Now wasn't that a party?!

KT & Jimmie Jean Benefit Show - 9/14/08 at the Salmon Bay Eagles Club

Our long time friends Jimie Jean and Kirk (KT) Tuttle were recently diagnosed respectively with pancreatic cancer and advanced liver disease. Like many American citizens, they are under-insured - KT is a veteran, so he can go to the VA, but Jimie doesn't have any insurance. I had been trying to get the OK from KT to throw a benefit for them, but he kept putting me off until Sheri Humphres interceded and we got the green light to proceed. Sheri is the organizational machine behind the successful annual Jam for Cans benefit hosted by her husband, saxophonist Raven Humphres.

The show went off without a hitch from 3:00 PM until 12:00 AM on September 14th at the Salmon Bay Eagles Club in Ballard. Nine bands (plus Uncle Ray Varner, Duffy Bishop, and Chris Carlson from Portland, OR) donated their time and talents to the show, and total collections (including cover charges, silent acution, food, and donations) amounted to about $8,000! I am sooo impressed with the love and generosity shown by everyone that participated in this event, including all you fans!!

Here's a special thanks shoutout to the following folks:

Sheri Humphres - The Woman Behind the Curtain
Don and the staff of the Salmon Bay Eagles Club
The Kitchen Crew - Spaghetti feed
Phil Chesnut - WBS print ad and event poster
Uncle Ray Varner - Master of Ceremonies
Conrad Ormsby - Backline drumset and floor monitor
Billy Reed - Backline keyboards
Tim Sherman and John Marshall - Backline guitar amps
Rob Moitoza - Backline bass amp and speakers
Little Bill & the Blue Notes
Sweet Talkin' Jones & the Muscletones
Nitelife
Chris Stevens' Surf Monkeys
Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies (with John Marshall)
The Crossroads Band
The John Stephan Band (with John Marshall)
All Stars & No Stripes (with Duffy Bishop, Chris Carlson, and LJ Porter)
Paul Green & Straight Shot
Duffy Bishop & Chris Carlson

The band all came to play, and the standing room only crowd was treated to smokin' hot performances all around, including a memorable set by Duffy Bishop and Chris Carlson with All Stars & No Stripes. The day was really like a family reunion, with many musicians and fans getting reaquainted with each other, sometimes after many years. I just wish David Brewer could have been there!

Here's some photos from the show for ya'll:

Nitelife. Yep, that's Leslie "Star Drums" Milton! - Photo by Phil Chesnut.

MC Uncle Ray Varner and John Marshall. Photo by Phil Chesnut.

Sweet Talkin' Jones & the Muscletones

Chris Stevens' Surf Monkeys - Photo by Phil Chesnut.

Uncle Ray Varner and Duffy Bishop.

The show poster, created by Phil Chesnut.

Paul Green & Straight Shot - Photo by Phil Chesnut

Super blues fans Dave and Pam Konsa.

Vocalist LJ Porter and guitarists Fat James and Mark Whitman - Photo by Phil Chesnut.

Little Bill & the Blue Notes

The Kitchen Crew

John Lee and Steve Bailey from the Crossroads Band. Photo by Phil Chesnut.

The John Stephan Band with John Marshall - Photo by Phil Chesnut.

John Marshall and Becki Sue.

A lotta talent digging Sweet Talkin' Jones & the Muscletones.

The one and only Duffy Bishop and Chris Carlson. Photo by Phil Chesnut.

Guitar slingers Chris Stevens and Rod Cook.

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies with John Marshall - Photo by Phil Chesnut.

David Brewer's "Ghost Dance"

Reviewed by Mark Dalton

David Brewer is an artist who defies convention. His new CD is an extension of his move to more solo performances in recent years (ease of touring reportedly being part of the advantage). But make no mistake here – there’s nothing “acoustic” about Brewer’s live performances, or about his approach on this CD! The absence of bass or drums here doesn’t mean the tunes rock any less - Brewer’s music is still centered around his big, fat, electric guitar sound and his driving sense of rhythm.

Brewer takes great pride in his Native American heritage (if you don’t know the history of the “Ghost Dance” in those desperate last days of the plains wars, I suggest you check it out – part of the story is included in the CD liner notes) and this music is firmly rooted in the land we continue to uneasily occupy together, transcending genres, all songs that Brewer has made totally his own. Music of North America – strong, plain, honest, straight ahead music, accurately reflecting the man who makes it.

The recording is well done here – Brewer plays all guitars, in layers, often with a flat-top guitar on the bottom, and electric rhythm laid over that, and those patented soaring lead guitar solos over the top. Vocals are right up front, with vocal harmony tracks coming in at times. Tambourine and various shakers and percussion are woven into the sound at times, but the driver for this music is always guitar; that from-the-elbow kind of rhythm–playing that Don Wilson of the Ventures modeled so well for musicians of our generation. This kind of one-man-plays-it-all project is tricky – I’ve heard CDs done this way that sound stiff and artificial – but Brewer’s CD has an integrated, organic feel to it that works throughout.

None of the songs on this CD were originally written by Brewer. The tunes range from a Chuck Berry classic, “You Can’t Catch Me” (the one about the “Airmobile”) to the old C&W favorite “Crazy Arms,” to more recent songs by Greg Allman and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. All of these tunes are well suited to Brewer’s eclectic style, and they all sound perfectly well-worn, like David’s been living these songs, and life they describe, for as long as any of us can remember. And you know what? That’s the truth, right there!

Originally from Nebraska, Mark Dalton moved to Seattle in the early '70s. He is an accomplished bassist and stalwart bluesman. He currently plays with Chris Stevens' Surf Monkeys. Photo by Ronda Lee.

A few words about basses…

By Mark Dalton

Mike asked me to write a piece about my basses, and specifically about ace instrument maker and former Seattleite Steve Davis and the “Tall Cool One” basses he makes. This seemed like a good idea for something to write about – it had never occurred to me, although people come up to me at gigs fairly often (usually other bass players) and ask about my basses (whichever one of the four I happen to be playing at the time), and I’m always happy to talk about them.

I owned only one bass for the first 20 years of my professional career, and I’ve still got it, but it is stowed away somewhere nice and safe and I take it out to a gig about once a year. It’s a 1959 Fender Precision Bass that I got in a swap deal with the original owner in 1965. It’s a sweet ax, with great tone and a nice neck. I’ve had the same set of strings on it for over 20 years too; big heavy flatwounds, of course, and they are completely dead – no twang left whatsoever. Just a good solid deep-throated thump. I remember reading an interview with Donald “Duck” Dunn (of Booker T, Otis Redding and Blues Brothers fame), and he was talking about how he broke the G string on his Precision (part of set he’d had on there for 17 years at the time, as I recall), and he just burst into tears at the thought of having to break in a new string, or worse, a new set of strings!

People started coming up to me at gigs after awhile and looking at this old bass with such lust in their eyes (old Precisions are rapidly increasing in value) that it got kind of scary – so I got another one – a Mexican Precision, really well made (I tried out a bunch of them), with a nice straight neck and thin frets that was really close to my 59, for about $300 bucks in around 1992. I set it up the same as my other one, low action, fat flats, and it sounded almost as good. And I didn’t have to worry so much losing my old one and the history we shared.

A couple years after that, I started getting interested in five string basses – both because they had an extra low string, and because I heard a few that had advanced electronics – big fat active pickups that captured thick overtones – I was listening to a funk band playing right before us – Guitar Slim at that time - at the Bite of Seattle, and the sound of this guys five-string was amazing – the sound was so fat that individual notes sounded almost like chords. So I found one I liked and played it exclusively for several years (once I figured out how to integrate that additional string). Five strings also have a slightly longer neck than regular electric basses – gives the strings a little tighter feel, and, for a guy with big hands, the longer scale felt just right. I still have it, and I still play it every now and then.

Here’s where Steve Davis came in. Steve used to live up around North Bend, and he used to come out and hear Guitar Slim a lot. He and Pat Chase, our guitar player, got to be friends, and he made some cabinets for Pat’s house in Snoqualmie that were really nice. Steve is a wood worker and furniture maker by trade and he does very fine work. So it came as no surprise to Pat when Steve talked about making a guitar some day. The surprise came when Steve actually did make Pat a guitar – a gorgeous instrument in Pat’s favored Stratocaster design, but a custom-shop instrument all the way, including “Guitar Slim” inlaid in mother-of-pearl on the fretboard.

So it was somewhere around 1999, we were playing the Pike Market Street Fair when Steve came over on a break, and said “Marcus, I’ve been thinking… how would you like me to try my hand at building you a bass?” Well, what do you say to that? “HELL YES!” is what you say. Especially after he explained the deal to me – I help him with the design, as this was the first bass he’d attempted, and I buy the pickups and hardware, and he kicks in the wood and labor. At this point, I’m looking up into the heavens with my head swimming - as middleweight champ Rocky Graziano used to say, “somebody up there likes me!”

So Steve came over to my house and swarmed over the basses I had, with rulers and micrometers… Whaddya like about this one? How about this one? What body style do you like? What scale do you like? (I opted for the long scale, which at the time was rare for a four-string bass.) What color do you want? (As it happens, I had a copy of a great coffee table book called “Blue Guitar” that had a custom guitar with exactly the blue finish I wanted. Steve contacted the guy that made the guitar in the book, and got that exact finish for the bass – this is the lengths that he will go to get things right!)

The Tall Cool One

Over the next couple of years I would get tantalizing glimpses of this work in progress via E-mailed photos (Steve, by this point, had moved to New Mexico, where he was making custom furniture for the likes of Robert Redford.) And then, one lovely spring day, the Blue Bass arrived. I picked it up, plugged it in, and it was like I’d been playing it for years immediately – because it had everything I liked built in from the beginning! Big, active Bartolini pickups (I’m sorry, but once you get used to these, going back to a Fender Precision is difficult, if not impossible in the long run), neck-through-the-body construction for amazing sustain and a solid feel, and a beautiful finish. It also had a nameplate on it that said “Tall Cool One” – a national hit song for the Wailers, Mike Lynch’s nickname for me since the early-80’s Bluestars days, and now the resonant name of the Davis bass design.

I love my Blue Bass, and more recently, Steve finished a sister instrument for me – “The Red Bass.” She is really a beauty – refined, sleek, cut away in all the right places, a pleasure to hold onto and play! The Red Bass has an EMG pickup (my choice again), and getting the sound just right on her is still a work in progress (I had heard great things about the EMG, but it is… different). The bottom line is that this beautiful bass plays just great.

Red bass - in the shop

Avert your eyes!!

I’ve had tremendous good fortune in the people I’ve met and became friends with throughout my musical adventures, and I’m here to tell you, the people around you, supporting you, educating you, giving you the gift of their friendship – this makes all the difference in the world of making music. Steve Davis is one fine instrument maker, and one hell of a good man!

Originally from Nebraska, Mark Dalton moved to Seattle in the early '70s. He is an accomplished bassist and stalwart bluesman. He currently plays with Chris Stevens' Surf Monkeys. Photo by Ronda Lee.

Tom and Becki Sue tie the knot.

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies guitarist Tom "T-Boy" Boyle and vocalist Rebekah "Becki Sue" Delk were married on August 30th. The marriage, officiated by the Rev. Dave Brown, took place at Tom's parents' very nice home on the shore of Lake Steilacoom in Lakewood, Washington.

Tom and Becki

Lake Steilacoom

After the ceremony, the guests had some lunch (great chicken wings, by the way) and then the band played some tunes before Tom and Becki Sue cut the wedding cake. I had to split about that time, but I hear that the band played some more that afternoon. Congratulations Tom and Becki!

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies - Left to right: Tom Boyle, Jim King, Becki Sue, Jeff Hayes, and Les White.

Charles White at the New Orleans

I dropped in at the New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Pioneer Square last night and caught the Charles White Band in the act of entertaining the folks there. Man, I haven't seen this band in ages! The band consisted of Charles on vocals, long time members Bill Blackstone (tenor sax) and Scotty Lind (guitar), Steve Raible on bass, and the excellent drummer Russ Kamerer.

As usual, the band played an assortment of blues and R & B, including a James Brown medley. Charles, resplendent in a pinstripe zoot suit outfit was doing his usual great Mr. Entertainer job, wandering through the crowd and demonstrating some pretty good dance moves too. Charles is a Houston, Texas native and has been active on the blues scene for quite a long time. I think that we need to interview this guy...

Left to right - Bill Blackstone, Charles White, and Scotty Lind.

Charles White

Jerry Wexler is dead

Jerry Wexler - 1/1917 to 8/2008

RIP

The legendary record producer Jerry Wexler died on August 15th, 2008 at his home in Sarasota, Florida. See the NY Times obituary here.

Isaac Hayes is dead

Isaac Hayes - 8/42 to 8/08

RIP

The great soul singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Isaac Hayes died on August 10th in Memphis, TN. Click here for the NY Times obituary.

Jimie Jean & Kirk Tuttle Benefit - Update #1

Here's the band lineup for the Jimie Jean and Kirk Tuttle benefit scheduled for September 14th at the Salmon Bay Eagles Club in Seattle (I will fill you in on the actual appearance schedule in a later post):

• All Stars & No Stripes
• Mike Lynch & Nitelife
• Little Bill & the Bluenotes
• Sweet Talkin' Jones & the Muscletones
• The Crossroads Band
• The John Stephan Band
• Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies
• Paul Green & Straight Shot
• Chris Stevens' Surf Monkeys

Can't attend the benefit? No problem! You can send checks to:

The Jimie Jean & Kirk Tuttle Benefit Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
2358 California Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98116
Attn: Laine Rivera

It's gonna be a goon 'un - please come out and support this worthy cause!

The Miltonian Institute turns 70

On July 19th I drove up to the Alligator Soul Restaurant to participate in the 70th birthday party for the Miltonian Institute. No, it's not a financial instution, it's the name I came up with years ago to describe the musical entertainment dynamo that is better known by the name of Leslie "Star Drums" Milton." A native of New Orleans, Leslie has been active on the Seattle blues scene since the late '70s, when he played with the band BlueLights (which also included the now well-known keyboardist Chuck "Barrelhouse Chuck" Goering and Seattle guitarist Daddy Treetops).

The Alligator Soul recently moved to a new, larger facility on Everett's Broadway street. Leslie, resplendent in a canary yellow jacket and matching shoes, and his musical partner keyboardist Gael "Lady Keys" Kurath were set up on a nice large stage, and during the evening were joined by several guests, including another drummer, a bassist, guitarist, plus Seattle blues harpists Kim Field and yours truly. Leslie and Lady keys have been playing at the Alligator Soul every Saturday now for 10 years - the last time I saw them was at the old location years ago when my band was playing up the street at the now defunct Horseshoe Restaurant.

Leslie "Star Drums" Milton and Gael "Lady Keys" Kurath

Leslie Milton

Kim Field and Leslie Milton

Leslie has played with just about everybody over the years, including Johnny Otis, Lee Dorsey, Sonny & Cher, and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, and Seattle's Slamhound Hunters and the Isaac Scott Band, to name just a few. He and Lady Keys and friends put on a great show for a full house of well-wishers. Man, I hope that I've got half of Leslie's energy when I turn 70!

Happy birthday, Pops!

Early Warning - September 14th Benefit

NW Blues fans - Please put September 14, 2008 on your calendars. Our long time friends, blues drummer Kirk "KT" Tuttle and his wife, Jimie Jean, the long time blues music coordinator (18+ years of Thursdays) at Seattle's Salmon Bay Eagles Club, are both battling severe health issues and need the help of our music community!

We are planning a benefit for KT and Jimie 0n September 14th, from 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM at the Eagles Club. We will have nine bands playing that day, about a gazillion jammers, plus food and a silent auction. Check back here for more details, including the band lineup, which should be finalized in a few days.

Here's some details about the gig:

Date; 9/14/08
The Salmon Bay Eagles Club
5216 20th Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206-783-7791
Showtime: 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM

Can't make the benefit? No problem - You can still send money to support this worthy cause.

Send checks to:

The Jimie Jean & Kirk Tuttle Benefit Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
2358 California Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98116
Attn: Laine Rivera

Thanks in advance for your support!

Mike Lynch