Gasoline Blues

I don't know about you folks, but I'm really feeling the pinch from these rising gas prices. I'm back working full-time, which is great news, but the office is in Auburn, which is a 60 mile round trip from my home in West Seattle, five days a week.

That's 300 miles a week, or a tank of gas. So, at the current prices it is costing me about $240 a month just to drive back and forth to the office. There are no bus or rail lines that come close to the office, so drive I must. Fortunately, there are grocery stores, pharmacies, and even a budget theatre within walking distance of my house. Even the kids' school is only four blocks away, so my car stays parked whenever possible.

This has really affected my willingness to go out and see bands play. I really think about it before driving across town (or farther) to see even my favorite bands play. I can just imagine how gas prices are affecting the cash flow for both bands and nightclubs. Bands' wages haven't changed much since the '70s, but the price of gas has tripled, so the math is pretty simple. And, I can't be the only person that is thinking twice before spending money on a night out at a club, so I'll bet that attendance at shows has to be falling off too. I wonder if we will be seeing more clubs closing because of this?

What do you think? How have rising gas prices, just one aspect of our sagging economy, been a affecting your life?

Dennis Ellis - chopped liver?

Ok, this issue has been brought up in passing here before, but I want to contribute my two cents before moving on to other subjects, like the forthcoming Isaac Scott blog.

The annual Washington Blues Society (WBS) BB Awards will be happening this weekend at the Triple Door in Seattle. Once again, Seattle tenor saxophonist Dennis Ellis has not been nominated for a BB Award. In fact, Dennis has never been nominated for a BB Award, in spite of being very active on the local blues music scene since 1988, first with the Guitar Slim (Pat Chase) Band for several years, and then with the various versions of the Crossroads Band, with whom he continues to play today.

I have been thinking about this because I have seen the Crossroads Band several times lately, and have really been impressed with Dennis' contributions to the group. He's a fine tenor (and flute) player, I dig his singing on the jump blues material that the band does, and he's got a great sense of humor. Plus, he's a sharp dresser, and goes to the trouble to utilize his wireless setup to wander into the crowd to entertain the fans.

Dennis at the Highway 99 Blues Club - April 2007

Entertaining the fans at the Highway 99 Blues Club

So what's not to like? Even Adam Gussow said recently that "...that sax player would make a great addition to any band..." during a visit to the Highway 99 Blues Club. I agree! I guess I'm going to have to rejoin the WBS and do my best to get Dennis nominated for the BB Award that I think he very much deserves in 2008.

Note to the WBS - it would be useful to characters like me to be able to look on the WBS web page and see the nominees and winners of the BB Awards over the years. Can someone make it so?

Best blues jam?

It looks like the Blue Monday jam that I used to host with the Midnight Movers at the Highway 99 Blues Club has been nominated for a BB Award by the Washington Blues Society (WBS). While I am honored by this nomination, I would like to encourage the members of the WBS to NOT vote for this gig. Here's why:

• I haven't participated in this event at the Highway 99 since last December. The Blue Monday gig continues at the club, but is being hosted by a different band.
  
  
• While the club was kind enough to let us host Blue Monday for two years, the truth is that the gig was never very well attended, with the exception of a small core of players and fans (see the photo below).

Look Ma, no fans!

I'd like to suggest that the jam most worthy of blues fans' votes this year is the Johnny Broomdust's Blues of the Past Jam at the Conor Byrne (in Ballard). Hosted by the terrific Broomdust Blues Band, this gig has been running even longer than Blue Monday, and a lot of great players and blues-loving fans actually show up at the gig. The Broomdust Blues Band is also nominated for best traditional act this year, an award they truly deserve.

So do the right thing - don't vote for "my" event this year!

A sign that the End is near?!

Memo to my fellow Seattle Blues Nazis.

While I was perusing the October 2006 edition of the Washington Blues Society's Bluesletter today, I read Roy Brown's monthly "Sound Off" column. In this column, Roy reprints a letter from Seattle singer Mary McPage, who fronts the Mary McPage Band.

In her letter, Ms. McPage, discribes the 1998 Seattle Blues Nazis as a "...negative, hateful, splinter group..." of the WBS. Then she describes the current Blues Nazis organization as "Blues Police" who are arrogant, "ignorant idiots." Apparently, she picked up the Blues Police moniker from a recent Blues-To-Don'ts blog article.

Oh boy - OK, first of all, I want to reassure all of you that we have not changed the name of the organization from the Blues Nazis to the Blues Police. As we have all endlessly discussed, Blues Nazis is the perfect name, since it seems to irritate the most number of people possible. Also, the logo artwork for my sometime band, Kid Porno & the Blues Nazis, is bought and paid for, so it's too late to change the name of the band.

Now here's the thing that really concerns me - remember our last meeting (sheesh, a couple of years ago now) when we all decided to keep a low profile? We all agreed that there wasn't any money in trying to advance the cause with people that still think that "Messin' With The Kid" was written by Jake and Elwood Blues, or that "Somebody Loan Me A Dime" was written by Boz Skaggs (or the Allman Brothers). So, what the hell - which one of you guys pushed Ms. McPage's button? Frankly, I'm confused - there hasn't been much in the way of dissenting opinion in the Bluesletter for years, and I doubt that Mary's band gets heckled by any of our minions, so why the whining on her part?

You know what? I think she's mad at Brother Chesnut. Now, I know (I know!) that sometimes our Art Director, Phil Chesnut, can't help from speaking his mind. Heck, Ms. McPage says in her letter that "...Just because one can write about the blues, take a picture of blues musicians or perhaps draw nice litle pictures, does not make a blues expert..." Goodness! Take one for the team, Phil!

Anyway, let's hope this latest incident will blow over and we can continue our Blues work behind the scenes. Keep up the good work, fellow Blues brothers and sisters! Check your decoder rings for our next meeting date.

The Man Behind the Curtain speaks!

By Steve Sarkowsky

When blues musicians get together in the Jet City, there is occasionally much bitching about the current state of the club scene. The voice always missing from this discussion is the club owner's. Well, no more! Steve Sarkowsky (below), the Man Behind the Curtain at Seattle's Highway 99 Blues Club, gives us his perspective on this issue here.

I am the founder, investor and house drummer of the Highway 99 Blues Club. I do all he booking, marketing, ads and such for the club. I have been a working musician (yes, drummers are that!) for many years, and have played/recorded with a long list of bands and continue to enjoy music as much as ever. I am currently playing with the Highway 99 All-Stars and also with Portland's Robbie Laws in his Bigger Blues Band. My reason for writing this article is to shine some light on the nightclub business by speaking from the club/booking perspective. Maybe this will provide some insight, inspiration, or just some direction for artists and bands that continue to complain about (not) getting work. Here then are my thoughts...

Have you been to the club you are trying to get a gig in? Do you know that they book the type of music that you play? Have you gone into the club and met the staff, supported other acts, introduced yourself, had some food, and dropped off your promo package? Are you being realistic about your chances of being booked into the venue? Do your homework; spend some time and figure out what the club does and why you should be a part of it.

You have a CD now - big deal...everyone does! Make sure that it is a good product; if you have to defend it, don't bother. Bad CD's = no gig. Want to send a copy? Great, label it and make sure that Mott the Hoople’s greatest hits have been erased! Most importantly, is this actually you and your band? If what you send is not what you are going to bring, that is no good. Clubs want truth in advertising.

Does your family come to your gigs? Do you know and willingly embrace the art of promoting your band? Let's face it, when the club is empty it is always the band's fault, but when the club is full, it is because of the club. Truth be told, it is a little of both. If you don't promote your gig at the club you won't be back. Be progressive; take advantage of technology and develop your audience. It's shocking, but clubs don't really like having no one show up for your gigs.

The Clever Factor – Or, why is that band working and we're not? Do ya have it? Good promo, nice merchandise, strong CD's, cool giveaways (SWAG), and a show....that's right kids, you gotta entertain the troops. How do you and the band look? Is the set list the same since '84? Do you just call some players up that day and get together and jam? Who is actually in the band? Will they be on the gig? Do they know your material, or is it gonna be shuffles in G all night?

Show you the money? Show me the money! Stop bitchin' about the money today being the same as 15 years ago. You’re right and you're wrong. It is the same because you have not raised the bar on what you do. Good bands get good money. If you have fans come to your shows then you and the venue can prosper. You want the same money as a 25 year veteran of the Chicago blues scene who is on a label and tours every spring and summer? Guess again. You want the kind of money that a band that is rehearsed, consistent, entertaining, does those things previously mentioned here and works at getting better as a band? No problem. Work at your craft, love the music, cherish the time you get to perform and the people that play with you. Appreciate the gift of your musical talent, challenge yourself to be creative and to strive to improve. It will make a difference.

Some final thoughts: Remember, if there were not places that presented live music, you would have nowhere to play. Clubs are at best a risky, expensive, potentially life altering experience. They require your support as a musician and as a patron. It means a lot to a club when the musicians hang out there on their off nights. We are in the entertainment business. Each time a person visits our club, we have to try to make sure that they have a memorable experience - the service, the food, the drinks, the staff, the atmosphere, and of course the music. We are doing our part, don't let us down. Bring your best or stay at home. Music is its own universe. It needs to be fed, supported, and thrilled every day. Will you…just do it?

Holy smoke, Batman!

I wandered into a local joint the other day to see what band was playing on the weekend, and to have a quick pop. This is a bar and restaurant in my neighborhood that caters to a very broad clientele, including slumming 20-something yuppie types, middle aged bikers, oldster retirees, and just plain alcoholics from every age group. There’s a pull-tab counter in the back, the drinks are strong, and the cigarette smoke lingers like a gray fog at the ceiling, permeating everything and everybody in the joint…

But wait a minute; there was something different at Ye Olde Smokey Dive that day. Then it struck me – no one was smoking! For my first time in the place, I could actually smell women’s’ perfume as I walked by the tables. Usually when I visit, I try to stand by a door or a fan to minimize how bad I reek when I get to my next destination. But this day, even though the club was pretty full of regulars as usual, it didn’t smell like a giant ashtray. What a concept!

This is a result of the recent State-wide ban on smoking in public places, and I think that the new law is a terrific idea. Hopefully, this will encourage music fans that have been staying out of clubs because of the smoke to give it a try again. Will the new law negatively impact the size of the bars’ existing customer base? I dunno, but this place seemed to be jamming right along with a room full of regulars on a week night, just like usual.

You’ve got to feel for the smokers you see huddled outside the bar in the pouring rain getting their fix, though. I believe that the new law requires that smokers have to puff away a minimum of 25 feet from any building entrance. Can you imagine the cops bothering to enforce that requirement? Not gonna happen, baby!!

Blue Monday do's...and don'ts.

Blue Monday Jammers - Hwy 99 Blues Club

Harmonica Playboy & the Midnight Movers have been hosting the Blue Monday jam session at the Highway 99 Blues Club in Seattle for ten months now. We've sort of modeled the gig after the Blue Monday jams that occurred for years at the late, great Owl Cafe (now the Conor Byrne Pub) in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. That is, the house band plays the first set and jammers play the next two or three sets. If there's time, the house band plays another short set at the end of the night.

I never use a sign-up sheet at Blue Monday, because I prefer to have the freedom to arrange sets of jammers that I think will probably be compatible. Sometimes this arrangement works, and the crowd gets treated to some excellent music. Sometimes it doesn't work, and the result can be an agonizing sonic train wreck.

There are three things that I like about Blue Monday: (1) we get to play with other pros from around town that we don't see very often otherwise, (2) we get to meet the occasional blues or rock celebrity - for instance, pianist Pinetop Perkins sat in with the band a few months ago, and (3) it's a great place for upcoming talent to play and network with other musicians that might be looking to put a band together.

Anyway, here are some tips for jammers new to the Blue Monday concept:

1. Do bring your own axe - It is unlikely that anyone in the house band is going to lend you their guitar, bass, or drum sticks, not even if you just flew in from Toronto and stumbled into the gig by accident. And don't even ask about my harps, thank you very much.

2. Do keep it simple - It is unwise to get on the stand with a stage full of people you don’t know and expect them to play Percy Mayfield’s “River’s Invitation” flawlessly. It’s also a good idea to give the band some clues about how you want to start and stop the song, and who will take the next solo. I have noticed that, for some reason, musicians’ telepathic powers seem to be diminished during Blue Monday. See the “train wreck” comment above.

3. Don’t wear your leather pants – Take a look around. Almost all of the Blue Monday Jammer Guitar Army are guys. Save it for the weekend, pal.

4. Don’t bring your Marshall half-stack – It will be too loud. Thank you.

5. Do hang out – Get to the club early and socialize with your fellow jammers. You might make some new friends and learn some new chops while listening to the others play.

6. Do have some basic blues chops – There’s nothing worse than trying to play with a drummer that can’t keep time, a guitarist that can’t play in tune, or a harp player that can’t play single notes. I have noticed that some players are totally clueless when their amateurish playing is eliciting giggles from the audience. Don’t let this happen to you!

7. Don’t get wigged out because you didn’t get to play with the house band – Hey, sometimes I only get to play one set with my band at Blue Monday. I can’t guarantee what the set lineups will be before the gig. Sorry!

8. Do bring your whole band to Blue Monday – Your Blues band, that is. I’ll always try my best to get bands up that have made the trek to downtown Seattle. A word to the wise, though – the guy that books the bands at the Highway 99 is not there on Mondays, so don’t consider your set an audition for a gig.

9. Do be patient – Sometime so many guitarists show up that I’ve got to get three guitar players on the stage per set. Your time will come, Grasshopper! Please – don’t show up at 10:15 then start whining to me at 10:30 about when you’ll get to play. This annoys me mightily.

10. Do be nice to the club staff – The staff at the Highway 99 are great and do everything they can to ensure that the clientele has a good time. Don’t pester the staff for free food or drinks because you’re going to play that night. Show some class.

OK, ‘nuff said. Now grab your axe and come on down to Blue Monday and show us what you got!

The Highway 99 Blues club is located at 1414 Alaskan Way in Seattle, across the street from the Seattle Aquarium. The Blue Monday gig starts at 8:30 PM most every Monday.

Who you callin' a Bluesman?!

This rant was written by the late great Northwest blues guitarist Tom McFarland (left, at the Owl Cafe in Seattle, around 1989) for my old Caldonia web site in the late '90s.

In the sixties, amongst the hair and flowers, there was Blues in the Bay Area. There was a club in Berkeley called Mandrakes that I used to play. One night Big Moose Walker came and sat in for four hours with my band. John Lee Hooker played that club, as did Muddy Waters. In 1964 I saw the first West Coast appearance of The Paul Butterfield Band at the Fillmore Auditorium.

There was a small club on Haight Street in San Francisco called the Juke Box. LC "Good Rockin" Robinson appeared there frequently. One night T-Bone Walker played there. In addition to bass, drums and second guitar, Bert Wilson, the tenor sax player who now lives in Olympia, WA, was playing with T-Bone. I must say, on that night I heard more T-Bone Walker licks than I ever heard in my life. He was playing his Barney Kessel guitar, his ES-5 having been stolen in Europe.

In addition to all his hits like Stormy Monday and T-Bone Shuffle, he played the old standards Perdido and Willow Weep For Me. T-Bone had the ability, like Kenny Burrell, to give Blues a Jazz flavor and make old standards sound like Blues. Unlike the so-called blues-rock of today, the musicians actually knew how to play their instruments and had respect for the music. Needless to say, seeing and hearing T-Bone was a once in a lifetime experience.

If it's needless to say, why am I saying it? Because I want people to think about where this music came from. T-Bone was the true father of electric blues guitar. Read what B.B. King has to say about him in his autobiography. Buy T-Bone's music, which has been reissued on CD. Read his biography, "Stormy Monday" by Helen Dance. Learn how to play the guitar solo from Honky Tonk. Study Wayne Bennett's playing on Bobby Bland's version of Stormy Monday.

Get rid of those Strats and get a real guitar. That's spelled G-I-B-S-O-N. Oh, Buddy Guy plays a Strat? Well, let me tell you something my friend: Buddy Guy is a Bluesman-you're not! I'm not either. The most we can hope to be is aspiring blues musicians. To be a BLUESMAN or BLUESWOMAN there are certain qualifications. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: am I descended from African slaves? Get the video "Chicago Blues" put out by Time/Life. The one that has Dick Gregory in it.

Now don't come around asking to sit in when you don't even know the basics. And last but not least, don't bother arguing about what I'm saying - I been there and gone.