THE MIDWEST BLUES BEAT

by Eric Steiner


TRICK OR TREAT...

   Knock knock.  Trick or treat.  When people come to my door on Halloween, I
make sure that they hear the blues.  Sure, I’ll give the kids some candy, but
I’ll usually play some B.B. King or Robert Cray, just to get the kids started
early.   More often than not, the parents wait at the edge of the sidewalk
smile and give me a thumbs-up sign when I boogie on out with the candy with
B.B. or Robert playing in the background.  Trick or treat, here come the
blues…  

GET THE BLUES...

    One of the big treats in my trick bag this year is a new blues sampler,
Get the Blues.  It’s one of the most amazing introductions to the blues ever
recorded, and it’s put out by the National Association of Recording
Merchandisers (NARM) Classical/Jazz Issue Forum and the Blues Music
Association (BMA). 

    This new disc features 70 minutes of traditional and contemporary blues
ranging from Delbert McClinton’s “Baggage Claim,” R. L. Burnside’s “Miss
Maybelle,” and “Don’t Let Me Catch You (With Your Drawers Down)” from the
Queen Bee herself, Koko Taylor.  Fans of plugged-in guitarslingers will
delight in Walter Trout’s “Ride ‘Til I’m Satisfied,” and the late, great
Stevie Ray Vaughan rocks the house with “Pride and Joy.”  Both NARM and BMA
have priced this bag of treats at $1.98.  That’s no misprint:  it’s been
designed to attract new fans to the blues.  Strong distribution from Ryko
Distribution Partners will ensure a nationwide rollout to music outlets, and
I’m hoping that includes not only retail specialty shops but also some of the
national chains like Camelot or Sam Goody. 
 
    “With a suggested retail price of $1.98, it’s easy for consumers to try
Get the Blues,” says Holly Rosum, “NARM’s Director of Membership and Public
Affairs, and head of the Classical/Jazz Issue Forum.  “Because the sampler
features a variety of artists, our goal is to whet the appetite of consumers
so they come back and buy more of what they like.” 

     Right on, Holly.  It’ll be a thrill for newcomers when they hear Rory
Block “Talkin’ ‘Bout My Man,” or Tommy Castro rip it up on “Lucky In
Love.”  There’s a lot to love on this 18-cut sampler.  It’s about time for a
great sampler to showcase some of the best the blues has to offer.

DELBERT GETS PERSONAL...

     Delbert McClinton’s new disc, Nothing Personal, is one of the high
points in my blues year.  It features some of his best work in years. 
There’s a baker’s dozen blues, country and flat-out rock and roll, including
“Livin’ It Down” and the simmering, “Gotta Get It Worked On.”  He’s
enlisted many go-to sidemen in this New West Records release, such as Bonnie
Raitt’s long-time bassist Hutch Hutchinson, keyboard player extraordinaire,
Benmont Tench, and John Lee Schell, who’s toured with John Fogerty and Raitt
for years.  When you hear “Baggage Claim” on this CD, you’ll see why NARM
and BMA included it on their Get The Blues compilation.

THE BIG MAN IS BACK...

     Oregon’s Paul de Lay is another tasty treat this October (notice I
didn’t say Rocktober, now).  His latest disc is well worth picking up.  While
he makes his home in Portland, Paul’s got some pretty strong connections to
the Chicago blues.  His newest Evidence CD, Heavy Rotation, is the Paul deLay
Band’s follow-up to 1999’s excellent DeLay Does Chicago.  That disc featured
the Rockin’ Johnny Burgin Band and Chicago’s own Jimmy Dawkins and Zora
Young behind a dozen original cuts from a true giant of the blues.  On Heavy
Rotation, Paul’s reunited with long-time sidemen like Louis Pain on the
Hammond B-3, Dan Fincher on tenor saxophone, and Peter Dammann on guitar. 
It’s a unique sound, with the B-3 doing the bass guitar chores.  Together,
these guys power through some mighty fine blues that’s sure to be in heavy
rotation on many blues radio stations nationwide, particularly for fans of
horn-driven blues.   My favorites include “It Isn’t Easy Being Big” and
“Bess and Ernie’s Rib Joint.”  Like me, Paul’s a big boy.  Unlike me, he’ s
one of the best harp players in the tradition of Carey Bell, the late William
Clarke or the very much alive and kickin’ Jerry Portnoy. 

HOT ROCKTOBER TIX...

     I know that this month is usually known as Rocktober.  Just check out
this month’s cover if there is any doubt.  However, I’d be remiss in my
duties as your blues correspondent if I didn’t recommend a few local shows to
help you get your blues groove on. 

    Before I do, I want to remind you of this month’s hottest ticket on the
28th:  Region Rumble 2001, featuring The Steepwater Band, American
Motherload, Free Raine, Flathead Fillups, Inzane, Gravelbone, Monkey
Cocktail, and Grape Soda.  The Star Plaza will play host to this Midwest
BEAT-produced musicfest, and if enough people show up to support local music,
there’ll be more rumbles to come.  At $10 advance/$12 day of show, Region
Rumble 2001 is a bargain.  

    One of the many blues highlights this month is Monte Montgomery opens for
the Robert Cray Band at the Vic Theatre show on the 13th to promote his
Shoulda Been Home CD.   In a true demonstration of this bluesman’s
generosity, Robert donated the proceeds of his September Seattle gig to
victims of the recent terrorist tragedy in New York.  Just like Shoulda Been
Home, Cray’s a class act. I hope Midwest BEAT readers will check out Delbert
McClinton on the 19th at the House of Blues in Chicago.

     Next month, I’m going to shout about some new releases from one of
Louisiana’s favorite musical sons, Chris Thomas King, and bring back some
fond memories from one of Buddy Guy’s favorite Chicago-area guitar players,
the late Johnny Littlejohn. If there’s room, I’ll also let you peek at the
Seattle blues scene through a new blues sampler, Seattle’s Best Blues.  I’ll
also get down home with SuperChikan, and show you that we’ve a lot of blues
to be thankful for this year. 

    Until then, let’s play the blues.