Monday, May 30, 2005
Keepin' it real
On I went to Café Boogaloo.
A big guy with a handlebar moustache, wearing a straw hat and Hawaii shirt sat outside the door. That’s Bob the bouncer (got a ring to it eh?). I paid my ten bucks cover, which was to be the best ten bucks I’ve ever spent in my life.
The place itself was pretty much like any other pub along the street, and it was jam packed like the others. Bottles of liquor lined the wall behind the bar alongside at least 15 beer taps. Definitely a sight for sore eyes. The small stage occupied a corner of the room, with a little clearing in front serving as a dance floor. Smoky grill wafted through the air from the kitchen, working its magic on my nostrils every now and then. The din of lively chatter and laughter completed the picture.
Holding a pint of Lost Coast IPA in my hand, I was all ready for the evening. I struck up conversation with some fellow blues enthusiasts while waiting for the band to begin. One of them is Collin Miller, an engineer by day who indulges his hobby of photography taking pictures of blues musicians, and running this website detailing most of LA’s blues scene. He’s got some great pictures, check them out.
Another one is J.R., who happens to know Enrico Crivallero. He’s an Italian guitar hotshot who blew our socks off when he hit our shores, and is also a fantastically nice guy. I had the honour of jamming with him along with Ublues and the rest of the festival performers during one of the Ublues festivals. Anyways, J.R’s a pretty cool guy who’s chummy with a couple of blues cats on the scene, and he introduced me to Junior Watson. Now, those of you who know blues will know that this guy is the real deal when it comes to West Coast blues. As luck would have it, Watson was going to play guitar for Harman that night.
As I sat at the bar, Harman came around to get a drink, and we got to talking. He's a big guy with a long beard, almost like a modern day Santa Claus, except for the flowy shirt and baseball cap. It’s a little hard to understand his drawl, but he’s always got a story or anecdote to tell. He shared some insights into his music, and talked about how he and Junior Watson go way back to the 70’s. When the bartender brought his mug of ginger ale, he went back to setting up his stuff with his usual laid-back demeanor.
Once the music began, I was spellbound. Watson’s wonderfully inventive lines, flurried chords and chugging shuffle rhythms were the perfect complement to Harman’s whooping harp, answering each others calls and pushing each other, riding on the wave of an excellent rhythm section. The dance floor filled up and people were boogie-ing down, yelling out their approval whenever. Dancing ranged from simple shakedowns to fancy footwork, and everyone was just intent on having a ball. There was a fantastic vibe all round, the way a real happening party should be. Man, this is THE original dance music. Bear that in mind when you get tired of incessant chest-pounding beats and electronically-generated noises. There’s real music to be had if you look hard enough.
They did 2 smokin’ sets, and would have brought the roof down if they played anymore. As I left, I caught Watson hanging out with Bob, puffing on what was left of a little stump of a cigar. Watson’s a real nice fellow, and doesn’t really talk much about what he’s achieved or who he’s played with. Instead, we ended up talking about cigars (not that I know much of), music, Singapore, guitars and stuff. Here’s a guy whose stuff I’ve been listening to for a long time on the recommendation of Steven from Roomful of Blues, who I read about in blues magazines and websites, whose name is among one of those always mentioned when it comes to West Coast blues guitarists, and yet he just comes across as an average Joe who loves what he does and does what he loves. It’s good to know that the blues musicians I admire also happen to be great guys. That’s what blues is about I guess, keeping the music and the people real.
And so it was, one of the most fantastic gigs I’ve ever seen. 2 of the biggest names in modern blues on the same stage, getting to talk to them and seeing them rip it up real good on stage. Ten bucks has never brought me so far before.
Latest fortune cookie caper: "Many people will be drawn to you for your wisdom and insights".
I wish those people the best of luck.
A big guy with a handlebar moustache, wearing a straw hat and Hawaii shirt sat outside the door. That’s Bob the bouncer (got a ring to it eh?). I paid my ten bucks cover, which was to be the best ten bucks I’ve ever spent in my life.
The place itself was pretty much like any other pub along the street, and it was jam packed like the others. Bottles of liquor lined the wall behind the bar alongside at least 15 beer taps. Definitely a sight for sore eyes. The small stage occupied a corner of the room, with a little clearing in front serving as a dance floor. Smoky grill wafted through the air from the kitchen, working its magic on my nostrils every now and then. The din of lively chatter and laughter completed the picture.
Holding a pint of Lost Coast IPA in my hand, I was all ready for the evening. I struck up conversation with some fellow blues enthusiasts while waiting for the band to begin. One of them is Collin Miller, an engineer by day who indulges his hobby of photography taking pictures of blues musicians, and running this website detailing most of LA’s blues scene. He’s got some great pictures, check them out.
Another one is J.R., who happens to know Enrico Crivallero. He’s an Italian guitar hotshot who blew our socks off when he hit our shores, and is also a fantastically nice guy. I had the honour of jamming with him along with Ublues and the rest of the festival performers during one of the Ublues festivals. Anyways, J.R’s a pretty cool guy who’s chummy with a couple of blues cats on the scene, and he introduced me to Junior Watson. Now, those of you who know blues will know that this guy is the real deal when it comes to West Coast blues. As luck would have it, Watson was going to play guitar for Harman that night.
As I sat at the bar, Harman came around to get a drink, and we got to talking. He's a big guy with a long beard, almost like a modern day Santa Claus, except for the flowy shirt and baseball cap. It’s a little hard to understand his drawl, but he’s always got a story or anecdote to tell. He shared some insights into his music, and talked about how he and Junior Watson go way back to the 70’s. When the bartender brought his mug of ginger ale, he went back to setting up his stuff with his usual laid-back demeanor.
Once the music began, I was spellbound. Watson’s wonderfully inventive lines, flurried chords and chugging shuffle rhythms were the perfect complement to Harman’s whooping harp, answering each others calls and pushing each other, riding on the wave of an excellent rhythm section. The dance floor filled up and people were boogie-ing down, yelling out their approval whenever. Dancing ranged from simple shakedowns to fancy footwork, and everyone was just intent on having a ball. There was a fantastic vibe all round, the way a real happening party should be. Man, this is THE original dance music. Bear that in mind when you get tired of incessant chest-pounding beats and electronically-generated noises. There’s real music to be had if you look hard enough.
They did 2 smokin’ sets, and would have brought the roof down if they played anymore. As I left, I caught Watson hanging out with Bob, puffing on what was left of a little stump of a cigar. Watson’s a real nice fellow, and doesn’t really talk much about what he’s achieved or who he’s played with. Instead, we ended up talking about cigars (not that I know much of), music, Singapore, guitars and stuff. Here’s a guy whose stuff I’ve been listening to for a long time on the recommendation of Steven from Roomful of Blues, who I read about in blues magazines and websites, whose name is among one of those always mentioned when it comes to West Coast blues guitarists, and yet he just comes across as an average Joe who loves what he does and does what he loves. It’s good to know that the blues musicians I admire also happen to be great guys. That’s what blues is about I guess, keeping the music and the people real.
And so it was, one of the most fantastic gigs I’ve ever seen. 2 of the biggest names in modern blues on the same stage, getting to talk to them and seeing them rip it up real good on stage. Ten bucks has never brought me so far before.
Latest fortune cookie caper: "Many people will be drawn to you for your wisdom and insights".
I wish those people the best of luck.
# posted by BloozeGit @ 9:06 am 
