:: Sunday, March 07, 2004 ::

Hip-Hop circus comes to town

MACON,GA.— Cedric Walker, founder of the UniverSoul Big Top Circus eases forward onto the edge of his chair to explain how crazy he is. "They all think it," he begins. "They've told me that about everything I've done." Walker is publicizing his latest crazy idea, a "dream circus."

"When I tried to create a rap festival, they thought I was nuts. In those days, no one had heard of rap, and here I was putting it in an 18,000-seat arena. Well, we sold out. And when I decided to do a Black circus, they said, 'You're crazy. Blacks don't go to circuses.'" He slumps back in his chair. "Oh, yes, they do," he says, a smile appearing for the first time on his poker face. Walker seems anything but crazy. His circus has been acclaimed an artistic and technical triumph.

Atlanta's Journal Constitution dubbed it "Cirque du Soul," when it debuted there in 1994 to a sold-out crowd. Circus Report, a trade weekly, called it a "masterpiece of production, staging and promotion." In 1999, the hard work and dedication paid off when HBO recognized the UniverSoul Circus with a special filming detailing the excitement of the show.

The Soul Circus, as it's also known, is the first circus in a century to be completely owned and operated by African-Americans. It features a troupe of international performers of African descent, recruited by Walker from some of the world's best-known circuses. Furthermore, Walker is committed to placing his circus in African-American communities which have long been underserved by the entertainment industry. And all of the people involved in its maintenance, from raising the big top to policing the circus grounds, are contracted from the communities where the circus touches down.

Walker's Soul Circus features traditional circus acts-but set to an African-American beat. Rather than "Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye," high-stepping ringmaster Casual Cal (one of the circus's co-creators) greets the crowd with "Yo, yo, yo, yo" and dance movements à la hip-hop and James Brown while the clowns pratfall through the often absurd history of Blacks in American TV. The amazing Willey family knew they had to work harder and bring new excitement to the high wire act if they were not only to succeed, but to stand out out from the crowd. Through their dedication, they have been recognized as premier performers in a world that demands so much more from everybody.

"You've got to realize," Walker says, sliding forward once more on his chair, "these guys come from all over the world and have never had the chance to perform before their people. So their hearts and souls are There."

The two-hour circus is staged at what Walker terms "a high-energy, hip-hop speed," accompanied by gospel, jazz and blues music-and with state-of-the-art, computerized special effects, a rock-style laser show, and high-tech sound. "Our technology is second to none," Walker says. "Our creative director and producer, Tom Marzullo, designed road tours for Prince, KISS, and Guns 'N' Roses. The technology for this show is as expensive as the show itself. It moves on about 10 trucks. Tommy makes it an art form." Walker asserts that his circus is unique in that "we wanted to express the culture of a people. To have more of an impact than just having Black people performing circus feats-that in itself was going to be great. But we wanted to actually make a difference, to track Black entertainment from slavery to now," he says. To criticism that the Soul Circus smacks of a 21st century minstrel show, Walker retorts that his circus is the mirror opposite of minstrelsy. That form, created by 19th century Whites for the pleasure of Whites, presented comics in black face acting out grotesque, demeaning depictions of Blacks. This, Walker says, is just the sort of stereotype his circus was created to debunk, with its positive images of Black life and achievement lovingly (and astoundingly) portrayed.

Walker spins quite a tale, of course. An all-Black circus dreamed up and produced by Blacks. The opposite of minstrelsy. Race-conscious but not racist. International and all-American. The glowing big tent in the tough part of town. And the motley troupe-from Africa, Trinidad, England and Spain, and straight out of America. The gaggle of clowns, the aerialists, the peanut vendors, and the ringmaster-all daughters and sons of Africa. The story he tells of his own American odyssey is quite a fable as well. He was a business-minded church boy from Baltimore who became a wayward street tough. He was a Tuskegee University dropout who went on the road with the Commodores (his uncle's then little-known house band). Next came his storybook life as a fast-lane R&B promoter-with the obligatory sex, drugs and blues, and the inevitable crash and crawl up from the bottom.

In the 1980's, after his season in hell, Walker was one of the first to see the significance of hip-hop. In a two-year association with then-neophyte mogul Russell Simmons, Walker mounted rap's first national tours. Then again: "I squandered it. Lost the money. Lost the acts. I started over again." From 1990 to 1994, Walker invested in two wildly successful musicals, Mama Don't and A Good Man Is Hard to Find. The plays centered on problems afflicting African-American urban life: drugs, dysfunctional families, crime.

As Walker noticed people bringing young kids to these plays "because they wanted their children or husbands to hear the message," he saw a need for a different kind of entertainment. With Atlanta-based entertainer "Casual Cal" Dupree and others, Walker researched live family attractions for a modern Black audience. They discussed animal acts, vaudeville, variety shows and hip-hop musicals. One night Dupree said, "It sounds like we need to do a circus!"

As a boy, Walker had dreamed of running away with the circus. But under the big top the only role models available to Blacks were janitors. "When I first saw a lion tamer, I loved it, but I never aspired to be one," Walker says. "When you see someone you can relate to doing it, you can aspire to be it. I saw Black folks being janitors, so I wanted to wear one of those red or blue outfits and scoop up the elephant do-do. That's how I figured I could be in the circus." Now that he is founder and president of the first African-American circus in nearly 100 years-his dream come true-he is asked if he has other dreams yet to fulfill. "Yes," he says with a bemused grin. "I want to create a Black Disneyland-a Black theme park. You can quote me on that because they won't believe me anyway. They all think I'm crazy."

:: Les Coles Sunday, March 07, 2004 [+] ::

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Luther Vandross wins 4 NAACP Image Awards

LOS ANGELES (March 7)— Luther Vandross won four NAACP Image Awards in a ceremony that blended politics with a wide range of honours for works by and about people of colour.

Vandross is recovering from a stroke and was not at Universal Amphitheatre Saturday to pick up his prizes for best male artist and his music video, song and album titled Dance With My Father. The sentimental favourite won four Grammys last month.

The Gospel music comedy "The Fighting Temptations'' won for best movie. Cuba Gooding Jr. was honoured as best actor for "Radio,'' and Queen Latifah was named best actress for "Bringing Down the House.''

Hip-hop group OutKast won for outstanding duo or group, and rotund young R&B star Ruben Studdard won best new artist after crooning from his seat in a performance early in the night.

Studdard thanked his grandmother for "being part of the struggle in the '60s,'' one of several references to politics and the civil rights movement.

Ray Charles was inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame after a tribute performance by B.B. King, Stevie Wonder and Bonnie Raitt.

"They do so much to help so many,'' Charles said of the NAACP. ``I want you to know this is truly an honor and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.''

The awards by the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People are determined by show business professionals and NAACP officials nationwide. The ceremony will be broadcast Thursday on Fox.

Special awards went to the Dave Matthews Band and T.D. Jakes, a nationally known evangelist and pastor of Dallas-based The Potter's House, one of the America's fastest-growing churches with 59 ministries.

List of Music Award winners of the 35th annual NAACP Image Awards:
Outstanding new artist: Ruben Studdard, ``Soulful,'' J Records/BMG.
Outstanding male artist: Luther Vandross, J Records/BMG.
Outstanding female artist: Alicia Keys, J Records/BMG.
Outstanding duo or group: OutKast, Arista.
Outstanding jazz artist: Ramsey Lewis, ``Simple Pleasures,'' Narada Jazz/EMI.
Outstanding gospel artist, traditional or contemporary: Donnie McClurkin, ``Donnie McClurkin ... Again,'' Verity Records.
Outstanding music video: Luther Vandross, ``Dance With My Father,'' directed by Diane Martel.
Outstanding song: Luther Vandross, ``Dance With My Father,'' J Records/BMG.
Outstanding album: Luther Vandross, ``Dance With My Father, J Records/BMG. - AP

:: Les Coles Sunday, March 07, 2004 [+] ::

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Blue Humor

Cartoon courtesy of The Blues Foundation

Jason Nocera, creator of the music cartoon Buddy and Hopkins, has produced a comic strip specifically designed to help promote the Blues Foundation. The comic strip features Buddy exasperated at the fact that two young preteens have no knowledge of Blues musicians. Hopkins saves the day by directing everyone to the Blues Foundation's Web site.

The special comic strip is available for FREE to all Webmasters and Editors. "The hope is to raise awareness of The Blues Foundation and to help increase their membership. This is not just for Blues musicians, but for all musicians and all fans of music. After all, Blues is at the root of it all" Jason Nocera said.

:: Les Coles Sunday, March 07, 2004 [+] ::

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Gibson releases Chet Atkins Studio

Gibson Montana, the guitar giant's acoustic division, has enhanced the performance of its popular solidbody acoustic design with the introduction of the Chet Atkins Studio. The new nylon-string classical model incorporates elements of classical guitar construction that give it truer acoustic tonality as well as unamplified acoustic capabilities.

"The Chet Studio's enhanced acoustic performance is something that players have been increasingly asking for ever since Gibson and Chet Atkins got together in 1981," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson chairman and CEO. "We're sure that Chet would be proud of this model."

The late Chet Atkins, legendary guitarist and record producer, came to Gibson in 1981 with an idea for a nylon-string acoustic guitar with a solid body, so that it could played onstage at high volume without feedback. Gibson introduced the first of these revolutionary "solidbody acoustics" in 1981, and they were adopted by a wide range of players, from Willie Nelson to Earl Klugh.

In 2003, Gibson moved production of the nylon-string line to the acoustic specialists at Gibson Montana, and the Bozeman-based division began designing a new model, the Chet Atkins Studio. Among the Studio's new features:

Fully hollow thin body for increased acoustic volume
   •Braces and tone bars underneath the top carefully placed to match the tone of guitars made famous by Ramirez and other Spanish builders
   •Gibson Songwriter Deluxe style bridge
   •Elegant circular rosewood plate inlaid on the upper top bout to house 4-band EQ and volume control
   •Oval soundhole in the lower back of the guitar to enhance the player's acoustic experience
   •The Chet Atkins Studio CE has standard nut width of 1.75 inches while the Chet Atkins Studio CEC features the classical nut width of 2 inches.

Tech Specs

Chet Atkins Studio CE/CEC
Manufactured in: Bozeman, MT
Download Chet Atkins Studio CE/CEC Datasheet

BODY
Body Style: Advanced classical Acoustic Chamber
Top Species: Solid Cedar
Back and Sides: Solid one-piece carved mahogany
Body Binding: Multi-ply top

NECK
Species: Mahogany
Profile: Traditional Spanish styling
Neck Joint Location: 12th fret

FINGERBOARD
Species: Ebony
Scale length: 26"
Nut Width: CE 1.8125" or CEC 2"
Frets: 24
Peg Head Angle: 14°

BRIDGE
Species: Ebony
Shape: Sculpted Madagascar rosewood

HARDWARE
Tuners: Gold
Pickup: Special design transducer with controls

OTHER
Features: Active volume and 4-band EQ system and unique player's sound hole port in the rear body
Case: Hardshell

:: Les Coles Sunday, March 07, 2004 [+] ::

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Eric Burdon to try nujazz?

There are rumors circulating everywhere that Eric Burdon is considering working with a permanent band again. This time the genre is nujazz. Eric has always liked jazz, note the Animals hit remake of the Nina Simone penned, "Don't Let me be Misunderstod."

:: Les Coles Sunday, March 07, 2004 [+] ::

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Fats Domino turns 76

Still playing catch-up with stories that broke while I was at the 2nd International Blues Symposium.
Here's another

NEW ORLEANS (Feb 26)—Fats Domino found his thrill on his 76th birthday, as friends and family members came by his home bearing gifts. He kept the party going, playing some of his classics like "Ain't That A Shame" and "I'm Walkin'."

His newest song tells it all. It's called "I'm Still Alive and Kicking."

He was born Antoine Domino on Feb. 26, 1928, in New Orleans. On Thursday, he reminisced about the days before his 1950 recording of "The Fat Man," often called the first real rock 'n' roll record. "I used to deliver ice, and before that I worked in a lumber yard," Domino recalled. During his rounds delivering ice, he said, pianos often got in the way. "If I'd see a piano, I'd stop for a while and they'd have to come and get me," he said.

Domino has sold more than 110 million records. His legendary recording career produced 22 million-selling singles, including "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That A Shame," and he was one of the first 10 honorees named to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

:: Les Coles Sunday, March 07, 2004 [+] ::

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Barnburners w/Big Harmonica Bob to play 5th Annual Inland Empire BluesFest.

(PRWEB) March 1—Southland Blues band The Barnburners with Big Harmonica Bob! will perform live at Fifth Annual Inland Empire BluesFest in Riverside, California on Sunday, May 30.

The event is presented by Greg Serrato, and The Lake Alice Trading Company. The doors will open at 12:30 pm. Admission is $8.00 per person

What:   5th Annual Inland Empire BluesFest 2004

When:  Sunday, May 30th 1:00 pm - 1:30 am

Where: Lake Alice Trading Company

             3616 University Avenue

             Riverside, CA 

Sharp-eyed Blues Bloggers will note that L.A. Jones also is on the bill, and sharp-brained BB's will recollect that L.A. and the boys are playing Tokyo at the start of next month (details).

Barnburners Bio
Formed in 1997 in Yorba Linda, California, The Barnburners with Big Harmonica Bob have performed in major venues across Southern California including The Coach House (San Juan Capistrano), The Galaxy Theater (Costa Mesa), B.B. King's (Universal City), and many more. They have performed on the same bill with many Blues artists including Greg Serrato, Teresa Russell & Cocobilli, BB Chung King & The Buddha Heads, etc . The band has performed in music festivals throughout Southern California, everywhere from Leona Valley to Yorba Linda. You can find BB w/BHB recordings on radio stations throughout the United States, as well as in Europe and Latin America. The band's first c.d., Workin' Overtime, is available for purchase at www.dwmmusic.com. Most recently, The Barnburners with Big Harmonica Bob were nominated in the Best Blues category at the 2003 Orange County Music Awards. For more information regarding The Barnburners with Big Harmonica Bob, write to:

Joe McGaha
10 Marino,
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Phone: (909)938-6533 Fax: (303)845-5984 E-Mail: barnburners@cox.net

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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Rod Piazza signs with Blind Pig

Blind Pig Records has announced the signing of Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, three-time winners of the prestigious "Blues Band Of The Year" W.C. Handy Award, regarded as the equivalent of the Grammy in the blues field. Piazza, considered one of the preeminent harmonica players around, has become a commanding presence at the forefront of today's blues scene.

For more than twenty years, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers have maintained a busy recording and touring schedule, becoming one of the most popular blues bands in the world. Their power-packed performances showcase Rod's astonishing harmonica technique that delicately combines power and grace, his forceful singing and his bar-walking showmanship, punctuated by the two-fisted boogies of pianist Honey Piazza, a highly acclaimed musician in her own right.

Piazza cut his teeth on club dates playing with Big Mama Thorton, Big Joe Turner, and T-Bone Walker. In the 1980's he produced several albums of important but somewhat overlooked blues artists for the now defunct Murray Brothers label. These recordings by Jimmy Rogers, Pee Wee Crayton, Smokey Wilson, Johnny Dyer, and Piazza's mentor, George "Harmonica" Smith, have been re-issued on Blind Pig.

The new album from Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers is titled Keepin' It Real and is scheduled to be released on Blind Pig in the spring. Piazza commented on the latest turn of events: "It's great to hook up with Blind Pig. They helped get out some of the great Murray Brothers records of the 80's in the past and we always talked about a new venture. Now the time has come and this is the CD to do it with."

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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James Brown, Los Lobos to headline Doheny Heritage Festival

James Brown will headline the first night of the Doheny Heritage Festival, with Los Lobos kicking off the second night.

The Doheny Heritage Music Festival is being held May 22,23 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point.

Other acts includes John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (see story below), Robert Cray, Robert Randoloph, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Charlie Musselwhite, Etta James, Keb Mo, Koko Taylor and Lucinda Williams.

Line-up
May 22
James Brown
Etta James
Keb Mo
Charlie Musselwhite
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Koko Taylor
Kid Ramos
Hollywood Blue Flames
Jackie Green
Al Blake
Ramsay Midwood
Kyle Riabko

May 23
Los Lobos
The Robert Cray Band
Lucinda Williams
Robert Randolph & The Family Band
John Mayall
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Olu Dara
Charlie Musselwhite
Ramsay Midwood
Kyle Riabko
The Paladins
Al Blake
Jackie Greene

Ticketing
Tickets will be available at all ticketmaster outlets and all House Of Blues box offices.

Prices:
$38.00 General Admission (PreSale)
$43.00 General Admission (AtDoor)
$60.00 Weekend Pass
$75.00 VIP (Includes closer stage seating & Drink Discounts)
$150.00. Platinum VIP (includes VIP seating, venue parking, backstage passes, free drinks and food)


James Brown also will be in Australia for the Blues and Roots Festival at Byron Bay on the Easter Long Weekend (see Jan. 20 post for story). He will also perform in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

On the Web:
http://www.dohenyheritagefestival.com/

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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John Mayall—70th Birthday Concet —DVD

Eagle Rock Entertainment presents an amazing assemblage of legends with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert on DVD. Filmed July 19, 2003 in Liverpool, England, the concert celebrated John Mayall's 70th birthday with special guests Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor.

Commonly known as the "Father of British Blues," John Mayall has been the starting point for some of the greatest blues musicians of our time. His legendary Bluesbreakers launched the careers of Clapton, who left the band with Jack Bruce to form Cream, as well as John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. Mick Taylor was another Bluesbreaker who continued on to play with the Rolling Stones during what is known to some as their greatest musical period.

Recorded live in Liverpool

It's a warm summer's Saturday night, July 19, 2003 in Liverpool England and the eager audience patiently waits. In celebration of John Mayall's 70th birthday and for the benefit of UNICEF’s fight against child exploitation, The Bluesbreakers (Tom Canning, Hank Van Sickle, Jo Yuele and Buddy Whittington) kick off with "Jacksboro Highway."

After a few more numbers the place erupts as John Mayall appears to a standing ovation. The Godfather of British Blues has arrived and straight away he's playing fantastic harmonica and keyboards. Then (and after 38 years since they first played together) the "friends" and soul mates are reunited to a tumultuous reception as Eric Clapton appears on stage. Joining them is Mick Taylor and British Blues pioneer, Chris Barberas as they blast through nearly 21/2 hours of stunning blues. From blues standards to classics from the Beano album and on to contemporary Bluesbreakers material, an ecstatic Liverpool crowd laps up one of the finest nights of blues this millennium.

TRACK LISTING:
GRITS AIN’T GROCERIES
JACKSBORO HIGHWAY
SOUTHSIDE STORY
KIDS GOT THE BLUES
DIRTY WATER
SOMEBODY’S ACTING LIKE A CHILD
BLUES FOR THE LOST DAYS
WALKING ON SUNSET
OH, PRETTY WOMAN
NO BIG HURRY
PLEASE MR LOFTON
HIDEAWAY
ALL YOUR LOVE
HAVE YOU HEARD
HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN (ERIC CLAPTON VOCAL)
I’M TORE DOWN (ERIC CLAPTON
VOCAL)
IT AIN’T RIGHT
CALIFORNIA
TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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Fantasy Records Up For Sale

Berkeley-based Fantasy Records, which owns many of the greatest recordings from the Golden Age of jazz, is for sale, according to a report in Billboard magazine.

Fantasy executives refused to comment on the story published Friday, but one source confirmed the label was on the market.

Billboard quoted an anonymous source that said the label, which generated sales of about $30 million in 2002, is being offered at $100 million, though a sale price will likely range from $64 million to $85 million, depending on yet unreleased 2003 earnings data.

Fantasy—the largest record label in Northern California, with about 80 employees—owns legendary recordings by Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. It is also home to Creedence Clearwater Revival, a famous rock group. The company is the product of decades of record label acquisitions that allowed it to amass one of the largest troves of jazz and rhythm and blues music in world. Much of the company’s profits come from the repackaging of its catalog and selling songs for commercials or compilation albums, though the label does maintain an active roster of performers, including Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Scott and Berkeley High graduate Dave Ellis.

Typically when a record label is sold, the buyer keeps the operation in place to preserve relations with its musicians, said David Card, media analyst for Jupiter Research. But Fantasy’s emphasis on its catalog business has some wondering if a sale would mean the label would leave Berkeley.

Fantasy spokesperson Terri Hinte said, "It was way too premature" to talk about what would happen to employees if a sale went through.

Possible suitors include the label's distributor, Beverly, Mass.-based Rykodisc, Beverly Hills-based Concord Records and New York-based Redux Records, Billboard reported. None of those companies returned phone calls Monday.

Fantasy is a private company, and sorting through its financial data could be messy. Billboard speculated that this could result in a long due diligence period and a soft sales price.

Fantasy also owns music studios located at its Berkeley headquarters. The company is headed by Saul Zaentz who has produced several movies, including The English Patient.

A few years ago Fantasy backed out of a deal to sell its record business, said former Oakland Tribune Music Critic and Down Home Music Store employee Larry Kelp. He guessed that declining CD sales and the rapidly changing music business was driving their renewed interest in a sale.

"Their money is in CDs and CDs might not even exist soon. They might not want to figure out the next step," said Kelp, adding that Zaentz was no longer actively involved in the record business.

Despite declining revenues in the record industry, Dave Zaworski, associated editor of Down Beat Magazine said Fantasy would attract heavy interest. "Their stuff will always sell," he said. "It would be enticing for a lot of labels."

Though the record industry has been racing towards consolidation, Zaworski said jazz has experienced an opposite trend. Major labels, including Atlantic and Columbia have dumped their jazz divisions, he said, offering more opportunities for smaller record companies.

Fantasy was started in 1949 by Max and Sol Weiss. Zaentz bought the company in 1967. After the success of Creedence, he went on a buying spree and purchased top jazz labels, including Milestone, Riverside and Prestige.

Kelp said that Fantasy maintains a family atmosphere, which makes the prospect of a sale even more unsettling. "There's probably almost 100 people who have been there most of their lives,” he said. “It’s not a cutthroat company where the management is separate from the people."

The Fantasy Story

Fantasy's story is actually the story of a number of outstanding record labels which, over the last quarter century, have happened to find themselves under one roof. Fantasy Records itself, along with its subsidiary Galaxy, was established in San Francisco in 1949 by Max and Sol Weiss, who ran a pressing plant and ended up owning a record company. Their first artist was an Oakland pianist named Dave Brubeck, and when Brubeck's recordings began to sell, they went on to record Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and Cal Tjader, as well as Odetta, beat poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg, and comic Lenny Bruce.

Saul Zaentz, who had joined Fantasy as a salesman in 1955, assembled a group of investors in 1967 and purchased the label from the Weiss brothers. They hit the jackpot the following year with Creedence Clearwater Revival, the most successful four-piece American rock 'n' roll band of all time. In an eighteen-month period, CCR scored no fewer than 20 Hot 100 singles and nine consecutive Top 10 singles in the U.S.; they earned 21 RIAA-certified gold or plantinum records with total sales of over 100 million worldwide!

The enormous success of Creedence enabled Fantasy to expand. In the early 70s, under the leadership of label president Ralph Kaffel, Fantasy purchased the catalogs of three of New York's top jazz independents: Prestige (also including its subsidiaries New Jazz, Bluesville, Folklore, Swingville, Tru-Sound, and Moodsville), which had been founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock; Riverside, established in '53 by Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews (Jazzland followed in 1960); and Milestone, which Keepnews had started up in '66 after the demise of Riverside. (Fantasy also owned distribution rights to Debut, founded in New York in 1952 by Charles Mingus and Max Roach.)

These acquisitions provided a substantial boost to Fantasy's catalog operations, and the label began an extensive reissue program of music by jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and the Modern Jazz Quartet, to name a few. (Throughout the 70s most reissues were in the form of "twofers," while in the 80s most were released in the Original Jazz Classics series, featuring original artwork and format. Both methods were much praised and widely imitated. Fantasy also released the first boxed set by a jazz artist—Miles Davis's Complete Prestige Recordings—in 1980.)

During the 70s, Keepnews joined Fantasy as a producer and helped build up a major jazz recording program at the company. There was a great deal of black pop activity as well, with The Blackbyrds, Pleasure, and Sylvester scoring gold records and Top Ten hits.

In 1977, Fantasy went on to acquire the catalog of another legendary independent, the Memphis-based Stax Records (and affiliated labels Volt, Enterprise, and Gospel Truth), which had since 1960 been producing contemporary soul masterpieces by artists like Isaac Hayes, Johnnie Taylor, the Dramatics, the Staple Singers, and Albert King.

Other label purchases followed: in 1984, Contemporary/Good Time Jazz, which had been founded in Los Angeles in '51 by producer Lester Koenig and brought in the music of Hampton Hawes, Art Pepper, André Previn, and Shelly Manne; and in 1986, Pablo, an L.A. company begun by noted jazz impresario Norman Granz in '73, which had recorded stars like Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan, and Count Basie.

In 1991 Fantasy announced the purchase of yet another catalog, Specialty, one of the first post-war independent labels to have specialized in black popular music. Founded by Art Rupe in Los Angeles in 1946, Specialty was a pioneer in recording early stars of rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues, and gospel such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers, Percy Mayfield, Lloyd Price, and Joe Liggins.

In 1995, Fantasy acquired two new labels–Takoma and Kicking Mule–that add to the company's already considerable holdings of high-quality roots-based music. Takoma was founded in the Washington, DC suburb of Takoma Park, Maryland when guitarist John Fahey recorded his now-legendary Blind Joe Death in 1959. Guitarists Leo Kottke, Robbie Basho, and Peter Lang also made influential recordings for the label. Kicking Mule was founded in Berkeley in the early Seventies by ED Denson (also the co-founder of Takoma) and guitarist/educator Stefan Grossman.

Fantasy's ambitious reissue programs have been influential industry-wide, highlighting aspects of its vast catalog from acid jazz to folk and blues to classic jazz in "twofer" CDs, boxed sets, 20-bit remastered CDs, and beginning in fall 2003, SA-CDs.

Fantasy and associated labels also maintain an active recording roster which currently includes Sonny Rollins, Eric Alexander, Jimmy Scott, Jim Snidero, Ithamara Koorax, Dave Ellis, and Jimmy McGriff, among others.

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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Eric Clapton to Auction 56 Guitars in June, Including 'Blackie'

Eric Clapton has announced his intention to sell 56 guitars at auction on June 24, 2004, to raise money for the drug rehabilitation clinic, Crossroads Centre, located in Antigua, West Indies. The auction will include the famous Clapton Stratocaster known as "Blackie".

News agency AFP quotes an unidentified Christie's auction house representative who stated that, according to Clapton, "I am selling the cream of my collection. What I am keeping back is just what I need to work with." The AFP article also quotes Clapton about the upcoming auction: "These guitars are in fact the ones that I kept back from the first auction because I seriously couldn't consider parting with them at that point. I think they are a really good representation of rock culture...all great rock and blues guitars."

The auction will be held at Christie's Rockefeller Center facility in New York city, site of the famous 1999 Clapton auction in which 105 Clapton-owned guitars were auctioned. While it was anticipated that the 1999 auction would raise approximately $750,000, the event earned $5,072,350 (including auction buyer premiums paid to Christie's). The 1999 auction also set a world record for the highest price ever paid for a publicly sold guitar when Clapton's "Brownie" Stratocaster brought $497,500. (See below for details)

For further information regarding the 1999 auction, a Japan-based Eric Clapton fan site has compiled a complete list of the 105 lots sold, including images of each lot, anticipated sales price, and actual final price.

Blackie

Although Clapton has owned several Stratocasters, there are two which have gone on to become celebrities in their own right. The first wass Brownie, the second is a black Strat, affectionately called "Blackie" by its doting owner. Clapton bought Blackie in 1970.

The Origins Of Blackie

"Right after I'd seen Steve Winwood playing his white Strat," begins Eric, "I was in Nashville and I went into this shop called Sho-Bud where they had stacks of Strats going for virtually nothing because they were so unfashionable and so unwanted. I bought a big pile of them all for a song - they were really cheap, like three or $400 each".

Clapton, in fact, bought six Strats that day. He gave one to Steve Winwood, one to Pete Townshend and one to George Harrison. The remaining three guitars were dismantled by Clapton and a hybrid was made from all the best bits. This ‘Frankenstein' guitar was dubbed ‘Blackie'.
Blackie was used on a variety of tours and recordings from 1974-85 and was ‘retired' in 1987.

Blackie Retires

"I wore it out too", Clapton said. "It's pretty well inaccessible now - there's not much of the neck left. It's worn away on either side and on the back with wear and tear. What makes Blackie unique for me is the fact that I made it! It was one of the last guitars that I actually built myself, really. Therefore it felt like it was invested with some kind of soul, you know."

"It's totally playable as it is; there's nothing wrong with it. It's kind of like an old car - there are plenty of new models coming out that have a similar spec, so why buy a new one and keep the old one for Sunday outings or special occasions? That guitar has got years of playing left in it, but not as an every night stand-up-and-give -it-some-wallop guitar," Clapton explained.

Brownie

Brownie' was one of Eric Clapton's favourite guitars and was the first Strat® he bought. It was used on the whole of the classic Layla album, including the title track, which is still regarded as Clapton's most famous. It was also used in a number of other recordings, notably on his first solo album Eric Clapton (1970) where it shares the front cover photograph with him.

Brownie's History

He first started using it for session work in late 1969 and 1970 with Delaney & Bonnie, Doris Troy, George Harrison and Leon Russell, as he felt the sound was more appropriate for the style of music he wanted to play. Other examples of Brownie's sound can be found on the Live Derek & The Dominoes Fillmore album, and their aborted second album sessions (some of these are featured on the Crossroads box set). In fact, countless photos from this period show him playing Brownie; with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends on their early 1970 US tour, the first Derek and the Dominoes Lyceum gig in London and a variety of shots from their tour later in the year.

When Eric came back into the public eye in 1974, he had started using "Blackie". Clapton didn't abandon his old favourite Brownie however, and would still occasionally use it on recording sessions for 461 Ocean Boulevard, as well as taking it on tour with him right up to the end of 1985. In fact, on the US tour that year, he would often use Brownie for the performance of Double Trouble.

Brownie's Origins

This Stratocaster is a June 1956 model, with the serial number Serial No.12073. It has a sunburst finish, maple neck with skunk-stripe routing, 21 fret fingerboard with dot inlays, 3 pickups, 3 rotary controls, 5 way selector switch, tremolo / bridge tailblock and white pickguard; and a black rectangular hard-shell case stencilled on both sides in yellow 'DEREK AND THE DOMONOS' and 'FRAGILE'.

Clapton bought Brownie on May 7th 1967 from Sound City, which was located at 124 Charing Cross Road in London (while on tour with Cream.) The price at the time was a measly £150 (255 Euros). He had seen one of his heroes, Buddy Guy, playing one at London's Marquee Club and decided he wanted one as well. The death of Jimi Hendrix and the emergence of Strat-player Steve Winwood (who Clapton also saw at the Marquee) made up his mind that the Fender Stratocaster was the only guitar to be seen with.

Brownie Sold

On August 24, 1999 at the Christie's in the Rockefeller Centre, New York, Eric Clapton sold 100 of his electric and acoustic guitars to raise money for the Crossroads Centre ,an the island of Antigua. (The Crossroads Centre is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, which Clapton founded in 1998).
At the auction, the biding started at $200.00 while the track Layla riffed away in the background. Initially, it went up in increments of $20,000.00, pausing for a time at $420,000.00. The auctioneer then jokingly offered to throw in a free guitar stand, before a final bid of $497,500.00 was accepted with the fall of a hammer. History was both bought and made in those few moments.
The Strat now resides in the EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum in Seattle, Washington.

Clapton now tours and records with six Strats, three of them being Fender Custom-made replicas of Blackie.

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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Tokyo WomenFest 2004 is Today!

The 7th annual Tokyo WOMENFEST is being held today at What The Dickens!
Doors open 3:00 pm
Show starts 3:30 pm

show starts—intro/Helen Northeast/Joni

Suzanne Desrochers - poetry
Micheline and Fumie - dance
Chu & friends, Hanim, Kim - acoustic guitar/vocals
Joan Anderson - flute, with guitarist/bongos, Butoh dancer Daniela Lehner
Michiko Kago & Keiko Ogawa - belly dance
Sachiho Otsuka - cello
Anna Jan - acoustic chansons
Spring Day - stand up comedy
Anna Mackie - jazz vocals & Mieko Yagi - keyboards
Tasha Patterson, with Naho & Takumi - modern dance
Paula Terry - vocalist
Jackie Beebe - stand up comedy
The Northeast Band
Gearl Jam (with vocalist, voice artist and narrator, K1 ringside announcer JONI DAVIS as emcee)

Schedule subject to change.

What: WOMENFEST 2004

When: Sunday, March 7, from 3 p.m.

Where: What the Dickens!

       Tel: 03-3780-2099

       4F Roob 6 Bldg.

       Ebisu-Nishi 1-13-3

       Shibuya-ku



How: Ebisu West Exit (front of the station, Hibiya Subway Line entrance)

     Cross the street and turn up the street between Wendy's and KFC.

     Look for Roob Building on your left.)

For more info or a flyer with a map (English or Japanese) contact:
helen@gol.com

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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Hot Club of Cowtown Japanese Stomp Tour '04

Here are the rescheduled Japanese Stomp Tour '04 dates

Oct. 11 Club Quattro, Tokyo
Oct. 12 Tokuzo, Nagoya
Oct. 13 Mokkiriya, Kanazawa
Oct. 15 Club Quattro, Hiroshima
Oct. 16 Banana Hall. Osaka
Oct. 17 Thumbs Up, Yokohama

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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David Crosby Arrested In New York on Drugs, Gun Charges

Musician David Crosby was arrested on marijuana and gun possession charges early this morning (March 6) at a Times Square hotel, hours after earning a standing ovation at a New Jersey concert, police said.

Crosby, 62, was arrested at 1 a.m. at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel with an ounce of marijuana, a .45-caliber handgun and a knife in his possession. The singer had performed Friday night with his band, CPR, at a Wayne, N.J., college. One night earlier, they had played at the B.B. King Blues Club in Manhattan.

The veteran rocker had checked out of the hotel after the Manhattan show, but left behind a piece of luggage, police said. A hotel worker found the luggage Friday and went through it looking for identification and discovered the marijuana, gun and knives and called authorities.

Crosby later called the hotel to say he would be returning to pick up the luggage, and was greeted by police when he came back. Crosby, dressed in black jeans and a T-shirt, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a felony, during his initial court appearance.

He also was charged with illegal possession of a hunting knife and illegal possession of ammunition — he had three magazines with a total of 26 rounds — and illegal possession of about one ounce of marijuana, which was found in a wooden box. He faces up to seven years on the gun charge if convicted.

Crosby was released on $3,500 bail. His attorney, David Parker, could not be reached for comment.

Crosby is a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He was convicted in 1985 of drug possession in Dallas and spent a year in prison before his conviction was overturned on appeal.

Over the years, Crosby has had more than his share of ups and downs. Decades of drug and alcohol abuse cost him a few years in prison as well as his liver. Fortunately, a successful transplant has him back on the road with CSNY as well as his "little band," CPR.

Crosby is, without doubt, the most notorious member of CSNY for his various addictions to alcohol, heroin and cocaine, coupled with a love of guns and speeding that led to jail time and several car and motorcycle crashes, respectively. He was even on death's door in 1994 until he underwent a successful liver transplant.

:: Les Coles Saturday, March 06, 2004 [+] ::

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Bonnie Raitt 2004 tour dates - advisory

Bonnie Raitt has begun stringing together the itinerary for a 2004 spring/summer tour that kicks off next month.

So far, Raitt has plotted a half-dozen April shows and a trio of June dates. The run is currently scheduled to begin in Orlando on April 16.

Included in Raitt's plans is an April 22 performance at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans, a charity event that is part of the 35th Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Details are posted at the festival's Web site.

Raitt is hitting the road in support of last September's The Best of Bonnie Raitt, an 18-track set featuring cuts that first appeared on Raitt's Capitol Records releases from 1989 to 2003; prior to that, she was signed to Warner Bros.

Raitt's most recent studio release is 2002's Silver Lining.

May
16 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Hotel
17 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
18 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amphitheatre
20 - Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theatre
22 - New Orleans, LA - Fairmont Hotel
23 - New Orleans, LA - Fairgrounds Racetrack (New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival)

June
4, 5 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap Filene Center
8 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre

:: Les Coles Friday, March 05, 2004 [+] ::

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SIRIUS Satellite Radio Presents Exclusive Guest DJ Appearance By Eric Clapton

SIRIUS to Serve as Exclusive Radio Broadcaster of Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival Concert

NEW YORK, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Eric Clapton, the only three-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and winner of 16 GRAMMY® awards, will make a rare and exclusive radio appearance on SIRIUS. On March 19 at 6 pm ET, Clapton will be a guest DJ with host Pat St. John on SIRIUS Blues, channel 29.

Clapton will share his deep love for blues music and play a variety of his favorite blues recordings from influential blues artists such as Freddie King, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Johnnie Johnson, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. The show will be repeated on Monday, March 22nd on SIRIUS Classic Vinyl, channel 14 at 12 Noon ET.


Eric Clapton's upcoming new album, Me and Mr. Johnson, is his tribute to blues innovator Robert Johnson and arrives in stores on March 30.

Clapton also announced the three-day Crossroads Guitar Festival, June 4-6, which will culminate on Sunday, June 6 with an all-star benefit concert at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas. SIRIUS, the exclusive radio broadcaster of the event, will air the concert live. The concert will include performances by Clapton and Doyle Bramhall II, J.J. Cale, Larry Carlton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Eric Johnson, B.B. King, Sonny Landreth, Brian May, Pat Metheny Robert Randolph, Otis Rush, Carlos Santana, Hubert Sumlin, Dan Tyminski, Steve Vai, Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Walsh and ZZ Top among others. The extraordinary "house bands" will be none other than Booker T & The MGs, Jimmie Vaughan's band and Eric Clapton's band.

Other events at the festival will include manufacturer exhibits, guitar clinics and live music performances on three stages, one of which will be hosted by SIRIUS. Proceeds will benefit Crossroads Centre Antigua, the treatment and education center Clapton founded in 1997 and which is now an independently run entity.

:: Les Coles Friday, March 05, 2004 [+] ::

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David Ralston to tour States

Just heard from David Ralston that he and the boys from Okinawa are getting ready for a five-date tour of the Midwest.

David is one of the best blues musicians I have ever heard, and that isn't just my opion but one shared by Delaney Bramlett who told me so in an interview earlier this year.

With luck, you may be able to hear him on the mainland in May.

U.S. Tour Dates
April
12th Chicago, Illinois with Shun Kikuta/Buddy Guy's
14th Birdy's Indianapolis, Indiana
15th Molly Malones Lousiville, Kentucky
16th Blues Society Kokomo, Indiana
17th Barley Island Noblesville, Indiana

See the Tokyo-Blues bio on David:
tokyo-blues.com/David_Ralston.html

:: Les Coles Friday, March 05, 2004 [+] ::

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Japan Blues Carnival 2004 update

From L to R: Otis Rush, Mavis Staples, The Derek Trucks Band

Japan Blues Carnival 2004 additional dates:
May 20: The Derek Trucks Band (Solo) at Quatro.
May 21: Otis Rush, Mavis Staples & Derek Trucks at Kawasaki Chitta.

Tickets went on sale March 5

:: Les Coles Friday, March 05, 2004 [+] ::

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All Storyville Records CDs on sale for 25% OFF MSRP

Storyville Records was founded over 50 years ago by Karl Knudsen, who passed on Sept. 5 last year. Considered by many to be the Blue Note of Europe, the label has recorded some of the most influential and creative jazz and blues players in the world.

Storyville's aim is to present a diverse catalog of jazz & blues from Denmark, Europe and the World. Copenhagen and its jazzclubs have lured many a U.S. jazzman, including Stan Getz, Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Drew, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Horace Parlan, Duke Jordan, Ed Thigpen, Doug Raney, Bob Rockwell, Chuck Israels, Thad Jones, Ernie Wilkins and more.

This week, the entire Storyville catalog&mdas;nearly 400 titles&mdas;is being offered by Allegro Music at 25% off, making the bulk of the catalog $14.23.

Browse the entire Storyville Records label listing:
http://www.allegro-music.com/label_search.asp?label=STC

Search by title, artist or catalog number on our Expanded Search page:
http://www.allegro-music.com/search_form.asp

Vist the Storyville Web Site
http://www.storyville-records.com/

:: Les Coles Friday, March 05, 2004 [+] ::

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The Blues Blog is back in town

Yep, arrived back in Tokyo last night (March 6) after a four-day sojourn in Memphis after attending the 2nd Annual Blues Symposium in Mississippi.

Got lots of news and views on da blues from the symposium and from the two-day bluescursion around Greenwood that preceeded.

News and photos will be posted soon, either here or on the main site.

Likewise, news on da blues will be posted (almost) daily once again from today.

:: Les Coles Friday, March 05, 2004 [+] ::

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