month full of the blues - … · 20-11-2014 · fronted by brothers dick and dave pruitt on bass...

MONTH FULL OF THE BLUES The Newsletter of the MO Blues Association Nov/Dec 2014

NOVEMBER MO BLUES JAM

at The Mission with

Dig Nitty

Blues fans, slip on your dancing shoes, and all you local players grab your axes, and join fellow MO Blues folks at on Nov. 20 (8 p.m.) as Dig Nitty kicks off our November jam at The Mission, a great Jefferson City MO Blues sponsor venue.

Last time Dig Nitty hosted a MO Blues jam, they knocked our socks off. (Honest, we all had to go out and buy new socks.) These guys are a veteran bunch of rocking R&B players that know how to lay it down.

HEY THERE JAMMERS. It’s a jam! SO –we really love to have jammers. Bring along those axes, horns, sticks, voices, kazoos – whatever ya got. After the opening Dig Nitty set, it’ll be your turn to step up and shine.

MO Blues Jam Nov. 20, 2014

8:00 pm at

The Mission

915 East High, Jefferson City

Our Host Band is:

John Ashton

(guitar, vocals)

Dave West (keyboards, vocals)

Dave Raithel

(bass)

Jerry Russo (drums)

November/December 2014 - MONTH FULL OF THE BLUES “Support, Promote and Preserve the Blues!” - 1


Featuring

Join us Sunday, December 14, 5 -11 pm, at Michigan Place Banquet Center (714 Michigan Ave., Jefferson City)

Doors: 5pm ; Dinner: 6pm

Music – 7pm

The BEL AIRS -- Everyone in Missouri who really knows the blues loves The Bel Airs, one of Missouri’s longest-established and most-respected bands. Fronted by brothers Dick and Dave Pruitt on bass and electric guitars, with Michael Cherry on drums, the Bel Airs play an authentic but eclectic bluesy-country-soul-and-rock-n-roll mix influenced by the likes of Wilson Picket, Slim Harpo, Howlin' Wolf and Johnny Cash.

HEY JAMMERS – in addition to the Bel Airs, we’ll do some jamming – bring your axes!

The event will feature an Italian-style meal with all the trimmings. MENU: chicken parmesan, chicken piccata, lasagna, seasoned green beans, Italian salad, garlic sticks. Cash bar & other beverages available.

We’ll also have cool door prizes & raffles!

Tickets: $15.00 per person, $25 per couple Available at:

• Will West Music and Sound (807 Missouri Blvd) • online at MOBlues.org

TICKETS ARE LIMITED, ORDER SOON!

Event proceeds will support a special holiday contribution to the Special Learning Center of Jefferson City, in addition to the mission of MO Blues and Blues in the Schools.

MO Blues

featuring

The

Bel Airs

Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014 5:00- 11:00 p.m.

• Doors at 5:00, • Dinner at 6:00 • Music starts 7:00 p.m

Michigan Place Banquet Center 714 Michigan Ave, Jefferson City, MO

TICKETS ARE

LIMITED, so ORDER SOON!

available at

Will West Music & Sound

& online at MOBlues.ORG

The Bel Airs


http://www.moblues.org/


PRESIDENT’S CORNER – from Chuck Renn: TO THE MO BLUES MEMBERSHIP: As the end of 2014 moves toward its end, it brings with it changes for MO Blues Association, Inc. There will be board member changes and changes to the leadership. After serving two years as the President, I will be stepping down and passing the responsibility to another member of MO Blues.

I am definitely not unique in wanting to take such an opportunity to reflect on what was accomplished and pointing to specific achievements. However, the real accomplishments and the most important achievements lies in the fact that MO Blues is functioning for the very purpose of its mission: To Promote, Preserve and Support the Blues. You can boil all the efforts of the MO Blues board and membership down to that accomplishment.

During my two terms as President, MO Blues has had some very engaged and enthusiastic board members resign. The important point is that none of those resignations were due to disagreements or even mild disenchantment with what MO Blues was doing or where the association was headed. People left the board because they were moving out of the area, health issues interfered or just that life was making new demands that required more of their time and energy. Equally important is that other MO Blues members stepped into the big shoes of those who were departing and the organization continued to move in a positive direction with the same sense of camaraderie and esprit décor.

My job as President has been made easy by the unselfish efforts of board members and other MO Blues members. People who are willing to give of the their time, talents and personal resources to conduct fundraisers, organize events and participate in cultural and social events for the sake of promoting, preserving and supporting the blues. In the end, the hope is that what was done in the past two years will inspire others who share the love for the blues to want to see it promoted, preserved and supported.

MO Blues is financially stable. MO Blues has good organizational tools that will keep it operational into the future. MO Blues needs and wants all of its members to see a benefit in being affiliated. There are still goals that need to be realized. There is always room for improvement. The excitement comes from realizing that MO Blues is very capable of attaining its goals.

Blues music is as alive and relative as it has ever been. Thank you for letting me serve you as the President of MO Blues. It has been my privilege and a blessing in life. See you at the jams!

- CHUCK RENN

You a’comin’ to the

?

featuring TheBel Airs Sunday, December 15, 2013, 5:00-11:00pm

Michigan Place Banquet Center Tickets: Single - $15.00, Couple - $25. Available at: Will West Music & Sound,

and at MOBlues.org

Tickets are limited - don’t delay!

November/December 2014 - MONTH FULL OF THE BLUES

“Support, Promote and Preserve the Blues!” - 3



ATTENTION: MOBLUES BOARD MEMBER ELECTIONS

NOMINATING COMMITTEE SLATE Sue Barnes, Chair of the Nominating Committee, has presented the following slate of nominees to the membership for consideration and election at the December 4, 2014 General Membership Meeting. The meeting will convene at 7:30 p.m. at The Mission and the agenda will include election of the 2015 board nominees, approval of change to the bylaws and presentation of the 2015 budget. The nominees for positions on the 2015 board of directors are:

• Sue Barnes • Deb Brown • Kerry Cordray • Ben Green • Herb Kuschel • Chuck Renn • Larry Zulauf

Returning board members for 2015 whose terms are not expiring are:

• Cathy Bertolotti • John Robinson • Rita Turley • Kris Webber • Wayne Johnson

These board members will be elected for a two-year term expiring in 2017. Nominations can be made from the floor at the meeting. We will also be voting on a proposed change to the Association’s bylaws The bylaw amendment is a technical change that brings two provisions into harmony and eliminates contradictory language. The change is as follows: ARTICLE VIII – OFFICERS Section 1 – Composition: There will be four officers of MO Blues Association, Inc. – a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer – who shall be elected by the MO Blues Association, Inc. Board of Directors from the membership by the membership at its Annual Meeting among the members of the Board to represent and act on behalf of MO Blues Association, Inc. For conflict of interest reasons, no member who owns or manages a music venue may serve as an officer. ARTICLE XI – ELECTIONS Section 1 – Election of Officers and MO Blues Association, Inc. Board of Directors Members: A Nominating Committee will be appointed by the Board of Directors and chaired by an appointed Board Member to solicit candidates for officethe Board of Directors from the membership and to prepare a slate of candidates for each office to be filled. This list of candidates will be presented to the General Membership meeting. Nominations from the floor will be accepted at thisthat time. Section 2 – Voting Procedures: In the event that officer elections are uncontested, no ballot is necessary. If officer positions are contested, the slate of candidates will be mailed to voting member at least 15 days before the Annual Meeting in December. Each voting member will submit one ballot to the Nominating Committee by the start of business of the January meeting. A candidate receiving a simple majority of the vote for any office will be declared elected.



MO Blues Reviews Duncan Street – Baptized By The Blues – reviewed by Chuck Renn If you are a fan of the basic, no-frills blues, then this CD is a must for your collection. Duncan Street is a collaboration between singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Duncan and the wicked blues harmonica player, Stan Street. Duncan has long been at his craft of composing for blues and country artists. He has been nominated twice in the Blues Music Award category "Song of The Year" for work with Curtis Salgado and two previous solo albums that featured musical guests including Delbert McClinton. This release by Duncan Street – Baptized By The Blues – really offers up meaty, down-home music to be consumed with zest. This CD features ten southern-flavored blues originals and a cover of a Muddy Waters' classic. The CD opens with a steady rolling dobro guitar and honking harp, on the whimsical “Watermelon, BBQ and Beer.” This is a sing-along mantra urging fans to consume from the three major food groups. The Delta-inspired duo stomps hypnotically on “Come to Mississippi”, likewise luring the faithful with “Cornbread and collard greens, black-eyed peas /Ham hock, barbeque, fried chicken please.” Shifting gears to shuffle like a Chicago combo, they create a relentless groove on “Color Me Blue”, as Street blows blues harp while he kicks bass drum and Duncan sounds like two pickers on a blues lament: "Well she used to treat me right, she used to love fine / Now I do believe another man is on her mind.” Duncan exhibits his sly wit and pure blues growl on the slinky, slower 12-bar “Sharpest Marble in the Drawer.” With irony to spare he attests “In a world of uncertainty, one thing I know for sure./ I'm a natural-born lover man, I ain't the sharpest marble in the drawer.” Next up is Street's turn to sing his blues away on the sprightly “I Be's Troubled” and to be sure, Duncan Street plays the classic Muddy Waters signature riff with exuberance. Duncan gives us another glimpse of his extraordinary fingerstyle chops on “Love Me Tonite”, a toe-tapping romantic plea of “Won't you love me tonight, like there's no tomorrow? / Let your sweet kisses wash away my sorrow...” The urgently propulsive title track, “Baptized By The Blues” is written and sung by Mr. Street, and features Duncan playing acoustic slide like a man possessed while his ‘blues brother’ relates with passion “My daddy had soul, so did uncle Bill / When I found Muddy Waters it gave me cold chills. / I was baptized by the blues.” Followed with “Shakin' the Bacon Down”, the duo marches on a fife and drum snare drum figure containing dynamic breakdowns and the lusty metaphor, “Oh you know she looks so good, I'm all about her mind. / Once that frying pan gets hot, we lose all track of time.” Duncan describes another femme fatale in delicious terms on the sensuous “Tater Salad Woman” with, “Baby got a secret sauce, really hits the spot / Jalapeno mustard seed, boys, she smokin' hot”, all this served up over another very cool open tuning delta blues riff. On “Go Right Back to Bed” Duncan dusts his blues via "I'm gonna get up in the morning, go right back to bed. / I got way too many demons runnin’ round my head”, while blistering the strings with outstanding slide licks and Street’s harp wailing throughout. The minor riff-driven “The Blues Comes in All Colors” closes with a poignant declaration of the multicultural evolution of the blues through “It's not a destination, it's nowhere you can find / you’ll know it when you slip below the Willie Dixon Line.” Stan Street conjures a tasty sax solo on this song to close the record on a sweet note. If you noticed a pattern, the food analogy threads throughout the numbers included on the CD. However, don’t let that give you the wrong impression. This CD is a serious project that is steeped in some of the best slide guitar and harmonica work that you hear on any blues music compilation. These two bluesmen are on the top of their game on these songs. As a duo, Duncan Street offers the listener some of the best toe-tapping productions that you’ll ever hear. If you’re a blues musician looking for some inspiration, this CD is chock full of slide licks and sweet passes on the harmonica. You will want to steal some for your own.



The Duck Tapes - by ROBERT DUCKWORTH

We lost another musician on October 25th. Bassist Jack Bruce died of liver failure at the age of 71, leaving a large body of eclectic work from 1963 until just in the last year. Jack, a Scotsman, started his education in music studying cello in school so he could play in the local symphony, and was also writing his first string quartet music. Jack proudly took his written music to one of his music teachers, when she started writing all over it with a red pen, showing all of the errors Jack had written into his music. Later in life Jack said he almost gave up right there, saying it took him a long time to gain his confidence back to trust his own musicianship. One of Jack’s early band experiences was with the Graham Bond Organization, where he played upright bass with a certain volatile drummer named Ginger Baker, who was recognized as one of England’s top players. Ginger thought Jack’s playing was way too busy, and would throw drumsticks at him on stage in frustration. Ginger would regularly fire Jack, but Jack knew Ginger was not the bandleader and still showed up for gigs. Graham Bond, the real leader, was sinking into heroin addiction, so Ginger may have been taking over the reins to keep the band working. During this time, Jack would sometimes sit in with local blues legend, John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers, who had a twenty year old guitarist named Eric Clapton, and the two would rev up the energy on stage to white hot levels. Around this time, Ginger had decided to leave the ailing Graham Bond band, and approached Eric about forming a new group, composed of what would be the finest players he and Eric (if he agreed to play with Ginger in the first place) could find. Eric said yes to Ginger and when Ginger asked “What about a bass player”, Eric brought up Jack in the next breath. While Ginger was hesitant, he respected Eric’s choice, knowing Jack was the best bassist in the pickings of the London music scene. Ginger went to Jack’s home and asked if they could bury the hatchet and just play music with the best guitar player either of them had ever heard. Both knew it wasn’t a bad idea to be in a band with “God”. “The Cream” formed, and for two and a half years set the world on fire, putting out several fine records and laying the groundwork for what was to become known as “Heavy Metal” music. One album was “Wheels of Fire”, a half live, half studio double album that showed both sides of Cream’s personalities. The band had an excellent reputation for their live shows, and now had the proof on the market. Particularly, their live cover version of the Robert Johnson classic, “Crossroads” is still played daily on classic rock radio stations worldwide. Cream folded up after a worldwide “Goodbye” tour, with a young Deep Purple being the opening act on many shows. Jack then joined up with former Miles Davis drummer Tony Williams. Tony was assembling what was to be The Tony William’s Lifetime, with organist Larry Young and guitarist John McLaughlin, all fresh out of Miles Davis’s recording, “Bitches Brew”. That seminal record moved Mile’s new rock inspired music into the record collections of the young, hip kids. The Lifetime recorded a couple of records, with Jack singing several songs and exploring what is called Serial Music, a compositional style involving more mathematical formulas than sweeping melodies. After the Lifetime disbanded, Jack teamed up with former Mountain members Leslie West and Corky Laing.

Cream (1960) (from left:, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton



They called themselves West, Bruce and Laing, putting out a few records, including one live album. Jack would also record with other musicians, one being Frank Zappa on his album “Apostrophe”, where Jack played “lead” bass on the title cut. Around the same time, Chris Squire, bassist of the prog band Yes, put out his solo album “Fish Out of Water”. The sound Chris used on the album was a change for him. Instead of his usual metallic Rickenbacker sound, he purposely went for a dirty, almost fuzzy sound in emulation of Jack’s Gibson bass/ Marshall amp sound. Jack made records with The Jack Bruce Band, and also was a part of BLT, a band with Robin Trower and Corky Laing. Later, Jack was a part of Anton Feir’s loosely assembled band, the Golden Palominos, a band that also had the talents of Richard Thompson, Bill Laswell and Michael Stipe on its albums credits. In 1993, the Cream reassembled for the first time since 1969 to play at their introduction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They played three songs, including “Born Under a Bad Sign”, a song by Albert King who had died in December of 1992. I have a bootleg copy of the rehearsals for this show and it’s kind of funny listening to the band run through nine or ten instrumental introductions of “Sunshine of Your Love”, a song that was probably played more that “Smoke on the Water” in music stores across the globe. In 2005 Cream reformed to play the Royal Albert Hall and did several sold out shows before playing their final shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City. At those Cream shows, Jack would sometimes play an old Gibson EB-1 that used to belong to Felix Pappalardi, the bassist for Mountain and producer of Cream’s most psychedelic album “Disraeli Gears”. Jack also formed the band BBM that was Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Irish virtuoso Gary Moore on guitar. This band sounded more like the sixties version of Cream than the reformed one that played in 2005. If you check out Jack Bruce on YouTube, you will see he played with some of the greatest guitarists of the twentieth century. I grew up with the Cream record “Live Cream”. Those versions of “NSU”, “Sleepy Time” and “Hey Lawdy Mama” were in my head since the age of ten! Quite honestly, Jack Bruce was the man who made me want to be a bass player. I watched a friend of my older brother play a Cream song on bass, not even plugged in, and his fingers on the shiny steel strings looked like a huge spider moving lightly on a web. That was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I got a cheap bass in a couple of months and was on a mission to do like my brother’s friend had done. Jack’s bass sound was completely different than other bassists .This was intentional. He disliked the common Fender Precision sound that everybody else had. He had an almost burpy sound, going up and down the neck in a matter of seconds changing polyrhythms and syncopations like a jazz drummer. Jack started on upright bass and can be heard playing it on his 1969 record, “Things We Like”, an album that featured John McLaughlin on guitar and John Surman on saxophone playing almost traditional jazz. He then went to a Fender Bass VI, a DanElectro longhorn bass and then the Gibson EB-3 that he used in his Cream days. His amps were Marshalls in those days. He went to a Warwick fretless and played thru Hartke amps and speakers in the eighties and kept using variations that bass and amp set for the rest of his career. Jack Bruce was probably the first upfront bass soloist/singer in Rock. The bass player was no longer expected to play in the shadows, to be heard (barely) and not seen. Jack put us in the spotlight and Jack played loud. Jack forged a new path that still has new followers today. Without the influence of Mr. Bruce, today’s role of the bassist in modern music might not be where it is today. Check him on YouTube. He plays with everybody from Buddy Guy to Mick Taylor. There are some great Cream audio-only shows that are excellent. Check out an excellent quality show from Anaheim CA. from 1968. In closing, the side of the stage where Jack stood is now silent. He put --or shall we say shoved? -- the bass into the guitarist realm and did it with style. Thanks for your hard work and sweat Jack. You’ll be missed.



”The blues ain't nothing but a good man feelin'

bad.” Leon Redbone

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, Nov. 20, 8 p.m.

MO Blues Jam

at The Mission 915 East High, Jefferson City

with host band

********

…and Buy tix now for Sunday, Dec. 14

Our 2nd annual

Party, Jam, & Fundraiser

featuring

The Bel Airs

Michigan Place Banquet Center 714 Michigan Ave, Jefferson City, MO

Month Full of Blues Nov/Dec 2014

Editor- Kerry Cordray

***

MO Blues Association Inc.

2014 Board & Officers Chuck Renn –President

Sherry Hoskins – Secretary Herb Kuschel – Treasurer

Wayne Johnson – Jams Chairs Deb Brown – Membership Chair

Sue Barnes-Webmaster Cathy Bertolotti Kerry Cordray John Robinson

Rita Turley Kris Webber Larry Zulauf

Contact Us MO Blues Association, Inc P.O. 105758 Jefferson City, MO 65101 Website: MoBlues.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/mobluesmissouri

Thanks to OUR SPONSORS • Michigan Place Banquet Center • Will West Music & Sound • The Mission • Prison Brews

And to our Member Artists • Ben Green Acoustic Blues • The Bel Airs • Blue Max • Dig Nitty • The Mojo Roots

Please thank these folks for supporting MO Blues



http://www.facebook.com/mobluesmissouri


MO Blues Association, Inc. Membership Form

Please complete all that apply so our database stays current & helpful!

Date ___/___/___ New ___ Renewal___ Referred by: ______________________ Annual Dues by Membership Category -- Please check one: _____ Student $15.00 _____ Band $30.00 _____ Individual $20.00 _____ Business $75.00 _____ Family $30.00 _____ Non-Profit $30.00 Name __________________________________________________________________________________________

Business, Band, Organization, Individual, Student OR List all names for family membership Mailing Address ______________________________________________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________________State ____ Zip _______ Home Phone ___________________________________ Work Phone _______________________ Cell/Other Phone ____________________________ Fax _______________________________ Email Address (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY) ____________________________________________________________ Business/Band/Non-Profit Only Primary Contact: ______________________________ Phone: __________________________________ Website: ______________________________________ Email: ___________________________________

BANDS: Please list members’ names and email addresses on additional sheet for newsletter, jam & other

notices.

Please return with your membership fee to:

MO BLUES ASSOCIATION, INC. PO BOX 105758

JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65110 FOR BOARD USE ONLY PAID $ __________________ (circle method of payment) Check - Cash - Online Expiration month/year _________/___________

Added to: Mailing Labels Database Email List Website (Business, Non-

Profit, Bands)

Welcome Call Welcome Letter Membership Card


month full of the blues - … · 20-11-2014 · fronted by brothers dick and dave pruitt on bass...

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