June is here and it's been pretty active so far. Last night I was at the Toronto Blues Society Talent Search Finals at the Silver Dollar Room. Barry Mack from Halifax, Big Mark and the Blues Express from Montreal and all the way from Saskatoon, a power blues trio of seventeen year-olds led by Jordan Cook.I stood watching Jordan with some of the Montreal contingent and as they watched young Jordan put on the show of his life, I'm sure they figured he was a shoo-in. But it was not to be. Despite their great playing, it was not as blues as Big Mark. There's an element of swing though not as pronounced as the young Toronto bands calling themselves swing. We won't even get into what the original "swing" players call swing...
I had a gig so could not attend the finals on the previous night (another great night of blues, I'm told, with Jimmy Helverson, the Soul Kings (with Josh Miller) and Toronto harp hero Jerome Godboo, who I have no doubt gave a phenomenal performance. I have played with Jerome and he is a consummate musician and as a front man he has no peer. But young Jordan Cook was certainly taking it in that direction with a lot jumping about and even some Guitar Shorty dance-floor antics. He played great, even laying on his back but it was probably too rock for a blues contest - that's the sort of thing that would have been said about Jerome in the past - and he was a runner-up in the same contest last year.
Things to work on:
Start a tune with a big flourish.
Do a funky tune (with drummer banging bell of cymbal).
Start a tune with drums (second line).
A zydeco groove?
Get them dancing.
Sat night I'm listening to Holger Peterson's Saturday Night Blues - a great tune from Gate who won the Handy Award for Blues Instrumentalist of the Year and he would be my pick too. Holger had a little interview clip with him and the quote I remember was "Music is medicine. I can be feeling real badly but when I get up on the bandstand I forget about what's wrong and I try to cure others."
Gate wasn't looking very altruistic when I met him a few years ago. He had just stepped off his tour bus, arriving very late for him appearance at the Toronto Downtown Jazz festival. No one from the festival volunteer crew was around so I went up to greet him and boy did he look stern, holding an elaborate carved pipe. It wasn't until the break when I was sitting with a couple of his roadies that they told me the story of how they felt they had just escaped with their lives from riot-torn Quebec City. In fact, there had been a few cars turned over and fires started on St-Jean Baptite Day in a suburb of Quebec, and the police had cordoned off the block where the band had parked their tour bus at a small motel. They knew they were going to be late for their gig in Toronto if they didn't get on their way right away so even though the police wouldn't let them through the roadblock, a young fan showed them a back way in and they quickly gathered their belongings and made their way out of what they thought was a near-death experience in a strange foreign country. But no batter how badly Gate might have felt, he played incredibly that night. He became my main man and to this day I try to find some of his recording that have the guitar sound that he produced right before my very eyes. I'll always remember him sitting on his upholstered stool with a fender amp on either side tilted up facing him.
I just heard that when I came up from my studio where I was frantically trying to lay down an idea for a new (or rather old) song called End of September. Holger was just playing a track from Rhythm & Truth Brass Band with Paul Reddick singing and playing harp. I've been doing some duo gigs with Paul Reddick and I here I was shaping this song to work with Paul - maybe even get him to sing it.
I did a gig last week with Paul - a house-concert in Orangeville in a loft above a music store called Acoustic Traditions. The store is owned by an ex-Toronto policeman called Wayne King and he was a great host. I was quite surprised by one of the audience members who told me he reads these inane ramblings in my Blues Diary. Well, maybe I'll keep it going but I've got to get rid of that "little drummer boy". I'm supposed to be getting together my "official" home page on the Northern Blues website, but I still haven't written a bio I like. The ones I do like tend to be self-deprecating and not good marketing tools
Overheard from the publicist hired to promote a northern artist showcase in Toronto: "I can't understand why anyone would want to live in that god-forsaken place"
Song ideas I'm working on:
"All I want is a statement" ( a song about record distributors)
"A Personal Private Showcase
A Command performance
"Waiting for a man called Wrycraft"
Friday, June 1, 2001
Thursday, November 30, 2000
A busy November
Left to Right: Carrie Chesnutt, Michelle Josef, Lily Sazz and Brian Blain. Photographed at Mezzrows, October 20
I can't remember how November started but it ended with a dash to the FACTOR office to submit a grant application to make a demo. I didn't have the distribution, so I couldn't apply for the whole enchilada but it'll be interesting to see if I even get enough to cut a few more tunes. The FACTOR office was buzzing with activity, there wasn't any flat surface that wasn't occupied by someone frantically filling out forms. A couple of guys were holding their forms up against the wall and filling them in. As I drove up to front I saw drummer/entrepreneur Graeme Kirkland waved as he drove off. Inside, I was greeted by Kim, who recognized me and said "Hey, five minutes to spare!"
We'll see how that works out. I feel like I've already won because for the first time, I actually filled out the form and delivered it. Yes, of all the grant applications I have begun, this is they only one I ever delivered. I always maintained that these funding agencies deliberately set up a gauntlet of obstacles to eliminate those who are not "serious enough" about their career. Well, I've never been accused of being "serious enough" - that's for sure!
What else can I share for the few curious souls who are following my trials and tribulations (yes, people do tell me that they visited the site and enjoyed my ramblings): I got a little advance press for my gig at the Montreal Bistro - I was a "pick" in the Toronto Star and I know of at least one person who came to the show because he saw it there - and that was my dentist!
It was tough getting people out on election night - next time I play the Bistro, it'll be in September! The gig i played opening for the phenomenal Michael Jerome Browne at the Now Lounge was also very low attendance - and he is one of the leading lights in Canadian roots music right now, with a successful album, management, etc. But still, it's tough getting people out - when I sent out a gig notice I was starting to write something like let's give him a big "Toronto Welcome" - then I realized that's a bit of an oxymoron.
I was the opening act (in Quebec they used to call this the "vedette Americaine" because every big Quebec star would bring in an american artist to open and give the show some extra pizzaz). I hope I didn't get too silly at that gig, but there were just a few people and I had this new blues riff that I had just learned - "Lookin Good" by Magic Sam - and I think I played it between just about every song I did and even broke into it in the middle of another song...yikes.
But I was soooo excited to be able to play this groove. I had recorded this tune off the radio 20 or 30 years ago, never knew who the artist was, never heard it again, but listened to it over and over again over the years. When I finally saw Rockin' Johnny from Chicago playing it close up, I saw how it is played (I always thought it was two guitarists on the record). You can read more about the Magic Sam connection below.
There was a great discussion about blues jams lately, and I followed it with great interest. In fact I had some great support and advice (all very different) from some very experienced jam hosts, Danny Marks, Jim Krueger, John Dickie and Steven C. I needen't have bothered because the first thing the club owner said to me was "Whatever you do, don't let anybody on this stage unless you know them or somebody vouches for them - we've had to literally drag people off this stage and out the door." Well, that settles that! I guess we'll be thinking of my jam as kind of an "invitational" and I don't apologize for making it a bit of a showcase for myself, since it's the only regular gig I have.
We had a some great guests last time including Zoe Chilco, the proud mom of a new CD, Mbodeo, hot off the press - and even though it wasn't a big audience, she had the opportunity to make an impression on some music industry taste-makers including Dave "the Man from Socan" Betts and at least one record producer/label owner.
This week I've been following the recent "surreal gig" discussion on the "maplepost" list, just last week I had a gig that bassmeister Terry Wilkins claimed was quite surreal. We were playing (with Carrie Chesnutt on sax) at the Bay on Yonge Street, Toronto - to celebrate the kick-off of their extended shopping hours for the holidays. Several bands were playing throughout the store, a big band on the main floor with a stage and PA. We were on the third floor, set up by an escalator in the "Jeunesse" department. All of a sudden, a marching band in baby blue uniforms with fuzzy hats comes down the aisle and Terry starts playing along with them and attracts them to our "station" and prettty soon we're all jamming on "Here Comes Santa Claus" or something like that.
If that wasn't surreal enough, there was an elderly gentleman standing off to the side listening intently and Terry leaned over to me and said "that's Roland Mitchener!" I said "I think Roland Mitchener is dead," but a minute later when the gent said something, Terry asked if he was Roland Mitchener. He replied "I'm Mitchell Sharp." Terry said "well at least I got the "mitch" part, and they had a good laugh and we chatted about music (he plays piano every day) and he was in the official party that travelled to Europe and Israel with the National Arts Centre orchestra.
Tonight I intended to stay home to work on the December MapleBlues and send out this email notification - maybe make a few phone calls to get people out on Monday, but I got a call from Lily Sazz, my piano player, asking me to bring a couple of mike cables up to the Black Swan where she's playing with Blue Room. Paul Sanderson, the leader, never ceases to amaze me with all the duties that he fulfills in that band. Paul, if you didn't know, is Canada's foremost music attorney and has a thriving practice and it would be easy for him to play it safe but practically every song had a worked out guitar intro and was propelled by his solild rhythm. Lily fit right in with the piano.
From the Swan, I made my way to the Montreal Bistro to deliver some promo for my gig Monday and heard the last set of Bill Mays with Neil Swainson and Terry Clarke. I don't think the jazz piano trio could get any better than these three world-class players. The music was phenomenal and it was confirmed that there were many jazz pianists in the house watching in rapt attention and when Mays stuck his left arm in the piano to mute the strings, three youn men all got up from their seats to get a closer view of how he was doing it. It sounded very much like a guitar player who mutes his strings with the ball of his hand. Then he played a ballad called "The Peacocks" by Jimmy Rowles, whom he said "holds the world's record for 'hanging out' the longest at Bradley's in New York City. They played the gig from 9:45 to 3:00am, carried on until 5pm the next day, went home an showered - possbly - then came back and played the first set at 9:45 the next day. Day in and day out."
Then, since I was out and about, I swung by the Silver Dollar to catch the last of Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang. To come from a couple of Neil Swainson bass solos to hear a pretty primitive bass solo by Eddie's long time bass player, Shorty, who is quite short and plays his Fender bass sitting on the edge of a straight back chair with the bass hanging practically to his knees. Eddie's son Vaan was being interviewed for a video documentary in the dressing room and had some very perceptive observations about guitar players, and in particular young white blues guitar players. He said Stevie Ray Vaughan and Kim Wilson were the blackest white men he'd ever met - that they had totally absorbed the culture. And while he decried that the musicians who planted the seeds never got to benefit very much financially, he certainly gave the white blues players their due. Roy Buchannan is one person that could really play the blues. When the interviewer asked for a seminal blues song or album, Vaan said "I'll do better than that. I'll give you the name - Magic Sam. He had it all, and the greatest thing is ...he didn't know it. He was a simple man with no formal education.
Interesting that he should mention Magic Sam. In the last few days I've heard two guitarists playing at the Silver Dollar, Tony D from Ottawa and Rockin' Johnny from Chicago and both of them pulled out the classic Magic Sam instrumental, "Lookin' Good" as a "barn-burner" guitar showcase. It's one of my favourite blues instrumentals and for years I had a recording off the radio but I never learned till recently the it was Magic Sam and it wasn't until I saw Rockin' Johnny playing it close up - til then I thought there were two guitars making that incredible rhythm.
Even though practicing is an alien concept to me I have been playing that guitar part over and over for the last 3 or 4 days. I haven't been this focused since I spent a week-end with a Danny Gatton video, probably the only time I put any real effort into learning a guitar riff. I can't say I've made any great effort to learn other people's styles ever since my introduction to the blues from an instructional record called "The Art of the Folk Blues Guitar." That was 35 years ago and I'm still playing some of those songs, and the same seven or eight licks...on the same guitar!
Come out Monday Night to hear the full band in a great setting. And if you can't make that gig, I hope to see you on Thursday Nov 30 at the Now Lounge (where I open for Michael Jerome Bowne) or to an intimate house concert (with Lily on piano) at Downtown Jazz, 82 Bleecker Street on the following Thursday, December 7
Tip of the day: A couple of musicians have suggested lately that the simplest and maybe cheapest upgrade a musician can make to his gear is to get all new cables - premium (broadcast) quality. I'm told the improvement is immediately apparent - more frequency response, presence and probably other difficult-to-measure factors. Hmmm, and I've always bought the cheapest cables I could find and used them for decades!
Nov 13, 2000: I've been following with great interest the discussion about blues jams and the role of a jam host because tomorrow night I will be hosting my first blues jam at the Tennesse on Queen St. West (and thereafter every second Tuesday of the month - if I can make a go of it!).
....anyway, back to jams... at first I had a mind to bring my bass and spend the night backing up others. Then I ran into Danny Marks on Saturday night and couldn't resist asking his advice. Danny is a true jam pioneer in Toronto - maybe the originator... And anyone who has taken part in Danny Marks' Stormy Monday jam over the years will know that he runs a tight ship - well, that's putting it mildly! I've invited Danny to jump in to mapleblue-l with his guidelines for a successful jam (what hath I wrought!)
I'm calling the jam "Colorblind Brian's 12-Bar Blues Jam" and I'm hoping it will nurture the laid-back country-blues style that I like, but to get it started, I'll be happy for any jammers that show up. This jam has not been publicised at all so I hope some of you Maplebluezers will pack up your axe and bring it to the Tennessee tomorrow (Tues) night. I look forward to jamming with you and perhaps getting a few tips...my limited experience with blues jams in Toronto has been a lot of waiting and very little playing, if at all. Maybe that will make me a more compassionate jam host.
Other stuff I've been doing: On Nov 7, I was at a CD launch for the Rob McConnell Tentet, a collection of the best horn players on the planet and recognized globally with Grammy Awards and such. They played a few tunes that demonstrated a real comfort zone that each player had achieved. They were flying! And then we went up to the Silver Dollar to hear Walter "Wolfman" Washington. Every tune was so worked out. Horn shots and lots of little arrangement things. After the show I was talking to him - said that a lot of the musicians in the house were impressed and they must rehearse a lot. Walter said "Well, we've been together 18 years..." (nuff said). There were not one but two tour buses parked outside the Dollar but alas neither of them was for the comfort of the Wolfman. The downstairs club, the Comfort Zone, was featuring a couple of English "jam bands", the Ozric Tentacles and the Star People (I never heard of them either!) I heard a bit of both bands, but it was back upstairs to hear Wolfman. They don't make em' like that anymore!
Monday, October 30, 2000
October happenings
Looking back at October it's been a busy and enjoyable time. The month ended with a great weekend in Barrie at the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference and Showcase. I was invited to participate in a seminar on the internet - kind of a free ride - so I brought my guitar and sure enough, I had the opportunity to jam with some great musicians like the legendary Stephen Barry, Jordan Officer, the young Montreal guitar phenom and an indisputible future star, Tannis Slimmon.
At about 3am, I walked through one area where a musician whom I had not seen at the conference was sitting at the head of a group of players. Someone said "you do one, Wendell" and I knew I was seeing for the first time the locally-revered Wendell Ferguson and when he launched into an original tune with hilarious lyrics and very fast picking, he lived up to his reputation. In fact, I guess I was a little intimidated because I just kept on moving down the hallway where I sat in with Dan and Jenny Whiteley and the festival director from Home County Festival leading the session on mandolin. I just started playing along and got a suspicious glance when I threw in a bent note. I didn't get a solo. This was the first time that I brought out my guitar at one of these music conferences - though I've attended many in my editor capacity.
There's a few tips I would note:
1) Always have a tune or three that you can pull out - something everyone will know or can learn right away - preferably with a vocal chorus that will get everybody singing. This is also not the moment to pull out a tune you've just written.
I also wondered aout the etiquette of doing a second song - but there was a long silence after I did one tune so I said "Can I sing a ballad?" I did "The Big Fire" and someone standing in the doorway asked "who wrote that song?" and I said me. He was sure he had heard it someplace and I said "Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrop?" and he said yes that must be it. I figured out later that he was the owner of a club in Ottawa where they had just done two nights. (Note to myself: Get a booking at Rasputin's)
The internet workshop went great but I have to chuckle when I think that the first thing I saw when I walked into the room I noticed that Gene Wilburn, my collaborator, had written my email address on the white board and it was wrong? I pointed that out and he said "I just took it out of the newsletter". Well, I made the newsletter! ...Just call me the (barely)managing editor.
I did a couple of "special guest" appearances last month - trying to "get a profile." I guess my career is still at the "early stages," though I made my first recording with a folk group called the BAK trio back in 64-65 (on an ampex 3-track, I recall). I did my third guest shot with Dylan Wickens at the Black Swan. That's always a rockin time. The drummer this time was someone who has a lot of big-time credentials but who was a very down-to-earth guy - John Bouvette
A few days later, I was a "tweener". This is someone who plays between the opening act and the main attraction. I asked Richard Flohil, the promoter, for a slot and he graciously provided one - between Nancy White and Susan Werner. He wanted me to do something "special" - and I said I would sing my rarely-performed song "The Story of the Magic Pick", which I recorded in 1973. I wouldn't usually take the time to ramble on about behind the scenes stories of how this or that came about, but I think a web page is a perfect place for rambling - you can stop, scroll forward, or quit - you've got all the basic information at this point. But to ramble on...I was in the studio recording a song called "Don't Forget Your Mother" back in 1973. It was one of the first songs I ever wrote and it caught the attention of a famous producer in Montreal, Andre Perry - the man who recorded "Give Peace a Chance" with John & Yoko.
The producer of the sessions was Frazier Mohawk who brought in an all-star cast of American sidemen including Tom Malone (Blues Brothers, Letterman), John Lissauer (Leonard Cohen) and the legendary drummer Jim Gordon (Derek and the Dominoes) who was arrested and convicted of murdering his mother not long after recording "Don't Forget Your Mother." The back-up vocals were provided by Laurel Masse and Janice Siegal from the (then) up and coming group Manhattan Transfer.
As an up-and-coming new artist signed to a major label, I was expected to make some appearances, and I put together a back-up vocal group and called them "The Blainettes" We only did a few gigs together, opening for Lou Reed was the highlight. It was the peak of his popularity but the people enjoyed our set - one audience member said he liked our performance better than Lou's.
My first impression of Lou was not so friendly, we arrived at the theatre and were shown to some dressing rooms - One was full of people, the Lou reed Band, and the other had just one small bag on the counter. We moved in to the only available room, but within a few moments, Lou was standing in the door way. I said something like "Er, is this *your* dressing room and he said "Yes." End of conversation. We found another place to get changed.
Back to last week, I decided to perform this old chesnut for a very attentive and influential group of folk afficionados and, wouldn't you know, I forgot the words. One song to do and I forget the words! It's not the first time - when my drummer/friend Mike Fitzpatrick encouraged me to get the song out of mothballs, I found myself having to re-learn the lyrics from the original 45-rpm jacket where they were printed.
I should have had them prominently displayed when I performed the song at my "tweener". I jumbled up some words so bad that the only saving grace was to find that nothing unruly had happened in the audience and people applauded. (tip of the day: An amateur practises until he can do it right. A professional practices until he can't do it wrong)
Another big "up" for my local profile, at least, was being invited to perform on Steve Gash's fundraising show. The two other guests were Paul Reddick of the Sidemen and Michael Pickett. Reddick was late and arrived about the same time as me. Then Pickett walked in, took his guitar out of the case (something he's doing a lot more of) and started pacing. I knew that I was going to be delayed for a newsletter meeting and sure enough, I didn't go on until after Pickett - but Paul Reddick, who was not feeling very well, stuck around long enough to play a tune with me (Computer Club Queen). What a treat, and what a gentleman he was to stick around.
On the 26th, I went to David Wilcox CD launch - he's an Ontario legend, but coming up in Quebec, I hadn't heard of him at all. It turns out Michelle played drums on his first album, though uncredited. He is a great guitar player and was accompanied by Richard Bell on piano for a media preview. I saw that after that short set, Colin Linden arrived and as I left the club I saw him setting up - I wanted to try coming back but ended up at the Cash Brothers CD launch at Ted's Wrecking Yard. My neighbour Andrew and his brother have a very special blend and they create a real "mood" in the room. They got three encores and there couldn't have been a better time to get 3 encores than when all the US record company brass has come to see you for the first time. Downstairs in BarCode, Michelle was hosting an impromptu ambient jam, since the usual Hey Stella lineup was unavailable.
I think I owe myself an apology for not including my Oct. 15 Mezzrow's gig in the MapleBlues listings. I don't suppose it's any consolation to any other artists' whose listings I have screwed up in my capacity as (barely) managing editor, but it shows that it can happen to anyone...
A special welcome to Jan, John, Glenn, Helen, Duncan, Jay and several others who have signed up on my personal mailing list. You will receive a message like this once or twice a month and for those who may not yet have received the CD they paid for, sorry for delay - the mail order system is being upgraded (we have to buy some stamps). And for that list member who finds my group messages too impersonal, I want you to know that you *are* special!
October started with a birthday party at the Silver Dollar on Monday, October 2. It was Michele's birthday - she's that tall. blonde, animated waitress who floats around the Dollar. Since it was happening at the same time as Danny Marks Stormy Monday jam session I thought I might be able to sing a tune for Michele but there was no way Danny was going to let me use his guitar (TIP: if you're planning to jam, bring your axe). I thought of a fun song I could do with Danny accompanying me so I shouted it out to him, and he said "Oh yeah, I know that song" and that he had just performed it on his CBC show - and then proceeded to sing half the tune!!! Steal my thunder, will ya? Anyway, I slipped out after listening to a couple more jammers but I'm told that Danny was calling for me long after I was gone. I'm sure I haven't heard the last of this.
On the 3rd, Prime Minister Chretien annouced there would be no federal election until at least November 27th. I'm playing the Montreal Bistro on the 27th and if the election is called for that night, it will be the third time I've played the Bistro on an election night at the end of November. Last time, we promoted the gig as "Sherbrooke Night at the Montreal Bistro" in honour of then-opposition leader Jean Charest who hails from my home town, Sherbrooke, Quebec.
On the 4th, I went to Colin Linden's tribute to Rick Danko at the Horseshoe. There were a lot of musicians I didn't know playing Rick Danko songs including a Woodstock group led by Professor Louie - who produced the last two band albums. Got to chat with reknowned musicologist Rob Bowman for a while - he's been writing the voluminous liner notes for the the newly released Band box sets and mentions there are lots of great unreleased tracks on them. Colin was playing great, as ever, and did a long set with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Bonus.
On the 6th, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Japan's leading jazz star - Sadao Watanabe, who my client Downtown Jazz presented at the Winter Garden Theatre. What an amazing venue - now I know why they call it that! The decor dates back to the turn of the century when it was a vaudeville house. The ceiling is covered with phony leaves and you feel like you're sitting in a forrest. Surreal! After the show and an after-show reception with Japanese dignitaries we retreated to a Chinese restaurant where I heard hilarious stories of touring with Dizzy Gillespie and Sadao's hobby - collecting old golf clubs.
Konichi, the guitarist, asked me if I knew of any blues bars in the area and I told him there were two within a block, so we slipped out and visted Grossman's. When we walked in, guitarist Ermest Lee was playing a burning solo, standing on a chair in the middle of the room - Buddy Guy-style. Konichi needed to use the washroom and I reluctantly directed him to the downstairs men's washroom which is pretty raunchy and I looked at him apologetically when he came back but he shrugged like "I've seen worse than this". I'm sure he has, he's played all over the world, though this was his first time in Toronto. I wanted him to see the Silver Dollar as well, but by the time we got there, the music had just ended. We looked at Eddy B's photo exhibit. I had paid the admission because it turned out there was no media comps for that evening since it was a fundraiser for Eddy's litigation with CIUT and the University of Toronto. Eddy took great relish in taking seven dollars from me - who he considers in the "enemy" camp. Well , despite his ornery, cantankerous nature, he is a great photographer and his show will be on display through November in the back room at the Silver Dollar
The following evening, back at the Dollar, the legendary Sonny Rhodes (with trademark turban and lap steel) stretched the limits of how long a back-up band should play before bringing on the star. An interminable twenty-minute instrumental version of "The Thrill is Gone" opened the second show but it ended fine when Sonny was joined on stage by Michael Pickett and Johnny V. Sonny seemed to be moving pretty slow, getting on in years but sounding great.
At about 3am, I walked through one area where a musician whom I had not seen at the conference was sitting at the head of a group of players. Someone said "you do one, Wendell" and I knew I was seeing for the first time the locally-revered Wendell Ferguson and when he launched into an original tune with hilarious lyrics and very fast picking, he lived up to his reputation. In fact, I guess I was a little intimidated because I just kept on moving down the hallway where I sat in with Dan and Jenny Whiteley and the festival director from Home County Festival leading the session on mandolin. I just started playing along and got a suspicious glance when I threw in a bent note. I didn't get a solo. This was the first time that I brought out my guitar at one of these music conferences - though I've attended many in my editor capacity.
There's a few tips I would note:
1) Always have a tune or three that you can pull out - something everyone will know or can learn right away - preferably with a vocal chorus that will get everybody singing. This is also not the moment to pull out a tune you've just written.
I also wondered aout the etiquette of doing a second song - but there was a long silence after I did one tune so I said "Can I sing a ballad?" I did "The Big Fire" and someone standing in the doorway asked "who wrote that song?" and I said me. He was sure he had heard it someplace and I said "Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrop?" and he said yes that must be it. I figured out later that he was the owner of a club in Ottawa where they had just done two nights. (Note to myself: Get a booking at Rasputin's)
The internet workshop went great but I have to chuckle when I think that the first thing I saw when I walked into the room I noticed that Gene Wilburn, my collaborator, had written my email address on the white board and it was wrong? I pointed that out and he said "I just took it out of the newsletter". Well, I made the newsletter! ...Just call me the (barely)managing editor.
I did a couple of "special guest" appearances last month - trying to "get a profile." I guess my career is still at the "early stages," though I made my first recording with a folk group called the BAK trio back in 64-65 (on an ampex 3-track, I recall). I did my third guest shot with Dylan Wickens at the Black Swan. That's always a rockin time. The drummer this time was someone who has a lot of big-time credentials but who was a very down-to-earth guy - John Bouvette
A few days later, I was a "tweener". This is someone who plays between the opening act and the main attraction. I asked Richard Flohil, the promoter, for a slot and he graciously provided one - between Nancy White and Susan Werner. He wanted me to do something "special" - and I said I would sing my rarely-performed song "The Story of the Magic Pick", which I recorded in 1973. I wouldn't usually take the time to ramble on about behind the scenes stories of how this or that came about, but I think a web page is a perfect place for rambling - you can stop, scroll forward, or quit - you've got all the basic information at this point. But to ramble on...I was in the studio recording a song called "Don't Forget Your Mother" back in 1973. It was one of the first songs I ever wrote and it caught the attention of a famous producer in Montreal, Andre Perry - the man who recorded "Give Peace a Chance" with John & Yoko.
The producer of the sessions was Frazier Mohawk who brought in an all-star cast of American sidemen including Tom Malone (Blues Brothers, Letterman), John Lissauer (Leonard Cohen) and the legendary drummer Jim Gordon (Derek and the Dominoes) who was arrested and convicted of murdering his mother not long after recording "Don't Forget Your Mother." The back-up vocals were provided by Laurel Masse and Janice Siegal from the (then) up and coming group Manhattan Transfer.
As an up-and-coming new artist signed to a major label, I was expected to make some appearances, and I put together a back-up vocal group and called them "The Blainettes" We only did a few gigs together, opening for Lou Reed was the highlight. It was the peak of his popularity but the people enjoyed our set - one audience member said he liked our performance better than Lou's.
My first impression of Lou was not so friendly, we arrived at the theatre and were shown to some dressing rooms - One was full of people, the Lou reed Band, and the other had just one small bag on the counter. We moved in to the only available room, but within a few moments, Lou was standing in the door way. I said something like "Er, is this *your* dressing room and he said "Yes." End of conversation. We found another place to get changed.
Back to last week, I decided to perform this old chesnut for a very attentive and influential group of folk afficionados and, wouldn't you know, I forgot the words. One song to do and I forget the words! It's not the first time - when my drummer/friend Mike Fitzpatrick encouraged me to get the song out of mothballs, I found myself having to re-learn the lyrics from the original 45-rpm jacket where they were printed.
I should have had them prominently displayed when I performed the song at my "tweener". I jumbled up some words so bad that the only saving grace was to find that nothing unruly had happened in the audience and people applauded. (tip of the day: An amateur practises until he can do it right. A professional practices until he can't do it wrong)
Another big "up" for my local profile, at least, was being invited to perform on Steve Gash's fundraising show. The two other guests were Paul Reddick of the Sidemen and Michael Pickett. Reddick was late and arrived about the same time as me. Then Pickett walked in, took his guitar out of the case (something he's doing a lot more of) and started pacing. I knew that I was going to be delayed for a newsletter meeting and sure enough, I didn't go on until after Pickett - but Paul Reddick, who was not feeling very well, stuck around long enough to play a tune with me (Computer Club Queen). What a treat, and what a gentleman he was to stick around.
On the 26th, I went to David Wilcox CD launch - he's an Ontario legend, but coming up in Quebec, I hadn't heard of him at all. It turns out Michelle played drums on his first album, though uncredited. He is a great guitar player and was accompanied by Richard Bell on piano for a media preview. I saw that after that short set, Colin Linden arrived and as I left the club I saw him setting up - I wanted to try coming back but ended up at the Cash Brothers CD launch at Ted's Wrecking Yard. My neighbour Andrew and his brother have a very special blend and they create a real "mood" in the room. They got three encores and there couldn't have been a better time to get 3 encores than when all the US record company brass has come to see you for the first time. Downstairs in BarCode, Michelle was hosting an impromptu ambient jam, since the usual Hey Stella lineup was unavailable.
I think I owe myself an apology for not including my Oct. 15 Mezzrow's gig in the MapleBlues listings. I don't suppose it's any consolation to any other artists' whose listings I have screwed up in my capacity as (barely) managing editor, but it shows that it can happen to anyone...
A special welcome to Jan, John, Glenn, Helen, Duncan, Jay and several others who have signed up on my personal mailing list. You will receive a message like this once or twice a month and for those who may not yet have received the CD they paid for, sorry for delay - the mail order system is being upgraded (we have to buy some stamps). And for that list member who finds my group messages too impersonal, I want you to know that you *are* special!
October started with a birthday party at the Silver Dollar on Monday, October 2. It was Michele's birthday - she's that tall. blonde, animated waitress who floats around the Dollar. Since it was happening at the same time as Danny Marks Stormy Monday jam session I thought I might be able to sing a tune for Michele but there was no way Danny was going to let me use his guitar (TIP: if you're planning to jam, bring your axe). I thought of a fun song I could do with Danny accompanying me so I shouted it out to him, and he said "Oh yeah, I know that song" and that he had just performed it on his CBC show - and then proceeded to sing half the tune!!! Steal my thunder, will ya? Anyway, I slipped out after listening to a couple more jammers but I'm told that Danny was calling for me long after I was gone. I'm sure I haven't heard the last of this.
On the 3rd, Prime Minister Chretien annouced there would be no federal election until at least November 27th. I'm playing the Montreal Bistro on the 27th and if the election is called for that night, it will be the third time I've played the Bistro on an election night at the end of November. Last time, we promoted the gig as "Sherbrooke Night at the Montreal Bistro" in honour of then-opposition leader Jean Charest who hails from my home town, Sherbrooke, Quebec.
On the 4th, I went to Colin Linden's tribute to Rick Danko at the Horseshoe. There were a lot of musicians I didn't know playing Rick Danko songs including a Woodstock group led by Professor Louie - who produced the last two band albums. Got to chat with reknowned musicologist Rob Bowman for a while - he's been writing the voluminous liner notes for the the newly released Band box sets and mentions there are lots of great unreleased tracks on them. Colin was playing great, as ever, and did a long set with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Bonus.
On the 6th, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Japan's leading jazz star - Sadao Watanabe, who my client Downtown Jazz presented at the Winter Garden Theatre. What an amazing venue - now I know why they call it that! The decor dates back to the turn of the century when it was a vaudeville house. The ceiling is covered with phony leaves and you feel like you're sitting in a forrest. Surreal! After the show and an after-show reception with Japanese dignitaries we retreated to a Chinese restaurant where I heard hilarious stories of touring with Dizzy Gillespie and Sadao's hobby - collecting old golf clubs.
Konichi, the guitarist, asked me if I knew of any blues bars in the area and I told him there were two within a block, so we slipped out and visted Grossman's. When we walked in, guitarist Ermest Lee was playing a burning solo, standing on a chair in the middle of the room - Buddy Guy-style. Konichi needed to use the washroom and I reluctantly directed him to the downstairs men's washroom which is pretty raunchy and I looked at him apologetically when he came back but he shrugged like "I've seen worse than this". I'm sure he has, he's played all over the world, though this was his first time in Toronto. I wanted him to see the Silver Dollar as well, but by the time we got there, the music had just ended. We looked at Eddy B's photo exhibit. I had paid the admission because it turned out there was no media comps for that evening since it was a fundraiser for Eddy's litigation with CIUT and the University of Toronto. Eddy took great relish in taking seven dollars from me - who he considers in the "enemy" camp. Well , despite his ornery, cantankerous nature, he is a great photographer and his show will be on display through November in the back room at the Silver Dollar
The following evening, back at the Dollar, the legendary Sonny Rhodes (with trademark turban and lap steel) stretched the limits of how long a back-up band should play before bringing on the star. An interminable twenty-minute instrumental version of "The Thrill is Gone" opened the second show but it ended fine when Sonny was joined on stage by Michael Pickett and Johnny V. Sonny seemed to be moving pretty slow, getting on in years but sounding great.
Friday, July 28, 2000
A festival gig and a good review for "Who Paid You To Give Me The Blues"
Here's a picture of Michelle, Suzie after our gig at the legendary Silver Dollar Room:
Just back from my rehearsal for the Oakville Jazz festival, Friday Night, 7pm (opening for Mississippi Heat). For this gig, we have the luxury of a fifth player and that player is the phenomenal Carrie Chestnut on tenor sax. She joins Michelle Josef, Lily Sazz and Suzie Vinnick to provide a kick-ass back-up band (with background vocals, even).
The concert is at The Oakville Entertainment Centrum, located at the northwest corner of the QEW and Winston Churchill Boulevard, off Upper Middle Road East. From westbound or eastbound QEW, take the Winston Churchill Boulevard exit off the QEW. Proceed north on Winston Churchill Boulevard to the traffic lights at Upper Middle Road East. Proceed west on Upper Middle Road East, turn left and proceed east to the Oakville Entertainment Centrum.
These "proceedings" culminate in an evening of highly entertaining blues from ourselves and the wonderful Mississippi Heat. We'll also be doing a late show (11pm - 1am) at the Nearby Alice Fazouli's. Take a run down to Oakville on Friday night and support the blues at Oakville Jazz.
Other Gigs & News: If you're heading to the track on Saturday (Woodbine, that is) I'll be strollin' & strummin' the blues with Suzie and Victor Bateman from 5:30 to 8:30.
Next Friday, September 1, we're at the Tenessee Tavern, 1554 Queen St. W.
In other news, we got our first national magazine review for "Who Paid You To Give Me The Blues". Here's what they said in SCENE Roots and Blues Magazine: "Blain, a veteran bassist and guitarist, has finally got around to recording his own project, a whimsical blend of driving bar blues and more esoteric material that echoes his past as a sideman for Lewis Furey and Fraser & Debolt. The title track track sports a Dr. John-style vocal, a relentless groove and nice bursts of Blain's guitar playing, while a track like "Worry, Worry" has a more R&B flavour. Blain clearly has a sense of humour, as evidenced by the country-tinged "Entrepreneurial Blues" and the swinging "Girlfriend Blues." The Latter probably boasts the best vocal performance on what is largely a guitarist's record. Also worth checking out are "The Big Fire" which showcases the subtler side of Blain's musicianship, and "Y2K Blues" with it's mock apocalyptic narrative."
Other Good News: I got a check from SOCAN for performance royalties. What a nice surprise, even though it was a rather small cheque for the publisher's share - the writer's share was used to pay down my national debt from a fat advance I got from BMI many years ago (back when they gave advances for signing). The best news is that I now seem to qualify for a free subscription to "The Music Scene." Now I only owe them $917. In case you're wondering how that happened, a long long time ago, back when there was competition between SOCAN (then called BMI) and CAPAC, they used to give cash advances and I'll probably be paying mine back for decades to come.
The other career milestone was being invited as a "special guest" at Dylan Wickens house gig at the Black Swan. It doesn't matter that for most of the evening there were more people on stage than in the audience, I actually got paid $50 just to sit in. I never met these guys or heard them play except for one cut on the radio - but that's the great thing about the blues, there's a standard repertoire and even when you do original tunes, they have a bluesy, predictable arrangement.
On May 22, 2000, Rick Zolkower launched his CD of old-style blues at the Silver Dollar. Music Rating: Three Notes for being so real. Food Rating: 2 Shrimp ( good dip and I happened to be standing by the food table when some hot pizza arrived)
Saw Jenny Whiteley playing the we dropped down to Grossmans where they have had some kind of 25th anniversary celebration. They were featuring Michael Pickett Band with spoecial guest Michael Jerome Brown
Saturday, June 10, 2000
Happy Mothers Day, 2000
Yes, that's my dear departed mom posing with me in a promo shot for the never-released single "Don't Forget Your Mother". I've tried to do an annual Mother's Day show since I've been in Toronto, but I've gotten a little sidetracked from the music and the closest that I have to a Mother's Day appearance this year is the Black Swan on the Tuesday following Mother's Day, May 16, when I will be guesting with the Dylan Wickens Band.
Sunday, May 7, 2000
Sonny Rhodes
2:30am my time and I'm pretty cooked. Just did my partial rounds and the first stop was the jazz festival office where the Director of Operations computer had crashed this afternoon. After a couple of hours I got her computer going OK but the database is corrupted and there hasn't been a back up in quite a while. The entire festival, every bit of correspondence, contracts, everything is in that database. If it can't be recovered, you'll be the first to know the jazz festival has been cancelled *again* (if you hadn't heard about the first drama...) Then I caught the last set of Sonny Rhodes at the Silver Dollar. This is your pretty raw blues - nothing like Roomful of Blues who played just a couple of nights before. Tonight, the tuning never sounded quite right, yet nobody ever adjusted between songs. It was like "I tuned it before the show, it's fine" It got a little stranger when Sonny invited Toronto guitarist Larry Goodhand to the stage "I taught him everything I know" and then he unplugged his lap steel and gave the cord to Larry even though there were two other guitarists on stage. I guess neither of them volunteered to sit out a song or two. Larry played great, and did sound a bit like Sonny. He played a characteristic little lick of Sonnny's (and many others I suppose), but he sounded best on the solos where it felt like he was bending every note he played somewhat to adapt to tghe less-than-perfect tuning. He did a shuffle then a couple of slow tunes which sonny sang as he stepped off the stage and started to walk out towards the audience. The mic cable wasn't really long enough for that sort of thing, and some guy from the front table took it upon himself to guide the cable and ultimately stood there arms stretched out like some kind of high tension tower. At the end this guy was sitting on the edge of the stage with his ear practically in Sonny's amp. The the best was when Michelle, the drop-dead gorgeous waitress lifted a bar table over her head to get it across a railing. Right across from this action was another very attractive woman who was really into the music and looked very interesting but I watched her watching Michelle and it was an unmistakeable look of worshipful lust - I guess Michelle lifting that table was the embodiment of her "dream gal". Oh well.
This was Sonny's make-good engagement after a near-death road-fire that destroyed everything the band had with them - equipment, clothes, etc. I limped my way over in a rust-bucket that idles so fast and knocks so loud that it's starting to draw attention. The only way to keep the engine from racing uncontrolably is to shift it in to Drive
I was sitting across from publicist Richard Flohil, legendary vegetable hater, at the Jazz Report Awards last Sunday and he actually turned away the dinner because the chicken breast was leaning on something green!
This was Sonny's make-good engagement after a near-death road-fire that destroyed everything the band had with them - equipment, clothes, etc. I limped my way over in a rust-bucket that idles so fast and knocks so loud that it's starting to draw attention. The only way to keep the engine from racing uncontrolably is to shift it in to Drive
I was sitting across from publicist Richard Flohil, legendary vegetable hater, at the Jazz Report Awards last Sunday and he actually turned away the dinner because the chicken breast was leaning on something green!
Saturday, April 1, 2000
A new band for Brian
Hear ye, hear ye! I'm playing at the Silver Dollar Saturday night, April 8, 2000. It's a brand new band - we've just had a couple of rehearsals and I'm thrilled with the musicians who'll be joining me: Lily Sazz (piano), Michele Josef (drums) and Terry Wilkins (bass) ...the Swing Daddy himself. That's what we called him in a recent cover story in Maple Blues. I'm delighted to have Terry on board. I must have been one of the first people he met when he first arrived in Canada in 1971 but I've never had the opportunity to play with him until now.
While we're linking to the TBS (Toronto Blues Society), I should highlight Lily Sazz who will be playing keyboards and is also TBS webmistress (see her page). I'll be playing for the first time with Michelle Josef, who also has a fascinating website, lilithitsnotfair.com
I'm also performing at the Tenessee, Saturday April 29th (yes the same night John Lee Hooker is in town). Stand by for another solo acoustic house concert. The last one was a gas and I'm going to be doing more of that.
This was an auspicious April Fool's day. First I discover a little bunch of chives growing in my garden. I had some in an omelette this morning. And this afternoon I had the first vocal lesson of my life - and what a revelation that was. Vocal tips of the day: Don't try to be loud. Don't just hit a note at full volume - ease into it. It's all about vowels - when you're holding a note keep re-shaping the vowel in your mind. All of this stuff was very helpful. The teacher is Morgonn Ewen and after one session I can't imagine someone transmitting so much valuable information and re-inforcement in a half hour. Phew!
While we're linking to the TBS (Toronto Blues Society), I should highlight Lily Sazz who will be playing keyboards and is also TBS webmistress (see her page). I'll be playing for the first time with Michelle Josef, who also has a fascinating website, lilithitsnotfair.com
I'm also performing at the Tenessee, Saturday April 29th (yes the same night John Lee Hooker is in town). Stand by for another solo acoustic house concert. The last one was a gas and I'm going to be doing more of that.
This was an auspicious April Fool's day. First I discover a little bunch of chives growing in my garden. I had some in an omelette this morning. And this afternoon I had the first vocal lesson of my life - and what a revelation that was. Vocal tips of the day: Don't try to be loud. Don't just hit a note at full volume - ease into it. It's all about vowels - when you're holding a note keep re-shaping the vowel in your mind. All of this stuff was very helpful. The teacher is Morgonn Ewen and after one session I can't imagine someone transmitting so much valuable information and re-inforcement in a half hour. Phew!
Thursday, March 16, 2000
My First House Concert in Toronto
House Concerts are something you will more likely find happening in outlying rural areas or small towns where they don't have a club scene but I decided to do one at the jazz office in downtown Toronto. Publicist Richard Flohil was kind enough to drop in and my dear friend Jacquie who was collecting at the door didn't know who he was and charged him ten bucks and and he kindly paid it. I don't think he pays for too many shows...Thursday, March 16, 2000 was Colorblind Brian's Acoustic Blues House Concert at the offices of Downtown Jazz The promo blurb said "Hear the elusive Colorblind Brian in a rare solo performance, "intimate and interactive" (as they say). We'll be throwing a log in the fireplace, pushing back the old boardroom table and sitting back for a set or two of unique, offbeat, some say "kinda quirky" original blues. At Brian's last performance at the Montreal Bistro, Bill Garrett of Borealis Records said "I had a smile pasted on my face all night long". Even old school jazz guys were seen enjoying a twelve-bar blues. Brian will be performing tunes from his recent CD, "Who Paid You to Give Me The Blues?" as well a some experimental new material. Come early as there is very limited seating."
The house concert was a blast. This was my first solo gig since one festival date last summer and I'm going to do more of this because I had a great time and so did the audience. It turned into a bit of a media frenzy because there was a big CD launch happening down the road at the Montreal Bistro and a lot of the photographers came directly to my gig. For a while it seemed there were more photgraphers than audience!
A couple of days later, I attended my first house-concert as an audience member yesterday - it was a sunday afternoon at a big rambling house in the country. Almost 50 folk fans came out to see my friends Bill Garrett, Sue Lothrop and Curly Boy Stubbs. I was presented from the stage when they introduced a song of mine that they perform, The Big Fire, and I thought I might be getting my foot in the door but alas when I thought I might get a chance to play them a couple of songs in the after-concert song circle, I wasn't really agressive enough and didn't get my shot. Tip of the Day: If you want to make an impression, don't be shy.
Blues News: Saw Dutch Mason on Saturday night at the Dollar. He was performing seated and moving quite slowly but the place was packed for the "Prime Minister of the Blues." Still had his trademark scotch in one hand and cigarette in the other.
Sunday, March 12, 2000
JUNO Awards
It's been a very hectic week culminating with the JUNO awards. Congratulatioms to Ray Bonneville for Blues Album of the Year and to other blues-friendly winners, Madagascar Slim (World Music) and Michael Wrycraft (graphics). Slim was very modest about his win, "This Juno belongs to all the people who played on the album, but if you don't mind, I'll hold onto it."
Here I am pictured with Ray and a couple of other Blues nominees (l to r, Rene Moisan, Tom Bona, Steve Hill, Ray himself, yours truly and Michael Jerome Browne:
R.I.P Tony Flaim: Ran into Serge Sloimovits in the JUNO media room. He was shocked to hear of the death of Tony Flaim, doubly so because he had spoken to Tony following a news report on CityTv that reported on the death of former Downchild singer Hock Walsh but mistakenly aired footage of Tony with Downchild. Tony, who was very superstitious, though that was some kind of omen of impending doom - and he was right.
Welcome back Kyle: Looks like Kyle Ferguson is back with the Sidemen again. The boys will be sticking a little closer to home for a while, playing the local blues circuit. I missed their set during Canadian Music Week, but I sure do look forward to hearing them again.
Canadian Music Week: Musical highlight: Martha Wainright. She was singing with another young woman who turns out to be the daughter of Anna McGarrigle (Martha is the daughter of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainright...and sister of Rufus Wainright - looks like some kind of dynasty taking shape). Other great music from Darlin, Danko Jones. I did a crub crawl down Queen Street and hear little bits of lots of bands - one group at the Bovine Sex Club must have found it hard to stay focused with TV screens all around showing 50's sci-fi soft porn flicks.
I attended part of a guitar workshop by Leslie West but once I took my seat I was sure this was some other guitar player (because he didn't weigh 300 lbs - he didn't hardly look 100 lbs). But it was Leslie West alright, transformed by a stretch in rehab and obviously a healthier lifestyle. The licks and the tone were unmistakeable, even though he's not playing a Les Paul Jr. anymore.
Words of Wisdom from ICE-T: I didn't know anything about Ice until his keynote address at Canadian Music Week. He had some great comments: "The Rock Star is the top of the food chain - you could could be the richest man - Bill Gates - but if a rock star walks into the restaurant, your bitch is climbing over you to get to him!" "When the President of the United States says your name in anger, lots of shit happens - I had the FBI, CIA, Secret Service watching me - I had an ice-cream truck parked outside my house in February." And Ice provides the Tip of the Day: "If you want to be in the music "bizniss", you have to entertain people. If you just want to entertain yourself, then play in your room or take your guitar to the park and play for all the people who walk by."
Link of the Day: www.beatnik.com. This is Thomas Dolby's new project for putting music on the web. The beatnik player allows the user to re-mix selected tunes from their favourite artist. Dolby demon strated on a tune from Moby and was able to do a remix by clicking on numerous buttons that triggers vocal parts, horn shots, strings, all the elements of the tune. Very cool.
Here I am pictured with Ray and a couple of other Blues nominees (l to r, Rene Moisan, Tom Bona, Steve Hill, Ray himself, yours truly and Michael Jerome Browne:
R.I.P Tony Flaim: Ran into Serge Sloimovits in the JUNO media room. He was shocked to hear of the death of Tony Flaim, doubly so because he had spoken to Tony following a news report on CityTv that reported on the death of former Downchild singer Hock Walsh but mistakenly aired footage of Tony with Downchild. Tony, who was very superstitious, though that was some kind of omen of impending doom - and he was right.
Welcome back Kyle: Looks like Kyle Ferguson is back with the Sidemen again. The boys will be sticking a little closer to home for a while, playing the local blues circuit. I missed their set during Canadian Music Week, but I sure do look forward to hearing them again.
Canadian Music Week: Musical highlight: Martha Wainright. She was singing with another young woman who turns out to be the daughter of Anna McGarrigle (Martha is the daughter of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainright...and sister of Rufus Wainright - looks like some kind of dynasty taking shape). Other great music from Darlin, Danko Jones. I did a crub crawl down Queen Street and hear little bits of lots of bands - one group at the Bovine Sex Club must have found it hard to stay focused with TV screens all around showing 50's sci-fi soft porn flicks.
I attended part of a guitar workshop by Leslie West but once I took my seat I was sure this was some other guitar player (because he didn't weigh 300 lbs - he didn't hardly look 100 lbs). But it was Leslie West alright, transformed by a stretch in rehab and obviously a healthier lifestyle. The licks and the tone were unmistakeable, even though he's not playing a Les Paul Jr. anymore.
Words of Wisdom from ICE-T: I didn't know anything about Ice until his keynote address at Canadian Music Week. He had some great comments: "The Rock Star is the top of the food chain - you could could be the richest man - Bill Gates - but if a rock star walks into the restaurant, your bitch is climbing over you to get to him!" "When the President of the United States says your name in anger, lots of shit happens - I had the FBI, CIA, Secret Service watching me - I had an ice-cream truck parked outside my house in February." And Ice provides the Tip of the Day: "If you want to be in the music "bizniss", you have to entertain people. If you just want to entertain yourself, then play in your room or take your guitar to the park and play for all the people who walk by."
Link of the Day: www.beatnik.com. This is Thomas Dolby's new project for putting music on the web. The beatnik player allows the user to re-mix selected tunes from their favourite artist. Dolby demon strated on a tune from Moby and was able to do a remix by clicking on numerous buttons that triggers vocal parts, horn shots, strings, all the elements of the tune. Very cool.
Friday, March 3, 2000
Canadian Music Week
The big news is that Reggie Boivard is back as doorman at the Horseshoe after fourteen years!
I remember one of these music conferences when I went club-crawling for three nights and didn't see any music that I would call memorable. This year, however, I'm off to a good start and even if I don't hear anything else that grabs me, at least I saw Martha Wainright. After her set I dropped in downstairs at the Bar Code and heard Hey Stella for the first time. Michele Josef on drums and Victor Bateman was playing bass. For their encore the whole band did a little "walk-through" the audience getting the whole place to sing along some Bob Dylan song.
At a conference panel of big time managers, agents and promoters who kept talking about long-term career development, I asked if they would ever consider being part of the "talent development" of an artist who was their age - ie: would they reject out of hand an over-fifty "new face". Donald Tarlton (who I always remember as Donald K. Donald, the legendary Montreal promoter) was the moderator and he and a couple of others would not admit it but they examples they used of over-50 talent they were working with were John McDermott (an irish tenor) and the new Journey. They were not very encouraging for this 50-plus blues guy but I am not deterred.
Spoke with Donald afterwards and reminded him that he had once put me out on tour opening for April Wine. He also got me some other choice gigs, opening for Seals & Crofts and then Lou Reed (right at the time of "Walk on the Wild Side") I forgot to mention that I had played bass with one of his favourite home-grown bands, Oliver Klaus.
One club that was perfect for the music industry schmooze-fests is the new Rancho Relaxo. The entrance is next to the stage and it's lit up like a stage, so everyone entering the club has their moment "in the spotlight". Saw Darlin with Lisa LeBotniere (sp?) and Holly Go Lightly, two bands fronted by talented young women with something to say.
Dropped in at the Free Times but all my media accreditation could not get me in to see Joe Hall. He was playing with Tony Quarrington and Daisy DeBolt. Joe reminded me a lot of Allan Fraser (who partnered with Daisy to make Fraser & DeBolt back in the 60's-70's).
Got to the East Coast Showcase (Lobsterpalooza) right at the end and heard a couple of tunes by Johnny Favourite (it's not "swing orchestra" anymore - sounded more like Blood, Sweat & Tears. Michele was playing drums, Marg Stowe was burning on guitar and the horns under the direction of Rich Underhill were fabulous.
I remember one of these music conferences when I went club-crawling for three nights and didn't see any music that I would call memorable. This year, however, I'm off to a good start and even if I don't hear anything else that grabs me, at least I saw Martha Wainright. After her set I dropped in downstairs at the Bar Code and heard Hey Stella for the first time. Michele Josef on drums and Victor Bateman was playing bass. For their encore the whole band did a little "walk-through" the audience getting the whole place to sing along some Bob Dylan song.
At a conference panel of big time managers, agents and promoters who kept talking about long-term career development, I asked if they would ever consider being part of the "talent development" of an artist who was their age - ie: would they reject out of hand an over-fifty "new face". Donald Tarlton (who I always remember as Donald K. Donald, the legendary Montreal promoter) was the moderator and he and a couple of others would not admit it but they examples they used of over-50 talent they were working with were John McDermott (an irish tenor) and the new Journey. They were not very encouraging for this 50-plus blues guy but I am not deterred.
Spoke with Donald afterwards and reminded him that he had once put me out on tour opening for April Wine. He also got me some other choice gigs, opening for Seals & Crofts and then Lou Reed (right at the time of "Walk on the Wild Side") I forgot to mention that I had played bass with one of his favourite home-grown bands, Oliver Klaus.
One club that was perfect for the music industry schmooze-fests is the new Rancho Relaxo. The entrance is next to the stage and it's lit up like a stage, so everyone entering the club has their moment "in the spotlight". Saw Darlin with Lisa LeBotniere (sp?) and Holly Go Lightly, two bands fronted by talented young women with something to say.
Dropped in at the Free Times but all my media accreditation could not get me in to see Joe Hall. He was playing with Tony Quarrington and Daisy DeBolt. Joe reminded me a lot of Allan Fraser (who partnered with Daisy to make Fraser & DeBolt back in the 60's-70's).
Got to the East Coast Showcase (Lobsterpalooza) right at the end and heard a couple of tunes by Johnny Favourite (it's not "swing orchestra" anymore - sounded more like Blood, Sweat & Tears. Michele was playing drums, Marg Stowe was burning on guitar and the horns under the direction of Rich Underhill were fabulous.
Friday, February 25, 2000
Sugar Ray, Bill & Sue
The Silver Dollar - Sugar Ray Norcia wowed Toronto again with a performance that featured his great harp playing and a very natural vocal style. Last summer's appearance at the Dollar resulted in an on-the-spot booking at the Beaches Jazz festival. I saw both performances and was knocked out by his machine-gun delivery of one song after another, usually starting the next song with a harp intro before the applause had died down. This approach didn't work as well with this new band, as the bass player scrambled to switch between string bass and electric or when guitar player Kid Bangham was caught leaning off to the side of the stage to have his king-size cigarette lit by his number one fan, Mary Schultis.
Before the set at the Dollar, I was around the corner at the Free Times Cafe listening to Bill Garrett and Sue-Ellen Lothrop with the legendary Curly Boy Stubbs. I got to hear one of my tunes, The Big Fire, performed by Sue and what a treat it was to see her performing again. She has a unique timbre to her voice and it hasn't changed in thirty years. We grew up on the same street in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Her brother married my sister. And she teamed up with Allan Fraser (pre-Fraser & DeBolt) in the 60's in a folk duo called "Breakfast" and I was their manager. We used to do some recording after-hours in the pioneer Hallmark Studios (at the time they had the first and only 1-inch 8-track recorder in Canada). Here's an old promo pic of Breakfast from 1968 or 69:
Before the set at the Dollar, I was around the corner at the Free Times Cafe listening to Bill Garrett and Sue-Ellen Lothrop with the legendary Curly Boy Stubbs. I got to hear one of my tunes, The Big Fire, performed by Sue and what a treat it was to see her performing again. She has a unique timbre to her voice and it hasn't changed in thirty years. We grew up on the same street in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Her brother married my sister. And she teamed up with Allan Fraser (pre-Fraser & DeBolt) in the 60's in a folk duo called "Breakfast" and I was their manager. We used to do some recording after-hours in the pioneer Hallmark Studios (at the time they had the first and only 1-inch 8-track recorder in Canada). Here's an old promo pic of Breakfast from 1968 or 69:
Tuesday, February 15, 2000
An open letter to Jeri Goldstein, author of "Be Your Own Booking Agent and Save Thousands of Dollars"
Dear Jeri, your book has been a real eye-opener and has inspired me to start tracking my own progress in the music business. Maybe it will help me deal with the obstacles and opportunities that present themselves. In the past, I've often confronted the obstacles and bypassed the opportunities instead of doing it the other way round! I am forwarding copies of Downtown Jazz and Maple Blues with reviews of your new book Thanks very much for all that information - the "hot tips" are especially relevant. I plan to offer a few tips of my own (for what they're worth).
I've been advised (by this mysterious tall guy) that I should de-lurk and get some "profile" so I'm starting now by posting this message and maybe I'm over-reacting but from now on, I'll be chronicling all my performing-career foibles and triumphs on this website. My life is an open book - "Colorblind Brian's Toronto Blues Diary" and it will feature my (mis)adventures on the music scene along with some occasional useful information.
Here's my occasional useful information on promo photos, the topic of the last few days:
How many times will a photo be used in the same publication? Usually, once. (keep fresh photos coming or consider two 5x7 poses on the same 8x10)
What's the difference between a good photo and a great photo? A good photo gets printed in the magazine. A great photo gets the cover. (a dark, moody art photo gets diddly)
Is there an easy way to provide a reproducible photo on my website? One quick and dirty way is to create an oversize version of it (ex: 10 inches wide at 72 dpi) on a separate page and create a link with some instruction like "click here to view/save a larger version." Once downloaded, the photo can be reduced in size which will increase the resolution proportionally (5 inches would be 144 dpi, 2.5 inches would be 288 dpi, etc.) and it may be suitable for some (but not all) publications.
Is there any acceptable substitute for a traditional glossy? Not really. Laserprinted photos and pseudo-glossies (photos printed on photo paper but with a fine screen of tiny dots) do not scan well. The newer high-quality ink-jet photo prints are pretty damn close to the real deal but I'm a little gun-shy ever since I used one of those, only to have it looking awful because the ink I thought was black was actually blue - and blue doesn't register when the printer is making his plates (they don't call me 'colorblind' for nothing!)
Now that I'm de-lurked, let me tell you a bit more about myself: Besides my publishing life, I am also a songwriter/performer working mostly on the blues scene, though I just got this fabulous little Guild acoustic and have been doing more folky/solo/duo gigs. My roots are actually in folk music and I made my first recording in 1963 with a folk trio that included Allan Fraser (of Fraser & DeBolt - whom I later played with and produced). I also played bass and toured with two early Canadian folksters, Dave Nicol and Tom Kelly, in the 70s (anybody know whatever happened to those guys?)
I've been advised (by this mysterious tall guy) that I should de-lurk and get some "profile" so I'm starting now by posting this message and maybe I'm over-reacting but from now on, I'll be chronicling all my performing-career foibles and triumphs on this website. My life is an open book - "Colorblind Brian's Toronto Blues Diary" and it will feature my (mis)adventures on the music scene along with some occasional useful information.
Here's my occasional useful information on promo photos, the topic of the last few days:
How many times will a photo be used in the same publication? Usually, once. (keep fresh photos coming or consider two 5x7 poses on the same 8x10)
What's the difference between a good photo and a great photo? A good photo gets printed in the magazine. A great photo gets the cover. (a dark, moody art photo gets diddly)
Is there an easy way to provide a reproducible photo on my website? One quick and dirty way is to create an oversize version of it (ex: 10 inches wide at 72 dpi) on a separate page and create a link with some instruction like "click here to view/save a larger version." Once downloaded, the photo can be reduced in size which will increase the resolution proportionally (5 inches would be 144 dpi, 2.5 inches would be 288 dpi, etc.) and it may be suitable for some (but not all) publications.
Is there any acceptable substitute for a traditional glossy? Not really. Laserprinted photos and pseudo-glossies (photos printed on photo paper but with a fine screen of tiny dots) do not scan well. The newer high-quality ink-jet photo prints are pretty damn close to the real deal but I'm a little gun-shy ever since I used one of those, only to have it looking awful because the ink I thought was black was actually blue - and blue doesn't register when the printer is making his plates (they don't call me 'colorblind' for nothing!)
Now that I'm de-lurked, let me tell you a bit more about myself: Besides my publishing life, I am also a songwriter/performer working mostly on the blues scene, though I just got this fabulous little Guild acoustic and have been doing more folky/solo/duo gigs. My roots are actually in folk music and I made my first recording in 1963 with a folk trio that included Allan Fraser (of Fraser & DeBolt - whom I later played with and produced). I also played bass and toured with two early Canadian folksters, Dave Nicol and Tom Kelly, in the 70s (anybody know whatever happened to those guys?)
Tuesday, February 8, 2000
The2000 Maple Blues Awards
It was a gala event for the Canadian Blues community, produced by the Toronto Blues Society and there I was - not on the stage or on the podium - but behind the scenes, as usual. I've gotten to know many of the leading blues musicians in town, and was thrilled to see them receive their "props". Many of them knew me only as the editor of the MapleBlues magazine and didn't even realize I played until I released a CD last May. I guess I do need to work on my profile but when it comes to music I barely have time to get the guitar out of the case, let alone hustle gigs. Last Saturday was my first and (so far) last gig of the decade. But I'm not discouraged because I have my trusty copy of "Be Your Own Booking Agent and Save Thousands of Dollars." I'm reminded of an old blues axiom "There's hundreds of dollars to be made in this business."
Back to the awards evening, there were some great moments and the host Mike Bullard, had fun with the sponsor, Bell ActiMedia. "You guys can change your name all you want - we still know you're a monopoly" and "Your call display has ruined my Saturday Nights." I just found out he worked for Bell for many years. One of the highlights of my evening was having a dance with Louise Pickett, even though I was bouncing around on a broken toe...but that's another story. Her husband, Michael Pickett was honoured with the Blues with a Feeling award as well as Harmonica Player of the year. Pickett is the personification of "cool" (blues style). Last month I was playing the Winchester and just as we were starting the second show, I look down and see him standing just off to the side of the stage. I don't know if that might have made me little nervous but once we had launched into the first tune, I realized I had blanked out on the first verse. I played a guitar solo then it came around and I played another solo (and these were not very "focused" solos because I was just trying to remember the damn first line). Still stuck, I signalled Papa John King at the other end of the stage to play a solo and he looked at me like "Haven't there been enough guitar solos alrteady???" but he played one or two choruses until I finally started singing, and it wasn't even the right verse! As we started into the second tune, I saw him making his way out the side door. I hope he's not one of those harp players who hate too many guitar solos.
There were lots of other deserving recepients of Maple Blues Awards. Imagine that someone of the stature of Jack DeKeyzer had never received an award until now (he got Recording of the Year)! Morgan Davis, Michael Pickett, Alec Fraser, Gary Kendall all pillars of the blues community got their props.
For the first time, the awards were webcast around the world and they are archived at www.primeticket.net. This was a first rate production with two cameras - if you want to see the state-of-the-art in webcasting, check it out, but you'll need a fast computer, RealAudio G2 and (ideally) a high-speed internet connection.
Back to the awards evening, there were some great moments and the host Mike Bullard, had fun with the sponsor, Bell ActiMedia. "You guys can change your name all you want - we still know you're a monopoly" and "Your call display has ruined my Saturday Nights." I just found out he worked for Bell for many years. One of the highlights of my evening was having a dance with Louise Pickett, even though I was bouncing around on a broken toe...but that's another story. Her husband, Michael Pickett was honoured with the Blues with a Feeling award as well as Harmonica Player of the year. Pickett is the personification of "cool" (blues style). Last month I was playing the Winchester and just as we were starting the second show, I look down and see him standing just off to the side of the stage. I don't know if that might have made me little nervous but once we had launched into the first tune, I realized I had blanked out on the first verse. I played a guitar solo then it came around and I played another solo (and these were not very "focused" solos because I was just trying to remember the damn first line). Still stuck, I signalled Papa John King at the other end of the stage to play a solo and he looked at me like "Haven't there been enough guitar solos alrteady???" but he played one or two choruses until I finally started singing, and it wasn't even the right verse! As we started into the second tune, I saw him making his way out the side door. I hope he's not one of those harp players who hate too many guitar solos.
There were lots of other deserving recepients of Maple Blues Awards. Imagine that someone of the stature of Jack DeKeyzer had never received an award until now (he got Recording of the Year)! Morgan Davis, Michael Pickett, Alec Fraser, Gary Kendall all pillars of the blues community got their props.
For the first time, the awards were webcast around the world and they are archived at www.primeticket.net. This was a first rate production with two cameras - if you want to see the state-of-the-art in webcasting, check it out, but you'll need a fast computer, RealAudio G2 and (ideally) a high-speed internet connection.
Friday, February 4, 2000
The February Blues Festival, Barrie, Ontario
Just did my first gig of the millenium, kind of low key, an afternoon concert in a little cafe in the picturesque village of Cookstown. This is the beginning of my new solo/acoustic initiative - I even brought along a gorgeous little mahogany acoustic Guild that my friend Peter Toles lent me. It doesn't have a pickup or even a strap but I pulled it out in the middle of the show to do "The Story of the Magic Pick" a spoken word thing I recorded in the early seventies. I screwed up the words again - I'm going to have to play this one more often. The last time I practised this tune I had to pull out the 45 and confirm the lyrics that were printed on the jacket.
I didn't think the little guitar was cutting through that well and switched back to the Epiphone (with pick-up) but in the last set I broke a string and had to finish on the little Guild and I was inspired to do a little walkabout as Robin kept up a bass riff. I walked to the very back, all the way into some little ante-room where I plopped down in a big armchair. Lessons - 1)I needed more tunes, and 2) There were some extra tunes on the set list that I never brought out. Ended with a death-defying ride back to the city in a snowstorm. Several other fabulous performers participated in the festival, Carlos del Junco and a new blues guitarist who's making a buzz, Mike Branton.
I didn't think the little guitar was cutting through that well and switched back to the Epiphone (with pick-up) but in the last set I broke a string and had to finish on the little Guild and I was inspired to do a little walkabout as Robin kept up a bass riff. I walked to the very back, all the way into some little ante-room where I plopped down in a big armchair. Lessons - 1)I needed more tunes, and 2) There were some extra tunes on the set list that I never brought out. Ended with a death-defying ride back to the city in a snowstorm. Several other fabulous performers participated in the festival, Carlos del Junco and a new blues guitarist who's making a buzz, Mike Branton.
The February Blues Festival, Barrie, Ontario
Just did my first gig of the millenium, kind of low key, an afternoon concert in a little cafe in the picturesque village of Cookstown. This is the beginning of my new solo/acoustic initiative - I even brought along a gorgeous little mahogany acoustic Guild that my friend Peter Toles lent me. It doesn't have a pickup or even a strap but I pulled it out in the middle of the show to do "The Story of the Magic Pick" a spoken word thing I recorded in the early seventies. I screwed up the words again - I'm going to have to play this one more often. The last time I practised this tune I had to pull out the 45 and confirm the lyrics that were printed on the jacket. I didn't think the little guitar was cutting through that well and switched back to the Epiphone (with pick-up) but in the last set I broke a string and had to finish on the little Guild and I was inspired to do a little walkabout as Robin kept up a bass riff. I walked to the very back, all the way into some little ante-room where I plopped down in a big armchair. Lessons - 1)I needed more tunes, and 2) There were some extra tunes on the set list that I never brought out. Ended with a death-defying ride back to the city in a snowstorm. Several other fabulous performers participated in the festival, Carlos del Junco and a new blues guitarist who's making a buzz, Mike Branton.
Monday, January 24, 2000
The Legendary Horseshoe
Dropped by the Shoe to hear some youth-oriented crossover blues from 20 miles, the side project of Judah Bauer, guitarist in the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (which is far less bluesy despite the name). Tip of the Day: We can expect John Lee Hooker in our fair city in April!
Monday, January 10, 2000
Welcome 2000
I'm making a resolution to get out and play guitar at every opportunity - I even brought a guitar to a party without being asked. Then a couple of days later I was at a party with a group of old-timey and country players and there it was a more organized "song circle" so that everyone got a turn. When it came to my turn, I thought I'd pull out one of the few country songs I knew - Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On" so I started into in but no-one joined in, a couple of guys even put down their guitars and headed back to the kitchen. I finished it unceremoniously and one of the veterans of this groups leaned over and said "No one knew the rhythm you were using" and played it the way Hank did ...and I guess I had bluesed it up over the years. But I recovered with a version of Midnight Special that was closer to the trad arrangement - though it too had strayed over the years. There was a point where I looked out at that group of players and realized that I was using a barre chord that few if any of the other players knew. Quite the opposite of the Tony Quarrington experience. (Lesson Learned: There will be times when you're the least knowledgeable in the group and there will be times that you're the most knowledgeable in the group. Accept it and have fun)
Friday, December 31, 1999
Christmas 1999
There was a party at Daisy DeBolt's and there I found myself face to face (guitar to guitar) with Tony Quarington. I played a couple of simple tunes - mostly tunes I hadn't played in quite a while when maybe I should have stuck to tunes that I know. Tony turned to me at one point and said "play one of your own tunes" and do you think I could come up with something appropriate??? Of course, driving home I start to think of all the tunes I could have pulled out (Tip of the Day: Always have a couple of easy-to-follow originals to pull out at the least provocation). Then it was Tony's turn and he launched into a jazz tune that was so full of chords that looked so alien to me it might as well have been a different instrument. I felt like putting away my guitar for good!
Saturday, October 30, 1999
Halloween at Chicago's
Had a great gig on Halloween week-end at this legendary Toronto blues club, right on Queen Street (the artsy beat). I've got a fabulous band with Don Vickery on drums, Suzie Vinnick on bass and Papa John King on guitar. In addition to the weirdos that walked in to the club, the stage overlooks the street and it was quite something to glance back and see the processions of zombies and goths. Actually, Queen Street is one place where you have to be careful about commenting on someone's Halloween costume - it might be their everyday look! I was reminded of the first gig I ever did in a Toronto blues bar. It was in the early 80's at Chicago's. It was the first time I ever tried to get a gig in a Toronto blues bar, I was visiting my mother in Kitchener and I drove into Toronto and auditioned for a guy called Robin Harp who was booking Chicago's. I had my "one-man-blues-band" rig (a Roland TB303 Bassline and a Drumatix drum machine) but I didn't have any promotional material so he said he would get a friend to make up a poster. This was the poster created by the friend who never saw me or my picture:
I kept that poster because it bore an uncanny remblance to...my father (pictured on the right with yours truly a long time ago). Dad had passed away only months before that gig and didn't look anything like me (I was adopted, you see). See for yourself: The nose, the chin, the glasses and later in life my father always wore a hat like the one pictured in the poster... I like to think it was some kind of message of approval from beyond the grave (seeing as my father never approved of my music while he was living)
Monday, February 8, 1999
The Second Annual Maple Blues Awards
Last year I wrangled myself into the all star jam but it was mostly because they needed my amp. This time I wasn't asked to bring my amp, but I brought along the Strat and left it in the car. As it turned out, it was nothing but all-stars on that (supposed-to-be-a) stage, but Colin James playing a tune on a Tele that may have belonged to Steve Hill - who may have had to remind Lily that he came all the way from Montreal with that guitar. Steve is doing a CD release soon at the Silver Dollar - Those Montreal stalwarts, the Stephen Barry Band could probably seriously discourage him from trying to break into the Toronto blues market. They must have played to bleak houses the first three or four trips. And now the band has some major personnel changes, Michael Brown and John McColgan are leaving. Michael has already made a great solo album (very acoustic) and is planning to tour solo. The moment that sticks in my memory is seeing Maureen Brown at the neighbouring table getting up to receive her second MBA and her husband, drum hero Rick Gratton practically collapsing in tears of joy. The usually quite stoic drum god is nothing but a big pussy cat! I said to Maureen at the end of the evening that I looked forward to an opportunity to do a gig together. We played many times together with Blue Willow and she's always encouraged me to get out and do my own thing. Had a few words with Colin James, too.
Monday, November 30, 1998
"Sherbrooke Night" at the Montreal Bistro
Nov 30 - Election day in Quebec so I called the gig "Sherbrooke Night" at the Montreal Bistro in honour of fellow Sherbrooker Jean Charest. Brigit, the hostess with the mostest who loves a "theme night" made the special of the night pea soup and tourtiere in keeping with the event. It was a fine turnout and it was especially gratifying to play for a lot of people who hadn't heard me in years (like 25 years!) and a few including the guys I work for at Downtown Jazz who had never heard me at all (Jim Galloway even shot some footage of my performance on his fancy new digital camcorder). At the back of the room were a group of Montreal expatriates including Rick Whitelaw, Ronney Abramson and Bill Garrett (who had rounded them up). When I saw Chris Rawlings come in I just said "The guitar players are assembled at the back, Chris". I had only seen Ronney once since I've been in Toronto and that was at the funeral for the beloved Montreal musician Ron Dann. Ronney sang back up on the demo and I think the final recording as well for a tune I recorded in '72 called "Don't Paint That Wall" I can't remember if the original vocals were used on the final, I know Sue-Ellen was on it but they brought in these hired guns from Manhattan Transfer, Laurel Masse and Janis Segal. I don't remember those days too clearly (as Ronnie Hawkins says "They tell me I had a real good time"). Some remember well though. Last year I was in the Black Swan and someone said they wanted me to meet Bob Segarini and I said "yes I remember him from Montreal - The Whackers!" When we were introduced he couldn't believe it, fell to his knees in the middle of a crowded Black Swan doing the "we're not worthy" bowing saying "Brian Blain - Don't Forget Your Mother!!!" After the theatrics, he pulled me over to the quiet end of the bar and related how he had been in the studio when we were recording the back up vocals and met Laurel right there in the control room, had a meeting of the eyes and made their way to the private lounge that overlooked the studio (which was in a former church, by the way) and began what became the most passionate and unforgettable love affair of his entire life. And it was consummated to the sounds of me recording the vocal to this quirky novelty song. Another odd twist that came to my attention about ten years ago when I was visting Montreal and a friend called James casually mentioned that the drummer who had played on that session had subsequently killed his own mother and was serving life in an institution for the criminally insane. That was Jim Gordon, drummer for Derek and the Dominoes, co-writer of Layla, and then playing with Frank Zappa's Mothers. Phew.
Anyway, back to the Bistro, the evening was lots of laughs and I think that's what people will remember most about it. The music was tight (we had just played a week-end in Barrie) but there were a few technical problems with the organ Leslie and it cut out a few times. Still it was a deliciously spontaneous evening. So spontaneous that I found myself doing songs I hardly ever performed and making up lyrics like the Muddy variation "I said I just want to be your man, if we could only get together and make love in the....sand" In the sand!!! Where did that come from?
Anyway, back to the Bistro, the evening was lots of laughs and I think that's what people will remember most about it. The music was tight (we had just played a week-end in Barrie) but there were a few technical problems with the organ Leslie and it cut out a few times. Still it was a deliciously spontaneous evening. So spontaneous that I found myself doing songs I hardly ever performed and making up lyrics like the Muddy variation "I said I just want to be your man, if we could only get together and make love in the....sand" In the sand!!! Where did that come from?
Saturday, October 24, 1998
Fitzies opening
This was a first. I pull up to the club where I'm supposed to be playing in an hour and all I see is a busy work site. There's a guy loading equipment into a pick-up right out front and the windows are covered with Brown construction paper. Can you believe that an hour and a half later the last mirror is glued to the wall behind the stage, the guy steps down off my amp and we start to play. Oh yes, and the place instantly fills with people. By the third night we're ready to hit the ground running but the minute we start, Rod's amp caks out. After fumbling around for twenty minutes we figure out that it happened when the owner lowered the dimmer at the bar, and the AC plug was affected. Great time playing with drummer Don Vickery
Tuesday, September 22, 1998
I've been meaning to send this along for over a week, but things got pretty hectic culminating with my gig last night. I think I've reached another milestone in my slow climb up the slipery slope of the Toronto blues scene. Following that Thursday night at the Silver Dollar, my duo gig with Scott Cushnie at the Montreal Bistro and a solo acoustic gig at the Free Times, I was now invited to be the "special guest" (ie, you get $70) at Gary Kendall's 'Blues Tuesday' at Whistler's. So I had been practising a few old blues standards that I haven't played for years (if ever), and managed to pull them off. I had the unpleasant experience of hearing the band start up while I was seated in the washroom - I seem to recall this happening before somewhere...perhaps in my early days with Blue Willow. Anyway, I climbed onto my stool halfway through the tune and it worked out fine, then I proceeded to pull out all the most predictable tunes I knew since the bass player (Gary) had never heard them. In the end, I could have thrown a lot more at him. The only time there was a problem was when I tried to simplify on the fly and the other guys (who knew the tune) played it the old which left Gary in the lurch. Mostly, I could tell the whole band was having a good time...I felt it really lifted off - we were flying! I was sitting on top of the world as I stepped down off that stool and then I see that my fly was open. Back to earth, Brian! I seem to have this built-in curse that the moment I get too big for my briches a bird shits in my eye, or something like that.
I remarked to Rod, who was playing piano instead of his usual organ - and playing it great - that at least the people at the front table will not have been bothered by my 'deshabille' because they were both blind. They were the greatest listeners, really. They stayed til the end and chatted for awhile. The guy's name was David and he must be a collector because whenever I did a song he recognized, he would shout some acknowledgement, and he knew some of the more obscure ones. After this, I don't have a single gig lined up. And I haven't even started looking. What I need is one place where I can play every Thursday, or every Tuesday...
Just did a duo gig with Professor Piano and I didn't sing a single song. In the past I've called the tunes, but this time I called some, but I never called one of my own. Waiting to see if Scott would, I guess. He just kept pulling out these great old tunes and I was glad to play them. But to go from that to fronting this gig at Whistlers...well I guess that's what a lot of musicians do in this town. One night you're the star, next night you're the sideman
I remarked to Rod, who was playing piano instead of his usual organ - and playing it great - that at least the people at the front table will not have been bothered by my 'deshabille' because they were both blind. They were the greatest listeners, really. They stayed til the end and chatted for awhile. The guy's name was David and he must be a collector because whenever I did a song he recognized, he would shout some acknowledgement, and he knew some of the more obscure ones. After this, I don't have a single gig lined up. And I haven't even started looking. What I need is one place where I can play every Thursday, or every Tuesday...
Just did a duo gig with Professor Piano and I didn't sing a single song. In the past I've called the tunes, but this time I called some, but I never called one of my own. Waiting to see if Scott would, I guess. He just kept pulling out these great old tunes and I was glad to play them. But to go from that to fronting this gig at Whistlers...well I guess that's what a lot of musicians do in this town. One night you're the star, next night you're the sideman
Saturday, September 12, 1998
Wine de Vine
Played with Prof at the "Taste of the Kingsway" event, this time I just sat back and let Prof fly and he pulled out at least a dozen songs we'd never played - many of them "swing" tunes that I'm anxious to learn. At the risk of being accused of jumping on the swing bandwagon, I'd like to pursue some gigs with Scott that offer an evening of Swing. That'll be a lot more new chords for me to learn, but I love that chunky-chunk rhythm guitar. Tonight we were fooling around with a tune for "Swing, Stalker, Swing" which might be close to the truth as we find out more about a certain swing dance instructor (SWSRN) who can't take no for an answer from his female students.
Wednesday, September 9, 1998
Lily's Rehearsal Room
Allan Fraser dropped in yesterday to spend a couple of days in Toronto - meeting with some record exec about how he might "ressucitate" (his word) his career. We had a happy dinner with Al and his buddy Joel Axler, who I met for the first time. Joel is managing a jazz singer called Terry Cade and played her tape. Then we jammed a little in my basement studio and Joel played rollicking piano while Allan played guitar. His acoustic was being troublesome and hard to tune, but when I got a close-up look, I could see the bridge had raised a quarter of an inch on one side and was held by strands of hardened glue. Allan and I drove to Hamilton to jam and were joined at Lily's by Kim Deschamps. Kim played some haunting dobro on an impromptu version of "Who Paid You (To Give Me The Blues)?" and then in my spaced out enthusiasm I said I wanted to hear what he could do on "Last Time I Saw Lenny" a song I had never sung for anyone before (except Daisy) and probably never will again. Who else would write a tune about a dead musician he had known briefly, and then kept adding verses everytime another musical aquaintance/colleague passes away. There's something sick about this.
Tuesday, September 8, 1998
Daisy's loft
I drop in with Allan on our way to Hamilton. Daisy wanted to discuss with Allan about promoting a Fraser & DeBolt re-issue. When we got there, we didn't discuss it very much past trying to find Bob DeVere's phone number. But then Daisy's son Jake arrived and it was something to behold him connecting with Allan. The last time he saw Allan, he was three years old. Then Jake picked up Daisy's guitar and while she sang, he accompanied her on "Matchstick Man", a very personal song Allan had written long ago about his deceased father. And here was young Jake - the same age as Allan & Daisy when Fraser & De Bolt were shaking up the folk scene.
Saturday, September 5, 1998
Free Times Cafe
I get a call at the end of August from my friend Sootara saying that she's geetiing back to gigging and that she had called Judy at the Free Times requesting a Saturday night. Judy didn't hesitate and offered her Sept 5. When she realized how soon it was, and how much preparation she would have to do, she asked me to split the Bill and I said impulsively that I would. Then the first two people I mention it to ask me if I realized it was Labour Day Week-End...No wonder it was easy for Sootara to get *that* Saturday night. Most venues consider that week-end as a write-off. Anyway, we got a few people out and it was a most appreciative crowd - lots of laughs - and they kept calling me back until someone who shall remain nameless (SWSRN) requested "Don't Paint That Wall" - the B-Side of my only solo recording, and I botched the lyrics. That was the end of the encores - but I qualify it as a successful gig and I intend to pursue more solo gigs in folk venues.
Sunday, May 17, 1998
Well, tonite I went to see the movie "The Big Hit" with Joel. Seventeen bucks for two tickets, then another seven for a couple a specialty coffes that Joel enjoys (when I started to walk into the Starbucks - he stopped me and gave me a whole speech about how Starbucks are taking over the worls and that we should support the smaller (and more Canadian) player, Second Cup. He said "Even if there's a Starbucks right in front of me, I'll walk a couple of blocks to the Second Cup. It sort of speaks to the proliferation of these places in Toronto. Oh yeah, then I found a $20 ticket on the car. Expensive outing, but father & son and all that...
This is the movie that Jonathan Savan was "location managing" or whatever he was doing - but he rented some of my music equipment (a Revox, a keyboard, cassette machine, road case and my little Yamaha FB01 synthesizer. I rented 8 pieces and when he brought back my stuff, there were eight pieces but two of them weren't mine. Anyway there I was watching my stuff on the big screen and trying to figure out if I should send one last message to the president of Sony or something. "Your movie sucks. In the unlikely eventuality that it makes any money, might I request that that the FB01 synthesizer you rented from me and never returned be replaced or compensated...."
I'm listening to "Celebration Starsong," the new age radio show. - they're talking numerology - if you have a K in your name it means you have a spiritual mission in this life (among other things). Think I better get back to the website now. Joel has done what he was going to do all along - he's dropped out of the science and society course, though he says he will still write the ISU (for practice). So the only two courses left for this semester are art and drama. what a joke. The teacher did not tell me that it was a forgone conclusion that he would fail...he could have tried to pull this one out, but he didn't budge. Now I told him, that I didn't care if he just sat in the library but that I wanted him at school by 9:00 am and of course that has not worked either. As you have said, we should be glad that he is at least alive and in school. But I hope we can convince him to get back into a real school next year...
I just spoke to Beverly Glenn Copeland today (hadn't spoken to hear since Christmas) - She said lots had been going on in her life since then. she says "One morning my wife woke up and decided she was heterosexual"....hmmmm.
Now Joel is off to another rave tonight after having done a big cleanup in the house (not including his room, of course) He stands there next to me looking into this disaster area and says with a straight face "that's clean."
This is the movie that Jonathan Savan was "location managing" or whatever he was doing - but he rented some of my music equipment (a Revox, a keyboard, cassette machine, road case and my little Yamaha FB01 synthesizer. I rented 8 pieces and when he brought back my stuff, there were eight pieces but two of them weren't mine. Anyway there I was watching my stuff on the big screen and trying to figure out if I should send one last message to the president of Sony or something. "Your movie sucks. In the unlikely eventuality that it makes any money, might I request that that the FB01 synthesizer you rented from me and never returned be replaced or compensated...."
I'm listening to "Celebration Starsong," the new age radio show. - they're talking numerology - if you have a K in your name it means you have a spiritual mission in this life (among other things). Think I better get back to the website now. Joel has done what he was going to do all along - he's dropped out of the science and society course, though he says he will still write the ISU (for practice). So the only two courses left for this semester are art and drama. what a joke. The teacher did not tell me that it was a forgone conclusion that he would fail...he could have tried to pull this one out, but he didn't budge. Now I told him, that I didn't care if he just sat in the library but that I wanted him at school by 9:00 am and of course that has not worked either. As you have said, we should be glad that he is at least alive and in school. But I hope we can convince him to get back into a real school next year...
I just spoke to Beverly Glenn Copeland today (hadn't spoken to hear since Christmas) - She said lots had been going on in her life since then. she says "One morning my wife woke up and decided she was heterosexual"....hmmmm.
Now Joel is off to another rave tonight after having done a big cleanup in the house (not including his room, of course) He stands there next to me looking into this disaster area and says with a straight face "that's clean."
Friday, March 6, 1998
Canadian Music Week
After a couple of days of conferences, panel discussions and showcase, I've had a chance to sit and listen to Sir George Martin in conversation (the celebrity interview) and he talked as he must have many times about starting out with a wire recorder, or whartever. My first studio experience was in the Montreal Studios of RCA Victor. It was 1963 and there were three tracks. Two of them contained pre-recorded band-tracks from europe and I was there with my trio to put on a vocal. (three part harmony).
Following Sir George's appearance, I found myself in the big room at Manta Sound. I hadn't beenm in that room since 1970 when I produced Fraser & DeBolt With Pleasure - we were the first paying customers in that place. Jack Ricghardson had tested out the room with a band called Hope. Now I'm at Manta Sound for the taping of a Blue Rodeo radio special for the Sound Source network - which I presume is owned by Gary Slaight. It was the second time in a week that I crashed one of his parties. The week before, Lily Sazz invited me to a Ray Materick showcase at the Phoenix and it turned out to be a priovate showcase of several Gary Slaight favourites that he wanted to present to his friends.
Following Sir George's appearance, I found myself in the big room at Manta Sound. I hadn't beenm in that room since 1970 when I produced Fraser & DeBolt With Pleasure - we were the first paying customers in that place. Jack Ricghardson had tested out the room with a band called Hope. Now I'm at Manta Sound for the taping of a Blue Rodeo radio special for the Sound Source network - which I presume is owned by Gary Slaight. It was the second time in a week that I crashed one of his parties. The week before, Lily Sazz invited me to a Ray Materick showcase at the Phoenix and it turned out to be a priovate showcase of several Gary Slaight favourites that he wanted to present to his friends.
Saturday, February 14, 1998
Who Paid You To Give Me The Blues?
Tomorrow I go to the tape duplicator to get a bunch more cassettes of “Who Paid You to Give Me the Blues?”. I gave a copy (plus a video) to exactly one promoter and I’ve got three festival dates out of it. I knew I was in the big time when we played the Dollar last February and it cost me money. I had to dip in to the tape sales just to pay the musicians. And even at that, it was less than what I promised them.
Here I am listening to Muddy Waters sing “I’m ready” and writing out the words. I think in the blues circles of Toronto any 50-year old bluesman would be expected to know the words to every single Willie Dixon song. But I guess that’s why I haven’t had a chance to play around on the blues circuit. I just don’t have that repertoire of blues standards that everybody knows.
I’m going to publish these updates on my website (since I don’t have a lot else to put up there). This is my first letter in a long time so I’ll use it to chronicle my recent adventures in Toronto. Colorblind’s Toronto Blues Diary. There’s been so much going on that I forget to write, but here’s a good place to start.
Here I am listening to Muddy Waters sing “I’m ready” and writing out the words. I think in the blues circles of Toronto any 50-year old bluesman would be expected to know the words to every single Willie Dixon song. But I guess that’s why I haven’t had a chance to play around on the blues circuit. I just don’t have that repertoire of blues standards that everybody knows.
I’m going to publish these updates on my website (since I don’t have a lot else to put up there). This is my first letter in a long time so I’ll use it to chronicle my recent adventures in Toronto. Colorblind’s Toronto Blues Diary. There’s been so much going on that I forget to write, but here’s a good place to start.
Thursday, February 12, 1998
Installment #2 of Colorblind Brian's Toronto Blues Diary
Thanks to the great response to my first post last week, I am following up with a second report from the front lines. What a week it's been for the blues! Tonight is my gig at the Silver Dollar (to get *that* out of the way) but ever since the Maple Blues Awards last Monday we've had a flurry of blues activity, some focused on the Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis and lots in town too. Even a little controversy, but I won't get into that.
For this gig I will be joined by Rod Phillips and Mike Fitzpatrick, two very soulful musicians - both of whom were featured on the cassette of seven original tunes that I will be offering for sale at the Dollar (if I get them from the duplicator on time). If this message is addressed to you tell them you're on my e-mail guest list.
(There's a rumor that it's all a carefully orchestrated media hijack by Derek Andrews and Eddy B and so far they've gained more ink for the blues from mainstream media than even the wildly successful Maple Blues Awards could generate.) And that's all I'm going to say about that. What I want to know is: "Eddy, I guess it would be out of the question to get those prints of me..." Seriously, I don't think Eddy could bring himself to say anything less than friendly about me. He gave me my first solo gig in Toronto when he was booking Rowers. And he had me on his show playing live for an entire hour
The lighhearted commentary expressed here is not necessarily shared by the more serious people at the Toronto Blues Society, du Maurier Downtown Jazz or anybody else that I work for. If you would like your e-mail address removed from this list reply accordingly
For this gig I will be joined by Rod Phillips and Mike Fitzpatrick, two very soulful musicians - both of whom were featured on the cassette of seven original tunes that I will be offering for sale at the Dollar (if I get them from the duplicator on time). If this message is addressed to you tell them you're on my e-mail guest list.
(There's a rumor that it's all a carefully orchestrated media hijack by Derek Andrews and Eddy B and so far they've gained more ink for the blues from mainstream media than even the wildly successful Maple Blues Awards could generate.) And that's all I'm going to say about that. What I want to know is: "Eddy, I guess it would be out of the question to get those prints of me..." Seriously, I don't think Eddy could bring himself to say anything less than friendly about me. He gave me my first solo gig in Toronto when he was booking Rowers. And he had me on his show playing live for an entire hour
The lighhearted commentary expressed here is not necessarily shared by the more serious people at the Toronto Blues Society, du Maurier Downtown Jazz or anybody else that I work for. If you would like your e-mail address removed from this list reply accordingly
The Silver Dollar Room
Well now I know I've made it to the blues big time. I'm playing a Thursday night in the same room where I've watched my guitar heroes like Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson and Duke Robillard.
Three clues that I've arrived at the "big-time":
- When I spill coke on my hand, I get handed a towel by Rocky the sound gal and a wet nap from Roy who's does the video.
- A drunk female patron climbs up on the stage and starts dancing
- The drunk female patron has to be removed from the stage by the bartender when she starts rubbing her breast against my hand in the middle of a guitar solo.
Big Time, here I come!
Three clues that I've arrived at the "big-time":
- When I spill coke on my hand, I get handed a towel by Rocky the sound gal and a wet nap from Roy who's does the video.
- A drunk female patron climbs up on the stage and starts dancing
- The drunk female patron has to be removed from the stage by the bartender when she starts rubbing her breast against my hand in the middle of a guitar solo.
Big Time, here I come!
Monday, February 2, 1998
The first Maple Blues Awards
The Maple Blues Awards presentation - This was a great day for the blues in Toronto and had repercussions across the nation as a lot of talented people were recognized for decades and even lifetimes of dedication to the blues. My enjoyment was hampered by some kind of stomach flu so I was unable to partake of the delicious buffet that I had a part in arranging on behalf of the Blues Society (I kept needling Bistro owner Lothar Lang that some of these burly blues types would need something a little more substantial than the finger-foods usually presented for the jazzy set - I had a back door into the Bistro, literally, because I work for Downtown Jazz whose offices are directly upstairs).
Now that I'm back from my sick bed, I'm glad to share some of my happy (if slightly foggy) recollections. I hope this will be the start of some kind of semi-regular postings to the Maple-Blue list. I'll be gathering these ramblings on my website (as soon as I build one!) - think I'll call it "Colorblind Brian's Toronto Blues Diary" I expect to be performing more in '98 (hell if it's one gig a month it'll be more than last year).and may I mention my next gig:
**The Silver Dollar Room this Thursday, February 12 with Rod Phillips and Mike Fitzpatrick (mark your calendars).**
As I looked over the photos of the evening I was sorry that I didn't have the energy to circulate a bit more - I don't think there's ever been such an assemblage of Canadian blues celebrities under one roof (if someone had dropped the proverbial bomb on that place, etc, etc).
The ceremonies went smooth as silk with host John Dickie (my favourite line was "There's hundreds of dollars to be made playing this music."). I think Gary Kendall's acceptance speech was more talking than a year's worth of his stage patter and it was fascinating to follow his life journey from Thunder Bay to Toronto to the world (or at least to Florida). Maureen Brown also received a true hometown-hero ovation as did the ever-modest Chris Whiteley.
I had stepped out of the Bistro after the ceremonies and when I was walking back in, I was struck by an amazing voice. I asked Al Lerman if he knew who that was and he didn't know, but as I turned the corner I saw that it was John Ellison with Vann "Piano Man" Walls and several other winners & nominees who had kicked off the jam session. Tyler Yarema invited me to sit in on guitar (I did, after all, provide my trusty Vibrolux for the occasion) and I found myself launching into a blues shuffle with a stellar group including Al, Gary Kendall, Pat Carey, Chris Murphy and when I looked down at the drummer I saw more bare thigh than I've ever seen in my life in the person of the 6-foot Michele (formerly Bohdan) Hluszko in a severly slit evening dress. This was a first for me and for the entire blues world, I expect. John Dickie was singing and he knocked me out! Being a relative newcomer to the Toronto scene I had never heard Mondo Combo or any of his legendary groups and although I heard him singing on his radio show a few times, I never got the full blast effect - and here I was playing along (and he must have been wondering who the hell I was and how I got there). As the City-tv camera-guy swung into the room, Teddy Leonard of Fathead was invited up to play and I handed off the guitar to him and worked my way back into the crowd to start saying my goodbyes. What a night!
Now that I'm back from my sick bed, I'm glad to share some of my happy (if slightly foggy) recollections. I hope this will be the start of some kind of semi-regular postings to the Maple-Blue list. I'll be gathering these ramblings on my website (as soon as I build one!) - think I'll call it "Colorblind Brian's Toronto Blues Diary" I expect to be performing more in '98 (hell if it's one gig a month it'll be more than last year).and may I mention my next gig:
**The Silver Dollar Room this Thursday, February 12 with Rod Phillips and Mike Fitzpatrick (mark your calendars).**
As I looked over the photos of the evening I was sorry that I didn't have the energy to circulate a bit more - I don't think there's ever been such an assemblage of Canadian blues celebrities under one roof (if someone had dropped the proverbial bomb on that place, etc, etc).
The ceremonies went smooth as silk with host John Dickie (my favourite line was "There's hundreds of dollars to be made playing this music."). I think Gary Kendall's acceptance speech was more talking than a year's worth of his stage patter and it was fascinating to follow his life journey from Thunder Bay to Toronto to the world (or at least to Florida). Maureen Brown also received a true hometown-hero ovation as did the ever-modest Chris Whiteley.
I had stepped out of the Bistro after the ceremonies and when I was walking back in, I was struck by an amazing voice. I asked Al Lerman if he knew who that was and he didn't know, but as I turned the corner I saw that it was John Ellison with Vann "Piano Man" Walls and several other winners & nominees who had kicked off the jam session. Tyler Yarema invited me to sit in on guitar (I did, after all, provide my trusty Vibrolux for the occasion) and I found myself launching into a blues shuffle with a stellar group including Al, Gary Kendall, Pat Carey, Chris Murphy and when I looked down at the drummer I saw more bare thigh than I've ever seen in my life in the person of the 6-foot Michele (formerly Bohdan) Hluszko in a severly slit evening dress. This was a first for me and for the entire blues world, I expect. John Dickie was singing and he knocked me out! Being a relative newcomer to the Toronto scene I had never heard Mondo Combo or any of his legendary groups and although I heard him singing on his radio show a few times, I never got the full blast effect - and here I was playing along (and he must have been wondering who the hell I was and how I got there). As the City-tv camera-guy swung into the room, Teddy Leonard of Fathead was invited up to play and I handed off the guitar to him and worked my way back into the crowd to start saying my goodbyes. What a night!
Friday, January 23, 1998
The Blue Goose
Rod Phillips, who plays organ with me whenever I can get him, has been running a regular Sunday afternoon matinee at this club and last week his group, The Pie Guys were backing up Chicago bluesman Little Mack Simmons at the Silver Dollar. Also on board was Kevin Higgins on guitar - he had played with Little Mack, knew his repertoire, and on stage Kevin was acting as bandleader and go-between with the band. As I was hanging out in the dressing room on the break, Rod said "we need a guitar player to play with Mack at tomorrow's matinee". At first I declined because this was the sunday when I was supposed to finish off laying out the MapleBlues newsletter but I caught myself and came right back and said "Never mind, I'll do it - what time should I be there?" I never thought to ask what about Kevin, but for whatever reason he wasn't going top be there so I paid special attention to the second show and on Sunday I couldn't decide what to bring, since I knew it was a pretty big room, so I decided to bring my Strat and Fender amp...then I listened to Little Mack's album and found it quite acoustic so then I found myself loading in the flat top and cube amp as well. I get there at four with two amps and two guitars (I only had one of each at my own gig the previous Friday!) Then as I pull up at the club, who do I see unloading his Fender amp but Kevin Higgins. For whatever reason, he was able to come and play. Oh well, I spent the afternoon watching Kevin do the identical show I had seen the night before and then at the end of the second show when Mack had to leave early to catch his bus to Chicago (?) Rod had me up to play a couple of songs and I did receive some genuine admiration from Kevin, who is a great player. I was watching him take his instructions from Little Mack, who sometimes changed his mind after the band had started an intro and waved them to a halt, looked like he might be a stern taskmaster and I was starting to feel a bit relieved that I didn't end up there with him - especially when he called "Rainy Night in Georgia"...not exactly a 12-bar blues.
Sunday, November 30, 1997
Trying to remember "The Story of the Magic Pick"
The Islington Golf Club. Did an afternoon private party with Professor Piano (Scott Cushnie). I realized my repertoire is wanting beyond the 50 or so originals (that I barely know anyway). (ACTION ITEM*** I need to learn some blues standards.***) Now I’m back home and I’m trying to run over a few folky tunes (don’t know why) and I can’t even remember the first line of "The Story of the Magic Pick", the B-side of the only record I ever made under my own name. I have to dig out the disc and check the lyrics which were printed on the back of the sleeve. And this man wants to make a career in music?
This is the last date booked with Prof. I’ve got to get some trio gigs with Mike & Victor. But before that i need to (ACTION ITEM***learn some blues standards.***)
Saturday, June 7, 1997
My first CD
Toronto. Had a few friends over and we listened to the tracks I recorded at the Studio at Puck's Farm with Victor Bateman on bass and Mike Fitzpatrick on drums. Scott Cushnie (aka Professor Piano) played piano on 4 of the cuts. We recorded at Puck's Farm, a studio/theme park owned by my producer from the 70s, Frazier Mohawk. Fraz gave me some studio time and the musicians all did it for no charge, probably because they knew if they didn't nudge me it would probably never get done.
It started when Victor Bateman heard some of my original tunes at my 50th birthday party/jam session. I hardly knew him but he mentioned that he knew someone with a DAT machine and some good mics and we should go over and record some of my originals. The DAT machine belonged to a guitar player/radio guy...Bill Grove..and we spent an afternoon recording some of my new tunes. Next thing you know, we're in the big studio at Puck's Farm with the renowned engineer Phil Sheridan. Phil was a bit of a curmudgeon ("I don't like mixing other people's shit and I don't like other people mixing my shit"). The first session I started to rattle off the full names of the songs as he was writing a track sheet and he said "make it one word - I'm going to be writing this many times."
I lassoed Scott Cushnie at the Silver Dollar at the Toronto Blues Society's Birthday Party and when I mentioned that I was going to be driving up to the studio the following Monday, he asked me for a lift because he needed to have a meeting with Frazier Mohawk. I happened to have a rehearsal tape in my pocket so I gave it to him and asked him to listen to the tunes and see if there was anything he'd like to try putting a piano track on. He overdubbed some great piano tracks. Later Gene Hardy put some horns on a couple of tunes (actually, Gene was the only one who didn't do it for free - he asked for fifty bucks for gas). For the cover art I used a drawing (a self portrait, I guess) that is one of my rare attempts at producing a piece of visual art. At least I made the most of it.
After listening to a great set by Morgan Davis (who has a new drummer, Paul...) I went over to Grossman's to give Mike Fitzpatrick a rehearsal tape - he was playing with Michael Picket. Pickett was playing great, but in his inimitable style, refused to do an encore and even teased the audience by walking back up to the stage not once, but twice, to gather his gear.
It started when Victor Bateman heard some of my original tunes at my 50th birthday party/jam session. I hardly knew him but he mentioned that he knew someone with a DAT machine and some good mics and we should go over and record some of my originals. The DAT machine belonged to a guitar player/radio guy...Bill Grove..and we spent an afternoon recording some of my new tunes. Next thing you know, we're in the big studio at Puck's Farm with the renowned engineer Phil Sheridan. Phil was a bit of a curmudgeon ("I don't like mixing other people's shit and I don't like other people mixing my shit"). The first session I started to rattle off the full names of the songs as he was writing a track sheet and he said "make it one word - I'm going to be writing this many times."
I lassoed Scott Cushnie at the Silver Dollar at the Toronto Blues Society's Birthday Party and when I mentioned that I was going to be driving up to the studio the following Monday, he asked me for a lift because he needed to have a meeting with Frazier Mohawk. I happened to have a rehearsal tape in my pocket so I gave it to him and asked him to listen to the tunes and see if there was anything he'd like to try putting a piano track on. He overdubbed some great piano tracks. Later Gene Hardy put some horns on a couple of tunes (actually, Gene was the only one who didn't do it for free - he asked for fifty bucks for gas). For the cover art I used a drawing (a self portrait, I guess) that is one of my rare attempts at producing a piece of visual art. At least I made the most of it.
After listening to a great set by Morgan Davis (who has a new drummer, Paul...) I went over to Grossman's to give Mike Fitzpatrick a rehearsal tape - he was playing with Michael Picket. Pickett was playing great, but in his inimitable style, refused to do an encore and even teased the audience by walking back up to the stage not once, but twice, to gather his gear.
Tuesday, May 14, 1996
Wade Hemsworth
It's a couple of days after Mother's Day, the day I had hoped to make a tradition by having the second "annual" Mother's Day Blues Bash with Colorblind Brian and friends. Is that asking too much? One gig a year!!!
Well, it was not to be. There was a nice consolation, though. I travelled through time to the Yellow Door in 1972. Or was it Rose's Cantina. It must have been Rose's, because there at the door of The Tranzac stood Penny Rose herself. Giving out little printed nametags to the stream of Montreal folkies that came through that door. When I walked in, Bill (that Cajun guy) was on stage. He was having a nice exchange with the audience, I found out later that he had forgotten the words to one of the Wade Hemsworth songs he was performing to the old fella himself.
Did I mention this event was a CD launch for Wade - The recording was made by Penny Rose who went up to Wade's house with a DAT machine on three or four occasions. But the event was star-studded, in a Montreal folkie kinda way. Next on stage was Ronney Abramson and Bill Garrett, she singing a very old song of hers that I'm sure I remember from back then. She had such a distinctive sound. Ronney is one of the not-too-many (I hope) women whom I have let down in this life. I wonder if she remembers? It's nothing romantic, at all. Ronny was moving to Toronto, or at least driving to Toronto and a trio of us guys were going the same way in a nice reliable Mercedes owned by Gary Howsam. Ronny was driving an old Peter Falk Peugeot and was reassured to know that we would hang together on the 401… Except we didn't. We turned off at Ottawa so Gary could drop in on a girlfriend or something like that. Anyway, I can remember watching Ronney riding off into the sunset, without the benefit of these three musketeers. That's pretty low isn't it?
Next on stage was Anne Lederman - who was one of Wade's Toronto connections - she has an organization called Worlds of Music and puts on concerts and workshops. And she sure can play that fiddle. We shared an office at the blues society. She worked with a South African lady - Lizzie. I had only seen Lizzie one time since that office-sharing period. It was the green room at the Bamboo. I was hanging out with Loraine Klassen's back up band and Lizzie was there too. I noticed as she was introduced to Lorraine and they chatted a little. Next thing you know, Lorraine's is into the second set and invites Lizzie to come up on the stage and do a tune with her. They do this complicated call-and-answer (trad) song - dance steps and all, and they've never even met! I guess it was a well known "duet" among South-African musicians. She managed to get real animated, but would reel herself in when she came too close to stealing the show. Anyway they had great harmonies.
After that, the stage was filled by Kate & Anna McGarrigle & crew with Danny Greenspoon on guitar and Wade himself. He wasn't playing guitar and the first tune he attempted was a bit challenging. Then they did the "Black Fly" song and the entire room was resonating with singing-along folkies. I guess Wade could have died and gone to heaven. He was conducting the endings, and getting right into it.
This was my week for old-timers. Two previous nights I poked in to the Montreal Bistro to see Jim Galloway (my boss at the Jazz Festival) playing with 91 year-old Doc Cheatham. Well, Doc is something else. His last set was very little trumpet playing and lots of romantic ballads. "I'll just pick up my papers and go..." He was wonderful
Well, it was not to be. There was a nice consolation, though. I travelled through time to the Yellow Door in 1972. Or was it Rose's Cantina. It must have been Rose's, because there at the door of The Tranzac stood Penny Rose herself. Giving out little printed nametags to the stream of Montreal folkies that came through that door. When I walked in, Bill (that Cajun guy) was on stage. He was having a nice exchange with the audience, I found out later that he had forgotten the words to one of the Wade Hemsworth songs he was performing to the old fella himself.
Did I mention this event was a CD launch for Wade - The recording was made by Penny Rose who went up to Wade's house with a DAT machine on three or four occasions. But the event was star-studded, in a Montreal folkie kinda way. Next on stage was Ronney Abramson and Bill Garrett, she singing a very old song of hers that I'm sure I remember from back then. She had such a distinctive sound. Ronney is one of the not-too-many (I hope) women whom I have let down in this life. I wonder if she remembers? It's nothing romantic, at all. Ronny was moving to Toronto, or at least driving to Toronto and a trio of us guys were going the same way in a nice reliable Mercedes owned by Gary Howsam. Ronny was driving an old Peter Falk Peugeot and was reassured to know that we would hang together on the 401… Except we didn't. We turned off at Ottawa so Gary could drop in on a girlfriend or something like that. Anyway, I can remember watching Ronney riding off into the sunset, without the benefit of these three musketeers. That's pretty low isn't it?
Next on stage was Anne Lederman - who was one of Wade's Toronto connections - she has an organization called Worlds of Music and puts on concerts and workshops. And she sure can play that fiddle. We shared an office at the blues society. She worked with a South African lady - Lizzie. I had only seen Lizzie one time since that office-sharing period. It was the green room at the Bamboo. I was hanging out with Loraine Klassen's back up band and Lizzie was there too. I noticed as she was introduced to Lorraine and they chatted a little. Next thing you know, Lorraine's is into the second set and invites Lizzie to come up on the stage and do a tune with her. They do this complicated call-and-answer (trad) song - dance steps and all, and they've never even met! I guess it was a well known "duet" among South-African musicians. She managed to get real animated, but would reel herself in when she came too close to stealing the show. Anyway they had great harmonies.
After that, the stage was filled by Kate & Anna McGarrigle & crew with Danny Greenspoon on guitar and Wade himself. He wasn't playing guitar and the first tune he attempted was a bit challenging. Then they did the "Black Fly" song and the entire room was resonating with singing-along folkies. I guess Wade could have died and gone to heaven. He was conducting the endings, and getting right into it.
This was my week for old-timers. Two previous nights I poked in to the Montreal Bistro to see Jim Galloway (my boss at the Jazz Festival) playing with 91 year-old Doc Cheatham. Well, Doc is something else. His last set was very little trumpet playing and lots of romantic ballads. "I'll just pick up my papers and go..." He was wonderful
Thursday, April 18, 1996
New owners at the Silver Dollar
The Dollar is back in circulation. That's the slogan on the poster. Yuri and Gary are having another go. All the previous connections are severed and Gary said it in a way that made you realize that this is the way to have a fresh start. Of course, when it's a new owner and a new bartender, then it's an even playing field and everybody is getting to know each other at the same time. Hangers on and friends-of-the-boss don't tend to make it through the transition. Luther Guitar Junior Johnson is playing and I must look like an idiot because I'm noting the pacing of his set - writing down the way he mixes ballads, shuffles and funk. He has a formula that I want to emulate in a show, mostly for it's machine-gun delivery. The applause has not died down before he's into the next song. He starts all the songs, and the band jus has to jump in as fast as they can. That's the way I'd like to do it.
One local writer that was very upset that I changed her story (doubly upset that I regarded it as a "trivial matter") but I'm still friendly and she came up to me all out-of-joint that she didn't get an invitation to the Jazz festival media launch.
Trying to get somebody to write a story about Morgan Davis for the Blues Newsletter. I'm directed to Michael Picket and although he doesn't have time, he mentions that he had previously written a story about Morgan. I was ready to use it when Al Lerman came through - then I find out that Morgan was livid about the story - particularly the part where he makes fun of Jeff Healy's blindness.
Met a guy who was in Sweet Blindness today. Ed White is playing with Al Lerman in Fathead.
One local writer that was very upset that I changed her story (doubly upset that I regarded it as a "trivial matter") but I'm still friendly and she came up to me all out-of-joint that she didn't get an invitation to the Jazz festival media launch.
Trying to get somebody to write a story about Morgan Davis for the Blues Newsletter. I'm directed to Michael Picket and although he doesn't have time, he mentions that he had previously written a story about Morgan. I was ready to use it when Al Lerman came through - then I find out that Morgan was livid about the story - particularly the part where he makes fun of Jeff Healy's blindness.
Met a guy who was in Sweet Blindness today. Ed White is playing with Al Lerman in Fathead.