Johnny Drummer Birthday Party

My Buddy L V Banks

(Chicago, Illinois) . This past Monday night I went to a small little club located in the south-side of Chicago. It is called "Artis Lounge''. Monday Nights you can find the real deal blues artists there. When "Billy Branch and the Sons Of the Blues" are in town they spend  Monday nights in this club. They are, believe or not, the house band. Because they play there on an off night it is sort of a meeting place for blues musicians, radio and TV personalities and of course journalists. I guess you could call it a watering hole for the blues scene. I sat at a table with Claudette Miller (listen to "Pillow Full Of Tears") and Blues Photographer Mary Hampton who was also celebrating a birthday. Mary has chronicled the blues scene and has just about 50,000 photos and they can be viewed here
While at her site check out the other venues she has photographed. She is a true artist and historian thanks Mary.

Johnny Drummer trying to get his hat back.

Johnny Drummer is a very versatile performer. He grew up in my favorite city, Alligator Mississippi. He had a very musical family. Johnny moved to Chicago in 1954 and five years later he found himself in the Army. He learned how to play drums while in that service branch. Mr. Drummer has played with a who's who of artists. Junior Wells influenced him to start playing the Mississippi saxophone.

        Nick Charles (SOB) Johnny Drummer, Tyrell drums and                      L V  Banks

Junior Wells influenced a lot of current day harp players including Billy Branch. I myself meet Junior Wells back in 1979 at a small club on the upper west side. I just happened to fill-in on bass for Smilin Bobby when his original bass man showed up to the gig stoned out of his mind. I just went to watch, not play, but play I did. At the time I did not know who he was. Smiling Bobby was opening for Buddy Guy. If you lived in Chicago and played guitar during that time period you would never know who you would run into. Just like at Artis Lounge. Monday night found L V Banks at the bar and sitting right next to him was Ronnie Baker Brooks across the bar was Matthew  Skoller .and at the end of the bar was DJ Tom Marker from WXRT radio. WXRT is one of a few stations that still airs blues music. Thanks Tom.
Club Owner Mike was there along with a host of others. I could not list all the people that show up there on a regular basis. If you are in Chicago you have got to stop in for a drink. Try Monday night.

Blues ME or Lose Me.
Gatorman
Terry Lape

Electro Glide Records is having a mini blues summit/showcase I will be Emceeing the whole show. Go HERE for more info. It will be a real hot spot for the Blues.

Blues Rocker Discovered

Morning Coffee Spot (notice cup)

Just about a year ago I was on my morning trek for coffee and just happened to see the local newspaper at the coffee shop. Let me rephrase that, coffee shop-gas station-pizza joint-convenience store. I live in a small rural area and the gas station is were most early birds meet. Guys like Glen the farmer, lawn cutter and snow plower and Keith the handyman, wood hunter and emcee and Bob the concrete guy. If you stop there before seven AM it's a whole different crowd. It's the gentleman farmer on his way to the job in the big city time. There's Tom the nuclear reactor teacher and Glen the nuclear reactor operator. There are six reactors in Illinois and three are within 150 miles of  my residence. I really do not worry about them. I am more concerned about the nerve gas storage facility in Newport, Indiana 155 miles away. That's another story.

JW with sponsors Hayes Amps and Nikita Guitar

Inside the paper on page 4 of 21 was an article about Jimmy Warren a blues rocker. It turns out that Jimmy lives about two miles down the road from my house and I had never heard of him. This of course peaked my curiosity. The article had a phone number. I called.  I talked at length to JW and discovered him to be a warm, gracious and very spiritual  individual.  JW is an out of work Worship Pastor (another way of saying musical director) from one of those large mega churches.After the layoff JW made a decision to support himself and his family through his love of the guitar. He has been doing just that for almost a year and has done an excellent job, having assembled a massive fan base of over 30,000. In this past year I have become great friends with MR. Warren.  JW and I have some of the same goals in the music industry although I have to give JW his Kudos. He is way ahead of me in the marketing aspect and guitar playing area. Jimmy has recently started a new record label called Electro Glide Records .  His concept is to offer unsigned, often times ignored talent an opportunity. Since starting the label January 1 of 2010 he has already signed three artists.

Jimmy has a brand new CD coming out called "NO MORE PROMISES". The release party and big showcase is March 20 on the South side of Chicago. At this showcase will be some of the EGR signed artists. There will be a raffle for a autographed signed Fender Stratocaster and included with the $20 winning raffle ticket will be a performance by Jimmy and the band. Subject to his schedule and the venue has to be within 100 miles of Beecher, Illinois. All proceeds from this raffle will be donated to a local food bank. Consult www.electrogliderecords.com  for more information.
 

PS. Yours truly has been asked to EMCEE the proceedings. Yikes, in the spotlight and no guitar. Mr. Jimmy Warren may have unleashed a monster.  Have no fear security will be on hand.

GATORMAN
PPS Nighthawk you had better get up here.
www.chicagobluesnews.com
www.zazzle.com/terlap

Billy Branch Attends L V Banks' College of the Blues by Gatorman

(Chicago, Illinois) Let me say this up front, “Billy Branch is the top Mississippi saxophone player in the world”. Mr. Branch is a three time Grammy nominee and well deserving of such accolades.. I met Billy a number of years ago through a mutual friend John. John is a music rep who owns Jamm Distributing based out of a far south suburb of Chicago.

Billy is a native Chicagoan who was raised in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois and holds a degree in political science. His initial goal was to become a lawyer. During those  college years Billy would hang out at one of the most legendary blues clubs that Chicago has ever birthed; Theresa’s Lounge. Sadly the club is no longer with us, but it lives on in blues folklore. Billy served a dream blues apprenticeship under the tutelage of such greats as Carey Bell, Junior Wells, Big Walter Horton, James Cotton and the great Willie Dixon. He replaced Cary Bell in the famous Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All Stars. He now performs with the greatest blues band that has ever graced the blues stage. They are “The Sons of Blues” S.O.B’s for short. The S.O.B.’s are; Nick Charles - Bass - Vocals, Dan Coscarelly - Guitar - Vocals, Ariyo - Piano - Vocals and Mose Rutues - Drums - Vocals. (Happy B-day)

This past Saturday I took my blues buddy the Great L. V. Banks to see Billy Branch and the S.O.B’s at Rosa’s Lounge. Rosas’s is an outstanding blues club that is warm and friendly. Its owners have to be commended for keeping it that way.

L V and Nick Charles go all the way back to Greenfield Mississippi. Nick credits L V as his blues mentor. L V Banks certainly deserves all the credit he can get. He is a living legend. When Billy Branch performs and L V is in the house he always  acknowledges L V as the senior statesman of the blues. He is correct. There are not many artists like him left. He is old school blues and that is my favorite kind.

Billy called L V up. L V slowly made his way through the crowd to the stage. L V used Dan’s guitar because he left his at home. The first note from that guitar turned all eyes towards the stage. A smile came across Billy Branch's face as the sweet bluesy, soulful sounds of the senior statesman poured into the audience and filled the late night Chicago streets.

Mr. Banks plays one of my favorite style of blues, namely Lumpty Lump. It was like Jimmy Reed and Elmore James were in the house, but make no mistake about the comparison,  L V is the master. People rushed the stage and danced and danced and danced. L V, on that stage, on that night, in that small, maybe 100 person full club made blues magic happen. If there is a blues God he most assuredly was listening . It is a rare occurrence in this age of youtube and blues wannabes to hear and see such a. legendary artist.

I was personally overwhelmed with emotion, because not only was L V on stage, but Billy Branch, Nick Charles, Mose Rutues and Aryio were also. They were backing up L V and for that short 20 minutes L V took them all to school. Somehow I do not think anyone minded. Dan unfortunately had to sit out. I do not think he minded either, because there are just a handful of people that can say "L V Banks once played my Guitar."


Gatorman

L V Banks CD can be purchased here

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