Crawdaddy.

The week before last nearly killed me. Last week was tough but I started to get things sorted out. I was pretty tired out by the end of it, though.

I suspect that a night of skankin' in Watford may not have helped. On the other hand that may be what saved me.

Friday night and I sank down into a chair at The Barley Mow, Shepperton for an evening of traditional British rythym and blues.

I was watching 'Crawdaddy', a good choice of name. A Crawdaddy is an American Signal Crayfish, like a miniature freshwater lobster and good food in the southern states.

Here, we have a weak and wimpy British Crayfish that has been all but wiped out by it's ruff 'n tuff American cousin. We are banned from catching or moving them without a license but you never know what we get up to in the Thames Valley.

It's become a shorthand for the blues as well and in the early 1960's the famous 'Crawdaddy club' opened in Richmond and a long list of the greats of R 'n B played there including the Rollin' Stones (the spelling tells you that was still the Stones in their great days, when Brian Jones was still playing with them)

These Crawdaddies were recreating those sounds - The Stones, The Kinks, Muddy Waters - a whole host of the greats.

They were always at their best on traditional blues - their harp player shone when he stuck to his harp and that set the excellent lead guitarists smile off.

The last number was a completely unexpected version of Led Zeppelin's 'Communication Breakdown', at high volume and with vocals right at the edge - that was good.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact: neilweithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

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Blue Thursday.

Thursday night which is when I should have been up in town supporting comrades at a meeting, saw me stuck at home instead. Miserable.

By the time I’d got everything sorted out and in spite of being ill, I headed to The Riverside Club in Staines for a special night of the Blues – fitting really.

 

 This is the legendary ‘Papa George’ and the equally legendary Mickey Moody – here Mickey (on the right) is playing a mean slide guitar.

It was a very full house, not least because George’s fairly slow, thoughtful blues is popular but also because this was a special night to thank the flood volunteers and anyone from the services who helped.

 

This is George on the steel guitar – he also had a classic steel’un which wasn’t shiny like this one.

It was classic blues too, played brilliantly and understated; John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson – you know the kind of thing. But also there was J.J.Cale and Tom Waits and some Peter Green - a good mix for my blue Thursday.

Friday and the sun is shining. For old times sake I’m going to go round taking some pictures of the retreating waters.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact; neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Paul Cox and The Proof.

Thursday afternoon I got one of those really good phone calls – good blood test result from MDU meaning no more big fat injections in the stomach every morning. Just as well, the bruises were starting to join up. I could post a photo...no really it would be no trouble at all....are you sure you don't? Oh well it's up to you.

To celebrate I spent the evening at ‘my club’, that’s the Staines Riverside club, formerly The Ex-Servicemen’s Club. Odd really, it's hard to come up with an army that would ever have had me, except perhaps for The Red Army. Anyway it’s strictly no dancing for me, for the while.

  I was there to see ‘The proof’ and their fine Bluesman on vocals, Paul Cox;

 

 

 It was an evening of classic British Blues favourites like ‘A change is gonna come’ and John Mayall’s ‘Walking on Sunset’. Fine foot tapping stuff although I’m having to take care which foot I tap these days. Frankie Miller’s name was checked for ‘Be good to yourself’ along with several mentions of the great Peter Green.

‘Ain’t no love in the heart of the city’, gave all of us a chance for a singsong but the star was Paul Cox and his gravelly, bluesy voice.

 

 

Great lead blues guitar, keyboards, drums and bass. I’m going to be lazy and just reprint the biography from the bands own site;

THE PROOF features the following musicians:

Paul Cox – vocals

Roger Cotton, keys and producer

Peter Stroud, drums

Nigel Hardy, bass

Mike Summerland, guitars

 

Paul Cox is one of the best showmen and singers around today. Equally at home with Soul and Blues songs, and more than capable of Rockin’ it up, he has been described by DJ and Blues Band legend Paul Jones as having “ one of the best voices in the UK.” Paul has an impressive track record, playing with great guitar players including Snowy White, Ray Minhinnett, Henry McCulloch, the late John Slaughter, and recently French guitarist Chrlie Fabert. Paul is a regular at venues and festivals across the UK and Europe , including Montreux, Ronnie Scott’s, the London Palladium, and the Royal Festival Hall. He has opened for some of the greatest artists in the world, including Ray Charles and Eric Clapton, and sung with Paul Rogers, Bonnie Tyler, Sam Brown, Ruby Turner, and Debbie Bonham.

 

Roger A Cotton (born 1946 in Bromley, Kent) is a musician, singer, songwriter, producer and engineer. He plays keyboards and guitar. Cotton first played in his father’s band at the age of 13. In the 1970s and 1980s he was a member of Peter Green’s Splinter Group, The Clockwork Orange, The Bandwagon, and The Brothers Grim where he met longtime collaborator Alan Glen. Cotton is currently the keyboard player in the Buddy Whittington Band. Cotton, when a member of Peter Green Splinter Group, wrote some of the band’s songs, including “Big Change” and “Real World”. He played keyboard and guitar with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Paul Jones, Carlos Santana, Papa George Blues Band, Soul Survivor, The Paul Cox Band, and with Buddy Whittington. He has also written and recorded with Eric Bibb, Dr. Feelgood, The Barcodes, Incredible Blues Puppies, The Downliner Sect, Sonny Black and Derek Nash. He has also made various appearance on television in the United States, Europe and Japan. He is the owner of Roundel Studios in Horton Kirby, Kent, where many musicians have recorded.

 

Mike Summerland. Mike has worked in the music industry for almost forty years. During his career he has worked with many artists such as: Georgie Fame, William Bell, Graham Lyle (Gallagher and Lyle), The Marvelettes, Doris Troy, Willie Tee, Al Jackson and Blodwyn Pig to name but a few. Mike and Paul first met in 1987 and formed a band called “The Messengers” which only lasted a few months, but the friendship was formed out of that time. Since 1999, Mike and Paul have worked regularly together gigging, recording and writing for various projects.

 

Nigel Hardy is one of the most renowned and respected bass players today. His sound is instantly recognisable, giving weight and substance to the variety of music with which he’s been associated over the years. His first major gig was with this country’s finest blues harp player, the great Paul Jones. After which, he spent many years in the United States, honing his craft with great musicians from The Mick Jagger and Bryan Adams Bands. On returning to England, he worked with Robert Palmer. Over the years, he has toured extensively throughout Britain and Europe as bass player/musical director, with American Blues Artists including Phil Guy, Johnny Rawls, Deitra Farr, Andrew “Junior Boy” Jones, U.P. Wilson and many more. He is now proud to be a member of THE PROOF.

And it’s all true – Peter Green created Fleetwood Mac when it was a real blues band. Check out the heads up for ‘The Downliner Sect’, a fabulous 1960’s bluesband. And then there’s Dr Feelgood and Georgie Fame.

Great evening, good sounds.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)