Ken & Mary’s Blues Project with Ashton Savoy & The Moe Hansum Band (10/18/02) — Image by kenne
— kenne
Texas Johnny Brown
I. J. Gosey
Images by kenne
February 22, 2003, Blues lovers and legends in Houston gathered at Houston’s Mr. Gino’s Lounge in the memory of blues/jazz great, Kinney Abair. Now that it’s almost the 10th anniversary of Kinney’s death, I’m sharing my images of the Mr. Gino’s event. Some of the musicians in the photos are Joe ‘Guitar’ Hughes, I.J. Gosey, Ashton Savoy, Mike Stone, Pee Wee Stevens, Sonny Boy Terry and Texas Johnny Brown. Many other legends were in attendance, but not necessarily in my photos.
That evening we were also remembering AJ Murphy, who had a heart attach and passed away after giving a eulogy for his close friend, Kinney.
AJ Murphy
kenne
(To review other Blues posting on the blog, use the search function for “blues” on the home page, left column.
The Weary Blues
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,
Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,
I heard a Negro play.
Down on Lenox Avenue the other night
By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light
He did a lazy sway. . . .
He did a lazy sway. . . .
To the tune o’ those Weary Blues.
With his ebony hands on each ivory key
He made that poor piano moan with melody.
O Blues!
Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool
He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.
Sweet Blues!
Coming from a black man’s soul.
O Blues!
In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone
I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan—
“Ain’t got nobody in all this world,
Ain’t got nobody but ma self.
I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’
And put ma troubles on the shelf.”
Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.
He played a few chords then he sang some more—
“I got the Weary Blues
And I can’t be satisfied.
Got the Weary Blues
And can’t be satisfied—
I ain’t happy no mo’
And I wish that I had died.”
And far into the night he crooned that tune.
The stars went out and so did the moon.
The singer stopped playing and went to bed
While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.
He slept like a rock or a man that’s dead.
Ashton Savoy, Moe Hansum Band, AJ Murphy, Ken Harris and others at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project, October, 2002 —
Image by kenne
Moe Hansum Band, Ashton Savoy and others at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project, October, 2002 —
Image by kenne
Ashton Savoy and Colin Brooks (The Band of Heathens) and others at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project, October, 2002 —
Image by kenne
Ashton Savoy @ Ken & Mary's Blues Project, 2002
As I near my 69th birthday, I’m beginning to realize that I’m not as up on current music as I used to be — looked at Andrew Dansby’s top ten selections for 2009 and didn’t recognize any of them. Now, I seem to notice things on living legends, like the new documentary on Patti Smith, “Dream of Life,” and the obituaries of musicians (NY Times – The Music They Made) who past on this year. Here are links to four posting I did on some legends this year:
https://kenneturner.wordpress.com/2009/12/25/%E2%80%9Cthe-father-of-psychedelic-guitar%E2%80%9D-rip/
https://kenneturner.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/in-memory-of-rusty-weir/
https://kenneturner.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/ashton-savoy-rip/
With this theme in mind, it seems fitting that I share a verse from my poem, “Dark Spirits,” that I will be posting soon.
There are no words to describe
Still, I keep trying,
Turning circles, time and again
To make these feelings go away
kenne
Becoming is Superior to Being 