Monday, December 14, 2009

My most memorable blues shows

I was thinking the other day about the blues shows I have seen that have made the biggest impression on me over the years. Here is a (very) short list for you of those shows - feel free to add your favorites in the comments section, please.

1. Jimmy Rogers at the Fresh Air Tavern in Seattle

I had purchased a copy of Jimmy Rogers' Chess album Chicago Bound shortly after I separated from the Army in 1971, and that record blew my mind then just like it still does now. When I heard that Rogers was playing at the (long gone) Fresh Air Tavern located on Seattle's Capitol Hill, I had to be there.

Jimmy was playing with the Bob Riedy Band at this gig. At the time, pianist Riedy was very involved with booking and playing with many of the legendary Chicago blues artists, and this particular band was smokin' hot, playing all of Jimmy Rogers' tunes with great feeling. There were about 30 people in the club for this show, most of them playing pool. I wish that I could remember who all of the band members were, besides Riedy and drummer "Hubcap" Anderson, but I'm here to tell you that the band was nailing Rogers' stuff perfectly. This is the show that made me decide to try to learn to play the blues harp (for better or worse), and I still wonder today who the excellent white harp player was on that show.

By the way, the fine Seattle blues guitarist Eric Madis was playing in Chicago around the same time as Bob Riedy, and recalls playing with the late great Big Walter Horton during this area. Go ahead, ask him about it some time!

2. BB King at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle

Another early '70s show, the opening acts were a Seattle funk band and Lightning Hopkins (believe it or not!). I recall that that the funk band's bass player and drummer were recruited to play with Hopkins, and he spent a good portion of his set bitching on the mic at them about their musicianship. A miserable set for that rhythm section, for sure.

Hopkins' set was a drag, but BB King's show was a killer! Besides the great musicianship and professionalism on both BB's and the band's parts, I was particularly impressed at BB's extrordinary storytelling skills which he used to keep all of us fully involved in his show.





3. Robert Cray Band at Hibble & Hydes in Seattle

I believe that it was sometime the early '80s when my pal John Lee and I went to the Hibble & Hyde's nightclub in Seattle's Pioneer Square to see the Robert Cray Band. I have never seen a better Northwest band. The band included Cray on guitar and vocals, Curtis Salgado on harp and vocals, DK Stewart on piano and vocals, Richard Cousins on bass, and a drummer who's name escapes me now. That's a lineup that you won't see again soon, cuz!

This was a damn awesome band, and I'm glad that I had the chance to see them play. Fantastic musicianship, fantastic vocals, and a great soundman that had the PA system tuned up perfectly. It was obvious to me that something good was going to happen to these guys, and of course Robert Cray moved on to well deserved national recognition.

Those were the days, my friend!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe Tom Murphy was the first drummer

Mike Lynch said...

Correct, but I don't believe that Tom was playing this particular show. Isn't that Tom playing on Cray's "Who's Been Talking" album?

Ricky Bush said...

Yeah, backing Lightnin' was no job for the squeamish. I recall listening to an audio interview with Dusty Hill (ZZ Top's bassman)and he told of the time he backed Lightnin' Hopkins at a Houston gig way back in the day. He and the drummer mentioned to Lightnin' that he missed a few changes on the first couple of songs and Lightnin' said, "Lightnin' change when Lightnin' wanna change." Would have loved to have caught a Jimmy Rogers gig, Mike.

Anonymous said...

well,
How about Dave Olson then? I think he was the drummer in the early 80's.

Anonymous said...

I remember Curtis Salgado and "In Yo' Face" at the Jolly Roger one time when Robert Cray and Richard Cousins came in with some guy wearing knee high fringe boots and a flat brimmed hat. I thought to myself, "this guy thinks he's SRV. Then I got to thinking, Stevie was opening for Men At Work. It was him and the Roger was just about empty. Coolest show I've ever seen. Murphy was there too.

Mike Lynch said...

Yep, I'm sure that Cray's drummer that night was Dave Olson. Was he from the Portland/Eugene area?

Mike Lynch said...

I saw Jimmy Rogers three times in Seattle - at the Fresh Air Tavern, the Jolly Roger Roadhouse, and at the New Orleans Creole Restaurant.

The Jolly Roger show was interesting, in that it featured, Jimmy, Hip Linkchain (sp?), and Wild Child Butler. Wild Child was a great singer, but a very rudimentary harp player.

Mike Lynch said...

I was there (bartending, I think) when SRV showed up at the Jolly Roger also. You're right, there was hardly a soul there.

Rick Davis said...

Muddy Waters (Jerry Portnoy on harp) at Dooley's in Tempe, AZ, 1979

Anonymous said...

That tour with Muddy and Portnoy in 79 stopped in Seattle. It was at the "Showbox Theater". That was the last time I saw Muddy.

Mike Lynch said...

Hmm, I wonder if the Seattle band BlueLights opened that show in '79 at the Showbox? The timing would be about right. The well known Chicago pianist "Barrelhouse Chuck" Goering was in that band.

Anonymous said...

Mike,
was that you're band?

Mike Lynch said...

Nope, BlueLights was fronted by a very good harp player by the name of John Tanner. I believe that he lives somewhere in the Tempe, AZ area. now

Mike Lynch said...

Another great show I saw was Paul Butterfield and Better Days at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. Another really, really great band and superb sound - someone had the old Altec Voice of the Theatre PA system totally dialed in that night!

davidbrewerblues said...

Mike,
I remember that show at the J.R.roadhouse with Hip-
linkchain and Wild child Butler..They arrived in an old
school bus and as I remember it they had the drums
tied down out in the open in the dead of winter on top
of that bus.How ever it was a good Chicago blues show...
and oblige..Brewer...