
Double Bayou Dance Hall (May 25, 2005) — Image by kenne
Double Bayou Dance Hall (May 25, 2005) — Image by 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)
The Musician — Photo-Artistry by kenne
The musician talks to you with
rhythm, and words that find their way
into the secret places of your soul
turning on the truth of being human.
— kenne
Texas Johnny Brown at Houston’s Shakespeare Pub — Photo-Artistry by kenne
(Click on Texas Johnny Brown to see archived blog posting on TJB)
— Eugene Chadbourne Source: allmusic.com
Blues Musicians Jamming In East Texas — Image by kenne
— kenne
Houston’s Trudy Lynn (October 24, 2002) at Houston’s Photofest — Image by kenne
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.
— kenne
— kenne
Blue Door Texas Ice House On A Sunday Afternoon In East Texas (10/26/01) — Photo-Essay by kenne
Dancing to the Music of Gene Kelton and the Die Hards
(Gentrification Killed the Blue Door Years Ago.)
Sherman Robertson (Houston, TX, 05-11-04)– Image by kenne
All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.
Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
— from September 1, 1939, by W. H. Auden
The Rhythm Room, Phoenix, Arizona (February 28,2020) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
It’s been several years since we have seen our good friend Diunna Greenleaf live.
So, when we learned that she was going to appear at The Rhythm Room in Phoenix,
On February 28th, we made plans.
Charley Parker, A.J. Murphy, Diunna Greenleaf, Kenne Turner, Dale Armet
We have known and loved her music since she worked with us to form
The Friends of The Blues — Montgomery County in the north Houston area in 2000.
Bob Corritore and Diunna Greenleaf — Photos and Video by kenne
Since we first met Diunna, she has won many Blues Music Awards,
including the ‘Koko Taylor Award’ twice.
— kenne
Bryan Lee — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Blues musician Bryan (Braille Blues Daddy) Lee has been a fixture on Bourbon Steet for
four decades. He was frequently a live music stop for us during our many trips to New Orleans
during our time living in the Houston area. We first saw him at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street.
When Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, like a lot of New Orleans musicians he began
touring more through Texas and up into the mid-west. In 2006 we saw him and his
band at a live music bar in Conroe, Texas north of Houston. The above photo artistry
image was created from a photo taken during one of his stops in Conroe.
— kenne
Blues On The Move (June 2007) — Image by kenne
Mean Gene Kelton at The Rhythm Room On Washington in Houston, June 14, 2003 — Image by kenne
gone
— kenne
The Blues Always Tells a Story!
At a February of 2009 fundraiser
for Diunna Greenleaf, Mean Gene Kelton
was one of several musicians playing for the cause.
In addition to being a great musician,
Mean Gene is a master storyteller
in the oral tradition of what I refer to as
“Rural Mississippi Backporch” style — I love it!
In this video, Mean Gene shares a Dallas Texas gig experience
he and his band had traveled with Diunna, before going into
playing, “I Play the Blues for a Livin’.”
kenne
Video at the Big Easy in Houston, Texas