2020 APR Issue 308 The Publication of the Linn County Blues Society - lcbs.org April 2020 John Primer and the Real Deal performed at CSPS Hall March 1, 2020 Photo by Jennifer Leavy Inside this April 2020 issue - • Cover - John Primer and the Real Deal at CSPS. • Review by Jennifer Leavy inside. • Support our local artists in other ways. • Scatting “Euterpe loves Hephaestus” by Richard Finley • Three reviews by Philly Cheeze! • Peter “BLEWWSMAN” Lauro reviews Cory Leutgen and the Traveling Blues Band • Live Music on hold in April! LCBS Bluespaper.LCBS 2020. © All rights reserved • Local Band Profile of the Month: Deja Blue John Primer and the Real Deal at CSPS The Linn County Blues Society is a way cool, non-profit organization dedicated to the pres- March 1, 2020. Review and photo by Jenifer Leavy ervation of Blues music in Eastern Iowa as well as to provide charitable contributions to other community organizations. LCBS is an Affili- On March 1 The CSPS Hall wel- ated Organization in the Blues Foundation’s comed back John Primer and the Real international network. The BLUESPAPER is a Deal to a sold-out show. The crowd monthly publication of the LCBS. Website: lcbs.org came expecting greatness from the legendary musician who’s music was LCBS Officers influence from playing with great President - David Antin Vice President - John Lane musicians like Muddy Waters, Wil- Secretary - Jeff Craft lie Dixon, and Magic Slim. The tra- Treasurer - Bill Graham Social Media - Phil Smith dional blues artist brought the house Director of Development - Mark Rowell down with the Chicago Blues sound accompanied by the Real Deal Blues Directors at Large Bob DeForest, Steve Miller Band and the incredible harmonica of Steve Bell, on bass with Danny Committee Chairs “Smoke” O’Connor, and drums with Education: John ‘Big Mo’ Heim Entertainment - Greg West Lenny Media. Membership - Sarah Antin The music flowed throughout the Merchandise - Jennifer Leavy night from one great song to anoth- The Bluespaper & LCBS folks er. Hits like She Won’t Gimme No Bluespaper Editor - David Antin Lovin’, Still Called the Blues, I Called Web Administrator: Kerry Cutsforth Photographers - see bylines My Baby, Mannish Boy, and Forty Primer is well respected in the Staff Writers - see bylines Days and Forty Nights. The highlight blues community having played and Distribution - Bill Graham & Members of the show came when John played recorded with many of the blues Membership Slip Away. It was mid song when he greats such as Derek Trucks, Buddy To learn more about the Linn County Blues did just that, slipping away into the Guy, Johnny Winter, Junior Wells, Society or to join, see the membership form in this Bluespaper or the LCBS website. Your audience to play up close with the Gary Clark Jr, and even the Rolling membership includes; audience. The personal connection Stones. John has also been honored • Discount admissions to many local that John Primer made with his fans with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Blues activities. • Monthly LCBS Bluespaper. is what the blues is all about. Blues Currently he is nominated for Tradi- • Voting rights in the LCBS elections. music is about connecting through tional Blues Artist of the Year 2020 • Being a part of the groove! words, the sounds, the emotion. Prim- by The Blues Foundation Blues Mu- Bluespaper Contact information er is a master bringing all that into his sic Awards. Win or lose at the awards, Send news, band or club live music and perforance and he let it all John Primer will always be a winner entertainment schedules, advertising, coffee, donuts, Oreos®, or Bailey’s® to pour out as he wound his way through when it comes to the blues. the editor: [email protected] the crowd. Bluespaper Ad Rates $15.00 - Business card size - 2” x 3.5” $35.00 - Quarter page ad - 3.5” x 4.75” Support our Artists in Other Ways $60.00 - Half page ad - 4.75” x 7.25” $75.00 - 2 colums (2/3) - 4.75” x 9.75” Buy a CD or digital download, watch a streaming show $100.00 - Full page - 7.5” x 9.75”” While we cannot enjoy live music until we receive the all clear to resume Submission Requirements- All ads, photos or scanned images, either color or black/white, our social activities, we can still enjoy and support our local artists. need to be 300ppi. Native Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, JPG, TIFF, EPS, PDF, BMP ac- KCCK 88.3 FM is planning on doing some short interviews with artists cepted. Ads created in MS Word may cause di- mentia, severe cramping or diarrhea. Deadline th which will be aired with video shared on social media. for submissions is the 20 of the month. interested. if [email protected] Contact editor. a Bluespaper for looking is LCBS Moving? Send your new address to; LCBS, Visit the KCCK website KCCK.org PO Box 2672, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2672 so often to see how this develops. you won’t miss a single issue of your Bluespa- per. Better yet, save a stamp and email your changes to [email protected] Check out the LCBS Facebook Page 2 / Linn County Blues Society ~ April 2020 Scatting - Euterpe loves Hephaestus Richard Finley he guitar is a superb example of ferent versions of the instrument in Tscience, technology, and engi- various sizes and keys. Before Adophe neering being applied to an existing Sax’s engineering project there was no instrument, and expanding its capa- such thing as a saxophone. The pat- bilities. The Fender Telecaster was the ent lays out the user interface (keys first mass-produced solid-body elec- and how to hold it), and all other build interface. The theremin is a device tric guitar; however, it is well known details. Mr. Sax made certain that which has two sensors that track that Leo Fender was an engineer, not there was sufficient volume, durabil- the position of the player’s hands. a musician. Fender approached his ity, portability, quality, low price, and One hand controls the frequency guitar development project like a good of course producibility in his design. (pitch) while the other hand con- engineer. He made a conscious deci- nother well-known instrument trols the volume. The players hands sion to apply technology to the de- Athat has been forever altered by never actually touch the sensors sign in order to achieve engineering technology is the piano/keyboard. The but are free to move in space. The goals. When a product moves from modern keyboard has left the acoustic actual instrument is invisible, and I the realm of art to the realm of en- piano so far behind that the only thing believe that virtual interfaces could gineering, technology is applied and the two have in common is the layout be configured to aid in the visual- infused into the design. Fender had a of the keys. Speaking as one who has ization. It is beyond my imagina- set of requirements: Usable interface helped the band set up with a keyboard tion what the virtual instrument (hold/tune/play), sufficient volume, player, it is my opinion that the most may look like. However, I can see a durable, portable, quality, low price, important result of technology-applied day when a musician with a ther- and (of utmost importance) produc- is a considerable reduction in weight. emin and a virtual reality helmet ibility. Fender recognized the poten- Portability of the piano is not its strong is up on stage, waving her hands tial for an infusion of technology into suit. Due to the continued micropro- in the thin air, and laying down a the basic design of the guitar. The in- cessor development, new more capable groove. Even if I am wrong about strument got easier to play, became keyboards are still being engineered. the theremin, one thing I am cer- louder and tougher. The new design o what instruments are out there tain of is that there will be a “next” remained easy to transport, with high Swaiting for the engineer to provide infusion of technology into the quality and low price; and the bolt-on an infusion of technology? If I could world of musical instruments. We neck (combined with the solid body) look into the future I would be play- just need a set of requirements. made them easy to manufacture. ing the lottery instead of writing about ut the guitar is not the only instru- musical technology. But… I would Richard Finley is the harmonica Bment (maybe not even the best like to see some smart engineer com- player and singer for The Blue example) of technology and music bine a theremin with a virtual reality Dog Band, and a blues historian. mixing. At about the time of the civil war, metallurgic technology made advances that allowed for the speci- fication and manufacture of designs within very exact tolerances. Very in- tricate designs could be cast, forged, and keenly finished. Many types of machinery benefited from this tech- nological advance, such as, steam engines, guns, and of course, musi- cal instruments. The saxophone is a “musical machine” designed and cre- ated to meet a set of requirements. It was born with a pedigree in the form of its 1846 patent that described 14 dif- 2020 April ~ Linn County Blues Society / 3 Three reviews by Philly Cheeze! Sister Lucile - “Alive” Griff Hamlin and the Single Barrel Blues 2019 – Endless Blues Records Band - “I’ll Drink To That” 2019 – Griff Hamlin Bai Kamara Jr. & The Voodoo Sniffers “Salone” 2020 – Moosicus Records Hot and seductive vocals from Kim Dill I’ll Drink to That, the debut album from coupled with gobs of dynamic guitar from Griff Hamlin and the Single Barrel Blues her husband Jamie Holdren fuel Alive, the Band is absolutely terrific.