I didn’t say much about it, other than, “We should go and see her.” Even then, we almost forgot about her being in Tucson last night. Who’s this “her”? Maria Muldaur, that’s who?
Muldaur was in town as part of the “Rhythm & Roots” series, which usually is outside in the Plaza Palomino Courtyard, but moved inside to a packed house due to the colder than normal evening weather. Most of her song selection was from her new CD, “Steady Love.” The music from this latest CD just adds to the difficulty for me in deciding on my favorite Maria Muldaur CD, of which she has produced 39 since the ‘60s – she is one hard-working woman!
Image via Wikipedia
Having loved her music since first hearing her sensual sexy voice singing, “I Am Woman,” it was Peggy Lee’s version which I first fail in love. But, it was Marie’s version that really turned me on. When you listen to Maria, you can see why “I am Woman” has become her theme song – she is one hell of a woman. Today, I think of Marie as one of the best blues singer around. You can’t talk about blues or roots music, without her name being part of the discussion.
On her new CD, Muldaur has selected blues (Bobby Charles classic “Why Are People Like That,” Sugar Pie DeSanto’s “Soulful Dress) and gospel (Eric Bibb’s “Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down,” Stephen Bruton’s, “Walk By Faith”) songs that reflect the difficulties of dealing with everyday life.
When the kids are cryin’ and the bills are due And you wonder what you have gotten into And you think the whole deal is not to be Give her steady love, you’ll find out how hot a woman can be
Maria and her Red Hot Bluesiana Band did a masterful performance, especially considering the sound man never was able to get his act together. After sending several body language signals, she politely said, “Don’t make me beg!”
If I had made a request at last night’s performance, it would have been for her to do Mississippi John Hurt‘s, “Richland Woman Blues,” which is the title track from her 2001 CD. I love the “down-home” picking originally done by Hurt and John Sebastian with Muldaur – in this case not “any dude will do!”
Some people are hard to live with, the source for many a blues song. But the blues is easy to live with, especially in the woods of east Texas.
Ken & Mary know that for sure, attracting friends and their guests, year after year to their Blues Project, sharing the best blues anywhere.
Returning again this year, Rich DelGrosso sang, “Hard To Live With,” with Jonn Del Tero Richardson. Their latest CD, nominated by “Blues Blast” magazine for “Best Traditional Blues CD of The Year!”
Nominated among blues legends, very deserving of the honor, with new songs taking traditional blues to a new creative level.
Surrounded by family and many friends, last night Joy and I experienced blues in the woods at Ken and Mary’s 2011 Fall Music Festival in Porter, Texas. What we saw was more than a moment can capture, more than we can tell you, more than words can say. Still, I will be sharing more in later postings.
Joy and I are on a special trip to Houston to spend time with family and friends and we are being blessed with great fall weather — the folks here need it after the summer they have experienced. (We brought it with us from Tucson!)
One of the things we will be doing while here, which will include both family and friends, is attending our great friends “Ken & Mary’s Fall Music Festival” — for over fifteen years called “Ken & Mary’s Blues Project.” As announced in a previous posting, this year’s music will be provided by two friends and super blues musicians, Rich DelGrosso and Jonn Del Toro Richardson. Their latest album (Time Slips By) deputed #4 on The Living Blues Radio Chart back in February. As always, there will be other musicians sitting in as the evening goes on.
If you follow my blog, you have seen several videos from the 20th Anniversary of Bob Corritore’sThe Rhythm Room. One of Bob’s regulars with him at The Rhythm Room is Dave Riley. They did several songs before bringing on some of the evenings special guest, two of which were spiritual.
This past weekend we had some of our family visiting. The day started off with a hike down along the Tanque Verde Wash, followed by walking through the St. Phillip’s Farmers Market, then a drive along scenic Hwy 83 to the Arizona wine country where we attended the Elgin Wine Festival.
Sometimes, it just doesn’t get better. The three-day celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Rhythm Room included the blues great, Bob Margolin. Many of the musicians at this event knew the legendary Willy “Big Eyes” Smith who passed away the day before Bob’s gig at the Rhythm Room, so his performance was in memory of Smith.
Last year in September we were at the Bisbee Blues Festival where one of the groups was Bob Corritore’s Rhythm Room All Stars. This year, we miss the Bisbee Blues Festival so we could be at the Rhythm Room’s 20th Anniversary in Phoenix, where one of the performers was our good friend from Houston, Diunna Greenleaf. The anniversary event was Friday through Sunday, with Diunna appearing Saturday night. So, Joy and I were there for some great Blues and to see Diunna. On the stage with Diunna was Bob Corritore,Bob Margolin, Mookie Brill and Brain Fahey. As one might expect, the room was SRO, making it more challenging to get some good photos and video. Here’s some of what I was able to get. Enjoy!
Joe Montes of “Smokin’ Joe’s Roadhouse” and Mean Gene Kelton at Houston’s Rhythm Room, 2003 — Image by kenne
Throughout a good part of the last decade, the Saturday KPFT programing included Smokin’ Joe’s Roadhouse, which appropriately Joe would take on the road to the Rhythm Room, later Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar, once a month. In June 2003 Mean Gene Kelton was live from the Rhythm Room on Joe’s show. Sadly, Smokin’ Joe’s Roadhouse, the Rhythm Room and Mean Gene Kelton are no longer with us.
Today the Rhythm Room has been replaced by condos, Smokin’ Joe’s Roadhouse replaced by the program, “Deadbeat” and Gene, well you can’t replace Mean Gene Kelton. However, he will always be in the hearts of the “Die Hards.”
Today while looking for some of my Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club, I ran across some of my 2003 Rhythm Room photos, each causing a trip back in time. I thought about writing a new poem, then recalled my 2005 “Stardust Memories” poem, which I share again.
Stardust Memories
The past,
is not for replay,
only for the stardust of yesterdays
Yesterdays,
in a time and place,
gently massaging forgotten dreams
Dreams,
giving clues to
our stardust memories
Memories,
fading for now,
only reborn to our imagination
Imagination,
directing the soul to
reconstruct old moments
Moments,
experiencing rapture
in the joy of our love
Love,
is the stardust of yesterday,
the music of the years to come
May these words and images gently sprinkle down on our collective stardust memories.
Trudy Lynn with Duke-Peacock veteran I.J. Gosey at Mr. Geno’s In Houston, Texas, 2004 — Image by kenne
When I talk to blues people in Tucson about the Houston blues scene, I often mention two of my favorite blues clubs, Mr. Geno’s Lounge and the Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club.
Recently, the Houston Press published an article, “Old School: Musicians in their 70s and 80s are keeping Houston’s traditional blues scene real,” with a series of photos taken behind the scenes at the Big Easy.
“Midnight, The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club, cover charge is five bucks. A blast of heat from the gaggle of horns onstage rushes out of the momentarily open door of the Kirby Drive nightclub, as a writing mass of sweaty Friday-night humanity works it out on the dance floor. Dressed to the nines, saxophonist Grady Gaines and his band the Texas Upsetters are cooking up some nasty, big-beat blues,” begins the article. . . . read on.
The article and photos reminded me of photos I took (2005) at the Big Easy with some of the musicians in the Houston Press publication, which I share in this posting — enjoy and share.
kenne
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2005 Photos at The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club by kenne
Down along the Texas gulf coast and the Louisiana/Texas state line you will find the cities of Beaumont, Post Arthur and Orange, locally called the golden triangle. This area of southeast Texas has produced some of the best Blues, Cajun, country and zydeco music of the 20th century, such as Clarence Garlow, Long John Hunter, Tom Hunter, Janis Joplin, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Ezra Charles, Joe Jonas — the list goes on. Among these greats is Barbara Lynn. In the early sixties, Barbara wrote and recorded, “You’re Losin’ a Good Thing,” which in the 70’s was also recorded by another Texan, Freddy Finder. Some of you may have seen her on American Bandstand like I did in the sixties.
Jonn Del Toro Richardson & Rich DelGrosso at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project, October, 2011 — Image by kenne
I didn’t say much about it, other than, “We should go and see her.” Even then, we almost forgot about her being in Tucson last night. Who’s this “her”? Maria Muldaur, that’s who?
Muldaur was in town as part of the “Rhythm & Roots” series, which usually is outside in the Plaza Palomino Courtyard, but moved inside to a packed house due to the colder than normal evening weather. Most of her song selection was from her new CD, “Steady Love.” The music from this latest CD just adds to the difficulty for me in deciding on my favorite Maria Muldaur CD, of which she has produced 39 since the ‘60s – she is one hard-working woman!
Image via Wikipedia
Having loved her music since first hearing her sensual sexy voice singing, “I Am Woman,” it was Peggy Lee’s version which I first fail in love. But, it was Marie’s version that really turned me on. When you listen to Maria, you can see why “I am Woman” has become her theme song – she is one hell of a woman. Today, I think of Marie as one of the best blues singer around. You can’t talk about blues or roots music, without her name being part of the discussion.
On her new CD, Muldaur has selected blues (Bobby Charles classic “Why Are People Like That,” Sugar Pie DeSanto’s “Soulful Dress) and gospel (Eric Bibb’s “Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down,” Stephen Bruton’s, “Walk By Faith”) songs that reflect the difficulties of dealing with everyday life.
When the kids are cryin’ and the bills are due
And you wonder what you have gotten into
And you think the whole deal is not to be
Give her steady love, you’ll find out how hot a woman can be
Steady Love – Greg Brown
Maria and her Red Hot Bluesiana Band did a masterful performance, especially considering the sound man never was able to get his act together. After sending several body language signals, she politely said, “Don’t make me beg!”
If I had made a request at last night’s performance, it would have been for her to do Mississippi John Hurt‘s, “Richland Woman Blues,” which is the title track from her 2001 CD. I love the “down-home” picking originally done by Hurt and John Sebastian with Muldaur – in this case not “any dude will do!”
kenne
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