Cool Issue 180 The Publication of the Linn County Blues Society July 2009 Dennis McMurrin Guitar Shorty Mike Zito Bluesmore “Sweet 16” August 1 In this July issue — Check out The Diplomats Of Solid Sound’s Sarah Cram’s Diplomats of Solid Sound - The REAL DEAL! CD, Darlin’. Big Mo’s CD review Thanks for the CD, Sarah! Guitar Shorty & Mike Zito bios Local LIVE music schedules Koko Taylor remembered Koko Taylor BBQ’ Loo & Blues, Too! July 17-18 1928-2009 The Linn County Blues Society is a way Diplomats of Solid Sound cool, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Blues music in The real deal! Eastern Iowa as well as to provide charitable contributions to other commu- Article and photo by Bill Ray nity organizations. LCBS is an Affiliated Organization in the Blues Foundation’s international network. The BLUESPAPER ’m glad I waited un- is a monthly publication of the LCBS. til just recently to Website: lcbs.org hear The Diplomats I LCBS Officers of Solid Sound. Several President - Andy Dergo people told me that the group was sound- Vice President - Evan Vulich ing the best they have ever been and are Secretary - Steve Springer creating enthusiasm wherever they ap- Treasurer - Sue Dergo pear. It must be so, because the two full Directors at Large performances I saw in late May were joy- Bob De Forest, Bill Meeks, Frank Wilson ful and spectacular. The Diplomats of Solid Sound per- Chairs formed in a cabaret /restaurant setting at Public Relations: Lori Blattner Entertainment - Greg West Membership - Kevin Cutsforth Merchandise - David Andrews Nate Basinger on Hammond B-3 Make no mistake - the young guys playing The Bluespaper & LCBS folks Editor - Evan Vulich the instruments in the band are rock-solid Photographers - Bill Ray, see bylines veteran musicians and have created a tight, Staff Writers - Bill Ray, see bylines unusual jazzy sound. But the virtuosity of Distribution - Andy Dergo, Bill Meeks the two female vocalists up front is what Parliamentarian - Bill Meeks Program - Bob De Forest makes the whole performance click and Public Relations - Open astound. Web Admin. - Evan Vulich Kathy Ruestow perhaps has the more vel- vety jazz voice. Sarah Cram seems to have Membership To learn more about the Linn County a wider vocal range and can really belt out Blues Society or to join, see the member- those higher soul notes. No matter - they’re ship form in this Bluespaper or the LCBS both on the same team. With very similar website. Your membership includes; vocal styles, they can harmonize beauti- • Discount admissions to many local Blues activities. fully or exchange taking the lead vocal on • Monthly LCBS Bluespaper. different songs. It’s the synchronized dance • Voting rights in the LCBS elections. moves that really catch your attention - re- • Being a apart of the groove! flecting back upon how the girl groups of Bluespaper Contact information Sarah Cram and Kathy Ruestow the sixties used to move on stage. Arms Send news, band or club live entertain and hands flowing, they shimmy, they dip, -ment listings or advertising to: the Irish Democrat in Cedar Rapids on they twirl - always close enough to the mi- Evan Vulich at: [email protected]. Sunday, May 24. crophones to sing the words at precisely the Bluespaper Ad Rates They were coming off a two-day road right time. $15.00 - Business card size - 2” x 3.5” trip to Milwaukee and St. Louis. If they One main reason the Diplomats are in $25.00 - Quarter page ad - 3.5” x 4.75” were weary, they certainly didn’t show it. peak mode right now is that they are writ- $50.00 - Half page ad - 4.75” x 7.25” Their jazz, funk and soul tunes had the ing and performing outstanding original $100.00 - Full page - 7.5” x 10” crowd whooping, hollering, applauding songs that they all have collaborated on in Submission Requirements- All ads, and singing along creating. Songs like: “Jealous,” “Crazy photos or scanned images, either color Based in Iowa City, The Diplomats of ‘Bout You Boy,” “Kitchen,” “Pistol Allen,” or black/white, need to be 300ppi. Native Solid Sound include Doug Roberson on “Trouble Me,” and “Lights Out!” Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, JPG, TIFF, EPS, PDF, BMP accepted. Ads created in guitar, Nate Basinger on Hammond B-3 Then there are the raucous girl-leaves- Word may cause dimentia, severe cramp- organ, Eddie McKinley and David Bas- boy tunes like “Back Off!” and “Nobody’s ing and diarrhea. Deadline for submis- inger on saxophones, Paul Kresowik on Gonna Stand In My Way!” that really ap- sions is the 19th of the month. drums and “girl singers” Sarah Cram and peal to females in the audience. Sure to Moving? Send your new address to; Kathy Ruestow on lead vocals and nifty bring down the house is “Bullfrog Booga- LCBS, PO Box 2672, Cedar Rapids, IA stage choreography. Roberson also does loo,” while “Promise Of A New Day” is 52406-2672 so you won’t miss a single some lead vocal work and Nate Basinger moving and inspirational. issue of your Bluespaper. adds harmony vocals. Continued on page 3 2 / Linn County Blues Society ©2009 Another reason the Diplomats are sound- ing better than ever is the recent addition of Paul Kresowik on drums. Paul comes from a jazz drumming background and has the subtlety, precision and creativity to really add to the percussive founda- tion of this group. Sometimes he’ll play an ascending drum roll or cymbal crash that seems to come out of nowhere and add just the right touch to an already great tune Could The Diplomats of Solid Sound make a successful transition to the larg- er democracy of a free outdoor concert? The answer came on May 29 when they performed on a beautiful spring evening Paul Kresowik on drums on the Ped Mall fountain stage as part Buckwheat Zydeco of the Iowa City Friday Night Concert tion of singers and entertainers. Lay Your Burden Down Series. Once the large outdoor speakers The Diplomats of Solid Sound are the real and amps got dialed in correctly, the guys thing. With growing popularity, they are Alligator Records and gals in the band were clicking on all performing more in regional venues and in Release Date:May 5, 2009 cylinders. Hundreds of listeners sitting surrounding states. In late July they travel on stone walls and in lawn chairs showed overseas for about ten days of perform- Cooling Hot Zydeco enthusiastic appreciation for all three sets. ing at outdoor music festivals and clubs in Hundreds more strolling by certainly northern Italy. A just reward for their hard Buckwheat Zydeco’s first re- work. lease since Katrina is more in- Locally you can catch trospective and thoughtful than performances on July 3 in Coralville, July 4 (at 2 the happy-go-lucky efforts of PM) on the main stage of the past. It has five originals the Iowa City Jazz Festi- and some excellent covers with val and July 10 in Cedar help from everyone from Capt. Rapids. I’m looking for- Beefheart & Warren Haynes to ward to the completion Jimmy Cliff & Trombone Shorty and release of their new (at ICJF). There’s some great CD. foot patting music for sure, but David Basinger, Eddie McKinley and Doug Roberson on guitar. the overall mood is quieter and more serious. The music is well stopped to hear a few songs. Eddie McKinley was really wailing on conceived and produced and tenor sax. David Basinger lent talented keeps reaching out to grab you support on baritone. Doug Roberson Tomaso’s as you track through the CD. structured the songs with his guitar work. BZ plays organ behind some Nate Basinger did some terrific solo work Pizza screaming slide guitar on a few on the keyboards and Paul glued every- tunes and is better at it than I thing together on drums. 364-4313 expected. The original tunes The two female lead vocalists were real- are a little weak, but overall it’s ly working the crowd with covers of clas- a fine effort. Stanley Dural, Jr. sics like “Hip Drop,” “The Thang,” and Official Pizza (born 1947) is still going strong “Don’t Need No Doctor.” What caught my attention was about a dozen pre-teen girls of Bluesmore! and still has something to say. near the stage dancing to the Diplomats’ 3234 Center Point Rd. original tune “Fascination” in flattering imitation of their female role models on — John Heim (A.K.A. “Big Mo”) stage: moving their arms, doing the shim- my, hip drops and sliding back and forth in stylized dance movements. Whether Them pains, when blues pains grab you, Sarah and Kathy realize it or not, I think you’ll sing the blues right. they are helping to create a future genera- — Otis Rush ©2009 Linn County Blues Society / 3 Guitar Shorty & Mike Zito Bluesmore 2009! Defiant electric blues coming to Bluesmore! guitarshorty.com WE THE PEOPLE burns with heavy rock “Defiant, electric blues with piercing and roll fire from start to finish, putting intensity and raw venom that’ll leave Shorty’s infectious energy and guitar py- your ears singed” --Chicago Tribune rotechnics on full display. And more than ever before, his songs tell the story of the uitarist/vocalist and blues leg- harsh realities of everyday life in terms end Guitar Shorty is a man both stark (We The People), pointed (Cost Gof the people. With the abil- Of Livin’) and poignant (Down That Road ity to pack clubs and festivals as one of Again). What he began with WATCH the blues’ most celebrated live perform- YOUR BACK, Shorty accelerates with WE ers (even before he had any nationally THE PEOPLE, creating an album that is available recordings) and now among the as memorable for its menacing guitar work top-selling recording artists in the blues and defiant vocals as it is for its incisive and world, he is clearly the people’s choice.