Guitarist Jim McCarty shows hard-rocking side on new Cactus CD 'Black Dawn'

 Jim McCarty is well known as a blues and R&B guitarist, first appearing on the national scene in the mid-1960s as a member of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and performing later with the Detroit Blues Band and his current blues group Mystery Train.

But McCarty, who has earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Detroit Blues Society, has a hard rocking side as well.

Although he in his sixth decade as a performer, McCarty demonstrates that he still has monster chops on the new “Black Dawn” CD by the reunited group Cactus.

Jim McCarty (Photo by Steve Jessmore)

“This is a whole different ballgame,” said McCarty, who has also been a member of The Rockets and the Buddy Miles Express. 

The original Cactus group formed in 1969, with McCarty on guitar and former Amboy Dukes frontman Rusty Day on vocals and harmonica joining the former rhythm section from Vanilla Fudge — drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tim Bogert — to form a lineup dubbed “the American Led Zeppelin” by Creem magazine.

The band released three albums — “Cactus” (1970), “One Way … Or Another” (1971) and “Restrictions” (1971) — before McCarty left the group at the end of 1971.

Members of the original group reunited in 2006 with McCarty, Appice and Bogert joined by vocalist Jimmy Kunes, who replaced the late Rusty Day. That year, the group released an album titled “Cactus V.”

McCarty left the band again in 2008, but returned in 2011 with Appice, Kunes, bassist Pete Bremy, and Randy Pratt on harmonica. Bogert retired from touring.

McCarty clearly enjoys the opportunity to rock out. 

“I love playing with Carmine,” McCarty said. “When the band is on, it’s an ass-kicking band.”

This album is not for the faint of heart. It rocks … hard.

Seven new songs on the album are penned by McCarty, Appice and Kunes. McCarty and Appice wrote the other original tune, “The Last Goodbye.”

The title tune, “Black Dawn,” touches on a modern subject.

“It’s a commentary on how we’ve destroyed the planet and now it’s come back to bite us in the butt,” McCarty said. 

The CD also features two songs recorded by the original band circa 1970, an instrumental titled “Another Way Or Another,” and “C-70 Blues,” featuring Day on vocals. They were recently unearthed by Appice.

“I’m not sure where Carmine found those,” McCarty said. “It’s been so long, I really don’t remember recording them.

“When you listen to those (two songs) and the stuff from 2016, there’s really no energy drop. That, I think, is a pretty amazing thing. The stuff being done now by the band stands up energy wise to the stuff we did 40 years ago.”

“Black Dawn,” available Sept. 1, is the band’s first studio album in 10 years. The release will be followed by a mini tour that includes a performance at The Magic Bag in Ferndale on Sept. 17.

“This one is, hands down, the best sounding CD the band has ever put out,” McCarty said. “On a lot of our (earlier) CDs, the playing was good but the recording quality and the overall sound left something to be desired. This CD sounds the way it is supposed to from an audio point of view. It’s our most mature work too.”

McCarty, 71, has dealt with some health issues, but is grateful that he is still able to perform at the highest level.

He plans to continue playing rock and blues guitar indefinitely.

“I’ll play as long as I can still play. That’s what I am here for, and that’s what I’ll do.”

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@yahoo.com

Guitarist Jim McCarty continues to create new music

Guitarist Jim McCarty has two new releases debuting this summer.
(Photo by Steve Jessmore)

Guitarist Jim McCarty has enjoyed a love affair with his Gibson Les Paul for decades.
It has been over 50 years since he began his recording career as a member of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the powerhouse band that produced hits such as "Devil with a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly," "Sock It to Me - Baby" and "Jenny Take a Ride."
But McCarty, who just turned 71, isn’t living in the past. He remains a vibrant live performer and is still creating music and inspiring new generations of rock and blues guitarists.
“At this stage of the game, the physicality of the thing is the biggest issue,” McCarty said. “When you get to be my age, physical problems rear their ugly head.
“But, I love playing. That’s what I’m here to do and it never gets tiring.”
McCarty has two new releases debuting this summer.
“Jim McCarty and Friends II - Live From Callahan’s” will be celebrated with a CD release party on July 15 at Callahan’s Music Hall in Auburn Hills.
The new release by McCarty’s blues rock band Cactus, “Black Dawn,” debuts in August, followed by a mini tour that includes a performance at the Magic Bag in Ferndale on Sept. 17.
“McCarty and Friends II” features McCarty recorded jamming live on stage with internationally known blues artists such as Coco Montoya, Tommy Castro, Joe Louis Walker, Nick Moss and Jason Ricci.
The impromptu jams took the musicians out of their comfort zone and produced some magical moments.
“When you’re jamming, you’re on the edge of the cliff and anything can happen,” McCarty said. “Most of these bands on the CD have one guitar with a keyboard player. With me, they have two guitars and there’s more energy and we punch each other up. Something exciting almost always happens.
“The track with Tommy Castro is a good example. He’s a big Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels fan and he just yelled out ‘key of C’ and started playing the ‘Jenny-Jenny/Good Golly Miss Molly’ thing off the top of his head. I said to myself, ‘Whoa!’ I didn’t even realize that was what he was doing until he started singing.
“Then, he took it up a key when he realized it was too low a key for him to sing. I thought it was great. We were walking on the edge of the cliff, but the band came into the new key balls out. It was like, ‘Boom!’”
McCarty describes the perfomance of “Everyday I Have the Blues” featuring Johnnie Bassett and McCarty’s longtime bandmate Rick Stel as “really special.” Both Bassett and Stel have passed on since the recording.
“Johnnie seemed like he was healthy as he could be that night,” McCarty said. “He was in good spirits and you can tell listening to that track that we had a lot of fun.”
McCarty, who is not to be confused with The Yardbirds drummer who shares his name, has had an extensive career that includes stints with the Buddy Miles Express, The Rockets, the Detroit Blues Band, and his current group Mystery Train. He’s recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Seger.
In 1970-71, he played his first stint with the rock “super group” Cactus, dubbed “the “American Led Zeppelin” by Creem magazine.
The band reunited in 2006 (with former Savoy Brown frontman Jimmy Kunes replacing the late Rusty Day on vocals) and released the studio album “Cactus V.” McCarty left the band in 2008, but rejoined in 2011.
The new CD by the reunited Cactus has McCarty as excited as a school boy hearing the recess bell.
“This one is, hands down, the best sounding CD the band has ever put out,” McCarty said. “On a lot of our CDs, the playing was good but the recording quality and the overall sound left something to be desired. This CD sounds the way it is supposed to from an audio point of view. It’s our most mature work too.”
The current Cactus lineup features original members McCarty and drummer Carmine Appice, 69, who is also known for his work with Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice with guitarist Jeff Beck.



According to McCarty, they continue to rock hard.
“Nobody else mine and Carmine’s age are still doing this stuff and pulling it off,” McCarty said. “On the new CD, there are two tracks from 1970 on it. When you listen to those and the stuff from 2016, there’s really no energy drop. That, I think, is a pretty amazing thing. The stuff being done now by the band stands up energy wise to the stuff we did 40 years ago.”
McCarty plans to keep rocking as long as he can continue to play.
“At this stage of the game, you don’t have quite the energy you had when you were 25 or 30, but the trade off is there is more maturity and weight on the notes. You’re not playing quite as many notes, but they have more meaning.
“I’m happy to be in the position I’m in. I’m dealing with some physical stuff, but I can still play guitar and I’m grateful for that. That’s what I am here for, and that’s what I’ll do.”

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@yahoo.com

Guitarist Jim McCarty continues to create new music

Guitarist Jim McCarty has two new releases debuting this summer.

Guitarist Jim McCarty has enjoyed a love affair with his Gibson Les Paul for decades.
It has been over 50 years since he began his recording career as a member of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the powerhouse band that produced hits such as "Devil with a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly," "Sock It to Me - Baby" and "Jenny Take a Ride."
But McCarty, who just turned 71, isn’t living in the past. He remains a vibrant live performer and is still creating music and inspiring new generations of rock and blues guitarists.
“At this stage of the game, the physicality of the thing is the biggest issue,” McCarty said. “When you get to be my age, physical problems rear their ugly head.
“But, I love playing. That’s what I’m here to do and it never gets tiring.”
McCarty has two new releases debuting this summer.
“Jim McCarty and Friends II - Live From Callahan’s” will be celebrated with a CD release party on July 15 at Callahan’s Music Hall in Auburn Hills.
The new release by McCarty’s blues rock band Cactus, “Black Dawn,” debuts in August, followed by a mini tour that includes a performance at the Magic Bag in Ferndale on Sept. 17.
“McCarty and Friends II” features McCarty recorded jamming live on stage with internationally known blues artists such as Coco Montoya, Tommy Castro, Joe Louis Walker, Nick Moss and Jason Ricci.
The impromptu jams took the musicians out of their comfort zone and produced some magical moments.
“When you’re jamming, you’re on the edge of the cliff and anything can happen,” McCarty said. “Most of these bands on the CD have one guitar with a keyboard player. With me, they have two guitars and there’s more energy and we punch each other up. Something exciting almost always happens.
“The track with Tommy Castro is a good example. He’s a big Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels fan and he just yelled out ‘key of C’ and started playing the ‘Jenny-Jenny/Good Golly Miss Molly’ thing off the top of his head. I said to myself, ‘Whoa!’ I didn’t even realize that was what he was doing until he started singing.
“Then, he took it up a key when he realized it was too low a key for him to sing. I thought it was great. We were walking on the edge of the cliff, but the band came into the new key balls out. It was like, ‘Boom!’”
McCarty describes the perfomance of “Everyday I Have the Blues” featuring Johnnie Bassett and McCarty’s longtime bandmate Rick Stel as “really special.” Both Bassett and Stel have passed on since the recording.
“Johnnie seemed like he was healthy as he could be that night,” McCarty said. “He was in good spirits and you can tell listening to that track that we had a lot of fun.”
McCarty, who is not to be confused with The Yardbirds drummer who shares his name, has had an extensive career that includes stints with the Buddy Miles Express, The Rockets, the Detroit Blues Band, and his current group Mystery Train. He’s recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Seger.
In 1970-71, he played his first stint with the rock “super group” Cactus, dubbed “the “American Led Zeppelin” by Creem magazine.
The band reunited in 2006 (with former Savoy Brown frontman Jimmy Kunes replacing the late Rusty Day on vocals) and released the studio album “Cactus V.” McCarty left the band in 2008, but rejoined in 2011.
The new CD by the reunited Cactus has McCarty as excited as a school boy hearing the recess bell.
“This one is, hands down, the best sounding CD the band has ever put out,” McCarty said. “On a lot of our CDs, the playing was good but the recording quality and the overall sound left something to be desired. This CD sounds the way it is supposed to from an audio point of view. It’s our most mature work too.”
The current Cactus lineup features original members McCarty and drummer Carmine Appice, 69, who is also known for his work with Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice with guitarist Jeff Beck.



According to McCarty, they continue to rock hard.
“Nobody else mine and Carmine’s age are still doing this stuff and pulling it off,” McCarty said. “On the new CD, there are two tracks from 1970 on it. When you listen to those and the stuff from 2016, there’s really no energy drop. That, I think, is a pretty amazing thing. The stuff being done now by the band stands up energy wise to the stuff we did 40 years ago.”
McCarty plans to keep rocking as long as he can continue to play.
“At this stage of the game, you don’t have quite the energy you had when you were 25 or 30, but the trade off is there is more maturity and weight on the notes. You’re not playing quite as many notes, but they have more meaning.
“I’m happy to be in the position I’m in. I’m dealing with some physical stuff, but I can still play guitar and I’m grateful for that. That’s what I am here for, and that’s what I’ll do.”

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@yahoo.com

Collaboration produces new sounds from Luther Badman Keith

From the opening horn riff that kicks off “Wow Oui Ole,” the first song on Luther Badman Keith’s new recording “Bluesmen Are Kings,” it is quickly apparent that the CD offers a new sound from the Detroit blues musician.

“Wow Oui Ole,” a jump blues tune inspired by Louis Jordan, is one of several on the 13-song CD that represent a variety of musical styles, featuring horns and keyboards as well as Keith’s vocals and electric lead guitar.

LUTHER BADMAN KEITH

“The biggest thing with this CD, which is my fourth one, is that it shows my evolution as a musician, and represents the growth from when I started in 1998 until now,” Keith said. “It’s taken time. I couldn’t have produced a CD like this the first 3 or 4 years out. I needed time to grow as a musician and a songwriter.”

According to Keith, the biggest influence on the recording is that he worked with a producer for the first time. It was recorded at Josh Ford’s The Sound Shop studio in Macomb. Ford, who performs as Motor City Josh, worked with Keith on the arrangements.

“He is a tremendous producer,” said Keith, who wrote all the songs on the CD. “He took the songs I wrote and helped bring out the best arrangements and refined my ideas.

“I can’t say enough about Josh Ford. Because he is a musician, he hears things well and is open to new ideas. If something is not working, he will tell you. And he is willing to take chances and be a little adventurous.”

The CD features horns by Billy Furman and Mark Croft (members of Keith’s band who also did the horn arrangements), keyboardist Jim David, and the studio rhythm section of bassist Alex Lyon and drummer Todd Glass. Motor City Josh also plays on the CD.

The result is a sound that incorporates the talents of all involved, producing a solid collection of well-crafted tunes.

“The greatest thing for me is to write great songs with great lyrics,” said Keith, a former long-time journalist who is now executive director of ARISE Detroit!, a community mobilization organization. “That’s what I get a lot of response to. I never fashioned myself as someone trying to be a guitar hero. I want to be appreciated more as a songwriter.”

Keith also hopes the CD brings appreciation for the many talented working blues musicians in Detroit, as well as blues legends of the past.

“Before I could play a note, I would go to shows and I could see that these blues guys were awesome,” Keith said. “I met Albert Collins and Luther Allison and other guys who were all great cats and nice guys.

“They were really more than average guys. They were people we should revere. I wanted to make that (title) song a tribute, that it is really special to be a bluesman. It is a wonderful experience to share with people the great feeling of blues music.”

According to Keith, the CD has gotten air play in England and Australia and on local radio stations WHFR, WEMU and WDET.

“I wanted to produce something listenable and fun, as well as make each song stand on its own. No two sound alike. There is jump blues, hardcore blues and a little rock. All those elements merge for a gutsier, blusier sound.

“I wanted to open some ears with it and make people say ‘wow oui ole.’”

UPCOMING SHOWS

Luther Badman Keith has two upcoming performances scheduled in downtown Detroit.

From 9 p.m-midnight Nov. 13, Keith will be joined by keyboardist Mickey Atkins in a free show with singer-songwriter Paul Miles at the Signature Grill, 250 Riverfront Drive, inside Riverfront Towers. Admission is free. RSVP by calling 313-394-0667.

From 6-9 p.m. Nov. 24, Keith and his full band will perform at a benefit for the Society of Professional Journalists at PJ’s Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave. (313-961-4668). Admission is a $10 donation.

For more information on Luther Badman Keith, click badmanbluz.com.

Dirty Basement Blues is 'Coming Clean'

Dirty Basement Blues: Mike Conley, Joe Stanley, Bryan Miller, Pate Zajicek,Frank Grimaldi.

Dirty Basement Blues is “Coming Clean.”
The band, which garnered a 2015 Detroit Music Awards nomination for best blues artist/group, doesn’t play straight blues.
The band’s album “Coming Clean,” which received a Detroit Music Awards nomination as best blues recording, incorporates rock, soul and other influences.
“The title speaks for us coming clean about all our musical influences and the things that inspired us to write music,” lead vocalist Frank Grimaldi said. “We’re all influenced by the blues cats, rock ’n’ roll, soul music, church music, anything with soul. We took our influences, put ‘em down, and made them our own.”
The album, which was recorded live with minimal overdubbing in March of 2014 at Josh Ford’s Sound Shop Studios in Macomb Township, has nine original songs and one cover, “Walk In My Shadow,” by Paul Rodgers.
It features the vocals of Grimaldi, who is only 24 but delivers with depth reminiscent of white blues/rock/soul singers from Southeast Michigan who made their mark in the 1960s and ’70s, such as Mitch Ryder, Mark Farner of Grand Funk, Scott Morgan of The Rationals, and the late Rob Tyner of the MC5.
“I’ve loved the MC5 since I was 12 years old,” Grimaldi said. “I love their live record ‘Kick Out the Jams.’ It is so sonically perfect. It feels like it’s going to fall apart at any moment and it doesn’t. That’s rock ’n’ roll.”
Grimaldi, whose first public performance was singing a Led Zeppelin song during an 8th grade talent show, used to hear vocal comparisons with Robert Plant. Recently, fans have been telling him he sounds like the late Steve Marriott from Humble Pie fame.
“That’s the highest compliment,” Grimaldi said. “He was one-of-a-kind.”
The group had its genesis as a power trio in early 2012 as two former Jam Samich band members — guitarist/vocalist Joe Stanley and drummer Mike Conley — joined forces with bassist Bryan “Bodi” Miller. 
A search for a lead singer brought in Grimaldi, who had been singing and playing guitar with the group Counter Culture.
The band added keyboardist/vocalist Pete Zajicek from the Square Boys for the 2012 Detroit Blues Challenge and advanced to the final round, but could not compete in the finals because Stanley was on his honeymoon. Zajicek blended so well with the other musicians that he eventually joined the group as a band member.
In 2013, Dirty Basement Blues returned to the competition and won the Blues Challenge, which is hosted by the Detroit Blues Society. Earlier, Jam Samich had advanced to the finals, but did not win. That made the victory a little sweeter for the group.
“It was just solidifying, a very victorious moment for us,” Grimaldi said. “… As a group, it was like a ‘yeah’ moment.”
From there, the band went to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge.
“Memphis was incredible,” Grimaldi said. “We stayed at the Weston, across the street from the Gibson factory. We were only a block from Beale Street.
“There was great music everywhere. To be around that many musicians was great. Everybody was real cool and by the end of the week people were recognizing us and saying ‘Hey, Detroit!’ It was neat.”
The members of Dirty Basement Blues are currently working on their second studio album and will also soon release “Dirty Basement Blues Live at Callahan’s,” a live album recorded at Callahan’s Music Hall in Auburn Hills, which will host a CD release party on Aug. 21.

“We loved doing the studio album but we feel like live performances are our bread and butter,” Grimaldi said. “We get to jam more and people can see more aspects of all of us as performers.”

You can see the Oakland County-based Dirty Basement Blues band perform live from 5:30-6:15 p.m. on Thursday, June 25 at the Stars and Stripes Festival at Freedom Hill County Park in Sterling Heights; and 6-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 27 on the Summer Sun Stage at the first-ever Summer Magic Festival in Mount Clemens.

MORE BLUES
Several other blues bands will be performing at the Summer Magic Festival.
On the Summer Sun Stage (Clock Tower at New Street and Main Street), the Pet Zelenka Project performs classic rock and blues at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25. On Friday, June 26, the schedule includes Rolling Blue (blues/rock) at 2:45 p.m. and Downriver Dan (blues/rock) at 5 p.m. On June 27, enjoy The Boa Constrictors at 2:15 p.m. On June 28, one man band Sweet Willie Tea performs a mix of Americana and blues at 1 p.m. and Laura Rain & the Caesars deliver powerful blues and soul music at 2:15 p.m.

On the Gemini Moon Stage (Roskopp Parking Lot, Macomb Place and southbound Gratiot Avenue), St. Cecelia (4 p.m.) and The Muggs (6:45 p.m.) perform blues rock on Friday. Saturday brings the Todd Wolfe Band (bluesadelic rock) at 7 p.m. and Jack Russell’s Great White (blues rock) at 10:30 p.m.

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@yahoo.com

A Tribute to Eddie Burns on Saturday

When Little Sonny moved to Detroit from Alabama in 1953, he met Eddie “Guitar” Burns.

Burns, who died in 2012 at age 84, will be honored at the concert “A Tribute to Eddie Burns” at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9 at the Scarab Club in Detroit.

Burns was the first musician to give Little Sonny, who became an internationally known harmonica player and singer, encouragement in the budding stages of his musical career.

Eddie Burns in 2005 at Cobo Joe's in Detroit. (BluesPhotos by Don Mc Ghee)

Little Sonny recalls working as a photographer at various Detroit clubs, including the Plantation Club on Russell near Warren, where Burns was a mainstay.

“Eddie found out I played harmonica and he used to let me come up and sit in with him,” Little Sonny said. “(Eddie) was the first one that did that.”

Little Sonny was impressed with Burns’ talent as a singer, harmonica player and guitarist, and also regarding his musical knowledge.

“Eddie was blues, but he would mix with some jazz as well, like Louis Jordan. He also knew a lot of Leadbelly and the other old cat’s stuff. He was more educated about the old blues than any of the guys I knew. He could back to Charlie Patton and all the old blues artists. He could not only go back, but he could remember the songs and play them.

“He was a hell of a musician, from the old type of blues, before Muddy Waters. He knew all those old songs I had never even heard of.

“He was a good writer too and had hits himself. He would play stuff by Bobby Bland and Louis Jordan and a lot of the old-time musicians, and some up-to-date stuff as well.

“He wasn’t just an outright blues artist. He mixed his stuff. I learned to go into a different bag from him.”

Singer-guitarist Carlton Washington, 29, will lead a veteran band at the tribute Saturday. He will be joined by singer-guitarist Billy Davis, who first gained recognition with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, as well as bassist Frank Bryant and drummer Clyde “Poppa” Lee, both veterans of Eddie Burns’ band.
Washington is from a different generation, but he is familiar with Eddie Burns and his music.
“I’ve always been into the history of Detroit blues," Washington said. "I came up watching Johnnie Bassett, and he provided inspiration to dig deeper.

“Eddie Burns was a great songwriter, and it’s an honor to be able to pay tribute to a very important part of Detroit blues.”

Although Burns later garnered the nickname “Guitar,” he started out as a harmonica player. Burns played the harp “backward,” with the higher register on the left side.

“Eddie is the only guy I know who could play ‘Juke,’ and sound like Little Walter,” Little Sonny said.

Burns, a Mississippi native whose brother Jimmy Burns is a Chicago soul-blues musician, played and recorded with John Lee Hooker, and toured internationally. Eddie Burns received the Michigan Heritage Award in 1994, and, in 1998, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Detroit Blues Society, which is hosting Saturday’s event.

Little Sonny was close friends with Burns for over 50 years and performed with him at his final live performance, at the Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival at the Music Hall Center for Performing Arts in Detroit in 2008.

“I never had a friend better than him,” Little Sonny said. “He would tell you and show you things a lot of other musicians wouldn’t show you. He would guide you in the music world.

“He would give me information on touring overseas before I went overseas. He let me know about the pitfalls so I would avoid them. That’s the kind of person he was. He would give you some advice to help you. He wasn’t selfish.”

Little Sonny described Burns as “humble.”   

“You couldn’t beat him. He was a beautiful person and he left behind a beautiful legacy with me and other musicians too.”

The Scarab Club is at 217 Farnsworth near the Detroit Institute of Arts, A $5 donation is requested. For information, click detroitbluessociety.org.

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@yahoo.com

Anti-Freeze Festival has recipe for hot blues

Here’s a recipe for some hot blues.

Start with a national headlining act that has roots that go way back in the blues music world. Add a sprinkle of top local talent. Mix, and let smoke.

Repeat for a double batch.

That’s a winning formula for this weekend’s Anti-Freeze Blues Festival at the Magic Bag in Ferndale.

On Friday, the headliner will be Louisiana swamp boogie legend Lazy Lester. Supporting acts include vocalist Tosha Owens; Detroit blues veterans Harmonica Shah and guitarist Jeff Grand, and John Rhoades, one of several younger players making a mark in the Motor City.

On Saturday, the Siegel-Schwall Band headlines; following the Howard Glazer Band, which recently released the fine CD “Looking in the Mirror;” young guns Jason Alter and Jason “J-Bone” Bone; and the Chris Canas Band.

The event is a fundraiser for the Detroit Blues Society.

“It’s the first and biggest fundraiser (of the year) for the Detroit Blues Society,” said Steve Soviak, president of the DBS. “It’s very exciting. It doesn’t get much better than Siegel-Schwall and Lazy Lester.

“Lazy Lester has been around, almost, since day one. He is 81 years old and was there with Muddy Waters and the whole second generation of Chicago blues guys, although he’s more of a swamp blues guy, with other guys like Slim Harpo.

“I remember seeing Siegel-Schwall at Masonic Temple in the 1970s, opening for Dave Mason. I believe (drummer) Sam Lay is still in the band. He played in Muddy Waters’ band at one time.”

Lay, 79, is also famous for his work with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band as well as lengthy stints backing up Little Walter, and performed with Bob Dylan when he introduced electric-rock at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

I saw Siegel-Schwall perform at the Magic Bag a few years ago, and it was one of the best shows I’ve seen at that venue. Harmonica player Corky Siegel and guitarist Jim Schwall cut their blues teeth as youngsters performing as the house band at Pepper's Lounge on the south side of Chicago back in the ‘60s.

Following the show, Lay told me, “I’m so hot, my toenails are sweating.” That’s how hard this band works.

Soviak is also pleased with the supporting acts at this year’s festival, the 21^st in the series.

“They are the cream of the crop of Detroit blues,” he said. “Jeff Grand and Harmonica Shah are involved, and Howard Glazer too. Chris Canas has won the Detroit Blues Challenge four times and will be going to Memphis to represent Detroit at the (International Blues Challenge).”

General admission tickets are $25 each night. Stop by and say hello to Soviak at the merchandise table. The Detroit Blues Society is celebrating its 30^th year and has several special events and a membership drive planned.

“It’s an exciting year for us, and we’re starting it off with the Anti-Freeze Blues Festival,” Soviak said.

To see a story about the Siegel-Schwall Band by music writer Gary Graff, click here.

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com

Little Sonny recalls Alberta Adams as 'a legend in Detroit'

Alberta Adams performing at the Southfield Public Library in 2011.

When harmonica player and singer Little Sonny moved to Detroit from Alabama in 1953, singer Alberta Adams was already a fixture on the Detroit blues music scene.

Adams, known as Detroit's Queen of the Blues, died on Christmas Day at the age of 97.

“I got to know her many, many years ago and I knew her very well,”  Little Sonny said. “She was always a nice, beautiful lady, and she always had nice things to say.”

Little Sonny, 82, remembers Adams as a popular performer at the Flame Show Bar and other Detroit blues clubs of that time.

“She was playing with all the big stars, Cab Calloway, T-Bone Walker and those guys,” Little Sonny recalled. “She did shows with all those big-timers. She had a long history in the blues and she is one of the last of our blues legends.

“She paid the dues. People like that helped set the path for people like me.”

Alberta Adams

Little Sonny’s sons -- musicians Aaron Willis Jr. and Anthony Willis -- performed with Adams on different shows, he said. According to Little Sonny, Adams excelled at performing old-time blues.

“She was doing blues back then that was not as modern as the blues I or John Lee Hooker were doing. In her day, she was doing blues like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Sippie Wallace did. She was in that era and never came completely came out of that. She didn’t change with the trends and move into the modern era, but it worked for her.”

Adams began her career as a dancer in the 1940s, but soon switched to singing, touring with big name musicians such as Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson.

Her solo career enjoyed a resurgence starting in the 1990s with her association with manager/musician RJ Spangler. She recorded two CDs for the now defunct Cannonball Records label and then moved to Detroit-based Eastlawn Records. Adams also recorded for the Chess, Savoy and Thelma (Gordy) labels.

Little Sonny

Adams was honored at a tribute event titled “To Alberta With Love” on March 2 at the Detroit Pub in Clinton Township.

Little Sonny recalled Adams as a wonderful person.

“Every time I met her, she had that nice smile. She was a beautiful lady. I’ve never seen her with a bad attitude. That’s something to say. She was never cocky. She was always pleasant and had a nice conversation for you. That’s what I loved about her.

“She was a very outspoken person and I loved her for that too. She was a natural and she wasn’t a flaky type person who thought she was so much more than anyone else. Give and receive, that’s the way she was.

“She played a big part in Detroit blues. I’m glad the Lord extended her to be here for a long career and to be able to continuously go, until the last minute almost.

“She was a legend in Detroit.”

To read an article on Alberta Adams by music writer Gary Graff. click here.

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com

Blues at the library

Jimmy Alter (photo by Mike Klewicki)

There are plenty of young, talented blues musicians in Detroit, and you can see several as Jimmy Alter & Friends perform at the Southfield Public Library’s Jazz & Blues series program at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The band includes four of Detroit’s top young blues guitarists – Jimmy Alter, Jason “J-Bone” Bone, Carlton Washington and Brendon Linsley, a guitar whiz only in his mid-teens.  All four are good friends – between them they play in many different bands and musical ventures, sometime together, sometimes separately. They’ll be backed by veterans Chris Rumel on bass and Dave Watson on drums.

General admission is $5, $3 for Friends of the Southfield Public Library members. There is no charge for children under 12.

The Southfield Public Library is in the Southfield Municipal Complex, 26300 Evergreen Road. For more information, call the Guest Services Desk at 248-796-4224.

Alberta Adams is still Detroit's' Queen of the Blues

Alberta Adams

Singer Alberta Adams, known as Detroit's Queen of the Blues, is featured in an interesting article by Metro Times music writer Brett Callwood, who recently sat down with Alberta and her manager, RJ Spangler, at her Detroit home.
Click here to read Callwood's article.
I have seen Alberta perform several times, most recently in 2011 at the Southfield Public Library. Although she was in her 90s and in a wheelchair, she put on a very entertaining show, exhibiting the vibrancy of a much younger person. My favorite moment from the evening was when she was performing an uptempo tune. She obviously thought people should be dancing, so she pointed to two people in the front of the audience and said "dance!". They most certainly did. Who could turn down a request from the queen?

Alberta Adams

Alberta was honored this spring at the Detroit Pub Music Room’s Sunday Steak & Blues Series. It was titled “To Alberta With Love.”
If you want to show her some love yourself, check out one of her fine albums recorded when she was in her 80s. She recorded two CDs for the now defunct Cannonball Records label and then moved to Detroit-based Eastlawn Records. Her third record with Eastlawn, "Detroit Is My Home" (2008), features collaborations with pianists Mark "Mr. B" Braun, Al Hill and the late Ann Rabson (Saffire). Thornetta Davis also appeared on the CD. Years earlier, Alberta also recorded for the Chess, Savoy and Thelma (Gordy) labels.   

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com

Laura Rain and the Caesars perform smokin' hot show at Boo's

Laura Rain and George Friend

A near capacity crowd thoroughly enjoyed what I describe as two “must sees” on Saturday night as Laura Rain and the Caesars performed a smokin’ hot show at the new Boo’s club inside Mr. B’s Pub in downtown Royal Oak.

Rain, singer and frontwoman for the group, is a dynamic performer best described as a force of nature. She boasts a powerful voice that is reminiscent of Aretha with a touch of Esther Phillips. And she delivers her vocals with a ferocity that reminded a companion of Janis Joplin. Rain, introduced as the “Cleopatra of the Blues,” was resplendent in a shimmery vintage gown. She has a great stage presence, oodles of sex appeal, boundless energy, and is a “must see” if you haven’t caught the group’s powerful mix of blues, R&B, funk and “modern, retro soul.”

Mark "Paz Man"  Pasman

Matching Rain in quality was guitarist George Friend, a talented and versatile axman who excels in both backup and solo roles. His playing can be subtle and tasteful, but he can rock out just as well.

Bassist Gwenyth Hayes and drummer Scott Veenstra provide a solid rhythm section.

Friend looked like he was having a blast on Saturday, not only when he was interacting with Rain, but also when Boo’s musical host, guitarist Mark “Paz Man” Pasman, joined the group for a half dozen selections.

Hearing these two fine guitarists trading licks was a treat indeed.

Boo’s, an intimate upscale blues club inside Mr. B’s in Royal Oak, is also a “must see.” The club has a cool vibe and lots of ambient energy, courtesy of the crowd inside Mr. B’s as well as the individuals who walk by on Main Street past the bank of windows behind the stage. The group’s dynamic sound produced lots of curious looks by those passing by.

Check out Laura Rain and the Caesars and their new CD, “Closer,” at laurarain.net. Be sure to catch a live performance before they head out on tour again. Click here to see a photo gallery from Saturday's show.

Laura Rain and the Caesars

At Boo’s, you can order food from the menu that received an overhaul when former auto-executive-turned-chef Johnny Prep purchased Mr. B’s and renovated the business this summer.

Boo’s has an excellent sound system that is not overwhelming loud, despite the relatively small size of the club. Unlike many blues clubs, a reservation holds a table for you, so there’s no hassle finding a seat. The club does have a cover charge (usually $10) on the weekends, but it’s worth it to see top Detroit blues performers in such an intimate setting.

Boo’s has only been open since Nov. 15, but has already hosted many talented performers including Bobby Murray, longtime guitarist for Etta James; and singer Thornetta Davis, a Detroit favorite.

You can count on Boo’s always hosting the cream of the Detroit blues crop, since Pasman does the booking. He knows the Detroit scene as well as anyone, not only as a musician, but as the former host of the “Motor City Blues Project” radio show for over 25 years. It helps that the club owner is a fan of the music too.

This week, Robert Noll performs as part of the Thursday Front Porch series, Howard Glazer celebrates the release of his new recording “Looking in the Mirror” with a live show on Friday, and The Alligators come in Saturday.

Downtown Royal Oak has not had a venue for the blues since Memphis Smoke closed. Boo’s presents a new opportunity to enjoy the best of the Detroit blues scene in a safe, downtown environment.

Check it out as soon as you can.

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com

Boo's club brings blues to Royal Oak

Mark Pasman

The blues are coming to Royal Oak.

Boo’s, a new blues club inside Mr. B’s on Main Street in downtown Royal Oak, has a new performance space that will be hosted by a familiar face: blues musician and radio personality Mark "Pazman" Pasman. who hosted the “Motor City Blues Project” on WCSX-FM for 26 years before the station canceled the show in February.

Pazman will serve as Boo’s host and musical director, booking the acts for the 100-person capacity room. Pazman kicks things off Saturday, Nov. 15 with a free Pazman's Supersession show. 

Click here to see music writer Gary Graff's story about the new club.

LADY SUNSHINE AND THE X BAND

The Southfield Public Library will feature Lady Sunshine and The X Band at the next Jazz & Blues @ Your Library performance at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

The band is a two-time winner of the Detroit Blues Challenge; finished second at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn., in 2005; made it to the IBC semifinals in 2013; and has twice been named best blues band in Washtenaw County by Current magazine.

General admission is $5 and there is no admission charge for children under 12.

MARCIA BALL CELEBRATES NEW RELEASE

Texas-born, Louisiana-raised pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball celebrates the release of her new Alligator Records CD, "The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man," with a live performance on Nov. 22 at Callahan's Music Hall in Auburn Hills.

"The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man" is her sixth release for the label.  Four of her previous five releases received Grammy Award nominations. 

Ball received the 2012 Blues Music Award for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Of The Year. She has received 42 BMA nominations and has nine wins. She received a 2014 Living Blues Readers' Poll Award for Most

Outstanding Musician (keyboard) and has seven Living Blues Awards in all.

For info, click atcallahans.com.

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com

Busy weekend for Jim McCarty

It is going to be a busy weekend for Jim McCarty.

The rock and blues guitarist and singer well known internationally for his work with groups such as Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Cactus, and The Rockets, will host the Detroit Blues Society jam on Saturday at Shelly Kelly’s in Fraser; and then will be part of a Johnny Winter tribute on Sunday at Callahan’s Music Hall in Auburn Hills.

Jim McCarty

On Saturday, he’ll perform with his band Mystery Train, which includes his son Dylan McCarty on drums and bassist Marvin Conrad. Singer-guitarist Emmanuel Garza completes the lineup. He joined the band after the death of McCarty’s longtime musical partner Rick Stel in April.

McCarty’s roots with Garza are deep as well, going back to their days together in the Detroit Blues Band. That made the transition to a new lineup following Stel’s death a little easier.

“We’re a little more hardcore blues with Emmanuel, but the energy has stayed the same, which is the most important thing,” McCarty said. “Me and E know each other like the back of our hands. We work well together and have a lot of fun.”

McCarty has played Shelly Kelly’s before, years ago when it was the Erin Pub.

“It should be fun,” he said. “(Singer) Nikki James is going to be there and we’ll get her up on stage. It’s always a good time.”

McCarty and harmonica player-singer Jason Ricci will join Johnny Winter’s backup band for the tribute performance on Sunday.

“It’s going to be nice to see Jason,” McCarty said. “He was on my ‘McCarty and Friends’ CD, but I haven’t seen him in a few years.”

McCarty knew Johnny Winter for years.

“We had a few stories from the old days, some things you can’t put in print,” he said with a laugh. “In the old days, Johnny was a guitar slinger. He could fire it up.”

In late July, only two weeks after Winter’s death, McCarty went to see his Cactus bandmate, drummer Carmine Appice, perform with Vanilla Fudge in the Rock ‘n’ Blues Fest – A Tribute to Johnny Winter show at  DTE Energy Music Theatre. Also on the bill was the Edgar Winter Group, fronted by Johnny Winter’s younger brother Edgar.

“I joined them for a tribute to his brother at the end of the night,” McCarty said. “We did ‘Highway 61,’ ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Hootchie Coo’ and couple of other things.

“John is somebody I respected, so I have no problem paying my respects to a guy who was a great guitar player.”

Can’t make it to either show this weekend? McCarty will be back at Callahan’s on Nov. 29 with his friend, blues guitarist Sonny Moorman.

“Our first set is acoustic with my harp player, Kenny Welk,” McCarty said.  “People love it. Then, in our second set, we whip it.”

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com

Papa Lee and the Body Shop Blues

Clyde "Papa" Lee - BluesPhotos by Don Mc Ghee

Papa Lee and the Body Shop Blues will be the featured performers at the Southfield Public Library’s Jazz & Blues program on Sept. 17.

Band leader Clyde W. “Papa” Lee Sr. began playing drums when he was in middle school in Flint and he is still at it more than 60 years later. He traveled and recorded with the Detroit Emeralds in the 1970s and played the famous Club Paradise in Idlewild, Mich.

He’s played with John Lee Hooker, Bobo Jenkins, Washboard Willie, Chicago Pete and just about every well-known Detroit blues artist during the past 50 years, including Eddie Burns, Calvin Frazier, Willie D. Warren, Mr. Bo and Little Mac Collins, Uncle Jessie White, and the Butler Twins.

"Little Arthur" Anderson

The evening will feature “Little Arthur” Anderson on harp and vocals. Also joining Papa Lee will be guitarists Joe Mitchell and Nick Tabarias, and bassist Buster Wylie.

The band will perform at 6:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room of the Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Road. General admission is $5, $3 for Friends of the Southfield Public Library members. There is no admission charge for children under age 12.

Jazz & Blues is sponsored by the Friends of the Southfield Public Library and the Detroit Blues Society.

For more information, call the Guest Services Desk at 248-796-4224 or click www.southfieldlibrary.org.

To send info to JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com