Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Heather Crosse. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Heather Crosse. Sort by date Show all posts

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Heather Crosse - Groovin’ at the Crosse Roads


Heather Crosse   

Groovin’ at the Crosse Roads

2015 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan 9, 2016 

There’s always been some damn good music pouring out of the Mississippi Delta, and the spigot is far from being turned off.  Caught in that wave of music is Heather Crosse‘s magnificently bodacious rocking blues band, Heavy Suga’ & the Sweetones.  Formed in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 2007, Crosse moved the band to Clarksdale, Mississippi in 2008.  Groovin’ at the Crosse Roads is eleven tracks of boogie-laced blues produced by non-other than multi-Grammy Award winner Jim Gaines.  With Crosse taking on lead vox and bass in the band, she is joined by guitarist Dan Smith, drummer Lee Williams, and Mark Yacovone on piano/keys.    

Crosse hooks me quick with her sultry performance of “My Man Called Me”.  Smith’s guitar licks and Yacovone’s piano prowess solidifies this intoxicating mix of swing and electric blues. I love their funky cover of Clarence “Blowfly” Reid’s 1974 sexy B-side “Rockin’ Chair”.  Slathered in a laid-back Seventies vibe, this wonderful throwback conjures up visions of big collars and flare jeans.  Crosse adds just the right amount of rasp as she takes on Big Mama Thornton’s powerful classic “You Don’t Move Me No More”.  Not only does Crosse nail the vocals, but Yacovone’s piano performance shines brightly, reminding me a bit of the “Killer”, Jerry Lee Lewis.  This one is fun indeed.              

Simply put, Groovin’ at the Crosse Roads is a delightful listen.  

---

Sunday, August 22, 2021

#513 : Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival - 2021

 


Clarksdale, Mississippi

August 12-15, 2021

By Phillip Smith; August 21, 2021

 

After my first trip down to Clarksdale, Mississippi for the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival in 2019, I knew I would want to go again.  Last year the festival was cancelled due to Covid-19, but this year it returned, with one slight difference.  The daytime acts on Saturday performed outdoors on an acoustic stage under the VIP tent, as opposed to being scattered around the downtown area in assorted bars, restaurants, and galleries.  Ground Zero Blues Club also held a steady continuance of live music throughout the weekend as well.

The journey from Iowa to Clarksdale included a one-night stop in Memphis for a night out on Beale Street.  The group I was travelling with held steady at King Jerry Lawler’s Hall of Fame Bar & Grille on Beale, for an evening of live music from The Beale Street All-Stars.  Those guys put on a dazzling show and provided an enjoyable evening of entertainment.    

On the way to Clarksdale Thursday morning, we made a stop at the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Arkansas to catch the live broadcast of the legendary King Biscuit Time radio show.  King Biscuit Time is the longest running blues radio program in the world, logging over 18,490 episodes since its inception in 1941, and can still be heard each weekday from 12:15pm – 12:45pm on KFFA out of Helena, or by streaming through the Delta Cultural Center’s Facebook page.  Originally hosted by “Sunshine” Sonny Payne until 2018, the show is now hosted by my friend Thomas Jacques.  It was great to catch up with Thomas as he gave us a tour and filled us in on the history of the show.

After checking in at the Shack Up Inn, we all headed to the Delta Blues Museum, where the festival is held, to enjoy an evening of blues accompanied by a delicious, down-home dinner of grits, greens, and barbeque.  It was great to finally hear Lucious Spiller, Sean “Bad” Apple, and Terry “Big” T Williams live in person.  There’s something special about the way Lucious sings “A Change is Gonna Come”.  He digs deep as he sings it with raw emotion.  With accompaniment from a harp player called Freight Train, Sean Apple’s cover of Skip Jame’s “Hard Times” was really nice.  Lady Trucker made a guest appearance during Sean’s set to sit in on “Sitting on Top of the World”.  Her voice has a lot of power in it and is quite impressive.  Following the Grits & Greens dinner, we headed over to Ground Zero Blues Club, and caught Heather Crosse, “Rockin” Johnny Burgin, and Jaxx Nassar hosting the weekly blues jam.  That was a big ball of fun to be present for that.  The camaraderie among the musicians exudes a sense of family.

Before the festivities began on Friday, we ventured out to visit a few blues sites.  We stopped by Tutwiler first to see where W.C. Handy heard his first slide guitar performance, then visited Sonny Boy Williamson II’s gravesite.  We had lunch at The Cozy Corner in Indianola, a place which sits a couple of blocks away from the new B.B. King Museum.  Their ribs really hit the spot, and the fried okra was cooked perfectly.  This was definitely a one-of-a-kind place to stop.  Just around the corner from the Cozy Corner, sits Club Ebony, a nightclub which has earned its own Mississippi Blues Trail marker for showcasing such artists as Ray Charles, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Albert King, Little Milton, Count Basie, and many others.  We pushed off from there and visited Dockery Farms, and a possible locations of the famed crossroads nearby, which legend tells us Robert Johnson made his deal with Ol’ Scratch.   

The first band to play on Friday was the Delta Museum Student Band.  It is through this program that many blues artists in the area, such as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram got their start.  Heavy Suga and the Sweet Tones with Heather Crosse and Johnny Burgin took the stage next.  They sound absolutely fabulous together.  I was so happy to hear a couple of my favorites from Heather’s Groovin’ at the Crosse Roads album: “My Man Called Me” and “Why Does a Woman Play a Bass Guitar”.  Lightnin’ Malcolm was an absolute force to be reckoned with.  His guitar performance was sizzling.  James Super Chikan” Johnson followed with his flashy home-made guitars.  I couldn't help but smile when he hit the stage .  His band comprised of his daughter Jamiesa Turner on drums, Heather Falduto on bass, and Lala Craig are impeccable.

Early Saturday afternoon, I made it my number one priority to go listen to the legendary Jimmy “Duck” Holmes.  This recent Grammy nominee and owner of the oldest still-active juke joint in Mississippi The Blue Front Cafe, is the current king of the Bentonia Blues.  It was truly an amazing experience to hear him play “Catfish Blues” and “Roll Me”.  The rest of the afternoon was spent back at Ground Zero for more blues from Steve Kolbus, Lucious Spiller, Jaxx Nassar, Big Train and the Loco Motives, Heavy Suga and the Sweet Tones, and Johnny Burgin.  

With a setlist which included Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black”, “Sweet Home Chicago”, Susan Tedeschi’s “Hurts So Bad”, and Cindy Lauper’s “Time After Time”, and “Whipping Post” it was a great pleasure to hear Jaxx Nassar.  She is a multi-instrumentalist who has an amazing voice, and killer chops on the guitar.  She even brought out her cigar box guitar made by my friend Kevin Patrick, and gave us a solid dose of “Catfish Blues”.  I can’t wait to hear her first album, whenever it may come out.  I’ll definitely be among the first to buy a copy.

Jim “Big Train” Madsen, another friend of mine from the group I was with, took the stage with his band Big Train and the Loco Motives.  With Madsen on guitar and lead vocals, the rest of the band was comprised of Bill “Top Dog” Cummins on harp, Mason “Thumper” Cullen on bass, and Mike “Pine Box” Lander on percussion.  They delivered an outstanding set of delta blues, covering greats such as “Got My Mojo Working”, “Built for Comfort”, “Bang Bang Bang Bang”, “Before You Accuse Me”, and “Hoochie Coochie Man”.  They also performed a new original blues tune written by Madsen called “I Ain’t Skinny No More”.  That one definitely needs to be released as a single sometime soon.  

Heather Crosse and Johnny Burgin had sounded so good together the previous two times I caught them, I had to hang around and hear them once more.  It was cool to hear Burgin break out his cover L.V. Bank’s “Teddy Bear”.

Several acts were delayed due to rain Saturday evening, but once it cleared, I was front-and-center for Jimbo Mathus with special guest Charlie Musselwhite.  That was the main event as far as I was concerned, and no way was I going to miss this show.  It was still sprinkling a little bit, but I managed to get the camera out for a few shots.   Jimbo started out with “Shake Your Money Maker”, and a most fitting “Ain’t Gonna Rain No More”.  He played Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again”, and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”.  Musselwhite took the stage and stayed until the end.  Together they performed several songs including “Louisiana Blues”, and “Ode to Billy Joe”.

I had a such a fun time, trying to cram as much live music into my vacation as I possibly could.  Sunday morning, we checked out of the Shack Up Inn and began the eleven-hour trek back to Iowa along Highway 61.  Now, it’s just a treasured memory.

---

*All photos by Phillip Smith except the one credited otherwise


The Beale Street All Stars at King Jerry Lawler's

Thomas Jacques hosting King Biscuit Time 

Thomas Jacques

Delta Cultural Center at Helena,Arkansas

Legend Shack at The Shack Up Inn

at The Shack Up Inn

Lucious Spiller

Sean "Bad" Apple

Terry "Big T" Williams

      

Jaxx Nassar & Heather Crosse

Jaxx Nassar & Johnny Burgin

Jaxx Nassar & Jim "Big Train" Madsen

Johnny Burgin

Heather Crosse & Johnny Burgin


Tutwiler, Mississippi

Kevin, Terri, Jim, Bill, Joyce, Galen, Pam, Kyle, & Aaron


The Cozy Corner Cafe in Indianola, Mississippi


Club Ebony in Indianola, Mississippi

 

Crossroads * photo by Terri Munch  (Thanks Terri!)

Crossroads : Jim, Terri, Joyce, Bill, Kyle, & Pam 

Dockery Farms

     

Heather Crosse & Johnny Burgin

Heather Crosse

Lee Andrew "Juice" Williams 


Lightnin' Malcolm


James "Super Chikan" Johnson

Lala Craig

James "Super Chikan" Johnson

Heather Falduto


Jimmy "Duck" Holmes

Steve Kolbus and Jaxx Nassar

Lucious Spiller

Jaxx Nassar

Big Train & the Loco Motives


Jimbo Mathus

Charlie Musselwhite

Charlie Musselwhite & Jimbo Mathus

Charlie Musselwhite & Jimbo Mathus






Websites of places mentioned:

 

King Jerry Lawler’s Hall of Fame Bar & Grille – www.lawlersonbeale.com

Delta Cultural Center - www.arkansasheritage.com/delta-cultural-center/delta-cultural-center-home

Shack Up Inn – shackupinn.com

Ground Zero Blues Club – groundzerobluesclub.com

Delta Blues Museum – deltabluesmuseum.org

Hooker Grocery -- www.hookergrocer.com

 

 

 

Websites of artists mentioned:

 

Johnny Burgin - johnnyburgin.com

Steve “Lightnin’” Malcolm - www.lightninmalcolm.com

Big Train & the Loco Motives – bigtrainsblues.com

Jimbo Mathus - www.therealjimbomathus.com

Charlie Musselwhite - www.charliemusselwhite.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information about the festival, visit this website - www.sunflowerfest.org

Saturday, March 10, 2018

#323 : Mick Kolassa - Double Standards



2017 – Swing Suit Records

By Phillip Smith; March 10, 2018


One can feel the heart and soul poured into the latest release from “Michissippi” Mick Kolassa.  Double Standards, a wonderful thirteen track album, celebrates some of the greatest blues songs to have been recorded.  Backing Kolassa in the studio is guitarist Jeff Jensen, bassist Bill Ruffino, drummer James Cunningham, and organist Chris Stephenson.   For this venture, Kolassa also enlists the participation of several notable musicians, who today are busy carving their own unique path to present the Blues.  These artists are Tullie Brae, Erica Brown, Annika Chambers, Heather Crosse, Tas Cru, Gracie Curran, David Dunavent, Alice Hasan, Eric Hughes, Colin John, Jeremy Powell, Patti Parks, Sugaray Rayford, and Victor Wainwright.

A big gracious nod goes out to the legendary bluesman Willie Dixon.  Performing as a duet with Kolassa, Erica Brown holds back nothing as she pours her soulful vocals into the classic “Spoonful”.  I love Jenson’s guitar performance and Stephenson’s organ arrangement on this track.  The lovely Heather Crosse joins in on “I Just Want to Make Love To You”.  Memphis’ Eric Hughes lays a heaping helping of luscious harmonica on this track.  It sounds great.  The dynamic duo of Kolassa and Sugaray Rayford double the ante on “300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy”, originally recorded by Howlin Wolf, to bring a grand total of “600 Pounds of Heavenly Joy” to the table.  Fortified with the guitar prowess of both Colin John, and Mike Kolassa, this track is a big bowlful of fun.

Victor Wainwright splendidly takes the vocal reins on Tampa Red’s 1928 hokum “It’s Tight Like That”, with Hughes icing the song with harmonica and Alice Hasan accompanying on violin.  Tas Cru lends his definitive voice to the Jimmy Cox penned standard, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”.  This timeless classic is beautifully accompanied by Hason on violin and Jeremy Powell on piano.  Eric Hughes gives a smooth performance Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway”.  It’s very nice indeed. 

Double Standards comes to a joyful conclusion in a full-fledged jamboree.  Each singer takes a turn on “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”, spinning their own off-the-cuff lyrics.  It’s a great track to close the album with, as the energy of the whole collective is funneled into this closing song. 

---

       

All Proceeds from Mick Kolassa’s albums will go to support two of these important programs: The HART Fund and Generation Blues.

THE HART FUND (Handy Artists Relief Trust) is for Blues musicians and their families in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns. The Fund provides for acute, chronic and preventive medical and dental care as well as funeral and burial expenses. 

GENERATION BLUES provides scholarship to artists under the age of 21 to study at reputable camps, seminars and workshop programs such as Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival, Augusta Heritage Center and Fernando Jones’ Columbia College Blues Camp.






Also reviewed on Phillycheeze’s Rock & Blues Reviews

Victor Wainwright and the WildRootsBoom Town

Tas Cru - Simmered & Stewed

Heather Crosse - Groovin’ at the Crosse Roads



Monday, August 15, 2022

#569 > Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival - 2022 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival - 2022

Clarksdale, Mississippi

August 11-14, 2022

By Phillip Smith; August 15, 2022

Original Source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com


I had a terrific time on my third trip down to Clarksdale, Mississippi for the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival.  The festivities began Thursday evening at the Grits, Greens & BBQ VIP party where we were treated to a delicious meal.  Live entertainment was provided by Stan Street and Jaxx Nassar, Sean “Bad” Apple, and Terry “Big T” Williams.  It was an absolutely fabulous time.

After catching a few live acts (Steve Kolbus, Jaxx Nassar, Lala Craig, and Lucious Spiller) at the Ground Zero Blues Club on Friday afternoon, court was held at the main stage next to the Delta Blues Museum.  The artist lineup was outstanding.  It featured The Delta Blues Museum Band, Heavy Suga & the SweetTones, Lucious Spiller, Anthony “Big A” Sherrod, and James “Super Chikan” Johnson.  

Saturday, I started off at Ground Zero for more blues from Steve Kolbus, Mark Miller, Walter Busby, and Lee Williams.  Afterwards, I headed off to Cat Head to catch their 20th year festivities with a lovely live front-porch performance from Australia “Honeybee” Jones and 19th Street Red.  Knowing Jaxx Nassar was playing again at Ground Zero, we headed back to catch one more set from her, and staying for Big Train and the Loco Motives from Norman Oklahoma was a must.  Immediately following their captivating performance, it was time to settle back down again at the main stage for Brad Money Maker, Mark “Mule Man” Massey, and riveting set from Jimbo Mathus.  

It was a phenomenal time from start to finish.   Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival is an event I highly recommend paying a visit to.

---

 

 

 

Previous blog entries for this festival:

PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: #513 : Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival - 2021 (phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com)

PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: #403 : Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival 2019 (phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com)

 

 

Websites of places mentioned:

 

Delta Cultural Center - www.arkansasheritage.com/delta-cultural-center/delta-cultural-center-home

Shack Up Inn – shackupinn.com

Ground Zero Blues Club – groundzerobluesclub.com

Delta Blues Museum – deltabluesmuseum.org

Hooker Grocery -- www.hookergrocer.com

Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Artwww.cathead.biz

 

 

 

 

Websites of artists mentioned:

 

Big Train & the Loco Motives – bigtrainsblues.com

Jimbo Mathus - www.therealjimbomathus.com

Steve Kolbus and the Clarksdale Blues Reviewwww.stevekolbus.com

 

 

For more information about the festival, visit this website - www.sunflowerfest.org

 

 

 

All Photos by Phillip Smith


Mark Miller & Steve Kolbus

Ground Zero Blues Club

Jaxx Nassar & Stan Street

Sean "Bad" Apple

Terry "Big T" Williams

Steve Kolbus and Mark Miller

Jaxx Nassar

Jaxx Nassar

Lala Craig

Lucious Spiller

Delta Blues Museum Band

Heavy Suga & SweetTones

Walt Busby

Heather Crosse

Lucious Spiller

Lucious Spiller Band

Lucious Spiller Band - Jaxx Nassar 

Lucious Spiller Band

Lucious Spiller

Anthony "Big A" Sherrod

Anthony "Big A" Sherrod Band

Anthony "Big A" Sherrod

Anthony "Big A" Sherrod

James "Super Chikan" Johnson

James "Super Chikan" Johnson Band 

James "Super Chikan" Johnson Band - Lala Craig

Super Chikan

Super Chikan

James "Super Chikan" Johnson Band - Heather Falduto

Lee Williams

Mark Miller

Steve Kolbus

Walt Busby

 

Bill "Howl-N-Madd" and Shy Perry

Australia "Honeybee" Jones and 19th Street Red

Australia "Honeybee" Jones and 19th Street Red

Big Train & the Loco Motives - Casey Saunders

Big Train & the Loco Motives

Mike Lander & Bill Cummins

Big Train & the Loco Motives

Brad Money Maker Band

Heather Crosse

Heather Cross, Lee Williams, & Walt Busby

Mark "Mule Man" Massey

Jimbo Mathus

Jimbo Mathus

Jimbo Mathus

Jimbo Mathus


  

All Photos by Phillip Smith