She's Back...

SHANNON CURFMAN HITS THE STAGE….
By Mark Fredell

Wednesday afternoon I got home from work and as I usually do I turned on the old computer and checked my email(s) and surfed around a bit. While I was checking in on my My-space page (yes I am one of the masses), I came across a rather intriguing bulletin posting that read like this:

SURPRISE SHOW!
If you happen to be near Shaw's Bar and Grill in Minneapolis tomorrow (Thursday) evening located at 1528 University Ave. N.E. around 9:00 you should stop on in. I hear someone and her band will be doing a surprise pre-tour show :o)

It was from my old friend Shannon Curfman.
Many of you may remember Shannon from some 8 years ago when she hit the local scene at the tender age of 13 as one of the next “big things” to come out of the Fargo meets Minneapolis music world. A friend of Jonny Lang, Shannon even then was an emotive soulful singer, she did hit it big, signing to Arista Records, touring the world with the likes of Aerosmith, BB King, Buddy Guy and others, even scoring a TV concert special ( I think on the family channel). Then things took a turn and she fell off the radar. There were issues with the label(s), artist integrity, boyfriends, you know the usual stuff that every 14, 15, 16.… your old girl goes thru. Well now it’s 2006, Shannon turned 21 in July, has a new band, is working with an independent label and is about to hit the road for the first time in close to 6 years. It has been a whirlwind ride for this very talented young lady but she seems to have kept things together pretty well and yes the Shannon Curfman Band played a surprise show at Shaw’s in Nord-East Thursday August 17.
Now of course she did come through town a few months back on a short tour sharing a double bill with another young female singer song writer named Lennon, but that show was simply a sit down two guitar affair for Miss. Curfman. This one on the other hand was the first time in front of an audience for her new band before hitting the road (actually as I write this) for shows that will take them from coast to coast now thru mid November. They’ll be playing festivals and clubs in towns from California to New Jersey, North Dakota to Florida even coming back to the cities for a show at Bunkers in October. They used the opportunity at Shaw’s to kind of work off the first show jitters and try some of the new material in front of a mostly familiar and friendly crowd. All in all it was a fun night, they did just one set about 90 minutes long and I must say Shannon’s voice seems a strong and expressive as ever, her guitar playing is even better than before and the new band is really pretty good. They seem to get along well and it shows that Shannon is in charge. There was nothing flashy or fancy just some catchy bluesy rock tunes old and new and maybe 70 people there to listen. It was good to see her on stage again I hope things keep going in the right direction for this nice young lady and once again I will be able to say I knew her when. Good Luck Shannon!

Another Elder Statesman of the BLUES.

It Ain’t Nothing But A Party.
Story and photo’s by Mark Fredell

August 1st 2006, It was hot and steamy in the mid west the air was thick like you were walking thru a damp sponge. I had made the trip from my place in Saint Paul Minnesota down to Chicago the day before and man was it ever sweltering, this nation wide heat wave was showing no signs of loosening it’s grip anytime soon. Chicago was very near 100 degrees with lots of humidity and the night ahead promised to be even hotter, I was in town for this night and this night only as it was the celebration of Buddy Guys 70th birthday. I knew it would be busy but had hopes (un answered hopes as it turned out) that the AC in Legends would be up to the task; NOPE… I arrived with my brother-in-law Marquel Jordan at about 10 minutes before 8 and the place was already filling up and hot. Quel (Marquel) is the tenor sax player and sometimes singer for Brother John (Kattke) Band. And as one of the two host bands for the Legends Monday night blues jam they were invited to be the house band for the party this night. I found myself a spot near a column with a small ledge enough for the plate of food I eventually ordered and stood there and sweated. As Marquel and the band got set up the crowd grew thicker and the room got warmer, then at 9 o’clock it was show time and they began, brother John is a solid guitar player, though he toured with Buddy as the keyboard player on the Damn Right I Got the Blues Tour back in the early 90’s he’s also a pretty good singer, they stuck to mostly straight bar room blues for the first few numbers then in the middle of a song, The man of the hour took to the stage strapped on his black and white poke-a-dot strat and they cut deep into Muddy Waters ‘She’s Nineteen Years Old’. then there were two more slow blues and Buddy thanked everyone for coming out to help celebrate his birthday. He seemed genuinely moved saying that for a while he never thought he’d make it this long. He closed by stating “Ah man, I don’t want to play right now I just wanna go down stairs and get high.” He left the stage and disappeared to the dressing rooms; only to emerge a short time later and greet some of his well wishers. The band continued to play, John pulled Marquel to the vocal mic and he cut loose on some classic soul tunes, some Al Green, King Floyd and others, then it was time for the first break. Brother John asked for Buddy to return to the stage and they brought out a huge cake, the whole room sang the birthday song, he blew out the candles and a lovely waitress in the house brought him his present (from the staff) a custom painted Fender Strat with his image, the Chicago skyline, some classic club signs and more painted on it, as well as his name in flaming lettering in the frets of the neck. Buddy seemed to tear up a bit as he thanked every once again. By this time Koko Taylor was in the house sitting in the VIP area, also in attendance were Wayne Baker Brooks, Nick Moss, Mathew Skoller and other Chicago blues veterans. As the staff was serving up cake there was mixing and mingling, Buddy took up a seat at the front of the bar and signed autographs, then after a while the Brother John Band retook the stage and it wasn’t long before the birthday boy was back up, guitar in hand, singin’ and playing with passion and intensity that only he Buddy Guy can conjure. After another three songs he was off again, and the band tore through another fine set of blues and soul keeping the room grinning from ear to ear. At the midway point of this second set both Skoller and Moss were invited up and they played some very satisfying straight (no chaser) Chicago blues. Skoller blew some tasty harmonica while Moss’ guitar was in the pocket. As the second set wrapped up, the crowd began to thin a bit and before to long Buddy himself departed for the night, leaving perhaps a hundred or so diehards in the room to soak up one more stellar set from Brother John and company, the highlight of which had to be Marquel’s awe inspiring version of Sam Cooks ’A Change Is Going To Come’ the band wound down just past 1:00am and as I hung out for them to pack up, the temperature in the room was finally approaching bearable though the heat generated from the stage is what has left the biggest imprint in my mind. To be able to share in the reaching of such a milestone for some one that is arguably one of the most important members of the blues world is a memory that will stay with me forever. Happy 70th Buddy Guy and here’s a wish for many more years ahead for you.

It was a great surprise

Ron Thompson gets and gives a surprise.
Story and Photo’s by Mark Fredell

You may not know the name Ron Thompson but if you’re a fan of the blues of the past 30 years the odds are good you’ve heard him play. Based in the bay area of California since the mid 70’s Ron has played with, recorded with, and simply shared space with some pretty heavy hitters over the past 4 decades. He spent a few years in the early eighties touring and recording with John Lee Hooker, he’s also worked with Santana and Mark Hummel to name just two others, and was for a brief time in a (side project) band with Mick Fleetwood (yes that Mick Fleetwood). Well like so many others, I was (until August 5th ) one of the many that had read is name in the liner notes of countless recordings but had never seen him in person before this show.
And what a show it was. Originally slated as a double bill with another Bay area guitarist Ron Hacker; Hacker unfortunately was under the weather and couldn’t make the trip, but Thompson and his band the Resistors made up for it in spades. Starting off solo with his acoustic guitar (pick-up literally duct tapped in place) Ron and the guys performed with an inspired fervency. A passionate and energetic performer, Ron dances and moves with almost reckless abandon. Not only playing guitar, but piano and harmonica, at times all at once. He’s a good singer too. The music was a blend of straight blues with lot’s of slide ala Elmore James, J.B. Hutto and Robert Nighthawk to some solid roots rockers from the likes of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis to the Blasters and even a rendering of the Mink DeVille inspired ‘Cadillac Walk’. They played (mostly) fast and hard, slowing the tempo only a few times during their first 2 sets. Set one ran just over 90 minutes which anyone that frequents the clubs these days knows is a long one, then within about 15 minutes they were back at it hitting just as hard for set 2, rockin’ & rollin’ till about 5 minutes before midnight. At this point the majority of the audience figured it was over and headed out the door, which as it turned out was a BIG mistake, after a very brief 5 minute break Ron and the Resistors took the stage one more time. During the first song I had to, well lets say ‘take care of some business’ and while I was indisposed that first song ended and I could hear Ron talking to the people though I couldn’t make out what he was saying. So imagine my surprise as I came back into the show room to see not just Thompson and his band on stage but also Chris Isaak and half of his band as well. Lime green outfit, guitar in hand singin’ an old blues rocker. Chris and his guys who one by one hit the stage until you had both bands filling it sang and danced and played for a full half hour then like in a flash of light they were gone. Ron thanked everybody for coming out and the evening ended. What a great surprise. Ron Thompson and the Resistors were great. And to be treated to a star the magnitude of Isaak in such a setting made it a doubly good treat.