"Friday, May 23rd, 1997. After a good Italian meal we went
to the Double Door where Paul "Wine" Jones was already on stage; he
is a Mississippi bluesman in his late forties I'd guess, slim, animated,
playing raunchy guitar backed by bass and drums. He was loud and basic but the
words were largely drowned in the music, the sound man's problem. He had an
enthusiastic audience, not regular blues fans I think for the most part; one
young dude with long hair was doing a chicken hop dance; but enjoying the show
is what it's all about. The Double Door is a rock club, physically OK except
there were 30 seats max. and you're expected to stand or dance during the whole
show. Jones played one or two Jimmy Reed songs in his set. Would enjoy him more
in a small club and with better miking.
R.L.
Burnside came on after a break and put on a good set of dark Mississippi
amplified slide, groove guitar and nice singing. I did not pay him all the
attention he was due because I was sitting way at the back on a stool,
chatting. I was soon ready to leave for a more blues-friendly ambiance.
Two of us
left Wild Bill and taxied to Blue Chicago, where the wonderful, loud sound of
the Chicago Rhythm and Blues Kings greeted us. A band of "all stars"
featuring Gene Barge, a potent sax player and showman. I had never seen Barge
before, knowing him only as a producer, writer, and player on Buddy Guy's 1967
"Left My Blues in San Francisco" recordings for Chess. He was
charismatic and cheerful, a talented pro with a tight band. He sang great too:
an excellent set! The last three or four numbers had a young blues singer-guitarist
from Israel fronting the band – great stuff!! I do not recall his name but he’d
just arrived from Denver. He told me he was heading over to Kingston Mines
because they're open until 4 a.m., so that became our next destination,
especially because of who was heading the bill.
We took a
cab many miles to see A.C. Reed. When we walked in the club, there he was,
sitting, relaxing and waiting to play. Kingston Mines is an interesting venue
because it has two separate stages, one always active. We ignored t'other side
where music was playing and talked to Mr. Reed who was gracious enough to
answer questions and chat to me, sign his latest CD "Junk Food" and
pose for photos. He said he WAS Jimmy Reed's half-brother (same father); I
mentioned I'd seen him in 1982 in Grinnell, Iowa when he was playing with Albert
Collins and the Ice Breakers. He had a young woman chatting to him, and
insisted that she be in the photo of us together! His speaker/amp says
"A.C. Reed the Man That's Full of Sh*t!" on it. He told me he had
retired (he must be in his late 60's a least) but got bored with it, wrote a
batch of songs, recorded them and went back on the road..... He is quite a
bluesman. Phil Guy wandered in and was friendly towards anyone who went up to
him -- another conversation and Kodak moment for me! It helped to be sitting
right at the front!
The Spark
Plugs finally got on stage sometime before three. We'd devoured a delicious
grilled ham and cheese sandwich from the still-open kitchen to keep us going. A
crack band. The quality of these Chicago-based blues groups is unbeatable. They
really rocked, and were so in step with one another. Three top-notch lead
guitarists taking turns, bass, and a drummer who at times stood up on his kit
and almost touched the ceiling!
A.C.
joined them after a while and got going on his songs. Dressed in a black flat
cap, dark sunglasses, white shirt, dark pants with a blue stripe down the side,
he cradled his saxophone and sang and blew like a demon. He put on a great
set! His music has humor and irony in
the words, and a wonderful beat. I danced to most of it (not the normal me), as
there was a young woman from Sydney, Australia there who HAD to dance. Reed is
a great act to see live, and his recorded music is very enjoyable too.
Another
terrific Chicago night of blues had passed."
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