Steady Rollin Bob Margolin celebrates his birthday on Thursday. Bob gained notoriety as a long-time member of Muddy Waters' band. He was a prominent player in the best rock 'n' roll movie ever, The Last Waltz. He continues to play his Blues wherever and whenever he gets an opportunity.
We're checking on available dates for our annual Arizona Blues Showdown at the Rhythm Room. We are hoping the last two Sundays in September are open. Time to start thinking about getting in on the action. I had the opportunity to attend this year's IBC in Memphis and it's like nothing you've ever experienced. Stay tuned.
The annual Memorial Day PBS Fundraiser is coming up on May 26 at the RR. An afternoon of big fun is guaranteed. BE THERE!!
And, get out and enjoy the weather while you can. Won't last much longer.
My wife and stepdaughter got me on this hugging kick. I think it's a great idea. So hug someone this week!!
Sincerely,
Jim Crawford - PBS
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 Still Rollin'
by Jon Kleinman
There is simply no name in Chicago Blues bigger than Muddy Waters. His booming voice, piercing slide guitar and inimitable swagger helped define the sound of post-war electric blues. The release of the CD/DVD set Muddy Waters - Live at Rockpalast is a joyous occasion for blues fans. Footage of Waters and his touring band performing at Germany's Westfalenhalle Dormund lets modern day audiences get a glimpse of the late bluesman's indomitable stage presence. To honor this exciting new release and gain more insight into Waters and his music, Elmore writer Jon Kleiman talked to bluesman Bob Margolin. A blues talent to be reckoned with himself, Margolin played guitar in Muddy Waters' band from 1973 to 1980. Margolin's long stint with Waters included an appearance in The Band's legendary Last Waltz concert and guitar work on the comeback album Hard Again. "When I saw the opportunity to join Muddy's band, he had been my favorite musician for years," Margolin reflects. "I was 24 years old and I realized just how much I would learn and grow from the experience. I was an apprentice to a master. Muddy was world class - he's on the short list of the greatest blues musicians ever." Despite growing up in Boston during the heyday of psychedelic rock, Margolin was drawn to the blues at an early age. "Chuck Berry is the artist who inspired me to start playing guitar," recalls Margolin. "Young blues musicians and local college radio stations allowed me to follow Berry's influences back to Muddy Waters and Chicago Blues. The first time I heard Muddy on the radio I was taken by his powerful voice. I also thought he had a great slide guitar player. Later, I learned that the voice and guitar both belonged to Muddy Waters. I fell in deep and haven't crawled out since!" The Grammy-winning Hard Again, released in 1977, boosted Muddy Water's career and still remains one of the most beloved blues albums. Even casual listeners can recognize the anthemic reading of "Mannish Boy." According to Margolin, "The album was a labor of love for Johnny Winter. He used his rock star fame to publicize Muddy. He produced and played guitar on Hard Again and three subsequent releases. I played on all four albums and developed a friendship with Johnny Winter. Many music fans became blues lovers after hearing Hard Again, which is just what Johnny Winter intended. The album captured a great band playing live and having fun. Winter used microphones placed near the ceiling to capture the ambience of the room, and it worked gloriously. The album did raise Muddy Waters' visibility, as did touring as an opening act for Eric Clapton in the late '70s. Like Johnny Winter, Eric developed a close friendship with Muddy." The commercial and critical success of Hard Again helps explain the confident, invigorated demeanor Waters displays onstage at the Westfalenhalle Dormund show. With an air of complete self-assurance, Waters owns the stage like few musicians before or since. Margolin recalls, "Muddy told me, 'This is my best band since the one with Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, and Otis Spann.' You can't get much higher praise than that!" Watching Live at Rockpalast, many blues fans will be impressed with how confidently harmonica player Jerry Portnoy (then in his twenties) exchanged licks with Muddy and pianist Pinetop Perkins. In Margolin's words, "Jerry Portnoy's exquisite tone and masterful technique are like an advanced class in blues harmonica. In addition to Muddy Waters, Portnoy played and recorded with Eric Clapton. Eric once told me how much he loved playing with Jerry." The Live at Rockpalast package includes a second DVD which captures a 1996 set by the Muddy Waters Tribute Band filmed at the Open Air Festival Lorely. Margolin was in this band as well. "I've watched both DVD's closely, and it's remarkable how little the band's sound changed. Listening to both sets, there is a consistent sound that owes much to the rhythm section of Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on drums and Calvin "Fuzz" Jones on bass." Compared to the 1978 set with Waters, the 1996 show has a looser, more free-wheeling vibe. Chicago legend Carey Bell is on board for harp duties, and Bell, Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Calvin "Fuzz" Jones all take turns on lead vocals. Levon Helm, who gained fame as a drummer and vocalist for The Band, lends his voice to a spirited reading of Waters' "Gone to Main Street." Since leaving Muddy Waters' band, Margolin has recorded a string of solo albums and continues to keep a busy touring schedule. "My most recent album, My Road, earned a 2017 Blues Music Award for Best Male Traditional Artist," Margoliin notes. "I feel it's my best recording so far. I'm working on a new album now and I'm always trying to grow as a musician. I continue to honor Muddy Waters and bring his sound and a few good stories to audiences. Muddy put me on the road that I still ride to this day." Bob Corritore works frequently with Bob Margolin and had this to say about his friend and collaborator:
I am honored to say that Bob Margolin is my close friend. I first became aware of Bob Margolin in 1974 when I saw him perform in the Muddy Waters Band at my Chicago area high school. I was a senior then and already a huge fan of Muddy Waters. This was the first of many times I would see Muddy's great band, which also included Pinetop Perkins, Willie Smith, Calvin Jones, Luther Johnson, and Jerry Portnoy! It wasn't until the late 1980s that Bob Margolin started our friendship and music collaborations. We first played together at the legendary Tempe venue called Chuy's on a "Muddy and Wolf" themed gathering put together by the Phoenix Blues Society. It just grew from there and over the years we've chalked up tons of tours, festivals, club appearances, workshops, filming, sessions and showcases. Margolin and I collaborated on recordings with Koko Taylor, Henry Gray, and Diunna Greenleaf. And we also often team up with bassist/vocalist Bob Stroger for a show called "Bobs Of The Blues." I greatly admire Bob Margolin and all he stands for. Bob's work for the Pinetop Perkins Foundation has nurtured so many great young and up-and-coming blues artists who will surely shape the future of the blues. And when he plays that wicked slide guitar he captures the soul of Muddy Waters. You could put Bob Margolin on any stage and in any style and he will find a guitar part to perfectly compliment the song. And then there's all those great stories from a person who was there shaping history and being a part of many pivotal musical moments. I could go on and on about Bob Margolin and the positive impact he has had on blues and to me personally. It is a blessing to know him!
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GOT BLUES? If you are a Blues musician, a group, or a club that features Blues music, and would like to be listed, please send your info to info@phoenixblues.org and we'll be happy to list your event in our weekly Out & About section of the newsletter |
Moved? Changed email addresses? Please let us know of any changes in your address, email, or phone number so we can keep you informed about the Blues community in Arizona. Email us at: info@phoenixblues.org or write to: Phoenix Blues Society P.O. Box 36874 Phoenix, Arizona 85067 |
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| Out & About
Tuesday, May 7 Wednesday, May 8 Carvin Jones, 6 p.m., Sicilian Butcher, Phoenix Paris James, 7 p.m., AZ BBQ Shack, Scottsdale Hans Olson, 7 p.m., Time Out Lounge, Tempe Chuck Hall, 6 p.m., Corrado's, Carefree Thursday, May 9 Terry Hanck & Bad News Blues Band, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Sugar Thieves Duo, 6 p.m., Culinary Dropout, Gilbert Carvin Jones, 7 p.m., The Lounge, Phoenix Paris James, 7 p.m., St. Armand Kitchen & Cocktails, Chandler Eric Ramsey Hosts OPEN MIC, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Hans Olson EVERY THURSDAY, 6 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction Arizona Blues Project, 8 p.m., Harold's, Cave Creek Friday, May 10 Harlis Sweetwater Band, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Rocket 88s, 7:30 p.m., Rags, Youngtown JC & The Rockers, 7 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction Pop Top, 6 p.m., Mountain view Pub, Cave Creek Joe Kopicki (solo), 6 p.m., Desert Eagle Falcon Field, Mesa Paris James, 6:30 p.m., Scratch Pub, Mesa Saturday, May 11 Levi Platero, 6 p.m., (Early Show), Rhythm Room, Phoenix Soul Power Band, 9 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Eric Ramsey, 6 p.m., Desert Eagle Falcon Field, Mesa Big Daddy D & The Dynamites, 8:30 p.m., El Dorado, Scottsdale Hoodoo Casters, 8 p.m., Lucky Strikes, Apache Junction Blues Review Band, 7 p.m., JD's Lounge, Scottsdale BluZone, 8:30 p.m., The Bench, Tempe Paris James, 6:30 p.m., D'Vine Wine, Mesa Sunday, May 12 Eric Ramsey, 2 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Mother Road Trio, 10 a.m., Oakmont CC, Flagstaff Mike Eldred, 3 p.m., The Vig, Scottsdale True Flavor Blues, NOON , Copper Star, Phoenix Monday, May 13
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| Weekly Jams
Rocket 88s JAM, 4 p.m., Chopper John's, Phoenix
Bourbon Jack's JAM w/Kody Herring, 6 p.m., Chandler
Sir Harrison, JAM every other Sunday, The Windsock, Prescott MONDAY
Bam Bam & Badness Open JAM, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Weatherford Hotel JAM, 6:30 p.m., Flagstaff
TUESDAY
OPEN JAM Hosted by Jilly Bean & The Flipside Blues Band, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix
JAM Sir Harrison, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Gypsy's Bluesday Night JAM, 7 p.m. Pho Cao, Tempe
Tailgaters JAM, 7 p.m., Glendale
WEDNESDAY Rocket 88s, JAM, 6 p.m., The Last Stop (Old Hideaway West), Phoenix
Tool Shed JAM Party, 6 p.m. Gabby's, Mesa
THURSDAY Tool Shed JAM Party, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix Jolie's Place JAM w/Adrenaline, 9 p.m., Chandler
JAM Hosted by The Scott O'Neal Band. Every other Thursday, Windsock, Prescott
Friday
Saturday Bumpin' Bud's JAM 2nd & 4th Saturdays JAM, 6 p.m., Marc's Sports Grill |
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