An ill-informed music fan might mistake Rebel Souls, the latest album from Rob Jungklas, as a slice of Americana. And with titles like “Southern Cross the Dog,” “Beulah Land,” and “Down to the River,” who could blame them? Other details — the cover art by Brooke Barnett, suggesting a black-and-red rose wood print, or the presence of the Sacred Harp Singers of Cork, Ireland, on two tracks — only seem to confirm its Americana provenance.
But examine both the songs and the cover image a bit more closely, and something altogether more intriguing appears.
On closer inspection, that darkly sensuous rose is actually a kind of landscape, a hallway or tunnel ending in some sort of mandala, framed by broken chains. And the lead track’s title, “Ruination,” offers another hint. Open the book of lyrics that accompanies the CD, and you’ll see the full title is “The Body’s Ruination is the Soul’s Release.” The music isn’t the typical folk gospel that might accompany that line, but the modern drone of a synthesizer, leading a minor key dirge as Jungklas sings with an eerie desperation.
In “Beulah Land,” Jungklas “sees Death walking like a man” — a familiar figure in the universe of Rebel Souls. If the phrase carries echoes of ageless blue songs, that’s appropriate. The blues as an idea permeates the album, though the music itself is barely hinted at. Muddy Waters and Furry Lewis appear in different songs, and moreover, the specters of death and loss hover over nearly every word. “Love is the religion,” he sings in “Ruination,” “but Death is the deity.”
Make no mistake, love is present in this world, as crafted by Jungklas in deft literary touches. It’s just that it’s hard-won, coming only after one faces the costs of survival in a brutal land. “I paid in blood for all I have,” Jungklas sings. By the album’s end, one gets a sense of what his rewards might be, as the music turns to major-key hopefulness, albeit cautiously, in “Down to the River.”
The moon rose over Midtown With a sweet narcotic pull Shining down on the bleeding and the beautiful Shining down on all the noble savages And all the ragged saints Those of us who are redeemed And those of us who ain’t
The album’s atmosphere of creeping twilight owes much to the subtle arrangements, blending expertly crafted synthesizer textures with the sound of an organic band. Indeed, some tracks were even recorded live at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts by the inimitable Kevin Houston, who co-produced the album with Jungklas. Other tracks and overdubs were then recorded and mixed by Houston at Nesbit Recording Services. And the contributing musicians — including strings by Jonathan Kirkscey, Jana Meisner, and Krista Lynne Wroten, bass by Sam Shoup, guitar by Dave Smith, and percussion by Shawn Zorn — lend a human warmth to the dark proceedings.
Some music has the distinct ability to immerse you in a landscape, be it a mansion on a hill or the rains down in Africa. The latest from Jungklas has that quality, centered on Memphis, with a vision of the American South laced with dread and foreboding, and perhaps a shred of hope.
This is a watershed moment for The Flow, as we put this live-streamed music events calendar on ice until needed once more. When we began The Flow on April 16, 2020, there was no telling how the coronavirus pandemic would develop, but we knew that many musicians were continuing to perform online, against all odds. Nowadays, it’s not as common, nor as necessary — for now. We salute Hernando’s Hide-a-Way and B-Side Memphis, the two venues that have continued to offer live-streamed shows locally for the past two years, and we hope that they and others keep doing it. Surely they will, just as surely as Goner TV will carry on sporadically. As Covid continues to disrupt our lives, there’s no telling when we’ll look at live-stream-enabled artists and venues as heroes once again. As ever, make prudent pandemic decisions, and keep tipping those performers, whether online or face-to-face.
ALL TIMES CDT
Thursday, May 26 7 p.m. Rowdy Franks & Bri-Marie — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
Rachel Maxann of Memphis, sings heartfelt original songs at her Music Export Memphis showcase late Thursday night. (Credit: Karen Pulfer Focht)
Covid has taken a brutal toll on this week’s Folk Alliance International conference, a five-day festival where musicians and performers from around the world connect with critics, record producers, club owners, and festival bookers to make deals, and most importantly, play music.
But this, the 34th year, the conference looked very different.
Memphis was well-represented by violinist-singer Alice Hasen; guitarist and “elder” Andy Cohen, who mentored younger performers; singer, blues blaster, larger-than-life Rachel Maxann, who is currently on tour with Valerie June; “semi-average Joe” Johnson, who far exceeded his self-imposed moniker; and the immortal Muddy Waters sideman and regional musician “Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin” among others.
There were about 25 percent fewer performers and guests than in previous years. Instead of the usual 1,000 performers from around the world with more than another thousand music lovers and industry people, this year there were less than 1,500 combined. Normally, the Westin Hotel in downtown Kansas City is alive with dozens of musicians and bands playing in lobbies, hallways and any other open space at all times and crowds of music lovers. There has been little of that bustle this year.
Well-known performers like Livingston Taylor, Tom Paxton, John McCutcheon, and others who are usually fixtures at the conference, attending to teach the young performers a thing or two, were missing in action.
Andy Cohen with Earwig Music Company plays guitar. (Credit: Karen Pulfer Focht)
Instead, the roster was awash with hundreds of unfamiliar names, young musicians trying to make a name for themselves in a competitive market. Many of the A-list performers, even the B-list acts, were no-shows because the conference was moved from its usual comfy time slot in February to May over Covid concerns. Aaron Fowler, an official with Local 1000 of the Traveling Musicians Union, said a reason for the lack of musicians was simple — they are out touring.
“After almost two years without being able to play because of Covid, everyone is taking advantage of [the covid slowdown] and going out to tour,” he said. “The conference was always held in February because that is a slow time of the year for touring. Hopefully, things will be back to normal next year when the conference returns in February.”
The conference consisted of daytime teaching events, covering subjects like the issue of race in folk music, recognizing performers with disabilities, and how to create songs for TikTok. There was a heavy emphasis on virtual concerts and how to take advantage of new technology which has changed the music industry.
There were four hours of live concerts every afternoon where dozens of artists perform in eight music halls in the hotel. The music continued at 10:30 p.m., when hundreds of performers put on intimate shows in dozens of hotel rooms, shorn of furniture, before audiences as small as one person. These shows went on into the wee hours of 3 or 4 a.m.
The word “folk” is also misleading. Consider it an umbrella term that covers country, blues, rock, traditional music from many nations and ethnic music. Sometimes, a combination of styles.
At a keynote performance on Friday afternoon, Madeleine Peyroux stunned the audience with excerpts from her internationally renowned stage show that combines jazz, folk, and blues music and the work of artists like Billie Holliday, Bessie Smith, and even Groucho Marx.
In a single sentence, she crystalized the importance of live concerts, “The living tradition of gathering — being together, produces a sound that can only be heard and felt when we gather in real-time and space,” she said, in one of the finest descriptions of the importance of live music.
Seeing performers play in a crowded room with bad lighting to a handful of people may sound less than ideal, but the music transcended the reality of the space and became a physical thing.
Bob Margolin, who sacrificed a large chunk of his performance time tuning his guitar and talking about his days with Muddy Waters, was a musical force that uplifted the small audience as he played some “straight and natural blues” with the help of bassist Freebo.
Memphis fiddler Alice Hasen performs her showcase at the Folk Alliance International conference being held in Kansas City, Missouri, the weekend of May 20, 2022. (Credit: Karen Pulfer Focht)
The Music Export Memphis room was busy all weekend as a handful of artists delivered one incredible set after another. Most surprising was violinist Alice Hasen, who sang some songs, including a striking plea to save the “Memphis Sands” from pollution in a song of the same name.
Her virtuoso violin performances were augmented by a looping device which allowed her to layer the melody over and over.
Memphis Singer Rachel Maxann delighted fans earlier with original songs and a powerful interpretation of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone,” right down to the requisite 26 repetitions of the phrase “I know.” She popped out of nowhere during Hasan’s show to sing along with “Dream of Rain,” Hasen’s song about the destruction of the environment.
Many Memphis residents will remember that Folk Alliance held its annual gathering in the city from 2007 to 2012 until it was lured away to Kansas City. The hardest part about picking a show is knowing that for every performance chosen you miss several hundred others. Veteran attendees are always asking each other for advice on which shows not to miss, trading names and info flyers. Acts give away hundreds of CDs to conference attendees in the hopes to secure bookings at future shows.
There were so many concerts going on it is difficult to choose the best, but some of the show-stopping performers to watch for include the husband and wife duo from Nashville by way of New Zealand and Peru, South For Winter; Buffalo Rose, the enthusiastic sextet of rocking folkies from Pittsburgh led by twin lead vocals from two talented women; James McCarthy, an American Irishman living in Hawaii where he delights playing Irish music; and Abby Posner, a gay woman who writes and performs incredible songs that defy genre. And hundreds of others.
The Folk Alliance defied the odds this year to stay open despite the ravages of Covid and the calendar and hosted more newcomer performers than ever. It will be interesting to see how the event will unfold in a mere 10 months from now when, hopefully, Covid will be just an unpleasant memory.
This week marks the return of Hernando’s Hide-a-way favorite, Dale Watson. He’s in demand from coast to coast, so his appearances at the club he personally helped to relaunch are understandably rare. Now’s your chance, and thanks to the video/audio infrastructure at the club, live-streaming is a hi-fi experience. The same can be said of B-Side Memphis. Together, the two clubs have kept the live-stream torches burning, and those of us who track the upward surges of the coronavirus are forever grateful.
ALL TIMES CDT
Thursday, May 19 7 p.m. Red Clay Strays, Josephy Huber and Jordan Joyes — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
Jon Button, Billy Nicholls, Roger Daltrey, Zak Starkey, and Pete Townshend of The Who perform onstage during The Who Hits Back! Tour on May 03, 2022 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for The Who)
Power pop takes many guises, but few would dispute that The Who played a pivotal role in its birth, combining soaring melodies and rich harmonies with crunchy guitar riffs and other sonic delights. Granted, a rock opera like Tommy steps outside the three-minute parameters of the ideal pop song, but even that example is littered with brilliant singles, mixed in with the “Overture,” “Underture,” and other instrumental passages.
The band’s hand in perfecting power pop, and the sheer artistry of their very deep catalog, whatever the genre, was eminently apparent at their appearance at the FedExForum last Friday night. Of course, purists are quick to point out that the most anyone can see these days is half the Who, and that’s technically true. But that rock band, by any name, was only part of the recipe Friday, as the group comprised only about one sixth of the total musicianship onstage. The Who that played Memphis Friday was a symphonic Who.
The core band was a powerhouse, of course. Front and center were the two original members, singer Roger Daltrey and songwriter/lead guitarist Pete Townshend. The late Keith Moon has long had a worthy stand-in with Zak Starkey on drums, who’s style owes more to the inimitable Mr. Moon than his own father, Ringo Starr. And the guitarist/backup singer was Pete’s brother, Simon Townshend. The shoes of the late John Entwistle, who passed away in 2002, were filled by the enthusiastic Jon Button. One special guest, who crafted pop singles in his own right back in the day and has written many charting songs, was backing vocalist Billy Nicholls. Keyboardist Loren Gold mastered the often tricky synthesizer, piano and organ parts capably, augmented by second keyboardist Emily Marshall. Finally, orchestra conductor Keith Levenson, lead violinist Katie Jacoby and lead cellist Audrey Snyder were joined by a few dozen classical players from Memphis.
Pete Townshend introduced the latter musicians, saying they were “Memphis born and bred, though only about five of them are any good at basketball.” Though stoically focused on their scores during the performance, many of the local players could barely conceal their delight after the show.
Tom Clary’s office last Friday (Credit: Tom Clary)
“I got to sit right by Pete Townshend and his amp…it was awesome,” quipped one player. Another said, “They were amazing! So cool to see Pete Townshend do the windmill in real life. It was a dream to hear them and be a part of their sound.”
Trumpeter Tom Clary posted a photo with only the caption “Jumbotron,” featuring a moment when his face loomed on the large screens flanking the stage.
Trumpeter Tom Clary on The Who’s jumbotron screen (Credit: David Torres).
In bolstering the sound of the Who, local classical musicians were carrying on a long tradition of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, players from which have graced pop and power pop records for over half a century now. And, under Levenson’s direction, the woodwinds, brass, strings and percussionists turned on a dime, from precise and delicate passages to outright bombast.
The sheer size and complexity of the mix may have diminished the sheer rocking abandon of The Who in their prime, especially when Townshend seemed to approach his role with great humility, blending in with the other orchestra players and generally keeping a low profile. At first, his guitar was notably quieter than one would imagine, until about midway through the set.
That was appropriate, as it turned out, as that half focused on material from Tommy. The irony, as Townshend pointed out after “Pinball Wizard,” was that there was no orchestra on the original album. “Our producer Kit Lambert wanted to use an orchestra, but I thought The Who were better than any orchestra.” The only nod to the classical world on the original release, Townshend noted, was John Entwistle’s French horn.
And yet the rock opera was receiving orchestral treatments from the first year of its release, even being transformed into a musical by Townshend in the 1990s. Last Friday, the orchestrations blended perfectly with the solid hammering of the rock band, bringing a bit of shimmer to the ethereal chords of Tommy‘s “Overture.”
A contemporary bit of inspiration made an appearance during Tommy as well. As the classic refrain of “See me, feel me, touch me, heal me” gave way to “Listening to you I get the music/Gazing at you I get the heat,” Townshend cranked his guitar up a notch and the lights glowed with the blue-and-gold of Ukraine.
Pete Townshend of The Who performs onstage during The Who Hits Back! Tour on May 03, 2022 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for The Who)
Townshend sang relatively little through the night, explaining that a recent illness had left his voice sounding “like a cross between Elvis Presley and Louis Armstrong,” even as he belted out “Eminence Front” very much like that latter. At one point between songs, he pulled out his phone and fiddled about with it, saying, “I’m not checking my phone, I’m adjusting my hearing controls,” referring to Bluetooth-connected in-ear monitors he wore.
But he took the occasion to wax nostalgic about Keith Moon’s great desire to have an old-school rotary phone by his drum kit during shows, which would ring between songs, requiring him to answer it. “Hello, darling,” Townshend mimicked Moon. “Yes, everything’s fine, the show’s going well. Please don’t call me at work!”
Roger Daltrey of The Who performs onstage during The Who Hits Back! Tour on May 03, 2022 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for The Who)
Daltrey, for his part, was in fine voice throughout the night, delivering the high notes and even the scream in “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as if he was fifty years younger. Indeed, hearing him carry so many of the band’s greatest songs was a stark reminder of what a force of nature his voice still is.
Midway through the set, fans were able to hear The Who as an honest-to-god rock band, or at least a relatively stripped-down seven piece, kicking into “The Seeker” with both guitarists on acoustics. This was also the segment that featured a rare non-hit, which Daltrey called “one we recorded for the Lifehouse project,” albeit unreleased until the Odds and Sods LP: “Relay.” Perhaps egged on by Gold’s blistering organ solo, Townshend finally revved up his guitar during the number.
Eventually, the orchestra returned, and it was a very welcome re-augmentation as the collective launched into songs from Quadrophenia, Townshend’s lesser known, if more literary, rock opera. The titular instrumental number from the opera was a revelation in this form, as Time-Life style images of great moments in history from the ’60s onward flashed on the screen (a bit predictably). The photos did include local headlines about the death of Elvis. But the grandeur of the music made such a montage redundant. And that was brought home when, after an artful solo piano introduction by Gold, the entire ensemble erupted into “Love, Reign O’er Me.”
With “Baba O’Riley” and its extended fiddle outro by Jacoby (who changed into a Grizzlies shirt for the occasion), the night was over, as Daltrey blessed us with the words, “May you all have wonderful lives ahead of you!”
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform onstage during The Who Hits Back! Tour on May 03, 2022 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for The Who)
Setlist: With Orchestra Overture 1921 Amazing Journey Sparks Pinball Wizard We’re Not Gonna Take It Who Are You Eminence Front Ball and Chain Join Together
Band Only The Seeker You Better You Bet Relay Won’t Get Fooled Again
With Orchestra Behind Blue Eyes The Real Me I’m One 5:15 The Rock Love, Reign O’er Me Baba O’Riley
Elvis — in a way — was responsible for Son.person meeting Justin Bieber, who was his idol at the time.
Son was around eight years old when he and his mom met Bieber backstage before the singer’s performance at FedExForum.
“I gave him an Elvis Presley clock,” Son says. “The one where Elvis’s legs move back and forth. My mom handed it to him and he started laughing and smiling and we took our photos. I was scared to death. All I said was I was wanted to do what he did one day.”
When he was eight years old, Son.person and his mom, Jacque Sabin, met Justin Bieber at FedFexForum. (Courtesy Son.person)
Son (a.k.a. Whitt Sabin) is now a 17-year-old singer-songwriter following in Bieber’s footsteps as well as the footsteps of many of his other heroes, including Tyler, the Creator. Son released his ninth single, Loved U More May 13th with a video to follow soon.
Son began making videos when he was a baby. “There’s videos you can see on YouTube. Me in diapers just singing songs.”
And, he says, “My mom has a video of me in Wiggles pajamas and I’m doing Fireflies by Owl City over and over again.”
When he was about six, Son began studying at the House of Talent in Germantown. While his fellow classmates were tap dancing or doing theater music, Son was performing songs by Bieber and Bruno Mars. “That’s all I wanted to do. That age was around the time I discovered who Justin Bieber was. I loved his entire everything. I love the whole frontman appeal, like Bruno Mars and the older ones like Michael Jackson. Just being that guy up front and being able to entertain people. Making people happy is such a cool thing.”
Son began taking guitar lessons at age 7 when he went to study at the School of Rock Memphis. “I didn’t hate it,” he says, “but I wanted to be the guy up there shouting out loud. I just wanted to be up front, I guess.” So, shortly after the guitar lessons, Son began concentrating on singing and working on performance, and he credits the School of Rock Memphis for helping hone his skills.
Son used to just “stand still on stage and not move one bit. The change I’ve seen in 10 years has just been insane.”
Son.person (Credit: Michael Donahue)
On his cover version of Wild Flower by the Cult, Son says, “I was just standing there. I’m standing still the whole time. The guitar solo ends and I do one tiny jump. It’s so funny. “I would always try to move a little more every show, but I was very reserved, I guess.”
He decided to step up his game when his School of Rock Memphis house band went on a tour performing with School of Rock house bands from around the country. “That house band was like a light switch. That was the changing point for me. I just started moving around more. I started entertaining the crowd and speaking out loud. I used the entire stage to my advantage. I never stood still.”
Moves suddenly appeared. “It was like, ‘Oh, yeah. I’m going to moonwalk like Michael Jackson.’ I would just go up and move. If it felt good, it felt good.” And he’d do his own thing. “I started making songs my own.”
He also credits School of Rock Memphis for his range of musical tastes. “I would not have such a diverse music background if it wasn’t for them. I started off in Green Day. We did hits by Pink Floyd and Rage Against the Machine and even Muddy Waters. From blues to rock to jazz and pop music.”
Son developed “a deep love for hip-hop. I never used to love it. I guess it grew on me because of the feel. I like Justin Bieber and I like what I heard on the radio. The top 40 stuff. But I wasn’t really open to listening and branching out yet. But School of Rock pushed me to do that. And it really helped.”
Son began listening to performers, including the Beastie Boys, Tupac Shakur, and Grandmaster Flash. “The ’80s were so cool to me. The style and the esthetic of those eras were just so neat.”
Son’s clothing style also changed. “I started caring more about the stuff I was wearing. Someone who really pushed me was my grandma. She started taking me to Urban Outfitters. The whole street cult, Mean Streets wear. I started off with the red jeans and flannels to the vintage T’s. I would see stuff with (Notorious) B.I.G. or Tupac on it. The Nikes and Jordans and stuff like that. I think I’ve got 25 pairs of shoes. And I’m not the biggest sneaker head.”
Three years ago he got a pair of white Lebrons from Footlocker. “I always wear basketball shoes, but wear them as streetwear. And everyone called me out for them. These huge ass shoes on my feet. I love them. It was so cool. I love the ‘out there’ look. Things that make people look at you.”
Son.person (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Around the time he got the Lebrons, Son began asking himself, “What am I going to do with music? I was 13 and I started to really get into Tyler, the Creator, the first guy in hip-hop I idolized. He did such a cool fusion of pop and hip-hop and jazz music.”
Son saw Tyler perform at the 2018 Beale Street Music Festival. He thought, “This is the greatest experience of my life.” And when he heard Tyler was going to perform at a festival in Los Angeles, his mom got tickets and they went to California. “This dude has his own brand of clothing. Him and his team. The way he brands himself and having his own festival was insane to me.”
Son thought, “I want to do this.”
The day before the show, Son and his mom saw Tyler walk into his GOLF store, which sells a range of Tyler’s branded clothing and accessories. Later, at lunch, his mom pointed out “this tall guy in an alligator suit.” It was Tyler. “And so I walk up to him. I tapped his shoulder and I was like, ‘Are you Tyler?’ And he was, ‘Yeah.’”
Son told Tyler, “The reason I’m so passionate about music and the reason I want to pursue this dream is because of what you do.”
Tyler laughed and began to leave with his friends. Son asked him, “Can I get a picture with you?” Tyler said no. “He doesn’t like photos,” Son says. Then Tyler says, “But I’ll shake your hand.”
Suddenly someone ran up behind him and snapped a quick photo with the singer. That was when Tyler says to Son, “You got one second.” He told him the photo had to be taken “super quick.” So, Son snapped a quick selfie. And then he said to Tyler, “You need to watch for me. I’m going to be in the very front. Don’t miss me.”
The selfie of Tyler, the Creator and the 13-year-old Son.person. (Photo by Son.person)
Son and his mom got to the festival at 9 a.m. the next day. Son immediately ran to the stage where Tyler was going to perform and stood in front of the stage for the next 11 hours.
What happened next still astonishes Son, who says this part of the show is on YouTube. Tyler tells the audience, “The craziest thing is like in this crowd right now, is somebody that makes beats or like rap or sing or just got ideas. And in four to five years he’s gonna scare me and be my competition. And I know that person. I shook your fucking hand. You’re somewhere in here, motherfucker.”
“When he says that line, he’s looking down. And from my perspective — we were on the railing — we looked at each other. It was like a moment of BAM. It was like chills.”
Son, who is convinced Tyler was talking about him, thought, “OK. That’s it. In four to five years, I’ve got to do this. That’s the point in my life I have to be an artist. I have to make this happen. I’ve got to get to a point where I can meet him again and ask him if I was the person he was talking about that day. This November will be four years from that date.”
Son.person (Credit: Michael Donahue)
He began working with School of Rock Memphis general manager Landon Moore on putting out a record. The music for his first one, Girl Like You, was written by Moore. “I told him the type of song I wanted to make and he wrote the instrumental for it.”
Son describes it as a “love song ballad.” “I based it off of the Notorious B.I.G. remix by Elijah Who, My Favorite Ladies.
In the Notorious B.I.G.’s song, he would try to the find the “perfect lady,” Son says. “There was always something that would keep her from being his perfect lady. So, I said, ‘I’m going to write this from a teenage perspective.’” The video shows Son sitting at the head of a long table with women seated around it. He recounts his past lovers.
“I like to make small stories out of my music. For every song that I write I really like to get some depth with it. And I like to visualize that. Especially in my newer works. I started releasing more short form videos as opposed to a single, long video.”
He describes his latest single, Loved U More, as “a message of honesty and torn emotion mixed with colorful sampling and roaring guitar loops.”
An ever-changing series of photos, statements, show dates, and videos appears on his Instagram page. “It feels like right now, especially with my goals and aspirations with music, I understand I have to give it my all. It feels like 100 percent of the time revolves around music. If it’s not me, it’s me helping someone else with their music.”
As for the big picture, Son speaks with confidence. “Elvis was two generations ago. Justin Timberlake was this last generation. When you think of the next generation of Memphis music, that’s Son.person.”
Son.person will perform at 7 p.m. on May 27th at Mushroom Fest at Shelby Forest. Tickets for the four-day-event are $20 each day or a four-day-pass for $50.
Charles Streeter presides over the Memphis Hang Suite (Credit: Tae Nichol)
The Memphis Hang Suite is the brainchild of Charles Streeter, a native Memphian who experienced phenomenal jam sessions with A-list players when he lived in Los Angeles. Now relocated back in his hometown, he’s created a similar scene at Hernando’s Hide-a-Way. On any given Tuesday, you might hear Streeter and the Tribe jamming with the likes of MonoNeon, Jackie Clark, Stanley Randolph, Marcus Scott (who sang with Tower of Power for a time), and many others. “Everybody comes through,” says Streeter. “It’s a really cool hang. No egos. Nobody up there is trying to play all over the place. You still have to play the song. Just be tasteful, be an adult when you’re playing.” And thanks to the good folks at Hernando’s Hide-a-Way, you can watch it all go down through the miracle of the internet, staying safe from a pandemic that still rears its ugly head.
ALL TIMES CDT
Thursday, May 12 6 p.m. SweetNur — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
8 p.m. Jackie Straw and Noah G. Fowler — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
The Wacky Jugs (Photo courtesy of the Blues Foundation)
They don’t call it the International Blues Challenge for nothing. The far-ranging impact of the blues is never more apparent than when bands descend on the Bluff City for the Blues Foundation‘s annual competition, and that was underscored this year when The Wacky Jugs from France walked away with the honor of best blues band on Monday.
Prior to their final performance, The Wacky Jugs were clearly stoked, as they posted on their Facebook page, per that platform’s translation algorithm, “Hey friends, guess what??? WE’RE IN THE FINAL!!!! …This is crazy!!! We are happy!!! Thanks again to The Blues Foundation for all the support from wherever it comes, you are so marvelous, it also gives us goosebumps! After three nights in the mythical clubs on Beale Street, we have the chance to reach the Orpheum.”
Go to the Orpheum they did, where their sound, inspired by the Memphis Jug Band, won over the judges. Others from far afield were honored as well. Someone should definitely look into Phoenix’s water supply (perhaps it’s fed by the Mississippi?), as two artists from that city claimed three of the top honors. And don’t assume that Memphis Lightning is local: they’re from the Tampa Bay area.
The Mid-South did make a showing, thanks to Soul Nite featuring D.K. Harrell, from Indianola, Mississippi, garnering third place in the band category. Otherwise, the global ubiquity of the blues was on full display. As the late Jim Dickinson often quipped, “World Boogie is coming!” Indeed, it would appear that it’s already here.
And the winners are …
1st Place Band The Wacky Jugs (France Blues)
2nd Place Band Cros (Phoenix Blues Society)
3rd Place Band Soul Nite feat. D.K. Harrell (Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola)
1st Place Solo/Duo Eric Ramsey (Phoenix Blues Society)
2nd Place Solo/Duo Jhett Black (San Angelo Blues Society)
Memphis Cigar Box Award Eric Ramsey (Phoenix Blues Society)
Lee Oskar Harmonica Award Jhett Black (San Angelo Blues Society)
Gibson Guitarist Award T.C. Carter
Best Self-Produced CD Award Borrowed Time, by Memphis Lightning (Suncoast Blues Society)
Triple BMA-winner Tommy Castro (Credit: Andrea Zucker)
The Renasant Convention Center played host to scores of blues musicians and fans Thursday night, as the ceremonies of the 43rd Annual Blues Music Awards (BMAs) took place. Between handing out honors in over two dozen categories, the evening featured performances from many nominees, culminating in a joyous all-star jam by the night’s end.
It was especially welcome after the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies took place online only. Judith Black, president and CEO of the Blues Foundation, recognized the watershed moment in a statement: “What an amazing reunion after nearly three years of separation. It was an awards evening filled with awesome music, wonderful fellowshipping, and exciting honors. It was apparent everywhere you looked that people were thrilled to be back and, I am sure they could tell we were ecstatic to welcome everyone back.”
Tommy Castro snagged three BMAs: the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (which he won previously in 2010 and 2008); the Album of the Year for Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came to Town; and Band of the Year for Tommy Castro & The Painkillers.
Sue Foley at the 2022 BMAs (Credit: Andrea Zucker)
Sue Foley, who we featured in this week’s music column, was one of two double-winners, with her Pinky’s Blues recognized as the year’s best Traditional Blues Album, and Foley herself garnering the Traditional Blues Female Artist – Koko Taylor Award, repeating her 2020 win in that category. Fresh off his Grammy win, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram took home Contemporary Blues Male Artist for the third consecutive year. He was also awarded Contemporary Blues Album, which he previously won in 2020.
Also on the local tip, the Best Emerging Artist Album award went to Rodd Bland & The Members Only Band for Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland. Native Memphian Eric Gales won in the category of Instrumentalist – Guitar, and longtime Memphis resident John Nemeth took home the award for Instrumentalist – Vocals.
The complete list of 2022 Blues Music Award winners: Acoustic Blues Album:Dear America, Eric Bibb Acoustic Blues Artist: Keb’ Mo’ Album of the Year: A Bluesman Came to Town, Tommy Castro B.B. King Entertainer: Tommy Castro Band of the Year: Tommy Castro & The Painkillers Best Emerging Artist Album:Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland, Rodd Bland & the Members Only Band Blues Rock Album:Resurrection, Mike Zito Blues Rock Artist: Albert Castiglia Contemporary Blues Album: 662, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Vanessa Collier Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Instrumentalist-Bass: Danielle Nicole Instrumentalist-Drums: Tom Hambridge Instrumentalist-Guitar: Eric Gales Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Jason Ricci Instrumentalist-Horn: Jimmy Carpenter Instrumentalist Pinetop Perkins Piano Player: Mike Finnigan Instrumentalist-Vocals: John Nemeth Song of the Year: “I’d Climb Mountains,” written & performed by Selwyn Birchwood Soul Blues Album:Long As I Got My Guitar, Zac Harmon Soul Blues Female Artist: Annika Chambers Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado Traditional Blues Album:Pinky’s Blues, Sue Foley Traditional Blues Female Artist Koko Taylor Award: Sue Foley Traditional Blues Male Artist: Taj Mahal
Meanwhile, the Blues Hall of Fame held this year’s induction ceremony on May 4th. The inductees included pre-war performer and songwriter Lucille Bogan; soul, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll star Little Willie John; renowned songwriter, artist Johnnie Taylor; and legendary songwriter Otis Blackwell.
Classic recordings that the Blues Hall of Fame honored this year were Sonny Boy Williamson II’s “Eyesight to the Blind,” Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Farther Up the Road,” Roy Brown’s “Good Rocking Tonight,” B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby,” “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” by the Baby Face Leroy Trio, and Bo Diddley’sclassic album, Bo Diddley. This year’s non-performing inductee was Mary Katherine Aldin, who worked as an editor, disc jockey, compiler, and annotator of blues and folk reissue albums. The Classic of Blues Literature entrant was Red River Blues: The Blues Tradition in the Southeast, written by British author Bruce Bastin.
Today, May 6th, the total blues immersion continues with a special reception at the Blues Hall of Fame for award-winning music photographer Jérôme Brunet, and the first volley of a four-day run for the International Blues Challenge.
The sheer variety of music available in Memphis is head-spinning. Taking only the live-streamed shows available below (to say nothing of the other bands playing around town), the offerings range from the extended Americana-rooted jams of Devil Train, to the spontaneous music of the city’s top players at the Memphis Hang Suite, to the semi-free/semi-composed instrumentals of David Collins. It’s a cornucopia of tonal delights, all for the picking online for whoever may want to enjoy music with an abundance of caution. Enjoy the harvest, and don’t forget to tip players!
