BLUES AUDIENCE PARTIES:
Friday June 19 at the CANTAB LOUNGE!With the Fatback Band with
Diane Blue and Sax Gordon!

For many years The Cantab was the home of Little Joe Cook "The Peanut Man" so called because he wrote a famous tune called "Peanuts" which has been recorded by many famous people over the years. My friend Mike Michaels has been a big fan of Joe's and has been working on recording Joe's "roots," Gospel. Mike has worked tirelessly on putting together 3 tunes for Joe, through thick and thin, failing health and all the complications that come with old age.
Joe is 86. Here is the lowdown:
LITTLE JOE COOK- A Blast From The Past- The 1957 Doo Wop Diddy entitled “Peanuts” broke into Billboard’s top 20. It was written and recorded by a young Philadelphian named Little Joe Cook. Now in 2009 and Little Joe is still recording at the age of 86. “We are currently producing 3 Gospel songs that Little Joe originally composed and recorded on 78s back in the 1940s with his Capital Gospel group The Evening Star Quartet. Mike Micheals told me. “His voice is strong and more soulful than ever.” This project has taken nearly 2 years to complete due to the usual maladies that come with advancing age. But nothing can deter Little Joe from doing what he does best, singing a song. We hope you will look and listen for “The Tide of Life,” “I’m a Witness,” How Far Is Heaven” to be released on Beantown International Records 128 Cherry St., Framingham, MA 01701.
If you check out BB King’s tome The King’s Treasures then you will see the copy of the chitlins circuit poster promoting BB with Doc Bagsby, et al. Little Joe was on that bill many times, along side Bobby Blue Bland and Junior Parker. Little Joe’s Blues roots go even further back to when his mother, Annie Bell, was a Capital Blues singer on a circuit with Big Maybell and Bessie Smith.This picture below is one of the monuments that have been erected for this great artist, the other is "Little Joe Cook Square" out front of the Cantab. Dedicated by the Mayor, Little Joe was heard happily commenting that he got to see the dedication, unlike other honorees.(Photo below) Mike talks to his old friend Candido "Candy" Delgado who plays at the Cantab every Friday night. He has been there for 34 years. He played with Little Joe Cook and has toured with the Drifters and was the backing band for Solomon Burke whenever he came to Boston. He asked Diane Blue to join the Fatback band as a singer, 2 and a half years ago."I was looking for a singer, she came to the jam and I liked her style." The twin brother the Crouper brothers are about to do a few nights with Denny Lane, a Moody Blues member, on his tour in August. They are exchanging video tapes as a rehersal tool, Denny lives in England. They have worked with him a number of times. One brother sings and plays bass the other plays drums. This Fatback band is a classic R&B and R&R band, definitely not Blues. They are a club dance band and they can keep the dance floor full all night. It was standing room only by 11:30. Everybody was having a great time.Diane did do one Blues song "Muddy Water" and played harp. She is a wonderful entertainer and was very helpful in explaining to her "peeps" what I was doing there. Below is a shot of the downstairs at the Cantab, where another band altogether plays called "Club Bohemia" punk, roack etc. bands play there. The last time I was downstairs at the Cantab JB Hutto was standing on one of these tables playing wild slide and having a great time. FLASH from the past!

MATT STUBBS CD RELEASE PARTY AND
BLUES AUDIENCE PARTY AT TUPELO MUSIC HALL, LONDONDERRY, NH
September 28, 2008 Talk about "making hay while the sun shines," I have been making the trek (everywhere is "a thousand miles from nowhere" from my house) to clubs all over the place and I had the extra incentive from Matt Stubbs to go to Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, NH. I think it is closer to Boston than NH, frankly. It took me
1/12 hours to get there! But I must say, it was worth the trip. What a beautiful club to see live music! It is elegant, cozy and yet can hold 160 people. You B.Y.O. drinks, which is kind of cool, I am glad I knew about that before hand! The sound was outstanding! Sometimes, in clubs, the sound can get so loud (and even painful) if the sound man is as deaf as the musicians. I kid,
but it is true, musicians tend to have hearing loss
and the rest of us better bring ear plugs!
But Tupelo has a beautiful big stage and a nice wooden room with great grith, comfortable wooden chairs and big tables and the combination, although I am no sound specialist, makes for a rich full sound without the distortion
and din of a badly apportioned room. The Blues Audience Party was well received. It was fun to meet a few subscribers as I went around to talk to the folks. Mike Michales showed up and a long time subscriber, Mike Henry was there. My old friend Stan Rogers won a subscription.
I got to meet Blind Billy (Bilnd Billy and The Spectakles) and it was nice to see Robert Day and his posse there. All around a great night of music and friends!
I gave away 12 CDs, two posters, a t-shirt and two subscriptions! Nancy Weston helped me with the raffle and I couldn't have done it without her! But the stars of the night were Matt and Gordon, what a show! Matt can really play anything from traditional blues to far-out space rock music as witnessed by the last song they did, which was really BIG! Gordon was in great form, swinging and honking and fooling around on that sax like no one else can. He "sang" (mostly talked) a few tunes. He made a case for instrumental music, as being a way to express things that you cannot say. It was a great illustration of the power of music and a case for the power of the saxaphone! You have to see him do this. His sound is so gritty and he can play anything he wants, he even spoke to a couple of people (on the sax) during his performance! Drummer, Chris Rivelli and bass player Johnny B were just as outstanding in their supporting rolls. Chris stood out with his funky drumming and they featured him on a couple of tunes that really SWANG! I gave Gordon his 2008 Blues Audience Readers Poll Award for Outstanding Horn player, he was pleasantly surprised. You have plenty more opportunities to see this show at a number
of venues in the coming month. Go to Matt's web site
to find one close to your area and GO GO GO! NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS
Our most recent Blues Audience party The Reprobate Blues Band
Thursday August 14th I went to Orange, MA
to check out the scene with
the Reprobate Blues Band at Herrick's Tavern. The wafting smell of cow manuer
and that long lovely flat rich land made me a little jealous,
being a farmer at heart.
That part of Massachusetts is really pretty
with all these old farms and fertile soil.
Herricks is in a little complex on Rte. 202.
Right next door was a disco (for lack of a better word)
with a bunch of young black and white kids grooving
to that "real mod-ren {sic} music." It was fun.
Charlie Scott is a very amiable man who is just perfect to run a jam like this one. They call him "Merlin" because of his long beard and mysterious look.
He got people up including a barbershop quartet! And a couple of young kids who were very excited. Also some very good players who were just out for a night out and a good time. Charlie likes to heckle, I like that in a person. He heckled me! He was very nice and helped me with the raffle prizes and was very accomodating. And the people who came to the jam and our party were just as nice as him. It is fun to go down there because people still remember me from my radio show at WRSI (The River) which I did for 5 years.
It still freaks me out a little when someone says "I know that voice"
and it is me they are referring to.
This was a good place to spread the word about the newsletter and all the musicians in it. I got two new subscribers that night.
Stewart James, who runs the Juke Joint Jam at the Ironhorse and is also a bartender there. Also a man named Brian Anastasi who runs a Weekly Band listing service. Stewart James sits in at the jam- photo by Diana Shonk I gave away so many prizes it made their heads spin and I think everybody had a good time because they mentioned to Charlie that they would like us to do it again so we are! SO o n December 13th (two short days after my birthday) we are having a party at the Athol American Legion,
which is bigger and it should be a great night.
It will start early, like 8:30 and The Reprobates will play an opening set
and then we will do the raffle and give away all the prizes and then come HARP! You HAVE to come, that is going to be a fun night! PAST PARTIES: We had a party, Friday Nov 9, 2007 at Gilrein's with my old friends the
Gary Bernath Blues Band we had a great time with a cake and everything! The bad ass Gary Bernath blues boys!

The Anniversary cake that Mohan had made for me-
it has the poster I made for the party on it in icing!


Gary has been playing blues in the local New England area for as long as I can remember. He has been band mates with his old friend Peter Henderson, Ray Fisk and his current band for upwards of 10 years. That's because he is a great guy with a great attitude about this music he loves so much. That's Gary on harp. Ray in the background on bass. They look good, play good (and loud) and have a great time on stage. Gary writes some nice songs and loves the tunes of Little Walter, who doesn't? (Some of these same pictures I took that night, I sent to Gary because he wanted them, and it turns out that Gary used some of them on their CD) We had a fine time that night at Gilrein's. It is so wonderful to see the club brought back to pristine condition. It has lost a little of that blues seediness that is so endearing, but it is a pleasure to go there, no smoking in the club and it is all clean and bright. Great club, and thanks to Mohan Prashad, a blues fan and Worcester businessman who took a chance on the blues for me and you! Get down there, free valet parking and everything. They even have a nice kitchen with some lovely things to please your palate! Gary Bernath Blues Band
has a new CD out! Click on this link
to go to their web site.
Gilrein's has a nice crowd and a small but accomodating dance floor. ********************** Parker Wheeler's Blues Party at the Grog, Newburyport, MA We had a fun night at the Grog in Newburyport, MA the other night with Parker Wheeler's Blues Party and special guests Diane Blue and Amadee Castenelle (in the blue wig) with Mike Duke (Elvis Mask) and Wolf Ginandes, Steve Burke and Steve Bankuti. It was a start to finish blast! There were lots of r&b, soul tunes,
some good old rock 'n' roll and some swinging blues
for the Halloween revelers.
The dance floor was full all night and a good time was had by all. We have some upcoming BLUES AUDIENCE PARTIES
to celebrate the 16th Anniversary (Birthday)
of the newsletter at: Gilrein's, Worcester, MA on Friday Nov 9th with Gary Bernath Blues Band (and Anniversary cake) with the raffle and lots of prizes and subscriptions to give away to lucky rafflers. The Love Dogs put on a great show at Gilrien's in Worcester, MA
on October 19th. We did the raffle thing and everybody (just about)
won something. But it was the music that was the focus of the night.
There were lots of dancers and action all night long. Ed Sheer "Most Charasmatic Entertainer 2007" coaxed me up on the stage and
I sang with the band. Believe me that is a powerful sound to have behind you! This is one good looking, classy band!
With one very charismatic singer...
Ed receives his 2007 Readers Poll Award
"Most Charasmatic Entertainer 2007"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...Past parties... Professor Harp Friday December 15th we had a fun party at DelVaudo's
with Professor Harp and his fine band.
"I had a ball doing the harmonica boogie and "Harlem Nocturne."  Harp told me. Owner Jim delVaudo called it an "awesome night!" It is a very small club and I know they noticed all sorts of subscribers and friends of The Blues Audience newsletter showed up to party with us and that made my night. Martha and Lee Goodwine and their 2 friends, 2 people who came with a new subscriber (who's name I can't remember, sorry), Mike Michaels, his friend Paul Montero from Worcester, and Paul Suihkonen, who was the trumpet player for a band that was very popular in my youth, called Widespread Depression Orchestra, a wonderful Big band with a vibe player named Johnny and his sister played bass, I saw them at the Village Barn in Brattleboro, VT WAY BACK. Paul M. took this picture of a bunch of us. Paul S. is in the back with his thumb in the air, next to him is Harp's bass player, front row, Martha and Lee Goodwine, Harp, Diana Shonk (that's me) and Mike Michaels, cover star of the Dec/Jan issue where ther is an article about his very successful Blues Jam at 3-G's Sportsbar in Worcester, MA.

The Dancers were making due with the small dance space:

Harp put on a great show.

Professor Harp's band is an authentic four piece, pared down, all blues band including Tom Williams on guitar, who played an interesting original that had the taste of New Orleans Zydeco swing to it called "Hellbilly Stomp".  Professor Harp had this to say about his long time guitar player: "Tom absolutely shone when we did Johnny Bassett's 'I'll Get Over You' (classic Detroit blues)." Tom is a great guitar player and can play all sorts of cool styles to compliment Harp's singing and harp playing, it is not easy to play behind a singer/harp player, it takes a certain touch and a lot of knowledge and feeling for blues.

The drummer smiles and swings along making the dancers happy.
It is hard to stay seated during a great blues performance, that's for sure! Bruce ("Dr. Feelgood") Thomas on Bass and Jody Bregler on drums.
Martha Goodwine long-time subscriber and good friend, helped me during the raffle, thank goodness because I forgot my reading glasses, yes, I am wearing glasses, but those don't work! With Martha's help we gave away 13 CDs and a subscription. A couple of people won 2 CDs! Mike's friend won 2 CDs and a subscription! No shortage of prizes at a BLUES AUDIENCE PARTY! Photos by Paul Suihkonen- trumpet player with
the Widespread Depression Orchestra.