While on the Houston leg of our road trip, we had dinner at Ben’s Den Tasting Room with Katelyn, Janie, and David — a food truck provided the food menu.
In 1998, the De Aldecoa family bought the then memorable Uncle Ben’s Rice manufacturing facility on Clinton Drive. Now the facility has been turned into a world-class coffee plant and distillery, expanding the beverage imperium with the creation of the Gulf Coast Distillers. Yes, the whisky I had was excellent.
Houston Skyline Viewed From Buffalo Bayou Park (August 26, 2021) — Image by kenne
We are now nearing the final leg of our road trip that began on August 7th. We have been in many states from Arizona to Maine and have taken hundreds of photos, many of which will later appear on this blog with my observations. We are now in Houston, our previous home, before moving to Tucson eleven years ago, visiting family and friends. On Thursday of this week, we had lunch at Birraporetti’s, an upscale and lavish Italian restaurant/Irish bar in the theater/business district for over 30 years. Because of the pandemic and especially the recent virus spike in the Houston area, there were only two other customers in this large eatery/bar. This was not surprising, however very sad.
Michael Stevenson has the blog The HOBBLEHOY. Recently he posted a The Irish Times review of Rhiannon Gidden’s new album with Francesco Turrisi, “They’re Calling Me Home.”
We first became aware of Giddens about 15 years ago as one of the founding members of the country, blues, and old-time music band Carolina Chocolate Drops, where she is the lead singer, fiddle, and banjo player. In 2008, we attended the annual Houston iFest where local and international musicians and the “iFest New Artist of the Year,” the Carolina Chocolate Drops, were scheduled to appear. Since then, this very talented musician and her unique artistry continue to blossom.
Carolina Chocolate Drops (April 2008) — Images by kenne
“For nearly a decade, Giddens has been heralded as a luminary in the world of Americana, and for some time, she was one of the few African-American faces represented.” — American Songwriter
There are no words for a voice that evokes so much complexity of emotion. This music and video will transform you into a different place. — kenne
Houston’s Little Joe Washington (April, 2008) — Image by kenne
“Personal inconvenience, experience, and environmental impact notwithstanding, a willingness to drive all over and beyond Harris County has its rewards for the Houston blues aficionado wanting to make the rounds. Not only is that travel necessary to access the various widely separated business establishments featuring live performances on a weekly basis, but for those in the know, it’s also the key to experiencing some unique presentations of the music — both of which evoke an earlier era.”
— Roger Wood (Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues, 2003)
Texas Johnny Brown at Houston’s Shakespeare Pub — Photo-Artistry by kenne (Click on Texas Johnny Brown to see archived blog posting on TJB)
Texas Johnny Brown is a major talent who simmered on the blues scene longer than all the beef stew cooked in the ’40s, the decade when he first began playing and recording. Like pianist Johnny Johnson of St. Louis, Brown is an artist who did not get a chance to record a full album as a leader until he had been in the music business more than half-a-century. Also like Johnson, the results of coming in so late in the game have been a pair of highly acclaimed, prize-winning albums including the righteous Blues Defender. Brown can take plenty of the credit, since he has taken over almost complete control of his ow arranging, production, and mixing, as well as the string bending and blues moaning. He began his career as a sideman for the Duke and Peacock outfits in the ’50s about which discographers make comments such as “… the record keeping at that time was less than desirable.” As a result, some of Brown’s playing on releases by artists such as Lightnin’ Hopkins and Joe Hinton remains uncredited. The guitarist, singer, and songwriter began his professional career as an original member of the great Amos Milburn band known as the Aladdin Chickenshackers. Brown’s picking is killer on early Aladdin recordings by both Milburn, and on Ruth Brown’s first Atlantic sides. Atlantic allowed Brown to make a few recordings of his own in 1949, buoyed by the enthusiasm the label had for Milburn, who played behind his sideman on these sessions along with the rest of the Aladdin Chickenshackers. T-Bone Walker is the dominating force in Brown’s stylistic palette, an influence that was considered something of a driving permit for any guitarist venturing out of Houston during this period. Before finally getting the biggie recording opportunities in the late ’90s, Brown did an ARC session in Houston in the early ’50s that was never released. He also performed regularly with Junior Parker during that decade, remaining based out of Houston. As a songwriter, Brown’s most famous work is “Two Steps from the Blues,” a big hit for Bobby “Blue” Bland, with whom he also toured as a lead guitarist in the ’50s and ’60s. By the ’80s, he was considered only sporadically active on the blues scene, but this turned out to be only a temporary brown-out, so to speak.
Chris Duarte at the Cactus Moon, Humble, Texas (January 2003) — Images by kenne
When it comes to Blues/Rock guitar players, Texas has produced some of the best. I saw Chris live several times in the late ’90s and early ’00s, and each time his performance drained me. He is very intense and emotional — literally mindblowing.
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet?
Until COVID-19, gentrification was the big enemy of live music venues.
Now many these of these venues have closed forever because of the pandemic.
Maybe it’s time to bring back the old fashion bandstand in public parks.
People getting together to experience live music is a necessary
part of developing and maintaining a sense of community.
— kenne
Blue Door Texas Ice House On A Sunday Afternoon In East Texas (10/26/01) — Photo-Essay by kenne
Gene Kelton at the Blue Door Texas Ice House
Blue Door Texas Ice House
Blue Door Texas Ice House
Blue Door Texas Ice House
Blue Door Texas Ice House
Sunday at The Blue Door
Blue Door Texas Ice House
Gene Kelton at the Blue Door
Dancing to the Music of Gene Kelton and the Die Hards
(Gentrification Killed the Blue Door Years Ago.)
Time To Rest The Feet (FotoFest 10/24/02) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Blue Door Texas Ice House On A Sunday Afternoon In East Texas (10/26/01) — Photo-Essay by kenne
