Some of the coolest gigs were playing in "Big River". These gigs were fun and I did four productions. One week I did nine shows and made close to thousand dollars.
Big River was fun. I played 5 out of 7 shows of the run at my local Muni Opera three years ago. Couldn't make two of them because my band had gigs. But it was still a fun time! Only clip I have with the harp prominent...
I was the harmonica player for the Broadway show The Civil War. I made a pile a week for about a year, even for 8 months of playing other cities than New York.
I still prefer playing for free at the battle of the bands at Magnolia Cafe in Santa Rosa in 1991 when my band Animal Farm WON IT ALL! (Because we really played well and had a lot of fun.)
Last Edited by Michael Rubin on Jun 24, 2014 10:47 AM
This old man can't resist. None of these gigs were good paying, some didn't pay at all, but all were a thrill:
Jamming with Floyd Dixon. Jamming with Buster Benton. Opening up for Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (Gary Onofrio was there), opening up for Bo Diddley, James Cotton. Playing with John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins and Big Joe Duskin, and getting paid to do it. Fronting James Cotton's band and Charlie Musselwhite's band, after being invited to do so by James and Charles.
Some of my coolest moments were making good music with blues musicians who usually didn't have room for a harp-- Floyd Dixon, Buster Benton, Albert Collins and Big Joe Duskin. Even John Lee Hooker rarely had harp.
All this was in another life. (no wife, no kids, no mortgage)
I'll refrain from name-dropping for another year or two.
One night I filled in behind Pinetop Perkins because Sam Myers and James Cotton were not available, and the backing band trusted me not to screw up. It was the only time my mother saw me play a gig.
The show was recorded, but we didn't hear anything about it for several years; when it finally came out, I bought a copy of the CD and confirmed that it was indeed not a performance for which I wanted to be remembered, except by my mom.
Then the record was nominated for a Grammy. Luckily, BB King did not have a new CD out that year. The record I was on won.
And my mom *ruled* the assisted living home for the last year of her life on the strength of that Grammy.
A few weeks ago I was sorting a box of stuff from her place and found two copies of that CD in shrink wrap that didn't have the stickers for the nomination or win. I realized they must be leftovers from the ones my mom had bought to give to friends before all that Grammy stuff happened. That will put a lump in your throat.
Thanks, mom. Thanks, Mr. Perkins. Thanks, friends in the band.
Our trio played at a VIP store event for about 60 customers with guest Olivia Palermo, an "It Girl" from New York. We played a few tunes, ate canapés and drank French champagne and got paid well. Have played a few landmark birthday parties (50ths mainly) which are also a blast and rewarding in many ways.
Not the best paid by a long mile, but the coolest gig I ever played was an outdoors afternoon gig at Colne Blues Festival in the late 90's. It was pouring with rain and we thought no one would turn up. So anyway as per the contract we start playing at the allotted time. Within a few minutes we had a big crowd of people all dancing in the puddles in front of us. We had some fire eaters who'd been busking in town join us on stage and they stood either side of me blowing flames as I blew harp. That was a great gig!
Still my favorite story after 40+ years. There was a bombed out area of the South bronx that had a great jazz bar called Arthurs round Table Went with my cousin and we kinda snuck under the radar cause we were underage. There was a snow storm and some of the band couldnt make it. But headliner Boogaloo Joe Jones was ready to play The MC asked if there was a drummer in the house-my cousin kinda pushed me up to the stage. And I played the first 2 sets 'til the band showed up. Got no complaints and a big thank you and drinks ( a big deal when you are underage) All I could think about was my Dad's advice when teaching me drums-- "Stay outta the way and keep time"
Some of my favorites are below. Each is just a sit-in, and usually just for one song, and none of them paid anything. But I'm still pretty proud of my experiences.
1. Sitting in with the Allman Brothers Band at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Birmingham for one song. The crowd was enormous and was super receptive. On "Southbound", I got to do a little intro, fill in around the lyrics, take a solo, and then trade licks with Dickey Betts. Later on some tape trader guy gave me a recording of it, too. They invited me to play again with them the next night in Atlanta (and ride with them) and I chickened out because I had just moved to Montgomery for a new job, and I would have had to miss the Friday of my first week in the job, after missing my very first work day because my U-haul trailer caught fire. I am so lame it kills me.
2. Sitting in for a song with Son Seals at Chicago B.L.U.E.S. In New York City, after I had just made him his first prosthetic leg. He wore it that night for a little while (he was just getting used to it). Played on "Call My Job" to a sold-out absolutely packed crowd and it was such a thrill. Son and I talked afterwards about him buying some lyrics of mine (he never wrote lyrics, he said) and he had a few of my songs picked out, but then I never heard back. Later on I found out he went into a diabetic coma and his second wife somehow conned him into giving him power of attorney. He woke up from the coma completely penniless; she had sold his real estate and wrangled away his royalties. He died shortly afterward.
3. Sitting in for four or five songs at the old Checkerboard lounge in Chicago with Mr. Mean and his band. It was the only time I've ever played in front of an all-black audience (probably nobody in there under 45 or 50 years old). They were so receptive and supportive; it was as big a thrill as playing with the ABB.
4. The first gig in college where we got to make out with girls simply because we played music. Our college band was Blues Republic, and we still get together to play a couple of times a year, but I am married now and (sadly?) there is no more making out with college girls.
Last Edited by cliffy on Jun 25, 2014 4:36 PM
I am so fortunate that I live in an area in east TN between two large lakes. We play a dozen or so gigs between May and September at 3 different marinas. People love being outside and there is plenty of room to dance. Probably 1/2 come by boat from their lake homes and are ready for fun when they arrive. My band plays a mix of blues and rock with a little funk on the side.
---------- www.facebook.com/catfishfryeband
Last Edited by harpdude61 on Jun 25, 2014 5:09 PM
Recording the harmonica part for a Curtis Mayfield song. He wasn't there, it was just the engineer, the producer and me, but it was still very cool.
The intro was written out for chromatic, and then I was asked to just play along to the song on the diatonic, playing really simple "country" licks. It was all acoustic, playing into the Nuemann. The producer was happy, I felt loose and it was just a great session and I think it qualifies.
It's the harmonica on "Dirty Laundry", mixed way the hell down for some reason.
It really is a very cool song. It was the arranger on the album who called me for the session, Skip Lane, an excellent tenor sax player. ---------- Call me J
Last Edited by jnorem on Jun 25, 2014 7:11 PM
