"Chicago, September 16th 1974... hotel
(St. Regis men's hostel) is $4.80 because bugs and baby bugs crawling all
around room & no key!
Chicago, Sept. 17th, Tuesday. Walked to YMCA on 8th &
Wabash Sts. Checked into tiny (6 x 8 ft!) room: nowt but bed, wall desk, chair,
wardrobe (tiny) & window! But only $5.20.... Phoned Bob Koester - so
helpful... - so many blues cats to see! - will stay longer. To Delmark Records
on W. Grand ... bus to Lincoln Ave, I got to the North Side club called "The Vibes" and paid my
$2.50 to go upstairs to see the one-night stand. Sat & ate popcorn & a
draft beer for my supper. Recognized Wesley Race in a hat - sat with him &
his wife. He gave me a copy of his blues mag he'd brought along for me. The
support band, white, were too loud: Eddy Boy Blues Band - we went downstairs
after two numbers. There a four piece jazz/blues set was playing really well:
was drums, bass, sax and Phil Guy on guitar - great; did jazz, then "Big
Boss Man", "Honest I Do", "Goin' to New York",
"Sweet Home Chicago", and others, in half hour we watched - solid
blues, great guitar by Buddy Guy's brother.
We went upstairs then to see Hound Dog Taylor come on-stage. He on vocal & gtr,
rhythm gtr, bass & drums. Bloody terrific!! Such BOOGIE, and good-time
blues. Dog really enjoys playing so much, watches his (brand new) band &
smiles at them, cheekily grins after a loud blast of gtr. Looks like a miller,
with his long thin frame, his light-coloured hat, his houndish face! Great on
slow blues too - audience went wild. "Held My Baby Last Night",
"All Right", many others too written by him - amazing show! He flipped my mind - I just sat there on the
front row drinking in all these good noises, the excellent buzzing rhythm
guitar - really good man too. He played for 1 hr 15 mins, was obliged to leave
to give opening band a chance to play.
Wes Race
took me backstage as I'd requested - I met Hound Dog - he gave me his
autograph, and talked to me for a good while. He & B.B. King were working
on tractors on a farm in Mississippi in late 1930's, for very little money -
B.B. said one day he was leaving - Pitter (as Hound Dog was then called) said
"if you're going, I am too!" So in about 1937 B.B. went to
California, Hound Dog went north. He now lives on 59th St in Chicago on the
South Side - said he has music on all day & night (radio), and a light is
always on except when he has to change the bulb! He's a real character. Said he
thinks he enjoys his music more than anyone in the audience!
Spoke
also to (Left Hand) Frank Craig the prolific left handed rhythm guitarist
playing not on his own gtr tonight - style of Robt Jr Lockwood, buzzing,
flowing bass - ah! He has his own band normally. Was friendly, like Taylor.
They
returned to do a second set. Joe Cocker (in smashed condition) was in the audience
- he got up and was 2nd drummer on two numbers! A marvelous evening. Good lad
Rich Kreher gave me lift 62 blocks home to the YMCA."
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| Left Hand Frank's autograph, address in '74 and phone number |
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| Hound Dog Taylor's autograph on 9/17/74 |
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