Living Blues #18, Autumn 1974 Little Milton, Ann Arbor Postmortem, John Lee

Number #18, Autumn 1974

Cover Photo: Little Milton by Amy O’Neal

List of Articles

Chicago Blues Today [Club listing], compiled by Jim O’Neal, Wes Race, Steve Tomashefsky, Bruce Iglauer, The Jazz Record Mart and the Chicago Reader

Article summary: alphabetical lists of all clubs in Chicago that featured live blues; with addresses, phone numbers, and lists of performers who have recently played at each club; sorted by districts: South, West, North sides and suburbs

On the Road [new feature listing of touring acts]

Article summary: alphabetical list of 22 touring blues acts, from Luther Allison to Mighty Joe Young; with dates and locations of future gigs (including in Japan and Canada)

Postmortem: Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1974 by Steve Tomashefsky

-artists mentioned: James Brown, The Persuasions, Sun Ra, the John Nicholson Blues All Stars. Hubert Sumlin, S.P. Leary, Mac Thompson (Johnson), Shattering Effect, Kenn Cox, Eddie Nuccillis’s Big band, Mixed Bag, Ursula Walker, Jimmy Dawkins, Hound Dog Taylor, Luther Allison, Cecil Taylor, One String Sam, Boogie Woogie Red, Johnnie Mae Matthews, Little Junior Cannaday, John Lee Hooker, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Albert Collins, Sunnyland Slim, Jr. Walker, Gil Evans, B. B. King , James Green, Luther Johnson, Bob Richey, Sammy Lawhorn, Fred McDowell, Grady “Fats” Jackson, Little Walter/ Article summary: the focus of the article is on what went wrong: bad advertising, poor management, questionable location (Windsor, Ontario, Canada), lack of money, border hassles related to customs and drugs; some commentary on performers, but with focus on how most didn’t get paid, and several refused to play; author concludes that the Festival will die [prophecy proved true, it was the last Ann Arbor Festival [1969-1974] until revived on a smaller scale many years later.

Alabama Boogie: John Lee by Frank Scott

-artists mentioned: full name: John Arthur Lee, Aunt Cora and Uncle Eli, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Jimmie Rodgers (The Singing Brakeman), Coley Smart, Will Nix, Otis Morris, Son Thomas, Tampa Red, Jesse Daley, Edward Thompson, Porter Ellis/Article summary: rediscovery of a performer associated with Florida and Alabama who recorded 4 rare songs in 1951; Lee discusses his not getting any royalties for his recordings, which led to his not recording any further and ultimately to his semi-retirement; as a result of his rediscovery he recorded an LP in 1973 and has had a couple of prestige gigs since. 

Blues from the Big Apple: Charles Walker by Honest Tom Pomposello

-artists mentioned: Bill Dicey, Lee Roy Little (Bluebird), Freeman (Boweavil) Walker, “Larry” “Cooper”, The Love Notes, Bill Doggett, Maurice Simon, B. Brown, Buster Brown, Danny Q. Jones, “Bubba”, “Peanut”, Henry Copeland, Elmore James, Bobby King, Larry Johnson, Bob Malenky, Louisiana Red, John Hammond, Muddy Waters, Little Walter/ Article summary: a look at the early career of Walker in NYC in the 1950s when he made some 45s; after years of retirement he attempts to make a comeback in the early 1970s; Bobby Robinson’s role in NYC blues    

Living Blues Interview: Little Milton by Lynn E. Summers & Bob Scheir

-artists mentioned: Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 2), Willie Love, Joe Campbell, Brother Bailey, Washboard Sam, Elmore James, Earl Hooker, Roy Rogers, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Louis Jordan, Roy Brown, Roy Milton, Big Joe Turner, Eddie Cusic, Joe Willie Wilkins, C.W. Tate, Houston Boines, Charlie Booker, Homesick James, Forrest City Joe Pugh, Eddie Taylor, Oliver Sain, Boyd Gilmore, Muddy Waters, Ike Turner, Jackie Brenston, Fats Domino, Lawrence Taylor, Cleophas Johnson, Jesse Knight, Eugene Taylor, Willie Sims, Lonnie Haynes, Albert King, Fontella Bass, Art Lassiter, Larry Protho, James Carr, Vern Harrell, Jerry Walker, the Miltonettes, Jimmy Carter, Ira Gates, Robert Crowder, Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Louis Satterfield, Donny Hathaway, Phil Wright, Gene Barge, Leonard Caston, Bobby Bland, Memphis Horns, Isley Brothers, Tyrone Davis, Charlie Rich/ Milton traces his three-stage career to date: Sun Records and St Louis, followed by Chess recordings in Chicago, and ending with recent recordings for Stax in Memphis; talks of early influences of Sonny Boy, Willie Love, Joe Willie and Ike Turner; Milton comments on being too young to have been influenced by pre-1950s performers; comments on playing the chitlin circuit vs. playing big black clubs in Chicago; still playing predominantly for blacks at this point in his career  

North Carolina: Pre-Blues Banjo & Fiddle by Kip Lornell

-artists mentioned:  Richard Burnett, Bled Coffee, Cooge Bertram, Roscoe Holcomb & Wade Ward, Tennessee Chocolate Drops, Peg Leg Howell, Eddie Anthony, Belton Reese, Sylvester Weaver, Sara Martin, Gus Cannon, Nashville Washboard band, the Mississippi Sheiks, Lonnie Chatmon, Charlie McCoy, Papa Charlie Jackson, The Mobile Strugglers, the Memphis Jug Band, Dink Roberts, Joe & Odell Thompson, Sid Hemphill, Will Head, (Carl) Martin, (Ted) Bogan & (Howard) Armstrong, John Jackson, Jamie Alston, Wilber Atwater, John Snipes, Blind Boy Fuller, Cary Lloyd, Tom Bradshaw, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, Jim Hill, John Snipes, Will Baldwin, Fred Cockerham, Kyle Creed, John Arch Thompson, George White, Walter Thompson/Article summary: a look at pre-blues banjo and fiddle music as still played in a region of the Piedmont; theorizing on black vs white origins and noting that racial barriers weren’t as strict as in other states allowing blacks to play for, and with whites; question of African musical instrument meeting European folk music; most of the musicians discussed are quite old and have never recorded    

S.F. [San Francisco] Blues Festival by Lee Hildebrand

-artists mentioned: Haskell “Cool Papa” Sadler, Dave Alexander, Bob Smith, Richard Riggins, K.C. Douglas, Eddie Adams, Fred Casey, Boogie Jake, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Little Walter, “Jesse” (wife of Boogie Jake), Jesse Fuller, T-Bone Walker, Teddy Winston, C. L. Jones, Candy Man McGuirt, L.C. Good Rockin’ Robinson, (Lowell) Fulson, K.C. Douglas,  Robert Lowery, Robert Johnson, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Morris Atchinson, Eddie Foster, Hawkeen, Ray Cotton, Etta James, Little Joe Blue, B.B. King, Mark St. Mary, Clifton Chenier/ Artists summary: artists by artist review of the second annual SF Bay (free) blues festival; Alexander and Mark St Mary listed as best performers; noted that Jesse Fuller recently had a stroke and could not play; sang only, accompanied by Boogie Woogie Jake; festival considered a big success   

Live Blues: Montreux Blues Festival by Mats Sturesson & Dick Shurman/Robert Jr. Lockwood (Cleveland)/King’s Road, Highway #61 Newport Jazz Festival, New York/ International Blues Festival in Louisville, Kentucky

-artists mentioned: Howlin’ Wolf, Snooks Eaglin, Hubert Sumlin, Detroit Junior, Champion Jack Dupree, Pete Winfield, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Bill Wyman, Dallas Taylor, Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 2), Muddy Waters, Piano Red (Dr. Feelgood), Van Morrison, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Duke Ellington, Helen Humes, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson/ Gene Schwartz, Mar-Keys, Freddy King/B.B. King, Hammie Nixon, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells,  A.C. Reed, Sleepy John Estes, Sonny Terry, Johnny Shines, Robert Johnson, Linda Hopkins, Bessie Smith, Mellow Fellows, Melvin Jackson, Bobby Bland/ Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Howlin’ Wolf, Wilbur Hi-Fi White, Otis Clay, Sam Cooke, Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Shaw, Detroit Junior, Mel Brown     

Article summaries: several cancellations and not enough blues in general; highlight was Buddy Guy’s Ten Years Ago [recorded and released afterwards]/ review of Lockwood playing solo in a small venue; including songs on 12-string guitar / artist by artist review; author notes that B.B. was omnipresent and literally in the way; though his jam with Bland worked well (he didn’t play with his own band); Hopkins was a pleasant surprise/ artist by artist review of a show inside a large convention center; Clay impressed, Wolf better than previous performances, but not healthy; Albert King plagued by sound-problems and B.B King’s set was too short

Blues Radio Guide

Article summary: list by region (east, Midwest, South, West, Canada  and Europe of radio stations that regularly play blues programs; with call letters, DJ names, and kind of blues played

Blues News

Louisiana: Babe Stovall (also see obituaries); Cousin Joe, and Earl King gigging/Louis Jordan playing Marriott Hotel (supper club); Hound Dog Taylor booked for upcoming gig in Baton Rouge

Houston: recent gigs by James Cotton (with Boz Scaggs) and Bobby Bland/Clifton Chenier played a 4-hour show at the Continental Lounge and will play at the Liberty hall on Halloween/ Professor Longhair also booked at the Liberty/ Juke Boy Bonner plays weekends at the Down Under Club

Memphis: Peanut’s Pub plays blues every weekend (country & western other days); Joe Willie Wilkins booked for a future gig/Big Sam Clark, just back from a tour of Norway with Sleepy John Estes, is the most visible band in town/new club, the Jubilee Jazz Hall to feature blues on Saturday nights, starting with Furry Lewis; hope to expand to live blues three nights a week if demand warrants it/Steve LaVere retires from board of River City Blues Festival; to be replaced by Robert Godown who plans to publish a magazine as well as revamp the festival/ Joe Willie Wilkins and Houston Stackhouse have replaced their harp man and replaced him with a third guitarist: Clarence Nelson who has played before with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and O.V. Wright

Santa Barbara/Los Angeles: Phillip Walker, Gus Jenkins and Harmonica Frank at the University of California at Santa Barbara/ Big Joe Turner gigging regularly, sometimes with Chuck Higgins; reported to be sounding the best he has in five years

Chicago: Bill Tyson to present a two-day Chicago Festival (the first in five years); acts to include Willie Dixon. Lonnie Brooks, Rufus Thomas, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and hopefully Jimmy Reed; shows to last from 6pm until 3am and to be at two different auditorium venues, Aragon Ballroom and West Side Auditorium/Jimmy Reed makes unannounced surprise appearance at Theresa’s/Ricky Allen making a comeback/Rev. Gatemouth Moore 1947 King recording artist who gave up the blues in 1949 is performing blues again billed as “Mr. Blues”/Little Milton Birthday party at the High Chaparral attended by numerous soul greats including Tyrone Davis and Artie “Blues Boy” White as well as B.B. King and Bobby Rush; Milton came on stage at 4am/B. B. King birthday with his father in attendance also at the Chaparral; B.B. sang but didn’t play (guitar chores were handled by “Youngblood’ (Alvin Nichols), a B.B. protege ; show included transvestite comedian Hi-Fi White, B.B.’s daughter Shirley, and shake dancer Miss Boo Boo Loo/Albert King played an advertised birthday gig  at the Checkmate Club despite it not being his birthday; Hi-Fi White at this party too/Buddy Guy celebrated his birthday at his club the Checkerboard/ Otis Rush starring in multi-band Sunday gigs on the West Side/Bobby Bland made his first downtown appearance after years of playing the High Chaparral on the South Side/Northeastern Illinois University featured Eddie Taylor and a panel discussion with Jim and Amy O’Neal, Bruce Iglauer and Barry Lee Pearson/Cook County Jail prisoner Little Eddie Newell hoping to present regular performances in the prison/Little Willie Foster (author of Fallin’ Rain Blues), himself a victim of gun violence, was imprisoned for murder/ Walter Horton hospitalized ,misses gigs with Eddie Taylor; replaced by big John Wrencher/ music equipment stolen from Willie Dixon/ Little Mack Simmons has bought Sunny Sawyer’s Apex Pressing Plant / Eddy Clearwater has opened a record store and plans to open Cleartone Studios in the back; possibility of him rereleasing Atomic-H records originally produced by his uncle Houston Harrington/ new “On Tap” LP recorded by Junior Wells for Delmark/Byther Smith who regularly plays with Junior Wells at Theresa’s on the South side has recorded a 45 with Sunnyland Slim; talk of doing a live LP at Theresa’s / False report of Cadillac Baby’s death in Blues Unlimited; Cadillac still works daily at his candy and record store

Detroit: list of performers for La June Rogers Free Detroit Festival featuring BoBo Jenkins; Jenkins age 57 has retired from his job at Chrysler and plans to become a full-time musician; currently working on a second LP/ recent appearances by John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins and James Cotton at the Rainbow Room

Miami: regular appearances at various locations by Dr. Cool  & His New Breed Band/ Ricky Calloway from Memphis playing in Key West; Blues Boy Fleming, Phil Harris, Eddie Holloway, Agee & Houserockers

New York: / Double LP releases of vintage Bluebird/RCA Victor of Tampa Red, Little Brother Montgomery and Big Maceo produced by Frank Driggs/ Discovery of Robert Johnson photographs by Steve LaVere and announcement of potential triple LP on Columbia of all Johnson recordings (including alternate takes and unissued material), with liner notes by LaVere based on field research and interviews with Johnson relatives and girl friend / Bobby Robinson still runs his Harlem record store but now plans to reactivate his Fire and Fury labels; reissuing old material as well as previously unissued masters by Elmore James, Sam Myers and Charles Walker; single performer LPs as well as anthologies/ Big Mama Thornton and James Cotton have signed with Buddah and Cotton has already recorded material in Mass./new LP on Blue Labor label by Sonny Terry/Pete Lowry of Trix records recording Tarheel Slim and Big Chief Ellis who now lives in Washington D.C. , and will release material by Slim, Pernell Charity and Roy Dunn soon/plans for a Son House film to be made in Rochester; producers seeking photographs

Minneapolis: Freddy King headlined three nights at the Minnesota State Fair Youth Expo/Albert Collins, Willie Dixon and Luther Tucker gigging locally/ “Baby Doo” Caston after a California hiatus has returned to his regular solo piano at the Cork & Fork Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis

DeKalb, Illinois: Lefty Diaz (Dizz) opens for Larry Coryell at Northern Illinois University/ Andrew “Blueblood” McMahon plays frat bar and is overpowered by rock bands on the same gig/ Hound Dog Taylor and Arvella Gray booked for future gigs

Kentucky: Baby Leon sings Sundays in Louisville/ Furry Lewis and other Memphis performers play Henderson County Middle School Stadium

Boston: Sandy’s, a concert club on the North Shore, presenting two nights of blues every week including Howlin’ Wolf, James Cotton. Koko Taylor, and John Lee Hooker; Cotton and Hooker also playing with The Electric Flag on Cape Cod/Roosevelt Sykes and Sippie Wallace playing with Bonnie Raitt at the Orpheum Theater/ Esther Phillips appeared at Paul’s Mall for a week 

San Francisco: Mighty Joe Young plays in San Francisco for the first time as part of a multi-city far west tour (including Vancouver, Canada)/ Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker and Sunnyland Slim, with Bonnie Lee playing locally; Bonnie’s first time in California/Lafayette Leake, Dixon’s pianist records with Charlie Musselwhite for Arhoolie while in town/ Hooker, Musselwhite, Luther Tucker all playing locally regularly/ L.C. Robinson playing regularly at Ruthie’s Inn/Dave Alexander playing locally, including with Bill Withers at Marine World-Africa in Redwood City/ Little Willie Littlefield playing in the Sacramento Valley Delta/ Oakland club The Amvets closes after brawl/ Etta James plays for a week of sold-out concerts performing materials from her new Chess LP, Come A Little Closer; also gigging with Dave Alexander/Clifton Chenier’s Arhoolie LPs selling well in the Bay area and Berkeley; he performs 4-hour shows including a dance at All Hallows Church; devoted Cajun residents following/ Boogie Jake and School Boy Cleve return from a trip to Louisiana, say not much blues happening in their home state; Cleve producing a sermon LP by his brother Rev. Willie White on Cherrie Records/Sonny & Brownie in the area after a tour of Australia (McGhee lives in Oakland)/ Hi-Tide Harris returned to the area after 6-week tour of Europe with John Mayall band including Red Holloway and Larry Taylor; band records an LP in Los Angeles/K.C. Douglas visiting and gigging in Mississippi /acoustic performer Robert Lowery to record his first single on Blues Connoisseur Records/Jesse Ritter finishes book, The Territorial Blues, dealing with Oklahoma, Kansas City and Arkansas/local TV stations KGED &KGO show films of L.C. Robinson, K.C. Douglas, and the San Francisco Blues Festival

Europe: new Big Joe Williams box set on Oldie records planned; Pete Johnson, Jimmy Yancey and Blind John Davis LPs released/ Eddie Taylor and John Wrencher releases on Big Bear/ ten-part, three-hour TV show in Belgium: “Panoramic de la Musique Americaine” will include blues and gospel music

South Bend, Ind. List of performers for Notre Dame’s Midwest Blues Festival; hoping to include Muddy Waters and Albert King

West Virginia: List of performers including Johnny Shines and Buddy Moss at the John Henry Memorial Authentic Blues and Gospel Jubilee; this year’s festival dedicated to Paul Robeson; plans to make it an annual Labor Day Weekend Festival

Beaumont, Texas: Bobby Rush and Clifton Chenier playing in town/ Rockin’ Dopsie at Mother of Mercy monthly dance

Obituaries

Babe Jewell Stovall (1907-1974)

Hacksaw Harney (1902-1973)

Dewey Corley (1898-1974)

James Kirk

Ed Young

Oliver Prince

Questions & Answers

Verification of release of Robert McCoy (Vulcan LP) in Germany

Seeking information for a doctoral thesis on Ma Rainey by Sandra Lieb

Question: Is Casey Bill Weldon still alive by Hugues Panassie (France)

Seeking information on specific B.B. King/Buddy Guy/Johnny Young release Heinz Wolf (Germany)

Record Reviews

Willie Trice, Blue & Rag’d (Trix)

Guitar Shorty, Alone in the Field (Trix)

Various artists, South Mississippi Blues (Rounder)

Cousin Joe, Cousin Joe of New Orleans (BluesWay)

The Aces, Kings of Chicago Blues (French-Vogue)

Homesick James & Snooky Pryor (British-Caroline)

Various artists, San Diego Blues Jam (Advent)

Sunnyland Slim, Plays the Ragtime Blues (BluesWay)

Sonny Boy Williamson I Vol. 3 (Blues Classics)

Various artists, Cotton Patch Hotfoots (British-Polydor)

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Sonny & Brownie (A&M)

Johnny Fuller, Fuller’s Blues (Australian-Bluesmaker)

Various artists-The Rural Blues-Sacred Tradition 1927-30 (Herwin)

Buddy Guy, Hold that Plane (Vanguard)

The Muddy Waters Band, The Bluesmen of the Muddy Waters Band, Vol.1 (Spivey)

The Muddy Waters Band, the Bluesmen of the Muddy Waters Band, Vol, 2 (Spivey)

Albert Washington, Sad and Lonely (Eastbound)

 EPS

Tampa Red and Johnnie Jones, Sweet Little Angel/Don’t Blame Shorty For That/So Much Trouble/Love her with a Feeling/Too Late, Too Long/All Mixed Up Over You (Black Diamond)

Various artists, Chicago Harp, Tommy Brown with Walter Horton, Southern Women/Remember Me; Louis Myers, Just Wailin’/Arbee Stidham, When I Found my Baby/Dusty Brown, He Don’t Love You/Yes She’s Gone

45s

Earl Gaines, Turn on Your Lovelight/ You’re the One (Seventy-Seven)

Geater Davis, For Your Precious Love/ Wrapped Up in You (House of Orange)

Geater Davis, Best of Luck to You/ I Know (My Baby Loves Me) (House of Orange)

Ann Peebles, I Can’t Stand the Rain/I’ve Been There Before (Hi)

Eddie Lang, Mean Sad World/ Bringing Back Those Old Days (Super Dome)

Latimore, Let’s Straighten It Out/Ain’t Nobody Gonna Make Me Change My Mind (Glades)

Little Beaver, Party Down Parts 1 & 2 (Cat)

Honeyboy, Bloodstains on the Wall/My Time Ain’t Long (Specialty)

Harper-Brinson Band, Harper’s Express/Harper’s Return (Specialty)

Harmonica Fats, Mind Your Own Business (vocal)/Instrumental (Kris)

Ray Agee, It’s Hard to Explain 9vocal)/instrumental (Romark)

 Donnie Jacobs, Proud Man/Finance Woman (Maison de Soul)

Chick Willis, Stoop Down Baby No. 2/ Stoopdown Shuffle (LaVal)

Otis Brown, Mama Don’t Allow No Lovin’ In Here/You Girl (ExSpect More)

Earl Gaines, Hymn #5 (Seventy-7)

Little Joe Blue, Why I Sing the Blues/You Keep My Nose to the Grindstone (Soul Set)

Ted Taylor, She Loves to Do It As Well As You/ Ready for the Heartbreak (Ronn)

Norman Thrasher, Five O’clock in the Morning/ In the Evening (Paula)

Bobby Bland, Ain’t No Love In the Heart of the City/Twenty-Four Hour Blues (ABC Dunhill)

Book Reviews

Mike Rowe, Chicago Bound (Eddison Bluesbooks)

Michael Lydon, Boogie Lightning (Dial Press)

Alan Dunn, editor, Mother Wit from The Laughing Barrel: Readings in the Interpretation of Afro-American Folklore (Prentice-Hall)

Film Reviews

Les Blank: latest films: Drywood (Cajun)/Hot Pepper (Zydeco -featuring Clifton Chenier)

List of Adverts

Esther Phillips LP Performance (Kudu Records), p. 2

Record X Changer/Exchangers’ Record Catalog/ Vintage Records-p. 5

Home of the Blues (Record & Tape store)-p. 8

New EP by Hot Shot Love/ Barrelhouse Records-p. 8

Spivey Records p. 10

Inner City Trade Productions-p. 11

Beaumont Blues Sales-p. 13

Blue Goose Records-p.16

Homespun Tapes/Happy Traum-p.24

Cousin Joe of New Orleans/BluesWay-p. 24

Kinnara Distribution-p. 30

J &F Southern Records Sales-p. 31

Delmark/Trio Records: Salutes performers of first ever Japanese tour-p. 34.

Chris Wellard Records (London) featuring Oldie Blues Label Inc-p. 35

Trix Records-p. 37

Mike Rowe’s Chicago Breakdown (book) c/o Living Blues Magazine-p. 38

Classified Ads, p. 42

Fenton Robinson/Alligator Records-p. 43

Number of Pages-p. 44

Published in Chicago