Loose Blues News

Say Howdy! The TBS bids adieu to office and event coordinator Dan Kershaw who has joined the SOCAN family while pursuing his music career with The Brothers Cosmoline and we welcome Matt Burgener to man the fort. Matt recently relocated to Toronto after completing his degree in European history at the University of Calgary. He is also a singer/songwriter with a background in event coordinating, and office management. He has toured about half of the country singing his western themed songs, and worked in Calgary for seven years as the chief coordinator of the rock central stampede breakfast, "the belly-button of the underbelly of the Calgary Stampede." Globe and Mail, July 2001. Having now been in the big city for two months Matt is considering a drastic haircut, and holds musical court every Sunday night at The Ancient, 751 Queen St. West, 9 pm.

Blues History Repeats itself: There's a special night at Healey's on Saturday, June 21, when Mainline joins Coldsweat on the bill at Healey's. The Mainline boys wanted to make it a memorable evening so they have invited music scribe Greg Quill to start off the show at 9:30 (Coldsweat will play at 10:30). Quill was an established artist in Australia back when Mainline, in their previous incarnation, toured down under and he opened many of their shows. Now, exactly twenty years later, they'll be doing it again at Healey's. Bound to be a high-energy good time!

Secure Borders: When Junior Watson played the Silver Dollar Room last month, it was without his band drummer who was not allowed to cross the border. Subbing in was Maple Blues Award drummer of the year Tom Bona.

Lunch Blues: Yorkville's Blues On Bellair is now open for lunch and brunch, from 11 am, with blues on the house sound system. Outdoor patio, indoors non-smoking, evenings live blues. 416-944-2095.

The Phantoms Menace: On Friday the 13th of June, the Phantoms (Jerome Godboo, Joe Toole, Big Ben , and Gregory Ray), the "undisputed kings of the live music club scene between 1988 and 1993", are reuniting for one show at Healey's. Says bassist Big Ben , "When we broke up in 1996, I went on to many interesting and satisfying gigs with other bands. But just recently I started missing the energy and comfort of playing in a band with three of my best friends. When I called the others, I was surprised to find them all amenable to trying out a show and seeing if we could just go out there and blow for the fun of it". The Toronto Star has stated: "Say what you will about the Phantoms - that they're cocky, arrogant, unfashionable, heedless, unyielding - but there are few unsigned bands with as much moxie and pure beer hall bravado." Start time 10 pm, tickets $12.00 in advance or $15.00 day of show. Email: bigbenrich@sympatico.ca.

David Wilcox on the Rocks: On Saturday June 21st, David Wilcox will be heating up the Ice Gardens at York University. Promoting his latest Stony Plain release Rockin The Boogie, the Best of Blues and Boogie, Wilcox will leave no doubt why he is revered as one of the most exciting live acts in the country. And, rest assured, there'll be plenty of the early tunes that made him a Canadian legend. For the 8:00 pm, licensed event, tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster for $22.50.

Congratulations to Danny Marks whose weekly radio show, BLUZ.FM, 8pm to midnight on JAZZ.FM 91.1 has made a huge leap in the ratings - ensuring a healthy respect for the blues up there in jazzland. Meanwhile, Danny has also launched a new Saturday matinee at the Silver Dollar (3-7pm, no cover), keeps up a rigorous schedule of personal appearances, and is...well, there are no adjectives to describe Toronto's own guitar meister.

Steve's Sunday Juke Joint Jam: The open stage jam hosted by Steve Grisbrook at Carlos Murphys Restaurant in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood goes on hiatus for the summer and will return in the fall.

Guitar Pickers Unite: Shawn Trotter of Hamilton has recently founded the "Southern Ontario Fingerstyle Guitar Association" (SOFGA), with meetings scheduled every second Monday for a friendly discussion of guitar picking topics, as well as a feature showcase to demonstrate various styles. "We encourage new or any level of guitar skill to participate - all pickers are equal. The event is intended as friendly and informative, we go as slow as needed, and the pieces are broken down to the basic components of finger picking and offered in bit-sized pieces." www.room8artists.com, email: sofga@room8artists.com or call 905.525.9639.

More for Guitar Pickers: The Guitar Workshop returns this year with blues icon Robben Ford as one of the instructors among other luminaries of the guitar scene. The course takes place at Appleby College in Oakville from July 20 to 25. For info call 905-785-7087

Rez Bluez on the Road: Last month, the CBC radio show "The Current" profiled Pappy Johns' upcoming appearance at the Chicago Blues festival. The band was spotted at one of the Toronto Blues Society's Blues Summit showcases in January by festival artistic director Barry Dolans.

Blue Canada eRadio Internet Broadcast: Starting June 1st, Andie Maranda, one of the principals of canadianblues.ca, is launching an internet radio station, playing strictly Canadian blues from musicians across the country. The broadcast is hosted by Live365.com, a legal Internet broadcast, with royalty fees paid to the American associations including BMI and ASCAP. Live365.com is an ad-revenue run service so, following sign in, pop-up ads and audio ads are received throughout the broadcast (although there is the option of paying for ad-free content). There is a cap of 100 listeners at one time and you will need a hi-speed internet connection. http://home.cogeco.ca/~cdnbluesradio.

Readers Bluesfest Fundraiser: On Saturday June 14, Readers, "one of the finest listening rooms in Ontario for roots `n' blues", and the location for the annual bluesfest, now entering its third year, will be hosting its annual Bluesfest fundraiser, with musical guests Fathead, raffle prizes, and a silent auction. Tickets are $20.00 in advance, $25.00 at the door, including a full hot and cold buffet. The full schedule for this year's festival, August 1-3, will be announced, and tickets will go on sale as well. The festival has been renamed "The SouthCoast BluesFest". For a sneak preview of the festival line-up, tune into "Let the Good Times Roll" with Ian Angus on Thursday June 12 when founder and organizer Mark Neveu will be co-hosting part of the show. www.readerscafe.com, 905-701-1919.

Kingston choir: Kingston's favorite blues lady, Juno nominee Georgette Fry has formed an all women's choir in Kingston called "That Choir". The choir formed in September 2002 and has proven so popular that there are two choir evenings a week to accommodate the over 140 women who signed up. None of the members are required to read music. Georgette provides the choir members with recordings of the various musical parts and the women learn their parts and sing straight from the heart. For many of the members this has given them their first opportunity to experience the joy of singing with a choir. "That Choir" made their first public appearance in March and are performing their first concert at the Sydenham United Church in Kingston on June 11. Info from njgreig@absolutelymusic.on.ca

Grand River Blues Society: This new society was launched last month with an afternoon of entertainment & refreshments at the Toyota Room of the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, in Cambridge, Ontario.

Bluesfest in the ByWard: For those who couldn't wait for Bluesfest in July, a mini-version of the Ottawa festival took place last month at the 2nd Annual Bluesfest in the ByWard, a three-day weekend of live blues performances in the ByWard Market.

La Fete du Blues 500e De Rue D'auteuil: To celebrate the 500th show of "Rue d'Auteuil" on CKRL, show host Michel Dubois hosted "La fete du blues" last month at Quebec City's L'autre Caserne, with live performances by Mike Deway, Pat The White, Mo Blues, Kevin Mark, Jocelyn Goulet, Lise Hanik, Woogie, and Joshua Bishop, among others, all broadcast live on CKRL 89.1, and on the Radio du Quebec section of www.lautrecaserne.com.

Shakin' off The Blues: The new East Coast Blues Society presented this event last month featuring Georgette Fry & John Campbelljohn at the Schooner Room of the Casino Nova Scotia.

King Kudos: Bill King's Ejazznews.com has been nominated in the Jazz Journalists Association's Seventh Annual Jazz Awards for excellence and accomplishment (April 2002 to April 2003), in the category "Best Website Covering Jazz". The awards ceremony is June 25th, 4-7pm, at B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill in New York City. As in the past, this cocktail and supper party is a benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America's Musicians Emergency Fund.

Jazz At The ROM: As well, King delivered his "Real Divas" show last month in the rotunda of the Royal Ontario Museum, with 5 vocalists, including Alex Pangman, and his trio. The concert was free, as was access to all exhibits.

The North American Rock Guitar Competition: Canadian Boobie Browne is a top-5 finalist in this competition, occurring at the WNED-TV Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival, an annual 9-day event dedicated solely to the guitar, and this year featuring performances by Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, and Dickie Betts, among others. Boobie's set is at 7:30 pm on June 16, at the UB Center for the Arts, 103 Center for the Arts, Buffalo, NY, 716-645-6973. Check out www.guitarfestival.org/RockComp.asp.

B.A.D. Biker Blues Bash: the 6th Annual B.A.D. Ride was held last month, the largest annual fundraiser for the Distress Centres of Toronto, an organization dedicated to providing help and hope to those in crisis. A single day event, bikers depart from Highways 400 & 7, and follow a signed route at their own pace over some of Southern Ontario's best riding roads, ending at Exhibition Place for a party featuring great food, live music, contests, a silent auction, and prize draws, including a Sunoco Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Fat Boy, the richest prize ever to be given away at a motorcycle charity ride. Last year's B.A.D. Ride, on a cool spring day, raised over $125,000.

This year's tally should exceed that amount, and every penny raised by the 1500 to 2000 participants goes directly to the charity, as only unpaid volunteers do all of the work required to put on the ride. There was a kick-off BBQ & Blues Bash at the Silver Dollar Room featuring the Barney Adams Blues Attitude Band, draws and prizes, a complimentary southern style BBQ buffet, and a special guest appearance by Danny Marks. Since the inception of the B.A.D Ride, The Silver Dollar Room has been one of its strongest supporters. www.thebadride.com or (416) 595-1716. The Distress Centres of Toronto are the vital organization that takes calls from the Greater Toronto's lonely, distressed and suicidal. The Toronto Distress Centre is open 24 hours seven days a week and those in need call 416-408-HELP.

Noel Redding, 1945-2003: The former Jimi Hendrix bass player died of unknown causes at age 57. Redding was born Christmas Day 1945 in Kent, England. Along with drummer Mitch Mitchell, he was recruited by Hendrix's manager, Chas Chandler, to form the Experience, and one year after the band started, it charted in the U.K. with "Hey Joe," which reached Number Six. The band's debut album, "Are You Experienced?", reached Number Five, and the Experience reached legendary status in the U.S. after an appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. The band continued its success with the release of two albums in 1968, "Axis: Bold as Love" and "Electric Ladyland", which charted at Number Three and Number One respectively.

Amid creative and personal squabbling, Redding left the Experience in 1969 and started Fat Mattress, who released a self-titled album that year and "Fat Mattress 2" in 1970. Redding then formed the Noel Redding Band, which issued a pair of recordings, "Clonakilty Cowboys" in 1975 and "Blowin'" in 1976. Redding then moved to Ireland where he spent the remainder of his life. Relations between the bassist and the Hendrix estate were strained from the time of his departure from the band until his death. Redding maintained that he was underpaid for his services in the band, and that he had received no royalties from those three years. As a member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Redding was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Festival Round-up:

The First Annual Orangeville Blues Festival, June 5-8, Downtown Orangeville. Free concert in the park on Saturday from 2pm to 8pm starring Jack de Keyzer, 2003 Blues Juno Award Winner. Also performing are Michael Pickett, Wayne Buttery & The Groove Project, Ronnie Douglas, and Trouble & Strife. In the clubs Shawn Kellerman & The Soul Providers, Mark "Bird" Stafford, Rick Fines Trio, plus many others. There will also be a farmers market, beer garden, and tastes of Orangeville food. Call (519) 941-7875 or email: larryk@look.ca.

Toronto Downtown Jazz, June 20-29, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto. A couple of mainstage blues shows including Mighty Sam McClain (June 22) and Ray Charles (Hummingbird Centre, June 20). The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir opens the festival on Friday, June 20. The Opera House presents Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang and Cash McCall (June 24). More blues in the clubs including Michael Pickett at Black Swan (June 24), Jack De Keyzer at Blues On Bellair (June 26 & 28), Fathead at Silver Dollar (June 28), Susie Arioli Band at El Mocambo (June 23) and much more. Fans of the B3 organ should check out the amazing Joey De Francesco at the Orbit Room (June 23-26). Ten days of non-stop jazz (mostly free) from noon to 4 am. www.torontojazz.com

Labatt Blue's Festival, July 4-6, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto. Toronto's long-standing blues rendezvous always brings a nice blend of new faces and familiar sounds and a great film programme (presented by the TBS). Watch for Corey Harris and his new unit the 5x5, Alan Gerber, Dawn Tyler Watson, Fruteland Jackson, Diana Braithwaite, Rita Chiarelli, David Essig, Wes Mackey, the Saturday Night Fish Fry, George Leach, Ricky Day & The Daredevils of Soul, Alfie Smith, Mark "Bird" Stafford, Michael Kaeshammer, a Rez Bluez 10th Anniversay bash, Juno winner Jack de Keyzer with an expanded all-star line-up and more. www.harbourfront.on.ca

BBQ and Blues Festival, July 11-12, The Roundhouse, Toronto This year it's a free festival featuring many great local blues artists on the grounds of the Steamwhistle brewery.

London Blues Festival July 16- 20, Artists scheduled to perform include George Thorogood, Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, Buckwheat Zydeco, Koko Taylor, Omar and The Howlers and many more. The London Blues Festival is being held at John Labatt Center Outdoor Pavilion. Wednesday July 16 it's Big Daddy G. & Robert Penn, and Koko Taylor. On Thursday July 17 you can see Paul Langille, Scott Holt, The London Blues Allstars, and Dickey Betts . Friday Paul James and Buddy Guy are the big names scheduled to perform. Saturday's party begins at 1:00 pm with artists such as Those Delta Rhythm Kings, Glamour Puss, Dawn Tyler Watson, Buckwheat Zydeco and more. On Sunday the London International Bluesfest ends on a high note with Toronto's own Fathead, followed by George Thorogood. www.thebluesfest.com/london has all the information you need for directions and purchasing tickets.

New York State Rhythm and Blues Festival July 18-20, Syracuse New York. Friday July 18 the Imperial Ballroom in the Hotel Syracuse Tab Benoit, Duke Robillard and Tommy Castro will be performing. The Persian terrace has Women n' Blues and later, Kelly Hunt. Saturday July 19 at the main stage in Clinton Square, The Downchild Blues Band will be performing at 7:30 pm followed by the Robben Ford Band at 9:30. Also in Clinton Square, Sunday July 20 The Blind Boys of Alabama will hit the main stage followed by the West Coast Harmonica Blow off featuring Mark Hummel, James Harman, and more will be sure to draw a crowd. The New York State Rhythm and Blues festival also has many free artist workshops throughout the weekend. Visit www.nysbluesfest.com for ticket information, performer listings, and accommodations.

Beaches International Jazz Festival July 23-27. On Saturday, July 26 Blues on the main stage (Kew Gardens) with Rita Chiarelli &The Downchild Blues Band. The popular street fest has the following performers on site Blackboard Blues Band, Shakura S'Aida, Little Bobby and the Jumpstarts, Big Daddy G, David Rotundo and the Blue Canadians. If that's not enough, you can also catch Fathead, Jack De Keyzer, Mark Stafford and many more performers on Queen St. East throughout the weekend. This is a free event. Visit www.beachesjazz.com for more performer listings and information.

The Toronto Star Bluesfest July 23-27, Exhibition Place, Toronto. The first Toronto Star Bluesfest has a stellar line up of artists including Toronto's own Jack De Keyzer and fellow Canuck Colin James on Wednesday July 23. On Thursday the headline act is Sheryl Crow and Friday is George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. The real Blues begins on Saturday with Joe Louis Walker & The Bosstalkers, Peter Green Splinter Group, and George Thorogood. To close out the show on Sunday July 27 The Blind Boys of Alabama will perform as well as Big Bill Morganfield, Tommy Castro and Robert Cray. There will be many more performers to see at The Toronto Star Bluesfest. www.torontobluesfest.com

The SouthCoast BluesFest, Aug 1-3 (formerly Mudcat Blues Festival), Dunville. Readers Cafe in Dunville is now recognized as a premier blues venue in Ontario with great community support and the festival that has grown around it provides a great setting for blues (and a great excuse to get out of the city). Lineup TBA www.readerscafe.com

The Oshawa Jazz and Blues, Aug 11-17, Memorial Park, Oshawa. Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards, Big Daddy G, Jack De Keyzer, Peter Mathers and Rendezvous and the Bourbon Street Buskers. More bands will be announced in the near future. The Saturday event will also feature a Cajun Cook-off and BBQ, Artisans and more. Most events are free www.eclipseconcerts.com

Southside Shuffle, Sept 5-7, Port Credit. This year (its 5th) they feature a larger "Sreet Shuffle", two outdoor stages and southern cooking at "Bourbon Street in the Park". Over 100 international blues and jazz acts including David Wilcox, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Alberta Adams, Downchild Blues Band, Omar and the Howlers. www.southsideshuffle.com

Yardbirds On the Road

The legendary and highly influential British blues-rock band The Yardbirds have just released their first album since 1967! Birdland features original members Jim McCarty (drums) and Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar) alongside new members guitarist Gypie Mayo (Dr. Feelgood), singer John Idan and harmonica player Alan Glen.

In a recent interview, McCarty reflected upon the heady days of the '60s British Invasion. He spoke fondly about the time (1963) that The Yardbirds recorded in England with blues great Sonny Boy Williamson.

"That was wonderful. I loved all the old blues players, but sadly they are all disappearing now. He was a great character, a total showman. He could create a show anywhere just by pulling his harmonica out. He was fabulous."

Along with peers like the Rolling Stones and The Animals, The Yardbirds definitely helped turn a young generation of listeners on both sides of the Atlantic on to the blues. Jim notes that "I'm really proud of that.

The blues really was underground until all the white kids, especially in America, suddenly resurfaced with us doing our version of it. To have previously missed out on that great music on their doorstep was such a shame. People I knew at that time would say they went to see Howling Wolf play in Chicago in front of two people. Muddy Waters was actually painting Chess Studios when the Rolling Stones went there."

Of course, the British Invasion bands and their record labels and music publishers were also often guilty of ripping off songs done by black blues veterans. McCarty admits that "yes, that did happen now and then, but I think in the end someone like [ace songwriter] Willie Dixon would have done pretty well."

Members of The Rock `N Roll Hall of Fame, The Yardbirds are still best remembered as the band that, quite incredibly, spawned three of the best and most influential guitarists in rock. Between 1963 and 1968, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page all cut their musical teeth in various incarnations of the group.

Beck takes a cameo on Birdland, as do guitar heroes Steve Vai (head of Favored Nations, the group's label), Slash, Brian May (Queen), Jeff `Skunk' Baxter, and Joe Satriani.

Tech Tips

Feedback is when a sound travels back to its source, and is added to the source. This cycle continues and builds until you have feedback. There are other factors such as phase, wavelength, acoustical resonance.... etc. that are all part of the feedback problem. Feedback is usually just at one or two frequencies. In this particular case a resonant, acoustic hollow body guitar is being excited by it's own sound that travels back to it. The first step in dealing with an issue like this, is finding the frequency or note that is more prone to feeding back, and lowering the volume (gain) of that note (frequency). The best way to do that is to get one of those popular guitar equalizer pedals that are on the market. There is some trial and error that you will have to go through, before you find the right frequency to cut. As well each stage or room can add to or subtract from the problem, necessitating fine-tuning for each gig. Don't cut the gain too much, just enough to stop most of the feedback and bring it under control. Now increase the overall volume of your amp, at the same time position your amp or yourself differently, it will affect how the notes feedback. Keep adjusting the equalizer and the player/amp positioning until most of the feedback is under control. The resonance of the body of the guitar can also be dampened a bit to stop feedback. A little foam pushed into the f-holes to block them could help. Just be careful to not break any wires. You just want to shove foam into the front of the hole. Using an equalizer pedal, positioning of amp or player, as well as the foam trick will all contribute to taming the problem. Any one of these solutions might work, but I think it will be a combination of several of these. Be patient, experiment, and make the changes gradually so you can hear how it affects your sound.

The second part of the question I suspect, is also part of the problem. This player likes a mellow, maybe even a bass heavy sound. On hollow body guitars (electric or acoustic) low frequency feedback is a common problem. If you adjust your tone for a mellow sound, this may aggravate the guitar's tendency to howl or feedback. For the guitar to be heard at the back of a smokey, packed club, you will need less low end and more mids and highs. If you don't already put your amp on the floor, then do so. That way you won't hear as much of the high end when you turn up the mids and highs. Be aware that with the amp on the floor, it will acoustically couple to the floor thereby increasing your bass or low end response. As well try not to put the amp next to a wall because that will also increase your low end. Adjust the equalizer to compensate. Turn the amp away from you a bit so these mids and highs are not beaming at you. The higher a frequency, the more directional it is. This means that you can control where the higher frequencies are directed, more than the lower ones. The higher frequencies won't be perceived by the audience at the back of the room, the same way that they are on stage. They will have less intensity as distance increases from the source. My previous article mentioned some tips for controlling some of the high end or harshness that is sometimes needed to be heard above a band in a club. Try using the equalizer pedal to control (boosting or cutting) some of the mids and highs, in addition to using the tone controls on the amp. Another possible thing to try is to change your pre-amp tube for one with lower gain. If you use channel 1 of your Super Reverb, then change the first tube (V1) on the far right. If you use channel 2, then it is the second tube (V2) in from the far right. Change the tube to a 12AY7. It's not very common, but they are being manufactured again, so call some of the guitar shops. This was a popular pre-amp tube used by Fender in the 50's. You'll be able to get a bit more volume before feedback, as well it will give you a rounder less brittle sound. The amp won't go into distortion as early, although if you're using a Super Reverb and having feedback problems, your sound is probably quite clean. One last thought, try using half-round guitar strings, they have less high end if that is what you are looking for. Or even flatwound strings if you are not a string bender. The mellower nature of these strings should help offset the tonal changes you make in order to be heard. When you listen to your favorite recordings, the guitar sound is not necessarily what the amp sounded like in the studio. It is also a combination of the microphone and the room. As well the sound is equalized and compressed to make it fit in the mix. To duplicate those sounds in a live situation can sometimes be difficult if not next to impossible, depending on a variety of factors. This feedback problem is one of the hardest to solve, so be patient, experiment, and gradually some progress will be made. But the issue will always be there because the hollow body of that ES-175 guitar just wants to resonate when sound hits it. That's exactly what it was designed to do.

I've received comments and suggestions from some readers, and they are all greatly appreciated. If you have suggestions or questions you can e-mail me at Nsteelslider@aol.com. Let me know what's of interest for future columns. I can't guarantee a personal reply to all e-mails, but maybe simple questions could be addressed within the format of this column.

Norman Robinson works as a Technical Engineer at Manta Digital Sound & Picture, as well he is the band leader and guitarist for The VooDoo Kings, and Howlin' Mercy.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Can you contribute some of your time to work the TBS table at the Labatt Blue's Festival at Harbourfront Centre on July 4-6 and/or the Toronto Star Bluesfest on July 23-27?

Contact Larry McCarthy by email at larryjmccarthy@rogers.com or call 416-745-6268.