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Like any music fan, I love being blown away by a great, well
rehearsed band or solo performer.
However, nothing is quite like a jam session, especially a blues jam
session, where players of varying experience and ability get together
for the pure joy of playing. You don't get paid (except maybe a free
pint in the venue) and the music has to be uncomplicated so the accent
is on having fun.
I attend some of the jams in my area (West Midlands) on a fairly regular
basis - not only to play, but also to meet other musicians, chat and
maybe even steal a lick or two.
About 10 years ago, I made a road trip from Chicago down to the Mississippi
Delta as a sort of pilgrimage to visit some of the "holy"
blues sites. At the culmination of the trip, I ended up jamming a few
tunes with James "Super Chikan" Johnson in Clarksdale. The
atmosphere of the place soaks into you, and I'm sure I ended up a better
blues player for the experience.
This year I was due to travel to the States for a grand family reunion
and decided the time was right for me to repeat my Delta journey. This
time, with the magic of the Internet and Google, I was able to contact
venues hosting jams along the way and plan the route around them. So,
here we go!!!
July 11th:
Landed at New York and drove up alongside the Potomac (with my long
suffering wife, Cathie) towards the first pre-planned jam in Pennsylvania.
July 12th:
Arrived in Milford PA for the Thursday blues jam at "The Waterwheel"
cafe and bar. The evening was being hosted by Eric Langberg and Bluestone
who turned in a cracking 45 min set to get things going. As with most
jams there was a sign up sheet and having arrived early, I was first
up. I was joined by Eric on guitar, the mysterious "G" on
bass and John on drums.
We played Muddy's "Hoochie Coochie Man", Rory Gallagher's
supercharged version of "Messin with the Kid" and a couple
of others to a very warm reception from the small crowd. Punters and
fellow musicians alike seemed pleased to have this crazy limey at their
session and I remember "G", the bass player telling me he
had played in England once, and " I just love the way you Brits
go for it!! ".
July 14th:
In Scranton PA doing the family stuff, but I had a sneaky plan. I had
already found and emailed the Ukrainian band, Fata Morgana, booked for
the evening's dance in the hotel ballroom. They had given the OK so
halfway through, I joined Oleksij Kerekesha (keyboards) and Sergei Kolomiets
(drums) for a rousing "Goin' to Kansas City", and Hank Williams’
“Move it on Over” and Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves
of London.” I am very grateful to guitarist/violin player Ihor
Shablovsky who had the only guitar amp and sat out during my spot. It’s
a shame all four of us couldn't have played. Fata Morgana were superb
musicians (Oleksij on keyboards also played the bass lines on a synth)
and, I think, secretly enjoyed cutting loose for a few songs before
going back to the dance/pop standards and Ukrainian tunes.
July 19th:
Having flown to Chicago and driven the interstate 55 to Memphis (this
is also a road trip, remember), we arrived in Memphis TN, at Neil's
bar, venue for "The Memphis Blues Society" Thursday jam.
As ever the house band, led by Eric "Scrappie" Hughes, started
the show with a well played and varied 45 minute blues set. When my
turn came up, I was joined by Will Forest (guitar), Brad Webb (bass)
and Tim Duff (from The Missing Blues Band) (drums).
Starting with a well received smoky version of B. B. King's "The
Thrill has Gone" we moved through "Shame, Shame, Shame"
then a slow blues of my own composition called "I Wasn't Born in
Mississippi”, then into blues standard "I'm Gone" and,
when nobody seemed inclined to call us off (four tunes is usually the
limit), a funky reading of Frank Zappa's "Down in France".
Again, the audience were very appreciative and several of them came
over to chat. A great evening with several exceptional musicians on
show.
July 21st:
Arriving in Clarksdale, MS we found our planned hotel not open for business
and were diverted to "The Hopson Plantation" just outside
the town. What a find! Hopson's is a genuine old cotton plantation now
converted to be an amazingly different hotel. Among the original buildings
are several tin shacks with porch and rocking chair, perfect for the
serious blues fan. (I should add, all is converted with modern shower,
AC, TV etc). All the rooms are done out with blues memorabilia and the
place is littered with big old American cars, beautiful XXX, farm machinery
and the like.
An hour south of Clarksdale was Indianola and Club Ebony, which was
hosting the "Boozenblues" festival, organised by Andre Laberge
who had confirmed by email a daily jam session, 5.30-7.30.
Arriving a bit late I found a small audience watching members of "Joe
Hell and the Red Roosters" out of Montreal,"Sleepy T"
out of Austin TX and a few locals jammers.
Having introduced myself to and getting a warm welcome from Andre, I
joined in the fun. These guys were excellent musicians (I was told they
sometimes back Pinetop Perkins) and I was in 7th heaven. Half an hour
of serious jamming later it was time to re-start the festival proper
so hands were shaken, cards exchanged and we headed back to Clarksdale.
Returning to our room, we found Doug Jones (aka Blind Willie Jones)
out of Nashville, TN sitting outside the next room pickin some good
stuff on a guitar. Introductions over, I told Doug about my jam journey
and to my surprise he said he was there to gig that very night alongside
his partner, Russell Gulley, for a high school reunion being held at
Hopson's function room." Why don't you get up with us this evening"
he said, so I found my first unscheduled jam.
Russell, 61 years old and just signed a new record deal, turned out
to be a serious bluesman. Out of Georgia, Alabama he had a high, sweet
voice and a deft guitar touch and Doug accompanied on blues harp and
guitar.
The audience was small to non existent, most punters chatting in the
other room (it was a high school reunion, after all) and I joined Russell
and Doug late in the evening with my trusty lap-slide guitar.
I was prepared to just tag along with them but pretty soon I was asked
to take a vocal and soon we had a round going, where each musician takes
a turn leading the performance.
We got through a dozen songs including "Baby, What You Want Me
To Do", "Big Bad Bill" and "Goodnight Irene"
as well as a few of each others’ original songs and were rewarded
by a few more punters coming through to see what was going on. Afterwards
we chatted long into the night and in the morning swapped CDs and good
wishes.
July 22nd:
Returned to Club Ebony for the Sunday afternoon jam to find chaos.
Some misunderstanding or other had blown out of proportion and all bands
for the evening had pulled out. This was Delta politics and Andre couldn't
do a thing.
Whilst Andre went off to try and organise something, I took part in
a very low key acoustic jam with a couple of the locals plus a few of
the remaining punters, most of whom were beginners as players but chuffed
to bits to be on the stage. Eventually Andre showed up with a substitute
band so I said farewell and we headed back to Clarksdale.
July 24th:
Arrived in Nashville for the "Music City Blues Society" Tuesday
jam at Cragnacker's bar. I had exchanged emails with Chuck who turned
out to be an accomplished guitarist leading the house band through the
usual 45 minute first set. I was called early and joined by JR on guitar
and must apologise, as the bass player and drummer's names are illegible
in my diary.
We played "Before You Accuse Me" a la Clapton, John Lee Hooker's
"Boom, Boom", "Heartbreak Hotel" as a slow blues
and "Stormy Monday".
Although the evening was still good fun, I didn't feel as welcome and
relaxed as most of the other places I played, also most of the jamming
musicians (some of whom were outstanding) seemed to get up, do their
bit, then go off into the night which didn't help as the audience was
quite small. Oh well you can't win them all, I suppose.
July 26th:
Trying a different way back to Chicago from the previous trip, we found
ourselves in Louisville which turned out to be a kickin' town.
Having visited downtown (big live music presentation on 4th street)
we were thinking about an early night when I spotted "Blues jam
every Thursday at Lisa's Oak St Lounge" in the local newspaper
supplied with our hotel room.
Off we went into what looked seedier and seedier suburbs of Louisville
until we found Lisa's and the friendliest bunch of people yet!! The
jam was loud, sloppy and brilliant! On stage I was with Tim from "The
Music City Blues Band" (guitar), Byron (bass) and Dr. Boom (drums)
plus others. We did "Too Much Alcohol" and "Bullfrog
Blues" in response to a shout for Rory Gallagher tunes and finished
with "Hey Joe". Late as we were arriving, we got the best
reception yet from punters and musicians alike and again stayed late,
yarning into the night. A cracking end to the trip and an unscheduled
jam to boot!
July 27th:
Back to Blighty.
You often hear the stars complaining about touring, "Oh it's nothing
but tour bus, hotel, gig, tour bus, hotel, gig, you go to all these
places but never have time to look around", well, if you're a musician
and you like improvising (posh word for jamming) why not try a trip
like this once in your life?
OK it's like a busman's holiday but do as I did and leave 2 or 3 days
between performances and there's plenty to do and see.
It's a Big Country.
Thanks to everybody I met and all the musicians I played with on this
barmy enterprise, and very special thanks to my wife, Cathie for
putting up with all this.
Maz Mitrenko August 5th 2007.
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