|
Breakfast, anyone?
After Maximum Ink went to press in the last issue, FOUR shows recommended in this column disappeared right off club schedules. Needless to say, I ended up with enough egg on my face (or at least the column) to supply every George Webb in Wisconsin for a couple of days. While I can't guarantee against further "adjustments" to these schedules, they're current at present. Texas and California connections abound this month; with just about every variation on the "retro" theme represented. Grab your cocktail of choice and take a swig of these shows:
Billy Flynn, Troubadour: with Jimmy Dawkins at the Up & Under, Milwaukee, November 14; with Kim Wilson at Buddy Guy's Legends, November 15; and with the Little Kings at the Harmony Bar, Madison, November 28: Green Bay's Flynn is one of those proverbial "hardest working man" musicians. He's a regular Chicago blues sideman and session player for veterans such as "Fast Fingers" Jimmy Dawkins, one of the key West Side players of the late 1960s and 1970s. But his devotion is strongest to the earlier years of Chicago blues; ghosts of Robert Nighthawk and Pee Wee Crayton resonate in his mellow, controlled technique that Kim Wilson will play off of at a benefit for the Chicago-based "Blues Before Sunrise" public radio show (hey, Wisconsin Public Radio - try it!). Perhaps most surprising - and delightful - is that Flynn has banded together with former Fairlanes Frankie Lee and Billy McDuffee, bassist Tom McCarty, and venerable harmonicist/guitarist Jerry Alexander in the Little Kings, a group that promises to be a stellar proponent of the timeless jump shuffles. Keep your eyes peeled elsewhere - Flynn frequently graces Smokedaddy in Chicago, and even breaks into surf instrumentals with his seldom-seen Flynntones!
Shemekia Copeland at the Crystal Corner Bar, Madison, November 19: Copeland's father, the late Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, was recognized as one of the premier Texas blues axe-slingers. But Shemekia was raised in New York City, and that streetwise approach is at the core of her vocal performances. Although her stage presence parallels many contemporary hip-hop artists, her repertoire is decidedly blues - punctuated very strikingly at last summer's Chicago Blues Festival. Her debut CD, Alligator's Turn The Heat Up, has been at the top of blues radio playlists for much of the year. Not bad for a 19-year-old performer.
Deke Dickerson & the Ecco-fonics at Automatic Slim's, November 22: Dickerson's retro resume includes underheralded groups such as Untamed Youth and the Dave & Deke Combo. Now fronting his own troupe with their own solid vintage-sound accomplishments, Dickerson plays up, off, and with all the obscurities of post-war popular music - western, rockabilly, swing, and guitar instrumentals. For his HMG release, Number One Hit Record, Dickerson also tapped cult-status veterans including Larry Collins (the Collins Kids), Joey D'Ambrosio (Haley's Comets), and Claude Trenier (the Treniers) for guest roles.
Robert Gordon with Hot Rod Lincoln, Automatic Slim's, November 27: If it wasn't for Robert Gordon, there probably wouldn't have been a Stray Cats with Setzer, no Rev. Horton Heat, and arguably, not much of a retro revival today. Strong words? Yes, but consider the 1970s nostalgia: Happy Days? Laverne & Shirley? Sha Na Na? Gordon downshifted past all that crap to the core elements of early rock, and gave himself the latitude to apply his own creative stamp - rather than replicate things note-for-note. That attitude, still at the forefront of his music, paved the way for every current revivalist. Otherwise, we'd be left with sub-par, church-festival oldies acts as our ``retro" artists. Geez, my stomach turns at that thought. Gordon's show in Neenah will be backed by the solid HRL, one of the top acts in the retro-haven of San Diego.
Month-Long Swing Fling and Retromania at the Rave, Milwaukee: Alien Fashion Show, November 22 (also at the Inferno in Madison, November 16); Brian Setzer Orchestra with 8 ½ Souvenirs, November 28; Rev. Horton Heat with Amazing Royal Crowns and the Flat Duo Jets, Dec. 4; El Vez, Dec. 6; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; December 12; Mighty Blue Kings, December 26: Holiday presents from the Angels of Yesteryear? Perhaps. Most club owners dream about a YEAR with a lineup like this; if anything, the enormity of it all may sadly spread the holiday dollars too thin for those who can't afford more than a new pair of fuzzy dice. Here's the Cliff Note bios. The west-coast 5-piece AFS pulls from all the alluring elements of the 1950s - threads, martinis, sci-fi space age, and, above all, the music. The cocky Setzer has justification for his braggadocio: a top-selling album, non-stop touring, a Guitar Player cover story, and TV specials to boot. But make sure to get there early for Austin's darlings Django channelers, 8½ Souvenirs. The Hunter Thompson of retrobilly, Rev. Horton Heat should be justly credited for his founding father position in the current retro wave. El Vez covers the campy end of the spectrum - but the Mexican Elvis impersonation is worth at least one ticket - if only for coffee break conversations. BBVD is my nomination for the Class of today's swingers. Not only are they superb, dynamic musicians, they're also one of the most fan-oriented groups I've ever seen, unfailingly staying late for autographs and handshakes. Keep up the great example, guys! Top it off with Chicago's Blue Kings - at a fraction of the price you'd pay to see them a week later for New Years. The group's new membership may be its best lineup since the beginning; the addition of Hammond B-3 organ asserts a Jimmy Smith jazz influence. Yes, that's a lot of shows. What's the justification to go? Here's my pitch - give yourself a holiday present!
Junior Brown at Automatic Slim's, December 6: Big Texan with a Big Hat, a Big Guitar (his double-necked guit-steel), and an even Bigger Voice. His legendary shows at Austin's Continental Club propelled him to the top of the Americana charts, where his Long Walk Back album has been ruling the roost over the past month. As adept at honky-tonk classics as he is at surf instrumentals, Brown's lyrical license has been flashed numerous times over his career. It's a profound testimony that his tongue-in-cheek numbers are often the tunes most musically complimented.
Madison Blues All-Star Party at the Angelic Brewing Company, December 12: Although Madison's Blues organization has opted to not produce a calendar this year, they won't stop the party. Co-hosted by Madison veteran James Earl Tate and the Million Dollar Band with Elkhorn's Reverend Charlie Edmonds and his Amateur Professionals, this annual celebration of the Madison area's blues talent is a must-not-miss, especially given the one-time-only groupings that often come together just for this event. |
|
