Blues News - July 1991

8/7/2019 Blues News - July 1991

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Blues Stage JilZZSlilge best In Davenport,12:00-12:45 Dangerfield McNally 12:15 -1:00 Horace Washington & Co.1:00-1:45 Lester King 1:15 -2:00 Stan Kessler Iowa by the Missi.2:00 - 2:45 The Bel Airs 2:15-3:00 The New KansasCity Seven sippi Valley Blues3:15-4:15 ROD PIAZZA & with Richard Ross

THE MIGHTY FLYERS 3:15 -4:15 VON FREEMAN Society, July ~7.4:30 - 5:30 JIMMY JOHNSON 4:45 - 5:30 Mutual Musicians5:50 - 6:50 ROBERT JR. Foundation Big Band July will end with a5:55 - 6:55 MONTY ALEXANDER

K A N S A S C I T Y B L U E S & J A Z Z F E S T I V A LJuly 2728, 1991 Penn Valley Park Kansas City, MO FREEFor more info: 1-80O-530-KCMO (out-of-town) 752-8141 (local)

7: 15 - 8:30 DENISE LASAUE

Jazz Stage12:I5 - 1:00 THE FIVE BUND BOYS

OF ALABAMA1: 15 - 2:00 The Scamps2: 15 - 3:00 Ida McBeth

Blues Stage12 :00 - I 2 :45 KansasC ity Blues Contest

Wnner- T.BA1:00 - I :45 The 360' Band2:00 - 2:45 Uttle Hatch & the Houserockers3: 15 - 4: 15 Unda Shell. Earlene Owens. &Cotton Candy Washington4:30 - 5:30 JOHN MAYAU S

BLUESBREAKERS5:50 - 6:50 BUDDY GUY

3: 15 -4 : 15 City Ught Orchestra4:45 - 5:30 THE YELLOWJACKETS5:55 - 6:55 DIANE SCHUUR7:15 - 8:30 BOBBY WATSON, JR. WITH

VICTOR LEWIS & HORIZON

7:I 5 - 8:30 BOBBY -BLUE~ BLAND

Youth Stage1:00 - 4:30 SATURDAY& SUNDAY

Blues Stage - North of Liberty MemorialJazz Stage - South of Liberty MemorialYouth Stage - South of Liberty Memorial

The Rnal Round &Blues Fests ...July Is Fest month In the Midwest.

begins at one of the

NOT E 5bang at Kansas City's biggest freeBlues and Jazz Fest brought to you byour KC Blues Society and Jazz FestivaCommittee on July 27-28. Plenty ovolunteers are stili needed. For details,call Marcie Ryan (361-8945) or KennyTaylor (452-4393).July 111s the Final Round for KCBS

Annual Amateur Blues Talent Contest athe Grand Emporium. The finalists arethe Blues Notions, The Dan Doran BandJohn Paul & the Hellhounds, and Stevie

CONTINUED ON PAGE 1 0

INSIDEBlues Notes 1Mattie & Mae 4Performance Diary 6New Blues Releases 7Music Reviews 3,7,8Blues/Jazz Volunteers 7Blues Clubs & Radio 11Performers Listing 11BLUES NEWS. 1


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Lonn ie Johnson : " I S ing C ity Blues . . . . "In1925, a blues contest held atthe Booker T. Washington Theaterin St. Louis was won by Alonzo"Lonnie" Johnson. The first prize was arecording contract with Okeh Records.This fortunate event was the impetus...- __, neededtomakethis

extremely versatileand innovativemu-sician one of themost influentialand respected ofallblues performers.

At the time,Lonniewas appear-ing along with hisbrother James"Steady Roll"John-son at Katy Red'sin East St. Louis.

'--"---'-------' The brothers hadacquired quite a

favorable reputation among blues fanssince they arrived a couple ofyears beforefrom New Orleans. They had come from alarge musical family in which everyoneplayed someinstrument. Theyhad aJohn-son family orchestra that performed forparties, dances, and on the streets ofNewOrleans.

In 1917, Lonnie signed on with amusical troupe that was going to enter-tain the doughboys in Europe. While hewas gone, the influenza plague struckNew Orleans, and nine members of hisfamily died. When Lonnie returned fromoverseas, heandhisonlyremaining brotherjoined a band called the J azz-O-Maniacsthat was working on a Mississippi Riverboat out of St. Louis. They worked theexcursion boats and toured on the TOBAcircuit before finally settling down in St.Louis.

After winning the contract with Okeh,Lonnie's career took off. During the nextseveral years, he made 130 recordings forOkeh, more than any other blues musi-cian ofthe time. These recordings allowedthis multi-talented and creative artist topresent his virtuosity with fiddle, mando-lin, guitar, banjo, and piano. He recordedwith a wide range of artists, from therough hewn and primitive bluesman TexasAlexander to the urbane and sophisti-cated Duke Ellington.

In 1927, Lonnie joined LouisArmstrong's Hot Five, who were also re-cording for Okeh at that time. He madeseveral sides with Armstrong, most nota-bly a stunning guitar solo on the "SavoyBlues." Among the high points in Lonnie'scareer were legendary duets that he re-corded with the internationally acclaimed

2 JULY 1991

Eddie Lang. Both Lang and Johnson useda flat pick to intensify their single-stringsolos, and Johnson introduced the tech-nique to other blues guitar players. Hisplaying technique created a high pitchedwail that could be modulated to imitatethe human voice. Musicians used thistechnique when they started experiment-ing with amplification in the late 1930s.

In an interview a few years before hedied, Lonnie summed up his approach tothe blues:

I sing city blues. My blues is built onhuman beings on land. See how theylive, see their heartaches and shiftsthey go through with love affairs andthings like that -- that's what I writeabout and that's the way I make myliving. The heartaches and the thingshave happened in my life --that's whatmakes a good blues singer.Lonnie had his share ofheartaches. In

1925, he married Mary Williams, a bluessinger who had come to St. Louis fromYazoo, Mississippi. Mary was a popularperformer in the clubs around townwhosestraight-forward, non-nonsense deliveryand bad-mouthing of nogoodmen earnedher the nickname "Signifying Mary."Lonnie andMary became the hottest bluesact in St. Louis, and for a few years afterthey were married, Mary had a successfulrecording career ofher own. Even thoughthe marriage produced six children, it wasnot all smooth sailing, and it finally endedin a rather acrimonious divorce in 1932.Both Lonnie and Mary later wrote spitefulsongs about the break-up.

Lonnie had left St. Louis even beforethe divorce. In 1929, he hosted his ownradio show from NewYork City for a year.During this period, he also toured withBessie Smith on the TOBAcircuit. Unfor-tunately for Lonnie, as with many otherblues performers, the Depression broughta downturn to his career.

In the late thirties, Lonnie was able toperform and record again. He toured ex-tensively for several years and recordedwith various jazz and blues artists, but hewas never able to attain his previous levelofsuccess. (During the early 1940s,Lonniefrequently appeared in Kansas City.) Fi-nally, in 1965, Lonnie settled in Toronto,Canada, living there until he suffered afatal stroke in 1970 at age 81.

Mary Johnson continued to be a partof the St. Louis blues scene until 1950,when she left music tobecome a hospitalworker. Mary died in 1965.

JULY 1991The Kansas City BLUIiS NEWS is published monthly by the Kansas City BlueSOCiety, Inc. Articles, reviews, band caendar dates, and items of interest must bsubmitted by the 20th of each month, andbecome the property of the SOCiety.Founding Editor Roger NabeEditor Shirley OwensContributing Writer/Photographer. larry SmithTypesetting/layout Matt QuinnAdvertisinq inserts must be received by the15th of each month. For more informationon advertising in the BLUES NEWS, ca737-0713. FAX: (816) 246-6065.Advertising Rates:

118 page $201/4 page $301/2 page $60Full page $ I 20

Board of Directors and Officers:President Roger NaberVice-President Jon loweVice-President Kenny TaylorSecretary : Suzanne ColbertTreasurer Bernie PopeDirector Patrick FlemingtonDirector larry SmithDirector Provine HatchDirector Monica larsonDirector John StuerkeDirector Peter Horak

KCBS Chairperson Shirley OwensMembership Chairperson Marcie Ryan

The Kansas City Blues Society, aMissouri not-for-profit corporation wasformed for the sole purpose of promotingand preserving various styles of bluesmusic. Founded in December of 1980, theKansas City Blues Society presents:monthly jam sessions, various local andnational groups in concert, and our mainpresentation The Kansas City Blues andHeritage Festival. .

Members receive the newsletter, discounts on Society events and discounts onpurchases at certain participating businesses. Annual dues are S 10 per person oS 15 per family and S 50 per CorporateMembership. Tojoin the Society send yourname, address, phone number and duesto: Kansas City Blues Society, P.O. Box32131, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.

For more information,call 5317557 or 7370713.


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Annual Spring Blues BashThe Annual Spring Blues Bash onApril 27, presented by the KCBSwas a smashing success. There wasan estimated attendance ranging from200-300.

The KC Bottoms band started theevening at about 9:00 p.m. This band iscomposed of Todd Wilkinson (horns andpercussion), Larry Van Loon(keyboards),Kenny Hudson (bass) and Mike Harvey(drums) . They can be seen weekly at theTuba on Southwest Blvd. Soon to jointhem was Linda Shell.

Linda has been living in Oakland forthe past several years, and is back inKansas City. She is in the middle of re-cording a new album. Kelsey Hill, fromLinda's oldband, joined the Bottoms Bandbacking her on guitar.

Linda began with "DownHomeBlues"by ZZ Hill. The crowd really loved her.When she was finished, she received astanding ovation.

After Linda Shell, another of KC'sfavorites, Chick Willis joined the stage.Withou t any breaks, the crowd got hotter!After afew terrific tunes with the BottomsBand, Chick stated how well the band

SAXOPHONISTA B B L O C K Esounded considering he'd never rehearsedwith them before. Great job KC BottomsBand!

Chick is now living in Atlanta, Ga.Kansas City blues fans used to enjoy hismusic at Chicks Blues Alley, where heoncemanaged and performed. He startedhis musical career by singing gospel. In1956,he entered a talent contest put onbya record label called EBBout of LosAnge-les. The first prize he wonwas a recordingcontract. Chick has since played with thelikes of Sam Cooke, Etta James, HoundDogTaylor, and many more.

His last album Back to the Blues was

SLUES JAwith MLeon Estelle'-Jame. E"elle

Every Friday" Saturday11 pm until ?just released 6-8 weeks ago. He says it'sonly the second album out of eight he hasever recorded that is "not risque". (Youremember "Stoop Down Baby".)

After a break, The KCBottoms Bandbegan a second show. Though part of theaudience departed, they were quickly re-placed with more blues enthusiasts. Con-gratulations toon ajob well done to all themusicians who participated and the Kan-sas City Blues Society.

~SUNDAYBLUES JAMH & M B A R B Q1715 N. 13th St. KANSAS CITY. KS

C ATE RIN G B YA M A Z I N G G R A C E 3 7 1 9 5 2 4-CAROLYN WICKERCHAMALEON T-SHIRTSE@)[L~ Y f f i l f J O O @ B a T I q @ f iE@' j f f@l . r n l @

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Also available: t)BUTTONS S 1.50 eachBUMPER snCKERS S 1.50 each--------------------------ORDER FORM

Enclosed Is a c he ck lm o ne y o rd er fo r T- Sh ir tsB u m p _ e r S t ic k e rs an d B u tt on s l i s te d be low:Name~~~~~~~~~_Address~_~ ~~C~y/StatetZip _with theTraffic Jam Blue. Hour 4-5 pm

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BLUES NEWS 3


4/12

NOTES FROM MATTIE &MAEber . (We've beeninvited todobackuplip syncing anddancing ...M&M).

We weredropped off at thehappenin' CubbyBear Lounge. Wildalligators werechompin' at the bit.It was an aIls tarAlligator 20thbirthday bash.Starring: (besidesus ...M&M) theMellow Fellowsopened. They hadhot horns andsmoother grooves.

Then Kenny NealDear Blues readers, and Lonnie Brooks commented, "ItHey!Hey! It's alright, not only alright: wouldn't be a show without you two char-

but greeeeate! (We even saw Tony the. treuse hair blues babes here." LonnieTiger...M&M). y~s ind~d Chicago was: Mack played too and Koko Taylor got atoomuch. ~e Wmdy CIty ?lew us away . big blues award. All night long BruceWe had windblown beehives, tattered. "Alligator" Iglauer grinned and goofedsuits, broken heels, and has anybodyfound e offin between announcements. (Weneveraboxingglove?(Itmay beon the WestSide: goof off...M&M).or lost at the Cubby Bear. Drop us a line.and we'll reel it in...M&M). The Lost Weekend ...

Upon our arrival at Chicago's Midway,: Too Much Funthese two bibbity boppity blues chicks. Tad, Tad, Tad! You were so bad, bad,were greeted,by Blues Stars. (Of course,: bad as usual. We saw you at Legends withwe wouldnt let you down Blues.JoeLouisWalkerandRiverWestwithReaders: ..M&M). Joanna Co~or and. Otis Clay. Both times you had eyes for aStan ~xon loved our new beehives an~: Cat .. (But, thanks for the drinksmatchmgchartreuseheels. (Theycouldn t. M&M). h 1 h it ed anyway... .mI~sus ":M&M).They appi yc au eur : KokoTaylor let us comeinher dressingus m their brand new van. The old one got room tohelp her get ready for the Alligator150,000miles intwoyears. Look f~ra new: finale while she told us about her recentJoanna Connor release later this year . J n tour. We helped her get her rhine-, dinz i M his i S te apaShe s recor mg in emp IS in ep m-. stones on and she invited us to her new

Country Club Hills home, "Everybody': always stopping by." Later, she saved us table at Legends after her knockout pe formance. (We're always acting up. A least that's what weheard later. Who, us Twofor too much fun ...M&M).

The First Ever 1991 West Side BlueBus Tour with us was a rock 'n roll riotOn board, blues dudes who we fought owith our boxing gloves (with onlygloves ...M&M), was Boss Jock LS 4Fingers Taylor, Michael Earwhig,Party Animal Frank, Felix "The Fellow" Wohrstein, and many more. Othis wild and all the frenzy way crazy bu

: excursion weheard: Little Wolf at the D Morocco, Lacy Gibson's Family Band at the Delta Fish Market's parking lo: and wewere doing the bus stop at Mr Tee with Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang They were all thrilled to see us back i: town. We were even given gifts, i.e hairspray, glitter, shoe and fingernail po ish and aspirin. (We prefer the ' caplets ...M&M) Despite our late after hours party i the Baltimore Blues Society suite, wewer in perfect form for the Champagne Blue Brunch. (We lost it later ...M&M).All ou pals were there. The Toronto Blues Soc: ety (Derrick and John), Big Walter an Shirley Smith from Minneapolis, Ed from Boston, John Terry from the Tulsa Blue: Club, Bucks County Dudes (Tom "Pops Cullen and P.J.), Mr. Tommy Radai who: starring ina gangster filmcalled Dillinger, Manny's Car Wash from NYC, and lot more.: Back to the Fest. We left our lip prints on: Red Rooster, Taj Majal,JimO'Neal, Little Bobby Porter, Professor Eddie Lusk, Bruce Iglauer, Jack Dupree,

4 JULY 1991


5/12

JackOwens,BudSpires,Pinetop,Bob ReviewStrogher,LonnieBrooks,KennyNeal, : A BI Tit S hSon Seals, Magic Slim, Chuck. mateur ues a en earcBloomingburg, Alonzo, Dale Patton, BY CAROLYN WICKER competing on that night. Stevie and thLonnie Mack and we almost ran out of: May30wasthe 1stPreliminary Blues Jivetones (Steve Gillet-guitar, Stevlipstick. (Listen to our on-air interviews Amateur Talent Contest held at Ramsey-bass, Louie Bernal-drums, anwith these dudes on KKFI-FM 90.1, : Nightmoves. Thecontestants consisted of Les Posten-guitar) and the Blues NotionWednesdays, 4-5 p.m....M&M) The Hockin" Daddys the Cat Daddy's (Tom "Trashmouth" Baker-vocals/harp

Well,dear blues readers, we'reheading John Paul a~d the H~llhounds and Th~ Bill Thomas-guitar, Wayne Smith-bassfor more toomuch fun in a stretch full of Dan Doran Band. The finalists of the Dave Creighton-keys, Carl Angerer-guiArafats to the biggest Blues & Jazz Fest evening were John Paul and the tar, and Phil Collier-drums) were the winKC has ever had, Ju~y 27 & 28 at P~~n Hellhounds (John Paul Drum-harp, Joe ners from that evening.ValleyPark.Seetheplcture.(YoucanJoIn Whitfield-bass Tom Gary-keys) and The The judging was done by both audius. There's plenty of:oo~ fo~you...M&M:- Dan Doran Ba~d (Dan Doran-keys, Paul ence participation as well as four judges

Also,youare cordiallyinvited toM&Ms Hartfield-bass, Bill Dye-guitar, John All the bands did an excellent job whicpre-Fest Record Party (we plan to set a Selzer-trumpet Dana Smith-Saxophone) madethejudgingtough. The four finalistsrecord and get the record straig?t...M&M) The2ndPr~liminaryContestwasheld will compete at the Finals Contest at theonSaturday,Jul~20, 1991at~lghtmoves, atTheRoxy onJune 13.HorizontalMambo, Grand Emporium on July 11. Be sure t3-7p.m.Therewillbe adonation forKKFI Stevie and the Jivetones Blues Notions comeand cast your vote. - radio. Plenty of Food. Bring chips. We and The Nightcrawlers were the bandsknow a lot of dips.Love and kisses, Mattie and MaeP.S. Send us junk.P.P.S. Be there or be square.P.P.P.S. Rick,baby, wegiveyoufivestars.

You are toooo much fun and wewon't tell Grace.

P.P.P.P.S. To all Blues Societies in theworld, meet us behind the Blues.Stage at the KC Fest, July 28 for areeely big blues summit, 9 p.m. - ?(Bring refreshments andribs ...M&M).

Blue s S tag e July 28 7:15pm

Bobby "Blue" Bland.BobbyBland, born RobertCalvinBland

in Rosemark, Tn. is best known as theoriginator of the blues ballad," and isepitome of the Blues stylist who com-municates with his songs. He is one ofthe living legends of the genteel bluestradition.

Mississippi1991LeClaire Park,

Valley Blues Society'sBLUES FESTIVAL JULy 5,6,7Davenport, Iowa

more information, call: Steve Bundis (:519) :591-1293 Karen canine (319) 323-5301

BLUES NEWS 5


6/12

Ju ly 2Luthe r ' 'House rock lo' ' Johnson

4 Ian M oo re & Momen t s Not i ceJu ly 5

Bluesman Wi l li e , Yo landa &th e S o uth S tr ee t R unn e rs

16 Butch M udb one & t he Wo l fpack18 P hil P erry & D ave K oz (8 pm )July 19

JasonD . W i U ia m s plusM a r k S e l b y & t h e Sluggers. . . . . . , . - _ . .

3 0 S alty Ig uan as

B ~ ~ M A I N ~ 1 - I ~ 0 4

6 JULY 1991

Performance DiaryCharlie Mussle""hiteMay 31 -Grand EmporiumCharlie MusslewhiteIwas stationed in Phoenix back in thegreat war (I still haven't figured outwhat was so great about it) when Icame across an album in the BXone day.It was entitled Word of Mouth by a bandnamed Merryweather. As a subtitle itcarried "a two record super jam." Itlied.Sure, there were two records, but they

sure weren't super..................................... The album hadone redeeming factor.It introduced me totwo players I hadn'theard before. One wasjazz guitar greatHowie Roberts, theother was CharlieMusslewhite.

"Iremember thatMemphis Charlie, blowin' the Blues.

he's climbing stairs with a loping stride.Andrew Jones, guitar, is a solid, fluidplayer with thick tone and a nice touch.

Musslewhite took the stage and theband went into "The Blues Overtook Me."It featured expressive vocal work andsomenice tutti playing between Jones andMusslewhite. "Kiddeo" had a real niceharp solo, Musslewhite turning in someinteresting twists on the melody. "RiverHipMama" and "SheMayBe YourWoman"finished out a four-pack from the Ace oHarps album. From there Musslewhiteplayed some of his older stuff and somefrom the upcoming album.The new album should beout the firstpart of September. Musslewhite said ithas some interesting stuff on it. "There'sa duo with John Lee Hooker. We did asimilar tune for 'The Healer' but it didn'tget on the album. I hope it will be releasedsome day."

With their work schedule, it's hard tofind time to cut an album. Musslewhitesaid the band did 300 dates last year. "Iseethe band more than my family." It's acommon experience for those on the road.

MUSIC REVIEWB y LM . SMITH.A. .A. .A. .A. .A. .A. .A. .A. .A. session, "Musslewhi tesaid between sets of his recent GrandEmporium appearance. "I went over be-cause 1thought they needed aharp player.But when 1got there it turned out nobodyhad any material prepared. Wesat aroundmost ofthe day and finally 1said, 'I can doa couple of tunes.' They said great, so wecut them."

There were plenty of intoxicants be-ing consumed around the studio, notedMusslewhite. Also, "there were a lot ofdrums and equipment. Idon't know wherethe money was coming from. Itwas a veryloose session. (Probably one of the greatunderstatements of all time). Those daysare gone."On the GE stage, Musslewhite dis-played what hehas been doing throughouthis long career. He and the band kickedout some driving, dancable blues. Theyspecialize inmid toup-tempo tunes playedwith a great deal of elan

This is a fine band. Drummer TommyHill provides the solid base. Artis Joyce isa funky bassist who, on stage, looks like

Denise LaSalleDenise LaSalle is a well recognized name in the

music industry. She is a show business veteran,she has often been compared to Millie Jackson andCandi Staton because of her outstanding deliveryand vibrant performances.


7/12

Cruisin- and Bluesin-Itwas abeautiful night for the Cruise,abit overcast and cool.Phillip Walkerand the band were on the upper deckwith 39th St. down below.

Abb Locke sat in with Walker & Co.and did some real nice work, some of the,..,..,..,.."',.."',..'" best I've heard fromCA.:udJtr ' him. Heseemed morerelaxed and his play-( I ( ! ' r s k H E A C . T ingwas looser. Lockesure knows his way

around the tenor togowith abig, fat tone.

Walker's bandMUSIC REVIEW was solid, performing

BY l A R E BEAR what Big Joe C re-....................................ferred to as "40s and50s blues." The sound was clean, almostacoustic. The amps were there to make iteasier for the audience tohear, theyweren'tinstruments to be played by themselves.

Walker is a solid guitar player whoconcentra tes on his lines. He coaxes asharp tone from his axe due inpart tosomepiercing attacks. He has a good sense ofmelodic invention and weaves someinter-esting twists into his solos.

The crowd took a set to listen, butduring the second set started letting go.By the time the Queen pulled into dock,the crowd was gassed.

I only made it downstairs for a littlewhile. I knew we would be stopping in atNightmoves, where 39th St. has a regularWednesday night gig, for a capper. The

band sounded great. James Gilbert wasback from the road and he makes a differ-ence. The guy is just a phenomenal bass-ist. Butch Smith was sitting in, anotheroutstanding player.

Itwas a fun night. I'm already plan-ning for the next one in September.

See Phillip Walker atNightmoves on July 6.

Lila' "rheB ............. At B.B.'s!" ...Llndsay Shannon. Proprietor'" '" / 1205 E. 85th St - Kansas Cttv, Mo.BAR B Q T u ~ e _ ~ f . k 1 ~ ~ ~ ? 3 : ~ S b m_ _ Sun.-Noon-9 ~m* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ; ; ; ~ : ; : * * * * B E E RO p e n T u e s d a , t b r u S u n d a ,C b e a p B e e r - - T u e s d a , s ~ W e d n e s d a r s - - 1 1 . 2 S . . . U a m t o M i d n i g h t

~~C Z J I / G J 0[Dm] ~ LIkI1rDC Z J I J 01 I D : :m 9 ~ 0 C Z J / ! f i ] 0[Dm] mIJ~1i********** ...C O M P L B T B D A B S I I V I C B ***********B E E R B U C K E T S P E C I I L S . . . P B R a n d L a B a t t ' s

B I R - B - QB L U E S

Volunteer for theKC FestLess than a month remains before

the first day of the Kansas City Blues &Jazz Festival, July 27 & 28. Kenny Tay-lor and I have been working out thedetails ofoperations for the Blues Stage.In breaking down the shifts by jobs, wehave determined that a minimum of 65people per shift at the Blues Stage aloneare needed to make the festival a suc-cess.

We will work two (2) shifts per day.The first shift will report at 11:30 a.m.,the second shift 'will report at 4 p.m. Theconcessions will consist of beer, softdrinks and festival merchandise for boththe blues stage area and the jazz-stagearea. We also still need help startingaround noon on Friday, July 26 to set upthe park and on Monday morning (asearly as possible) to tear down after thefest is over.

Critical need for volunteers remainfor the late shifts on Saturday and Sun-day. The early shift ofSaturday is full. Ifyou haven't already volunteered to helpat the festival, please give it somethought. We need your help!

Festival volunteers will receive aFREE festival volunteer T-shirt (pos-sibly to be distributed before the fest)and a post-fest volunteer party.

Volunteer postcards are available atthe Grand Emporium, Nightmoves andBB's Lawnside BBQ.Please include yourdate of birth (for Liquor Control, sincewe are beer vendors) and your T-shirtsize. If it is not convenient to pick uppostcards at these locations and youwish to volunteer, call (816) 361-8945and leave amessage, we'llmake sure youget signed up!

Volunteer MeetingJuly '6 7 ~.m.Harling sWewill hold avolunteer meeting for

all Blues Stage volunteers on July 16 at7 p.m. at Harling's Upstairs at 3941-AMain St, KCMO (531-0303). We willdiscuss basic volunteer procedures, park-ing availability for volunteers and an-swer questions. We will keep the meet-ing brief. Itis important that volunteersattend this meeting as we need to con-firm the hours you have volunteered towork. Marcie Ryan will be at Harling'sby 6:00 p.m, if you have any questions,feel free to stop by early and discussthem with Marcie. We look forward toseeing you on July 16 at Harling's.

- MA RCIE R YA N

BLUES NEW S 7


8/12

vocal. This version is just a touch slowethan the Atlantic version, but otherwisepretty close. "Confessin'" is done here astrio behind Brown. McShann turns insongful of that rompin' piano.

Most of the tunes feature McShann'sbig band. Four of the cuts are the tribehind Brown. One of those adds OrvillMinor on trumpet and Parker.

This is another album full ofconsiderable historic interest. One reason is because they are someofthe earliest recordings ofBird. But McShann's was oneofthlast territory big bands to gain nationalprominence. You can only wonder wherthat band might have goneifithadn'tbeenfor the war. This is a hard album to findbut worth the hunt.

Atlantic Jazz Kansas CityLM. SMITH

a wi~:r ~lbum features three ~tunes by Jay McShann, three byBig Joe Turner, two by BusterSmith, two by Vic Dickenson andBuck Clayton and one cut by T-BoneWalker. It's an album full of swing.

Turner opens and closes the album."You're Driving Me Crazy," the albumopener, is a loose tune that features astrong trombone solo from LawrenceBrown. "Piney Brown Blues" was aminorsingle forTurner under the name "KansasCity Blues." Of course, it features a nicepiano intro from Pete Johnson, plus sec-tion work from the horn players and moretrombone from Brown.

All three of the McShann cuts comefrom the same 1977 sessions. All threefeature somerollicking electric pianofrom

W hole lottaShakin' G oin' O n I J ._1mI~~~:"(_ a " r : ' ! ' ! ' t ! ' ! ' ! ' I M J f ~ : : < rOPENINGDinner &BluesSymposium

PAUL ORTA THI KINGPIN/-1101 E. 31ST STREET(31ST & TROOST)

C A L L 9 4 2 6 3 7 9 F O R M O R E I N F O

8 JULY1991

SATURDAY , JULY 20 , ISSI . II A ll TO ' 1 P II. l ! . o c a I i t u . : Moose Lodge of Levittown Picnic Grounds,New Falls Rd., Levittown, Pa.

p~ Rod Piazza& the Mighty Flyers Luther 'Guitar Jr" Johnson Paladins Major Handy & Zydeco Wolf Couchon Kingsnakes Rory Block~icIui4..$25.00 includes: hamburgers, hot dogs,hot sausage, sweet sausage, PhildelphiaSoft Pretzels, com, watermelon, chips &pretzels, draft beer, and draft birch beer.

! J H j o . : (215) 946-4794 or 946-9424 or write to -BCBS, P.O. Box 482, Levittown, PA 19058ADVANCE TIX ARE RECOMMENDED.


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PRESENTS

JULY II9PM

$2.00 DONATIONFEATURING~BLUES NOTIONSJOHN PAUL ~ THE HELLHOUNDS~~THE DAN DORAN BANDSTEVIE ~ THE JIVETONES~


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723 0 W . 75th St. Ov erlan d P ark , IS. (913) 2 36-6211Evel'Y Swn"ItY -- ~lwes lltHt 8-12 Hti"nightwith The ~lwes lJotions

Ju ly '91 Blue~..~~lendar

10 JULY 1991

" BLUES NOTES" FROM PN3E 1&the Jlvetones. KCBS extends thanks to Nightmoveand the Roxyfor hosting the preliminary contests pluall the blues bands who participated to make this a.exciting event.

KCBS' monthly free Blues Jam at the Grand Emporiumwill not be held In Julydue to the Final Round buwill return on August 8. The next Blues Cruise Ischedule for end ofSeptember. Lookfor more Information In coming Issues of the Blues News.

The August Blues News will be delayed due to thedemanding Blues and Jazz Fest responsibilities. Support the blues and see you at the Festl

S up po rt th e B lue s an d Go to a B lu es F es tIf you have never been to a blues fest, well, it-s abouttime. Bring plenty of non-alcoholic refreshments, sunblock, hat, blanket, bug repellent, and wear cool,loose fitting clothes. Also, bring some cash for asouvenir. Remember, make your hotel reservationsearly.3rd Annual Legendary Blues Festlval- July 4, 1991-Meadow Ridge Farm, Windsor, Ohio. Call AnnieLockwood at (216) 431-4919.

Mississippi Valley Blues Fest - July 5,6, 7 - LeClairePark, Davenport, Iowa. (800) 747-7800.Antone's 16th Anniversary - July7-15 - AntonesNightclub, 2928 Guadalupe, Austin, Tx. (512) 322-0617.9th Annual Bucks County Blues Society R &B Picnic- July 20 - Moose Lodge Picnic Grounds, Levittown,Pa. (215) 946-4794.4th Annual illinois Central Blues Festival - July 20 ~Knights Action Park, Springfield, II. (217) 727-8821.Chunky Rhythm and Blues Festival - July 20 -Meridan, Ms. (601) 483-5309.KC'S FIRST BLUES 'N JAZZ FEST - July 27,28-Kansas City, Mo. Free. (800) 530-KCMO or (913)752-8141 (local).King Biscuit Blues Fest - October 11, 12 - Helena,Ark. P.O. Box 247, Helena, Ark 72342. (501) 338-9144.


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I(C BLUES JAMSSUNDAY JAMS JAMS - Bring your instruments H & M Barbecue, 1715 N. 13th, KansasCity, Ks . Epicurean Lounge & Restaurant, 7502 Troost, 333-8383 The Roxy, 7230 W. 75th Street, 236-6211, featuringThe Blues Notions, 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 p.m. (see advert.)MONDAY JAMS Blayney's,415WestportRoad,561-3747,10p.m. Hurricane, 4048 Broadway, 753-0884, KCBlues Band, 10 pm-2 amTUESDAY JAMS Blayney's, 415 Westport Road, 561-3747, The 39th St. Blues Band The Levee, 4 3rd & Main, 561-2821,Sonny Kenner Blues Band, 8:30-12:30 pm The Point, 917 West 44th, 531-9800, Lonnie RayBlues Band,9pm-l:00amWEDNESDAY JAMS The Levee, 43rd & Main, 561-2821, The 1234 Band, 8:30-12:30 pm Nightmoves, 5110 NEVivion Rd, 452-4393, The 39th St. Blues Band,8-12 pmTHURSDAY JAMS The Tuba, 333 Southwest Blvd at Broadway, 471-6510, KCBottoms Band,9:00 pmSATURDAY JAMS Chateau Lounge, 5934 Prospect, 523-9333, The Freeze, 3 - 8 p.m. Grand Emporium (seeadvert.), 3832 Main, 531-7557,Gi lbert's Saturday Blues Party, 4-7 pm Harlings Upstairs, 3941Main, 531-0303, Diana Ray& RichVan Sant, 2-6 pm H & M Barbecue, 1715 N. 13th, KansasCity, Ks , Abb Locke, 10 pm Me's Lounge, 5709 Troost, 363-9376, Saturday & Sunday, The GouchoBand, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.OTHER CLUBSo Birdland, 1600 E. 19th, 842-8463o City Light JazzClub, 4749 Pennsylvania, Blue Monday jam 8 pm - midn.o Eblon's, 1601 E. 18th Street, 221-6612o Grand Emporium,Fridays-Litt le Hatch's Houseparty, 6-8p.m.o Jimmy's Jigger 1823 W. 39th St, 753-2444o Kiki's Bonton Maison, 1515 Westport Road, 931-9417o The Phoenix, 302 W. 8th Street, 472-0001o Ouaff Buffet & Saloon, 1010 Broadway, 471-1918o Roxy, 7230 W. 75th St.,Overland Park, Ks. , 236-6211o Strouds Restaurant, 454-9600, 333-2132, featuring Roy Searcyo Uptown-Down & Dirty, 6508 Martway, Mission, Ks . 236-4300o Wither's Place, 1101 E.31st Street, 942-6379

Blue s S tag e J uly 28 4 :3 0 pmw i f f n a m m u v_WiW_.)a.,

John MayallJohn Mayall has been called the "Godfather of

British Blues" for so long it has almost become partof his name. A talented instrumentalist, Mayallplays harmonica, piano, and guitar. His airy har-monica tone is as distinctive as his voice.

BLUES RADIOKANU-FM 91.5Saturday 8 p.m. - 'Blues in the Night'with Kyle NeuerKCUR-FM 89.3Friday 8 p.m. "Blues Stage'

9 p.m. 'Friday Fish Fry' with Chuck HaddockSaturday 8 p.m. "Saturday Night Fish Fry' Chuck Haddock

12 Midnight 'Lonesome Pine Special'4:00 p.m. - "Traffic Jam" Blues Hour7:30 a.m. - 'Breakfast Club' with Dave Creighton4:00 pm - 'Mattie & Mae' Blues Hour7:30 a.m. - 'Breakfast Club' with Dave CreightonSunday 7 p.m. - 'Kansas City Blues Show"with Lindsay ShannonMonday-Fri. 12 noon 'Lunch at the OldiesSat. - 3 p.m. 'Blues for Two' with J.S. MarshallDaily

KKFJ-FM 90.1DailyTuesdayWednesdayThursdayKCFX-FM 101KPRS-FM 103.3KCXL-AMKIDZ-AM 1510

PERFORMERS LISTING

IIiInJulie Turner Group 423-6885 Dave Williams 756-0481KC Blues Band 252-2096KC Bottoms Band 753-2470 IklunJ.Little Hatch & the Houserockers... David Basse _ 561-2489................................... 861-3103 Mark Gilmore 531-3876Lori Tucker & Shining Light ... .. .. .. .GY.iIar................................... 765-0640 Allen Blasco 829-4951Mahogany 363-6173 Glen Patrik 361-2160Mama Ray& the Rich Van Sant Band Ron Singlton 625-7880................ 420-0093 648-2432 Krell Stinner 444-8266

Alaadeen & the Deans of Swing ...................................... 831-4396City Light Jazz Ensemble756-2697Coco & Dan Lee 561-2623Dirty Sparks 829-4951Fast Johnny 796-2742Fiermon and the Kings of Jazz................................... 923-2812Frank Smith Trio 339-6698J. R.'S Jazz Brokers 923-7181Jazz Plus 921-5854Joe Cartwright Trio 756-2697John Paul & the Hellhounds ..... .. .... ... ... .... ... 432'{)867 831-4578

Max Groove 756-3725Mike Ning Trio 436-031 8Milleage Gilbert Band 321-7955Millie Edwards & the Hit and RunBand ........ 523-9024 753-3536Milt Abel Trio 333-1 21 2MMF Big Band 421-9297Modern Times 677-3763New Riddem 333-7444

Sam Johnson and Company .. .... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . _ 621-2896Sandy Brown Quartet 523-7365Steve Miller Orchestra 722-0887The 39th St. Band ... 421-2861 363-5080The Blues Notions .. .... ... ... ... .. 333-4697 262-4656The Dan Doran Band .................. 531-1589341-1076The Linda Shell Band 765-3556The New KC Seven 765-0397Tommy Ruskin Trio 432-6885Vince Bilardo & Friends 491-3271

HMpJoe Colbert 452-4251SaxophoneBill Caldwell 756-2812Dwight Foster 321-6504~LC. (Speedy) Huggins .. 561-931 1Jim Laforte 241-0808Original Legends of Jazz62 1-2896 Rich Robben 942-5803Rhythm Kings 841-1 41 5 'Cotton Candy' Washington ..

Rich Hill & the Riffs 363-3821 924-6763Ronnell Bright Orchestra. 561-2140

SBOft ,.HE BLUES!

BLUES NEWS "


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THE KANSAS CITY

Kansas City Blues SocietyP.O. Box 32131, Kansas City, MO 64111

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Documents

Blues News - July 1991