The second quarter of 2007 was a busy one for Big Johnson and the Thrusters. April 1st was the 3rd annual Ed Ross Benefit for Diabetes at Conway's. Ed Ross created a cool mystique at Conway’s, and provided many young musicians with an opportunity to perform. Seven bands remembered Ed’s kindness by donating their time to perform in memory of Ed and in support a worthy cause.
The next big event of the spring was mixing and mastering the new Big Johnson and the Thrusters CD! Mixing and mastering took place over 6 days, April 27th, and 28th, May 5th, 6th, and 7th, and June 2nd. Good mixing is an art, and Randy Green from Randy’s Recording in Madison, WI, brought Big Johnson and the Thrusters’ performances to life.
The band is trying to decide on a title right now. If you have an idea for the title of the new CD please submit it to this web site via email. If your suggestion is used you will win a free copy of the CD!
Hopefully the CD will be ready to release soon. Our good friend Lee Gates is not only a master of blues guitar he is also a student of guitar playing. Lee likes to sit close to the stage at the jam to watch the guitar players. Many guitar players receive valuable insights from Lee, but few earn praise. One guitar player who recently won Lee Gates’ approval was the Long Tall Texan, Jeff Arnold. Lee said "that boy can play the guitar!" Thanks are due to Bob Gunderson who sent a lovely email to this web site expressing appreciation for the jam. The jam belongs to everyone and we are glad the jammers are proud of the jam.
The climax of the late spring was the first of the big summer festivals: the Strawberry Festival in Cedarburg. Big Johnson and the Thrusters have been fortunate enough to play this festival for five or six years in a row. Pictures from past years are available in the photo section. The weather has been gorgeous for this festival each year, and this year was no exception. Everyone was glad to be outside again after a long winter indoors.
After the Strawberry Festival Big Johnson and the Thrusters played at Wendt’s down on 60th and Layton for the 1st time. Wendt’s is a nice new place with a dance floor which had just been installed. The dancers at Carrie’s 26th birthday party gave the dance floor a good work out!
Winter 2007-On February 7, 2007 our friend Delta Blues Hog came down to the jam to announce that he will be playing 30 dates in Europe this spring. A few of the cities on the itinerary include, Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Paris. Congratulations to Delta Blues Hog, and thanks to him for proving once again that world class blues talent is on display at Conway's every Wednesday night! Valentine's Day fell on a Wednesday this year and Conway's celebrated with a gala Valentine's Day Blues Jam. Lee Gates brought a big group of people with him and then played an especially brilliant set for them. Lee Gates also reports that he has sent his favorite guitar "Black Lucy" to the Gibson Company, who are considering manufacturing a "Black Lucy" Lee Gates signature model in their Epiphone line of fine guitars. Joey Ray Thom interviewed Ned Fletcher for his Marquette Journalism class. Here is Joey Ray's article:
"Ned Fletcher: Keeping the Blues Alive"
Every Wednesday night, guitarists, drummers, and singers of all skill levels from Milwaukee's blues scene gather at Conway's blues club on 22nd and Wells St. for the weekly jam session hosted by Big Johnson & the Thrusters. Open the squeaky front door, and you are greeted with the thick aroma of cigarette smoke and mouthwatering barbeque. The lone pool table awaits a small-wager match of 8-ball, the juke box plays a classic Elmore James tune, and all of the regulars sit comfortably with their drink of choice at the rectangular bar. The owners, Gary and Debbie Johnson greet you with a kind and cheerful "hello" and if you're a musician, Gary slips you two yellow drink tickets, as your "pay" for the night. Proceed to the back restaurant, and you'll find the man who makes the Conway's jam the musical high that it is:
Ned Fletcher.
Puffing a cigar and sharing a bottle of Booker's 124.7 premium bourbon with Stacks Edward and Joey Ray, they discuss song ideas, music theory, and blackjack strategies. Wearing a red sweatshirt and a comfortable pair of gym shorts, even though it is 20 degrees outside in the dead of a Wisconsin winter, there is never a night at the Conway's jam where Ned fails to heat things up with a lineup of musicians who come to play all-but forgotten blues classics. "I got interested in blues music through the Rolling Stones. In every interview with Keith Richards, he would drop a name or two of blues players. The names had exotic appeal, like muddy Waters and Howling Wolf", Ned recalls with his deep bass voice. Ned is the "designated bass player" for the Conway's jam and his band "The Thrusters" even though he was a guitar player for most of his life. "In 1997, we were planning to record our first CD, and I decided that I would play bass. I bought a bass, and I love it. I still play guitar now, but I consider myself a bass player exclusively. I have a much better understanding of how a band works since I started playing bass". Now, at age 43, Ned carries on the tradition of the blues jam, which came very close to dying in 1999. "Previously, the jam had been held at Pa's Place, Miami Beach Club, and Wild Bill's Saloon on 65th & Greenfield. Both buildings have been razed to accommodate new development in the area" Ned recalls. "[We] came back in January at Conway's. Each place we played was fun, but Conway's has done the most to welcome the jammers. Gary and Debbie built the stage for us, they give each jammer two free drinks, and are always trying new ideas and promotions to make the jam better". Along with the help of fellow "Thrusters", Pate Raunch, Jim Richards, and Gary Johnson, Fletcher runs the jam not for money, but to keep the blues tradition alive. Ned admits with a big smile, "The jam is a complete luxury for me. None of us gets paid for it, which may seem like a drag, but isn't really. I do it because I love it. I am a landlord. I get no satisfaction from my job. In fact, I loathe it, but my job allows me to afford to play music, and I am grateful for that." The Conway's jam is not just a haven for beginners, but it is a draw for local and internationally known blues legends such as Lee Gates, Milwaukee Slim, Pee Wee Hayes, and Delta Blues Hog. Here, unknowns can trade licks with these icons and experience the feeling of playing with a blues band and pleasing a crowded room of people seeking good blues. "In August, we'll have been doing this for 12 years, and I hope we're just getting started. I learn so much at the jam that it would be a great loss to give it up". Rest assured, as long as Ned Fletcher is around, the blues will always be alive and well among the patrons and musicians on Wednesday nights at Conway's Smoking Bar & Grill.
In March Big Johnson and the Thrusters began rehearsing new material, including an instrumental called "Double Jack and Diet Coke," after Gary Johnson's favorite liquid refreshment, and a ballad called "My Lonely Angel," written by Gary and Ned together with Stacks Edward and Joey Ray Thom. On March 28th, Jimmy Ryan, the drummer for Rascal Flatts, stopped by the jam to play and hang out the night before his sold out appearance at the Bradley Center. Jimmy was a wonderful musician and a friendly down to earth guy who didn't mind sharing stories of life as a star. If you are wondering what the down side of superstardom is, the answer seems to be "there isn't one!"
Winter 2006--Summer ended and the fun moved indoors for Big Johnson and the Thrusters. In October, Conway's Smokin' Grill celebrated it's 2nd anniversary with a big party. Lee Gates' most recent release, "Black Lucy's Deuce" made it to #11 in Living Blues Magazine for the chart dated 7/1/2006. (The magazine comes out every other month and the chart runs a little behind.) On October 11, the Stacks Edward Band entered the Roots Blues Radio Airplay Charts at position #30, and eventually climbed up to position #7! Marty Miller recorded a Big Johnson and the Thrusters performance at the Irish Pub in Cedarburg which has been released in a rare collector's edition 3 CD set. See Marty, or click on "Contact Us" on the main page and send an email request if you would like to own a copy! Otherwise, the new Big Johnson and the Thrusters studio CD is tentatively scheduled to be mixed and mastered in April 2007. On December 9, Conway's hosted it's annual Christmas Party featuring Big Johnson and the Thrusters and an all star jam including Lee Gates, Delta Blues Hog, and Milwaukee Slim! What a night! December 20, was the Lee Gates birthday party jam. Lee was celebrating the 44th anniversary of his 25th birthday! Several old friends were in Milwaukee over the holidays and stopped by the jam including Jeff Graefe back from Kansas City, and Ed Gerber Sr., back from Tokyo, Japan. Also in town were various friends and relatives of Tim Smith, who are too numerous to name! Thanks to everyone who made 2006 a great year!
September--September 16 Big Johnson and the Thrusters played the Cedarburg Wine and Harvest Festival. The Wine and Harvest Festival and the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival in Cedarburg were the big festivals which began and ended the Big Johnson and the Thrusters summer schedule. The Wine and Harvest Festival was a wonderful send-off to summer. Big Johnson and the Thrusters were once again proud to be sponsored by Bank Mutual, (where "Trust the Feeling is Mutual," and don't forget Friday is cookie day!) and it was good to see our friends at Curbanies Cranberries, Carol's Hard Times Vinegar, and Man's Best Friend Hot Sauce. On September 23, Gary, Ned, Pate, and Marty, made the final corrections to the upcoming Big Johnson and the Thrusters CD at Randy's Recording. Our good friend Tim Smith was also on hand to help with vocals and provide moral support. Jim Richards is so good that he had no corrections to make! In other news, "Tell It Like It Is" is an intermittent publication of the Wisconsin Blues Society. In the most recent issue, (Volume 1: Number 22,) there is a list of 35 regular blues jams in southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois. Only three jams from the list were singled out as "highly recommended", including the Blues Jam at Conway's featuring Big Johnson and the Thrusters. We are grateful to the Wisconsin Blues Society for this recognition especially since the list included such famous Chicago venues as Buddy Guy's Legends and B.L.U.E.S., among other fine venues. The same issue contains a nice article on our good friend, Pee Wee Hayes. The Wisconsin Blues Society may be reached at 2613 South 51st Street, Milwaukee, WI 53219.
August 2006 -
Saturday, August 26th was the second annual "Taste of Bowler Street" Festival in Chicago, and Big Johnson and the Thrusters were excited to be a part of it. "Taste Of Bowler Street" has a friendly neighborhood atmosphere and the crowd was not deterred by the intermittent rain. Joe's Basement opened the show with a Jimmy Buffet style acoustic set. Marty Miller sat in on electric guitar for a few numbers. Then Big Johnson and the Thrusters took the stage and played from 4:30-8:00 p.m. Photographs and possibly video may be available on this web site soon! In other news, the new Stacks Edward Live Cd has been released! The name of the label has changed from "Blues Land" to "Land O' Blues", and the cover has a cool early 1970's look. The CD is 55 minutes of Stacks' "in your face" style. Young Misha Siegfried is now playing guitar with a prominent local pop band called "Fire On Your Sleeve." The Shepherd Express had a cover story about this band recently, and according to Misha they are getting ready to go on the road soon. Jeff Grafe sends his best wishes to all his Milwaukee friends from Kansas City, where he and his new band, Bluez57 are hosting a weekly jam and tearing it up in Kansas City.
July 2006 -
July was another busy month for Big Johnson and the Thrusters. BJ&T along with Stacks Edward were asked to help select the Milwaukee contestants for this year's "Battle of the Jammers" at Summerfest. Several years ago Tall Mike had the brainstorm idea of presenting a contest between top musicians called the "Battle of the Jammers" exposing deserving local musicians to a larger Summerfest audience. This year's contest included musicians from several surrounding states as well as top Milwaukee talent. Those nominated by Big Johnson and the Thrusters and Stacks Edward who competed in this year's "battle" included Joey Ray Thom, Charlie Edwards, Bob Gunderson, Mike Neal, Scott Halverson, Gabriel Marchan, Donnie Mack, Sly Carr, Bob, and Kenwood. For a more detailed account of the experience here is Joey Ray Thom's personal description:
The Battle of the Jammers was an absolute blast! It was probably the most incredible experience I've ever had. All of the musicians were very friendly and personable, so there were no competitive attitudes or egos that had to be dealt with. Bad attitudes among musicians are always kind of a downer vibe and you hate to encounter it, but all of the musicians and Tall Mike and his team were some of the nicest people I've ever had the privilege to play with (and that list sure includes you Ned!). It honestly didn't feel like a competition at all, and to tell you the truth, I was more concerned about playing a good show and having fun rather than competing. Tall Mike opened the show with his band and then introduced Charlie Edwards, Bob Gunderson, Charles Cheeseman (funny name huh, he was an ace keyboard player we ended up naming Chucky Cheese!), then there was a bass player and drummer whose names I unfortunately forget, and me. I was the only guitar player and singer in the group so I had to just make like it was another Jam at Comways and do what I've done along. We did "Tell Me" by Howlin Wolf to start, "Cold Shot", "The Thrill is Gone" and then kind of a funky James Brown type of improv song. The crowd really liked us and there was about 100 people to start off with in the bleachers in front and in the surrounding area. When Tall Mike came up to introduce the next band, the crowd was actually cheering for us to do another one! That was pretty cool, so at least we knew that we were appealing to the crowd and they were digging us! I went up again in the last group and we really kicked it into high gear. By that time the entire area around the stage was packed with people! Had to be maybe 200 or more, and the crowd was cheering, dancing, and singing with us. It was a blast, and Tall Mike motioned to me before we started that we were the last and he really wanted us to kick it up big time. Once again I was lead guitar and vocals, Craig from Conways sat in with me which was really nice to have a second guitar player, Charlie Cheeseman on keyboards, Bobby on Drums who was a really cool guy, and the Conways horns along with an awesome trumpet player named D Roq. We started with "Sweet Home Chicago" and the place went nuts! Everyone was singing along and dancing and we were really working the crowd! There was a like a 10' x 15' catwalk in the middle of the stage that stuck out and so a few times I went out there and took the guitar solo close to the crowd. I couldn't help but go over to these cute blondes in tank tops and cowboy hats and give them a lil something, HAHA! We then did "Messin' with the Kid" which was really good with the horn section and the keyboards. Bobby the drummer then sang a song, I forget the name but it was a fast chord shuffle in A using 7 chords (THANK YOU FOR THE CHORD VOICINGS ONCE AGAIN!) That one was really good, the amazing thing is how well we blended together and practically all of us were meeting each other for the first time and playing for the first time as well! I guess it's the miracle of the Blues! The thing that was toughest was not so much the playing but the orchestrating to make sure that everyone was getting their solos and their moments to stand out. Once again the learning experiences from Conways and watching how you do it got me through. Our last song was "Got My Mojo Working" and Tall Mike came out and joined us to help get the crowd going, and we blew the place away! We had the people on their feet dancing and singing with me and the band. It was unbelievable! Once again Tall Mike motioned to me to go out and turn it up, so I went on that catwalk again to the crowds applause and took a big solo (on my knees! you shoulda been there to see it!) One of the other guitar players from Tall Mike's band joined us on that song and we did a little head to head solo on that catwalk, so that was cool. It was so great for everyone to be having fun and enjoying our music, and this has been an experience that I'll never forget. I'm honored and grateful Ned for your efforts and nomination to make me a part of the Battle of the Jammers. Thank you so much! In other news, Lee Gates reports that his current CD, "Black Lucy's Deuce" is now being played on 300 radio stations in this country and around the world. According to the Music Maker label his CD is currently #10 on the blues charts. Our best wishes go out to our friend, and a fine musician, Tommy Blood, who is recovering from a stroke. The July 20-26 issue of the Shepherd Express had a cover story on the Garfield Street Music Festival, including a photograph of our own Charlie Edwards right at the top of the cover page!
June 2006 -
Thanks are due to the organizers of the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival for inviting Big Johnson and the Thrusters to play on June 24 at the Bank Mutual stage. This is our fifth year at this festival and we enjoy playing it every time. Cedarburg's picturesque downtown is perfectly suited for a festival and it's nice to play outside after a long cold winter. In other news, our friend from the Conway's blues jam, Bob Gunderson, coordinated the entertainment for the Juneau High School closing ceremonies, which took place on June 3. Bob attended Juneau High School and he included several of his friends from the Conway's jam in the event. Charlie Edwards, Gary Lee "Big" Johnson, Dennis Wiskerchen, and Tim Smith were all on hand to entertain and help Bob. The featured guest star of the day was Mr. Lee Gates. Speaking of Lee, on June 14 Lee returned from Huntsville, Alabama having recorded 21 new songs for his third CD on the Music Maker label. The new CD should be available soon. On the Randy's Recording website the featured artist of the month is Holly Brook. Holly worked with Randy Green for 12 years before moving to L.A. a couple of years ago. She is now signed to the Warner Brothers Machine Shop label and her new album "Like Blood Like Honey" was released on June 8, and is in stores now. On May 24 Holly made her debut performance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
May 2006 -
On May 5 Big Johnson and the Thrusters performed live on the "Blues Drive" show on WMSE 91.7 FM for the station's spring fundraiser. Photographs and audio are available in the Photos section of this web site. Milwaukee is fortunate to have a radio station which plays three hours of blues every afternoon from 3-6 p.m. Please visit the WMSE website for more information or to pledge your financial support to a worthy cause. In other news, Martha the bartender has left Conway's to return home to Des Moines, Iowa, having successfully graduated from Marquette University. Her smile and charm will be missed. Jeff Graefe, who moved to Kansas City, Kansas back in March has been playing at blues jams in Kansas City and has now joined a new band called "Bluez57." Jeff has promised to return to Conway's when he visits Milwaukee in late June. Lee Gates is making plans to travel to Huntsville, Alabama soon to record another CD for the Music Maker label. He is planning to have one of the horn players from B. B. King's band playing with him on the new CD!
April 2006 -
Thanks to everyone who came out for the second annual Ed Ross Benefit for Diabetes Research on April 2! Many fine bands shared the bill with Big Johnson and the Thrusters, including, Misha Siegfried, The Stacks Edward Band, and Wise Fools. Ed's family and friends were also on hand to remember their Ed and support a good cause.
On April 22, Big Johnson and the Thrusters were at Randy's Recording in Madison, WI to work on their new CD. Any trip to Randy's is not only fun, but inspirational and exciting as well, and the new CD is exceeding the band's expectations!
The stage at Conway's continues to evolve. Gary has added new lights along the floor of the drum riser shining onto the back wall, which has been painted green. Gary got a new video camera for his birthday and plans to video the jam and project it on the big screen T.V. at Conway's.
Lee Gates' latest CD,"Black Lucy's Deuce" received a nice review in the March/April issue of Living Blues magazine.
March 2006 -
Our good friend Conway Powell has just returned from playing on board a cruise ship for four months, and he has returned to the jam with many tales of his latest adventures. In a few weeks he will ship out again for three more months!
Big Johnson and the Thrusters played at Fat Boy's Road House on March 10 and at the Irish Pub in Cedarburg on March 11. Milwaukee Slim was playing at the Cedarburg Cultural Center, and stopped by the Irish Pub after his gig to sing a few numbers with Big Johnson and the Thrusters. It was a great time for the audience as well as the band! Also sitting in was our friend, Jeff Graef. Jeff has moved to Kansas City. His last night at the jam was March 15. He has made great progress as a guitar player in the last few months of appearing at the jams. We will miss him, and we wish him every success in Kansas City!
February 2006 -
Our good friend, Lee Gates, just got back from playing in Costa Rica for a week! The world is finally according this incredible musician a little of the recognition he has long deserved! Lee's new CD, "Black Lucy's Deuce" is out and available on the Music Maker label. See their website for details.
There is a new blues record label starting up in Milwaukee. It's called"Blues Land." One of the first acts to be signed is our very own Stacks Edward! Congratulations to him! His first CD will be a live album. There are also plans to re-release his most recent studio album, Frame by Frame.
In other news, Jim Richards' 50th birthday party on February 11, was a resounding success. Big Johnson and the Thrusters played as did Jim's other band, Anne's Blue Storm. Milwaukee blues legends Lee Gates and Milwaukee Slim sat in with Big Johnson and the Thrusters for a rousing fun filled night! Look for pictures of the big event on this web site soon! Randy Green of Randy's Recording has been nominated for a Madison Area Music Award for best recording studio! Congratulations to him, and we hope to see him soon!
Riversplash is the first big festival of the summer, and Big Johnson and the Thrusters were in a festive mood for two big nights at Riversplash, playing at a bar called "Dreams Lounge". On Friday night our good friends Tim and Susie Smith, Jeff Arnold, Rockin' Rob Romero, Dog House Doug and the senior Raunchs, Wayne Wasserman, and various members of the Marty Miller Fan Club all dropped by. Tim Smith even got up to play a few of his favorite tunes, including "Feelin' Alright," "If You Love Me Like You Say," "Mary Ann" and "You Can't Judge a Book". The Amazin' Martin Millner tore the place apart with his solo on "Wee Wee Hours" and generally played like a guitar god all night. On Saturday night the crowd was even bigger. The Fabulous Kenny J. from the Blue Wagon Band sat in for a few numbers, including "Jamming with Willie," "Early in the Morning," "Birdnest on the Ground," and everybody's favorite, "Have You Ever Seen A One-Eyed Woman Cry?" Guitar Bo and Father John were also lurking about. There were fireworks displays on both nights, perfect early summer weather, and plenty of food to taste as well. The staff at Dreams are fun-loving friendly people. Go down to Old World Third Street just south of Mader's and stop in there sometime (after you go to Conway's!). You can tell them that Big Johnson sent you!
Last night was birthday night at the jam, and time to wish a happy birthday to Debbie Thatcher, Rockin' Rob Romero, Jim Korn, Dennis Wiskerchen, and Jim Spencer. The evening was full of highlights: Milwaukee Slim dropped by wearing a green outfit, and announced with pride that he has just purchased a matching green guitar to go with it! Jim Spencer turned up his amp and played like a wild man all night long. Milwaukee's favorite summer festival attraction, Sigmund Snowpeck, stopped by to blow some flute with the band. Blues flute is a new instrument for the jam, but it sounded good! Probably the biggest highlight of the night was Little Adam's 15 minute rendition of "Possum". Smash drove that song from start to finish with his crazy drumming. Other fine moments included Oscar, "The Big 'O'", making his vocal debut at the jam; and Lee Gates playing not one but two big sets! Joey Ray Thom also put in an appearance playing his Lee Gates autographed guitar. Just before closing legendary drummer Tom Wilson dropped by along with Little Jimmy and friends. There's great music to be heard in Milwaukee this weekend. Look for Big Johnson and the Thrusters Friday and Saturday at Riversplash, and Fabulous Kenny J. and the Blue Wagon Band, featuring Guitar Bo and Father John, at Conway's on Friday!
Gary Johnson is still on vacation so the inmates have been left in charge of the Conway's asylum for a second week in a row! Milwaukee Slim led off the night with Lee Gates playing guitar behind him. As much wonderful music as these two guys have played at the blues jam, last night's set still stands out as staggeringly great, one of the best performances in the history of the blues jam! Milwaukee Slim is one of the most consistent performers in the blues, and when Lee Gates is at his best, there is simply no one better. Last night's first set energized the whole evening. Later, Karen got up and sang "Give Me One Reason," revealing a talent that has remained hidden too long! Then Frances sang, "It Hurts So Bad," and the band finally played it right! Previously the band had hacked up "It Hurts So Bad," 97 consecutive times! Our old friend Damen White stopped by with his new guitar, and Bob Frost, who we haven't seen since 1947 even came by to play some bass! Cleanhead Mike did a superlative job with assistance from Misha Siegfried while Gary Lee "Big" Johnson was gone on vacation again this week.
Erica returned from wherever it is she goes between appearances at Conway's, which occur about once every six months. It was good to see her, and she brought along her friend Nicolle, who is a fine vocalist. The two make for quite a charismatic pair. Erica first arrived one evening in the very first days of the jam, back when it was held at Pa's Place in West Allis. Here she was, all of about 13 with a big, pink and purple guitar. Very interesting. Now, can she play? Oh yeah! She plugged that baby in and proceeded to knock our socks off! If we ever build a Jam Hall of Fame, Erica will be there along with all the other fine musicians, and good friends we've met along the way! Gary Lee "Big" Johnson is on vacation this week and Cleanhead Mike did an exemplary job of filling in for him. Everyone agreed that Big Johnny should give Cleanhead Mike $50 when he gets back from vacation!
Last night Big Johnson and the Thrusters ventured down to beautiful downtown Kenosha, WI to play at Captain Mike's. The mood was a little subdued at Captain Mike's on Friday, because Captain Mike has sold the bar. The blues loving patrons are worried about the changes that might occur under new ownership. Hopefully, the new owners will be blues lovers, and whatever the new bar will be called it will still keep the blues alive in Kenosha! Nevertheless, everyone's spirits were uplifted in the form of shots all around as the band began to play, and a good time was had by all!
Tim Smith is headed back to Louisiana, at least for awhile. Our best wishes go with him. For those who remember Ed Jr. Gerber, who started out playing at the jam when he was 14 years old, Ed Jr. is now graduating from college! He just gave his senior recital, and after graduation Ed Jr. plans to move to New York and be a big time jazz player. Apparently, Ed Jr. played a guitar at his senior recital that his father, Ed Sr., made for him. Congratulations to Ed Jr., and best of luck in New York!
Last night was the Big Johnson Birthday Extravaganza!
Throngs of well-wishers turned out to wish Big Johnny
a Happy Birthday.
On another note, gentle readers, I have
been writing entries to this jam diary since April 2002!
That's a long time! Sometimes I wonder if people actually
enjoy reading them. As you might have noticed I haven't
been updating them as much now as I once did. Probably
because life tend to intrude on things like that, LOL!
But, anyway, if you like reading the jam diaries (AKA jamblogs!),
and would like to see them continue,
click here
to send email with your thoughts!
It's a romantic image of blues and bars: Walking into a bar late at night on a Wednesday night and unexpectedly there is a band playing. Most of the patrons of the bar have gone home, but the band doesn't seem to notice. They're smoking. This guy named Milwaukee Slim is singing "I'm a Man" dressed in a white cowboy hat and matching boots, with a black vest and a black and white cow hide shirt. Who is this guy? He's great! Then a guy named Lee Gates gets up and plays guitar like he could make it do anything he wanted to. Is this heaven? No! It's the blues jam at Conway's! As this is being written the new California Red CD is playing in the back ground. It's cool! Red isn't too concerned with singing all the right lyrics to his songs. He and his band just want to get down. California Red is a wonderful and distinctive guitar player and a soulful vocalist. His band lays down some nice grooves behind California Red. The Milwaukee blues scene is fortunate to have so much talent. Be sure to check out recent releases from California Red, Lee Gates, Ronn Gilbert, Fabulous Kenny J. and the Blue Wagon Band, and the Stacks Edward Band.
Milwaukee Slim says he's been eating well and enjoying life. He's up to 185 pounds now, and the women tell him he looks like he's only 35 or 40 years old! On February 29, Slim celebrated his birthday. Since he's a "leap baby", he's only had 16 birthdays! Milwaukee Slim and Lee Gates started the night off playing together with energy and enthusiasm like they were both 16 year olds! Who could follow those two guys? George Stancell! A little while later, Stokes played with Delta Blues Hog. Holy Cow! If you'd never heard the blues before you walked into Conway's you'd be a blues fan for life after hearing that crew! The Blue Wagon Band has added Guitar Bo on second guitar. Father John reports that Blue Wagon rehearsed with Guitar Bo for the first time on Tuesday night, and practice went well. After the jam, Misha Siegfried played a CD for us by a guy from Minneapolis named Moses Oakland. Moses Oakland is Misha's hero. There certainly was some fine musicianship on the CD, and it was interesting to hear a little of what goes on in the Minneapolis blues scene.
This weekend was a double-header weekend for Big Johnson and the Thrusters. Friday was a wild night of seeing old friends at Conway's, like Carrie and Jeni, Brian Michaels, Fabulous Kenny J., and Father John, as well as getting re-acquainted with our friends in the Wakefield family. The Wakefield family are purveyors of fine whiskey, if that term may be interpreted liberally. Sometimes we become too closely re-acquainted the Wakefield Family, and trouble ensues! Friday however, Big Johnson remembered all his lyrics and kept his pants on in the face of all adversities. It was a triumphant night! Saturday night Big Johnson and the Thrusters appeared live at Captain Mike's in Kenosha! The waterfront in Kenosha is beautiful these days, and Captain Mike's is a fun place to play with a receptive blues loving audience. The band was feeling slightly chastised from their exertions of the previous night, so the Wakefield family was given the night off. Nonetheless, the joint was rocking down in Kenosha! Captain Mike was banging away on his tambourine with such gusto that he soon required a nap! Thanks to everyone who came out, and a special shout to our new friends Debbie, Dawn and Roberta!
Everyone who comes to the jam is special and contributes to the jam in his or her unique way. It's sad to see a good friend leave. Our friend Mark is moving up north and last night he played his bass at the jam for the last time. He was a great guy, and an inspiring story. For those who don't know, Mark was recovering from a serious injury to his hand when he first started coming down to the jam. Two of his fingers had to be sewed together. He sat quietly by himself for months while his hand recovered. No one even knew he played bass! Then one night his hand was healed enough, and he sat in with the band. He had studied the Blues Brothers record and learned all the bass parts. As the weeks went by, he expanded his repertoire and developed a beautiful and understated style of bass playing. A few weeks ago this comment appeared in the Highlights of the Jam, "Does anybody out there want to put a band together? How about this for a rhythm section: Clean Head Mike on drums, Mark on bass and Guitar Bo on guitar! If you're interested, come to the jam and tell us!" Jim "Thunderbird" Kay was interested in trying to put this band together, but it will have to be without Mark! Best wishes to him! In other news, Guitar Bo is getting married! Best wishes to him! Tom Wilson has been a wonderful drummer in Milwaukee for many years. Last night Tom came down with his son, Alex, and Little Jimmy, who was playing bass. This is a new side of Little Jimmy!
Pee Wee Hayes brought his friend Dr. Longhair with him, and they played a special set for Lindsey, who was celebrating her 22nd birthday at Conway's. At the end of the night Bobby had an interesting observation: Most musicians within the Milwaukee blues community tend to go to the same jams all the time, and therefore they don't know what's going on outside their immediate circle of friends. That's true. Perhaps the blues community would be stronger and richer if all the musicians attended different jams occasionally.
Does anybody out there want to put a band together? How about this for a rhythm section: Clean Head Mike on drums, Mark on bass and Guitar Bo on guitar! If you're interested, come to the jam and tell us! There are lots of good musicians to pick from. Jim Korn hasn't been down to the jam for awhile and last night he was driving the band with his bass playing and sounding better than ever. The version of "Jamming With Willie" Jim played with Craig, Dangerous Dennis and Fabulous Kenny J. brought the crowd to its feet! Jim "Thunderbird" Kay helped Fabulous Kenny J. get started on guitar and watching Kenny play with approval last night refused to accept congratulations for his protégé's progress. "I didn't teach him to do that. That's all him." It's fun to see musicians's talent develop and blossom.
It was birthday week at the jam and that spells good times! Big Johnson cooked up plenty of smoked ribs, and Debbie made some "boiled goobers". That's peanuts boiled in saltwater to you Yankees. Delicious! It was a musically delicious evening as well! Special highlights included George Stancell, getting down with Hump playing the bass. Everything Hump plays is packed with soul, and he inspired George to new heights. Then it was Milwaukee Slim's turn. Sartorially splendid in his forest green cowboy hat and snakeskin boots, and celebrating his birthday, Slim left no doubt that he's a man, baby. That's spelled M-A-N! Besides Milwaukee Slim, there were good birthday wishes for Jim Richards, Stacks Edward, and Sandy Wiskerchen!
Tommy Blood and Jim "Thunderbird" Kay brought their friend Paul down to the jam to play bass with them. It was Paul's first time at the jam. Linda and Dave were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary and we were honored that they chose to come down to Conway's for the blues jam to celebrate! Francis is a fine bartender and a good sport. She came out from behind the bar to sing "It Hurts So Bad" for us. Now if we can just get Ed Ross to sing a song, then we'll be able to advertise singing bartenders at Conway's! The most notable surprise of the night was Luis, who's fairly new to the jam, but played and sang some extraordinary blues, including "Sugar Never Was So Sweet," and "I Just Keep Loving Her". His Spanish accent added an exotic spice to his singing! Later on Milwaukee Slim and Lee Gates combined with Thomas "Hump" Humphreys for an unlikely but potent combination. Hump's funk grooves and Slim's down home style might seem like an odd match, but extraordinary musicians playing sympathetically can produce fascinating results. Slim, Hump and Lee were certainly able to find a groove last night! Kyle celebrated his 21st birthday last night at Conway's. Big Johnson sang "The Birthday Blues" while Wanda's daughter, Passion, danced with Kyle. Happy Birthday to us all!
Last night Debbie's friend Nita came down to the jam. Nita is 82 years old, but quite young at heart and she loves the blues! Think of her as being two years shy of her fourth 21st birthday! What a night of music Nita got to see! Music Maker recording artist Lee Gates played a set with California Red. Lee will be playing a showcase in New York soon set up for him by his record label. A few months after that Lee will be touring Switzerland. Things are happening fast for him! Tom came all the way from Eau Claire, Wisconsin to blow harmonica for us. Misha Siegfried brought his friend Chris to jam on keyboards. These guys got to play with some top blues talent! Delta Blues Hog recently played at Buddy Guy's Legends Club in Chicago, and last night he played a fine set for us. Pee Wee Hayes showed up wearing Bo Diddley's hat, and Pee Wee was playing well too. Stokes was on hand to check out the show. Fabulous Kenny J. claims to have only been playing his guitar in public for a short time, but no one believes him. First of all, it's not wise to believe literally every word that a fast dealing blues hustler tells you, but in Fabulous Kenny J.'s case, he's just too good! Jim "Thunderbird" Kay was back in action last night. Barney played drums for the first time in awhile, and sounded good. It was nice to see Wes and Pete again too! In fact it's always good to see everybody who comes to the jam! Don't forget to check out Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin' Alter Boys on Friday, and the brand new Misha Siegfried Quartet on Saturday at Conway's! Then come back next Wednesday for another big night of blues at the jam! Whoopee!!
How's this for a band: Lee Gates and Reverend Raven on guitar, Ronn Gilbert on bass, Rev's friend, Benny, on cool blues harmonica, and Wild Bill's brother, Desperate Dennis Wiskerchen on drums! What if Charles Hayes, the Delta Blues Hog, came up afterward? What if you could hear an amazing array of talent in between including Stacks Edward, Fabulous Kenny J., and Melissa while you were hanging out with George Stancell, Bobby, the biggest fan in all the blues, various beautiful women, and studly men? What if Gary Lee "Big" Johnson gave you tickets for two free drinks for sitting in with the band, and what if it was all for free? Good news! You can do all this and more every week at Conway's! Life is sweet baby! Misha Siegfried has a new band called simply the Misha Siegfried Quartet. They play experimental blues according to Misha. Doug did a fine job while making his Conway's debut on bass. Sean hadn't been down to the jam for awhile, but he returned last night and was playing well. Do you want to be a cooler guitar player? Get your name stenciled on your guitar like Machine Gun Joe and Stacks Edward!
The final Christmas Party of the holiday season is the raucous and righteous Miss Katie's Diner Christmas Party! Big Johnson and the Thrusters have been thrilled to be a part of this revel for the last three years. Peter Pitch and the gang at Katie's put together another splendid party this year, and since everyone knows this is a great party, the place was packed for the third year in a row! Many of our friends from Conway's were on hand, including Ed and Karyn Ross, Brad Brewer, Doghouse Doug Raunch, Tammy, Paul, Francis, Jewel, Al and Kirsten, and from the Blue Wagon Band, Father John, and the Fabulous Kenny J! The band played the "Birthday Blues" for Big Rick, David and Nancy, and Larry Sullivan came up and sang a rockin' version of "Mustang Sally". Audience participation helps the spirit of the party, so Big Johnny really worked his show, singing "Mojo" for 10 or 15 minutes or more, working his way up and down the bar, sticking his microphone in people's faces for them to sing, and drinking the shots that people kept buying for him. In fact, people kept buying shots for the whole band! That's our kind of crowd! It was a lovely night to celebrate Christmas in January.
Happy New Year! As this is being written the new Lee Gates CD is playing in the background. It's called "Lee Gates and the Alabama Cotton Kings." The greatest guitar player in the state of Wisconsin cuts loose with plenty of hot blues guitar. The back cover photo and one of the inner photos were even taken at Conway's! (Another cool inner photo shows Lee wearing a suit and holding his guitar while standing in a cotton field!) This fine CD can be purchased here: Musicmaker Store Please also visit Lee's label here: Music Maker Relief Organization Congratulations Lee! Congratulations are also due to Ronn Gilbert and the Barbecue Gang on the release of their new CD, "Return of the Magnificent Sevenths". This CD features some spicy grooves, (Clyde Stubbefield of "give the drummer some" fame is the drummer), and plenty of Ronn Gilbert's hilariously skewed view of the world. Our old friend, Kelly McGowan, even gets several harmonica features! It's great to see such high quality releases from members of the Milwaukee Blues community! As if all that weren't enough, the Stacks Edward Band's new live CD will be released soon! Thanks to all the jammers who came down last night. Pee Wee Hayes did a wonderful set, as did Milwaukee Slim. See you next week!
Saturday night was another wild night in Cedarburg. Cars were slipping and sliding off the road and into the ditch. Everyone arrived at MacBear's safely, and the sick boys, Big Johnny and Pate, bolstered themselves at the bar in preparation for another raucous evening. The Thrusters had to play more songs without Big Johnny to rest his voice, so it was frequently an "experimental" evening. Merry Christmas to all our friends, and thank you for your support in 2003! It has been a great year, and 2004 looks like it will be even better! Don't miss it!
The annual Conway's Christmas Party was Friday night. There was food, good friends and Big Johnson dressed up as Jolly Old Saint Nick! Santa/Gary has pneumonia and Pate was sick too, but they triumphed over their respective diseases to keep the party rocking. When Gary's voice was gone and he had to sit down Lee Gates came up and played a couple tunes. Then there was a brief all-star jam interlude featuring Clean Head Mike, Tim Smith, Fabulous Kenny J., Rockin' Rob Romero, Stacks and Charlie Edwards, and Misha. Other luminaries in attendance included, Dog House Doug Raunch, Marty's sister, Doris, Rex, Jim Korn, and from the King Solomon band, Terry Tanger and his lovely wife Jill, along with Mark and Natalie. Soon the Thrusters were back with Pate singing most of Big Johnson's vocals. Big Johnny kept popping up from time to time to croak out a song, because he couldn't bear to hear someone else singing his part!
Ronn Gilbert stopped by before the jam to drop off a copy of his new CD, "The Magnificent Sevenths." Congratulations to him! Also congratulations to Tall Mike. Tall Mike Productions is now an LLC and "Battle of the Jammers" is now a copyrighted name. Tall Mike will be holding his "Battles of the Jammers" in Racine, Madison, and Chicago in 2004 as well as at Summerfest in Milwaukee. It seems like just yesterday that Tall Mike came down to Conway's as a neophyte jammer, and now he's an impressario! Tall Mike brought Vic Thomas from Summerfest down to the jam, and all the jammers got a chance to make an impression while Vic Thomas was there. Francis made her Conway's live performance debut on guitar, and was received with great acclaim. Pee Wee Hayes and Lee Gates played stellar sets, and Miss Shana Jackson's band played a lovely showcase set to end the evening.