tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72918004759503726432012-01-05T16:36:10.498-08:00Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.comBlogger1981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-4494492851914199652012-01-05T14:57:00.000-08:002012-01-05T16:35:07.024-08:00

2011 has come and gone. It was a difficult year in the Blues community. We lost a number of great performers this past year. I was fortunate enough to see and photograph a multitude of fabulous great performers.I captured well over 100 images this past year that seemed to capture the artist and their spirit. A subset of the performers are listed below:Alabama Mike, Andy Santana, Arbess

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-9016757296637782812012-01-03T23:00:00.000-08:002012-01-03T23:42:48.563-08:00

Awhile back, maybe a couple of years ago, Andy Santana hipped me to a pedal that he was endorsing, the Lone Wolf Harp Tone+. I ran across a used one at good price on the Internet, so I bought it.I decided to try it at the Mojo Lounge jam with a Harpgear Double Trouble and a Shure 520DX with the standard dynamic element with the following results.I found that the pedal added quite a bit to the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-55027922377229678152011-12-16T15:24:00.001-08:002011-12-16T15:50:04.150-08:00

A year or so ago, I had a really good sounding Shure 544. I dropped it and dented the connector beyond repair. I really liked the microphone, so I shipped it off to Greg Heumann at BlowsMeAway Productions. I asked him to Ultimat-ize it. A few days later, he returned it to me with a new screw on connector and a volume control. It ended up looking similar to the red microphone in the picture

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-83516995363930247032010-10-26T09:44:00.000-07:002010-10-26T10:05:33.783-07:00

After I confirmed that I had received my credit, I decided that I was going to purchase a Suzuki Manji from Rockin' Rons Music For Less. All of the reported dealings with Ron had been positive, so I didn't there was much risk.I am pleased to say that my experience was incredibly positive. Rockin' Rons Music For Less does indeed rock!While I was checking out Ron's web site, I thought I would

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-19980219002536288242010-10-14T14:09:00.000-07:002010-10-14T14:58:52.720-07:00

I swore that I wasn't going to do this, but I changed my mind. I wanted to document my experiences attempting to purchase a single harmonica directly from John Hall at the Bushman Music Works.09/07/2010 - John Hall posted a message to his forum:"We've sat back quietly and patiently while we let two big dealers attempt to supply Delta Frosts to the harmonica playing public. We just can't leave

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-9838473957058625302010-07-30T17:10:00.000-07:002011-12-16T15:49:17.104-08:00

I had a lot of fun with the Mini Meat, but I decided it was time to part ways. It had a very unique sound to it and there really is nothing else like it. It had a very cool "in your face" sound to it that was only equaled by it's very "in your face" appearance. Bright red tweed and gold grill cloth makes a very striking statement!Here is a reminder of my old friend. This was recorded at the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-14466804915438500702010-06-30T13:08:00.000-07:002010-06-30T13:12:53.438-07:00

It's been a while since my last entry. Life has been busy. I lost my job in February. I spent the next couple of months looking for gainful employment. The months of May and June were pretty busy. I'll try to post a summary in the next couple of days.

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-26603798416170611582009-12-13T23:11:00.001-08:002009-12-13T23:45:19.075-08:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to pick up a Mini Meat boutique harp amp made by Meteor Amplifiers. It's a pretty cool looking medium sized amp covered in red tweed with gold grill cloth. It also sports two 8 inch Weber speakers and one 10 inch Weber speaker. The amp allows the user to swap in 6V6, 5881 or 6L6 power tubes. Depending on which tube is being used a switch needs to be flipped to

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-57296108675730199662009-11-15T13:43:00.000-08:002009-11-15T13:54:24.218-08:00

I've managed to pick up the swine flu and have been sick all week long. Before I got sick, I caught the Tip of the Tip show on Saturday night at the Grand Dell Saloon in Campbell, CA. The place was full and it was a fun evening featuring some fine music. Sunday, I went to the Old Princeton Landing to catch Stan Erhart's Super Jam. I ended up playing with Stan and some of the guys. My friend,

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-17976363808164984682009-11-06T16:46:00.000-08:002009-11-06T16:57:10.143-08:00

It's been a while since I've written anything here. I've seen and done a lot of really cool stuff since April. This past weekend, I went to the Horseman's Club up in Sacramento and caught a killer show which included: Carl Weathersby, Ronnie Baker Broooks, James Cotton and Hubert Sumlin.Recently, I stumbled across about 60 cassette tapes filled with all sorts of old Blues tunes and some pretty

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-60189089620046800792009-05-03T14:59:00.000-07:002009-05-04T09:24:20.834-07:00

April 1 - Kenny Blue Ray was the host band at the Redwood City Blues Jam. Kenny put on an excellent first set. I played a nice set with his band and Dave Hyde. He's an excellent slide player in the style of Elmore James. We played several Elmore James tunes which was a great deal of fun. It was a nice mellow set.April 7 - It was Tuesday night. Steve Freund was holding down the fort at the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-9061934810007900212009-04-04T20:54:00.000-07:002009-04-04T21:53:28.549-07:00

March 2 - It was the Five Year Anniversary of the Monday Night Blues Jam at Murphy's Law in Sunnyvale. It was a very cool evening. The house band was Johnny Cat, Mike Phillips and Dennis Dove. Throughout the course of the evening, there were a multitude of special guests. Kaye Bohler, Chris Brown, Vince Caminiti, June Core, Scott Duncan, Mark Fenichel, Greg Heumann, Screamin' Iain, Aki Kumar,

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-83510189196541549262009-02-28T21:27:00.000-08:002009-03-01T22:26:18.542-08:00

February has come and gone. I've been pretty busy. The month started off pretty much like it ended at the Mojo Lounge. February 3 - Steve Freund hosted the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam.February 4 - I caught Tia Carroll at the Redwood City Blues Jam. I shot some photos. They are here.February 7 - John Nemeth had a CD release party for his most recent release entitled Love Me Tonight

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-62908018468387099132009-01-24T21:16:00.000-08:002009-01-24T22:12:37.179-08:00

It's been a really busy month. Surprisingly, I was able to catch several shows in my effort to appreciate some fine, high quality musical performances. I was even lucky enough to participate in some of them.January 6, 2009I headed down to the Mojo Lounge. Steve Freund was hosting the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam. I arrived fashionably late and was told that I missed a fabulous opening

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-89329712539814576432008-12-31T16:02:00.000-08:002009-01-02T16:13:32.290-08:00

I wrapped up 2008 pretty much the same way it started. I went to the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge. Steve Freund was hosting the jam along with Robi Bean and Marc Carino. I arrived way late and missed the first set. I joined Scott Duncan, Marc Carino and a bunch of guys that I had never seen before. After two songs, Linda Martinez joined us and sang a couple of

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-36699982861467796402008-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:002008-12-30T11:09:12.618-08:00

Everyone at home went to bed early, so I decided to head out to the Blues Jam at Murphy's Law. Johnny Cat and Mike Phillips were hosting the festivities along with June Core. For the past couple years, Johnny has performed and toured with the Terry Hanck Band. Two years ago, Mike Phillips began touring with the Charlie Musselwhite band.June is a fabulous drummer. He is originally from

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-11513925042111899242008-12-28T10:23:00.000-08:002009-01-09T12:17:28.457-08:00

The past couple of weeks have been hectic. I decided to drop into the Poor House Bistro for a bit to see Andy Santana. Andy is a fabulous harmonica player, guitarist and singer. He's fronted a band called the West Coast Playboys for a long time. He's got some great tunes and he performs some very nice cover versions of songs that aren't heard very often. Joining Andy was Johnny Cat on guitar

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-55104502937814717832008-12-20T09:43:00.000-08:002008-12-20T10:04:14.234-08:00

Well, it took several weeks, but I am finally moved in and I took four years of blog postings with me from my previous site.The main purpose of this blog is pretty simple. I attempt to document the various Blues related activities that I have going on.Why?First, I think there might be a few people that are interested in this stuff. Second, I am getting older and I thought I should write it down

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-87341970149009305502008-12-18T21:07:00.000-08:002008-12-18T22:19:33.716-08:00

I ended my 394 day boycott of Biscuits & Blues. I swore I would never set foot in that place again. I decided to change my mind when I heard Barrelhouse Chuck was coming to town as part of Kim Wilson's Blues Review.The word on the street is that Kim Wilson was going to take the band that performed on the soundtrack of the movie Cadillac Records on a tour of the West Coast. That band included:

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-86726369130916743962008-12-17T21:04:00.000-08:002008-12-18T21:07:27.777-08:00

The Tuesday night custom persists. I attended the World Famous Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge in fabulous Fremont, CA. Steve Freund was hosting the jam. Jimmy Mulleniux joined Marc Carino and Steve. The place was jumping. Notable guests included: Mark Hummel, Tumbleweed and Johnny Cat. It was a good night.

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-12284438882043056682008-12-11T20:54:00.000-08:002008-12-11T21:59:09.506-08:00

Earlier today, I read another blog. It made me feel old. It was written by a harp player who listed a group of players that had an impact on him. He listed a group of modern day players, who were influenced by the true legends of the blues harmonica. Anyway, here is my list. The people impacted me directly or through their recordings.Big Walter Horton - I had started goofing around with the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-55335306696632643692008-12-10T19:22:00.000-08:002008-12-11T09:42:15.208-08:00

I went to the Grand Dell Saloon in Campbell, CA. It's a pretty cool place. It's a great neighborhood bar. The neighborhood happens to be in an industrial park pretty close to the freeway. It is also the the home of BBQ & Blues in the San Jose/Campbell area.Steve Freund was performing with Charles Wheal, Steve Wolf and Robi Bean. Charles and Steve Wolf were long time members of the Mark

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-13008757408022471892008-12-05T23:16:00.000-08:002008-12-05T23:30:39.401-08:00

Tuesday night - I hit the blues jam at the Mojo Lounge. Steve Freund was the host. He was joined by Marc Carino and Robi Bean. I sat in with them during the first set. Later in the evening, Mark Hummel dropped in and played a killer set with the host band. Wednesday evening - Steve Freund was the featured band at the Redwood City Blues Jam. It was an evening filled with some pretty fine

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-2213604471100403922008-12-05T22:39:00.000-08:002008-12-05T22:53:52.845-08:00

About a month or so ago, I took a one of my amps to amp repair guru Skip Simmons. Skip is well known for his refurbishing of old amplifiers and old PA heads. When I picked up my amp, he talked briefly. He handed me a box, asked me to take it home for a while, try out what is inside and let him know what I thought.What was inside the box?A Masco MA-17 PA head that has been refurbished to the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-6320486696781984952008-12-05T22:00:00.000-08:002008-12-05T22:36:05.225-08:00

I saw a lot of great music in November.November 1 - Jimmy Dewrance was at the Poor House Bistro. Joining him were Steve Freund, Kedar Roy and Hans Bosse. It was a good night. Big John Stokes and I sat in on a couple of tunes.November 4 - Steve Freund hosted the World Famous Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge. I sat in with Steve, Marc Carino and June Core during the opening set. John Nemeth and

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-24842678589980761992008-10-31T00:34:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:35:43.728-08:00

It's been far too long, since I wrote anything here. What can I say? I've been busy. "October 29 - "I caught my friend Russell Barber at the Redwood City Blues Jam. It was a fantastic night. Russell put on a great show. There were some fabulous performers dropping in to perform like Kid Andersen and Little Jonny Lawton. I got called up and played with Kid Andersen and Scott Miller. It's

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-35815888798485185852008-10-27T00:33:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:34:23.910-08:00

Not much time left in October. There are less than two shopping months left until Christmas. Here is the activity report for the past month."October 7" - Steve Freund hosted the World Famous Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge. It was a very pleasant and mellow evening that I can't remember at this moment. The only thing I remember is that the music was excellent. "October 8" -Terry Hanck was the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-82630312075228425782008-10-09T00:31:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:32:52.141-08:00

It's already October. Some cool stuff happened in September."September 2" - Steve Freund hosted the World Famous Tuesday night Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge. "September 3" - I dropped into the Redwood City Blues Jam on the way to pick up a friend at the airport. Daniel Castro was the host. I caught his opening set. It was quite enjoyable."September 9" - Kenny "Blue" Ray hosted the World

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-67077431273227018722008-09-29T00:29:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:30:34.260-08:00

Snagged this for future use. It was written by Brian Purdy of HarpGear Amps. I thought I would share it, if anyone else if remotely interested.Some time back I was trying to decide which 8" speaker worked best for harp in a Champ style amp. It was between a Jensen P8R, Jensen C8R, Weber Alnico Signature Series 8" and a Weber 8A100. Over time I have accumulated all of them and thought I would

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-1163477505156409142008-08-30T00:27:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:28:06.523-08:00

Damn! It's the end of August already! Time sure does fly by when you are having fun. I've been having fun, but it's also been a month filled with some sadness. This month, Phil Guy and Little Arthur Duncan passed away. It's a pretty significant loss to the scene there. Both of those guys had been actively playing for well over 30 years. Little Arthur was one of the last harp players around

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-48714319985849657552008-07-31T00:26:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:26:57.552-08:00

It's been a couple of interesting weeks.Last week, I was in Denver on a business trip. I was planning on dropping in a Dan Treanor's blues jam at the Boulder Outlook. Unfortunately, the information on their website was inaccurate. I got there and there were a few people hanging around eating pizza. I left.I headed to a blues jam at Ziggie's Saloon in Denver hosted by Papa Juke. I hung out

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-87484349042161499572008-07-15T00:25:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:26:08.285-08:00

The second installment in the series of Bay Area Blues performances features a visit from Jon Lawton as a guest of Steve Freund at the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam.Jon's been playing the guitar for almost 40 years. He relocated from Omaha, Nebraska to California a little over two decades ago. He's been a fixture on the Blues scene out here ever since. This past Tuesday, he dropped into

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-51079081048941343332008-07-13T00:23:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:24:56.768-08:00

It's been a couple of busy weeks for me, I saw a few things that I forgot to write about.First up, James Cotton at Yoshi's in Oakland. It was an incredible performance. The band sounded great. James Cotton sounded fabulous. The sound system is excellent and managed by professionals. The audience was super respectful. They allowed Mr Cotton and his fine band to perform to the best of their

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-33829088439704236972008-07-02T00:22:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:23:45.160-08:00

Lately, this blog has become an activity report detailing my activities. It has become about where I go, who I see perform, etc, etc, etc... It has become a little bit stale. So, I decided to shake things up a bit.Since, I frequently have a video camera with me. I've decided to capture a few tunes and write a little report to accompany the video. Here is the first installment in a series of

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-90200798452061291012008-07-01T00:21:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:22:49.763-08:00

"I wrote this for Rick Davis' Blues Harp Amps blog and thought I would keep a copy here for posterity."About four years ago, I started playing the harp again after laying off for a number of years. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are a lot of harp players. There are almost as many Blues jams. I started hitting a few of them. I was able to try out a lot of different amplifiers.In

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-85206729540033557142008-06-20T00:19:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:21:14.362-08:00

I've had a really busy week!Kenny NealLast Sunday, East Bay Wes and I rolled up to Sacramento. We dropped into the show at the Horseman's Club to see: Kenny Neal, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. It was hot in Sacramento. As one would expect, it was a really solid show and an incredible entertainment value @ a mere $20. I shot 347 photos. I will post some of them

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-28016205487522348902008-06-05T00:19:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:19:38.919-08:00

Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors hosted the Redwood City Blues Jam. Mark was joined by Rusty Zinn. They did a really nice opening set that included a tribute to the late Bo Diddley.After they concluded, the jam began. A couple of groups of folks got up and did their thing. There were a ton of harp players, few singers and guitar players. Vince, the jam master, probably had some

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-69196921451282239762008-06-02T00:16:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:18:54.979-08:00

Bo Diddley @ the Alameda County FairJuly 2004Today is a sad day in American musical history.The legendary Bo Diddley passed away. Bo Diddley has been around since I can remember. The first time I ever saw him was probably around 1972. He appeared on the ABC TV show In Concert. It was a really memorable show for me. I remember talking to my Dad about him and he told me he was one of the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-90093062652183455592008-06-01T00:15:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:16:35.898-08:00

Saturday night, I caught an excellent show at JJ's Blues Lounge and caught an excellent performance by Steve Freund. Steve was joined by a very special guest, Jan Fanucchi. She sang several very nice tunes throughout the course of the evening. During the last set, he was invited Johnny Cat to the stage for a couple of tunes. It was a really nice evening of music.

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-15017913435340283292008-05-28T00:14:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:15:27.756-08:00

Bobbie WebbOn Memorial Day, I headed down to beautiful Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Golden Gate Park is the home to a multitude of homeless derelicts. It is also the home of the California Blues Festival. This year was the 14th or 16th annual festival.This year had featured several of the same performers that appear on an annual basis like Bobbie Webb and Fillmore Slim. This year,

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-92097600058992240372008-05-21T00:13:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:14:22.237-08:00

Mark Hummel & Steve FreundMark Hummel dropped into the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge hosted by Steve Freund. Mark joined Steve midway through the first set and played some killer tunes. (See above and see more of the evening's festivities on my youtube channel.).The place was jam packed last night. There was a group of people from Norway. There were a bunch of local

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-84401058665236419512008-05-15T00:11:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:13:15.902-08:00

This past weekend, I went to the Metro Fountain Blues Festival to catch Koko Taylor and the Blues Machine. When I arrived Sonny Landreth was doing his thing which was not my thing. I ran into a few friends and talked some trash before Koko Taylor took the stage. As one might expect, she put on a fabulous show. In fact, it was probably the best set of music that I have seen this year. After

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-42338087738364211702008-05-15T00:09:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:11:52.533-08:00

This past Tuesday night, Kenny "Blue" Ray hosted the Mojo Lounge blues jam. It was a really cool evening. Lots of great performers showed up including: Johnny Cat, Junior Morrow and Kid Andersen.I captured the some video of one of Junior Morrow's fine performances. This one features Junior (vocal/guitar) leading an very talented group through the ZZ Hill classic, "I'm A Bluesman". Joining

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-91734782738984645902008-05-07T00:07:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:09:26.874-08:00

It's been a while since I've been here. This past Tuesday, the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam at the The Mojo Lounge was hosted by Steve Freund. The rhythm section on this fine evening was anchored by two of the most solid guys around Marc Carino and Robi Bean.It's a fun place to hang out. Not only does this place attract some good local talent, you never know who is going to drop in for

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-29831758173498501472008-04-25T00:05:00.000-07:002008-12-05T00:07:20.241-08:00

Recently, I was asked about some of my favorite harmonica players and some of their recordings. I thought I would compile a list of about twenty easily accessible CD's by several of the true legends of the Blues Harp.Carey Bell - Deep Down - This one is the finest Carey Bell recording ever captured. It features a fabulous band from the 90's with some amazing guitar playing by Lurrie Bell and

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-67496869492261174342008-02-27T00:04:00.000-08:002008-12-05T00:05:27.494-08:00

Lately, I've been laying low and haven't been going out very often. I am fighting off a cold. I've been hanging out at the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam[TM"> at the Mojo Lounge on Tuesday nights.Here's a brief excerpt of a previous entry that I wrote up and never finished fro the week of February 04, 2008.February 5, 2008 - I went down to the Mojo Lounge to attend the World Famous Blues

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-20742996509705432572008-02-27T00:02:00.000-08:002008-12-05T00:04:17.499-08:00

I haven't written much here lately, but it seems like a good time to get caught up. I'll start off with a photo entry.I started up my annual Bay Area Blues in Review photo gallery. The photos are in the usual place:http://mrjoe.dyndns.org/gallery/blues2008Who have I captured this year?Some of the usual suspects, plus some photos of new faces belonging to people that I hadn't seen before.January

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-68821603157486548442008-01-05T23:59:00.000-08:002008-12-05T00:02:38.085-08:00

I was several months behind in updating my photo gallery for 2007, but the rain allowed me to get caught up.Here is a link to the 2007: The Bay Area Blues In ReviewHere is a list of people whose images I captured in 2007:Linsey Alexander, Amy Lou, Kid Andersen, Ariyo, Russell Barber, Barrelhouse Solly, Robi Bean, Lurrie Bell. Randy Bermudes, Big Time Sarah, Birdlegg, Billy Branch, Dennis Briggs,

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-54118697848818590162007-12-15T20:07:00.000-08:002008-12-02T20:08:07.665-08:00

It amazing what turns up on the web. I knew that Steve Ahola records his sets at some of the local blues jams. I didn't know that he was putting them on the web, too. I suppose I should feel violated, but I don't.Here are a few songs with me blowing the harp. They are all Blues tunes, so if you don't dig non-studio quality Blues recordings this might not be your scene.This one is from the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-80853580808409256452007-12-02T20:05:00.000-08:002008-12-02T20:07:02.579-08:00

This past Sunday, I made the trek to the Horseman's Club in Sacramento. Big Mike Balma along with the Sacramento Heritage Festival puts on a few really awesome Blues shows each year. This year was no exception and it was a show not to be missed. It was well worth the two hour drive from my house as we don't get to see shows like this out here very often.The vibe is super laid back. Everyone is

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-4097385717789607652007-11-19T20:04:00.000-08:002008-12-02T20:05:50.068-08:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to see James Cotton at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco. What happened to me that night has made me hesitant to ever return to a place which was once a favorite of mine.I went to see James Cotton at the late show. Tickets were $35 each. I took my wife. We each had a couple of drinks. Our bill at Biscuits was over $100. That didn't include: $15 for parking, $5

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-23506424387219501242007-11-13T20:03:00.000-08:002008-12-02T20:04:33.095-08:00

Monday night, I went down to Murphy's Law in Sunnyvale, CA. When I arrived, the Pleasure Kings (Johnny Cat, Mike Phillips and Deniss Dove) were in the midst of playing an excellent Freddy King instrumental. Chris Brown, Big John Stokes and Scott Miller were hanging out. Jimmy Dewrance showed up a bit later. There were some excellent singers and jammers that I had not seen before. It was a fun

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-24589248640127285172007-11-10T20:02:00.000-08:002008-12-02T20:03:32.894-08:00

I went out Friday night. I caught Steve Freund with the fabulous Burton Winn and the Human Timepiece, Robi Bean at the Poor House Bistro. I met a couple of people from the office down there. It was a fun evening. Steve and his trio played some fabulous Blues, old school style.One of the fun things about the Poor House is that there are always some fabulous players milling around soaking up the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-75504140067606179372007-11-08T20:01:00.000-08:002008-12-02T20:02:34.909-08:00

While I was going to college, I worked in a liquor store in suburban Chicago. One of the guys there bought a pristine Gretsch Country Gentleman, an acoustic guitar and cheeseball Valco tube amp for a princely sum of $20 off of some lady that was cleaning out her attic.He was a pretty good blues guitar player, but I'll never forget the time we went to Fitzgerald's in Berwyn to catch a Mighty Joe

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-27440427532956654242007-11-01T20:00:00.000-07:002008-12-02T20:01:36.623-08:00

I saw it. Some of it I liked, some of it I didn't care for. I don't know, if I'll watch it again.I didn't care much for Omar Dykes. I found myself wishing he would disappear. Lou Ann Barton looked like she would have preferred to be anywhere else, but where she was. I've never been a huge Delbert McClinton fan. I thought James Cotton and Kim Wilson sounded good. It would have been nice to see

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-33946227003278726432007-10-23T19:59:00.000-07:002008-12-02T20:00:11.184-08:00

It was a really cool night at the Mojo Lounge. Jon Lawton was the master of ceremonies. He sounded great. He doesn't get around as much as he used to, so it was good to see him.There were some faces in attendance that we don't normally see on a Tuesday night. Ron Thompson played a few tunes and sounded great.A fantastic singer from Fresno named Baby Bee sang a few tunes with Ron. She is also a

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-55589981107233130082007-10-21T19:57:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:58:57.181-08:00

I made the trek up to Berkeley to catch the inaugural performance at Bobby Gs Pizzeria.Originally, I wasn't planning on making it that show. It was my daughter's homecoming dance and I was expecting to play chauffeur for the evening. I got a last minute reprieve at about 7:45pm, so I decided to high tail it up to Bobby G's.I arrived at the tail end of the first set. The food is great. The vibe

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-37909769797950981302007-10-17T19:56:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:57:30.179-08:00

Great music. It started promptly at 8:30pm.House band was: Steve Freund, Marc Carino and June Core.People who dropped in included: the fabulous Birdlegg, Russell Barber, Gino Baronelli, Johnny Cat, Scott Duncan, E-Rock, East Bay Wes, Double G, Robert Leroy Jones, Manabu, James "Loose" Reed, Don Yonders, Nick, Mike, Jim and a few other new faces.Birdlegg joined the house band during the opening

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-82743208462369205062007-10-15T19:55:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:56:35.203-08:00

Last week was action packed.Tuesday night, I hit the jam at the Mojo Lounge. Steve Freund put on a really cool show during the first set, which started promptly @ 8:30pm. The second set which featured Chris Brown and James Reed was also very nice.Wednesday night, I went down to the Little Fox to wish Wendy Dewitt a very happy birthday. She sounded great. I had seen Rene Solis several times in the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-38245298144912411692007-10-01T19:54:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:55:27.154-08:00

Saturday night at the Saloon with Steve Freund was an absolute blast. The stars were lining up to be a good night when I found a parking spot less than a half a block away.The joint was jumping and people were having fun. Steve, Robi and Burt sounded great! They starting off the evening with a couple of nice, mellow instrumentals before launching into some really deep stuff.Steve Kaufman sat in

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-51615529841640644392007-08-30T19:52:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:54:10.296-08:00

Tonight, I spent some time trolling youtube and found some cool videos that took me back to the good old days of Chicago Blues in the mid 1980's. This video captures the great Lefty Dizz in action with members of the Rolling Stones and the Muddy Waters Blues Band. The next video I had never seen before. It has the fabulous Valerie Wellington and Billy Branch. Valerie was a monstrously

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-22864237933785977512007-08-22T19:51:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:52:05.050-08:00

Recently, I read a blog entry written by a Chicago-based harp player named Mr G. (His fine blog can be found here.)Mr G recently attended the convention hosted by the Socoety fro the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH). He mused, "The one really strange aspect of the SPAH convention was the lack of African American harmonica players. Some of the best players around are black,

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-26421239634009732042007-08-14T19:49:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:50:56.026-08:00

Tuesday night - I had been out five nights in a row. I was dragging. Big time. However , I had to hit Steve Freund's World Famous Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge. Steve, Randy Bermudes and June Core really ripped it up on the opening set.It was a quiet evening, but there were some cool performances by: Russell Barber, Gino Baronelli, Ryan Cohen, Scott Duncan, East Bay Wes, E-Rock, Robert Leroy

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-65763137737360237462007-08-13T19:48:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:49:44.663-08:00

Johnny Cat & MeMonday night - I got the call that it was going to be an evening to remember down at Murphy's Law in Sunnyvale. Blue Monday jam hosts, Johnny Cat and Mike Phillips were heading on the road with Terry Hanck and John Nemeth, respectively. It was going to be a party like atmosphere and a good time was almost guaranteed.There was a ton of good music played by some very accomplished

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-48235167925922845822007-08-12T19:47:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:48:37.965-08:00

Sunday afternoon - I had a few hours to kill so I met Double G and East Bay Wes at The Bistro in beautiful downtown Hayward to soak up some sounds and play a few songs at Dave Walker's Blues Jam. It had been a while, since I visited that jam. The last time that I was there, Dave Walker was in absentia. He must have known that I was heading there, because he was absent and the jam was being

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-9681516180792937282007-08-11T19:46:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:47:35.268-08:00

Saturday night, I dropped into JJ's Blues Lounge in San Jose to see Steve Freund and his trio. For a long time, I hated going to JJ's. Since, the ownership change a few years ago, JJ's Blues Lounge is a really pleasant club to visit and hang out. Johnny has done a really nice job with the place. He and his staff provide a friendly atmosphere. They've got a good sound man that manages the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-77301902239387611862007-08-10T19:45:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:46:14.559-08:00

Jr Watson, June Core, Mike Phillips, Kid Andersen & Jay MeduriFriday afternoon, I was having lunch at Jonathan's Fish & Chips in Menlo Park and ran into Eddie B. He told me that something very cool was going to go down at the Poor House Bistro. So I got in the car and rolled down to San Jose to see John Nemeth and his special guest, Junior Watson. It was a very cool evening of music by John

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-41192735751470241152007-07-28T19:44:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:45:07.643-08:00

The Fantastic Jackie Payne18 new photos!Caught in the act were: Bill Singletary, Carl Green, Daniel Castro, Henry Oden, Jackie Payne, Joe Louis Walker, Juce Garcia, Nick Otis, Robi Bean, Sid Morris, Steve Edmonson, Steve Freund, Suzy Tyler and Tim WagarPhotos in the usual place: 2007: Bay Area Blues: A Year In Progress.

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-82430430183336597742007-07-21T19:43:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:44:04.121-08:00

There are about 40 new photos from Saturday's performances at the Hayward/Russell City Blues Festival. People caught in the act are:Ariyo, Big Time Sarah, Billy Branch, Carl Weathersby, Craig Horton, Don Yonders, Double G, Henry Oden, Joe Louis Walker, John Primer, Kenny Neal, Lou Holscher, Lurrie Bell, Nick Charles, Oakland Sam, Pinetop Perkins, Steve Gannon, Tail Dragger, Willie "Big Eyes"

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-42545840284638487652007-07-08T19:42:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:43:07.287-08:00

The Legendary Eddie ShawI arrived a bit late. The Howlin Wolf Tribute was already underway. Lil' Wolf was already onstage and sounding excellent. This was a good set. Good tunes. Good vocalist. Tight band. It was good stuff.The Caravan of All Stars was up next with a variety of vocalists. Some of the vocalists included: Xmphoni, Eldridge "Big Cat" Tolefree and Teddy "Bluesmaster" Watson.

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-6992923771336113592007-07-07T19:41:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:41:58.811-08:00

Gino Baronelli jamming with the Sons of BluesIt was back to the Bistro for more post-festival fun.For a while, it didn't look like anything was going to happen. Last year, Don Yonders and I ended up playing with some of the members of the Caravan of All Stars and KC Kelsey. This year, things weren't looking good. A member of the Bay Area Blues Society was playing the keyboards and guitar to a

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-90719033569732518302007-07-07T19:40:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:41:05.202-08:00

Nick Charles, Billy Branch, Me & Carl WeathersbyAside from my trip to Chicago, this festival is going to be hard to beat in 2007. Each year, the festival opens up with some really nice gospel music. This year was no exception. There was way too much good stuff too list, but I will try.Craig Horton kicked off the blues segment of the show. He lead an excellent band featuring Steve Gannon (

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-20082635152010337512007-07-06T19:39:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:40:09.974-08:00

Pre-Hayward/Russell City Fest Bash @ The Bistro|CONTENT|Lurrie Bell, Carl Weathersby & Big Time SarahFriday night before the Hayward/Russell City Blues Festival, the Bay Area Blues Society's Caravan of All Stars performed at the Bistro in Hayward to give the patrons of this fine establishment a free taste of what the festival was to offer.When I walked in Teddy "Bluesmaster" Watson was performing

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-85866099038323839672007-07-06T19:35:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:36:01.655-08:00

This is only a test! I caught Terry Hanck and his band at the Alameda County Fair. I decided to shoot some video and screw aroudn with iMovie.

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-18922780929358275542007-07-05T19:33:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:34:32.459-08:00

Monday - I went to Bay Area's forgotten jam at Murphy's Law. Caught Mighty Mike Schermer, Kedar Roy and June Core in action. June Core had just returned from a European tour with Charlie Musselwhite. These guys sounded great and put on a really good show. They had some high quality people dropping in to jam like Big John Stokes and Chris Brown. Mike, Kedar and June were kind enough to let me

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-49226010924511033532007-07-05T19:32:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:33:19.907-08:00

JW WilliamsI shot a lot of photos at the Chicago Blues Festival. Wading through them took a lot long than I have expected. For anyone interested, here is the vacation slide from the Chicago Blues Festival.

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-53488083810650500662007-06-19T19:31:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:31:59.671-08:00

Tuesday night, I stopped into the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues jam at the Mojo Lounge in Fremont. The fabulous Steve Freund was the host. I forgot about the new 8:30pm start time and I arrived shortly after the music started. Steve was onstage with Robi Bean, Marc Carino and Jon Lawton playing nothing but traditional, old school Blues. It was really cool music and a very cool, relaxed vibe

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-54487145016980025662007-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:30:57.921-08:00

Billy Branch & Eddie ShawMy flight out of Chicago was scheduled to depart at 06:00am Oon Tuesday morning. Instead of going to bed and waking up at an un-Godly hour of the morning, I decided to stay out all night long and go straight to the airport. I decided to go head down to the South Side of Chicago to experience a Monday night institution. Artis's near 87th and Stoney Island is a nice

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-88012436903142771442007-06-10T19:29:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:30:04.859-08:00

When Saturday morning rolled around, I was dead tired, but I got up and made the trek back downtown. I arrived to catch the last half of Elmore James Jr's set with the infamous Cadillac Zack. It was nice to see the legendary Willie Young playing the saxophone. It was a very enjoyable set filled with traditional Blues that took the audience on a trip back to the 50's. Very raw. Very

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-45393917863411818782007-06-08T19:28:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:29:08.559-08:00

This was a really awesome day. The theme of the day was the 30th anniversary of the appearance of the Son oF Blues at the Berlin Jazz Festival. Appearances from numerous different acts that appeared in Berlin back in 1977 were featured. Also featured throughout the course of the day were members of the Sons of Blues and there own bands.Needless to say, it was an awesome day of music which

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-13079250859760914182007-06-07T19:27:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:28:08.375-08:00

I arrived at Grant Park shortly after the start of the festival. It was in the mid 90's on the lake front. As I walked down Jackson Blvd, I could hear the solo sounds of some fantastic old school blues piano from the Front Porch Stage. Nearly twenty one years earlier, I was in the same sport to hear John Lee Hooker perform solo. This time, it was pianist Aaron Moore. Aaron Moore is one of

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-87521587016526786912007-05-20T19:25:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:26:52.736-08:00

Sid Morris, Norm Decarlo and Barrelhouse Solly opened the show with some killer old school style Blues. Just a piano, drums and singer. It was really great stuff. Russell Barber and Eddie B joined them for a bit. Jimmy Dewrance got up with them (replacing BS 1) and did several tunes.Steve Freund got up with Jon Lawton, Sid Morris, Eddie B, Norm and me for a few tunes. It was good to hear Jon

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-7310372834490061582007-05-13T19:24:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:25:43.508-08:00

Buddy GuyMother's Day weekend marked the beginning of Blues Festival season in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Fountain Blues Festival at the San Jose State University campus has been running for around 27 years. I've been to this festival many times. The first year that I went was 1991 when the legendary Johnny Shines appeared. Johnny was in town for several shows that weekend. I think I

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-89998030615618355132007-05-07T19:23:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:24:49.342-08:00

Carey BellThe legendary Carey Bell passed away from heart failure this past Sunday in Chicago, IL.Carey Bell was one of the finest practitioners of the Blues harmonica. He had toured through the Bay Area many times during the past 20 years. He was an influence on an entire generation of harmonica players. His incredible tone, his ease at witty and inventive phrases and personal idiosynracies made

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-26018224901766318322007-04-21T19:22:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:23:32.720-08:00

Man! Last night, we had a ball at the Mojo Lounge! Steve Freund, Tim Wagar and Robi Bean showed up and playing nothing but the natural, down-in-the-alley kind of Blues. Spencer Jarrett was in the house. He played a few tunes and sounded fantastic.I've been seeing Steve for a long time, much longer than I care to admit. He always manages to throw in one or two tunes that I hadn't heard him do

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-7043120103776547172007-04-19T19:21:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:22:19.349-08:00

When I first moved to California, I didn't venture out to many Blues clubs. Andy Mazzilli was one of the first local guys that I had seen in the Bay Area. He was a really talented player. During the next twenty years, I would see him sporadically around the area.One of the last times that I saw him was at Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose a few years back. He was playing Christmas tunes

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-51071443881250196212007-04-13T19:20:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:20:54.850-08:00

I left work a bit early today, My wife and eldest daughter were going to the Cow Palace to see Montgomery Gentry.My phone had been ringing quite a bit throughout the course of the day. The questions were similar. "Where are you going tonight?" With Steve Freund at the Poor House, John Nemeth at JJ's and Mark Hummel at the Mojo Lounge, the choices within a short drive from the house were

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-77965860322669450162007-03-30T19:15:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:16:24.996-08:00

Wednesday night was a lot of fun. The night started out with a great first set featuring some very laid back, but pretty intense music by Steve Freund and Charles Wheal.I got up with some very talented players including John Boutell (guitar/vocals), Greg Heumann (saxophone), Alan Oehler (guitar), Scott Malcolm (bass) and a female drummer that I didn't recognize. Lots of good music was played. I

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-87505115705412647792007-03-29T19:14:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:15:22.193-08:00

A few weeks ago, I was running errands around town. I pulled into a parking lot at Safeway in Fremont. I had the windows open and one of those live Magic Slim CD's with the big booming bass was blasting from the stereo.A young guy came up to me and asked, "What are you listening to?"I replied, "Magic Slim and the Teardrops."He asked, "Are they a rap group?"My response, "No. They are a blues band

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-48348755979509464352007-03-28T19:12:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:13:51.943-08:00

Last night, the moon was nearly full and brightly illuminated the evening sky. There was an Indian kid sporting a fake mohawk singing horribly on America's most watched television show that used to be talent competition. It was sort of a strange evening.I arrived a bit during the middle of Steve Freund's opening set. He was in the middle of some tough blues in the West Side Chicago Blues

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-34671791899810960032007-03-22T19:07:00.000-07:002008-12-02T19:12:13.388-08:00

It's been almost three months since my last trip to the Little Fox. It was the final Kenny "Blue" Ray performance in the Bay Area for a while. He recently relocated to Portland, Oregon. I got with two songs to spare in the first set. Mr Blue Ray was onstage with Steve Edmonson, Wendy Dewitt, Greg, Ray Ray and Norm. As one would expect, the music was excellent.I grabbed a beer. I stopped to

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-17726750385797484402007-02-23T19:05:00.000-08:002008-12-02T19:06:53.339-08:00

Photos from the final RJ Mischo's World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge. The URL is:http://mrjoe.dyndns.org/gallery/blues2007Although, RJ has departed the Bay Area for the deep South, the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge continues under supervision and guidance of Steve Freund and Marcus Carino.People caught in action are:RJ MischoJune CoreJohnny CatMarcus

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-16816854007768408712007-02-10T19:02:00.000-08:002008-12-02T19:04:49.153-08:00

I added some photos for the my final 2006 update.Photos added since the last installment include:RJ MischoSteve Freund, Robi Bean, Tim WagarRobi BeanSteve EdmonsonRene Solis & Mitch WoodsStan ErhartJimmy DewranceChris CobbKenny NealKenny "Blue" RayThe URL is: http://mrjoe.dyndns.org/gallery/blues2006

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-5930314347934475882007-01-31T22:32:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:33:04.165-08:00

Last night was the final installment of RJ Mischo's World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam at the Mojo Lounge. It was announced that next week will begin the Steve Freund era. The good times should continue to roll.I arrived early and the place was already packed with people to wish RJ a fond farewell as he embarks on the next chapter of his life in the sunny South. It was really surreal seeing

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-66681893119091316752007-01-28T22:31:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:32:05.395-08:00

It was a very nice week. Tuesday night, I hit the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam[TM"> at the Mojo Lounge hosted by RJ Mischo featuriing Steve Freund, Marc Carino and June Core. The first set by these guys was phenomenal featuring nothing but old school Blues.To paraphrase a good friend of mine, I like Blues the old fashioned way and they do it the old fashioned way.The past few weeks have

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-35745511591614069572006-12-27T22:29:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:30:12.884-08:00

Last night at the Mojo Lounge was the final Tuesday night celebration of the World Famous Tuesday Night Blues Jam for 2006. RJ was still in absentia. Steve Freund with his fabulous trio was in the packed house to ensure high quality entertainment for everyone's drinking and dancing pleasure. The state of the art dance floor was full for much of the evening as Steve, Marcus Carino and Robi Bean

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-6828156277654241442006-11-21T22:27:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:29:10.652-08:00

Robert Lockwood Jr.Robert Jr passed away. Robert Jr was a true innovator. His impact on Blues and popular music may never be truly measured. He was one ofthe most amazing and innovative Blues men of modern time. His impact of modern day Blues goes unnoticed. He style was subtle and laid the foundation for the generation that followed. He was in Arkansas and was an influence on BB King. He

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-8229695955322963912006-11-09T22:26:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:27:30.777-08:00

During the past several months, some fabulous talent has left us. Snooky Pryor, Johnny Dollar, Bonnie Lee, Willie Kent and other fabulous performers that I was fortunate to see during the 1980's. I was reminiscing some friends of mins about some of the old shows.Here are some brief excerpts:First Exposure: My first exposure to Blues was around 1980 or 1981. The University of Illinois in

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-61637568803799235562006-10-19T22:25:00.000-07:002008-12-01T22:26:22.253-08:00

Snooky PryorThe legendary Snooky Pryor passed away today. He was one of the originators of amplifed blues harmonica, he also had some of the biggest and baddest tone I've ever heard live or on records. He was simply huge! A true legend. A one of a kind.He recorded some great tunes in the 50's and was formative on the Chicago Blues scene. My favorite modern recordings that he did were for the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291800475950372643.post-77465205868775967582006-10-11T22:24:00.000-07:002008-12-01T22:25:05.205-08:00

The lesson of the trip is always call ahead. Always!My flight arrived on Sunday night at 8:30pm. I got my luggage and rental car and headed on down the road. I headed for Ziggie's Saloon. According to their website, they have a Sunday night Blues Jam which ran from 8:30 to 12:30. I arrived at about 9:30. The place was almost empty. There were about three people in the bar. The sign on the

Joe's Blues Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878016113359073133noreply@blogger.com0