About ten years ago, I had some business in Memphis, Tennessee; a special place in the heart of all blue’s fans. As I was on line to check in at an upscale downtown hotel, I heard the desk clerk ask the name of the gentleman in front of me. “Walter King” was his response. Now, I knew that Walter King was BB’s brother, and I stepped aside slightly to look at him, and saw he had a BB King baseball cap.
I thought for a second and said to myself “Damn, the Old Man must be in town!” I got out of line and literally ran the three blocks to BB King’s Blues Club on Beale Street. They had a little stand outside, selling stage side seats for that night’s show. The concert didn’t seem to be advertised. I am not sure if it was a surprise show, or maybe a gig had cancelled somewhere and BB decided to pay his own club. At any rate, for ninety bucks I got a seat right next to the stage.
I went back to the hotel to check in, and sure enough, there was BB King’s bus parked right outside the hotel entrance. I got my picture taken in front of the bus and then finally proceeded inside to check into my room.
After a spicy Cajun dinner at Doe’s, where the waiter informed me that he had waited on the late great Albert King several times, I proceeded to cross the street to BB King’s Blues Club. As you can imagine, the atmosphere was absolutely electric. I gave Lucille a nod as I walked by the stage to my seat.
BB’s is not a large club, but it was certainly full. Word had spread quickly that the Proprietor was in the house. Down went the lights, and own came the King Of The Blues. I have seen BB many times, dating back to the Fillmore East in the 1960s. While he always puts on a great show, this one was special, partly because it was in his own club, partly because I was literally 12 feet from The Man, and partly because the whole thing was totally unexpected. Not only did he have most of his band there, he also had the Memphis Horns, and a great female singer, who I believe was Koko Taylor, though I am not a 100% sure about that.
B was his jovial self, trading licks with the band members, rapping with the audience, and ogling the ladies. An attractive black woman walked passed the stage, and BB gave her a line and then said, “hey, I may be old, but I am not dead1”
Waiting in the wings was Little Jimmy King, right next to my table. I have always been a big fan of Jimmy’s, and I said hello to him. He walked over and gave me a big smile and shook my hand. Jimmy went on stage a few minutes later and literally tore the place up. BB commented afterward that it was nice to know that once he was gone that the blues was in good hands. Unfortunately that was not to be, as Little Jimmy King passed away from a heart attack at 37 several years later.
I have seen a lot of magical concerts in my day, but this was supremely special. I think blues music will be around a thousand years from now, and the young singer from Itta Bena, Mississippi will be a big reason for that. Close your eyes, bend a string with a little black vibrato and sing what’s in your heart.
The I Hate The Tim ODonnell Band
(formerly Solartron, but the rest of the band hates it)
Sat, Jan. 21st OOsceola Street Cafe
It's official, Tim has giving the band an interim moniker, until such time they all agree on a good name. I could care less what they call themselves, they were awesome. Able to play anything, and they did. Tim played a wide variety of songs, on a guitar he built himself. Yes, him and his dad Pat have that talent too. I met Tim over ten years ago, and he didn't play anything but a radio. Then, one day I went over and heard some incredible riffs coming from his bedroom and asked his dad who was playing that?. "Tim took up guitar last week...." I hate him. Plays Drums too! How about the Tuba? Anyway, they sounded great, I loved listening to Rebecca on the electric fiddle, unbelievable talent and because she is so pretty, you don't have to look at the rest of the band, which is good. Great bass player and drummer,( I will have to learn their names)don't know how they played in that 4 foot by 4 foot stage, but they did. Pretty sure Rebecca poked a few eyes out with her bow. The food their is first class gourmet feast. I have had dinner 3 times now, and am convinced nothing bad has ever come out of that kitchen. The entire staff is so friendly and it is located in downtown Stuart, what could be better. The Blues President himself showed up, with Verna and his sister Janet. Great to see them. See you all out there someday!
LaSLo
The Brittish review of Ben Prestage,
Ben Prestage is another artist in the Mississippi Hill Country Tradition. His c.d. consists of seven well chosen covers and three originals, all performed with an intensity and enthusiasm that would delight the artists who recorded the originals, or those who he pays tribute to in his own compositions; Bukka White’s ‘Jitterbug Swing’, with it’s percussive slide and urgent vocals, being a prime example of this. ‘Preachin’ Blues’ finds Prestage’s hollered vocals underpinned by RJ inspired slide and droning drums that give the number a T-Model Ford/Spam feel; whilst Do-Boy Diamond’s ‘Do-boy’s Blues’ is an earthy, primeval delight replete with reverberating guitar, moaned vocals and sparse, but mesmerising, percussion.Of the three originals, ‘The Giver’ rides a "hipped-up funky" ‘Smokestack Lightnin’’ styled riff with gruff vocals, keening slide and "trashcan" drums; ‘Memphis’ mines a low-down and funky Hill Country groove, whilst ‘Back To The Country’ evokes an early Muddy feel in the ‘Rollin’ Stone’ mould.The set is made up with two live tracks recorded at the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth, Florida. Tommy Johnson’s ‘Big Fat Mama’ lacks the intensity of Prestage’s studio cuts, however this is more than made up for with a brooding rendition of Tom Waits’ ‘Mexican Whorehouse’.If you enjoyed Richard Johnson’s debut CD, and are bemoaning the loss of Kimbrough and Burnside, then this set will be required listening.Both CDs are available from CD Baby
