Blues Historian Review: Dave Spector, Live In Chicago

Delmark records has yet another great DVD in what is a series of live club shows of blues artists in Chicago. The latest is Dave Specter: Live In Chicago. Since I have been having one of those crazy summers, I haven't had the time to watch this, but in the last week I got the opportunity to watch it twice, and I was glad I did. Dave Specter is a great guitarist who's band backs up three different artists at Buddy Guy's Legends, and the legendary Rosa's Blues Lounge. The Dvd starts out with Dave and the band doing the instrumental Boss Funk/ Riverside Ride. The band is tight and Specter has the tone of a master. Then What Love Did To Me, How I Got To Memphis, and What's Your Angle feature the vocals and harmonica playing of Tad Robinson. I like Robinson's vocals and his harp playing fit the band like a glove. The band then plays the instrumental Texas Top, before the legendary Jimmy Johnson closes out the set at Buddy Guy's legend with Out On The Road, Feel So Bad, and You Don't Love Me. Johnson still has the magic, and the band really makes him look great. The show then moves to Rosa's and starts with Specter and the band playing The Hollywood Park Shuffle, and Is What It Is. The Sharon Lewis comes on and smokes on her set of In Too Deep, Every Goodbye Ain't Gone, and Angel.

I really enjoyed this DVD, Specter has a tight band and I like how he makes he guests sound great. Backing up different artists is one of the great pleasures of being a bluesman. In fact, I believe that is what really set apart blues performers from other artists. In all my years of playing I have seen younger players backing up older performers, and making them look good, and if an elder blues player walks in the door, he is always welcome to come on stage. There is this respect and love of older players that is unlike any other type of music. In other forms of music the players are so concerned about their own careers, and fans, that they have no time for the elders of their music. Dave understands the blues and what is going on when he plays with other players, and in my book this disc is a treasure.

To buy the DVD Click HERE.

For the CD of the same show Click HERE.

Stevie Ray Vaughn: Little Wing

Stevie Ray doing a classic Jimi Hendrix song.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - little wing (live at rockaplast 1985)
Uploaded by -bouddha-

Kansas Joe, And Memphis Minnie: When The Levee Breaks

considering what is coming from the west tonight, we might need to batten down the hatches in Iowa again! Lets hope it disapates before it gets here! YIKES! no more rain.

Doc Watson: Deep River Blues

Some nice finger picking style blues by Doc Watson

Doc Watson - Deep River Blues
Uploaded by Pitoucat

Bob Corritore Blues News

Blues news from Bob Corritore

June 26, 2008

• Mississippi Valley Blues Festival Change of Venue Announced! We have just heard that the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival will be changing locations due to the flooding of the original location. This just in from Karen McFarland: "The flooded LeClaire Park is still not dried out, so just tonight the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival board had to choose an alternate site. The Fest will be held in downtown Davenport, just two blocks away from the park. Artists scheduled for the Tent stage will now perform in the beautiful, air-conditioned Adler Theatre." The 3-day festival takes place on July 3-5, 2008, and includes a stellar lineup of national blues acts (Click here for the lineup and schedule). Big Pete Pearson and the Rhythm Room All-Stars (Bob Corritore, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Brian Fahey, and of course, Big Pete Pearson) are proud to be part of this great event.
• Rod Piazza at Rhythm Room Tomorrow: Legendary West Coast harmonica player Rod Piazza and his magnificent band, The Mighty Flyers, will appear on Friday, June 27, 2008 at the Rhythm Room. The Rhythm Room is located at 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Doors open at 8pm, cover charge is $15. Rack Shack Barbeque will be available at this event. This night will be a patio smoking only event; no indoor smoking will be permitted.
• Big Walter Horton in the News! Big Walter Horton was one of the greatest blues harmonica players who ever lived. His tone and phrasing have been essential and definitive elements in the development of the blues harmonica as we know it. He passed away in 1981 in Chicago, but his legacy lives on, and is still celebrated some 27 years after his passing. On June 20, 2008, Big Walter Horton was honored with a historic Mississippi Blues Trail Marker in his hometown of Horn Lake, Mississippi. France's Blues Magazine has a feature article on Big Walter Horton by Rene Perrier appearing in the July-August-September 2008 issue out now. Also, a forthcoming issue of Belgium's Back To The Roots Magazine will feature a Big Walter article in the next issue written by Franky Bruneel with a side bar featuring recollections by Bob Corritore (thank you). In addition, just released is a new Big Walter Horton CD of previously unissued live recordings from 1976, backed by an early version of Sugar Ray and The Bluetones featuring Ronnie Earl and special guest John Nicholas. The CD is called Bocce Boogie, and it is on the Topcat Record label. Thanks to all who allow the tradition of this great man's work to live on!
• Bisbee Blues Festival Lineup Announced: The beautiful historic mining town of Bisbee, just southeast of Tucson on the Mexican border, hosts a fun blues festival each year. Along with Big Pete Pearson and the Rhythm Room All-Stars, Doyle Bramhall, Blue Mystics, 56 Deluxe, Hans Olson, Train Wreck, and other great acts will perform at this annual festival. Click here for the full lineup and schedule.
• Blueswax Article Posted on BobCorritore.com: Check out the articles section of BobCorritore.com for its Blues Bytes article of May 29, 2008 from Blueswax featuring Bob Corritore as interviewed by Bob Putignano, president of the New York Blues and Jazz Society. To view this article, click here.

• Great video of Jimmy Lee Robinson! Check out this wonderful performance by the late Jimmy Lee Robinson from 1965. Jimmy is introduced by Eddie Boyd, and the drummer (who is not shown) is Fred Below. What a wonderful reminder of Jimmy Lee's spellbinding approach to a song; and his eerie, high-pitched voice is at its maximum effectiveness here. This is from a filming of the American Folk Blues Festival tour in Germany; click here to see the video.

Blue Band Update

The latests from Bob Dorr

lots of good news this week, let's get right to it.

Jay Stoddard and the Sturgis Falls Committee, with the help of the City of Cedar Falls, (they don't call it Sparkle City for nuthin'!) and The Hub (our Friday Afternoon Club home) have combined to give many of the canceled bands in Tourist Park for Sturgis Falls Days a place to play during this year's festivities. We will play our regular Sunday evening slot (6/29), starting at 6:00pm, right after Kevin Burt & The Instigators. A modest cover charge ($5) will go to help pay the bands and defer expenses. Hope to see you there, the reunion atmosphere of "Sturgis" always makes for a great time. (don't believe any of those stories you hear about me and the basement of Stebs-those are all fabrications)...

But that's AFTER our Saturday afternoon show (6/28) at the Legendary KGGO-FM Summer Jam. We're on the bill with Blackfoot, Nazareth, and the latest incarnation of Bad Company. The event has been moved out to the Blank Park Zoo area in south Des Moines because Waterworks Park has been given the works by flood waters. We play 1:15-2:15p, so GET THERE EARLY!! More info/tix: www.kggo.com...

Tonight (Thursday) is a private, invitation only kind of thing, which actually starts a string of 7 dates in 10 days for The Blue Band. Wow, it's just like we're a real band again! And surprise-surprise, Nathan Peoples is going to join us for most of those seven dates! He and Theresa are coming back to Ioway for a couple weeks of visiting and Nate's consented to leading the horn section for the time he's back...

But wait, there's MORE good news! We've found replacement work for the canceled 4th of July festivities in Windsor Heights! Many of you probably remember the voice of Colleen Devine on radio in north east and north central Iowa. She now helps manage/book a place in Clear Lake called Paradise Parties Events Center, located at 1025 N. 8th St., Clear Lake. (www.paradisepartieseventscenter.com) Somehow, she has managed to put together Budweiser, Ace Insurance, and Skott and Anderson Architects of Mason City to sponsor The Blue Band for an early evening show (5-8pm) (right before the fireworks over the Lake) at The Events Center! Colleen is truly divine!...

So that means the schedule is: 6/26 Privarte party 6/28 KGGO Summer Jam 6/29 Sturgis At The Hub 7/2 Porky's Patio Parkinglot Party 7/3 Grinnell Thursday in the Park 7/4 Paradise Parties Event Center, Clear Lake 7/5 Private Party.

Add this schedule to my regular radio shows AND hosting the morning talk show (The Exchange) one day a week (YIKES-that starts next Tuesday!) (at 10am-DOUBLE YIKES!!) and all of a sudden I'm a busy guy...

Speaking of which, I gotta go read the book by the author I'm sposed to be interviewing next Tuesday (TRIPLE YIKES!!!-most of you know the some total of my reading is done 5 minutes a day in the bathroom and that's usually to find out if The Cubs are still in first place or how the Packers are going to manage without Brett Favre!)...

Hopefully there will be a couple of minutes to write another Blue Note next week. If not, you know where we'll be, so get out and get into it! See yas on the 10mpg Blue Highway, (remember, every $4 at the tip jar gets us another 10 miles down the road!) Keep playin' yer zydeco tie (rub at The Hub) I hope none of yer firecrackers are duds, Red, White and Blue CAKE would be appropriate for the coming week, (you didn't think I'd forget about CAKE, did you?) and always remember, we love you...Bob Dorr & The Blue Band

Mississippi Valley Blue Festival Moved To Downtown Davenport

Due to the flooding in Iowa, and trust me it is wet all over the place. The mighty Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is being moved to downtown Davenport Iowa. For more information click here for an article from the Quad City Times. also according to the article ticket prices are being dropped from 18 to 15 dollars. That is a great deal for what has been one of the best blues festivals in the midwest. The festival starts next week and runs from July 3-5th! So if you don't have plans for the fourth of July come on to Iowa and enjoy some red hot blues.

Jonny And The Rectifiers At The State Historical Building Of Iowa

Press release from the fine folks at the cultural affairs office in Iowa.

Jonny & The Rectifiers June 27

Jonny & The Rectifiers made their first appearance on the Blues Before Sunset stage last year, and we liked them so much we asked them to come back this year.

Based in Des Moines, the band played for 9 years as The Delta Kings. With a new rhythm section in 2005 the Rectifiers were born. Playing the Iowa club circuit and private parties and blues festivals, the Rectifiers favor vintage instruments, tube amps and a live audience to fuel a party. Sets vary with the mood of the room from smoky Chicago and Texas blues to vintage rockabilly rants. Front man Jon East, a second generation Iowa veteran musician, handles vocals and guitar chores. The band also features keyboard/Hammond organ player Jeff Daniels, Scott Hartung on drums and Jeff JB Baker on fender and upright bass, a disciple of the late Keith Ferguson and Ronnie James Weber of the current Thunderbirds.

Blues Before Sunset is family friendly, free and open to the public. Beer, wine and bottled water available for sale and an assortment of food vendors will be selling hot foods. People attending the event should plan to bring their own seating.

Blues Before Sunset is sponsored by the State Historical Society of Iowa and Central Iowa Blues Society with promotional support proudly driven by 100.3 The BUS and Capital 106.3, “quality music from then and now” and additional support by Baratta’s restaurant.

Check out our **HOT** web site: http://www.iowahistory.org/events/blues-before-sunset/index.htm.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR JUNE 27, 2008:

Scattered thunderstorms (50% chance); high of 85; wind SSW @ 12mph. Sunset at 8:53 p.m. CST.

Joe Tex: The Love You Save Maybe Your Own

Cool classic TV show from Dallas Texas known as The Beat. Hosted by Hoss Allen, and featuring some of the best soul and blues musicians around! This is Joe Tex singing another classic Soul tune.

Joe Tex - The Love You Save ...
Uploaded by LostPirate77

Rodge Martin: They Say

Rodge Martin appearing on The Beat!

Rodge Martin - They Say -60's Soul
Uploaded by LostPirate77

The Radiants: Baby You Got It

Classic soul from the 60s

The Radiants - Baby You Got It-60's Soul
Uploaded by LostPirate77

Andy Coats Update

Cool gig for our good friend Andy Coats. Check it out if you are in North Carolina

Hey folks, I hope summer is treating you all well.

We’ve got a new venue, where we’ll be playing this Friday; and they’ve made a lovely poster for us as well.

Hope to see you local folks there!

Here’s the address, start time is 7 pm:

10 W. Franklin Street, Raleigh, NC 27604
http://www.capitalcitygrocery.com
(919) 833-7096

Best,

Andy
www.andycoats.com
www.myspace.com/andycoats
http://www.myspace.com/andycoatsandthebankwalkers

Internet Issue And Illness

Boy, was yesterday was a bad day. First the internet has been down for a couple of days due to some idiot cutting the fiber optics cable in Sioux City. Oooops! That really sucked. Then by evening I started feeling pretty bad and ended up with a fever and shakes. I hope it was a 24 hour bug because I do feel a little better this morning. So I finally get around to trying to get on the internet, and then I have connectivity problems, which to be honest was one my end, and my Windows XP. Then my Windows Onecare started acting up and just grinded away for a long time. So while I am messing with that I am watching cable TV, when all of a sudden it goes off the air. I could hear voices from outside near the cable box, and by the time I get out their the guy has left and put a cap on my cable! This is the second time these guys have done this. It is the upstairs people who they are suppose to disconnect not me! The last time they did this I just pulled the filter off myself, but guess what, they have new filters! They just spin and spin! So I call up the cable guys and they are suppose to fix it, but you know how slow those guys are. So at least I can post some news and update the blog. YIKES!