2007 wants to be remembered!  She will not go gently into that good night. 

Speaking of good nights, Sammy Dee had a CD Release Party at the Outlook on 12/6, and if you missed it, well, we feel sorry for you, and you should be pitied ‘cuz it was one hell of a night.  The house was seriously rocking with pretty much everyone vying for space on the dance floor.   The CD has also been nominated by NPR for CD of the year; I didn’t know that when we asked our members to vote for JR & NB.  I would have mentioned that there were two great choices.  I’ll cover Sammy’s CD next week.  It’s fantastic!

A Farewell to the Shamans evening is happening this Friday the 14^th.  It will be their final performance.  Jasco, the elegant, graceful guitarist who helped take Mojambus to the finals for the Colorado Blues Society’s pick for the International Blues Challenge, has decided to join Mojambus permanently, and Gretchen Troop has founded the Gretchen Troop Band.  We will still have these great talents dropping by, just not together.  We wish you well!  Come out this Friday and give them a grand old send off. 

Zebra Junction is back on Saturday night, and if you haven’t heard them, SHAME ON YOU!  The home page of their site will tell you all you need to know. http://www.zebrajunction.com/

Next week we’ve got a blues jam with African Wind on 12/18, and players are welcome.  Rex Peoples and the X Factr on the 20^th, JR & NB on the 21^st, then the Delta Sonics on the 22^nd make for a happening weekend; Lionel Young and Mark Diamond are back on 12/23 for another blues jam welcoming players.  There’s something happening on the 27^th, but it seems to have slipped my mind.  Oh wait!  I remember.  It’s my birthday party!  As I’ve said before, it’s my birthday, and I want presence from all of you.  I do believe it’s going to be one for the books.  I’ve got very special stockings picked out for that night, and the Delta Sonics are bringing it, as always.

Friday the 28^th brings Dan Treanor and Jack Hadley for a CD Release Party!  Let’s take the party to them and help celebrate their newest musical offering, Brothers, Blood & Bone with Jack Hadley. 

Lionel Young, who’s gearing up for the IBC in Memphis next month, closes out the month and year, and what a year it’s been.  Let’s make some real noise for him. 

Now it’s time to discuss last Saturday night (12/8) up in Winter Park.  We told you about John Catt and the Grand County Blues Society a few weeks ago, and about the show they were putting on at Smokin’ Moe’s with Tommy Shannon of Double Trouble, Albert Cummings, and George Rains.  http://www.bouldershomeoftheblues.com/News14.html

 The King Brothers (Dan and Pat) were there, and I brought along an old friend with great musical taste (would he be a friend of mine otherwise?).

The annual event is centered on fundraising for Blue Star Connection, a remarkable program that gets music and instruments to kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.  Please hit this link and read about the difference a guitar can make for a child going through a painful and frightening experience.  They do a lot more than give out instruments, and I encourage you to donate whatever you can. 

http://www.grandblues.org/BlueStarConnection/tabid/105/Default.aspx

Albert Cummings.  OH MY GOD!  On about note four, my friend leaned over and said, “Hand me my coat, I’ve got goose bumps!”  Dan said, “This guy’s phenomenal!  How have I never heard him?”  Pat couldn’t close his mouth.  Cummings plays with more power than I’ve ever witnessed.  I had the thrill of seeing SRV live a few times, and I didn’t think anyone could play with so much power.  Cummings does the master proud.  Oh, and man he tore up “Voodoo Child” so fantastically that I am certain he had Jimi and Stevie beaming with pride (and joy).  I got an “interview” (reason for the quotation marks later) after the show, and my first question was, “Who’s your favorite guitarist?”  Loud answer, “STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN, HANDS DOWN!”  It’s evident. 

Cummings is a big guy, well over six feet, with the broad shoulders of a man who builds houses.  And he does build houses; he’s the fourth generation Cummings to go into the New England construction trade, building award-winning custom homes.  So what. He should be playing seven nights a week!  I’m sure those houses are wonderful, but the world needs his playing, and his voice, which has as much power as his arms. I couldn’t place who he most sounded like, but Dan likens his vocals to Chris Cornell of SoundGarden. 

The list of those with whom he’s been billed is mind-blowing:  Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, John Hammond, Susan Tedeschi, Tommy Castro, Chris Duarte, the Neville Brothers, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Sheryl Crow, and he’s opened for B.B. many times.  And, if the details can be worked out, Dan’s going to book him!  We must have him or I shall perish!

And then there’s his good friend, Tommy Shannon, who Cummings said has “become a big brother to me.”  We all know Shannon as the bass half of Double Trouble, SRV’s rhythm section, the man who helped write “Crossfire,” and SRV’s musical partner for a decade.  He’s also a four-time Grammy® Award winner, with ten nominations to his credit.  Then there are the Winter Brothers (Johnny and Edgar, with whom he famously helicoptered into Woodstock), Uncle John Turner, Clapton, Jeff Beck, and on and on goes the list of the greats who have had the tremendous privilege of playing with Tommy Shannon.  Ok, I kind of stole that from the wonderful piece on his site which covers so much more on his staggering music career, life, and times: http://www.tommyshannon.com/biography.html

George Rains is one of those drummers who simply amazes.  Playing regularly with Jimmy Vaughan, he’s got the style and chops to hold his own with Shannon and Cummings.  These three seem as if they’ve played together forever.  I can’t believe I have to wait a year to hear them all together again.  It will be worth it. 

About that “interview.”  Well, I’d be hard-pressed to call it an interview, even though that was a big motivation for making the drive through a blinding snow storm (well, I didn’t actually do the driving, but I did a lot of the worrying).   John Catt brought me back to the private area to meet the gentlemen after the first set, telling them I’d like a few minutes of their time after the show.  So, after the f---ing phenomenal gig, I marched back to the private office of Smokin’ Moe’s, notebook and pen in hand, ready to go.  The page is still blank.  I walked into a dynamic that was not going to allow for a traditional interview.  A traditional backstage experience with musicians, yes; not that I would know much about that sort of thing (tongue firmly in cheek).  The only question I got answered was the first one I lobbed to Cummings, mentioned earlier regarding his favorite guitarist.  After that, the stories were flowing, and I just tried to memorize every word.  Impossible. 

The relationship between Shannon and Cummings is familiar and intimate.  There is a great ease between them.  Shannon is on all three of Cummings’ CDs, and their musical collaboration is tremendous and should be encouraged.  They should tour.  Screw the house building, Albert, get out on the road with Tommy! http://www.albertcummings.com/index.php

It was a spectacular evening, musically and personally; sitting there with musical legends (and for a few minutes, even on Tommy Shannon’s lap, but only for a photo op, I assure you), talking about musical legends. Cummings even called me a bitch since I met Muddy once and he never got the chance.  I’ve never been so proud and joyful to be called a bitch!

Lastly, the most breathtaking aspect of the evening, historically speaking, was listening to Tommy Shannon speak about Stevie.  There was a mixture of profound pride and profound sadness in both his eyes and his words.  He wears a Maori symbol on a leather cord around his neck; a gift from Stevie when they were in New Zealand.  It means more to him than any single possession he has or has ever had, by my estimation.  He didn’t say that, but I can assure you I saw that in his eyes.  He did say quietly, with downcast eyes, “I will never get over it” [Vaughan’s death].  At least he’s fully aware of that, because it’s clear he never will.  Nor should he. There is a world full of people who will never get over it, most of whom never met him or even saw him play.  After ten years by his side, both on stage and off, how could Shannon possibly expect to.   

Honey Sepeda