Broonzy Biographer Bob Riesman Coming to DC's Politics and Prose July 7

Since today is what would be the 98th Birthday of Big Bill Broonzy. it is appropriate to alert folks around Washington DC about the upcoming appearance in Washington by Broonzy biographer Bob Riesman.

Thursday evening, July 7, Bob Riesman, author of “I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy” (2011 University of Chicago Press) will be appearing at Politics and Prose to discuss his biography of the Chicago blues legend who passed away over half a century ago, but whose music and life still influences the blues world of today. He is scheduled to speak starting at 7:00PM

On its website, Politics and Prose (http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/bob-riesman-i-feel-so-good) notes “Riesman’s life of Big Bill Broonzy (1903-1958) encompasses the bluesman’s many pivotal roles. From melding the traditional, rural blues of his native Arkansas Delta region with the urban sound in 1930s Chicago, to influencing the resurgence of folk music after World War II and inspiring the blues-rock musicians of the 1960s, Broonzy was a key figure for 20th-century popular music.”

Riesman, in compiling this biography did considerable research as well as interviewed countless people including “ including blues man Billy Boy Arnold (who was mentored by Big Bill and is scheduled to have an album of Broonzy’s music released), members of Broonzy’s family, Bill Randle who produced the last interviews of Broonzy, Studs Terkel, David ’Honeyboy’ Edwards, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Pete Seeger, Rambling Jack Elliott, Jody Williams, Jimmie Lee Robinson and Ron Sweetman. He also explored the archives of Yannick Bruynoghe, and Jim O’Neal provided tapes of an interview with Blind John Davis and a transcript of one with Memphis Slim.

In his research of Broonzy, Riesman was able to ascertain that Big Bill Broonzy’s real name is Lee Bradley and he was born in Jefferson County, Arkansas on June 26, 1903, the fourth and last boy of Frank and Mittie Bradley, and the Bradley Family lived in Jefferson County outside Pine Bluff from the 1880s through the 1920s. Riesman traces his musical and recording career, including both his prominence in the Chicago blues from the thirties until his death, the significant role he played in establishing the folk music circuit as his pioneering tours of Europe.

In a May 2 review on this blog, I concluded “I Feel So Good was a compelling read and a biography worthy of the subject, whose blues are timeless. Highly recommended.” Politics and Prose is located at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 and the phone number is 202-364-1919 or 800-722-0790. Directions to it can be found on their web page.

Bob Riesman is also scheduled to appear on Sirius-XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville with Bill Wax on Monday, July 11, although as I post this it is not clear whether he will be on live or taped for later broadcast.

Big Boy Little's Radio Blues

Brett Littlehales, has been part of the DC music scene for decades, but it was not until recently, as leader of the Big Boy Little Band, that as a performer he has had the spotlight shined on him as a singer and a harmonica player. I should also note he is a well respected photographer having done a superb series of portraits of DC jazz legends for Washingtonian among his credits. He has been running the Thursday night jam (and playing one weekend night a month) at the Zoo Bar for I cannot remember how many years, and has had excellent musicians playing with him for such a lengthy period. In past couple years the Big Boy Little Band has been more visible playing at other clubs in the Washington DC metropolitan area. In 2009, they won the DC Blues Society’s Battle of the Bands and represented the Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis whee they made the finals and guitarist Matt Kelley was awarded the Albert King award for best guitarist in the finals. This has translated in more gigs locally including several area festival appearances. Also, being DC based it was easy for them to visit XM-Sirius’ Bill Wax and perform on Bluesville. The result is a new self-released CD by the Big Boy Little Band, “Live From the XM Satellite” (Big Train Records).

In addition to the harp and vocals of Littlehales, and Matt Kelley’s guitar (and vocal on one track), the band also includes Steve ‘Wolf’ Crescenze on bass and Robby Leebrick on drums. The band has a distinct sound with Kelley’s trebly guitar adding a menacing tone at times behind Little’s world-weary street smart lyrics with the crisp rhythm. This live recording in fact is pretty representative of the band’s music and 8 of the 9 selections are originals, with the Jerry Leiber and Artie Butler penned “Downhome Girl,” that Alvin ‘Shine’ Robinson had recorded. Like the original “Shuck and Jive,” that opens this, Littlehales vocal has a bit of cynical edge to it and Kelley takes a strong solo with a hard rhythmic focus before Big Boy sings about tossing her into the water and taking her to New Orleans and watch her dance to the Irving Bannister Band, a nice reference to the under-appreciated New Orleans guitarist who stayed with Littlehales immedately after Hurricane Katrina.

Kelley’s original “Deer Rifle,” has a bit more conventional feel as Kelley sings about finding a rifle next to his women’s bed set with a melody akin to “Forty Four,” with Littlehales harp effectively responding to the vocals. Maybe the highpoint is “The Heat and Humidity,” a gritty bit of urban storytelling about a woman shooting a man (on TV she never thought the gun would ever sound so loud) as Littlehales plays some tasty harp that is based on Alan Wilson’s solo (with a couple of quotes) on Canned Heat’s recording “On The Road Again,” while Kelley takes a tasty short break. With the spare backing from the rhythm it is a very impressive performance. “Twelve Bar Blues,” is a lively celebration of the blues and a litany of various blues bars, some no longer existing such as Big John’s to see Butterfield before heading to a joint on the corner of shuck and jive before heading to the Big Easy and the Maple Leaf and the Club DeLisle and John Lee Hooker with some very nice harp showing off his sweet tone. “Beg For the Money,” (to get to my girlfriend’s door) is a driving number with a rockabilly tinge. “Carondolet” opens with atmospheric harp with Kelley’s soft single note guitar contributing to the flavor as Littlehales spins a tale centered on New Orleans and a shotgun voodoo shack and one can almost smell the incense with the smokey vocal.

The disc concludes with “The Idiot Talking, with its churning rhythm and Littlehales tale of having a bad day and talking on and on until he noticed his baby had gone. Kelley has a nifty guitar figure he employs during the vocal chorus and also takes a driving solo and the Big Boy also picks up the Mississippi saxophone for one last time here. It is a strong closing to the band’s long-awaited (to its Washington DC based followers) debut album, and given how long Brett Littlehales has been playing, it is several decades overdue, but worth the wait. Their are nine songs and slightly under 40 minuets of music, but no fat or gristle, just lean meat. You can check out the band’s website, www.bigboylittleband.com for information on where they are playing and how to obtain this CD, either by download or physical CD.

This review is a bit of local color for me as Big Boy Little Band hails from the Washington DC area and I live in the Virginia suburbs. My review copy (for purposes of FTC regulations) was provided by Brett Littlehales. Oh at some point the cd should be available at cdbaby and downloadable at itunes.

Nighthawks Spin Blues Unplugged But True.

It has been a long ride for drummer Pete Ragusa with the Nighthawks. “Live at Bluesville” (Rip Bang Records) recorded for Bill Wax’s XM-Sirius program, is Ragusa’s swan song for the Hawks as Ragusa ends a 35 year stint as drummer for this deservedly popular blues and roots band. He will be replaced by Mark Stutso, leaving harmonica player and singer Mark Wenner the sole remaining member of the band from its early days. Bassist Johnny Castle and guitarist Paul Bell are now well established in the band.

On this visit to Bill Wax at XM’s Washington DC studios, they Nighthawks unplugged which provided a more intimate, but no less fervent, context for a number of songs that are well established in the band’s repertoire. Opening tunes with Wenner handling the vocals include a swinging rendition of “The Chicken & the Hawk,” followed by Muddy Waters’s “Nineteen Years Old,” with some very solid slide from Bell. Ragusa sings the James Brown raver “I’ll Go Crazy,” with Wenner wailing on harmonica. Johnny Castle takes the gravelly vocal on Bo Diddley’s “You Don’t Love Me,” with Wenner taking the lead on Slim Harpo’s “Rainin’ in My Heart,” (I know Peppermint Harris wrote it), a performance in which the unplugged format really enhances the performance. It is followed by a lovely rendition of Muddy Waters’ “I Can’t be Satisfied,” with more nice slide from Bell who with Wenner takes the harmony vocal behind Castle on Chuck Berry’s “Thirty Days.” The vocal mike returns to Wenner for solid renditions of Rice Miller’s “Mighty Long Time,” with some very evocative harp; Little Walter’s Temperature,” retitled here “High Temperature”; and “Rollin’ & Tumblin’ modeled after the Baby Leroy Foster Trio recording with Muddy and Little Walter, although not nearly as raucous as Foster’s original two-sided 78.

This is a fun disc with a change of pace as the band handles songs that will be very familiar to the Nighthawk’s many fans world-wide. Ragusa has always been an exceptional drummer of considerable range and taste, and on this recording plays a snare drum, ably propelling these very ingratiating performances on a delightful album. He will be fortunately engaging in a variety of projects in the Washington DC area, so those fortunate enough to live around will still have opportunities to enjoy his playing.

For purposes of FTC regulations, my review CD was provided by a publicity firm promoting this release.

A Celebration of John Cephas

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Originally uploaded by NoVARon

I was among those attending the celebration of the life of John Cephas at the Smithsonian's Baird Auditorium yesterday. It was a marvelous salute to one of the finest performers of traditional blues of the past thirty years. XM-Sirius' and (list member) Bill Wax did his usual marvelous job in emceeing this event. Those with remembrances of John included Barry Lee Pearson and Joe Wilson from the National Council For Traditional Arts and Nick Spitzer. Before the program started, there was some music provided by Daryl Davis on piano, Phil Wiggins on harmonica and Mark Puryear on guitar with a bass player whose name I do not remember. Maybe someone can help me identify Harold?.

There was also a number of spirited performances, including a number of "younger performers who were inspired to keep traditional acoustic blues alive. Rick Franklin and Phil Wiggins did a nice "Guitar Rag," while BluesWorks, the trio of Judy Luis-Watson, Paul Watson and Mark Puryear did a marvelous number. Eleanor Ellis mentioned how John Cephas played such an important role in helping keep the music of Skip James alive before doing a memorable "Special Rider." Diamong Jim Greene, another of Cephas musical children, had perhaps the most moving remembrance of his mentor, before launching into "Twelve Gates to the City." The musical highlight was Corey Harris with Phil Wiggins doing "Keep Your Lights Trimmed and Burning," (I am sure I botched the title), and the "Saddle My Pony." The Smithsonian celebration concluded with a trio of bluegrass musicians that had toured with Cephas and Wiggins being joined by Wiggins and Joe Wilson on a gospel hymn. It was a marvelous performance that was followed by a reception, jam at the Westminster Church that I was unable to attend.

A number of blues folks made long trips to attend including M.S.G, the Acoustic Blues Trio; Saffire-the Uppity Blues Women, and Mark Wenner of the Nighthawks. Mary Flower flew in from Portland, Oregon. Warner Williams & Jay Summerour along with Memphis Gold made it there as well as was Annie Raines, as well as countless friends and family. John Cephas will be missed but he left a strong imprint on our lives.

Pictured is Phil Wiggins and Corey Harris.