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THE SON OF THE FATHER What a week we had! Harper gave us an education on how well the didgeridoo blends with the Blues last Thursday, then on Friday, Big Bill Morganfield gave us an education on DNA. Damn, is he his father's son! The voice, the grooves, the moves. He's mesmerising, captivating, charming, and BIG. Here's what our roving Sr. Guitar Corespondent has to say: Big Bill Morganfield. Muddy Waters son. Wow! I feel like I’ve come full circle now. It was Muddy who firmly hooked me on the Blues when he came to my college in Ohio in 1973 , along with a skinny, kinky-haired Bob Margolin ( believe it or not, I was skinny then too). Last weekend’s show was his first in Colorado in 7 years, and seeing his talent live just impressed the heck out of me. Big Bill is not riding on his dad’s coat-tails. He is a real talent and showman who is carrying on the rich tradition that Muddy helped cultivate…the Blues. That’s what Big Bill Morganfeld is all about, pure Muddy Waters-style, kick-ass blues with powerful guitar playing and booming powerful vocals. I broke out in goosebumps when he kicked in to “Mannish Boy,” and hearing him do “Nineteen” was whew…awesome powerful stuff. The entire night was pure powerhouse get-up, screaming thumping blues. He’s got a lot of Muddy in him, the voice, the moans, the way he shakes that guitar like he’s trying to choke it. Sweet! He also brought a killer piano player along named Clark Stein who pounded those keys as good as anyone I’ve heard. And he had the perfect backing band behind him in the Delta Sonics. Al Chesis, John Butler and Tony Pantelis were perfection, as they always are. I especially liked the way that Big Bill wove the entire band through the music, sharing the spotlight and making it an evening that was just 100% pure Blues. Big Bill Morganfield is all about blues and having a good time, making his guitar cry and his audience smile. The entire time he had the biggest smile and a way of making eye contact with everyone in the audience so that you felt that blues bond, a personal connection and you realized this was a pretty darn special show. Thank god we wont have to wait another 7 years for his return, Honey has him booked back at the Outlook on July 23. ~Chick Cavallero~ Thanks, Chick, and spot on as always. Our own Tempa followed Big Bill the following night, and we have MISSED her! After a kickin' instrumental, Tempa graced the stage and tore up "Voodoo Woman" the way it's supposed to be torn. Welcome back, Tempa! She also sang a very special, belated birthday song for me, and I filmed it! Just for me. I also filmed "Voodoo Woman," and it will be on our home page soon. We all had a terrific time, and a lot of dancing going on. A perfect Saturday night. Tonight we welcome back Smokin' Joe Kubek and Benois King! We had such a great time when last they were here...well, here's what Chick wrote about it: 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. See you tonight, Chick! And, yes, it was one hell of a show! Then tomorrow night heralds the return of our good friend, Blues Master, Ron Thompson. And here's Chick again, from last summer: (Continues Next Column)   |  Wed 3/18 - Smokin Joe Kubek ($10) Thu 3/19 - Ron Thompson Solo ($10) Fri 3/20 - Ron Thompson & Resistors ($15) Sat 3/21 - Thin Ice Band Sun 3/22 - Benefit Blues Jam For Ron Thompson ~~~~~~ Fri 3/27 - Rory Block ($15) Sat 3/28 - Informants Sun 3/29 - Jazz Jam w/ Mark Diamond  Next up...Ron Thompson, referred to as 'a rhythm and blues legend...'. 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." Right again, Chick. We have Ron as a solo tomorrow night, and with his Resistors on Friday night. Two great, but different shows. I'm going to both. Then Sunday (6:30), we're hosting a Benefit Jam ($10) for Ron who spent a day and a half in ICU with a critical case of pneumonia, and he's been hit with some nasty medical bills. The jammers are: Ron Thompson Lionel Young Mark Diamond Jay Forest Erica Brown Scotty Rivera Teresa Lynn Jack Hadley Erik Boa Sonny Boy Aiden Jessica Rowand Paul Rogalski Ronnie Shellist That's some talent, right there! It's going to be tremendous fun, and I will be sending out a Blues Flash on Friday listing all of the auction items, but I will tell you that the Festival committees have been very generous with passes. The evening is going to be long and fabulous! Ron's Manager/Sidekick, Jackie McCort will be holding Court with me if any of you would like an audience with us. We're just a little full of ourselves... Then there's next Thursday...Ok, here's how's this went: I received an email from Dan about a former local looking for a gig in March, so I booked him for March 26. Later that night, I was sitting with Jim Primock, and he asked me if I had booked that date yet. I said "yes, Johnny Long." And that's when Jim lost his mind. He immediately started calling people saying, "Honey just booked Johnny Long!" An hour or so later, I feel a very sharp tapping on my shoulder. I turn around and see it's Lionel Young. Because I am a civilized and polite person, I said, "Hi, Lionel. How are you?" What I got in return was, "Did you book Johnny Long?" To which I replied, "I'm fine thank you." So the mention of Johnny Long makes people lose their minds and their manners. I'm really excited about it. On Lionel's suggestion, I sent an email to Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, and here's his experience with Johnny Long: I met Johnny in Denver about 1975. He was a friend of Jerry Portnoy, Muddy's harp player. Muddy used to play 5 nights in a row at Ebbet's Field, a nighttclub named after where the Brooklyn Dodgers used to play. On a night off, Jerry and I went to Johnny's gig in Denver. Jeff Lodsun was playing drums with Johnny. Johnny played some of the nastiest, deepest, most raw Blues I ever heard. I arranged for Johnny to play an opening set at Muddy's show, and I taped it. I still have it somewhere. Johnny's version of "Love Her With a Feeling" is the one I hear inside my head when I play that song. I saw Johnny again for the first time since those days about 4 years ago at the Blues Music Awards. It's a lot of miles and a lot of years later. I was very impressed with an album he had made for the Delta Groove label. No doubt he's an even deeper Bluesman than he was so long ago. Thank you, Bob, that's one hell of an endorsement. And, we'll see you next month (17 and 18)! BOB'S COMING!!! April is fast upon us, and don't forget your tickets for Albert Cummings, George Rains, and My Tommy Shannon on the 2nd. They are selling, and this is their first time in Boulder! John Catt has them in Winter Park on the following Saturday; it was through this cooperative effort that we were both able to get them. I enjoy working with John Catt, and I want to share a letter (unedited) he forwarded to me from the mother of one of the Blue Star kids. I will also be letting you know about an event in Dallas helping kids with cancer, and Bob Margolin is involved as well, so I'll pick his brain when he's here. BOB'S COMING!!!  This one story proves beyond a doubt ,we need to do what we do. ~John Catt~ Dear John, I first wanted to thank you for Emily's guitar, she really loves it.. Bringing a smile to her face was just wonderful to see. She said you wanted to hear her journey.. Emily was diagnosed with osteosarcoma( bone cancer) in 2002. Her primary tumor in her right leg. She underwent an intense high dosage chemotherapy for 7mons then surgery in which the had to amputate her leg just above the knee. She then continued with another six months of chemo therapy. She finished treatment in november 2003. In Jan she fell on an amputee rehab ski strip and fractured her femur. She spent the next 3 1/2 mons in a body cast.. She then began rehab to learn to walk on her prothesis. Only to fall again in Sept and fracture again. Then began weekly iv treatments to strengthen her bones do to osteopenia caused from the treatment. In feburary 2004 she relapsed with a tumor in her left lung. She underwent surgery in May and began chemotherapy again. But this time her kidneys shut down she spent several weeks in the hospital undergoing very painful treatments the restart her kidneys.. In September she returned to school for the first time since her diagnoses and became a cheerleader for her school she was great. Happy and doing good. In Jan 2005 she relapsed again and this time the tumors in her lung took over almost the entire lung.. But Emily being a fighter started treatment again.. That summer she did radiation treatments for 7 wks. She then returned to school in the fall cheering in between treatments. It wasn't until Fall of 2007 that the tumors had shrunk enough to do surgery. They surgery involved removing 5 ribs and a large portion of her lung. Afterwards she continued treatments and rehab so that she could cheer agian. She Finished treatment in May 2008 just before cheer camp.. Only to have pain return this time there wasn't a clear answer why. In wasn't until Sept 2008 that we found out that she had another relapse this time in her intestines. Emily had surgery to remove the tumor and a portion of her intestines on Decemeber 1st. She began another fight with chemo in January 2009 and continues her battle.. She spends her days learning to play her guitar, drawing and dealing with daily chemotherapy treaments.. She is always optimistic and willing to fight. Many blessings and Thank you agian for fullfilling her dream of a guitar. She has been wanting to learn to play since the music therapy people started to teach her in the hospital but she had to give it up when she broke her thumb in the bathroom door at the hosptial a few years ago. Samantha Well so far we have 10 songs for the jukebox! We should at least have twice that just to start with...  What is your favorite Blues song? We're going to put a jukebox on the website so you can hear yours and at least 25 of your fellow subscribers choices any time you want.Drop us a line here and we'll put it in the queue. (If it's your own song, send us an MP3) |
| Boulder Outlook Hotel 2009. This entire newsletter and its content is copyright. | |
| Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites, 800 28th Street, Boulder, CO 80303, Tel: 1 303 443 3322 | E-mail: Wizard@boulderoutlook.com http://www.BouldersHomeOfTheBlues.com |