Houston Blues Legend Diunna Greenleaf — Image by kenne
— John Mayall
Little Joe Washington at the Houston International Festival (04/19/08) — Image by kenne
The Houston Blues Days — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Ask me how does a man feelWhen he’s got the bluesAnd I’d sayMisused abused down-hearted and blueKnow the reason I know thisIs cause the blues is all I was left with
— from Ask Me ’Bout Nothin’ (but the Blues) by Boz Scaggs
Pete Mayes, Grady Gaines, Calvin Owens and Joe Guitar Hughes (1999)– Image by kenne
Mr. V (James Vaughn) of Mr. & Mrs. V on Houston’s 90.1, KPFT — HDR Image by kenne
Mike Durbin of the Moe Hansum Band — Image by kenne
The Houston Blues community is feeling the pain. Two of the communities well known personallities past away this past week. To hornor the memory of these Houston friends, I’m sharing a Diunna Greenleaf video I posted several years ago — Growing Up and Growing Old in the Fellowship of Family and Friends.
— kenne
Houston Blues (The Rhythem Room, 2005) — B&W Collage by kenne
“Working in black and white makes me feel like a painter, not a photographer.
Shooting this way allows me to focus my attention on the light and shade, textures, shapes and expressions.
It’s really a matter of personal choice, but in my opinion black and white can lead to a more abstract reading of reality,
which is arguably more demanding and more challenging to produce. Here photographers cannot use flattering
colours or coloured light to distract the eye. You cannot cheat in black and white.”
— Guy Gagnon
Texas Johnny Brown at The Shakespeare Pub In Houston (11/15/09) Photo-Artistry by kenne
— Texas Johnny Brown (Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues)
Sonny-Boy Terry and Joe ‘Guitar’ Hughes at Houston’s ‘Big Easy‘ (02/23/03) — Image by kenne
Trudy Lynn (November 24, 2002) — Computer Art by kenne
Houston Blues Legend, Little Joe Washington, — 2003 Image by kenne
From the Houston Blues Society’s Newsletter:
On Wednesday afternoon, bluesman Little Joe Washington passed on, leaving a hole in the blues community’s heart that belies his diminutive 5′ 5″ frame. One of Third Ward’s legendary blues guitarists, comprising Albert Collins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Johnny “Guitar” Watson and Joe “Guitar” Hughes, Little Joe displayed a raw and sparkling talent that earned great respect from his peers.
It’s true to say that he knew more than a few dark days in his 75 years, but with surprising tenacity he’d always bounce back to delight audiences with his virtuoso guitar skills, often finishing his set by running around the room and using his hat for a tip jar before disappearing into the night on a rickety bicycle.
******
Roger Wood wrote of the Third Ward eccentric guitarist in his 2003 book on Houston blues, Down In Houston: Bayou City Blues:
“I first picked up a guitar when I was playing drums with Albert Collins. I taught myself after that,” Washington explains. “I figure it out on my own.” Once he began to experiment with the guitar, however, the diminutive and now perpetually scruffy-looking fellow developed a unique style that is best described as raw and unpredictable — some would say wild. “I play with my teeth, my tongue, my head. I used to hang on the rafters when I was in Old Mexico,” he said.
“. . . Little Joe Washington has evolved into a Houston folk hero of sorts.”
Pete Mayes, Grady Gaines, Calvin Owens and Joe ‘Guitar’ Hughes at Billy Blues, June, 2000 — Image by kenne
For years, Sunday morning has been about the Blues, listening to Mr. & Mrs. V on KPFT, Houston. Thanks to Internet streaming, the Sunday morning tradition continues.
While listening to this morning, I was going through some of my digital image files when I ran across these old black & white images I had scanned in 2010, which led me to start flipping through one of the best references on Houston blues, “Down in Houston – Bayou City Blues by Roger Wood. Of the four blues musicians in these images, Grady Gaines is the only one still with us. However, thanks to technology and radio personalities like Mr. & Mrs. V in Houston and Marty Kool (KXCI) in Tucson, their music is still with us — some of the best blues anywhere! Take the time to enjoy and share so this great music genre will always be alive and in the hearts of music lovers everywhere.
— kenne
Image by Martin Miglioretti
Blues In All Its Colors by Martin Miglioretti
Image by Martin Miglioretti
Last week I learned via Facebook that a fellow Blues lover and photographer, Martin Miglioretti pasted away in Houston at age 58.
Martin was very well-known in the Houston Blues community. In 2009 Martin began a series of poster tributes to Houston blues,
“Blues In All Its Colors.” For Martin, the blues was more than just blue; it’s a rainbow of colors. The posters borrowed from the vintage “boxing-style” posters.
Another love of Miglioretti’s was photographing classic cars. Hot Rod magazine said, “This guy takes photorealism to the extreme.”
Equally well-known in both blues and hot rod circles, Martin will be sorely missed. The Houston Blues Society’s logo was created by Martin.
Houston Blues Society Logo By Miglioretti
Martin Miglioretti, Rich DelGrosso & Sonny Boy Terry — Image by Jenny Jerome
Jonn Richardson & Rich DelGrosso rip it up in Portland!
Thanks Jonn for posting on Facebook.
