Ron Thompson and that Willis guy

For those of you who read last week's Anniversary Blues Letter, you may remember my mentioning having made a lot of great friends during the course of the last year.  Well one stand-out, someone who puts a smile on my face by his mere existence, is Chick Cavallero.  And his wife, Patti.  Yes, Chick-n-Patti.  You can't make that up. 

Chick-n-Patti are everywhere the blues is playing in Colorado (and often beyond), and thanks to them, Dan and I often get an early heads-up from Chick on who's coming to town and might be available for us.  As such, he has of late become a contributing reviewer for the Blues Letter, and I asked him if henceforth he would cover the guitarists who come through our wonderful club.  Simply put, he's better at it, and all of the responses I've received on his writing and style have been marvelous.  He's such a great addition to the Blues Letter, that my co-producer/co-host, Joyous Jill Watkins, and I approached him about doing "Chick's Chat" for Broads on Blues.  This will consist of Chick taking a few minutes each month to tell us about who's been, who's coming, and who simply can't be missed.   We hope to inaugurate his segment on our October 5^th show. 

Speaking of Broads on Blues, Jill and I air our fourth episode this Sunday, live from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on CCTV54.  However, for those of you out of the viewing area, we will be at the Outlook around 5:00 with the DVD to watch in the back on the large-screen television.  Please feel free to join us; it's always fun, and we're pretty much seeing it for the first time as well, so the laughter can get a little over the top.  But fun!

Before I unleash Chick on you, I'd like to give you a peek into October.  On the 16^th I FINALLY got Glass Ceiling.  Linda Shay (guitar/vocals), Audree D. (drums/vocals) and Hilary Spriggs (smokin' on bass/vocals) are one kick-ass trio!  It is my concerted hope that these women become Outlook regulars.  Mark your calendars.

The next night, 10/17 brings the return of Eddie "Devilboy" Turner, another favorite.  You can read more about him in the May/June edition of Blues Revue.  They did a very nice profile on him.  He's a riveting and mesmerizing guitarist.

October 25^th is a Saturday night you won't want to miss.  Returning for their second appearance at the Outlook is the magnificent George Whitesell and his All Stars Featuring Jill Watkins, and they are more of an experience than a show.  Swing, jump, blues, and a kick ass horn section (with some sexy choreography); mixed with George's blazing guitar work and Jill's overall naughtiness, the Outlook feels like it's on Broadway.  That said, I'm personally instituting a dress code for the evening, and it's very simple:  LOOK GOOD!  This band brings it with a lot of style, and I think we should take the opportunity to get dressed up.  Or else!

Now, rather than leave on a threat this week, I give you Chick:  be careful, he's pretty fired up this week.

Honey Bee Sepeda

Whew!  I hope you all caught Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King Thursday. They sure lived up to my expectations, I hope they did yours.  The new sound system at the Outlook sounded awesome, every note was crisp and clear. I tell you, Joe twisted, pulled, pushed and picked his strings to the extreme. It was a two hour orgy for the ears. Whether showing off his tasty slide work, or spinning out shimmering high notes that hung above the stage,  he was always complimented by Bnois' velvet voice and dueling Gibson.  Smokin' Joe and Bnois brought the place to a boiling point trading licks back and forth on their guitars.  If you didn't get a copy of their CD, you need to. "Blood Brothers" (on Alligator records) is a masterpiece and contains a hefty chunk of Thursday night's show.

But I don't want to re-hash Joe Kubek; there's little I can add to what I wrote prior to the show. But, I would like to hit on something that has been happening over the last five weeks at the Outlook…the wealth of national talent that is showing up here. You see, I'm a guitar 'groupie;' I don't play at all, but damn I am a sucker for a flashy guitar. Well, since July 26, Dan King has brought in Jason Ricci and New Blood, featuring Shawn Starski. "Guitarski," a personal favorite of mine, was named one of the top 10 hottest new guitarists by Guitar Player magazine. A few days later he had Shawn Kellerman, another young 'monster' guitar player (I reviewed him in an earlier BL; this guy has jaw-dropping talent). Jeezus, how do you get better than that? I'm not sure you do 'better;' you just do 'different.' After showcasing the 'new guys' and their new-wave blues, in comes Nick Moss and the Flip Tops, showing you what killer Chicago blues is all about. 

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Bryan Lee

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Follow that up with Duke Robillard, a guy who has played every style of blues, jazz and swing there is and has won about every blues guitar award you can think of. I'm still suicidal over missing THAT show, but that's one drawback of being 45 minutes away in Loveland. Damn, I envy you guys that are close by the Outlook! Then again, maybe it's good I don't live too close; I would definitely be spending too much time at the Outlook and running the risk of turning Chick 'N' Patti into just cold leftover chick(en). In case you didn't know, my wife is Patti. You may have seen her 'knitting the blues' at the Outlook and every Blues Festival between Cheyenne and Trinidad, including Winter Park. Smokin' Joe & Bnois followed Duke with a generous helping of Texas blues which gets us up to date.

Next up on Sept 5 & 6 will be two more guitarists who have had big roles in blues history:  Ron Thompson, referred to as 'a rhythm and blues legend,' and Bryan Lee the Braille Blues Daddy. John Lee Hooker called Ron Thompson, "my main man." Andy Grigg from Real Blues magazine adds, "When it comes to slide guitar workouts, I would say he's the Best in the World, and yet the man sings his ass off too." The 63 year-old Lee is a longtime blues guitarist and New Orleans institution. Lee had a big part in establishing N'awlins as a blues town, not just a jazz city.  His music is electrifying with a distinctively Chicago-style sound that his time in the south has not been able to shake, which is a good thing. Dan Treanor tells me he is an amazing to see live, even more so when you realize he is blind.

Add it all up and it's a diverse and super talented group of acts gracing the Outlook stage. I never expected to find a place like the Outlook with such a steady stream of top bands outside of Denver but I'm sure grateful for it. Oh, and I  don't want to overlook the rich supply of Colorado talent that get gigs in between these national acts: the Delta Sonics, Mojambus, Mojomama, Randall Dubis, Jill Watkins, Dan Treanor, Jack Hadley, and Lionel Young, have all played here these past few weeks, and I'm sure you've come to realize how talented they all are. Dan King has something special going on here and I just want to thank him on behalf of all of us blues junkies. He has been making it easy to get my weekly–sometimes bi-weekly–fix of Live Blues. So here goes:  Thanks for all the music Dan! You are without a doubt, the Front Range's Patron Saint of the Blues!!!  And NO, I don't get paid to say this stuff; think of this as a simple public service announcement.  - Chick Cavallero

MEMO TO DAN

Dear Dan,

With all the back-to-back, staggering talent you're booking, I'm going to have to spend more time at the hotel.  In order to do so, I'll need a dedicated suite, painted sage green, with the television and art work removed.  I'll provide my own art work (I'm picky).  Also, please be certain the thread count doesn't go below 600 on my sheets.  Cheers!

Appreciatively,

Honeybee

Dear Honey:

Sounds lovely.  Let me know when you get it.  Maybe I can use it on your nights off?

Dan