KANSAS CITY BLUES SOCIETY

SEPTEMBER 1990

Featured artists at the 10th Annual KC Blues & Heritage Fest Include: Albert King (below), Albert Collins (above), Lowell Fulson (right), and Rufus Thomas (not pictured).

10th Annual Blues & Heritage

Fest - Sept. 22 & 23

The 10th Annual KC Blues & Heritage Fest on September 22 and 23 is a free outdoor festival at Liberty Memorial from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is a benefit for the homeless and will be dedicated to the memory of George Jackson and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Headliners for KCBS' 10th Annual Blues & Heritage Fest include Albert Collins, Albert King, Lowell Fulson, Rufus Thomas, Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Clarence Edwards, Chick Willis, and Abb Locke. Many of the best local blues bands will also appear, such as Little Hatch & the Houserockers, Milleage Gilbert, KC Bottoms Band, The Bon Ton Soul Accordion Band, SDI, the Dan Doran Band, and Mama Ray with Rich VanSant.

Donations for the homeless will be requested on the festival grounds located at the north end of the Liberty Memorial for the Mid-America Assistant Coalition. There will also be a clothes drop off which will benefit the Let Us Go Foundation.

Kicking off the Blues Fest is the 2nd Annual Blues Club Crawl featuring Kansas City's fmest local blues nightclubs. One ticket, $6.00 for the public and $5.00 for KCBS members, will give you a bus ride to all the blues clubs in the crawl or if you prefer to drive yourself, a $6.00 donation will still be requested at the door. If you are planning on staying at only one club, the donation will $2.00.

Spirit Fest '90 ... KCBS' 10th Annual Blues & Heritage Fest

The Blues Boulevard KCBS beverage booth at Spirit Fest '90

Ir=jl~-::===~l was an incredible success due to the hard work of KCBS' volunteers. We served over 12,000 customers in two and a half days. KCBS would like to thank the Spirit Fest committee for allowing KCBS to participate plus big blues thanks to KCBS volunteers who worked doubly hard on Labor Day weekend in blazing heat. Be prepared volunteers: your enthusiasm will be desperately needed to make the Blues Fest happen. If you and your friends would like to sign up for a shift now for

NOT E S

by Shirley Owens

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

BLUES NEWS • 1

w.c. Handy: Father of the Blues

Aiew weeks ago, "Yesterday's Blues" visited the W.C. crystalizethe musical form and bring rural blues into the world

andy Festival held in Y.B.'s former hometown of of popular music. Wand and Seals drifted into oblivion, while

orence, Alabama. It was a week-long (August 4-11) Handy became rich and famous, enjoying a long career as a

celebration of the blues and of this Tennessee Valley city's most composer, musician, author, and music publisher. Many of his

famous son, William Christopher Handy. Day and night, blues songs have become classics of American popular music.

concerts, jams, and street dances went on all over town. Two Handy was born in Florence in 1873, to parents who had been

nationally known performers - Lit- slaves, but who had become land owners and relatively

tie Milton, the blues singer, and prosperous after emancipation. Handy's father was also a

Jimmy Smith, the jazz organist - Methodist minister. When William Christopher was quite young,

headed up the line of talent, but he made up his mind to become a musician. In spite of opposition

several regional musicians were fea- from both his parents and his teachers, he was secretly able to

tured as well. The week offestivities buy a comet and learn to play it. A major musical influence on

concluded on Saturday, August 11, young Handy was an alcoholic fiddler by the name oflim Turner,

with a street strut in which gaily who had drifted into Florence from Memphis. Turner taught

costumed and umbrella-twirling, Handy a lot about music. and he told him also about a street in

high stepping marchers pranced to Memphis that never slept - Beale Street. Handy determined that

the swinging rhythms of a brass some day he would go there, and while he was still a teenager,

band, all highly reminiscent of New he started on the road that would eventually take him to Mem-

Orleans. This parade snaked around phis.

through town and finally ended in a For a few years, he wandered around the country, taking

park where a variety of bands By Doyle M. Pace whatever jobs he could find, from teaching school to working in

provided blues all day long. In addi- a foundry. Occasionally, he would be able to playa gig with some

tion to this annual festival, Handy's band, until eventually he landed a full-time job with a minstrel

hometown honors him with the w.e. Handy Museum, based in troupe that led to a job as a band leader in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

a log cabin similar to the one in which he was born. Clarksdale is in the heart of the Delta country where by this time

W.C. Handy was one of the first three composers to publish (1903), the blues were already popular.

the blues, all within a few weeks of each other. In August 1912, In his autobiography, Father a/the Blues, Handy relates the

a ragtime piano player, Artie Seals published the "Baby Seals incident in which he first heard the blues while waiting for a train

Blues .... A month later, the "Dallas Blues," written by Hart Wand ata depot in Clarksdale. He heard someone playing a guitar using

appeared in print, and, finally, three weeks later, Handy's "Mem- the common country blues technique of sliding a pocket knife on

phis Blues" was published. Of course; the blues had been per- the strings and singing a traveling song, "Goin' Where the

formed for several years before then, but publication helped to Souther Cross' the Dog." Handy called it the weirdest music he had ever heard. This quaint tune had a lasting impression on him, and he began to ponder the possibility of writing down and orchestrating this kind of music for his band.

By the time W.C. Handy moved to Memphis and Beale Street in 1909, he was an accomplished musician and a very competent band leader. It didn't take him long to become recognized as one of the top band leaders in a city known for good bands. Handy's band was hired by the election committee of the notorious E.H. "Boss" Crump in an effort to win the Beale Street vote in the 1909 mayoral election. For the occasion, Handy composed a tune called "Mr. Crump."

The became enormously popular allover Memphis and Handy, hoping to capitalize on this popularity after the election, published it as the "Memphis Blues. '" The song became a national hit. Handy formed his own publishing company and soon followed the "Memphis Blues" with a succession of blues based compositions, including ~The Yellow Dog Blues,'" ~Joe Turner Blues," and the immortal "St. Louis Blues."

Blues purists are often disdainful of w.e. Handy. Many do not consider him a "true" blues musician. He is often given little or no mention in blues histories. But Handy did play an important role in the evolution of the blues. Largely through his efforts, the blues were no longer considered just quaint folksongs from the cotton fields, but a significant part of American popular music. 0

The Kansas City Blues News is published monthly by the Kansas City Blues Society, Inc. Articles, reviews, band calendar dates, and items of interest must be submitted by the 20th of each month, and become the property of the Society.

Founding Editor Roger Naber

Editor Shirley Owens

Contributing Writer Carolyn Wicker

Typesetting/Layout... Matt Quinn/472-4679

Board of Directors and Officers

Chairperson Shirley Owens

President Roger Naber

Vice-President... Suzanne Colbert

Vice-President... Patrick Flemington

Secretary Pam Jackson

Treasurer Jon Lowe

Membership Chairperson Marcie Ryan

Director Daisy Lujan

Director Kenny Taylor

Director Provine Hatch

Director Scott Mackey

Director Joyce Mouming

The Kansas Cfty Blues Society, a Missouri not-for-profit corporation was. formed for the sole purpose of promoting and preserving various styles of blues music. Founded in December of 1980, the Kansas Cfty Blues Society presents: monthly jam sessions, various local and national groups in concert, and our main presentation - The Kansas City Blues and Heritage Festival. Members receive the newsletter, discounts on Society events and discounts on purchases at certain participating businesses. Annual dues are $10 per person or $15 per family and $50 per Corporate Membership. To join the Society send your name, address, phone number and dues to:

Kansas Cfty Blues Society, P.O. Box 32131, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.

2 • SEPTEMBER 1990

Sources:

William Barlow, Looking Up at Down. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1989.

Samuel B. Charters, The Country Blues. New York Rinehart & Co., 1959. Bruce Cook, Listen to the Blues. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973.

"Blues for Rent" at Cajun Bistro

There is a jam that needs to be brought to light There is a place where every Monday night from 9 to 1 a.m., great food, great drinks and great traditional and original blues can be heard. It is one of the best kept secrets in town and I intend to let the cat out of the bag.

The Cajun Bistro at 3421 Broadway is not just another "jam in town"! The food is prepared by Buck Gosserand. He use to be

one of the owners of the ============;;; Cajun Seafood Restaurant. He has taken that concept one step further. Buck ============= believes that great food and

by Big Ed ambience has to be accom-

_____________ panied by great music. Sure

he has excellent music on the weekends by every Monday he has Blues for Rent.

Blues for Rent is Lisa Schnebelen (vocals), Les Poston (slide guitar), Snarlin' Bob (guitar, vocals), Louis Bernal (percussion) and Kevin Lake (bass, vocals).

First to jam was Andy Quick, harp of the Suburban Blues Band. Andy jammed on "Young Fashioned Ways," another Muddy Waters tune sung by Snarlin' Bob. Next, Andy's partner in blues Tony Martin (guitar, vocals), from the same band joined the jam. They did their usual outstanding job. They were then joined by Doug Cee (percussion). Doug is a pro that has been on the road from New York to Vegas in the past couple of years. After "Help Me" by Little Walter and an up tempo original blues by Tony, ScottJewett, bass of the Rockin' Daddies,joined the jams for several tunes. He is a real rock-steady!

The stage then underwent a complete transformation with Louie Bernal (percussion) and Kevin Lake (bass) from the host band, joined by John Paul Drum (harp, vocals), Jim Keeley (guitar), and Tom Gary (keys from the Hellhounds). They proceeded to lay everyone flat back for about 20 minutes. John is an extremely competent harp player and has developed a great stage presence! John Paul and the Hellhounds are very fine players.

The last to join the jam were Cal Green (guitar) and Mike Braden (bass from A Touch of Class). They slipped in a tune by Z.Z. Hill, "While You Been Steppin' Out!" They were definitely back in the alley.

Blues for Rent then took the stage to close the evening with two of their many original blues tunes. "One of Those Days" sung by Les Poston and .. It Would Be Nice" sung by Lisa.

In case you haven't noticed, I'd like to state. Yes! Big Ed is

back and I'll see you At the Jams!! 0

AT THE JAMS ...

Stevie Ray Vaughan at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, May 1990.

Photo by Ruth Evelyn Smith.

"I never saw T-Bone Walker live, but lots of times on records. But my biggest influence has been my brother, Jimmie, because of probably all the other influences he made it possible for me to have. Those people included Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King, Lonnie Mack. The first record I ever bought was Lonnie Mack's Wham .... But there was Freddie, B.B. and Albert, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin. Hubert is still one of the wildest guitar players I ever heard, without a doubt. Of course, fr~m Hendrix I heard all these different influences that I couldn't put a ftnger on. Bo Diddley, Albert Collins. This is 1966 or '67 that Jimmie first brought home a Hendrix record .... Stevie Ray Vaughan from Meeting the Blues by Alan Governor.

*The 10th Annual KC Blues Fest is dedicated to Stevie

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BLUES NEWS • 3

•

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CoiTimunlGroup. ~.

& HERITAGE FE.

LIBERTY MEMORIAL

(PERSHING & MAIN)

SEPTEMBER 22-23, 1990 11 AM - 7 PM

A BENEFIT FOR

THE HOMELESS

ALBERT KI ALBERT COLLI

LOWELL FULSON A

RUFUS THOMAS

MAGIC SUM a THE TEARDROps::::: *

CLARENCE EDWARDS ABB LOCKE

CHICK WILUS

Dan Doran Band little Hatch a the Hou_rocke,.

Bon Ton Soul Accordion Band )1-

KC Bottoms Band HOWARD JOHNSON'S::::CE JOJ

Mama Ray a Rich Van Sant 110 ~ • KANM8 aTY, totO 841011 • (118) 421-111X)

Mill.... Gilbert S.D.I. a MORE

CALL 816-531-7557 FOR INFORMATION

THURSDAY • SEPTEMBER 20 • 19 PM-1AM

$6.00 ($5.00 for KCBS members)

A BENEFIT FOR THE HOMELESS

BWES NOTIONS GRAND EMPORIUM • 3832 MAIN

MAMA RAY HARLINGS. 3941 MAIN

HOTHOUSE LEVEE. 43rd & MAIN

IDA McBETH THE POINT • 917 W. 44TH

JOE CARTWRIGHT CITY LIGHTS • 7425 BROADWAY

QUEEN BEY EBLON'S. 1601 E. 18TH

KING ALEX/THE UNTOUCHABLES MC'S LOUNGE • 5709 TROOST

DAVID BASSE/CITY UGHT ORCHESTRA UPTOWN DOWN & DIRTY. 6508 MARTWAY

KC BonOMS BAND THE TUBA • 333 SOUTHWEST BLVD.

I RICK HENDRICKS Be THE HIT Be RUN BAND AUDITORIUM BAR • 217 W. 14TH

B.B. COLEMAN NIGHTMOVES. 5110 NE VIVION RD.

SONNY KENNER INFERNO. 4038 TROOST

NACE BROTHERS BLAYNEY'S. 415 WESTPORT RD.

- - --

- -- --

- - - --

Co;;;uniGrouP, ~.

rOJlCc~ ..

~1 US Go \: fOUNDATION .I

Free Clothing Center~

CALL 816-531-7557 FOR INFORMATION.

WILL BE HOSTING THE

BLUES JAM EVERY MONDAY NIGHT

AT THE

GREAT FOODI GREAT DRINKSH

FINE TRADITIONAL Be ORIGINAL BLUEsm

with the

Trafffc Jam Blue. Hour 4-5 pm

and on Tuesday. a ""Utstlay. with the Breakfast Club 7:30 - 9:00 ,.",

"BLUES NOTES" FROM PAGE 1

either the Blues Club Crawl on 9/20 or the Blues Fest on 9/22 & 23, call Kenny Taylor, 452-4393 - leave your name, number, and a message.

September 13, Thursday evening, is the monthly KCBS Jam Session with The Benders at The Grand Emporium. Before the jam begins, there will be a very important general membership/volunteer meeting at the G.E. at 7 p.m. to discuss the Blues Fest and Blues Club Crawl. Again, only with volunteer participation will the 10th Annual KCBS Blues Fest be successful.

Congratulation to Millege Gilbert, winner of the 5th Annual KCBS Amateur Blues Talent Contest Millege placed fifth at the National Blues Talent Contest in Memphis. As this year's winner, Millege will appear at the Blues Fest. Also, catch Milleage Gilbert every Friday, 6 - 8 p.m. at Little Hatch's House Party at the G.E. and from 4 to 7 p.m. at Gilbert's Saturday Blues Party at the G.E.

KC Blues Fest 1990 multi-color posters are now on sale at the G.E. Poster designer, Ann Willoughby, won a Golden Omni for the 1990 Blues Fest. Posters cost $10 for KCBS members and $12.00 for the public.

6 • SEPTEMBER 1990

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}~~

~ BRING YOUR AXE AND RELAX &

~ AT THE NEWEST BLUES JAM ~

~ IN KANSAS CITY, KANSAS ~

~ ~

~ HERBIS ~

~ 727 CENTRAL AVENUE ~

~ HOSTED BY ~

~ ~

~ II IA IJ I~ S ~

~ ~

~ l(f)llllEN'r &

.q ~

~ EVERY WEDNESDAY NITE ~

~ ~

~ 8pm to 11pm &

.q ~

~ JAMMERS ARE THE GUESTS OF ~

~ ~

. ~ BLUES FOR RENT &

.q ~

~ IT'S EASY TO BECOME A MEMBER ~ •.

.q ~ •.

~ PRIVATE CLUB· MEMBERS AND GUESTS ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLUES BIRTHDAYS

13 Charles Brown (1922) 15 Snooky Pryor (1921) 16 B.B. King (1925)

18 Louis Myers (1929)

23 Mighty Joe Young (1927) Ray Charles (1930) Fenton Robinson (1935) 28 Koko Taylor (1935)

C.J. Chenier (1957) Jumpin' Johnny (1957)

7230 W. 75th St. • Overland Park, KS (913) 236-6211

~ s,."tUf -- ~ p.. 1-12 ~ fIIIIi, tie ~ ~

:JeltfeJIID4!r Blues Calendar

GHEMPOHmM

~'~fe~l4- ~ p~ ~n~PL.t ?'lUJa'f - 6 t6 K p_._

~IIPTIIBIB ICHIDBLI ~

28,29 VALERIE WELLINGTON

~4- ~ ~ - ~Sat. 4 t. 7 p .•.

383Z MIIN * ~31-I~04

BLUES NEWS • 7

KC BLUES JAMS

The Finest in KC Blues ..•

SUNDA Y JAMS • = JAMS - Bring your Instruments

• Aud~orium Bar & Gill, 217 W. 14th, 421-8483, featuring Rick Hendricks & The H~ & Run Band

• Eipicurean Lounge & Restaurant, 7502 Troost, 333-8383

• The Roxy, 7230 W. 75th Street, 236-6211, featuring The Blues Notions, 8:00 p.m. -12:00 p.m. (seeadverl)

MONDAYJAMS

• Blayney's, 415 Westport Road, 561-3747, 10 p.m., The 39th SI. Blues Band

• Cajun Bistro, 3421 Broadway, 561-8775

• C~ Light, 7425 Broadway, Blue Monday jam 8 pm - midnight

• The Fabulous Inferno Show Lounge, 4038 Troost Avenue, 931-4000, Sonny Kenner's Blues Band

• Hurricane,4048 Broadway, 753-0884, KC Blues Band, 10 pm-2 am

TUESDA Y JAMS

• Blayney's, 415 Westport Road, 561-3747, The 39th SI. Blues Band

• The Levee, 43rd & Main, Sonny Kenner Blues Band, 8:30-12:30 pm

• The Point, 917 West 44th, 531-9800, Lonnie Ray Blues Band,9 pm - 1:00 am

WEDNESDA Y JAMS

• Ethalo's, 911 OS Parker, 764-3884

• Herb's, 727 Central Ave, Kansas City, Ks, featuring Blues for Rent, 8-11 pm

• Nightmoves, 5110 NE Vivion Rd, 452-4393, Blue Knights, 8-12 pm

THURSDAY JAMS

• The Tuba, 333 Southwest Blvd at Broadway, 471.0510, Mo Paul, 7:30 pm

SA TURDA Y JAMS

• Grand Emporium (see advert.), 3832 Main, 531-7557,

Gilbert's Saturday Blues Party, 4-7 pm

• Harlings Upstairs, 3941 Main, 531-0303, Diana Ray & Rich Van Sant, 2 - 6 p.m.

• H & M Barbecue, 1715 N. 13th, Kansas City, Ks, Abb Locke, 10 pm

• MC's Lounge, 5709 Troost, 363-9376, Saturday & Sunday, King Alex and The Untouchables, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.

• Nightmoves, Little Hatch & the Houserockers, 3-7 p.m.

OTHER CLUBS

o Birdland, 1600 E. 19th, 842-8463

o The Boulevard Beat, 320 Southwest Blvd., 421-7207

o Chateau Lounge, 5934 Prospect, 523-9333

o Eblon's, 1601 E. 18th Street, 22Hl612

o Grand Emporium,Fridays-Little Hatch's Houseparty, 6-8p.m.

o Kiki's Bonton Maison, 1515 Westport Road, 931-9417

o Quaff Buffet & Saloon,1010 Broadway, 471-1918

o Sante Fe Saloon, 444 Westport Rd., 931-1363

o Sidetracks, 1331 W.4O Highway, 229-9455

o Strouds Restaurant, 454-9600, 333-2132, featuring Roy Searcy

o Uptown-Down & Dirty, 6508 Martway, Mission, Ks. '236-5300

Kansas Cltr 8'ues Socletr

ro. Box 32131, Kansas City, MO 64111

Do Not Forward - Address Correction Requested - Return Postage Guaranteed

BLUES RADIO

KANU-FM 91.5 Saturday, 8to 11 p.m. - "Blues in the Night"

w~h Kyle Neuer

KCUR-FM 89.3 Saturday, 8 p.m. to 1 am. - "Saturday Night Fish Fry"

w~h Chuck Haddock

KKA-FM 90.1 Daily, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. - "Traffic Jam"

Tuesday & Thursday, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m."Breakfast Club" w~h Dave Creighton

KCFX-FM 101 Sunday, 7to 16 p.m. - "Kansas C~ Blues Show"

w~h Undsay Shannon

KPRS-FM 103.3 Monday-Friday, 12to 1 p.m. - "Lunch at the Oldies'

BLUES FESTIVALS-1990

MISSOURI:

September 7-9 Missouri River Blues Festival

Featuring: Big Bad Smitty, Tommy Bankhead, Oliver Sair, Fontella Bass, Barbara Carr, David Dee, Johnnie Johnson. SI. Char1es, Mo., (314) 652-5000.

Sept.1S,19-23 Sl Louis Blues Festival

Featuring: Calvin & Rufus Thomas, Oliver Sair, Henry Townsend, Leroy Jodie Pierson, Albert King, Utile Milton. SI. Louis, Mo., (314) 647-BLUE.

Sept. 22-23 10th Annual Kansas City Blues & Heritage Fest

Kansas City, Mo., free, call (816) 531-7557.

CALIFORNIA:

Sept.1S-16 18th Annual San Francisco Blues Fest

Featuring: Albert Collins, Buckwheat Zydeco, Katie Webster, Char1ie MusselwMe, Ruth Brown, Johnny Otis, Joe Jouis Walker, FIVe Blind Boys from Alabama. San Francisco, Ca. (BOO) 225-2277.

Sept. 21-23 Sacramento Blues Fest

Featuring: Albert Collins, Ruth Brown, Anson & the Rockets, Lonnie Mack, Royd Dixon, Utile Milton. Sacramento, Ca. (916) 443-8653.

EAST COAST:

Sept. 14-15 3rd Annual Bull Durham Blues Fest, Durham, NC, (919) fl83.1709

BULK RATE U.S. Postage Paid Permit #3407 Kansas City, MO

8 • SEPTEMBER 1990