Maple Blues Online - Loose Blues News

Gary Tate (on left in photo) has been following the Mississippi Hippies' career trajectory for the last couple of years and offers this profile of the new "buzz act" on the Toronto blues scene. Seated in front of Gary are Hippies' Gord Legatt, John Dickie and the band's manager, promoter and biggest booster, "Sockman" Mory Wardinger. Photo by Monique

It was a year ago (June 3rd, 2005 to be precise) that Mory "the Sockman" made his musical acquaintance with the Mississippi Hippies, and since then many exciting things have happened to Sockman, and especially the Hippies. It all began when I met the Sockman at a reunion gig for John Finley and the Checkmates at a club along Lakeshore Blvd. We go back years, but had lost contact for a spell, before bumping into each other at that packed room. We started talking about this and that, but the thing I had to get off my chest was how impressed I'd been with a new band I'd had the pleasure of doing some publicity for. They were called the Mississippi Hippies, and were starting to make a bit of a splash around town

I knew what Sockman dug and understood what got his musical juices flowing. So I was positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that once he heard the Hippies' scintillating CD it would completely bowl him over. I can't remember precisely how I conveyed my sentiments, although it might been something like this: "Sockman, check out the Hippies and they'll absolutely blow you away". I don't believe there's any need to elaborate upon what has transpired in the aftermath, because hundreds, if not thousands, of people within listening, phone, or e-mail distance of Sockman have been inundated with how the Mississippi Hippies are the best band in the land and fully guaranteed to serve up "Party Blues at it's Best".

Looking back in time, things hadn't always been so rosy, and had actually been rather disappointing despite the success of the band's May 2005 CD release party at Hugh's Room (the crowd had a blast--and danced the night away!). The problem stemmed from the precarious state of Long John Baldry's health, and for those unaware, the Hippies had been slated to be the touring band behind this legendary British Bluesman. In fact, Hugh's Room was originally scheduled as the launch site for the tour, but springtime was bringing no sunny news on Baldry's precarious situation. As each month of Baldry's hospitalization passed and as each hoped-for announcement of improvement never materialized, a mood of pessimism built-up. And it dawned that the Hippies probably couldn't rely on making it in league with Baldry (he succumbed barely three months later to his prolonged illness).

This state of limbo ended when that promotional dynamo called Sockman filled the void and started managing and promoting the band. He was determined to devote his energies in spreading the Hippies message, using his considerable business and sales skills to the maximum. He'd made that commitment sight unseen, based solely on one hearing of the 10 spectacular tracks that leapt at him off the Hippies' self-titled CD. It contains a treasure trove of rockin' Blues, with one root firmly planted in the Mississippi Blues tradition, and the other in those beloved rockin' 50's sounds of Chuck Berry, Hank Ballard, and Little Richard. The Hippies songs were inventive, the instrumentation utterly flawless, the rhythm patterns packed with contagious grooves, the lyrics pure tantalizing fun, but what ultimately made this such a compelling listen were those amazingly well-thought out arrangements.

The Sockman sensed instinctively that such formidable material when married to the performing talents of esteemed veterans John Dickie, the Leggat brothers, Mike Sloski, Norm Brown, and Pat Carey (who Sockman added to the band), yielded a dominating force. All manner of hype can go amiss if it's not backed up by results, but such a possibility is unimaginable here. Anyone who has ever seen their show will vouch for that; they know that the Mississippi Hippies always deliver "Party Blues at its Best".

It's been a wild and exciting ride over the last year, folks, starting off with last summer's Beach 'n' Blues Luv-In at the Dior Lounge, then heading Port Credit way and an impressive debut at the Southside Shuffle, before finally climaxing with a spectacular Trick Or Treat Soul Revue in celebration of Hallowe'en (yes, it'll be reprised this year!). There have been numerous gigs, at places like Healey's, the Silver Dollar Room, and Hollywood On The Queensway, and several private functions to boot. Things slowed down just a little after John Dickie went on the mend for a couple months in wake of hip replacement surgery, but with a full recovery and a revitalized body, the Hippies events calendar has been growing on an almost daily basis. Sockman and his First Class Promotions will be spreading Hippies fever far and wide, throughout what's being billed as the 2006 Summertime Blues Tour.

It'll kick off in grand style with a main stage performance at Toronto's Distillery District Festival, before heading to festivals in Markham (Ribfest), Brampton (Savannah), Kitchener (Blues, Brews, and BBQ) , Port Credit (Southside Shuffle), and the piece de resistance will be an appearance at the world-renowned Festival International du Blues de Mt. Tremblant.

Blues Guitar Legend Mel Brown celebrates the release of both his new Electro-Fi CD and his new Talkin' Blues DVD on Sat. June 24th at the Silver Dollar Room, 486 Spadina Avenue. Rolling Stone magazine describes Mel as "Funky, Primeval and Perfect". Opening the show at 9pm will be fellow Electro-Fi artist and 2005 Juno nominee Julian Fauth. Mel will also be appearing Saturday July 15th on the Blues til Dusk stage at the Ottawa Blues Festival as part of the Electro-Fi Records Hoodoo Revue along with Curley Bridges, Finis Tasby and Julian Fauth.

Georgette Fry Honoured: Multi-award winning blues singer songwriter Georgette Fry has received "The Great Canadian Blues Award" for 2006. Sponsored by CBC's "Saturday Night Blues", this annual on-line voter's choice award has been previously bestowed upon Colin James, Long John Baldry, and Colin Linden. Georgette was recently highlighted on CBC radio when "Saturday Night Blues" broadcast a set from her December concert for the Edmonton Jazz Society at the Yardbird Suite. Georgette is currently working with her jazz quartet, and will repeat her popular dinner show at Confederation Place Hotel in Kingston in June, and will appear in Picton at the Regent Theatre at the end of July. www.cbc.ca/snb/bluesaward/index.html, www.georgettefry.ca.

Chess Fever: On July 2nd, the last day of the Toronto Jazz Festival, Terry Wilkins presents a show entitled "Chess Fever" at The Reservoir Lounge in Toronto at 8 pm. "This show is a tribute to the repertoire and the sound of the music produced by the Chess Label with an emphasis on the 50's period. Muddy, Willie, and Wolf - the holy trinity - with Little Walter, Sonny Boy, Otis Rush, and Chuck Berry thrown into the mix. The band will feature the acoustic piano/acoustic bass combo that, when mixed with those new-fangled electric guitars and the drums, is like jumpy jazz; Tyler Yarema on piano, Chris Whiteley on electric guitar and harp, drummer Bob Vespaziani, and Wilkins on the acoustic bass. Guests for this first event (of what is to become a weekly event in the fall) include Michael White, Paul James, and Sue Foley. The fall weekly series will feature one veteran guest and one up-and-comer guest per week."

When You Get the Blues - Live Music Photography from Chicago, Detroit and Toronto: June 1-19 at the Distillery, photographed by Timothy A. Campbell, who states: "I was very lucky to grow up in Toronto when so many of the great blues musicians came and played the small clubs downtown. Years later, on reflection, I realized that these shows were a historical moment, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to have photographed most of these shows. A large number of the blues musicians have since passed away, some old and some young. Thankfully the music lives on, and these images of places and performers, on and offstage, share the feelings and emotions I experienced then, 15 to 20 years ago, and continue to feel when I listen to their timeless music. This exhibition documents people, venues, clubs, and soulful music. I met and talked with most of the musicians I photographed. Some were legends, some were stars, and some were members of their bands. They told stories and shared their thoughts, and sometimes would talk about home, and what it meant to them. They wrote and played great songs, and photographing these moments was a way for me to be a fan as well as a photographer. Albert's Hall in Toronto was an important venue for many blues performers, as was Theresa's Lounge in Chicago, and the Soup Kitchen Saloon in Detroit. All of these venues are gone. I have always been very sensitive to the feelings of others, and the music of these blues artists was like a tidal wave of expressive emotion, full of stories of love, heartache, loss, and the suffering of the human spirit. Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells, Paul Butterfield, Son Seals, Albert King, Willie Dixon, and Albert Collins have all passed on, which makes these photographs a treasure to view. Willie Dixon said, "The blues is the true facts of life expressed in words, songs, inspirations, feelings, understanding, wisdom and knowledge. Without any one of these, you can't have The Blues."

Jazz Art - The Originals By Barbara Klunder: "In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival, an exhibition of original artworks by Barbara Klunder will be hung in the Pages Art Window, of Pages Books & Magazines (256 Queen Street West, 416.598.1447), from June 23 to July 2. The 16 framed original artworks were created under commission from Toronto Downtown Jazz, beginning in 1998. Each original is of a musician, and selected images were used as the annual motif and incorporated into posters, programmes, signage and the ever-popular souvenir t-shirts to become the `face' of each year's festival. These original works of art have never been offered for sale before, and are available for purchase exclusively through Pages Books and Magazines. Over the years, this window on Queen Street West has been the site for pieces by a number of distinguished artists including Governor General Award winners John Scott, Istvan Kantor and John Oswald. Barbara Klunder is a Toronto-based award-winning illustrator and designer who works in a variety of medium. She has designed sweaters, carpets, tapestries and other textiles, created two fonts (B.Klunder Script and Ottofont), designed theatre sets and costumes, and has had numerous solo and group exhibitions. She has designed CD artwork and created many music, theatre and event posters for a variety of groups including Laurie Anderson and The Rolling Stones, and was the artist for the legendary Bamboo Club, which famously brought a lot of black music, including jazz, to Toronto." www.torontojazz.com, www.barbaraklunder.com, www.pagesbooks.ca. (She is certainly a friend of the TBS, as artist for last year's 20 Years compilation CD, and often for the Women's Blues Revue, for example.)

The 2006 Blues Music Awards (formerly known as the Handys) were given out in 25 categories. The evening's most honored nominee was the late Little Milton. His widow Pat was on hand to accept the four awards he received as a result of the votes cast by Blues Foundation members. Hubert Sumlin took home two awards for--Best Guitarist and for Traditional Blues Album for About Them Shoes. Two artists with a Canadian connection won awards: Paul Oscher who has recorded for Electro-Fi was selected as the Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year and NorthernBlues artist Janiva Magness was selected Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. See the complete list of winners at www.blues.org.

Canadian Guitar Retreat: July 28-30, a weekend getaway for adults, with workshops, concerts, jamming, and more, on a private wooded camp close to Turkey Point Ontario, with "a real chef to cook, so no bean and wiener dishes (unless you like that kind of thing)". The instructors, Ian Melrose, Bob Evans, Wendell Ferguson, and Shawn Trotter, will cover a wide variety of topics, for both flat pickers and fingerstyle. Details at the web site: www.guitarretreat.com.

Smiths Falls Blues Festival cancelled: The August 11-13, 2006, Smiths Falls Blues Festival has been cancelled due to insufficient sponsorship. The directors apologize to all of the sponsors, stakeholders, suppliers, and, especially, the artists and fans who were looking forward to the 2nd annual fest, for any inconvenience this may cause, and thank all those organizations and businesses who did commit to support this year's Festival, and the sponsors and volunteers who supported the 1st Smiths Falls Blues Festival last summer. Consideration is being given to reviving the Festival for 2007 (the 175th Anniversary of the Rideau Canal); to provide your support, contact the Smiths Falls Mayor & Council at townhall@smithsfalls.ca, or 613.283.4124, and www.smithsfallsbluesfestival.ca, 613.283.8830.

Blues on the WWW: Joe Toole, Jerome Godboo and Alec Fraser have a new band with a website up and running. The trio is called Brokenjoe ( banjo, harmonica and string-bass). The new CD has 17 tracks of original songs mixed with some traditional numbers that most will never have heard before. If we were to pigeon hole the music you could say it harkens back to a time when they didn't need to do that. Back to a time when the banjo was paving the way for the blues guitar of today. Jerome's harp playing really shines on this stuff. All acoustic and the CD will be ready in a couple of weeks.......Check out some sound bites at the website www.brokenjoe.com.

Jerome Godboo has a new look to his website, as well, complete with photos, gig listings, presskit and bio. See www.jeromegodboo.ca. It includes a great Photo Gallery including pics from all his bands (including The Phantoms; One Monkey; Jimmy Bowskill, and the new 'Broken Joe' band) as well as a 'Guest' section featuring photos with Ronnie Hawkins and others,

Singing Summer School: York University Jazz Faculty member and two-time Jazz Vocalist of the Year, Rita di Ghent, is holding a once-a-week Summer School for Jazz Singers. Rita emphasizes that the workshops are for all levels of singers and aspiring singers, so all are welcome. Rita's teaching forte and Masters Thesis topic is explaining difficult concepts in very simple ways. Workshop topics range from how to pick your key and write charts to easy theory for singers to vocal technique simply and expertly explained. Rita, raised in Chicago, and also a veteran blues singer, is also conducting a workshop on how to sing the blues. For a complete brochure and description of topics, e-mail grooveproductions@sympatico.ca.

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