INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Blues CD Reviews • Blues ... - Delmark Records

Delmark Blues Revue Preview
From 9 pm - 1:30 am, on Saturday, June 13, 2009 (after the Saturday
performances at the Chicago Blues Festival) there’ll be a Delmark
Revue, consisting of “The Delmark Blues Comeback Concert” and
Eddie C. Campbell’s Delmark CD release party, at Reggie’s Music
Joint (2105 S. State St, Chicago). Here’s a rundown of the artists you
can see there:
Eddie C. Campbell – vocals, guitar
The Fest’s Friday night headliner in a more intimate setting. Check out
our Blues Festival coverage (pages 20-21) for more information.
Rockin’ Johnny Burgin – vocals, guitar
Our good friend, Johnny Burgin (b. 1969, Willliamsport, VA, raised in
Starkville, MS, Chicago since ’88) one of the best young Chicago
blues guitarists we’ve ever heard, has resurfaced after almost an eight
year long absence. Yeah, he’s back, and ready to turn heads again
and fill up the blues dance floor. With his encyclopedic knowledge,
impeccable taste, and true feeling of postwar Chicago Blues, Johnny
is devastatingly good in a live setting. Burgin’s singing is also damn
good and really complements both his sensitive and powerful guitar
playing. This guy plays originals and classics and can quote from so
many guitarist’s guitarists, like Luther Tucker, Jimmy Dawkins,
Eddie Taylor, Fenton Robinson, Willie James Lyons, Bobby King,
Hip Linkchain, Hubert Sumlin, etc. Johnny’s ready to pour out his
real life blues for his eager fans who have been waiting, wondering,
missing. Johnny has recorded 2 studio Cds as a leader on Delmark
(‘98’s Straight Out of Chicago and ‘99’s Man’s Temptation,) a live CD,
and has played lead guitar on many Delmark recordings from Big
Wheeler, Jimmy Lee Robinson, Jimmy Burns, Tail Dragger,
Shirley Johnson, Little Arthur Duncan, Billy Boy Arnold. In
addition to his own gigs, he is currently playing with the one and only
Tail Dragger every Saturday and vastly underrated veteran vocalist
Mary Lane on Sundays – two of the last of real deal West Side funky
tavern gigs left in Chicago. Can he re-claim his title as the Modern
King of the West Side Chicago Blues Guitar?!
Tail Dragger – lowdown vocals, crawlin’ and prowlin’
The one and only Tail Dragger (b. 1940, Altheimer, AR) should need
no introduction as he is more popular and busier than ever – a
dramatic showman who throws down the rawest, grittiest, lowdown,
Wolf-inspired Chicago Blues you can find today. Tail Dragger is
Lowdown and Dirty Real Deal Chicago Blues at its best- Blues with a
Feeling!! You must experience a Tail Dragger live performance; your
life will not be the same. After the legendary Howlin’ Wolf passed
away, his long time wild guitarist Hubert Sumlin teamed up with Tail
Dragger to rule the Chicago West Side Ghetto Blues Clubs. Tail
Dragger currently is the King of Rooster’s Palace – every Saturday til
4am at 4500 W. Madison on Chicago’s rough and tumble West Side.
Tail Dragger has one studio recording on Delmark (American People)
and a can’t miss live DVD/CD (My Head is Bald) with another live one
on the way, recorded live at Rooster’s this year with Rockin’ Johnny
and wes cide guitar hero, Jimmy Dawkins!
“One day this boy will take my place.” - Howlin’ Wolf.
“One of the great personalities of Chicago blues is the unstoppable
Tail Dragger, whose charisma fills up any room he plays in.“ - Bob
Corritore
Johnny B. Moore – vocals, guitar
Johnny B. Moore (b. 1950, Clarksdale, MS) is slowly but surely
making his way back on the scene! Johnny B. suffered a debilitating
stroke in April 2003, which left him unable to walk or speak, remaining
hospitalized for an entire year. Following five years of physical therapy
& rehabilitation, he returned to the stage in the fall of 2008. Johnny B.
is now excitingly leading his own gigs, in addition to often playing
guitar behind Tail Dragger. Before his stroke, Johnny was arguably
the best around- his sparkling rhythmic lead guitar and powerful
vocals made him a genuine star on the very competitive Chicago
blues scene. He played and recorded with Koko Taylor in the ‘70’s,
went on his own in the 80’s while backing up many others, including
gigs and Delmark recordings from Willie Kent, Eddie Shaw, Karen
Carroll, Bonnie Lee, Shirley Johnson, Mary Lane, & Tail Dragger.
Johnny has 3 incredibly good Delmark CDs of his own, including a
killer live release from ’96 from Blue Chicago (his long time home
base) and 2 studio releases, ‘97’s Troubled World and ‘03’s Rockin’ In
The Same Old Boat.
Jesse Fortune - vocals
Jesse Fortune (b. 1930, Macon, MS) possesses a fantastic BB King
styled voice and is one of the last of the ol’ time stand up singers in
Chicago. Jesse “The Fortune Tellin’ Man” is a full time barber and may
not be billed on the north side clubs, but can still often be found sitting
in on Chicago’s west and south side taverns slayin’ the crowds with his
incredibly powerful vibrato! Fortune recently brought down the house
on Jimmy Burns’ recent live release from B.L.U.E.S from 2006.
Chicago vocalist Jesse Fortune’s voice is as large as his discography
is small. A mere handful of 45s headed by his 1963 classic “Too Many
Cooks” (with Buddy Guy on guitar) and a 1993 album on Delmark,
Fortune Tellin’ Man constitute his entire catalog. Fortune grew up in
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, influenced by the pleading blues vocals of
B.B. King. He arrived in Chicago in 1952 and started singing
professionally with guitarist Little Monroe. He also worked with Otis
Rush and Buddy Guy before the prodigious Willie Dixon officially
discovered him. In April of 1963, Fortune waxed four sides for USA
Records under Dixon’s supervision, including the Dixon-penned
minor-key rhumba “Too Many Cooks” (his sidemen at the session
included Guy, Big Walter Horton on harp, and pianist Lafayette
Leake). Robert Cray revived the tune for his 1980 debut album on
Tomato, Who’s Been Talkin’. Dissatisfied with the monetary return on
his date, Fortune shied away from recording (he still makes his living
as a barber) until young guitarist Dave Specter began working the
club circuit with the powerful singer. The upshot was Fortune Tellin’
Man, the singer’s debut disc for Delmark, with swinging support from
Specter and his Bluebirds.
- from All Music Guide Biography by Bill Dahl
“What a phenomenal vocalist (...) awesome range, timbre and style
(...) like a higher register Johnny Adams, a young Buddy Guy, Ted
Taylor and Roy Brown and most certainly prime years B.B. King.”
- Tell It Like It Is Blues Newspaper
Cadillac Zack– vocals, guitar
Boston raised, Los Angeles based, young
guitarist/producer/traditional blues savior Cadillac Zack Slovinsky (b.
1969, Brookline, MA) spent many years in Chicago (’91-’97) soaking
up the real deal blues scene, dedicated to the popular masters and the
obscure underground heroes. He recently played on and produced the
critically acclaimed recording from Chicago bluesman Elmore James,
Jr. and can be found leading his own band all over Southern
California. Zack has a true passion and feeling for traditional blues
and incredibly vast knowledge of electric blues (and a mammoth
record collection for research!) He has produced many unreleased
sessions on Lacy Gibson, Milton Houston, Little Bobby Too
Tough, and E.J. (who he swears sounds eerily like J.B. Hutto.)
“It was such a pleasure to play with you. I love your guitar playing and
singing. I put you in the same league as Billy Flynn and Rockin’
Johnny with that authentic westside sound.” - Bobby Radcliff, NYC
blues legend
Rick “Jr” Kreher –guitar
Chicagoan Rick Kreher is one of the most underrated guitar players
on the scene, playing subtle, tasty rhythm guitar behind many legends
for over 30 years. Rick is mostly known as Muddy Waters’ last
guitarist (along with John Primer,) having the privilege of playing with
the legendary Muddy the last 5 years of his life. Rick has been the
glue behind many legends, regularly playing with Little Arthur
Duncan, Tail Dragger, Mojo Buford, Rockin’ Johnny, and
Studebaker John & the Hawks.
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