I read the news today, oh boy!I read the today, news

Issue 164 The Publication of the Linn County Society- lcbs.org March 2008 LCBS Members Pack Limos

to Kalona for a

52406-2672

Cedar Rapids, IA Rapids, Cedar Night of Blues!

PO Box 2672 Box PO Linn County Blues Society Blues County Linn

A very special THANK YOU to these businesses who have signed up to help us kcck.org Keep the Blues Alive!

• C.R. Bank & Trust • The Fifth Gear Friday Blues- • Chappy’s Safari • 16th Avenue Prod. • 6-10 PM - Da Friday Blues In this cool issue — • Chrome Horse • KCCK 88.3 • 10-11 PM - Backstage Blues • Longbranch • Checkers Tavern • 11 PM to midnight - KCCK Jams LCBS Blues Bash at Tuscan Moon! • Dudley Bros. Co. • Home Town Restyling • Midnight Blues CD Perry Weber Band at Checkers! • Cocktails & Co. • Next Door Saturday Blues - KUNI Blues Blowout photos • Ron Schantz Const. • Tomaso’s Pizza • 6-10 PM - Da Blues with Bobby D Big Mo’s CD Review • J.M. O’Malley’s • Mahoney’s Irish Pub • 10-11 PM - The Crawfish Circuit Francis Clay 1923-2008 More photos inside! • 11 PM -midnight - The Melting Pot Vinyl LPs From Blind Pig Records “I complained about the salt in her blackeyed peas, and she • Midnight Blues CD Local LIVE Music Schedules put her hand on her hip and she told me to leave” – Keb Mo

©2008-Linn County Blues Society ©2008-Linn County Blues Society The Linn County Blues Society is a way continued from page 4 cool, non-profit organization dedicated to we were both raised up in the same town tavern the preservation of Blues music in Eastern CEDAR RAPIDS,IA. Blind Pig vinyl Perry Weber Iowa as well as to provide charitable con- on the Mississippi River in Western Illi- checkerstavern.com tributions to other community organiza- nois, Rock Island ... those decades in age The DeVilles light up Checkers Tavern! tions. LCBS is an Affiliated Organization between us didn’t separate us as good Virgin vinyl LPs released! in the Blues Foundation’s international friends ... and I was honored to have pre- Blind Pig Records, one of the world’s photos by Bill Ray network. The BLUESPAPER is a monthly sented the River Road Lifetime Achieve- leading independent American roots mu- publication of the LCBS. ment Award to Francis at the Mississippi sic labels, has annouced that it will begin Website: lcbs.org Valley Blues Festival a few years ago issuing high-quality 180 gram virgin vinyl LCBS Officers ... in our home area ... and the icing on LPs. The first three titles to be released President - Andy Dergo the cake was being asked by Francis a as part of the “Master Vinyl Series” will be Vice President - Evan Vulich few weeks before the presentation ... if I The Lost Tapes by , Drinkin’ Secretary - Steve Springer would please put together a seven-piece TNT ‘n’ Smokin’ Dynamite by Treasurer - Sue Dergo blues band featuring Midwest/regional and , and Painkiller by Tommy ‘all-stars’ to perform with him at the fes- Castro. These limited-edition pressings The Muddy Waters release consists of Directors at Large- tival. It was a grand day. The crowd was will be released on May 6, 2008, the same live recordings from 1971 and features Bob DeForest, Bill Meeks, Bob Dorr huge, and included many of Francis’s date as Blind Pig’s CD release by Kenny the blues icon in strong performances Chairs hometown relatives ... he was most gra- Neal, entitled Let Life Flow. with his legendary band members - Pi- Education - Open cious as we acknowledged his contribu- Blind Pig plans to issue a select number netop Perkins, George “Harmonica” Entertainment - Greg West tions to the blues and the Universe with of titles this year under the Master Vinyl Smith, Sammy Lawhorn, Pee Wee Madi- Membership - Kevin Cutsforth the award presentation. The mayor of Series, most likely three at a time. son, Calvin “Fuzz” Jones and Willie “Big Merchandise - David Andrews Davenport, IA presented him with the key “This is in response to the growing au- Eyes” Smith. to the city. Francis smiled broadly as we diophile market for high-quality LPs,” said The Buddy Guy and Junior Wells al- The Bluespaper & LCBS folks played our short set ... that included the label president Edward Chmelewski. “And bum was recorded live in 1974 at the Editor - Evan Vulich Photographers - See bylines each issue jazz instrumental, “Caravan,” ... yes, with for those of us who fondly remem ber lis- Montreux Jazz Festival, with the dynamic Staff Writers - See bylines each issue Francis taking a superb extended drum tening to LPs in the 60s and 70s, it’s a lot duo backed on bass by Rolling Stone Bill Distribution - Andy Dergo, Bill Meeks solo. Francis was very happy. That is how of fun to return to that format. For one, Wyman. Wyman licensed the recording Parliamentarian - Bill Meeks I will remember him. R.I.P. Francis Clay. it’s great to have the larger artwork can- to Blind Pig, and over the years it has Program - Bob DeForest vas afforded by the LP packaging, and the steadily remained the all-time best-sell- Public Relations - Open In fond memory, warmth and depth of the sound quality on ing title in the label’s catalog. Web Administrator - Evan Vulich Michael “Hawkeye” Herman these new versions is amazing. And it’s ’s Painkiller is the latest kind of cool to come full circle back to the studio masterpiece from the virtuoso Membership HawkeyeHerman.com To learn more about the Linn County Blues LP, the only format we were selling when performer of blue collar Rock ‘n’ Soul Society or to join, see the membership we started the label in music. It was just voted “Album of the form in this Bluespaper or the LCBS web- 1977.” Year 2007” by the readers of Blueswax, site. Your membership includes; Acoustic sounds of World, Funk, Folk, Fusion Pop & Blues Added label owner the largest subscribed blues publication • Discount admissions to many local Jerry Del Giudice, “It’s in the world. The recording was pro- Blues activities. interesting that there duced by the renowned John Porter, • Monthly LCBS Bluespaper. are a growing number who’s noted for his work with Los Lonely • Voting rights in the LCBS elections. of young listeners that Boys, Santana, and Buddy Guy, among • Simply being way cool. EMCFeaturing are enjoying not only others. The LP will mark the first vinyl Bluespaper Contact information Craig Erickson the enhanced sound release of Castro’s distinguished seven- on acoustic ! Send news, band or club live entertain- quality of the LP but teen year career. ment listing or advertising to: Evan Vulich, Live Music at its best! the social nature of 1116 Daniels St. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA Outdoor festivals, private parties or weddings listening to and dis- 52402 or preferrably e-mail at: evulich@ covering music with a See EMC playing MONTHLY at BLEND in downtown Cedar Rapids mchsi.com. group of friends.” Contact: dennismecpartland.com Bluespaper Ad Rates $15.00 - Business card size - 2” x 3.5” $25.00 - Quarter page ad - 3.5” x 4.75” $50.00 - Half page ad - 4.75” x 7.25” $100.00 - Full page - 7.5” x 10”

Submission Requirements- All ads, photos or scanned images, either color or black/white, need to be 300ppi. Native Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, JPG, TIFF, Perry Weber, long time fixture on the Milwaukee blues scene, has again struck out on his EPS, PDF, BMP accepted. Ads created own and formed a new band that will showcase his considerable talents. in Word may cause constipation. Dead- Formed in early 2007, and based in Milwaukee, WI., Perry Weber & The DeVilles are one line for submissions is the 19th of the the most exciting Blues/Roots groups to come on the scene in a while! Featuring Perry month. Weber on guitar & vocals, Dave Kasik on bass & vocals, Ben Rickun on harmonica and Moving? Send your new address to; Vic Span on drums. The band serves up all flavors from the Blues/Roots genre: Deep Chi- LCBS, PO Box 2672, Cedar Rapids, IA cago, West-coast swing, Memphis Soul, Old school Boogie-Woogie, Funky New Orleans 52406-2672 so you won’t miss a single grooves, with a few honky-tonk tunes tossed in for good measure! issue of your Bluespaper.

2 / Linn County Blues Society ©2008 ©2008 Linn County Blues Society / 7 Wednesday, March 26: Eddy (The Chief) Clearwater will perform at Riverside Casino in the Show Lounge (no cover). Local Music Show starts at 7 PM. KUNI Blues Blowout was a blast! March Blues Calendar Sun.- Checkers Tavern-Blue Sunday-6PM Tommy Castro dish’n out hot blues on a cold night! Sun.- Mahoney’s - Various artists-Never a Cover, 6pm Sat. 1 Yacht Club, Iowa City McMurrin & Johnson & Demo Band, 10-1 Sun.- Charlie’s, Coralville-Blues Jam photos by David Andrews and Kim Brostad Chappy’s Safari Copper Moon Chrome Horse Super Size Seven Tues. - Rumors - Jam hosted by Dan DJ Johnson 8-11P Left; Tommy Castro leads his band through Fifth Gear Electric Mule 9-1 Wed.- Checkers Tavern-Kevin BF Burt solo 6-9 smokin’ hot Blues on one heck of a cold Sun. 2 Mahoney’s Irish Pub Euforquestra 6-10PM Wed.- Mahoney’s-D-Licious Vinyl w/ Bobby D 8-12 night at the Electric Park Ballroom in Wa-

EVERY Thurs.-J.M.O’Malley’s-T-Bone Giblin Jam Fest terloo. Tues. 4 Rumors Jam, 8-11 Mike & Andy (Electric Mule) & Dan Johnson Below; L to R; Todd Reed with his wife, Thur. 6 J.M. O’Malley’s DDog and the BBits 9-1 Firehouse Mike & Rob Show 8:30-12:30 Jennifer, who for a long time handled public The LCBS meets the 1st Monday of each month. relations for the LCBS, former LCBS presi- Fri. 7 Ernie’s Billy Janey and Dan Johnson 6-8:45P See you at the Longbranch on March 3, 6:30PM for dent Kim, “where’s the food” Brostad and Chrome Horse Billy Janey Trio, DJ & Eric Madison 9-1 wife Phyllis, David “hold me up” Andrews, The Hub, Cedar Falls Blue Band 5:30-9PM the LCBS Board & Member meeting. Teegan’s Ice Bar, CR Electric Mule 9-1 the LCBS’ fearless merchandise chair and Guests are welcome! wife, Wendy. This photo was taken right be- Sat. 8 Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake Billy Janey Trio w/ Dan Johnson fore they all put on their lamp shades. Chappy’s Safari Bryce Janey 90 Twixt Town Rd., Marion • 377-6386 Drinks, Norh Liberty Johnny Kilowatt Band 9-1 Chrome Horse Mack & The Bulldogs Knightspot, Springville Mike & Rob Show 9-1 Specializing in Sun. 9 Mahoney’s Irish Pub Max Allen Band 6-10PM RIBS, STEAK, PRIME RIB, LOBSTER & CRAB Hi, my name is Featuring our award winning Tues. 11 Rumors 4BoxORocks Jam 8-11PM David Andrews. BBQ Pork Ribs! Does anyone Wed. 12 Next Door McMurrin & Johnson 7-10PM Seafood • 30 item salad bar have a lampshade Fri. 14 Ernie’s McMurrin & Johnson 6-8:45PM Kids menus • Specialty desserts I can wear? Next Door 4BoxORocks 9-1 Chrome Horse Lockren Duma’s, Marion Mike & Rob Show 8:30-12:30 Helping people Sat. 15 Chappy’s Safari Dennis McMurrin Band & Bob Thompson make great Chrome Horse Well Lit Tycoon Electric Mule 9-1 music and Sun. 16 Checkers Tavern Governor of Funk Stew 6-10PM pursue their Mahoney’s Irish Pub Bill Smith 6-10PM dreams for over Mon. 17 Ernie’s, St. Pat’s McMurrin & Johnson 3-6PM Chrome Horse, St.Pat’s Jeff Bruner 3PM 43 years. Open Throttle, Shellsburg Mike & Rob Show 9-1 4651 1st Ave SE Left; Tommy Castro gets out in the Tues. 18 Rumors Jam Billy Janey 8-11PM Cedar Rapids, IA crowd to share the moment he’s having! Thur. 20 J.M. O’Malley’s Flying Carp 319.378.1720 Above; Also appearing with guitarcenter.com Tommy Castro was Magic Dick Fri. 21 City Beat McMurrin & Johnson 7-10PM singing and blowing his harp. Chrome Horse 3 Musicians & A Drummer Rumors Electric Mule 9-1 Sat. 22 Ernie’s, St. Joe’s Day McMurrin & Johnson 1-4PM Chappy’s Safari Sky Pilot • LCBS Members SAVE 10% off meals at Chrome Horse Gimikk Super Dave’s, Walford Mike & Rob Show 9-1 Leo’s Italian Restaurant! 29 South Frederick Avenue, Oelwein. Tommy Castro’s Sun. 23 Mahoney’s Irish Pub Hunab 6-10PM band, along with Deanna Bogart, Mon. 24 George’s Buffet, IC CannonSaul, Kilowatt and the Count 8-12 • SAVE at - Tic Toc Restaurant alternating on key- Tues. 25 Rumors DNA Band Reunion 8-11PM Buy one, get one ½ price boards and tenor sax, and Magic Wed. 26 Sammy’s McMurrin & Johnson 9PM on any regular breakfast entrée or sandwich! Dick on harp. The Tommy Cas- Fri. 28 Chrome Horse Gibbs Brothers • SAVE at - Genghis Grill Cedar Lodge, Manchester Mike & Rob Show 9-1 tro band includes 10% off entire ticket ANYTIME! Keith Crossan on Sat. 29 Chappy’s Safari James Kinds sax, Tom Poole on trumpet, Chris Sandoval on Chrome Horse Swingin’ Richard SAVE at Hamilton Mortgage Mill Stream Brewery Electric Mule 6-10PM, Amana drums, Des Moines’ own Scot Sutherland on bass, $250 off closing costs (ask for Jessica) and Steve Spirn on guitar. Magic Dick and the band Sun. 30 Mahoney’s Irish Pub Detagoh 6-10PM played a couple old J. Geils hits.

6 / Linn County Blues Society ©2008 ©2008 Linn County Blues Society / 3 Francis Clay Daniel Arthur’s mother & daughter deal blues! 1923-2008 March blues Janiva Magness & Jacqueline Krain share the stage at Riverside Francis Clay Born 11/16/23, Rock Island, danielarthurs.net IL - Died. 1/22/08, San Francisco, CA Review and photos by Bill Ray Blues legend Francis Clay, former long- time Muddy Waters drummer, played Sat. 1 Billey Lee Luckily, the roads were good for a with a who’s who of Jazz and R&B icons, including , Jay McShann, Mon. 3 Adam Beck few days, and the people who drove Billy Holiday, Little Walter, Lightnin Hop- Tue. 4 Adam Beck to Riverside Casino Friday night kins, , Sonny Boy Wil- Wed. 5 Bryce Janey heard a fantastic concert by Jac- liamson, , Big Mama Thorn- Thur. 6 Kimberly Malloy ton, and (who started the queline Krain and the Tornadoes Fri. 7 Mark Moss original James Cotton Blues Band with and the Janiva Magness band. Clay in 1966). of the Roll- Sat. 8 Craig Erickson ing Stones raved about watching Francis Mon. 10 Adam Beck Peter Karp –Shadows and Cracks play back in the 1960s with Muddy, say- Tue. 11 Tim Daughtery Alligator Records ing, “Clay was one of the most exciting Wed. 12 Perry Carver Release Date – June 26, 2007 drummers he’d ever seen and heard. Thur. 13 Adam Beck Fell Through the Cracks Fri. 14 Haley Faith Sat. 15 Terry McCauley We’ve had this one at the station Mon. 17 Adam Beck for a while and I never got to it Janiva Magness band brought long Tue. 18 Jason Brown until recently. Great songwriting blending the blues with Americana applause and raves from the crowd. 1 NORTH MISSISSIPPI Wed. 19 Bryce Janey characterize this album. Peter And of course, both of those two ALLSTARS HERNANDO Thur. 20 Kevin BF Burt Karp was a military kid who spent women lead vocalists can really belt Fri. 21 Justin Crippen, his early years moving around 2 VAUGHAN*STEVIE out a song. A highlight toward the RAY VOL. 1-REAL Sat. 22 Adam Beck from New Jersey to Southern end of the concert was when mother Mon. 24 Adam Beck Alabama and picking up musical DEAL: GREATEST HITS The Show Lounge entertainment and daughter shared the stage for an Francis Clay was a kind, intelligent, gen- Tue. 25 Chris Miller styles wherever he went. Fine 3 VAUGHAN*STEVIE tle man, super musician, extraordinary Wed. 26 Tim Daughtery guitar playing and singing work manager was ecstatic about the extended, crowd-pleasing rendition poet/writer ... and a longtime friend ... with the 12 original songs to make large crowd and the great music. of the old standard, “Fever.” RAY SOLOS SES- Thur. 27 Kevin BF Burt SIONS & ENCORES to many. I was honored to have been in for good listening. This CD has I think he’s going to be promot- The quick forty mile drive to Riv- the wide circle of people who knew and Fri. 28 Terry McCauley Sat. 29 Bryce Janey a real Texas/country side filtered ing more blues bands at this ven- erside Casino from Cedar Rapids is loved Francis Clay. Although from differ- through the blues that made me 4*POPA CHUBBY DE- ent eras, Francis and I are ‘homeboys’ ... Mon. 31 Adam Beck think of Austin. Intelligent songs ue. There were so many people well worth the effort to hear blues LIVERIES AFTER DARK continued on page 7 keep your attention and the sto- bands like these. Good music is ries match up with the grooves. where you find it. This guy has a better vocabulary than I do. My wife even likes it. It Tomaso’s Angus Beef Raffle should be easy to find since it’s on Home grown, grain-fed, Alligator Records. Highly recom- Pizza mended. quarter Angus beef. Custom processed —John Heim (A.K.A. “Big Mo”) 364-4313 at your request. $600 Value! You’re just like crosstown traffic Official Pizza Only 2000 tickets So hard to get through to you that they set up rows of chairs on of Bluesmore! available Crosstown traffic the dance floor, forcing the die- I don’t need to run over you. hard dancers to dance in the cor- 3234 Center Point Rd. — ners and the aisles. There wasn’t To get your ticket and a chance to win, a weak moment in the three hour call Andy at 393-2859, Mike at 362-9488 or Jim at 378-0016 plus show. The musicianship of Membership Discounts Drawing to be held June 7, 2008 Need not be present to win all the members of both bands SAVE you! was excellent. The road-tested $2.00 per ticket or 6 tickets for $10.00 $$$ pros of the Los Angeles-based 4 / Linn County Blues Society ©2008 ©2008 Linn County Blues Society / 5