Ok, that photo wasn't taken here, and obviously it proves that Vanessa and I were cheating on the Outlook this past Sunday, but it was her 21^st, and she FINALLY can get into The Little Bear (I hated leaving her, tears streaming, every time I would go there to see JR&NB).  And how appropriate that it was a John Németh gig.  John Németh is not only an Outlook favorite, but most certainly a Vanessa favorite.  As a matter of fact, if you didn't read her review of him from this past April, it is Blues Letter #36 in the archives.  She did a great job, and it was her first interview/review.  It's wonderfully kismetish that he was playing in that club on her birthday.  Great way to break in the I.D., Nessa!

I've been excited for several weeks now over Nick Moss and the Flip Tops, and tomorrow night my patience shall be rewarded.  In order to refresh my excitement, I revisited his site but with a more thorough perusal.  Imagine my surprise when I came across his "Quotable" page, with none other than…well, read for yourself:

"Nick Moss' Sadie Mae steps deeper into the old school Chicago Blues that Nick learned onstage with the legends of that music, and is inspired by both the sweet love for his baby daughter and the mean old world we all live in.  It's real, raw, and passionate blues."  Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, Prodigal Son of the Outlook

Our own Steady Rollin' has spoken.  Be there, or risk the consequences!

And then there's this from one of my very earliest big blues crushes (even though all his ink terrified me when I first met him):

"Nick is destined to be on the blues scene for a long, long time!  His talent and his drive is at the top for his generation."  Kim Wilson [sigh…]

But I encourage you to read what blues fans have to say:  http://www.nickmoss.com/pages/buzz_fans.html
 

Nick also produced and appears on one track of one of my favorite CD's, which I have mentioned here before; Denver's own The Shuffletones' Chicago Sessions.  If you haven't purchased that CD yet, why not?  I'm getting tired of repeating myself. 

Next Wednesday is going to be very special.  Two words:  Duke Robillard. Actually, here's a quick quiz from his site:  "What do Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Jay McShann, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, John Hammond, the late Jimmy Witherspoon, Dr. John, Maria Muldaur, Roomful of Blues, and the Canadian band The Rockin' Highliners all have in common?"  Two words.  See above. 

Not only that, but The Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C. Handy Awards) have awarded him "Best Blues Guitarist" four years out of seven from this decade alone, making 2006 the only year of this decade he was not nominated.  I CAN'T STAND IT!!! 

The night following, is Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King.  I'm going to leave them to a pro.  Here's what reviewer-at-large, Chick Cavallero, has to say about next Thursday's act:

Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King are a couple of favorites of mine, and they might just blow down the Outlook. These highly-regarded Alligator Records guitarists have been together almost 20 years, and during that time they have explored every aspect of the Blues/Rock/Soul/Jazz genres. They have deep respect for each other's talents and feed off of that; each one's distinct talent compliments the other's unique sound. Kubek's tasty guitar licks are pure blues. A prodigy at the age of 14, this Texas born guitar slinger frequented the Dallas bar scene during the 1970's and early 80's playing with guitar legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan and the three Kings (BB, Albert & Freddie).His hard grinding style has heavy Texas Blues overtones, playing as if his guitar was on fire, with chops chock full of frenzied, wild-eyed finger picking and slithering slide attacks. To that, B'nois King mixes in a generous supply of smooth Jazz guitar chords. The result is a raucous mixture that will sends chills down your spine as it rattles its way through every inch of your body. As hard-driving and ear-piercing (I mean that in a good way) the duel guitar magic gets, it is always kept in place by King's cool & soothing vocals. I am usually not that interested in singers, I tend to prefer a screaming guitar, but Bnois King's vocals grab my attention every time; his voice seems to melt with each sizzling note of Kubek's guitar. Get ready for some frantic bone-chilling blues served up Texas style, you will not be disappointed.

I think Chick should pursue a career as a music critic.  Thank you again, Chick. The blues is lucky to have you.

My Beloved Delta Sonics return this Saturday night, so polish the dancing shoes.  The next evening, Sunday, is the blues jam with Mark Diamond and Lionel What's-His-Name, and if you haven't dropped by one of these jams lately (2^nd and 4^th Sunday of the month), you might be surprised how much they've grown.  I suggest you come by.

Quick glance into early September: on Thursday the 4^th, the Jack Hadley Band will be schooling us in all things blues (plus Jack is super pretty!), and that should be a lot of fun.  Then the next night, Ron Thompson is coming!  I'll cover him a bit more next week, but until then, I will leave you with this from his bio:

"Not many living blues musicians can say they have performed with and recorded for legends like Big Mama Thornton, Sonny Rhodes, Luther Tucker, Jimmy McCracklin, Pee Wee Crayton, Carla Thomas, Booker T. Jones, Percy Mayfield, Etta James, B.B. King, and Jimmy Reed. Ron Thompson can, and that's just the beginning!"
Honey Bee Sepeda

MEMO TO DAN

Dearest Dan,

First of all, welcome back!  I'm sure you had a great vacation, but we missed you. 

Secondly, word is out that you've purchased a new sound system, and everyone is pretty excited about that (no one more so than Jason Ricci).  However, and perhaps I'm just being sensitive here, but it seems to me that my marble table and gilded, jewel-encrusted throne are more urgent than sound.  Or, maybe that's just me.

Bewilderingly yours,
Honeybee

Dear Honey:

This sound system is awesome.  We may even have it ready for Duke next week.  Not sure yet, but it might even have a holographic function that can project an image of that chair.  That way if you ever miss a show we can just add your image as well!

See you soon,
Dan