june 2006 special issue 283 free jazz now in our 32nd year www.jazz-blues.com &blues report Cleveland Fats Louisiana Red Live at the Parkview Night Club PLUS...Much More News, CD, DVD & Book Reviews Cleveland Fats Louisiana Red Published by Martin Wahl Communications plus...Omar Coleman Editor & Founder Bill Wahl Layout & Design Bill Wahl Live at the Parkview Night Club Operations Jim Martin Pilar Martin The big news that was an- nounced since our May-June pulp Contributors issue went to press is a Sunday, Michael Braxton, Mark Cole, June 4 show at the Parkview on Dewey Forward, Chris Hovan, West 58 St. with Cleveland Fats Nancy Ann Lee, Peanuts, Mark joined by blues guitar master Loui- Smith, Duane Verh and Ron siana Red, plus Omar Coleman on Weinstock. harmonica. Coleman’s latest CD was reviewed in our last issue by Check out our new, updated web Ron Weinstock. page. Now you can search for CD The show will have an opening Reviews by artists, Titles, Record Labels or JBR Writers. 15 years of set with Fats and his band, then a reviews are up and we’ll be going all second and third set with Red the way back to 1974. backed by Fats and his band, joined by Coleman. It is expected that be- fore the end of the night Fats and Address all Correspondence to.... Red will have a “shoot-out.” Jazz & Blues Report Cleveland Fats, aka Mark Hahn, 19885 Detroit Road # 320 has just recorded a new CD, which Rocky River, Ohio 44116 was produced by Michael Frank of Main Office ...... 216.651.0626 Earwig Records. Frank, who also Editor's Desk ... 440.331.1930 manages Red in the U.S., came up [email protected] with the idea to pair the two guitar Web .................. www.jazz-blues.com players for some live dates. Fats had the opportunity to continue Copyright © 2006 Martin-Wahl Communications Inc. Fats is a versatile guitarist who his musical education by studying at No portion of this publication may be possesses a strong reverence for the feet of a master. Fats performed, reproduced without written permission the tradition of blues. As a young- traveled, and recorded with Robert from the publisher. All rights Reserved. ster he started playing the guitar by Lockwood, Jr. for the better part of Jazz Report was founded in Buffalo New studying the recordings of such seventeen years. York in March of 1974 and began in Cleve- masters as Muddy Waters, The Since leaving Lockwood’s band, land in April of 1978. We are subsidized Kings (Albert, B.B., and Freddie), Fats has recorded for Ichiban/Wild solely through advertisement and ask that Earl Hooker, and T- Bone Walker. Dog Blues, Blueswayed, and Honey- you support our advertisers. a W division of He was particularly interested in bee. He has toured England, Canada, artin-Wahl many of the Chess recordings of the and the United States and continues c o m m u n i c a t i o n s 1950s. to play today. While in high school he joined Cleveland Fats is a master blues the band of Otis Trotter, who had a guitarist. He plays with a rich, deep loyal following in Fats’ hometown of tone and is comfortable playing ev- "Buffalonious" Ravenna, Ohio. Playing in Trotter’s erything from solo Delta-style acous- band allowed Fats the opportunity tic to traditional Chicago blues to up- Original mascot from to perform and develop his craft by town Memphis and West Coast blues. the working first – hand with seasoned Fats is a dedicated bluesman and this Buffalo Jazz Report blues veterans. Shortly after finish- can be seen whether he is playing days – mid '70s ing high school Fats met and be- solo or fronting his hard – driving Created by friended Robert Lockwood, Jr. Soon band. Christine Engla Eber thereafter, Fats was asked to join Fats has shared stage with Albert Watch for new t-shirts bearing his image–coming soon! the band of Mr. Lockwood. While a King, Freddie King, Matt “guitar” member of the Lockwood band, Murphy, Johnny Shines, John PAGE TWO June 2006 • Issue 283 Hammond, Jimmy Rogers, Sam Carr handful of tracks for the Checker la- own band in the windy city and of- and Pinetop Perkins, among others. bel, a subsidiary of Chess Records ten sits in with established blues acts He has performed over 1,200 shows (featuring Little Walter on harmonica both in Chicago and other towns. as member of Robert Lockwood, and Muddy Waters assisting on gui- Sorry about the late notice. Jr.’s band; noteworthy shows in- tar.) This allowed him to hit the thriv- Sometimes things just happen that clude: Chicago Blues Festival, King ing Southside blues joints where he way. At least our local readers who Biscuit Blues Festival, Montreal Jazz wound up playing with Jimmy are savvy enough to check the site Festival, Lonesome Pine Special Rogers, Otis Spann, and Baby Face for updates now know about it. Mark (PBS with John Hammond), Tours of Leroy both learning from them, and it down if it is not already too Japan and much of US. helping to develop their styles. Per- late...Sunady, June 4 at The He plays over 100 shows per haps his greatest inspiration how- Parkview Night Club, 1261 West year with his own band, including ever came when he moved to De- 58th St. on Cleveland’s west side. tours of UK and Canada, Chicago troit and found himself playing with The show starts at 8 p.m. For more Blues Festival, King Biscuit Blues John Lee Hooker, the final piece of information, call the club at Festival, Great British R & B Festi- the puzzle that would make up Red’s 216.961.1341. val, BBC radio performance and style. tours of much of the US. In recent years red has found It’s long been said that you have himself incredibly busy. Now resid- Eric Clapton to live the blues in order to play ing in Hanover, Germany, Red announces Fall them. Whether you believe this no- spends a couple of months every tion or not, it would be difficult to ar- year touring the United States. He 2006 U.S. Tour gue that anyone performing on the also spends a great deal of time tour- Doyle Bramhall II and blues scene today has felt the blues ing throughout Europe and for that Derek Trucks add guitars more than Louisiana Red. Born matter the world. He now has over a Iverson Minter in Bessemer, Ala- dozen albums under his belt, and still to Clapton’s band bama on June 23, 1932, Red has continues to record and write new New York, NY, – Following a overcome adversity at virtually ev- material. His style of playing is over- 14 country sold-out European tour ery step of his life. His songs are amplified and raw, while his lyrics are with an impressive seven-night run power and passionate and reflect both honest and often remarkably at London’s Royal Albert Hall and a both his tragic childhood and life personal. He continues to connect historic show in Moscow’s Red struggles. with audiences throughout the world Square, Eric Clapton will travel to the Red’s life sadly began with the and as he puts it “Plays the blues… U.S. for the first leg of an American death of his Mother to pneumonia hard.” tour. European fans have shown when Red was only 7 days old. Playing harp at the Parkview great enthusiasm for the varied set When he was 5 years old the KKK show will be Omar Coleman. list featuring rarely played Derek And murdered his Father. From here he Omar was born in Chicago in The Dominos masterpieces “Got To was shuffled between family mem- 1973. He has been interested in mu- Get Better In A Little While,” “Layla” bers where he was abused physi- sic since childhood. He first took an and “Let it Rain” along with Clapton cally and psychologically. He also interest in hip hop and other popu- classics such as “Pretending,” “I spent two years in an orphanage, lar music, however, once he was ex- Shot The Sheriff” and “Cocaine” where he suffered further abuse. posed to the great blues of the windy mixed with the newer soulful tunes His solace throughout these dif- city, his interests changed quickly. from the latest Clapton album Back ficult times was his music. Red made He started playing the harmonica Home. As the London Times head- his first instrument at the age of 9, while a teenager and he has been line read, “The guitar hero out of an old cigar box and rubber working diligently to master his craft. reawakens” and the Manchester bands. He got encouragement in his His main influences are such mod- Evening News review said, playing from his grandfather, a self- ern day masters as Billy Branch and “Claptons guitar playing just keeps taught bottleneck guitarist, who gave Sugar Blue; however, he also sites getting better.” red his first real guitar – an old Kay Jr. Wells and Big Walter Horton as The U.S. tour will begin on Sep- acoustic that he still has in his pos- influences. Omar plays regularly with tember 15 in Minneapolis and will session. While living in Pittsburgh he John Primer’s band and makes regu- travel to 13 U.S. states plus two Ca- became a protégé of local legend lar stops at clubs such a Rosa’s. He nadian shows in Toronto and Ottawa, Crit Walters, and even received en- occasionally sits in with his idol and along with two nights at Madison couragement from John Lee “Sonny mentor Billy Branch.