Lovett's Magnatones
4 posts
May 07, 2012
7:20 PM
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Hi,
I'm Nick Lovett, i'm new to the forum, and I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I'm moving to West Palm Beach Florida for work next fall and i'm wondering what to expect/who to see/good jams etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone is from the Boston area and has lived in both NE and Florida and has any pointers I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Nick Lovett
http://www.myspace.com/nicklovettblues
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CarlA
11 posts
May 07, 2012
7:36 PM
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Nick,
Check out soflablues.org
It is the website for the South Florida Blues Society. It should have everything you need.
-Carl
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billy_shines
374 posts
May 07, 2012
8:03 PM
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expect to never be invited onstage. blues bands in south fl consist of guitar bass and drum machine, or guitar and clicktrack or guitar keys/pianobass and drum machine. no harp players allowed. dress like stevie ray or you wont be taken seriously. the s fl blues society is a joke.
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bluesharp22
1 post
May 07, 2012
9:15 PM
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billy shines is right on about the SoFl Blues scene.The jams are a joke.They really are all about the "house" band who thinks that the jam is a concert or they will have a harp player on stage in between two guitar players with amps turned up to the max making you the dead meat in a guitar sandwich .
This is why I'm working up a solo act since it seems to be impossible to find a guitar player even interested in forming a duo.
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Moon Cat
69 posts
May 07, 2012
11:23 PM
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Find a Woman named Dar www.blueatheart.com tell her jason Sent you. Its funny cuase theres a cool club in Del Ray that has blues called Bostons. Im from Maine and the Clam Chowder is real. JP Soars, Joel Dasilva, Billy Burns, Frank Ward...those are a few of the more well known Blues players. Just talk to Dar.
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harmonicanick
1588 posts
May 08, 2012
12:55 AM
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@bluesharp22
'in between two guitar players with amps turned up to the max making you the dead meat in a guitar sandwich'.
Very well put, know the feeling!!
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billy_shines
375 posts
May 08, 2012
2:38 AM
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another thing they do if towards the end of the night each guitar player has had their 4-5 songs and the two 15 year old guitars have played full sets, and theres only two harp players who havent went home yet disgusted they didnt get to play. they will invite both of them up last song for a 'harmononica war" while the house band plays the beloved south florida "shuffle" i know dar she used to dj at piper high. nobody even plays blues in south fl its all eric clapton. there used to be an actual florida blues style (ray charles, skynrd,harry kc, pat travers,tampa red) its was slow ragtime based with tasty licks and fills. you can only hear it on the west coast now in the subconscience of lapsteel blue grass players. everyone here played it until stevie ray died then everyone took up texas blues and shuffles dressed like stevie and it died. where u at blues22? im in sunrise i play some guitar dbow and bass.
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Moon Cat
71 posts
May 08, 2012
3:48 AM
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,OK I never, ever, as a rule argue or contradict on a a ridiculous (all due respect) internet forum but this has to go. When I was a kid we use to get Thrasher Magazine (Skateboarding) in Maine. I would be sitting in ten feet of snow and reading kids mail into the zine about how their spots sucked. What I learned was most had it better than us in Maine and still really believed there town/state was lame but some had it worse than me. Florida is a great place for music!You dont have to know where to look you just have to look. or just read this.
This isn't about me and not about Billy's post but I am going to make some opposing points to Billy.Lovetts is a guy coming to Fl, a great music state that's still making history. More I.B.C. (International Blues Competition) wins and BMA's (Blues Music Award adivision of the Grammy's than anywhere in the US almost top five states at least. Here's the proof not intended as a contradiction these guys deserve and so does FL praise not defense
Billy I'm taking you to task now, sorry no hard feelings. I'm proud of having lived there and I really think you might not be as aware of your suroundings as you think...
First YOUR THERE RIGHT? You have good taste in music. You play music, seem to know a lot about it:
Lovett's (thread starter) meet Billy, a Floridian, musician, music lover and educator. Good start? I'm not being sarcastic...for real you can take ten good musicians ANYWHERE who will bitch about the way it use to be, the club that closed, The Cops, Rap Music ETC... All those great dudes stay in and never play together, never approach a club owner or rarely and dont go out when they arnt playing themselves. That last ones pretty big.
"We create the fellowship that we crave"-Bill W
You guys (Lovetts and Billy) need to hook up... hang out, cook some gator, plantains or some shit...start a jam, Harp club, listen to records,have a phone call. Ok so say that never happens....
Lovetts (and Billy):
-Dar still DJ's at Piper high school as well as at the IBC's and BMA and on Sirus radio with Bill Wax. She sat next to BB King alone the year I won mine. Ask any touring musician that has ever come through FL she is a blues ambassador.I can tell you stories that go back to when SRV was over covered. She rocks.Long History
-JP Soars is a FT Lauderdale kid (40) that plays blues for a living all over the world, He's amazing, NICE, he has WON the IBC and is up for a BMA. JP has played with everyone BB, Margolin, Cray others. He also plays Gypsy Jazz on a serious level.
- Additionally Joey Gilmore from SOFLA is also a TWO TIME IBC winner (The two times was due to a clerical error but he won twice two years apart.
-Albert Castiglia has won a BMA for songwriting He was Junior Well's old guitar player He l.ives in Sunrise near Billy.
Thats some serious Credentials for a state, just the start. I lived in Lake Worth FL for for years Adam came down to stay and there was and is today gigs every night.
-Joel Dasilva is one of the finest guitar players I have ever heard. His band the Hep Cat Boo Daddy's They rock!
-JP makes his own Dbows how are you guys (BILLY) are not friends especially in Sunrise is CRAZY. I don't know how much you have traveled but you can do a lot worse than SOFLA in the way of players, gigs, support, radio, and blues. Seriously man a lot of places everywhere are "Eric Clapton" and all that other stuff you mentioned...but you really really dont have to look hard to fin great players....I only named a few...
honorable mention
-Iko IKo (Jaco Pastorius and a ton of other jazz guys play with these dudes)
- The Knuckle Busters (I was in this band and have it tattooed on me!)
- Ben Prestige (Award winning Delta Blues and North MS player has toured all over the world.) Fingerpicking that would raise Roy Book Binders Eye Brow....OH YEAH
-ROY BOOKBINDER ( Just google him)
-Damon Fowler (Blind Pig Records BMA Nominee)he is in Tampa but dont get me started on that coast.
- Randy Singer ( Not blues, but amazing jazz and blues diatonic and chromatic)
- Billy Burns ( One of the finest TRADITIONAL harp players I have ever heard mix Rick Estrin and William Clarke
- Nick Trill Harp player much like Mark Hummel they are close friends Marks on a few of Nicks Albums.
-The Legendary Rock Bottom!(Tampa)
-TC CARR ( Holy crap but yeah Tampa again.
- Shawn Starski Guitar Player Magazine called him "in The Top Guitar players alive today (Deerfield Beach/Nashville TN.
- Jason Rosner ( Bass on countless internationally distributed blues and Jazz disc.
- Piano Bob ( Award winning and nationally loved Boogie Woogie and stride)
-Terry Hanck ( Sax this ones pretty self explanitory these days.)
Look I could go this off the top of my head. Billy I hope this dosent piss you off I would reather it helped you meet these people or give them another chance,
Lovetts have fun in a great place...I typed way too much for this shit to be in vain.
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The Iceman
299 posts
May 08, 2012
4:42 AM
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Mooncat is mentioning a few decent individual FL musicians from all over the state, but my Florida experience mirrors Billy Shines regarding the overall scene, blues clubs and jams. I lived in Orlando for 10 long and horrible years, all the while trying to find a good scene and, when it wasn't there, trying to help develop one - only to be fought with tooth and nail by the status quo. All I ran into were local boys w/small talent and big egos. The blues society was a joke. The jams were run by good ol' boys who favored their own and outsiders were really dissed. Guitar players were TOO LOUD.
In all fairness, I have been gone from FL for 3 years, so can't comment on recent happenings. Perhaps things have improved. However, the way things are done and unfold in THE SOUTH is quite different than what happens in THE NORTH, so the difference in culture has a bearing on the scene.
Have also met good quality musicians throughout FL, but mostly they are established and don't really enmesh themselves in local scenes too much.
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The Iceman
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Michael Rubin
515 posts
May 08, 2012
5:49 AM
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Someone told me to check out FL harp player Chris Bell. Anyone heard of him?
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Jaybird
274 posts
May 08, 2012
9:50 AM
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I agree 100% with billy_shines, bluesharp22, The Iceman, AND Jason about the So. Florida blues scene.
It's a good scene as Jason says, IF you are a pro or a known player to the good ole boys. If you are some rank amatuer who want's just to jam and have a good time, forget it. You are treated like shit.
I am just a amatuer and I gave up on the blues jam scene in So. Florida, and decided to play with back-up tracks at "open mics" instead. I have almost as much fun, and I don't have to put up with all the crap.
Anyway, I moved away from Florida last year.
Last Edited by on May 08, 2012 9:52 AM
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billy_shines
376 posts
May 08, 2012
10:12 AM
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ok seems like we have possibly met in the past moon. but first i dont brag and i tell myself i suck everyday (theres always someone better than you) also be sure to check out my rants bashing euro musicians to get an idea of my deepest heartfelt feelings.
i like what i like, my mother had a great collection of records complete with clicks and pops as god intendended music to be, little richard/chuck berry/dakota station/chris connors/duke elington/errol garner. i got into negro spirituals in elementary school K-6. freind gave me a harp at 16 stopped listening to shitty 70s rock by 18 and listened to the collected works of sonny boy till i could play like him. later i picked up on sonny terrys slower grooves,and some little walter. i have never had a lesson and will be learning till i die. ive always played slide badly out of tune, got to doing it right around 10 years ago. but let me make this clear I SUCK all these bits about positions overblows and crap ive always done naturally with feeling and i cant isolate them to teach or discuss it at any great length. telling someone just do it or keep fucking with it isnt teaching.
now before entering florida a little known fact is we have giant cockroaches that fly and are often armed. (just a warning) but the blues sceen is far worse than a giant roach flying into your motorcycle helmet.
ok now the names you threw out
Joey Gilmore played with him on a regular basis at the quest great guy. the quest was a great place for prostitution and cocaine as well. miss that joint.
Hep Cat Boo Daddy's i believe randy blitz plays drums for them ive know randy since he was in screaming sneakers with buddy sheilds i used to sit in with the rock city angels with buddy and johnny depp around this time and was also paling with ian bruce douglas.
did drugs with jaco before he was beaten to death in his apartment no furniture just basses everywhere. he was a great guy.
iko iko wasnt roach thomson and little nicky in that band? yeah played with them too. ive been on stage with old hat bob too see a previous diatribe about keyboard players. but yeah nice guy.
nick if you can help it stay the hell out of south you will never have a paying gig as a harp player not ever. the only person who still appreaciates florida blues style is lisa jean. im very lazy but as soon as i get to it im going to suggest harry kacey join lynrd skynrd hes the only qualified person for the job. yeah yeah i know i know but they also had former members of the strawberry alarm clock in the band. i would love to bring REAL florida blues back from the dead.
keep on posin, big hats and cowboy boots forever baby!
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The Iceman
302 posts
May 08, 2012
4:31 PM
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sez Jaybird "IF you are a pro or a known player to the good ole boys. If you are some rank amatuer who want's just to jam and have a good time, forget it. You are treated like shit."
Not only a rank amateur, but also a seasoned pro who is new to the area. My experience in Orlando was awful when I first moved there - didn't matter that I was a seasoned pro, I was still new to the area. The status quo wouldn't give me the time of day. They seemed a close knit bunch, kinda like pulling the wagon train into a circle to defend themselves against anyone new on the scene.
Sad that they would feel so threatened that they made the experience a put off for anyone new to the scene. Not a good way to grow a blues community.
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The Iceman
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The Iceman
304 posts
May 08, 2012
4:54 PM
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I'm a used ta live there. Truthfully, my 10 year experience was so bad that I left the state just to get away from FL. I'm talking central FL.
The Iceman
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bluesharp22
2 posts
May 08, 2012
5:10 PM
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I live in Delray Beach and want no part of these so-called jams or open mics anymore.I play at house parties and at work functions.I play SOLO...me, my harps,my mics and my amps or the PA.
I have lived here 27 years and it all just seemed to go south..no pun intended.I've been playing at least that long and more
In NY..great jams as well as Mississippi and California.For guitar players..never a problem..for harp players....Never even think you will get anywhere(or even a chance to) down here.
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billy_shines
379 posts
May 08, 2012
5:51 PM
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my sister is in boyton blue22. i also play delta guitar in G, A, D, E, and F. i play bass but i really just want to play 1, 2 and 3 string dbow/percussion. u up to a jam maybe?
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Lovett's Magnatones
5 posts
May 08, 2012
6:00 PM
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Jason and Billy-thanks for the advice, i'll be sure to check out those great cats when i'm down in WPB. I guess there really isn't one place where the Blues is at. All of the gripes listed are common complaints with blues jams, nothing is easy. I'm not learning piano/vocals for nothing! I'll still hook up with a jam when I get there, still a great way to meet new friends. We'll see what happens, i'm down there for work opening a call-center with my boss for six months, and I can't wait to head over to Sunrise for some discount NHL games. 13 games for 150 bucks? That's two Bruins games!?!?!!
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Lovett's Magnatones
6 posts
May 08, 2012
6:02 PM
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Looking forward to getting lost down there, that's what I do best.
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CarlA
12 posts
May 08, 2012
6:16 PM
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Florida is great! You will enjoy it. Like everything else in life, it's only as good as you make it.
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billy_shines
381 posts
May 09, 2012
1:07 AM
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ok did a pic search jp soars doesnt play a d bow its a two string stick zither. actually not even that the body resonator is non functional, its a 2 string electric stick. he does slide with a disposable lighter though which was my personal preference but now a stevens steel brass ring or bottleneck. when my soul patch grows out maybe i will check these blues douches out.
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MN
137 posts
May 09, 2012
1:39 AM
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I was born and raised in northern Palm Beach County (though I live in Prague now). I spent a lot of time with the Moon Cat, taking lessons when he lived in Lake Worth and I was in Jupiter. I was a much worse player then, and never had a shortage of places to play out.
For live music, the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth is great, and also keep an eye on Chef John's and Guanabanas up in Jupiter.
You'll find that, as the economy goes, so goes the stream of national acts that make it that far south. Prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and subsequent nose-dive in the economy, I saw these acts in clubs in West Palm and the surrounding area: James Harman, Rod Piazza, Mark Hummel, Carey Bell, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Kim Wilson, Sean Costello, Cephas & Wiggins, Anson Funderburgh with Sam Meyers, Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Bob Margolin & Jerry Portnoy, Paul Rishell & Annie Raines, Tinsley Ellis, Buckwheat Zydeco ... and a bunch more I can't remember.
Regarding Iceman's complaints about Orlando: I don't doubt them one bit. But Orlando is like a different state.
Last Edited by on May 09, 2012 1:41 AM
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Moon Cat
73 posts
May 09, 2012
2:06 AM
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Yeah Mark you rock then and now, we had lots of fun! Meow!
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