Follow what you love! . . Don’t deign to ask what “they” are looking for out there. Ask what you have inside. Follow noy your interests, which change, but what you are and what you love, which will and should not change.
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.
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.)
We first saw Gary Clark Jr. in Humble, Texas at the Cactus Moon at age sixteen (November 2000). The original image for the above art was taken the following September at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston where he appeared with Diunna Greenleaf.
Texas Johnny Brown at The Shakespeare Pub In Houston (11/15/09) Photo-Artistry by kenne
“We used to have guitars sessions,
guitar battles on Sunday out there at Club Matinee.
And there’d be about four or five of us there,
and man, guitars would be ringing like everything!
It was wild!”
— Texas Johnny Brown (Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues)
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.
“Original Pat Green” (2004)– Photo-Artistry by kenne
Like so many people the past St. Patrick’s Day, we were sheltered-in-place and missed celebrating the 17th the only way it should be, with friends. So I turned to the many photos of St. Patrick’s Day I have taken over the years, and I have many. At first, I was thinking about doing a collage, but then I found this one of a friend, Patrick A. Green. Starting in 1995, Pat and friends would meet on the Court House Square in Conroe, parade around the Square, and party at the Corner Pub on the Square.
Pat practiced law in Conroe for 43 years, retiring in 2015. A man of limitless generosity, the “Original Pat Green,” gave freely of whatever he had to whomever he met. With unbridled enthusiasm for his Irish and Cajun heritage, Pat could host a party unlike any other. Through his magnanimous spirit and disarming humor, he possessed an extraordinary ability to bring people together.
Pat died on July 12, 2016. He was an original, and I’m blessed to have known him. Somewhere in the universe, he is still partying!
Houston Blues Man, Sherman Robinson — Image by kenne
The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits. It’s better keeping the roots alive, because it means better fruits from now on. The blues are the roots of all American music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues.
Sprint for Life, May 2010 — Photo-Artistry by kenne
The last time I ran in Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center “Sprint for Life” fundraiser was May 2014. I ran the 5k in 30 minutes, coming third in the over 70 age group. For now, I have given up running, replacing it with walking and hiking. Whether I start running again or not, running will always be in my blood.
In case you are wondering, in the May 2010 run pictured above, I was 3rd in the 65-70 age group. Also, I no longer wear white crew socks!
— kenne
“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”
Katelyn Turner, Janie Turner, Joy Otrey, Kenne D. Turner, Mary Ann Turner-McCloud, Buddy McCloud, Katie Turner-Bailey and Kenne G. Turner (Lupe Tortilla’s in The Woodlands, Texas, July 27, 2018) — Image by waiter, Saul
We have been planning Joy’s 70th birthday for several months. We knew Kate and her Family who now lives in New Hampshire would not be able to make it to the beach house gathering in Galveston this weekend. We also knew that Katelyn, Janie and Kenne D. would be camping in Central Texas.
Then, a couple of weeks ago we learned Kate would be attending a conference in Houston this week, so plans were quickly made to have dinner on the 27th — Kate was very pleased. We arrived in Houston at 3:30 pm with plenty of time for dinner at 6:30 pm in The Woodlands.
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
Gary Clark Jr. (09/21/01) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Texas Johnny Brown at The Shakespeare Pub In Houston (11/15/09) Photo-Artistry by kenne
Sherman Robertson (Houston, TX, 05-11-04)– Image by kenne
“Original Pat Green” (2004)– Photo-Artistry by kenne
Katelyn Turner, December 21, 2005 — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Chase Morris, December 24, 2004 — Image by kenne
Houston Blues Man, Sherman Robinson — Image by kenne
Sprint for Life, May 2010 — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Katelyn Turner, Janie Turner, Joy Otrey, Kenne D. Turner, Mary Ann Turner-McCloud, Buddy McCloud, Katie Turner-Bailey and Kenne G. Turner (Lupe Tortilla’s in The Woodlands, Texas, July 27, 2018) — Image by waiter, Saul
