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Midwest Blues Beat

by Eric Steiner

TRICK OR TREAT: WANT SOME BLUES TO EAT?

    There are some hot new blues releases out, just in time to scare up sales for Halloween. These discs have no tricks, but plenty of treats. Check out Koko Taylor's latest dozen on Royal Blue. Whether the Queen of the Blues is covering Melissa Etheridge's "Give Me Some Water" or creating a new blues standard on "But On the Other Hand," she's in fine form on this studio disc.

    On Alligator comes a live set from Elvin Bishop and Little Smokey Smothers, That's My Partner. This raucous CD features a slow and bluesy "Little Red Rooster," and an upbeat version of "Roll Your Moneymaker" that'd make the late, great Hound Dog Taylor proud.

    Smokin' Joe Kubek's latest CD, Bite Me, has hit the target on Bullseye Records.   Bite Me is the follow-up to his last Bullseye disc, Take Your Best Shot. The album begins strong with "If You Know What I'm Sayin'," a smoldering title cut, and quick, uptempo rockers like "All About That Thang." Smokin' Joe and his longtime sidekick, Bnois King, have Texas blues covered on this disc. You can catch Smokin' Joe and Bnois live at Frankie's Blue Room in Naperville on Oct. 14th.

GET ON THE NEW TRAIN...

    My favorite release this Fall has been a long time coming.   Over 27 years, in fact. Hybrid Recordings, the same label that brought the blues world the legendary Muddy Waters Tribute Concert at the Kennedy Center, is putting the finishing touches on New Train, an album by blues guitarist Paul Pena.

   Last Spring, I raved about the Academy Award-nominated documentary, "Genghis Blues," which featured the inspiring story of how Pena discovered traditional Tuvan throat-singing. For you geography buffs, Tuva was a small country in Mongolia, and "Genghis Blues" shows how this small, isolated place created a unique style of singing. Pena gets bitten by the wanderlust bug after hearing traditional Tuvan folk music on shortwave radio in the early '80s, but it takes him six years to learn the Tuvan language and develop the chops that eventually land him on the stage of the Tuvan throat-singing competition.

   Along the way, Paul's got together a band of colorful fellow travelers and merry pranksters that include a radio disc jockey from Berkeley, a landscaper that doubles as a sound man, and followers of award-winning physicist Richard Feynmann.

     If any man had the right to sing the blues, Paul Pena sure does in my book. He's had more highs and lows than most. Born blind, he spent the 1960's and 1970's playing with John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt. Remember that Steve Miller hit "Jet Airliner?" Paul wrote that before he recorded New Train, and this version has all of the bluesy stuff and rough edges that Miller smoothed over.

    Guests on New Train include - Jerry Garcia, Merle Saunders, Arthur Adams,
Ben Sidran, and The Persuasions. With a line up like that, Pena shines. If he sounds a little like Jimi Hendrix here and there on this disc, remember, these cuts were recorded when Jimi's star was ascendant. Get on New Train, an express line to some great blues. By the way, "Genghis Blues" is slated to be out on video this coming December. Look for it at your favorite video store, or better yet, click on the film's website - http://www.genghisblues.com

PROMISES TO KEEP...

    If you haven't noticed, there haven't been many blues reviews in the CD Spins section of this publication for awhile. That's gonna change. You'll be hearing a lot of people making promises in October and November, especially if they are running for office. Here's one promise that I'll keep: there will be more blues reviews in CD Spins. Next month, check out my reviews of Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater's fine new CD, Reservation Blues, and a tasty live set from Robert Nighthawk, titled Live on Maxwell Street 2000.

HOT OCTOBER TIX...

    Many of my rock friends call this month Rocktober. I respectfully disagree, 'cause there's a great line up of live shows this month in the Chicago area.

    There are quite a few "treats" in store for blues fans in the greater Chicago area in October. As I mentioned last month, Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers play Buddy Guy's Legends on the 6th, and the next night, one of the sassiest women in blues, Candye Kane, takes the stage at FitzGerald's in Berwyn. Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater is at Buddy Guy's Legends on the 7th and at B.L.U.E.S. on the 13th. There's just too much good blues to choose from, particularly when James Solberg plays Famous Dave's on the 13th, and Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King play Frankie's Blue Room in Naperville on the 14th. I'd have a hard time on the 28th, 'cause there are two shows that promise to be quite memorable: Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine is at the House of Blues and Bernard Allison is at Buddy Guy's Legends.

    This month, I'd be remiss in not recommending two national acts that will play Chicago's Wild Hare: John Brown's Body on the 11th and The Reggae Co wboys on the 14th. That's right... reggae! I know it's not the blues, but these two bands have really worked hard to carve out their own sound in a very crowded scene. I had the pleasure of seeing The Reggae Cowboys last month, and they rock on down the trail, Rasta-style.

    While the blues has always been my first musical love, I'm also a big fan of reggae, but don't get me started. Or else I'd have to show you my Halloween costume, dreadlocks and all.

    Until then, trick or treat. Let's play the blues, mon.