of ‘In Between Silence’, with cover

harmonica phrases. ‘Where It All Happened’, artwork appropriately by Brian Palm. The a remarkable spoken word piece about a

stories were cleverly released to live

series of events which took place one after-

audiences in darkened cinemas with

noon on a remote Laguna Sioux reservation

powerful sound systems. After the projec-

beside the Rio Grande fell effortlessly into

tion of a single image relating to each story

place.

appeared, the cinema screen would go

he two spoken word pieces became the

T

dark, plunging the audience into a deep

first stories in STANO’s groundbreaking

listening experience without the expected

project ‘In Between Silence’, which has

accompanying visuals. Palm joined STANO

since been presented on an international

in attending the project’s American debut in

scale, in conjunction with Denise Dunphy,

New York City in 2018.

STANO’s partner and primary recording engineer. The two stories essentially be-

S

came the template for STANO’s process of

‘Starlit Rain’, a tribute to his friend John

recording dozens of further stories from

Duffy, also in 2018, ‘The SeaGull Who Flew

many of Ireland’s leading musicians, artists

in From Another World’(2019) as well as the

and writers, as well as ordinary people from

record company’s plan to issue ‘Anthology’ a

38 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

TANO went on to release more albums on a nearly yearly basis; including

collection of STANO’s most acclaimed work,

STANO alone has carved out for himself.

and numerous other collaborations;

A

including his porcelain book, which is way too complicated a project to describe here...

I

fter hearing the results, Stokes mused: “We always try to keep a raw,

unpolished feel to our recordings, so they

n the meantime, Palm was working on a

approximate our live sound. That has in fact

series of recordings made with the

traditionally been a struggle for us when

exceptional Irish vocalist Mary Stokes of

mixing; to keep our recordings somewhat

The Mary Stokes Band. STANO came on

rough sounding, almost always against the

board to add post production to two of the

preference of recording engineers. In this

songs, with the intention for them to be

instance the tracks went way, way past

released as a double A-side single. During

being simply overproduced or sanitised;

the ensuing process, STANO decided to

they were in fact STANO-ised!”

work on the songs in greater depth than

S

had originally been expected. He did far

TANO’s extraordinary recording studio skill set, combined with his highly tuned

more than produce them as Blues tracks; he sense of musical independence and brought all of his exceptional talent, artistic originality, resulted in a vision of two Blues vision and experience to the project and tracks utterly unlike any others. STANO’s completely transformed the recordings,

treatment of Stokes’ original song ‘Fire and

bringing them from the realm of Blues

Ice’ changed it from a ballad of love lost

music into an unclassifiable territory which

and sleepless nights into a tour de force of

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 39

intense personal self expression. The simple

acoustic guitar, and even the (often

yet intense ‘Mattie Won’t Write’, a strange

dreaded) but in this instance oddly

fragment of a song worked up from a line in

appropriate wah-wah guitar.

a field recording made by Alan Lomax in

S

1948, equally morphed from a Blues band’s admittedly unusual treatment of a simple

TANO added banks of piano and keyboards from top session player Billy

Farrell and created a sonic landscape over

prison chant, into a form of hybrid,

which Mary Stokes reinterpreted and re-

uncategorizable contemporary music in

placed her original vocals in a complete

STANO’s hands.

reworking of the two songs, creating some-

S

thing unexpectedly contemporary sounding

tokes made repeated trips to the studio

working and reworking her vocals to get yet startlingly exciting and original.

just the effect required to suit the lush, multi-layered production which Stano envisioned and produced. Curiously, one of

S

tokes commented about the departure from her normal recording process

which she employed for these songs: “I

the ‘worst sins’ to commit when producing a

usually go for my main vocal take while the

Blues song or album, is to ‘over- produce’ it.

band are recording live; I don’t like to do

STANO stepped right past this debate by

‘guide’ vocals as a rule, then return for a

working exactly as he always does, from

‘final’ vocal. I like to sing with my musicians

instinct and gut feeling. His glistening

and try to get a good performance out of

production, overlayed with waves and

everyone at the same time, myself included.

washes of sparkling guitar from Jeen Rabs,

In this way I can potentially maximise the

who played electric guitar, slide guitar,

feeling, passion and commitment to my

40 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

singing; by essentially trying to approximate

singles and appeared on an album, gar-

a live performance context. Working with

nering airplay and critical praise; while

STANO, that approach, which I’m very

creating some lively debate in die-hard

comfortable with, went right out the

Blues circles!

window!” eturning several times to rework her

G

vocals, Stokes admits that STANO’s

her to offer a story for ‘In Between Silence’.

R

etting to know Mary Stokes better by working closely with her, STANO invited

approach of adding multiple layers of lush

Stokes produced a stunningly personal story

instrumentation set against her solitary

about her response to encountering a chain

vocal, done in a single take, was

gang while driving on a back road deep in

demanding, but it definitely worked in this

rural Mississippi. The story is a tale of

instance. Mary quickly returned to Loscann

cruelty replaced by joy, humanity and

with the up-and-coming vocalist Shobsy

redemption, which then reverts back to

O’Brien in tow, to record a dual vocal on

cruelty and the emotional effects created by

“Mattie Won’t Write”, rethinking the density

it. It is a powerful piece of work by two

of the arrangement to augment guitarist

Irish Artists operating at the peak of their

Sarah Michelle’s addition of some blistering

powers. The track, called simply ‘Chain

lead guitar. These changes brought a

Gang’ appeared in STANO’s debut per-

‘Bluesier’ feel back to this particular version

formance of ‘In Between Silence’ which took

of the song, all under STANO’s calmly

place in selected venues throughout Dublin

watchful ears and eyes. Both ‘Fire and Ice’

in 2017.

and ‘Mattie Won’t Write’ were released as

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 41

he unexpected journey taken by these

T

Memphis Minnie’s ‘Moonshine’ and a re

Dublin based Blues musicians and

envisioned, rural Blues version of Billie

STANO took yet another twist in 2020 when

Holiday’s Jazz/ Blues classic ‘Fine and

Mary Stokes decided that Loscann Studios

Mellow’. The songs were incredibly sparse

would be the ideal place for her to record a

with strong yet somehow fragile sounding

handful of stripped back acoustic Blues

vocals dripping with emotion. Mary Stokes

songs as a trio with Sarah Michelle and

then quietly announced that she was going

Brian Palm. It would be an unusual

to try an unrehearsed version of the

departure for everyone in that Stokes

traditional Blues ‘Another Man Done Gone’,

clearly stipulated that she wanted to record

accompanied solely by minimal guitar.

the songs live, with no overdubs and

T

absolutely minimal production, completely the opposite of STANO’s favoured mode of

he two women performed a heartfelt rendition of the song, made all the

more powerful by the fact that it contained

working. It is to his credit that STANO came

none of Sarah Michelle’s virtuoso fretboard

on board the project immediately and

work nor any of Mary Stokes’ trademark

without hesitation, even offering his studio

powerfully soaring vocals. It was a re-

and services free of charge as a mark of

strained, nearly introverted performance

respect to Mary’s talent.

captured in one take by STANO and top

S

he chose to warm up with two of her

studio engineer Joe McGrath. Stokes

original songs ‘My Voodoo Doll’ and

perfectly captured the intentionally fragile

‘Going Down to Florida’, then quickly added

yet musically accurate vocal effect she had

42 |

THE BLUES CLUB MAG

hoped to achieve, and it ultimately became

performances, but he regularly asserts that

clear that the astonishing songs she recor-

these recent acoustic recordings are among

ded at the beginning of the session were

Mary Stokes’ most outstanding work.

merely to help her warm up to the intensity

S

of the track she had primarily intended to capture.

o ends this journey through the Blues of the deep South as seen through the

eyes of a talented Irish singer, a creative

he frailty of Stokes’ vocal delivery is

T

harp player and an open minded electronic

entirely genuine as she became

composer. But just as the sojourn is about

emotionally engrossed in the song as it was

to end, who should appear at the door…but

being delivered, and the result is

STANO, dropping in two copies of his latest

astonishingly effective. The songs were

release; an elaborately packaged double CD

included on Mary Stokes’ acoustic EP ‘Fire

of tracks from ‘In Between Silence’

and Ice’, and they continue to get regular

containing among other stories, Mary

airplay in Ireland and abroad, particularly

Stokes’ spoken word masterpiece, simply

on Bernard Clarke’s radio programme ‘The

titled ‘Chain Gang’.

Blue of the Night’ on RTE Lyric FM. Clarke is

Brian Palm

emphatic that this suite of pained, pared back songs capture Mary Stokes’ Blues sensibility at its very essence. Clarke is a champion of the Mary Stokes Band and their historic high incendiary live

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 43

44 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

How The Blues Found Me

Hal Meggison

How The Blues Found Me (And How They Taught Me to Love Music)

cradle. There was very little music in our house, just an all in one portable record player, some Allan Sherman records, and a smattering of Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and

I

didn’t find the blues, the blues found

Mary records that my older sister would

me. I imagine that’s the case for most

occasionally listen to.

people. And over the decades they’ve

T

hen

changed my life in more ways than I could

when I

possibly have

was in

imagined. This is

sixth grade, I

not so much a

went to the

paean to the

local SuperX

blues forms, but

drugstore to

rather a personal,

buy Bobby

non-linear story in

Goldsboro’s hit

the same way

record “Honey”

that the blues

because I

themselves are

thought it was

personal and non-

a pretty song. I

linear, having

got distracted

always tested

by an album

boundaries in the

with an

interest of finding

appealing

new sounds, new

visually busy

ways of ex-

cover so I

pression, and

bought that

continued

instead. It was

happiness and personal liberation by way of

Cream’s Wheels of Fire. After a few listens I

music.

didn’t really understand it but was definitely

I

grew up in Orange County, CA in the

intrigued. So in a way the Big Blues fish

60s. It was idyllic for a kid to run

hook was firmly set, but it took a few more

around and play from sunup to

years before it was landed.

sundown, but not the kind of cultural bastion of a New York or London, where the

I spent the next few years still being a kid,

arts just sort of rub off on you from the

playing baseball all the time (my greatest

THE BLUES CLUB MAG| 45

continuous passion in life), riding my bike to the beach, and just generally goofing off. I didn’t spend much time at all paying attention to music. I was just busy being a kid.

F

I

also had a good friend named Danny Reilly who seemed to really be on top of things musically, I’m still not sure

how, but he turned me onto bands that didn’t do too much for me like Black

ast forward to 1972/73 through

Sabbath and Deep Purple, and solo artists

1975/76, the high school years. I first

who did an awful lot for me like Lou Reed and David

got into

The Rolling

Bowie, and

Stones and had a

finally, the

strong preference

great Rory

for songs like

Gallagher.

Country Honk,

With that

High and Dry,

the Big

Down Home Girl,

Blues fish

and Prodigal Son

had just

as opposed to the

been landed

more radio popu-

but good.

lar tunes. I also got into Johnny Winter in a very big way, again digging songs like Parchman Farm, Miss Ann, Leland Mississippi Blues, and Good Morning Little School Girl much more than the radio friendly stuff.

S

uddenly I found myself looking at song credits and wondering who people like Chester Burnett, McKinley

Morganfield, and R. Penniman were. This was pre- internet so it took some work.

46 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

W

ith the help of people like Danny and a couple of very happy to help record store owners I got

there. I was soon swimming in all kinds of traditional blues - BB King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Champion Jack

DuPree, Memphis Slim, Junior Wells and

songs were generally sourced in Africa back

Buddy guy, Paul Butterfield, and all the

when (and we all know where that came

other usual and lesser known suspects,

from). Jazz, on the other hand, seemed to

from straight ahead hardcore delta and

spring almost fully formed, primarily from

Chicago blues to the Brits to what some

New Orleans, the chief architects being Jelly

now call blues rock. My tendency was to

Roll Morton, Kid Ory, and the immortal Louis

buy every recording I could by an artist to

Armstrong. They had good company only a

be sure I wasn’t missing anything. In a few

little bit later and a little further north in

years I accumulated something on the

Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman, Cab

order of several hundred recordings and

Calloway and the great Duke Ellington. A

had turned into a regular blues snob. My

noteworthy point, but this is not a musi-

attitude was if it ain’t some form of blues,

cology class and I digress.

get that stuff outta here!

I

A

nd because I was so into blues I started playing guitar. Kept it up for several years but later gave it up

discovered Jazz strictly by accident, buying an album that looked a lot like blues from the cover and the track

listing. Boy was I wrong. I had stumbled

because I thought I was only OK (my

upon Barney Kessel, who all these decades

younger brother was the real talent in the

later remains my favorite guitarist of all

family), and I was just doing the same thing time. That was the beginning of a whole differently. I also realized I was much more

new period of discovery. Within short order

interested in learning about the history of

I was up to my ears in Barney Kessel, Joe

and listening to music rather than playing it.

Pass, Wes Montgomery, Dizzy Gillespie,

And by that time I had discovered another

Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and just about

great life passion, the works of William

anyone else you can think of. And my ears

Shakespeare and the Metaphysical and

told me these guys were the cousins of the

Religious Poets.

blues, and as cousins often do, they

B

ack to high school. In my Senior

borrowed heavily from one another and

year the blues begat jazz for me. A

occasionally bickered.

lot of people think this is the way it

S

happened in real life, but generally speaking they evolved on parallel paths. The blues as we know them had their origins in lower

o in the next few years I accumulated another several hundred or so recordings and became a blues and

jazz snob, refusing to listen to any new or

Appalachia (largely immigrants from the

recent artists that my best friends were

British Isles), on plantations, on prison work

pushing on me like Elvis Costello, Talking

farms and chain gangs, and those kinds of

Heads, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, etc.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 47

And these same friends were also pushing

their souls and their playing revealed it.

well established artists like Bob Dylan, Neil

better label). But still for me it was blues,

S

jazz, or nothing at all. Looking back I must

like, music that does or doesn’t touch my

have been an incredibly crushing boor, even

soul, and music that speaks to me on a

to the best of friends.

visceral level. Whether traditional blues or

hen in the following years , I listened

T

other genres, it’s the combined power of

to some of the artists my friends had

language and sound that overwhelms the

been pushing on me because one

senses and makes you happy just to be

really can’t subsist on a diet of blues and

alive. And most importantly, I learned that

jazz alone. It gets pretty boring. And I liked

the blues comes at us from all directions,

these artists. I liked them a lot. So began

and it’s essential to be open to all kinds of

another period of discovery that has lasted

music. Thank god I seem to like a lot of it,

decades and continues to this day. I dug

and it all started with the blues.

Young, and John Prine among others (sort of the folkie/rockie players for want of a

o in the end what I really learned from discovering the blues at such an early age is that there is no good or

bad music, just music that I like or don’t

deep into people like Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and especially Neil Young. And as before, that digging made me look further back for sources, and suddenly I was discovering people like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, American “roots” music, like Cajun artists such as Dewey Balfa, Marc Savoy and D.L. Menard, BeauSoleil, and collections from Alan Lomax, Harry Smith, and various Smithsonian collections. That in turn led to Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson, Texas swing king Bob Wills, Texas blues and R&B legend Doug Sahm, and to the royal family of “country” music, the Carter Family.

A

nd what I realized about all these musicians is that while they weren’t necessarily playing what people

think of as “blues” being only of the twelve or eight bar variety, they all had the blues in

48 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Hal Meggison

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 49

50 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Part 2

Forty Shades of Blues

I

reland is a small, isolated island country in the North Atlantic, far from Chicago or the Mississippi Delta. The

stereotypical “Irish Types” with flaming red hair and snow white skin actually do exist, and centuries of hardship, oppression and constant Atlantic rain have conspired to make the Irish an often introspective people with highly defined cultural norms. It would stand to reason then that the possibility of Irish musicians making genuine Blues music might be pretty far fetched. Jigs and reels played on fiddles, uilleann pipes and bodhrans beside an open turf fire in the pub, with pints of Guinness and an occasional whiskey against the weather are easily comprehensible. But Irish Blues music? That’s a bit harder to wrap the head

Dom Martin

around.

B

lues music is undoubtedly and inarguably African in origin, and American in character. So how can

insular islanders from a small country miles off the coast of mainland Europe actually consider themselves to be Blues musicians?

This issue was examined at great length in the article ‘Same Old Blues’ in an earlier issue of the Blues Club Magazine, and it remains open to debate. However, a strong case was made that a combination of factors in Irish History conspired to create a form of deeply felt indigenous music expressly used to convey sorrow, anger, rebellion and on occasion, joy.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 51

herever there are Blues

W

musical skill and vocal harmonies, the

musicians prepared to perform,

flawless delivery of each song was matched

and Blues fans willing to go out

by the genuinely felt playing of their

and support them, there will be a Blues

textured sound. Both sisters seemed to be

scene of some sort. For the purposes of this

genuinely and unexpectedly overwhelmed

article, the health and popularity of Blues

by the response from the Irish audience to

music in Ireland will be judged by what is

their gig.

currently happening in the Irish Blues scene, and there certainly is a lot going on.

C

urrently in Ireland there are numerous venues in which Blues bands are playing, there are several

Blues Festivals lined up this Summer, and open mic jams continue to spring up around the country. Competitive heats of The European Blues Challenge are being hosted from Dublin to Cork, with some lively

S

everal international Blues performers visited Ireland recently, including Larkin Poe in Vicar Street. They put

on an astonishingly professional show of

52 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Larkin Poe

activity and interest being generated.

C

K

of Naul. Alvin Youngblood Hart performed

with over fifty bands featured in pubs and

an intimate solo gig in Guinan’s Pub, Dublin,

clubs across the city. This festival has

on a damp night, yet he filled the room and

secured funding and sponsorship from a

treated those who braved the elements to a

number of interested parties including

night of brilliant country Blues, ending his

Guinness, the Arts Council of Northern

show with an extraordinary version of a

Ireland, the Sunday World Newspaper,

song by Phil Lynott, the beloved leader of

Belfast Radio, the Deer’s Head Music Hall

Irish Rock legends Thin Lizzy. On June 22nd

and others. It is indicative of the level of

the Steepwater band from Chicago played a

organisation of this festival that ‘The

masterfully crafted Blues gig in McKenna’s

People’s Kitchen’ which provides free meals

Bar, Monaghan, to a packed house. In this

for the homeless, has been chosen as The

small island country, live Blues music is

Belfast City Blues Festival’s charity of

once again thriving.

choice. Well done to them for considering

arvin Jones just completed a short but successful tour here, which culminated in a blistering show in

the Seamus Ennis Centre in the tiny village

icking off the Blues Festival season early up in Northern Ireland, the Belfast City Blues Festival 2022 took

place over the weekend of June 24th - 26th

the spirit of humanity when planning this festival.

T

he Letterkenny Blues and Roots Music Festival took place June 30th through 3rd July in the picturesque

Donegal town with sixty free Blues gigs along a ‘Blues Trail’. Most of the bands were unfamiliar to this writer, with the exception of the headliner Dom Martin who has had an astonishingly successful year. Dom was

A

Alvin Youngblood Hart

in Memphis for the Blues Challenge where he acquitted himself admirably, and he has a busy touring schedule ahead.

A

n indication of the interest in Blues music in this far flung corner of rural Ireland, famous for its traditional

fiddlers and their unique, ancient style, can be judged by the number of relatively

TTHE BLUES CLUB MAG | 53

Delta Fuse unknown Blues bands available to perform

where the club is based. A laudable effort

at this fledgling festival. Those performing

by all! More information is available at

include Willie and the Bandits, Delta Fuse,

thechurchbluesclub.com

Duke Street Kings, Shindig House Band and

R

many more.

R

unning a successful Blues gig in a small, rural community is a commendable achievement in itself,

ob Strong is well known in Ireland as a stage performer of incredible longevity and versatility, and he

brings his ‘Commitments’ themed show to the Seamus Ennis Centre on Saturday, July

but to do so and then donate the proceeds

9th. As mentioned earlier, the centre is

towards the restoration of the local heritage

located in the tiny, rural village of Naul,

centre is an astonishing feat of community

North of Dublin, and it has a great

spirit and goodwill. The Church Blues Club

reputation for bringing talent into this

of Michelstown, County Cork did just that

isolated community. As such, the centre has

on Friday, July 1st with the help of Gerry

fantastic local support, and the gigs are

Quigley and the Mystic Blues Band who

always well attended by enthusiastic

performed their ‘Church Restoration Benefit’

audiences. The centre is thriving despite

to a packed house. The money raised will

many of the current economic factors which

help with crucial repair work needed to

are making life in some parts of the Irish

Saint George’s Heritage Centre Church

countryside more challenging than ever.

54 | T| THE BLUES CLUB MAG

lso performing on July 9th are Pat

A

MaGee’s, normally more associated with

Farrell and John Quearney, two

Punk, Metal or Alt acts. Crow Black Chicken

stalwarts of the Dublin Blues scene.

have also toured internationally, again as

They perform in the newly reopened ‘Ar-

relative renegades, touring without support,

thur’s’ on Thomas Street, Dublin. It is ex-

doing it themselves from booking the gigs

cellent news that Arthur’s has opened its

and accommodation to the logistics of

doors again as it had established itself as a

touring with full equipment and crew. This

primary venue for Blues music in Dublin,

is a band who perform the Blues the way

and there was some speculation about

they want to hear it, raw, loud and

whether it would resume trade or not.

hypnotic; an enigmatic bunch of guys seriously into what they are doing.

T

Pat Farrell and John Quearney

he Chapel Hill Gang, who have acted as the house band for Blues gigs run in Kildare Town by Gonz

Houlihan, will be performing around Ireland this Summer, with music in the Harp Bar continuing every weekend.

I

nternational Blues journeyman Seasick Steve will be performing in the Ulster Hall, Belfast on Friday, July 21st. It is

an indication of his enormous popularity

C

row Black Chicken are a hard driving

that he’s been booked into this famous old

three piece Blues band from

venue which has a rich history of presenting

Tipperary, a rural part of Ireland.

live music for many years through thick and

They will be playing a major show on Fri-

thin. Some of the greatest names in show

day, July 15th in the Royal Theatre, Cas-

business have performed there including

tlebar, County Mayo. The band originally

many giants of the Blues.

developed and dialled in their particular sound in relative isolation, then appeared fully developed performing in venues outside of the established norms. They were, and to some degree remain, outsiders to even the mainstream Blues scene in Ireland, carving out their own path by

W

hile not having much to do with Blues music, but everything to do with harmonica music, the

Phil Murphy Weekend will be going full steam ahead July 21st through 24th in Carrig on Bannow, County Wexford. For anyone remotely interested in virtuoso

performing in Rock venues such as Fibber

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 55

traditional Irish harmonica playing, this is for you.

O

ne of the most prestigious stages to perform on in Ireland is

O

n Thursday July 28th the BC Blues

Whelan’s Main Stage, and that’s

Band will play in the Victoria

exactly where you’ll find Mary Stokes and

House, Tramore, County Waterford.

her band on Sunday July 31st when they

This is another new Blues venture in a

headline the Blues, Roots and Brass Fest-

countryside setting. Tramore is a holiday

ival. This popular Dublin Blues band are

destination beside the sea, with a tradition

able to attract full houses whenever they

of Blues gigs being run in the town for

perform, and their show is already nearly

many years by local motorcycle club the Waterford Freewheelers.

Perhaps the local appetite for live Blues music can initially be attributed to them.

O

n July 28th the Cork semifinal heat of the European Blues Challenge will take

place, hosted by the Lee Delta Blues Club ya in The Corner House, Cork, under the auspices of the European Blues Union. The three Cork bands

The Mary Stokes Band

competing on the night include Art Deko, Owen Carty and the Blue Roses. In wishing them the best of luck, it is hoped that these bands bring the special qualities inherent in the best of Irish music whatever the genre, that being their ‘Irishness’. Three Dublin bands will also compete to represent Ireland in the competition, the Dublin heats taking place in Arthur’s, Dublin on July 23rd.

sold out in advance. Also appearing at the festival are guitarists Mike Brookfield and Pat Farrell, Irish / Italian blues group DagoRed and the The Dublin Blues Cartel among others. The festival runs from July 29th to the 31st.

56 | | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

very welcome addition to the Blues

A

once again as one of the main acts. Also

scene in Ireland is the continued

performing over the weekend are the

growth of the Howth Blues Festival,

Square Pegs, Mik Pyro, The Rye River Band,

now in its fifth year. This is a great little

Susan Tomelty, Frank Falcone and many

Blues Fest held in a beautiful fishing village

others. The festival will run from Aug. 5th to

on the edge of Dublin Bay. Headline act is

Aug. 7th, with an abundance of fresh

again Dom Martin, with Mary Stokes Band

seafood available in the village as a further lure.

T

he Blues Brothers film has

obviously inspired many different cover bands and stage shows, but unfortunately this comic interpretation of Blues music has become somewhat hackneyed at best, and in the wrong hands it can go from bad to worse. However, with audiences guaranteed to flock to it for the soul hits they have become used to hearing, there is ample reason for

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 57

musicians to form Blues Bros bands around the Globe. Dublin is no different, and ‘The Blooze Brothers’, a homegrown version of the famous group’s legacy will bring their

O

ne quality that the finest Irish musicians and vocalists bring to their particular interpretation of

Blues music is the Irish melodic lyricism and fluidity found in traditional Irish Music,

August 26th. Expect to hear the obvious,

which permeates all aspects of life on the

but more than likely, nothing

island. It is present in everyday turns of

groundbreaking.

phrases, in the myriad colourful accents

Blooze Brothers

stage show to the Grand Social in Dublin on

58 | THE EXPERIMENT MAG

found on such a small land mass; it is in the

established themselves as the definitive

weather and in the terrifying beauty of the

Irish Blues band by many years of live

land itself. It is responsible for the creation

performing, international touring and a

of a form of hybrid Blues music utilizing the

recording history spanning decades. The

structure, instrumentation and powerful

band have a busy Summer ahead, with the

emotional expression of the Blues,

launch of their new album timed to coincide

combined with a strong sense of Irish

with a spate of live gigs and several fest-

identity.

ivals which essentially constitute a mini-tour.

T

T

Wolf, Bessie Smith or Muddy Waters. They

guitar and piano to the album. The Mary

form an original vision of the Blues based

Stokes Band can be heard in Arthur’s on

on, and influenced by, the great Masters of

July 23rd, Whelan’s on July 31st, Howth on

the past into which they can genuinely pour

Aug. 7th, and elsewhere in Ireland this

out their soul, without resorting to pastiche.

Summer. Stokes and partner harmonicist

I

n writing these words, one Irish singer

Brian Palm will perform with Led Zeppelin

immediately springs to mind:Mary

cover band Whole Lotta Zepp, who bring

Stokes. The Mary Stokes Band have

their phenomenal live show to the Sugar

he very best Irish Blues musicians do not attempt to imitate the great Blues players who have inspired

them, they don’t pretend to be Howlin’

he album was recorded during the Spring and includes a track on which Mary is joined for a dual vocal by

Irish superstar Paul Brady, who also added

Club and the Academy, Dublin in October.

F

inally, the busiest Irish blues musician of the bunch, Dom Martin goes back on the road with Erja

Lyytinen for an extended tour in

Mary Stokes

November.

Brian Palm

THE EXPERIMENT MAG | 59

British Blues Hero

John Mayall

Photo by Curt Brown

60 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

T

he Morris Performing Arts Center is a grand ornate theater built in 1922 that has presented all types of

entertainment, including vaudeville acts, Broadway troupes, The Ziegfeld Follies with George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Fanny Brice, singers such as Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra, the legendary magician Houdini, movie world premieres such as “The Gipper” when Ronald Reagan, Rudy Vallee, and Bob Hope appeared, and all genres of musical stars and acts including Rush, Def Leppard, Hank Williams, REO Speedwagon, The Eagles, ZZ Top, The Eagles, Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, Judas Priest, Eddie Money, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Foghat, B.B. King, and many

John Mayall: The Blues Owes Him A Debt Of Gratitude

more. The venue is also home to The South Bend Symphony Orchestra. You get the picture; the setting was again going to offer a top-flight package of entertainment,

A

ugust 19, 2011 was a beautiful

and on the particular evening in question,

Summer evening in South Bend, IN.

George Thorogood and The Destroyers

I was still working downtown in

were the headliners, with John Mayall and

banking, as was my wife, but on this

his band to open the show.

particular night, we were not rushing home

I

to go through the typical domestic gyrations folks do when they return home from work.

Shortly after 5pm, we met at one of our favorite restaurants downtown, and then

had long admired John Mayall and his place in music history, particularly, as it related to the blues. But for all my

years of devoting countless evenings and hours to seeing my blues heroes in-performance, I had never had the opportunity

afterwards walked a short couple of blocks

to witness Mayall in concert. As excited as I

to South Bend’s Morris Performing Arts

was to see Thorogood and his great band

Center.

(my wife and I, plus our friend, Larry, had

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 61

second row center seats to the show), I

interests, Mayall took it upon himself to

was especially intrigued as to Mayall’s show,

learn to play harmonica, guitar, and piano.

especially because he was getting on in

A

years (78 years of age at this performance), and I was curious as to what to expect.

B

three-year stint in the service in Korea led to Mayall returning back to England, where he enrolled in

orn in northwest England in the early college studying art. However, during his 1930s, Mayall came to his interest in

time in the service, he purchased his first

music honestly, as his father was a

electric guitar, and because of this, once

jazz music fan, and a guitarist, as well. It is

home, he also started playing in a band

said that in his home during his youth,

named the Powerhouse Four in 1956, a

Mayall was attracted to the music of

band of semi-professionals like himself.

American musicians, including jazz guitarist

Upon graduation from college, Mayall found

Eddie Lang, blues/folk giant Huddie

work as an art designer, and continued his

Ledbetter (Leadbelly), boogie woogie

amateur music career.

pianist Albert Ammons, and blues piano

I

artist Pinetop Smith. Due to his extreme interest in his wide sphere of musical

62 | THE BLUES CLUBS MAG

t was in 1962 when Mayall became a member of a group named The Blues Syndicate, a band that attempted to

meld jazz and blues. However, in 1963,

heralded Jack Bruce. However, Clapton did

Mayall decided to move to London at the

return to the band (as was promised him)

urging of Alexis Korner, a man who many

after his Greek tour), and McVie also

consider “the father of British blues”, where

returned.

he made music his full-time vocation.

1

W

ith his band including John McVie (of Fleetwood Mac fame) on bass, Peter Ward on drums, and

966 saw The Bluesbreakers again record for Decca, and over a short three-day span, the seminal album,

Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton, was

Bernie Watson on bass, the fist incarnation

completed. However, in June, 1966,

of The Bluesbreakers was set. Shortly

Clapton’s plans to form the rock group

thereafter in 1964, the band had its first recording opportunity, though using Martin Hart on drums, and they laid-down two cuts, though they generated little momentum. It was not long after this recording session that Huge Flint replaced Martin Hart on the drums, and Roger Dean took over guitar chores from Watson. This band lineup then backed John Lee Hooker on tour when he visited Britain in 1964.

I

n late 1964, the band was offered a chance to record a “live” performance for Decca, and while the recording and

a released single again didn’t generate any traction, change on the horizon would signal a new phase for Mayall.

I

Cream, with Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, leaked out, and Mayall replaced Clapton again with Green. The band managed to record dozens of tracks in the ensuing year, and an album was released in early 1967. However, Green decided to depart the band, taking all of the Bluesbreakers with him, forming Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac.

N

ow that the earliest years of John Mayall’s musical career have been outlined, it should be obvious that

change has been a constant force in his musical journey, that he always sought to surround himself with the best talent possibly, and that change was a constant force for him. Particularly, as it pertains to the

n 1965, Eric Clapton replace Dean as

role of guitarist in his various bands.

the band’s guitarist. This afforded the

Mayall’s bands have long been seen as the

band newfound and great attention.

proving grounds for a guitarist to prove his

But, more change was on the horizon, as

blues muster, and the roster of individuals

Clapton decided to leave for a tour of

who have played in Mayall’s bands is

Greece, with Mayall bringing in Peter Green

staggering in depth and breadth of talent.

as the band’s guitarist. Also, McVie was

The names include Clapton, Green, Mick

ousted for the band, replaced by the

Taylor, Harvey Mandel, Jon Mark, Buddy

THE THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 63

Whittington, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya,

“I have decided, due to the risks of the

James Quill Smith, Freddy Robinson, among

pandemic and my advancing age, that it is

others.

time for me to hang up my road shoes. As a

umping to the 1970s, Mayall relocated

J

result I will be radically reducing my touring

to the U.S., where he spent roughly 15

schedule and will be limiting my per-

years recording with local musicians

formances to local shows near my home in

across a number of labels. In 1982, Mayall

California, and the occasional concert

reunited with McVie, Taylor, and Collen Allen

further afield. My epic road dog days how-

(three band members from the formative

ever have come to an end. I want to thank

1960s years) for a tour that lasted a couple

my audience for all the wonderful decades

of years. A “live” recording from this tour

of shows, your infectious enthusiasm for my

did see the light of day, but it took about

music and for your support throughout my

ten years to be released.

many musical incarnations. It has been a

M

ayall decided to resurrect the Bluesbreakers name in 1984 when he utilized Trout and Montoya both

in the band simultaneously. Mayall toured and recorded an album that was released in 2001 that celebrated his many years in music that featured past Bluesbreakers members and additional musical friends.

Mayall also participated in a 2003 fundraiser show with Clapton, Taylor, and Chris Barber.

Yet, in 2008, Mayall decided to permanently retire the Bluesbreakers name.

M

privilege to have spent my life doing what I love and having you along for the ride with me through all of it. I may not be travelling to your location, but I do want to continue to share my love of the Blues with you. I have a new musical offering coming your way in the form of my album “The Sun is Shining Down,” which will be released by Forty Below Records on January 21st, featuring my long-time rhythm section of Greg Rzab and Jay Davenport as well as some exciting special guests. I’m proud of what we came up with and excited to share it with you. I

ayall’s last band consisted of prior

look forward to seeing those of you who can

Buddy Guy bassist Greg Rzab, and

attend my local shows, and I will miss all of

drummer Jay Davenport, who

you who cannot, but as always, keep loving

hailed from Chicago’s south side. This group core was assembled in 2008.

M

ayall is now 89 years of age, and a post on his web site indicates the following:

the Blues! —John Mayall”

J

ohn Mayall’s long devotion to the blues, and the artists who passed through his various band incarnations,

are testament to his standing as one of the caucasian blues artists who introduced the

64 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

blues to a new crop of young individuals

I have been a blues fan and scholar for the

who otherwise may have never before

majority of my lifetime. Due to my home

considered the blues as a viable source of

always having been in close proximity to

interest and joy for them. Mayall’s influence

Chicago, I have spent innumerable nights in

is immense, and many blues and rock

the city’s famed blues bars and clubs. I

artists owe a debt of gratitude to him for his have also been able to see many of the belief in them, and for assisting them in

blues’ greats that have played shows at

establishing their careers.

various venues in my hometown area, in

I

n 2011, as I watched the 78-year-old

venues both big and small in size. I have

Mayall play piano and harmonica at the

been thrilled to be able to meet and speak

same time, sing the blues with soaring

with a great many of the legendary blues

passion, and lead his astounding band with

musicians I so admire. Starting when I

care and a nurturing spirit, I felt a sense of

wrote a weekly column on the blues for my

awe. I was in the company of authentic

university newspaper during my under-

blues greatness.

graduate years, my desire to research and

I

will never forget Mayall in concert, and

promote the blues has only grown over

blues lovers everywhere are indebted

time. For many years, I hosted a highly-

to him for being such an impassioned

successful late-night weekly blues radio

advocate for the blues. My city was so

show on WSND-FM 88.9, with each show

fortunate to have had Mayall ply his trade

being thematically-based upon a certain

here for one marvelous evening of blues

blues artist, style, or instrument. My

history.

Master’s Degree thesis dealt with the notion of travel in blues lyrics. I have been

Curt Brown

interviewed about the blues for the local

Curt's Blues - Blues. Only. Spoken. Here.

newspaper’s entertainment section. My

curtsblues.com

blues recording collection totals over 33,000 individual titles. I have also amassed a sizeable assortment of blues show posters and handbills, photos, blues artist autographs, along with other related items.

I have a large library of blues-related books authored by the genre’s best researchers, and have been a subscriber to Living Blues magazine for 34 years.

About the author

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 65

BacktrackingTo The Delta

Discovering W.C. Handy The Delta The Father Of The Blues

66 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

. C. Handy's blues, Memphis Blues,’

W

would say, ‘It’s not my ‘cup of tea’ or that

‘Beale Street Blues,’ ‘St. Louis Blues’,

isn’t ‘Blues, but the structure of the song

changed America's music forever. A

and the lyrics immediately ‘talk’ to us of

sensitive child, he loved nature and music

‘The Blues’ – If you listen to bands such as

but not until he had won a reputation did

the Rolling Stones, and the Blues band.

his father, a preacher of stern Calvinist faith, Many of their ‘Blues’ tracks fail to sound like forgive him for following the ‘devilish’ calling

the Blues .. but we come to that same

of black music and theatre.

question again – ‘What exactly are the

H

is autobiography ‘Memphis Blues’ tells

blues’

how his orchestra came to grief with

the First World War; his successful career

W

in New York as publisher and song writer

compositions. He was scrupulous in

and his association with the literati of the

documenting the sources of his works. At

Harlem Renaissance. His remarkable tale,

the age of 20 he joined a successful band

pervaded with his unique personality and

that performed throughout neighbouring

humour, reveals not only the career of the

cities and states. In his band and his other

man who brought the Blues to the world's

activities he was a ‘front man’ in the truest

attention, but the whole scope of American

meaning: he sang first tenor in a minstrel

music, from the days of the old popular

show, worked as a band director, arranger,

songs of the South, through ragtime to the

choral director, cornetist, and trumpeter.

great era of jazz. A great read. illiam Christopher Handy (November

A

16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) referred

Minstrels. In 1902 he travelled throughout

W

illiam was a musician who used the basis of folk music in his

t the age of 23, he became the bandmaster of ‘Mahara's Coloured

to himself as the ‘Father of the Blues’. One

Mississippi, listening to various styles of

of many musicians who played the distinct-

popular black music. At the time the

ively American blues music, he didn’t create

Southern states were mostly rural and

the blues genre, but was the first to publish

music was an large part of their culture,

music as Blues, taking the blues from a

particularly in the plantations of the

regional music style such as Delta Blues, to

Mississippi Delta. Artists usually played

a new level of popularity. Many people

guitar or banjo, although wash boards,

never will accept that W C Handy’s band,

fiddles, banjos and even the diddley bow

‘The Memphis Blues Band’ could play any-

made appearances. His memory was such

thing even closely associated with ‘Blues’.

that it enabled him to transcribe the music

After all, it’s difficult to link what is virtually

he heard in his travels.

a brass band to the ‘Blues’. Many purists

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 67

A

bout 1905, while playing at a dance in

and say ‘Hi’ to W C Handy.

Mississippi, He was asked if a local

O

colored band could play a few numbers.

The great man agreed. Three young men with well-worn instruments began to play, he later described their music: “They simply played a refrain over and over again. The music had a monotony that went on and on; a kind of rhythm associated with cane rows and levee camps. Thump-thump went their feet on the floor”, Mr Handy noted, “It was not really annoying or unpleasant, just the kind of music that goes round and round in your head”.

H

e became blind after an accidental fall from a subway platform in 1943. From

1943 until his death, he lived in New York.

After the death of his first wife he remarried in 1954, when he was 80 to his secretary, Irma Louise Logan, whom he frequently said had become his eyes.

I

n 1955, he had a stroke, after which he began to use a wheelchair. Although

blind and unable to walk unaided, on his 84th birthday a party was held in his honour, more than eight hundred attended.

O

n March 28, 1958, W C Handy died in New York City. Over 25,000 people

attended his funeral in Harlem and over 150,000 people gathered in the streets near the church to pay their respect’

I

f you’re a Blues man/Blues lady - and of course you are! - and you find yourself in

Memphis , take a walk down to Handy Park

68 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

n our website we can’t help but say...

‘We hope the great man would have

approved’. . Indeed, for us. he was ‘the Father of the Blues’.

David R Howard Backtracking To The Delta https://papa-d.uk/

THE BLUES CLUB MAG| 69

70 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Pete Feenstra

Blues On Air

E

ach month we look at one of the many Djs that play The Blues and ask them

I

’ve promoted over 50 venues in 7 countries, written or researched 4 books,

three questions. This month we profile

30 plus magazines, 3 brochures and penned

Pete Feenstra.

60 or more album liner notes.

I

’ve spent 40 years as a promoter, an arts administrator, music librarian,

record buyer, agent, writer, author, Mystic records employee, grant bid writer, copywriter, features editor, blues judge,

I’ve appeared on TV, radio and received a European and UK Lifetime Achievement Awards for services to the blues and 2 other awards for my 2 radio shows on Get Ready To Rock Radio.

DJ, stage manager, emcee, lyricist,

I

songwriter and er, a band manager without

Korner Blues Inc, as the house band. Al-

port folio.

though primarily a Beatles fan, singles by

reviewer, interviewer, broadcaster, blues

discovered the blues via Muriel Young’s 5 O’ Club TV show which featured Alexis

The Pretty Things, John Lee Hooker, Big Bill Broonzy, Spencer Davis Group and albums by Jethro Tull (This Was) and Zappa’s Hot Rats led me to the blues.

T

he 1970 Nottingham Blues & Prog Festival

with Family and Rory Gallagher was a seminal event for me, while Nottingham’s Colin Staples and Leicester’s Mick Pini kept the blues flame alive.

M

y first ever promotion was in June 73 with

Welsh band Man in Nottingham, but a combination of further education and travel meant a stuttering start to my vague ambitions.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG| 71

B

y the late 70’s The Falkoner Teatret in

Copenhagen and a cutting edge bikers bar in the city’s Christiania commune gave me the experience of promoting, while Albert Collins ‘Ice Pickin’ and Alligator records provided a bluesy port in a post punk storm.

I

moved to South East London in search of a

“proper job, accepting a full time post with LB of Southwark libraries.

F

ormer Salt local heroes Stevie Smith, Mick

Clarke along with the late Steve Waller and Stan’s Blues Band (i.e. 9 Below Zero), fed my blues addiction.

A

post-grad course in Ealing led to some short term BBC library contracts and

then a job with LB of Hounslow, initially as a music librarian and then as an arts officer, as part of a groundbreaking ‘Outreach’ programme.

I

booked and marketed rock, blues, jazz, folk, fusion, Afro beat, world music,

cabaret and talk shows in theatres, leisure centres, town halls, festivals and spent 7 years promoting the 600 capacity Feltham Rox, featuring early Walter Trout and

Sherman Robertson shows etc...

I

learnt from promoters like Bill Kerr (Kings Head, Fulham), blues harp player Shaky

Vic (100 Club) and George Blevings - 35 years at The Torrington N12 - who I later superseded for 12 years.

I

wrote a music column in 3 local newspapers and became a contributing

co-editor of Real Music and Sound Check magazines.

I

freelanced for Capital M, Highly Strung, Classic Rock Blues, First Hearing, Jazz FM

magazine, Music Week, Jazz Journal, British Blues Review, Rock & Reel, Folk Roots, Irish

72 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

In Britain) and penned a few obits music for

S

the Independent and The Guardian.

Marcus Flynn, and The Sharpeez.

I I

Editor for Get Ready To Rock.

I

n the mid 80’s I formed the Urban

Muddy Manninen), Ivana Gallic’s Soulbeat.

Rumour agency with Greg Upchurch,

B

World, British Blues Connection (later Blues

later became Rock & Blues Features

booked Paul Lamb and established a European circuit including Paris’s La

ongwriting: Albums with Zoe Schwarz & Blue Commotion, Zed Mitchell,

n progress: Boris Zamba (Voodoo Ramble), Black Pearl (Marcus Malone &

ook tentatively titled ‘One Night Stand – Waiting For The Walk Up’.

Locomotive club.

Link to Radio shows:

y big break came with The Shepherd’s

M

https://getreadytorockradio.com/members/

Bush Bottom Line, the SB Empire and

pete-feenstra/

The Mean Fiddler in Harlesden.

I

established The Boom Boom Club/Sutton Utd, (20 years), The Stormy Monday Club

at Bulls Head Barnes (20+), The Beaverwood club, Chislehurst (14), Worcester Park Club (8), Beards Blues, Tooting (5) - Joe Bonamassa’s 1st London shows.

A

lso The Torrington N12 (12), Rayners Hotel, Harrow (7), The Half Moon’s in

Herne Hill and Putney, Catford Blues club, Farnborough FC, The Cool Room, Croydon, Real Music Club N20, All Saints Arts Centre N12 and Astor Theatre in Deal Kent.

I

emceed the Skegness Rock and Blues stage (2014-16) Minehead Giants of Rock

(2015-16) and the blues stage at the 2014, 3 day Hop Farm, Kent.

I

also promoted at The Fairfield Halls Croydon, 100 Club, The Astoria,

Borderline.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 73

Club News Each month we bring you a summary of events, posts and news from your Forum, The Blues Club.

74 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

Dear Member, B.B. King’ final resting place by Jeff Ferguson

The general opinion in the replies to your post, given that you have given Eric as your reference, is that you’re not been listening to The Blues. They have also recommended that your take a dose of Muddy Waters, Lighting Hopkins, Buddy Guy, Howlin Wolf

Club News

Kingfish Ingram, of an hour each day for a week. If at the end of the week you’re still

********** 150,000 Members ************

A

nother month of growth and yes

not “into The Blues” then you should see a doctor and have him or her take your pulse.

we’ve reached 150k members in the Blues Family, so a big thank you for

your friendship, your blues stories, pictures and videos. Your Posts and comments are Painting by John Clark inspired by Robert Johnson’s Crossroad

and any mix of the likes of Christone

up by 75%!! on last month and the amount of views steady at 1.25 million. A big thank

Not The Blues

W

e are still having to remove posts on a regular basis. In many cases they just don’t have

enough blues content to stay as a post, and

you as well, once again, to Jeff Godoy and

of course we have to remove scammers, T

all the moderators on the night shift for

Shirt sales and all the other fake profiles. In

processing all the many participants each

total we’ve blocked over 9k of them.

day and night. A big thanks also to my fellow Admin Linda Robinson who does a

Artists

welcome post of over 300 each day, and to

W

Charlie Sellers who became our 150,000th member.

e’ve always attracted talented painters as well as talented musicians, but we’ve attracted

even more this month and many have

Posts Review

posted their work. Keep on joining and

he first one up this month is “I’ve

T

posting your painting and sketches of our

never got into the blues. Please help

favourite blues artists. I especially like a

me change my mind. I just get bored

painting by John Clark inspired by Robert

after 10 minutes even when Eric did the TV

Johnson’s Crossroads.

blues programme”

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 75

We also remember JOHNNY WINTER.

The Blues Club Radio

S

(February 23, 1944 - July 16, 2014)

o pleased to tell our members that as Who gave so much to many for his interpretation of The Blues. of the 18th July, The Blues Club Radio will become part of Feelgood

Admin

FM 95.5. This is all thanks to Geoff Strobridge who founded the Radio Station. It means that our Blues Family will be able to pick up our Monday Night Blues Radio show on FM and Alexa, as well as via the Internet. It will also move to the later time of 9pm CET, to allow our UK and European members, as well as our worldwide members an oportunity to tune in.

I

f you’re local to Almanzora Valley, Almeria Province, Spain, then from Antas to Cantoria you can listen in on

95.5 FM. For Alexa go to https://feelgoodfm.es/alexa-skill/ and to listen via the Internet go to https://feelgoodfm.es/ and click on the Player Button, top right.

B

Monday Nght Blues 9pm

acktracking to The Delta Radio Show will also be moving with us and will start just after Monday Night Blues,

at the new time of 10pm.

B.B. King I never knew where B.B. King’ final resting place was until Jeff Ferguson, posted pictures of it in Indianola, MS. Many thanks Jeff.

Johnny Winter

76 | TTHE BLUES CLUB MAG

Click to listen

C.E.T.

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 77

My Recently Found

Playlist My top 5 recently found Albums

1Delmark Treasure Chest

2 Dave Specter Six String Soul

A

C

Delmark Records released this little Blues

critically acclaimed album “Blues From the

Jem of an album featuring the likes of

Inside Out” received rave reviews and

Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters,

major airplay worldwide, his song “The

Little Walter, Magic Sam, Otis Rush,

Ballad of George Floyd” has been selected

Memphis Slim, Little Milton, Sleepy John

for the exhibit SONGS OF CONSCIENCE,

Estes, Matt Murphy, Big Walter Horton, Big

SOUNDS OF FREEDOM at the Woody

Joe Williams, Big Boy Crudup, Robert Jr.

Guthrie Center, curated by the GRAMMY

Lockwood, Robert Nighthwak, Jimmy

Museum.This double CD release constitutes

Dawkins.

a definitive testimony to one of today's

s the oldest continuously operating blues and jazz record label in the world,

urrently Specter is going through a very creative and rewarding phase. After his

most tasteful and versatile blues artists at https://delmark.com/shop/

the top of his game, featuring Specter in a wide variety of styles, all played with six string soul. https://delmark.com/shop/

78 | THE BLUES CLUB MAG

3 Linsey Alexander - Two Cats 5 James Kinds - Love You From y woman got two cats, one in the

“M

The Top

front, the other in the back!” From

James Kinds has always possessed a

the searing “Where Did You Take Your

powerful voice, cutting his teeth on

Clothes Off Last Night” to the tender “Til I

southern Gospel and developing his own

Kissed You”, from the comedic “Facebook

distinctive style as a young man. Born in

Woman” to the political “Comb Over Blues”

1943 in Drew, Mississippi, he first sang in

Linsey weaves his colorful stories through-

the church choir, which led to his joining the

out this album of blues, soul, R&B and funk.

Gospel quartet, Spirit Of Joy.

It’s great fun and serious music at the same

https://delmark.com/shop/

time. ‘Cause the blues don’t mess around and neither does Linsey. https://delmark.com/shop/

4

w

Mavis Staples - Have A Litte Faith ith Have A Little Faith, Mavis Staples is building on a family tradition of joining

gospel fervor with shades of soul and R&B. Her importance in both the music world and as a driving force of social change makes her a true icon-an artist who continues to create music that will inspire a whole new generation of people to have faith in the healing and uplifting power of her remarkable gift. Alligator Records

THE BLUES CLUB MAG | 79

www.TheBluesClub.com/magazine https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebluesclubs

Volume 1: Issue 06 June/July 2022

Errol Linton

80 | THE EXPERIMENT MAG