Rosy reminded of a night when the 11th Hour guys all piled into my car out in the parking lot, and that was quite a job because it was a two door Saab 96 (the egg shaped kind) and I remember laughing myself weak.
Another funny moment I remember involved Eddie Gorodetsky. He always came in dressed to the nines in a zoot suit or some get up carrying one of those metal suitcases full of 45s and vintage blues albums (I am assuming, I never saw him open it) because he was a DJ. He was also a pretty snazzy dancer. We all jitter bugged back then. He was swinging a lovely young girl in a flowing skirt and I turned around with a try full of empties to see him do a very fancy move where she slid on the floor between his legs and then the idea was to shoot back up with a jump and continue dancing. Well he stepped on her skirt and when she shot back up it stayed on the floor! We all died laughing, she was OK but a they were both little red in the face. A moment etched into my mind forever.
Peter Ward has written a fun article including a number of musicians who played there, and are still playing today. The photos Rosy Rosenblatt and his wife Mary sent me threw me back in time. I remembered the inside of the Speakeasy as black. There were no windows and I never clicked that it was knotty pine and brick! But I do
remembered the little blue booths. Man I saw alot of great musicians there. And that is where I met so many of the local blues bands, many of whom I work with today, including gentlemen like Gary Bernath, Sugar Ray and Rob Nelson and it was at the Speakeasy that I met Ronnie Earl as a very young man. I still have his card that says simply Ronnie Earl Horvath, blues guitar. We were all so stylish back then (and good looking too!).
CENTRAL SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE, MA— It’s where the great traveling bluesman, Robert Jr. Lockwood, one night shyly asked an audience member to go fetch him some Preparation H. It’s where Frank Zappa tried, in front of many people, to hire away a local blues musician, only to be rebuffed — quite publicly. It’s where Robert Johnson’s stepsister revealed the only known photograph of her legendary made-a-deal-with-the Devil stepbrother.
SPEAKEASY PETE
When Peter Kastanos, a former World War II Army lieutenant who received the purple heart and bronze star, opened the Speakeasy with his brother-in-law, Leo Sonis, the timing was right.
BUDDING BLUES MUSICIANS
The Speakeasy also served as a lift-off point for budding luminaries. They included Ron Levy, Rosy Rosenblatt, Dave Maxwell, John Nicholas and the Rhythm Rockers, George Leh, Pierre Beauregard, Donna Rae, Nonie’s Blues Band, Tom Principato, Paul Rishell, Professor Harp, Barbecue Bob, Mike Avery, Duke Robillard, Roomful of Blues, Mark Kazanoff, the Memphis Rockabilly Band, Sarah Brown, Terry Bingham, Mark Cedrone, Babe Pino, Maynard Silva and Sugar Ray and the Bluetones. “Even though I’m a graduate of B.U., the Speakeasy was like my musical college,” said
Ronnie Earl, who spun riffs off his Stratocaster with the Rhythm Rockers and Sugar Ray & the Bluetones.) “It’s where I got to work with all these unbelievable founders of the music — Big Walter Horton, Big Mama Thornton, Roosevelt Sykes, Albert Collins. I saw John Lee Hooker there and the first visit of the Fabulous Thunderbirds,. “People would talk about Antone’s,” said Earl, referring to the legendary club in Austin, Texas. “It was our Antone’s.”
In the 1970s, authentic blues artists from Chicago and elsewhere were still touring, delighted to perform for appreciative baby boomers, many of whom themselves picked up the music and were performing.
Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt, harmonica ace, was working at the Candlelight Lounge on Western Avenue when a band mate’s girlfriend mentioned a new club in Central Square that might be open to having blues. Pete offered Rosy a one-night audition, which led to five nights the following week. “It was funny because we drew up a little contract and came in with it and Pete laughed in our faces and said, ‘Which one of you kids drew up this thing? I’m not signing this. If I don’t like you after the first night, you’re out of here,’ “ said Rosenblatt. Rosy needn’t have worried. He became a Speakeasy stalwart, working regularly with Billy Colwell, the 11th Hour Band and Allston Allstars.
THE SPEAK HAD PERSONALITIES
It didn’t take long for the Speakeasy to develop its own distinct personality. “The place was always full of a diverse crowd of patrons that typically became like family,” said Pete’s daughter, Jaye Clements, 45, of Florida. “White collar to hippies to all kinds of people, and they all got along, just like a regular group of friends. My Dad treated everyone equally. It was pretty funny when the biker crowd took him on as a dad and protected him,” she said. “I mean, these guys really had his back.”
The bartender, Barney, was known for his black leather vest and rapid-fire laugh, and Sam was Pete’s no-nonsense female bar manager.
“Pete and Sam ran a really tight ship, especially given the times and circumstances. All monkey business was conducted in the parking lot — almost never in the inoperable kitchen/dressing room/office which they guarded like it was Fort Knox,” said Levy. Waitressing was handled by a number of young women including Shonk and Paula Zeller, whose exposed midriff and belly button was memorable.
BLUES “AMBIENCE”
The Speakeasy was divided lengthwise with the bar and dance floor on one side and booths, tables and stage on the other. The stage had a sign “Home of the Blues,” a plastic Tiffany-style lamp, a clock and that image of silent film star, Theda Bara. “There really wasn’t any décor per se, just your normal working man’s bar-type setup,” said Levy. “The characters frequenting there, as well as the music, provided all the ambience needed of a long forgotten rowdy 50’s roadhouse — misplaced in 1970’s Central Square Cambridge.” [Ed. Note: One night I was wiping down the tables, getting ready for the crowd and I took a rag and went to wipe a deep pile of dust off the “Tiffany” lamps and Pete called out to me, “Don’t do that, you’ll destroy the ambience.”]
The Speak lacked a PA-each band hauled in its own speakers. However, it boasted a pinball machine, hot dog steamer, popcorn machine and a jukebox stocked with rare blues 45s that many fans had never heard before.
To Dave Maxwell, the beat-up piano represented a bygone era. “Clubs like the Speakeasy and Tam O’Shanter [in Brookline] carried upright pianos as a holdover from the way entertainment was before. Usually you had a piano player come into some bar and play background music, pop songs or standards. Seems like every club had a piano in the corner. That changed soon enough,” said Maxwell.
MUSICIANS DISAPPEAR AT THE SPEAK
In the pre-smoking ban days, the room could swallow up performers. “Sometimes they’d lower the lights way down, and Big Walter (Horton) went halfway down, and Ronnie Earl on stage would say in the mic, ‘I can’t see you, Walter,’ “ said Michael “Mudcat” Ward who played bass with the Bluetones. “And Walter would say in the way he stuttered sometimes, ‘As long as you, as long as you can hear me, it’s OK.’ He played a good portion of a set away from the bandstand. That’s how intimate the club was.”
The stage’s railing had a narrow opening behind the drummer. John Nicholas used it to dramatic effect, making his entrance with his gold Gibson hollow-body ES-295 as he’d launch into a swing number. John Liebman of Nonie’s Blues Band used it differently. On a finale, he put his Stratocaster down, waved to the audience and disappeared through this gap. “At that time, we just relaxed, drank, had fun playing and put out good music,” said Maxwell.
SPEAKEASY PETE KNEW WHAT HE LIKED
Bands occasionally teased Kastanos, who was balding with a big mustache and known for his frugality, but Principato regarded him as a father figure who listened to the music and knew what he liked. “Pete definitely had the passion, because he even talked Powerhouse into doing ‘The Honeydripper.’ That was like his favorite song, and he used to always say, ‘Boy, you guys do The Honeydripper great,’” said Principato. “He even used to encourage me and my lousy singing in those days. ‘You’re not the greatest singer,’ he says, ‘but you’ve got a nasal quality about your voice that’s very appealing.’ So, he had some heart there.”
“Pete gave me $25 for singing lessons once,” laughed Levy, who came off the road with B.B. King and Albert King to play piano with the Rhythm Rockers.
Speakeasy Pete could also be controlling. Some musicians he simply wouldn’t hire. Others he warned against performing in competing venues near his own, which some bands found unwarranted, given the low pay in those days.
“Pete could be a little quirky,” said Principato, “and it turned out, to our surprise, that he needed to approve anyone that wanted to sit in. The first few times we had someone sit in he took us back into the kitchen — into the office — and gave us the old reprimand. (laughs) Actually I have a vivid picture of that because Barney — he was a funny type too — he and Barney would sort of stand with their arms folded in front of them and shake their head and tell you where it was at.”
BANDS CAME TO BREAK INTO THE NEW ENGLAND BLUES SCENE
Pete would occasionally take a chance on lesser-known bands. “I had given Kim Wilson some contacts in Boston — specifically booking with agent Harry Chickles “The Fabulous Thunderbirds with Jimmie Vaughan played at the Speakeasy in ‘76,” said Bob Margolin, who played guitar with the Boston Blues Band until Muddy Waters hired him in 1973. “I had played tapes of the T-Birds for Tom Principato and he helped spread the word about them. I’m told that when the T-Birds first played at the Speakeasy, the first few tables were full of musicians with cassette recorders.”
LOCAL BANDS AND DIGNITARIES
Steve Berkowitz, known as “T. Blade,” hosted jam sessions, some of which on Mondays were called the Blue Lodge. Eddie Gorodetsky, who would become a Hollywood TV sitcom producer (Two and A Half Men), occasionally did stand-up comedy between sets and promoted blues on his Hi-Fi Party on WERS while Mai Cramer host of Blues After Hours on the WGBH, recorded several shows live.
Unexpected guests dropped by the jams. “One time Frank Zappa was in town, on a Monday night I think. He came up to the bandstand and called off a tune in F sharp, and it really flipped everyone out. ‘F sharp? What the f*** is going on here?’” said Maxwell. Zappa, accompanied by Captain Beefheart and drummer Aynsley Dunbar, played so loud that Tom Principato worried he might damage the Fender amplifier Zappa was using. “After the first song — I went up to Zappa and went, ‘Hey Frank, could you not play my amp on 10?’ Like I tried to be discreet about it, and he went, ‘Oh, I could buy this f****** amp if I wanted to,’ and he put down the guitar and walked away,” said Principato.
Principato recalled a twist. “After Frank stormed off the stage he still hung around and tried to offer a gig to our sax player, Dave Birkin, and Dave turned him down — in front of everybody. Very cool,” said Principato.
People hushed reverently when Mrs. Anderson came to The Speak. She was said to be the stepsister of ultra-legendary Robert Johnson.
“She had a picture of him and showed it to Muddy and he confirmed it,” said Ward, the bassist. “Big Walter played at her table, halfway down the club all while playing and instructing the band. Talking into his mic, he’d say, ‘Give me half a beat ‘cause if you give me a whole beat it’ll deaden me.’”
BANK FLATTENS BLUES HOME
Sadly, the good times were numbered. When the Speakeasy’s lease ran out, the bank next door owned the land on which the tavern stood elected not to renew their lease. Worse, it wanted to level the rambling wooden structure and create more parking for bank customers. “It was sad for everyone,” said Jaye Clements, Pete’s daughter.
Though his bar’s fate was tough to swallow, Pete was undaunted. “It didn’t take him long to open another,” Clements said.
Accompanied by Barney, who still wore his black leather vest, Pete opened the Downtown Lounge in Lowell. One day in 1990, it closed.
SPEAKEASY PETE, GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
In 1991 Pete moved to Sarasota, Florida, where he died, March 7, 2004, at the age of 81. A few years before, Bob Margolin was playing a festival in Sarasota and spotted the former club owner. “It was nice to see him,” Margolin said. “I thanked him for all the good times and good music that so many people enjoyed at the Speakeasy.”
Pete, his mustache now gray, smiled. “He was gracious and friendly,” said Margolin, “and very aware of what a special scene he had hosted.”
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When the Love Dogs play those first notes at a gig, the audience has no choice but to succumb to a joyful light-headedness accompanied by an infectious smile on every face. There is no doubt – this is the beginning of laissez les bons temps rouler! for the next few hours.
Yet how can that same feeling remain within the members of the band for more than twenty two years? And more amazingly, most have remained on that initial musical journey that began in 1994.
For front man and leader, Eddie Scheer, it all starts with a collective love of all varieties of music, and AM radio in the 1960s. “We’re all of similar ages and we all came up listening to AM radio. In those days you heard everything that you could possibly hear… such as Sly and the Family Stone, the next song is from The Who, the Stones, then Barbara Streisand or Diana Ross, then Dolly Parton, and on and on. So we all have that appreciation for all different styles of music.
“We know hundreds and hundreds of songs,” Scheer continued. “But in just about all of our performances, we’ll play something that is never in any set list. It’s that spirit of adventure that we all have which is a big part of what keeps us going.
“For example, in a recent dance night gig in Leominster, which we do about 4 or 5 times a year, we played 4 or 5 songs that we have never played before. Someone might come up with an idea and we all make it happen.”
In the beginning, when he was dreaming about putting a band together, Scheer said, “I was simply thinking about the people who I thought would fit my musical ideas well. And look what happened. It’s just amazing that we’re all still together after all this time. “If you had asked me twenty two years ago if we’d have the same line up, I would have said, ‘No way!’ ”
Original and/or ongoing Love Dogs include Alizon Lissance on keyboards and vocals; Glenn Shambroom on guitar and baritone sax; Myanna on tenor and alto sax; Steve Brown on drums; Scheer on vocals and percussion, and Jesse Williams on bass from 1994 to 2000. Randy Bramwell took over the bass duties in 2001. Former players and current fill-in guests include: Jesse Williams, Sax Gordon Beadle, Mario Perrett, Bruce McGrath and Mark Paquin.
Scheer said everyone who ever played with the Love Dogs “came to play” and have fun every gig. “Everyone brings different qualities to the band. And I’m lucky that it’s all meshed together as well as it has. It’s kind of unbelievable to tell you the truth.” He added, “Steve Brown is my favorite drummer because he plays the jump and New Orleans stuff better than anyone; plus he’s the comedian of the group. Alizon has her own show playing keyboards, accordion and vocals. On any given night she’ll bring her own material … so she’s got her own thing going and is so talented.
“I’ve been lucky to play with Glenn (Shambroom) for over thirty years. Because he plays guitar and baritone sax, he’s like two different musicians. On the horn he’s more of a Jazz guy with a Gerry Mulligan style; on the guitar he’s so great with the early Rock stuff from Chuck Berry and the Beatles, and he’s also a good Blues guitarist. He’s really the one who has enabled us to do so many different things musically. “Myanna is usually the featured soloist on alto and tenor sax. She’s a tremendously energetic and very creative musician. And Randy is the ‘Iron Man’ who holds it all together. When we don’t know where to go (musically), we all follow his lead,” Scheer said.
In the early years, Scheer said the Love Dogs spent many years on the road. From 1996 to 2002, it was no surprise if many or all of the Love Dogs would be lounging and sleeping on a friend-of-a-friend-of a friend’s couch, floor or assorted designer recliners just doing whatever needed to be done to keep playing and reaching new audiences from coast to coast.
From those experiences (over and over again), Scheer said, “We got to know each other really really well. It was like a marriage – only there were 6 people in the marriage.” Alas (and Thank God!!) “We’re all older now and we can’t do that kind of stuff anymore … I’ve got 2 daughters who are still pretty young, so I’m not away from home very much. If you’re a trio or a quartet, you may be able to make it happen, but it’s a lot harder now for a bigger band to survive – financially – on the road. Eddie added, “We’ve been lucky. We’ve been to Europe about 5 times and had a blast over there, and we have a pretty big following on the West Coast, especially in Oregon and Washington.”
The Creative Process
Creating music has never been a chore or a burden for Eddie. “That’s my passion. That’s what I live for. I’m very lucky that I found this thing at a very young age and have been fortunate to get good enough to do it professionally and make it work for all these years. I’m eternally grateful in many ways, including that I have this great group of people that I can play with. I never take that for granted,” he added.
“Most of the time I’ll come to the band with an idea of a song and we’ll all work it out on stage. We’ll play something a couple of times and we’ll talk about our ideas, what to put in and decide what sounds good and what doesn’t sound good.
“When we are working on horn parts, we’ll usually sit down and hash out what we’re going to do. And if we’re doing a jump or Big Band tune, it’s those types of arrangements that we have to work out ahead of time and write charts for. But some of the stuff we just go on the fly and have fun with. I may be the ringleader of the band but it’s definitely a democratic process,” Scheer said.
What the audience sees on stage is the result of a well-planned but totally organic process of give-and-take and knowing what goes where, when. Scheer admitted, “We really don’t rehearse anymore,” (that’s because they really don’t have to).
The band has several early summer gigs coming up in parks or local bandstands … Belmont, Sudbury, Hampstead, NH and more will be on the way. Check their listing on page six. “These type of gigs are a nice shot in the arm for us because playing for an all ages crowd is a lot of fun.” Scheer said. “That’s another secret to the band – we can do all different types of gigs and can we come up with songs all night long. We can play a Blues club and play mostly stuff off our records or we can play a private party and play Rock and Soul all afternoon. It’s the variety that makes it work.”
Besides the gigs with the Love Dogs, Scheer co-coordinates several other collaborative ventures with many of his musical colleagues. On Tuesdays from 8 to 11: 30 p.m., you’ll find Ed and fellow Love Dog Randy Bramwell at the helm of the Corrib in Brighton Center playing hosts to a Best of Boston musical all stars. For instance, a few weeks ago he had Cheryl Arena, Cheryl Arruda and Danielle Miraglia doing girl group tunes; then the following week it was duo guitar masters, Roberto Morbioli from Italy and Boston’s Rick Russell. Another week featured Lydia Warren, PhD, and Mike Welch; Sax Gordon Beadle and Mike DiBari … and it goes on and on. “Eddie Scheer’s Tuesday Night All Stars” originated originated in 2010 at the former (and much missed), Smoken’ Joe’s across the street. Now in its sixth year, Tuesday night at the Corrib is the place to be.
Being a Leader
“I think being a leader has to do with having a vision of what you want to happen, and to visualize things sonically. You also have to do the prep work for the other musicians, to steer the ideas as to how you want things to go. “With the Love Dogs early on, I wrote a lot of charts and I sat down at the piano and worked out a lot of stuff. Now it’s more spontaneous because everyone else is so good at it.
“In many ways, I am the least musically literate musician in the band – being a drummer and a singer. I’m 90% self-taught and was on the learn-as-you-earn program playing by the seat of my pants,” he said.
Getting back to the Tuesday night gigs at the Corrib, a few weeks ago Scheer said there was a tribute night to Levon Helm. “I got Big Jack Ward, who knew Levon, and Jimmy Ryan, a terrific mandolin player, and Larry Luddeke, a great keyboard player and I said, ‘Let’s do a bunch of Band tunes.’ It was a lot of work, but it was only possible because we put in the prep work ahead of time,” Scheer said.
Scheer’s other collaborations include weekends with the Dog House All Stars, featuring Mario Perrett, Rick Russell, Randy Bramwell and more recently, . John Moriconi (Johnny Blue Horn).Another project is The Charles River Reprobates with Scheer, Danielle Miraglia, Jimmy Ryan, Bob Enik and Chris Leadbetter. Eddie said “it’s almost like a Bluegrass band where we can all trade vocals and harmonize.”
“It’s fun to be the focal point of a band… but it’s also great not to be the focal point of a band, too. I feel that balance is important to me. I take pride in being a good sideman, too, where I can back up others, chime in on some harmonies or help with arrangement stuff,” he added.
“I’ve also been working a lot with Diane Blue; playing drums with Cheryl Aruda; playing with Joe Bargar, Lisa Marie, Johnny Juxo and many others all whom I never got to play with when the Love Dogs were working full time. To me there is tremendous joy in being part of this community.”
“I feel very, very lucky to be living here in New England … and there are other communities like this around the country. Certainly in the Blues world, Scheer said, “there are very few of us who are getting rich. Everyone is doing it because they love the music. And when you have that, then you have a genuine collaborative effort – especially those of us who have been doing it for a long time.”
For those who want to pursue music as a career, Eddie has some sage advice, prompted by his own experience.
“Back at a pretty young age I said to myself: I could spend a lot of time doing something I don’t enjoy, hoping there will be a big payoff down the line – whether it be financial or in another way. Or I could do something that brings me joy every day and even if I never make a lot of money or never get famous, I’ve spent my life doing something that I enjoy.”
“That still rings true today … I’ve got my family and I’ve got my music … I’m very fulfilled and that includes having the luxury of being able to spend a lot of time being at home … to have that balance in my life is very important to me and certainly makes me very happy.”
I am never surprised, but always amazed by the amount of talent there is in our New England area. When I go to the North Atlantic Blues Festival, I love to see the acts that they bring to the stage that are new (to me). Each year they have a club crawl on Saturday night and this year, and I saw a number of young musicians on the street that made me happy that some youngsters are taking up the gauntlet. But I was blown away by the force of the Eric Green Party at Myrtle Street Tavern.
Eric Green says that he loves playing at Myrtle Street. “Myrtle Street’s got serious mojo, especially when the EG Party rocks the joint. Maybe it’s ‘cause it was supposedly a whorehouse back in the day. There’s a lot of love in that room.” But whatever it is, it was really packed and the music was gritty, sweaty and I got a good look at a powerful Blues talent.
“People have always called me a Blues act, no matter what style I play, and for some reason they usually attach “swamp” to it. I’m actually more of a songwriter than anything. Everything always seems to go back to the Blues. The Blues claimed me when no one else would, and the Blues always takes me back when I stray.” he explained “I’ve been kickin’ the Blues since the early 80’s. My first year playin’ out I opened for John Hammond Jr. at the old Raoul’s Roadside Attraction in Portland, Maine and I haven’t been able to stop since.”
Eric’s mother was Penobscot/ Maliseet Indian and his biological father was French-Acadian, who happened to be a drummer. “I’ve never met him but I sometimes I feel like maybe I inherited some of his rhythm. My great grandfather was Chief of the Penobscots (Indian Tribe) for seven terms.”
Years ago, when the British took over the eastern seaboard, they rounded up all the French Acadians and shipped ‘em on down South to Louisiana. The Acadians became “Cajuns.” “I feel like I have some of these Acadian influences in my blood. The influence is in my music but I don’t play Cajun music specifically. I think my slide and voice just come instinctively from my Penobscot and Acadian roots. It’s primal, straight up, and that’s just what comes out.”
Eric lives in Bangor, Maine. “Our tribe has been here for 15,000 years. I want to keep it real and be in my tribal lands. Try to be true to my culture.” he told me. He is one of only 2,100 Penobscot Indians.
Eric has lived Texas, New Mexico, Panama and few other places but his stay in New Orleans for nearly 6 years seems to have clearly made a mark on his repertoire. “You can’t live down there and not soak up some of that rich ‘Crescent City’ vibe. I’ll be in New Orleans in October visiting and recording with a friend, but being the Mainer that I am, I’ll be psyched to get back to my cool coastal breeze after a few weeks in the Big Easy.”
Eric discovered Muddy Waters at 13 when most of the kids were listening to hair bands. “I couldn’t take pop music seriously. Muddy kind of reminded me of an Indian Chief. It could be possible, there are a lot of Africans and Indian’s that got together back then. The Indian’s often would take in runaway slaves and treat them with respect. That monotonic beat in a lot of Blues sounds like a war drum.
“I have been playing Blues for 20 plus years now. I have been with my current rhythm section for roughly 10 years. Right now we are cutting a new album, and we’re waaaay busy.” We turned down a lot of gigs this summer because we’re totally booked. Nick Cody is on bass and guitar, Paul Bosse on drums and percussion and I switch off on slide guitar, regular guitar and keyboard. These guys flat out rock, period. They could be playing with anyone anywhere, but luckily they hang with me. We’ve made our own circuit up here we call the ‘Brandy Belt,’ due to the copious amounts of coffee brandy that gets consumed at our shows. It’s the Eric Green ‘Party,’ so we make sure to have lots of fun. We go into a club and just try to kick major ass. We thump ‘em pretty hard. We try to mix it up a lot, we do not do the same old standards some bar bands do.” Eric explained.
“With the state of affairs these days It seems to me to be kind of self indulgent to write songs about my love or my life or how hard I have it. I’m writing songs about historical stuff and environmental concerns. We (humans) are the stewards of the earth and it’s so easy to get caught up in the self absorbed ‘me me me’ culture these days. My new songs are a reminder about some important stuff, delivered with a raw Blues backbone. One of the new songs, ‘Buried in the Mud’ is eerily similar to the crisis in the Gulf. I’m trying to do something constructive with my music.” he explained excitedly “The biggest, coolest thing ever is to use your music for good. It’s not preachy, but it’s partying to something positive and maybe passin’ on a little education with the low down funky beat.”
“Being a musician? I always call it a curse, ‘cause it’s long hard hours and it get’s dangerous out on the road late at night, but we don’t care… ‘cause we’re animals”
Eric has a number of small run, live CDs and 2 major recordings. One in 1999 made in New Orleans at Noiselab called LAST THING and one in 2005 called HOT ALL DAY, produced in Bangor Maine at Nightcrawler Studio, the later of which featured a yet undiscovered Nigel Hall on several cuts. The Hot All Day album earned Eric a nomination for “Song of the Year,” “Male Vocalist of the Year,” and “R&B/Blues act of the year” in the Portland Phoenix, 2005. Currently the band is putting together a follow up CD entitled RIVER TIGER that will be available by Christmas 2010.
Eric Green Party is a staple of the Maine Blues scene, and the Maine Blues Festival has featured him a many times. “The Maine Blues Festival is a local Blues band showcase and the acts that perform are outstanding,” Eric told me.
It was my pleasure to make his acquaintance on a hot summer night in Maine. I really like that tough, guttural, earthy sound they produce. I certainly hope to see him on stage again. Check out some of his tunes at www.myspace.com/ericgreenband
Which brings us to the…
Do this:
Do these to support the festival, vendors, and musicians.
Hell, do two of these three and that should equal a good time and a successful show for all parties concerned.
Try some food from the vendors. The food is usually amazing and there’s virtually something there for any crowd. Bring your appetite because you’ll find anything from falfel, ribs, sausage, burgers, burritos, Italian ice, lemonade, chicken, and pizza to fried catfish and lobster and these days, some Indian delacasies for a tasty treat.
Take advantage of the artist meet and greet tables.
Most blues festivals will have a tent or booth where you can meet the artists. When was the last time you went to a standard concert and were able to meet a legend? Bring your old LP covers, posters, etc. Chances are they will sign whatever you have. They will probably have CD’s, posters, or pictures for sale as well. If you can, support their music by buying something. Not only do you get some of your stuff signed and a good experience, but the artist gets some sales. After you buy your CD, take a picture with the artist, for the most part they don’t mind at all.
Book a hotel room in advance
It’s WAY better than having to crash in your car. Plus, many festivals are sponsored by local hotels and motels because of the fact people stay in them for the festivals. Bigger cities may be sponsors of a festival and donate accordingly to how much revenue the hotels bring in.
Be prepared to:
HAVE A GREAT TIME!
Whether you’re enjoying the music and getting a tan, sampling the foods of the South, meeting your favorite artist(s), getting away from it all, or any combination of the above; chances are you will be having a fantastic time!! The fun never stops. Some festivals hold club jams and pub crawls before, during, and after the show. Any decent Blues festival is bound to have tailgating and other artists and musicians selling CD’s out of their car trunks and doing their own D.I.Y. gig surrounding the festival.
Meet cool people
No matter how reluctant you may be to start or engage in a conversation with others, these barriers seemingly don’t exist when you’re at a festival. There’s a good chance that you’ll meet at least one person you’ll end up swapping stories and possibly contact info with.
Tips:
Buy advance tickets. Not only are you guaranteed to get into the show, but buying advance tickets will usually save you money. Who wants to pay the door price? It will probably cost more, and there may not be any tickets left. Note: When you leave for the festival, be sure you have your ticket! If you’re one of those people that forget the tickets, check to see if the festival has a will call option, they will have your tickets right at the gate. Ask if they accept your Blues Audience subscription card! Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re a subscriber to the newsletter. Your subscriber card entitles you to savings at some venues and festivals.
Volunteer:
If you love music and want to help out, or you’re really strapped for cash (hey, we’ve all been there; no shame), volunteer at a festival. Most festivals accept a certain number of volunteers. It can take a lot of hands to work a festival. You may not get to have AS much fun as someone who pays to get in, but you’re not gonna work like a horse either. You’ll be able to see a great show without breaking your back.
And last but not least,
Go see some of the legends before they pass. Who doesn’t like fresh blood in the music scene, especially blues? We all love to see new life in the Blues, but more of the elders are leaving us than ever before. There aren’t many of the true giants left and they won’t be around forever. Go and see them before it’s too late.
I have been incredibly spoiled over the years, being surrounded by so much musical talent. The Rynborn Blues Club was here for all of us, for 18 years, a good chunk of the life of my publication The Blues Audience newsletter. I was spoiled rotten because I didn’t have to travel very far to see Luther, Jimmy Rogers, William Clarke, Carey Bell and his phenominal son, Lurrie, Duke, Bobby Radcliff, Sugar Ray, James Montgomery, Rick Russell and many disbanded bands like Chuck Morris and The Sidewalk Blues, Kat In The Hat just off the top of my head. I could interview them in that intimate bar, no need for a green room, they knew they were among friends and generally mellow, kind people who came to enjoy their music. I have an archive of pictures that is crazy!
So having Luther here all these years has been much the same. He has played for our Barnful of Blues Festival many times and people come from far and wide to see him. He is congenial, gracious and kind to his fans, always quick with a smile and a “Yeaaaah” in his slow drawl. He has been a claim to fame for New Hampshire for all this time. We are not only losing our generous friend, mentor, musical companion who has inspired so many musicians over the years, we are losing a member of the Muddy Waters band, one heck of an authentic West Side Rocker and probably the coolest person I have ever been friends with. I am losing my cool over this, this is a real loss for this area.
Luther will be leaving sometime in late April. There are a few chances to see him before then. Check our Blues Show Calendar for dates and tickets.This is a sad post, but it is because there is so much love for Luther here in NH and he has loved us back. The people who live in Wildwood, FL don’t even know yet, but they never had it so good.
]]>Award winning Roomful of Blues has a wonderful new record. It is a cooperative effort from the band, deciding on the tunes and executing them the way only these
veteran musicians can. Chris Vachon is the lead guitarist and leader of the band. He has lived through good and bad times (economically) with the band. But he perseveres, forges ahead and believes in better time coming.
Chris has been a musician all his life and has no plans to change that. I think he has been very under rated as a guitar player. I was especially struck by his talent on Roomful’s new record, HOOK, LINE AND SINKER, on Alligator Records He has been a staple with the band for twenty one years! But that is only part of his total picture, he plays guitar, sings, writes music, produces and mixes Roomful’s records.
Now in his fifties, Chris has traveled with the band all over the US, Canada and internationally to Europe for the past 21 years. He has lived in Rhode Island almost all his life. He’s a self-effacing, down to earth genuine kind of guy. He heats with wood, cuts it himself, has a couple of dogs, Rufus and Valentine, and generally lives a quiet life when he is not on the road with this exciting 8 piece little Big Blues Band.
Chris began his love affair with the Blues early in his life. “We had a little cover band when I was sixteen or seventeen and we would play at the beach. My friend Arthur Harris gave me LIVE AT THE REGAL by BB King. That was the defining moment. Over the years I have listened to tons of music and that is kind of how you pick things up. I have learned a lot of different stuff with Roomful over years. There are lots of different styles and we try to cover a broad spectrum of tunes, so it is not always a shuffle or a march, to keep it interesting for the people and for us.”
“Way back, I went to Florida for a couple of years with a band called Sybilla & The Slim Buckle Band, it was an original singer/songwriter band. I moved from there to New York City. I was eighteen and thought I’d play in the city, but I couldn’t find enough work so I was soon back in Rhode Island working four nights a week. We had this ‘band house’ concept… four or five of us would rent a house and we got thrown out of a few houses in our time. Back then we actually had money ‘cause we were working all the time.”
“Then I played with B Willie Smith. We’d do ‘Route 66’ and everybody (in the band) would do high kicks. B Willie would do really HIGH kicks, he was a black belt in karate. We played a little bit of Swing, Blues like Huey Piano Smith ‘Don’t You Just Know It’ and tunes mostly Blues based. After that I played with Eight To The Bar for a year just before I got into Roomful. At that time, there were lots of guitar players trying out to replace Ronnie Earl. Roomful had hired a guy named Tommy K who was with the band for a couple of years, but he fell in a club and was injured. I think he was trying to save his guitar when he fell and he broke his arm really badly, it needed pins and was very painful for him to play, so they invited me to come on a tour to California. They gave me a day and a half to learn all the songs. I played on that tour and when we came back, Tommy K went back with Roomful but then that didn’t work out, so they hired me. I remember it was right around the time Stevie Ray Vaughan died in October 1990. I remember that because the first gig I did in Rhode Island was to raise money as a donation in Stevie’s memory.
Seven years later Chris found himself in a new roll. “I took over as bandleader around the latter part 1997. We had a big turnover of personnel and we had a new record to do. Bandleader/Producer etc. sort of just fell in my lap. It was a tough time regrouping but, it all turned out well and we’re still here 6 records later with what I feel to be one of the finest lineups since I joined in 1990.”
How they made the new record.
“In general the band gets together and we listen to potential material whether it be originals or covers. “We all brought ideas to a meeting. On HOOK, LINE & SINKER we decided to record a bunch of cover tunes from artists we really admire. We collected eighty tunes between all of us and we had a listening party at my house. After that we all went back and forth on email voting for what we liked the best. We went around several times before we had settled on the 12 tunes we recorded.”
“We then rehearse for a few days and make sure we know everything about the tune and how we will play it. That’s probably the most important part of the process. If you have that under your belt you can go in the studio and get right down to business. On the last few CDs the basic tracks were all cut within 2 days. We really don’t do much overdubbing at all. If someone flubs something (including me) we generally fix it on the spot. The main thing is to keep the work flowing and keep people excited about what they are doing. We recorded the twelve and cut the basics in a day and a half. Then I take the tracks to my home studio to mix it. It was relatively easy to record but it took me two weeks to mix it.”
Chris’ home recording studio
My studio is powered by a Mac pro. I use Pro Tools 9. I have a large collection of software Plug-ins I use for different mixing tasks. I also have a lot of outboard gear such as pre amps, compressors and some great microphones. I mostly mix here but, do have the ability to overdub vocals, single instruments, etc. I mix records for local bands and that is something I am trying to develop. I specialize in Roots music, because I feel my experience could really help someone who is producing an early Rock ‘n’ Roll or Swing CD. I take their tracks and I make a mix of what I think it should be like, they also tell me what they want. “I equalize the tracks add reverb and delay to make it big and luscious.” (laughs)
Chris’ record producer duties
“I’ve always been interested in recording. When I was a kid I used to use two reel to reel tape recorders, record one, play it back, play live with it and record that and you would have three parts on the second recording. This was before consumer multitrack machines were available. We were doing it on the equipment you would borrow from the Audio Visual Department at school. So it was pretty natural for my interests to evolve in to production and mixing. I’ve been in the studio for countless hours and I’ve always paid attention to what the engineer was doing, especially during the mixing phase. I credit my mixing knowledge to learning from Phil Greene who is an ace at the board. He had a studio in Warren, RI called Normandy Studio. I learned quite a lot watching him… how to get certain sounds and how to create space with effects and such. I also spent a lot of mixing time with Ian Schreier down at Osceola Records in Raleigh, NC. We did the first two Alligator records together. Ian is also a great mixing engineer, he is very efficient, and has ‘great ears.’”
Those special guitars, instruments and amps
“The guitars I use are made in Finland. They are called Flying Finn Guitars and they are handmade by Matti Nevalainen. My relationship with Flying Finn guitars started about 12 years ago when a guitar rep named Steve Farkas came to a gig in Cleveland and asked me to try one. I really liked it and played it all night. Since then I’ve been fortunate to have 6 or 7 of them given to me. My favorite is the Gold flecked anniversary model. It’s called the Golden Rose. It has hand wound pickups with a nice fat tone. The neck remains stable no matter where we are in the world. You can’t say that about too many guitars. I must have gotten just the perfect combination of wood and pick-ups. That’s the one I’ve used on the last 4 CDs and really the nicest guitar I’ve ever owned… and that’s a lot of guitars!”
“I use a 100 watt Rivera amp head. It’s called a Knucklehead. I also built my 1/12” cab that has a 300 watt Carvin bass speaker. It has basically lived in the baggage compartment under the bus for the last 15 years. I love it because it’s extremely reliable and sounds great on inside and outside gigs. The EQ’s voicing are perfect for the sound I like. I use an Alesis quadraverb which I built into the cab for reverb and delay. I also use it for a Leslie effect for some tunes.”
Where do you get your ideas for solos?
“A lot of it kind of like it takes care of itself. Bob Enos once told me about soloing ‘Bubba, I just close my eyes and I put my fingers on those valves and hope it comes out good.’ Soloing is kind of like following a road map, you kind of know where you are going to start and where you want it to end.” Changing the focus to the band, Chris noted that “Rich Lataille is a natural soloist, I have never heard him play anything bad. If he didn’t really like his solo the first time, he will want to go over it and do another. We will all scratch our heads and wonder why he’d want to go over something that was great to begin with. We have 5 soloists I try to even things out and feature everyone as best I can. Obviously there will always be solos that just naturally belong to a certain instrument.”
Putting together the big horn parts
Rich Lataille notates all the horn parts. “We have an archive book to notate the horn arrangements to each song. In general, all the horn players are involved in arranging their parts. If it’s an original we’re working on, the songwriter will throw in their ideas as well.” Chris explained.
What do you think of your new singer for these classic Blues songs?
“Phil is truly an accomplished, versatile singer There wasn’t anything we threw at him that he didn’t nail and execute perfectly. He’s also a great guy and it’s a pleasure to have him in the band. His enthusiasm for the music and the band is genuine and a very positive asset for us all. I really think this new record is going to be very popular.”
And popular it is! They sold 1,200 CDs in the first two weeks after the release in January 2011! Get it, it is true BLUE Roomful!
]]>Published in the October/November 2014 issue #208
The talent at this year’s Gloucester Blues Festival was superb –
culminating with a nine-piece band finale headed by guitarist-vocalist Ronnie Baker Brooks, son of the legendary Chicago Bluesman Lonnie Brooks. His set included classics by Muddy, Wolf, and Hooker.
And if that wasn’t mind blowing enough, he invited the talented slide guitarist Debbie Davies to the stage, along with the funky Biscuit Miller. The dancing during the rising o’ the supah moon is nearly indescribable, although Sistah tried to take notes as she shook her money maker. It’s hard to read them, though.
The picture-perfect summer day began with Willie J. Laws, a local favorite who belted out his Hendrix-esque licks to an already packed crowd. The gates opened at 9 a.m. Willie was onstage around 11 a.m., wowing the crowd with “Corn Bread Moan” and other fan favorites.
photo of Anthony Geraci by Diana Shonk
He was followed by Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, another very popular local band , who also put on a great set. The band featured Mike Welch on guitar and Anthony Geraci on keys. After the set, Geraci said he has played at other festivals organized by Paul Benjamin, of North Atlantic Blues Festival fame, but this was his first time in Gloucester. “Even though we went on early, we had a good crowd,” Geraci said. Most of the songs they did were from the band’s new CD, Living Tear to Tear, with 10 originals on the 12 tracks. It was kind of a rare appearance at a local festival, Geraci said, as these days the Bluetones mainly go on the road in Canada and Europe and string together festivals there.
Influenced by Otis Spann and some Jazz pianists, Geraci recounted a fond memory of the time Memphis Slim clapped him on the shoulder and said, “You play while I sing.” “So I played one of Memphis Slim’s songs WITH Memphis Slim who was not playing piano,” he said. (Geraci does not remember the song.
Want to take a guess?)
The Gloucester Festival, in its third year, is eerily similar to the longstanding and well-liked North Atlantic festival, held each July in Rockland, Maine. With one notable exception: While concert goers can look at the boats in the harbor in Maine, at historic Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, they can easily walk a few steps down to a picturesque sandy beach for a swim or a rest right on the sand. The Gloucester show, co-organized by Bob Hastings, drew about 1,200 fans this year, Hastings said – about the same as last year.
Debbie Davies gave her usual great performance, including “No Way Out,” along with some Albert Collins songs. Her career started playing with Collins, no wonder she is such a standout guitarist. Debbie impressed Sistah by paying tribute to guitarist Walter Trout, who is recovering from a liver transplant, by doing Trout’s “Ride Until I’m Satisfied,” accompanied by Mike Welch and Jay Stollman.
Biscuit Miller and the Mix did some really good funk, including some James Brown – with the appropriate dance moves. They also did a good bluesy version of “Hoochie Coochie Man.”
The drummer for Biscuit, a striking figure who goes by the moniker “Dr. Love,” is quite the character! I was wondering who was that guy dressed in bright red, complete with a top hat, and a stethoscope dangling around his neck. I noticed him buying some hand-cut fries (they were gooood) during the show. After his set, he was up and dancing suggestively with several ladies in the audience (Moe of the bunny ears and “head-banger” Mary from New Hampshire – I’m talking to you!)
And there he was dancing again, this time backstage with Debbie Davies and a few other musicians – in a line like at a Greek wedding.
I later learned that Chicago-based Dr. Love (real name Myron Robinson) started playing drums at the age of 10 and formed his first band by the age of 12. Myron saw success with the hit band Magnum Force.
Later teaming up with Biscuit Miller, Robinson added his own groove to the original Biscuit Miller & The Mix. While Stan Skibby was in in Poland and Biscuit was playing with the Anthony Gomes Band, “Dr. Love” toured with James Armstrong out of California. He has also opened for
and played with Koko Taylor.
Tinsley Ellis, the Atlanta Blues-rocker with a big following, rocked the crowd with “Cut You Loose” and his own hit, “Devil for a Dime.” Ellis brought Debbie Davies back on stage, and they did Elmore James’ classics “Dust My Broom” and “It hurts me too.”
Victor in Las Vegas- photo by Diana Shonk
Memphis-based keyboardist Victor Wainwright, winner of two Blues Music Awards, the “Pinetop Perkins Piano Player award” gave a rollicking set of barrelhouse, honky-tonk boogie. The crowd grooved on it. I heard he sometimes plays in Memphis with our own Gracie Curran, who moved south earlier this year.
Speaking of the audience, EVERYONE was there. Shall I drop names? OK, there were Blues radio stars Holly Harris and Greg Sarni, former BBS prez Heather McKibben and her crew; current BBS president Paul McNeil, and treasurer Bev Dancey and her man, “Washboard Man” Bill DeTellis; Carole Mellor from the BBS, newest board member Jo Neary; the two Joanne’s: Cullen and Silva (Gloucester music babe), and of course my party pal, Nancy Weston. (We are neighbors now!)
Joe Marino spent the day at his post videotaping while Moe was getting her, ah, “checkup” from Dr. Love. I’m amazed Mary “Headbanger” Baker didn’t need a neck brace after all that head noggin’ action.
The big bright orb of a moon rose over the Atlantic as the Ronnie Baker Brooks Band arrived in a big bus (two of them, actually) and about nine musicians jumped out. This was evident during his set – a nice big sound featuring lots of brass and guitars. The Brooks band was absolutely um, AWESOME SAUCE! Ronnie’s guitar style is obviously learned from his father (Lonnie Brooks).
“You fellas know the ladies are in control now” he said before doing a song called “Wham, Bam, thank you SAM” and then a ballad, “for the ladies.” How can you not adore a guy like that?
With the jam at the end, the show went over its allotted time, to the delight of everyone still standing, dancing, or digesting food and drink from an array of vendors including pizza, seafood, barbecue, fried dough, and micro-brews by the Cape Ann Brewing Company.
All in all, it was one of the best Blues Festivals in recent memory. And such a deal–only $28 In advance, (it was $40 at the gate, plus $15 parking.)
Plan to check it out next summah! https://gloucesterbluesfestival.com/
John Chan, the entrepreneur of Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, RI, was honored on June 15, 2015 as the recipient of the Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts in a ceremony at the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence. The award is named after the former Rhode Island Senator, Claiborne Pell, who was a champion of the arts and principal sponsor of a 1965 law that established the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
So how did a kid, born in Hong Kong, who grew up in the Astoria section of Queens, NY, who now runs a Chinese restaurant in Woonsocket, achieve such an honor for his work in the performance arts – namely Blues and Jazz?
He had an early attraction to the arts as a child, learning classic Chinese painting from his grandfather while in Hong Kong, then photography, and more recently, his own creations in watercolor paintings that welcome visitors to his restaurant and the intimate Four Seasons Jazz and Blues Club that features national and regional entertainment every week.
In a 2011 article by American Blues Magazine, Peter Neff, of Chepachet, RI, said, “John Chan provided a cultural anchor in Woonsocket” attracting people from southeastern Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island for more than 25 years. “Musicians would have had nowhere else to play [around here] without him … He held it together.”
Also in 2011, the Blues Foundation chose Chan’s for its Keeping the Blues Alive award in recognition of its dedication to preserving the legacy of American Jazz and Blues music history.
John had two special presenters for his Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts: longtime friend and pianist Mike Renzi, who worked with Lena Horne, Jack Jones, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, all the greats in the music business, and Bobby Farrelly, of the Farrelly Brothers filmmakers. Unfortunately, Peter Farrelly couldn’t make the trip from California due to other business considerations. “The award is very special because I provided a place for performing arts and visual arts as well,” John said.
The halls and walls of the Four Seasons Jazz and Blues Club feature the works of George Frayne, better known as Commander Cody; the unmistakable and unique strokes of Robert Hamilton, a teacher and artist at the Rhode Island School of Design in the 1950s though ‘70s; Country Blues guitarist Paul Geremia, songwriter, performer and painter Eric von Schmidt, and posters commemorating Chan’s 25th anniversary in 2011, by George and Patty Sargent of Dragonfly Studios in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Adding to the visual arts of photographs and paintings on the walls of Chan’s is John’s own impressionistic works in watercolor. Bridges, seascapes, depictions of musicians, landscapes and caricatures are dabbled throughout the premises. John has been immersed into the art for the past 15 years.
Photography and recording thousands of musical moments also comprise a huge share of John Chan’s love of art in general. In fact, he has more than 3,000 recordings of shows spanning decades of entertainment. Most were aired on the local Cox cable channel.
And speaking of recording, the first live recording at Chan’s featured vocalist Rebecca Parris, the chanteuse of New England Jazz at the time, recorded live in 1985. Others who have recorded include Nick Moss (Live at Chan’s, which was nominated for record of the year in 2007, and Live at Chan’s Vol. 2), brother Joe Moss, Bellevue Cadillac, Young Neal and the Vipers, Diane Blue and Jimmy “Two Suits” Capone. The undisputed winner of “live at Chan’s” is saxophonist Dan Moretti, who recorded at least 18 albums at Chan’s Four Seasons Jazz and Blues Club, which opened in 1986. The room was once a bank, and the main vault (its multi-ton door still intact), now serves as the green room for the artists.
More recently at the 2015 Blues Music Award ceremonies in Memphis earlier this year, John Hammond won for Best Acoustic Blues Album of the Year for TIMELESS which was recorded live at Chan’s last year.
So what’s his secret for success? Chan said the business “has about 1,500 followers on Facebook and we’re on Constant Contact. But it hasn’t been easy. You have to keep on top of things. In 2008, people weren’t buying tickets until the last minute,” which made it difficult to predict the amount of staff needed.
“I find that the competition is stiffer today than in the past whereas we were the only venue in the area. Today, more theaters are offering live music in Rhode Island and there is The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, MA, which seats about 375-400. So there are more choices for the consumer. For things evolve so you must be creative,” he said.
“And I’ve made a lot of sacrifices over the years … I’ve been here since I was 15. Back then, I’d take orders in between doing my homework; washed dishes before there were mechanical dishwashers; take orders; work the fryolators; prepare the menus, and do other ‘back house’ jobs. It was fun and a great experience. But 50 years is a long time,” John said, who is now 64.
“Today, I’m looking for a knight who will carry on the tradition.” Chan said he recently read an article in the New York Times about Blue Note looking to establish its brand in Milan, Italy, Hawaii, and China, northeast of Beijing. “That wouldn’t be a bad idea (to be affiliated with Blue Note). Maybe they would buy me out and I’d work for them. “It would be a shame if I retired and this placed closed … we’ll see what happens.” http://www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com/index.html
Bindlestiffmusic.com had a booth at the White Mountain Boogie- photo by Diana Shonk
The next thing he told me, surprised me. I was doing a BITS residency in the same old mill as my school. Ben explained that part of his interest in playing and building Cigar Box instruments came out of being lured into a workshop tent by the strange, whining, and human like, singing sounds of some kind of slide instrument, several years ago, at the White Mt. Blues & Boogie Festival in Thornton, N.H. After entering the tent he saw a guy with a thin board, with an Altoids tin serving as a combined bridge and resonator (which also contained a small pickup) a single tuning peg for the 16 gauge “B” string, and a small wooden “nut” which the sting was secured on with the bridge. The player as it turned out was moi. Ben reminded me how the main stage act was playing so loud that I eventually just had to start playing my Diddly Bow slide guitar (just to those attending my show) on top of their songs. If you can’t beat’em join ‘em. Anyhow, we both got a laugh out of his reflection and I was certainly amazed by this memory of that moment.
Ben also conveyed some of his official Cigar Box philosophy “I feel that in today’s custom, high end guitar market, the vintage guitar market and even some of the imports are way beyond what a lot of people can afford. The Cigar Box market allows almost anybody a very affordable way to own and be able to learn how to play on an inexpensive instrument without a sacrifice of sound quality. If a customer still can’t afford a pre-made guitar they have the choice to buy a kit and assemble it themselves, or buy the individual parts and build it from scratch.”
I have to testify to the accuracy of that statement. I witnessed Ben build a complete 3 string Cigar Box guitar in under 30 minutes at last January’s New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar festival, right in the heart of Frenchmen St.. Ben had a good crowd of Cigar Box guitar novices, other builders, musicians and curious folks watch his nimble fingers put it together right before their eyes and then he played some oh so sweet sounds out of it, as soon as the strings were tuned and stretched.
New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar festival http://neworleanscbg.com/. The festival was a 3 day affair in January with a very diverse array of styles, including some very, down home country Blues by the likes of Jontavius Willis; a Folk/Blues mixed gumbo by Amazie Adams, Hot Jazz by the New Orleans Swinging Gypsies; a very polished R&B oriented set by the Stacy Mitchart Band; house rockin’ meets Cigar Box metal from Shane Speal’s Snake Oil Band and many other talented Cigar Box aficionados and musicians. A great time was had by ALL.
Ben also is the publisher of the definitive on line Cigar Box group called Cigar Box Nation. There you can get some great insights about the history of the instruments, the current Cigar Box revival, links to a wide assortment of other players and builders, tips, listing of other Cigar Box Festivals and concerts.
I speculate that Cigar Box Guitars and other Cigar Box stringed instruments (including their one string cousin the Diddley Bow) were some of the first heard sounds of the Blues played on a stringed instrument. I first became of aware of Diddley Bow and other Cigar Box guitars after seeing Lonnie Pitchford at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. There are some great videos of him on YouTube. I started playing them about twenty years ago. It’s overwhelmingly the favorite of most students in my Blues in the School programs. The kids especially like it when the Diddley Bow talks to them. Through my BITS sojourns to Brazil and Ghana I saw players playing a variety of 1 stringed instruments, some that looked almost indentical to some of my Diddley Bows. One player in Brazil had a three string Diddley Bow and played it with three slides on his left hand fingers.
In closing, here’s a quote from Lighting Hopkin’s on the subject: “I felt the blues was in me, so I went ahead and made me a guitar. I got me a cigar box, I cut me a round hole in the middle of it… and got me a tune out of it. I kept my tune and I played from then on.”