| MIDWEST BLUES BEAT |  |
MIDWEST BLUES BEAT
by Eric Steiner
BLUES BLOOMING...
This month, I’m going to depart from Midwest Blues Beat tradition. I’m dedicating this month’s column to my late mother, who died in a tragic car accident.
Before we honor Mom’s memory, I want to offer a preview of next month’s Chicago Blues Festival and shout about a Canadian harp genius, Carlos del Junco.
CHICAGO BREAKDOWN...
Chicago Breakdown, the 22nd Annual Chicago Blues Festival, celebrates the 100th birthdays of Jimmy Walter, Big Maceo-Major Merriweather, and Meade Lux Lewis.
The line up for Thursday, June 9th is dedicated to Lewis, with the Planetary Blues Band, After Midnight Blues, and the Steepwater Band on the Best Buy Stage. The Petrillo Music Shell has the city’s hottest party on opening night: David “Honeyboy” Edwards’ 90th birthday celebration.
Friday’s sets are dedicated to Howlin’ Wolf as he would have celebrated his 95th birthday this year. Over at the Gibson Guitar Crossroads, I’d check out Robert Jr. Lockwood, and then get back to the Best Buy Stage to catch the Pat Smillie Band, harpman Scott Bradbury, and Liz Mandville Greeson. The night is reserved for Jody Williams and an all-star line up that will reunite Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin and Mookie Brill. After these legendary blues all-stars finish their set, I’ll be ready for the night’s closer, Koko Taylor. Is this a Chicago blues line-up from heaven or what? (Confidential to festival go-to guy Barry Dolins: “Thanks Man!”).
Michael Powers is a new blues discovery for me, and his Onyx Root (Baryon Records) CD is excellent. He’s playing on Saturday, and I hope to be front and center when Buddy Guy closes the night at the Petrillo Music Shell that night.
On Sunday, Lucky Peterson plays the Juke Joint, and Steve Arvey and Kraig Kenning play the Best Buy Showcase.
There’s a whole lot more to this year’s Chicago Blues Festival than what I’ve highlighted here in this month’s Midwest Blues Beat, so don’t miss a lick. Make a point to get yourself down there and enjoy some fun in the park!
CARLOS del JUNCO… BLOWS
I’ve discovered a harmonica genius worthy of comparison to Corky Siegel, Jerry Portnoy or Kim Wilson.
Photo-journalist Linda Matlow does a nice job of keeping Midwest BEAT readers current with celebrity in-store gigs, and I have discovered that such events are a great way to discover new music and new artists.
Carlos has played Green Dolphin Street in Chicago, and has been on many cross country (Canada and US) tours. His newest release on Northern Blues, Blues Mongrel, is one of my favorite harmonica releases this year. He’s won a Maple Award from the Toronto Blues Society as “Harmonica Player of the Year for 2004”, and he’s a force of nature when he channels Little Walter.
A HEARTFELT GOODBYE TO MOM...
I wanted to thank the many musicians and friends who’ve expressed their condolences at my mother’s death in a tragic car accident.
My sister, Lisa Steiner, hydroplaned on a rainy coastal road near Ocean Shores, Washington, and the car tumbled three times before landing on its roof. Mom was pronounced DOA, but she was revived at the scene. The next day, we decided to end her life as she had no brain function.
Writing for Midwest BEAT is a privilege, and the feedback I’ve received from this very caring and compassionate musical community has been heartfelt and welcomed. That said, I dedicate this column to my late mother, Rita Jo Steiner. I’ll close with a vignette that captures her rock ‘n’ roll spirit.
I was at Illinois State University when tickets for the Rolling Stones (and Southside Johnny and Peter Tosh) went on sale for their Soldier Field show in the ‘70’s. Mom volunteered to stand in line at the Park Forest Plaza to get the tickets. She was likable and very talkative. She talked to everybody, even to Latin Kings or soldiers of the Black P-Stone Nation at the bus stop. At night…on the South Side!
Mom wrote poetry, sang, and always was supportive of my ability to put pen to paper. When I worked late at the Chicago International Film Festival, she always had a hot meal on the table, even at three in the morning when I returned home on the Illinois Central.
She called me at my dorm after she bought the Stones tickets. I was ecstatic; I would finally get to see the Glimmer Twins live. I was too young for their ‘72 tour behind Exile on Main Street.
“Eric,” she whispered conspiratorially. “I got the tickets, but I want to tell you about a young man I met in line. We were talking about music, and after awhile he offered me a drink. Eric, he had a half-pint of whiskey in his jean jacket and wanted to share it with me! I politely told him that I didn’t drink Jack Daniels’ for breakfast. He seemed happy about that. They all were kinda scraggly, but after we got talking about music, they were really nice kids. I sang them songs from the 1940’s. Some wore Harley colors, and I was the oldest one there. By lunchtime, they were all calling me Mom.”
Connecting through music across generations? A rock ‘n’ roll Mom, indeed. Rita Jo Steiner, 1925-2005. | ||
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Canada’s Carlos del Junco has long been recognized North of the border for his command of the harp, and I had the good fortune to hang out with him at a local in-store performance at Seattle’s Silver Platters.