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Bev
Rehkop |
Bev Rehkop By Tom
Ineck Bev Rehkop
envisions the drama and excitement of a
live jazz performance as moments magically
frozen in time. Combining her love of jazz
and photography, she has realized her
vision, becoming one of Kansas City's most
familiar and well-respected jazz
photographers. "I've
always loved jazz, even when I was in high
school, and I'm not a young person. I was
back in the days when Dave Brubeck was
beginning. Everybody else was listening to
Elvis, and I was listening to Dave
Brubeck." Rehkop has
what you might call a "photographic
mind." "When I
look at something, I see it stopping the
action," she said in a phone interview
from her home in Prairie Village, Kan.
"With blues and jazz, I always thought it
would be so much fun to stop the action
and capture the emotion of the moment. I
didn't know exactly how to do it, but I've
been interested in photography for about
the last 20 years." She hadn't
done much action photography, however,
until a film processor told her about the
high-speed, black-and-white film that
would allow her to freeze on-stage action,
even under the low-light conditions
prevalent in jazz clubs. In 1993, a
jazz vespers service at a local church
provided Rehkop her first opportunity to
shoot musicians in performance. The photos
turned out so well that she peddled them
to The Phoenix Bar and Grill downtown. Her
photographs also hang in Jardine's and The
Phoenix at Ameristar Casino, where more
than 40 of her framed photos are
displayed. With her
camera and equipment in tow, Rehkop began
frequenting K.C. clubs on weekends, even
though most of her suburban friends and
family thought that was a bit odd. Her
stops included venues past and present,
such as The Tuba, The Drum Room,
Jardine's, The Blue Room and The Phoenix.
"I just
started photographing jazz musicians as
they were performing," she said. She
gradually got acquainted with the
performers, and they began to accept her
almost as one of the band. Her respect for
the artists helped her enter that inner
circle. If a musician does not know her,
she asks permission to shoot the
performance, and she uses a flash only
when necessary. Rehkop has
a fulltime job, so photography still is a
part-time pursuit and a labor of
love. "I've
never wanted to make money at it," she
said. "When you're photographing action,
you have to photograph a lot to get one
good picture, especially in a lighting
environment. I shoot a lot, and if I get
three or four good shots out of a roll,
that's really good." Her photos
grace the liner notes of CDs by such jazz
artists as Karrin Allyson, Mike Metheny,
Gary Sivils, Gerald Spaits, Pete Eye and
Interstring, and some also use her images
in their promotional materials. Many of
her photos also have appeared in the K.C.
Jazz Ambassadors JAM magazine. Rehkop
especially enjoys shooting the K.C.
musicians that most intrigue her as a
listener, including trumpeter Metheny,
pianists Paul Smith, bassist Bob Bowman,
drummer Todd Strait, the group Interstring
and Gerald Spaits' progressive Westport
Art Ensemble. Incidentally,
for you camera buffs, Rehkop uses a
20-year-old manual Nikon with a 35-105
zoom lens. She has a few tips on shooting
live performances without being
intrusive. "I sit on
the floor a lot. I try to get below the
line of vision or off to the side. Or, I
will only shoot for a moment, and then get
out of the way. Sometimes, I will wait
until the last set, when a lot of people
are gone, or I'll go on an
off-night." Cory Biggerstaff By Tom
Ineck Bassist
Cory Biggerstaff became a member of the
Lincoln Symphony while still a junior at
Southeast High School. He plays regularly
with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and with
small combos at several venues,
occasionally leading his own outfits.
He made it
through the undergraduate music education
program at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln in just four years,
instead of the usual five. He then taught
instrumental music at Calvert and Maxey
elementary schools in Lincoln. At 23, his
impressive growth and maturity as a
musician has not gone unnoticed, either in
his hometown or beyond. He has been a
first-call jazz bassist in the
Lincoln-Omaha area for several years, and
this fall he will attend DePaul University
in Chicago on a scholarship, pursuing a
master's degree in jazz performance with
bassist Kelly Sill. Biggerstaff
points to a long line of mentors who got
him to this point in his young life.
Educated in the Lincoln Public Schools, he
began his association with the bass in the
fifth grade. "It was
either going to be the bass or the
bassoon," he recalled in a recent
interview. "They said I didn't have large
enough hands for the bassoon, so they put
me on violin because they didn't have a
bass there to try. So I had to play violin
for a couple weeks before they could get a
bass. I gravitated to the low (range)
instruments." As luck
would have it, bassist Mike Swartz taught
at Holmes Elementary School, where the
young student attended. Biggerstaff soon
began taking private lessons with Swartz,
the first of several important influences
on his development as a bassist and
all-around musician. He continued with
Swartz through high school, getting
important lessons in fundamentals, in
musicality and playing in all registers.
The first
few years were spent learning the
rudiments and playing in school bands and
orchestras. "I didn't
even play jazz until I was in the eighth
grade. Jazz band was kind of the cool
thing to do, and a lot of my friends were
in it. But the parts were all written
out." Like most
young jazz hopefuls, he would learn about
improvisation in heat-of-the-moment jam
sessions that occasionally were staged at
local bars. When he was a freshman at
Leffler Junior High, the place was Huey's
in downtown Lincoln. The Berman Music
Foundation hosted a weekly jam there, and
thatís where Biggerstaff started
hanging out with some of his
elders. "It was
Nancy Marshall who was leading it. She was
playing piano, and thatís the first
time that I ever played jazz. She taught
me how to read changes. I would kind of
fake my way through it. She dragged me
through the songs, then I got a little
more confidence." Biggerstaff
also is quick to credit his parents. His
mom is a registered nurse and his father
is co-owner of Biggerstaff Plumbing,
Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. His
father was especially helpful, offering
encouragement, support and an occasional
bad review to prod him toward excellence
in those early, formative
years. "He was my
worst critic," Cory said. "He'd let me
know if it was wrong. He was a musician
when he was younger. He was in a pretty
famous local band called The Prior
Associates. He and his older brother were
the trumpet players in that band. He was
the first one to tell me about the form of
the tune and to listen to the
bridge." At Lincoln
Southeast High School, Biggerstaff met
band director R.J. Metteer. "His forte
is in jazz, but he's definitely studied a
lot. We had some great players in the
band, and he would force us to do things
that we didn't want to, that we weren't
comfortable with. I'm not a comfortable
with playing bass guitar, so he would
always make me solo, even in the
concerts. Metteer
also gave the best players some leadership
responsibility by splitting the band into
smaller combos. Along the way, Biggerstaff
also picked up pointers from bassist Will
Clifton of the Omaha Symphony and Rusty
White, longtime bass instructor at
UNL. "Will
Clifton is by far the most intense
musician I've ever studied with," he said.
"He kind of took my playing apart and said
exactly what I needed to fix to get
better. Rusty was my first jazz teacher.
Before that, it had been just kind of
trial and error. He was the first one to
actually make me write out bass lines and
transcribe solos, and we would talk about
improvisation and theory." As he
became more confident, he began getting
calls for gigs with area musicians many
years his senior, including pianist Tom
Larson, saxophonist Bill Wimmer, pianist
John Carlini and saxophonist Scott
Vicroy. "It's such
a close, small group," he said. "Everyone
knows everyone and everyone's really cool,
really good friends." When he
graduated from UNL last year, Biggerstaff
was undecided about his future in
music. "I wanted
to go to grad school, but not right away,"
he said. "I taught for a year at the
public schools." Playing jazz only at
occasional night gigs, he began to
consider a jazz performance degree. After
he and a friend caught a concert by the
DePaul Jazz Orchestra at the Jazz Showcase
in Chicago, he decided to
audition. When he
heads to DePaul University, Biggerstaff
follows in the footsteps of other former
Lincolnites, including trumpeter Nate
Wolcott and drummer Chris
Varga. Four years
working at Homer's record stores in
Lincoln gave Biggerstaff plenty of
opportunities to check out music.
His
favorite recording by a bassist is Ray
Brown's "Live in Montreal," but he also
lists Charles Mingus, Eddie Gomez, Jaco
Pastorius and Victor Wooten among his
favorite players. He also cites the Brad
Mehldau Trio for its tight interaction and
its unique "broken swing'
style. At the
rate he's developing, it shouldn't be too
long before Biggerstaff has a recording of
his own to talk about. K.C. scores
another hit on latest visit
south By
Butch Berman Grace's
and my last trip to K.C. was a blast.
Eatin' and hangin' with Steve Irwin and Jo
Boehr at Zin, takin' in Bobby Watson and
Horizon at the fab Blue Room, groovin' on
the new sounds of the Westport Art
Ensemble and marveling at the continuing
evolution of the 18th and Vine Jazz Museum
and the Negro Baseball Museum in the same
confines. Outside of
being disappointed at the current rundown
condition of my old fave, the Savoy Hotel
(hey, the Grille's still cool, especially
if the legendary waiter Bob is waitin' on
you), I wondered if our next trip south
would be as fun. Well-yup,
another gasser indeed. The music awaiting
us might now have carried the same
intensity of Bobby's amazing performance,
but emotionally it couldn't top our second
Missouri adventure. For
starters, we opted to stay at the Historic
Suites, about a block from the Savoy but a
whole different story. For not much more
dough, you get a beautiful New York
loft-style apartment with off-street
parking and better security, plus a great
free breakfast buffet. I'd
visited the Majestic at 931 Broadway to
hear Russ Long several years ago, but
never truly caught the whole package until
this trip. We enjoyed great service,
incredible food with a superb wine
selection and great sight lines for the
jazz lover, whether you're dining alone
just to hear the music or with a large
group. One of the
best duos in town, my friend pianist Joe
Cartwright and new BMF consultant Gerald
Spaits on bass, were gigging that evening,
sounding fab as always with a new grand
piano. In all, it's a hot spot not to be
missed. Call for information and
reservations at (816) 471-8484. There is
live jazz nightly. You can
also catch Joe and Gerald with either
percussionist Gary Helm or trumpet master
and old pal Stan Kessler at the Fairmont
Hotel, among other venues. You get the
story. K.C. has lots of grand options, but
the main event is yet to come. The Scamps
are a K.C. tradition, originating in the
'40s with most members still alive and
kicking. It's a true people's band, always
out to please their multitude of loyal
fans, yet never sacrificing their musical
integrity. No matter what groove
theyíre in-jazz, blues, swing, a
little rock -n- roll-it will all be
performed with style and pizzazz. The
original Scamps included bassist and
vocalist Oscar "Lucky" Wesley; drummer,
trumpeter and vocalist Orestie "Rusty"
Tucker; the late Jimmy "Coots" Dye on
keyboards; sax legend Arthur Jackson; and
leader and lead vocalist Earl Robinson.
Later Scamps included pianist Rudy
Massingale and guitarist Wyatt Griffin,
among others. They cut
an LP in the '60s entitle Earl Robinson
and the Scamps Live at the Sni-Blue
Lounge, Vol. 1. I'm proud to say I own a
sealed copy of this historic piece of
vinyl. However, in the mid-'80s the Scamps
cut another LP that, for a variety of
reasons, stayed on the shelf. Then last
year my friend and new consultant Steve
Irwin decided that, because the original
tape was in danger of deteriorating, he
would formulate a plan involving his new
position at Marillac, a nonprofit medical
center for mentally challenged children.
He would raise funds to produce this lost
record and in turn bring revenue to this
important cause. Thus, the
BMF helped make this a reality. A CD
release party was held at the Phoenix, and
a street out front was named Scamps Alley.
What a night, what a band and what a great
cause! The emotional charge of seeing
these great old guys still blowin', so
proud and happy to be alive and
appreciated so much, caused more than a
few to shed a tear or two, but your feet
could never stop tapping. Check out my
review of the new CD, Timeless, in this
issue and dig our pictorial of this fab
night. When in K.C., and the Scamps are
playing, it's a must to check them out,
pay tribute to these fine gentlemen and be
enchanted by their timeless
charm. I couldn't
end this story without mentioning a new
project the Berman Music Foundation
recently became involved with, thanks to
the urging of my consultants Gerald Spaits
and Steve Irwin, who referred me to Kansas
City Star writer Steve Penn. Penn just
formed Coda, an organization to help cover
the funeral expenses of Kansas City
musicians who have fallen on hard times.
The BMF was moved by the unfortunate
situations that befall so many and agreed
to offer an endowment fund of $1,000
annually for the indefinite future,
depending on the success of this noble
effort. If interested, contact Steve Penn
at the K.C. Star. It's a good thing. Friends of
Jazz By
Butch Berman Since I
plan to marry a gorgeous Nigerian woman,
Grace Gandu, I am proud to mention the
nonprofit organization the Nigerian
Umbrella. Founded by
Edward Blagogee, Clement Anginah, Joseph
Akpan, Hamilton Green and Grace Gandu to
bring together the ever-growing Nigerian
population in Lincoln, the group gives
their people a voice and revolving meeting
places to share, eat, dance and drum and
celebrate their African-Nigerian heritage
and lend support to each other.
New
arrivals later become hosts themselves,
helping to establish a tight network
connection between them, our community and
their native homeland. For more
information on the Umbrella, contact the
BMF office and leave a message. Among the
special guests who attended a recently
celebration were Nigerian dignitary, civil
engineer and new friend Ephraim Sambo, his
wife, Laraba, and daughter, K.C.; my
"brother," New York consultant and ace
percussionist Norman Hedman and a new
arrival to Lincoln from Ghana, Michael
Apoku, who played drums with Norman at the
party. Michael has his own group, Ashanti,
which works in Lincoln and surrounding
areas, and he recently released a CD, Soca
Viruso. Berman Music
Foundation funds first Topeka Jazz
Festival Academy By Tom
Ineck TOPEKA,
Kan. - Young musicians from four area high
schools participated in the first TJF
All-Star Academy, sponsored by the Berman
Music Foundation. Directed
by renowned drummer and clinician Joe
Ascione, the academy was conducted May 24,
the day before the start of the 2002
Topeka Jazz Festival. The elite six member
faculty was comprised of festival artists
Ken Peplowski on clarinet and tenor sax,
Dan Barrett on trombone and horns, Rod
Fleeman on guitar, Ted Rosenthal on piano,
Jay Leonhart on bass and Ascione on drums.
Trumpeter Mike Bennett also sat in on some
of the master classes. Students
from Topeka High School, Hayden High
School, Seaman High School and Washburn
Rural High School attended the daylong
academy and performed at a free evening
concert also featuring the faculty
players. Students were grouped with
faculty members according to the
instruments they play and were put through
the paces in an intensive series of
workshops. TJF
All-Star Academy Participating students
included Brandon
Holloman, alto sax; At the
evening concert, attended by about 375
people, the young musicians performed
"Cherokee," "Kansas City," "Misty," "Song
for My Father" and "Take the 'A'
Train." With its
financial support of the academy, the BMF
acknowledged the organizers' stated goal
"to cultivate the preservation of jazz and
to enrich its cultural value in our
community by reaching out to the next
generation of jazz players and listeners
through youth education
programs." The 2002
TJF All-Star Academy was a good start to a
worthwhile cause. My Story:
The Beginning of the Boogie
Kings By
Doug Ardoin I had been
listening to music by Jimmy Reed, Fats
Domino, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, B. B.
King, and others, and had decided I was
gonna learn to play that kind of music and
start a band. I practiced every day during
that summer. Thatís the one and
only time the Boogie Kings were a one-man
band. I'm not
sure what the neighbors thought about my
musicianship, but I know the dogs in the
neighborhood loved it. We sang duets
everyday. I finally moved from the outdoor
kitchen into the house. It was a lot
cooler in the house. I think thatís
when the neighbors quit calling the
cops. After
testing the water with my own singing, I
realized that if I was going to start a
band, I needed a singer big time. Friends
of mine told me about this guy, Harris
Miller, who played guitar and sang. I met
with Harris, and he and I started learning
songs and developing arrangements. Harris
would sing and strum, and I'd do the
picking (we were both grinning).
After a
few months of this, Bert Miller approached
us. He told us he was a drummer and wanted
to play in our band. Harris and I said
"WHAT, who is this kid?" Bert turned out
to be one of the best drummers and singers
the Boogie Kings ever had. Now we were off
and running - playing youth center gigs
and a nightclub once in a while. It wasn't
long after that we added saxophonist Byron
Launey and bassist Skip
Stewart. By the
time I was 16 in 1956, I had organized the
Boogie Kings and we were playing gigs in
nightclubs on a regular basis. We played
weekends during the school year and every
night we could during the summer. By 1960,
Norris Badeaux, Brian Leger and Mike
Pollard made up the horn
section. I put
myself through college playing music, and
got a B.S. degree in physics from the
University of Southwestern Louisiana in
the summer of '63. That summer, the guys
in the band wanted to play full time. That
wasn't what I wanted, and since I had my
degree and was going to go to work in my
field, I handed over leadership of the
band to Harris Miller. I quit the
band, as did Bert Miller. He and I took
over a band called the Swing Kings. We
played weekends. It wasn't long after that
I quit the Swing Kings and went to work as
a physicist in New Orleans. During my stay
in New Orleans, I played with a band
called The Milestones and had a lot of
fun. In 1967 I finally landed a job with
NASA in Houston, and have been with NASA
ever since. When I came to Houston, I put
my guitar up and figured that was the end
of my musical career. At some
point in time, and I think it was the mid
- '60s, Ned Theall took over leadership of
the band, and with some new personnel, he
took the band to another level. My hat's
off to Ned Theall, G. G. Shinn, Jerry
LaCroix, Duane Yates, and all those guys
that really contributed to the success of
the mid-'60 and '70s Boogie Kings. The
band was awesome! In the
early '90s, the Boogie Kings (led by Ned
Theall) asked me to play a few gigs with
them. What a great thrill! I played those
gigs, as a back-up to Tommy Richard, their
regular guitar player, and couldn't
believe how much fun I was having.
Needless to say, I had to learn how to
play all over again. The basics were still
there, but the coordination was all but
gone. During the
next few years, I played with the band
every chance I got. The guys were so
gracious to put up with me while I got my
chops back. I know I made a lot of
mistakes, but they never said a word.
Thank you Ned Theall, Jon Smith and the
rest of the Boogie Kings at that time. You
guys will always have a special place in
my heart. In 1994,
along with other Boogie Kings, I was
inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame.
Another great thrill! In 1997, I
received a call from Jim Darnell,
representing a band in the Houston/Clear
Lake area, wanting me to sub one weekend
for their regular guitar player. I was
scared to death. I'd been playing with the
Boogie Kings as a second guitar - no
pressure - but this gig meant that I'd
really have to perform. I played the gig
and had a blast - surprised
myself. In
November of 1999, Bob Thomas and I started
a new band that we named Louisiana Boogie.
Bob was born and raised in Lafayette, La.,
and had played with the Boogie Kings from
time to time. We had the same feel for
music, and wanted to play the same songs.
Bob played with Louisiana Boogie until
June of 2001. Sadly, he lost his battle
with cancer on Nov. 15, 2001. On Jan.
20, 2001, I was inducted (along with the
Boogie Kings) into the Music Hall of Fame
Division of the Museum of the Gulf Coast.
Another great thrill! Well,
thatís it for now. I plan to keep
playing as long as my fingers let me. I
will keep my new band, Louisiana Boogie,
and will try to sit in with the Boogie
Kings every chance I get. When I
retire from NASA on Jan. 3, 2003, everyday
will be Saturday. I intend to get deeper
into my music. Now, if I
don't mention my wife in this article, I'm
a dead man. Carol Sue, my wife of 42
years, has stuck by my side through all
the ups and downs of being a musician,
rocket scientist and raising five
children. Iím into music again with
her approval, and I canít tell you
how much that means to me. We paid our
dues, and now it's time to play again. Letters to
the Editor BMF
keeping jazz alive I just
wanted to tell you guys that the
newsletter gets better and better. You're
doing a splendid job of keeping jazz alive
in the Midwest. And you're bringing life
back into the Jazz in June series. It was a
pleasure meeting you. The concert was
great and Eldar was fabulous. Thanks for
sponsoring. I've taken a part of this
morning to read through the newsletter and
materials you handed me as we were all
getting ready to depart. Our interests
certainly run along parallel lines. I've
been a jazz addict since my late teens and
itís still an active and gratifying
interest today as I approach my 53rd
anniversary on the planet (which I note
you've also just reached). I'd like
to be added to your contact list if I may.
It would be a pleasure to get to know you
a little bit. I'm not a mover and shaker
in the jazz world, but I've been around it
for some time as for many years I made my
living in the music industry - on the
manufacturing side of it, however, rather
than the a&r side. I was
somewhat stunned when I first read in the
Journal Star that Monty Alexander was
coming to Lincoln to do a show. Of course
your name and the foundation were
mentioned and I've been somewhat familiar
with BMF as a result of other stuff you've
sponsored, including, of course, some of
the Jazz in June programs. Monty Alexander
has been a favorite of mine for more than
20 years. I am constantly amazed at the
number of people I know who are
knowledgeable about jazz who've never
heard of him, and I cannot understand
it. Nevertheless,
it was nice to meet you and I hope our
paths cross from time to time. Brad
Harse Thank you
for this informative and enjoyable
newsletter. Keep Jazz Alive! Bill
Cunliffe As a jazz
musician, I must respond to Eugene Kane,
who suggests that we exclude from local
jazz performances what he calls
"contemporary" or "progressive"
jazz. When he
mentioned "dissonance" and "cacophony," I
assumed he was referring to free-jazz
artists like Ornette Coleman or modern
players like John Zorn. But, no, Kane is
talking about Charlie Parker and
Thelonious Monk, artists who have been
accepted in the jazz mainstream for the
last 40-plus years. I had to check the
date on my paper-was this 2002 or
1949? Citing
tunes like "Satin Doll" and "Mood Indigo"
as classic jazz, is apt; however, if you
know anything about the composer of these
tunes, Duke Ellington, you should know he
used dissonance in much of his work and
could be categorized as "contemporary"
still today. Kane's
suggestion that we preserve classical jazz
the way we've preserved the classical
music of Beethoven is, to say the very
least, restrictive. In addition, Kane
would undoubtedly eliminate the works of
find modern composers like Stravinsky and
Ives for their dissonance and
cacophony. I would be
happy to see more jazz presented in
concert halls, but I would never ask the
musicians to play a piece only as it had
been written decades ago. Improvisation is
what makes jazz unique. Mr. Kane
only wants music that calms and reassures.
I"ve always thought music, and art in
general, should reflect the full spectrum
of life, not just put us to
sleep. Gerald
Spaits Boogie
King Ned Theall responds to Demuth
letter I feel
compelled to respond to Mr. Dan Demuth's
letter to the editor in the Spring/Summer
issue of Jazz. Mr.
Demuth: "I would like to take issue
with one of Mr. Theall's statements: In
1955, the closest thing to live rock music
for Louisiana kids was a few black groups
from New Orleans that sounded like dog
shit." I
apologize for prompting your knee-jerk
reaction by that statement. I should have
specified Abbeville, La., kids. Add to
that most of the name black groups were
playing black venues in the '50s. My
statement was not intended to be racial,
but factual. Mr.
Demuth: "Where was he (Theall) in the
mid-'50s when one of the greatest rock
originators, Lousiana bad boy Bobby
Charles, was performing?" I went to
Abbeville High School with Bobby Charles
(Guidry) for many years as we both grew
up. I was in a band in my youth with Larry
Guidry, Bobbyís first guitar
player. The band later evolved into Bobby
Charles and the Clippers and recorded the
original song "See You Later, Alligator."
I admire and respect Bobby, and we are
great friends. Mr.
Demuth: "Were Frogman Henry, Fats and
Smiley Lewis some of the black dog shits
he had to listen to?" My first
influences in rock music were Fats Domino,
Smiley Lewis, Joe Turner, Lloyd Price,
Earl King, Huey Smith, Guitar Slim, Clyde
McPhatter. Mr.
Demuth: "If Mr. Theall wants to know
about a real dearth of original rock
music, he should ask someone who grew up
in the Midwest." I don't
think talent is geographical. I have
jammed with great players from the East
Coast to the West Coast, and I was tutored
by an outstanding black musician from
Kansas City named Ralph Divers. I respect
players for their efforts, no matter where
they reside. Mr.
Demuth: "Couldn't afford the big
stars? You had one of the best radio
outlets in the South, KTHS out of Little
Rock. The best r&r and r&b could
be heard, sponsored by Stan's Record Shop
in Shreveport." We tuned
in to Randy's Record Shop on KLAC. I think
it was in Gallatin, Tenn. The Boogie Kings
recorded for Stan Lewis, the owner of
Stan's Record Shop, in the '60s and
recently sold him some additional
recordings. Mr.
Demuth:"May have been he was inhaling
too much in the '60s and the '50s became a
very dim memory." No need to
get offensive, Mr. Demuth. I would be
happy to match my memory against anyone as
far back as the '30s. Mr.
Demuth: "Perhaps you should listen to
another Orleans-influenced artist, Jimmy
Beasley's recording of "Don't Feel Sorry
for Me." First, we
are not an Orleans-influenced group. Our
influence includes James Brown, Otis
Redding, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Sam Cooke,
Wilson Pickett and B.B. King. Sorry you
think we are looking for sympathy. The
Boogie Kings have performed more than
12,000 shows and are in our 47th year of
performing. We have blazed a trail that
very few groups can match. The only
sympathy I have is for those musicians
that have not been blessed as we
have. Ned
Theall
Thank you
so much for including KVNO's "JazzSource"
in your radio listings. I have one change
to pass along to you. The hosts are now
Jim Celer and Terrance Hill. Tom Besse is
no longer with the program. Thank you for
the support and for your fine work in the
newsletter! Mike
Hagstrom |
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