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by Eric Steiner A FOOL FOR THE BLUES... I’m going to depart this month from the blues just a little bit. April Fool! Only if you consider soul music a departure from the blues, that is. Over the past year or so, I’ve been shouting about the Year of the Blues in these pages, which ended last December. The Year of the Blues never ends for blues fans, and I wanted to give some mighty strong props to another unique form of American music, and that’s Soul. The kind made popular by Otis Redding in “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” or by Sam & Dave in “Hold On I’m Comin’” or “Soul Man,” or Isaac Hayes’ “Theme From Shaft.” Common threads that tie these artists and songs together are the record label and studio known as Stax Records. STAX ON WAX.... Remember Stax Records? If your blues education does not include some soul music from this influential Memphis record label, let me pull out my chalk and chalkboard for a moment. Those songs and artists I mentioned above were honored in an outstanding CD/DVD release entitled, Soul Comes Home: A Celebration of Stax Records and Memphis Soul Music. Soul Comes Home aired on many PBS stations last fall, and it documented an historic Orpheum Theatre concert that marked the grand opening of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Stax Recording Academy. Some of the shining stars of that night live shine on in the DVD, including Michael McDonald and Carla Thomas as they sing “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby”, and I still get chills each time I hear the Rev. Al Green sing “Let’s Stay Together” or groove to “Green Onions” cut by Booker T & the MGs. I once thought that Stax Records took its name from the stacks of wax that turned into gold over the years as a prime purveyor of American soul music. The story behind the name is much more humble: local banker Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton combined the first two letters of their last name, and from the late 1950’s to its sad demise in the mid-‘70s, Stax Records was one of the most important, if not the most important, source of soul music in the world. At one time, Stax employed 200 people in its studio, marketing and business operations, and it was one of the most profitable black-owned businesses in the world. Stax had 167 hit songs on the pop music charts, and an unbelievable 243 hits in the top 100 R & B charts, according to the excellent “Stax Legacy” pages at: www.soulsvilleusa.com If you can’t get down to Memphis in person, go on a virtual tour of this exciting way to honor the contributions of soul men and soul women, www.soulsvilleusa.com A couple of years ago, I had the great good fortune of hanging out at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Stax Recording Academy. I met Stax Academy Director Marc Willis, who told me how he planned to reach young people through soul music. Back then, the program was just a couple of years old, but I saw his dreams for expansion as he talked about nurturing a love of music and culture in Memphis’ youth. After all, Isaac Hayes worked in the grocery store across the street on E. McLemore Avenue, and countless talented Memphians grew up on Stax. Through Stax Music Academy Vocal and Instrumental Performance Programs, young people learn their craft after school, and there’s performance opportunities aplenty through groups like StreetCorner Harmonies, the Spirit of Soulsville Singers, and SNAP! Summer Music Camps, for third graders as well as college-age youth. While I generally like to think of April as “Muddy’s Month” since Muddy Waters was born on April 4, 1915 and died on April 30, 1983, I’d like to raise a toast to honor our brothers and sisters in soul. Expand your blues horizons a bit by experiencing some old-school soul, Soulsville USA-style. Pick up the concert CD or DVD of Soul Comes Home, or one of the excellent Stax/Volt compilations and you’ll see why Stax Records has brought back the “snapping fingers” logo to show that soul is truly finger-poppin’ and foot-tappin’ music. NO FOOLIN’ APRIL BLUES... April kicks off with some great Louisiana Swamp Blues from Tab Benoit at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn on the 3rd and continues in a big way with B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland and Koko Taylor and Her Blues Machine on the 9th and 10th at the Star Plaza Theatre. Roomful of Blues play Chord on Blues in out in St. Charles on the 10th, and my favorite BBL (Big Blues Lady) Candye Kane is there one day after tax day. Don’t forget Luther Allison’s blues legacy as Buddy Guy’s Legends hosts Bernard Allison on the 17th with special guest, The Steepwater Band. And if you’re a “Fool for the City” like I am, relive Foghat’s brand of powerchord rock (with a touch of blues) at McCools in Valparaiso on the 23rd. My Midwest Blues month ends with a tip of my hat to one of my favorite singer songwriters of any genre, Graham Parker, who’s playing Martyrs in Chicago on the 30th. Until next month, let’s play the blues. | ||
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