Blues Week Review – Rotorua – 2009

BOP Blues Club presented its 4th “Blues Week” this year and the festival is fast becoming an established part of the city’s annual events calendar.


The current economic climate meant tighter purse strings than usual for the event, which relies heavily on sponsorship and a grant from NZCT (NZ Community Trust) enabled the festival to go ahead.

Headline act, Mojo Mama & the Hired Guns (with Bullfrog Rata), opened the festival on the Friday night.
Wellington’s Laura Collins brought her band of talented musicians to town and rocked the Belgian Bar.
With Bullfrog’s guitar and Cindy Muggeridge’s boogie piano playing, behind Collins’ passionate vocals, they presented a great show.

Appearing at the festival for the first time was “Isis Blue” featuring Tauranga’s Grant Haua on guitar and Rotorua’s Micky Ututaonga, Rob Patterson and singer Delaney Ututaonga.
Patterson and the Ututaongas are local musical giants, with big name band credits and frequent overseas tours on their CVs.
They presented a mix of soul and R&B, played with finesse to a packed bar.
They were followed by Rotorua’s Anton Elkington.
As well as his powerhouse trio, Anton’s young son, Eli did a brief cameo, singing and playing bass.
It’s wonderful to see father and son performing together on stage like this – and the crowd just loved it!
Local acts also drew a good following and included Rawiri Waru, Lindsay MacKenzie, Mike Garner, Peri Grant, Lyndsey Sinclair & Keith Garratt, the B-side Band, and Andrea Bailey and her band.

The final show on the Sunday night opened with “Ladies Sing The Blues”.
This featured BOP Blues Club female singers Lyndsey Sinclair, Jill Briar, Sally Garner and Andrea Bailey.
Each presented a short selection of songs, many telling the story of the blues from a female perspective, with songs such as “Dump That Chump”, “Love Me Like A Man”, “My Man Blues”, and so on.

Auckland’s “The Jukes” closed the festival, taking the stage late on Sunday night.
They had the crowd dancing and played two sets of all-classic blues songs, with oodles of Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Howling Wolf, Slim Harpo and many other classics covered. It was a strong ending to fantastic weekend, with blues fans from as far away as Canada, Auckland, Hamilton and Palmerston North, and even tourists from both Brazil and Russia all boogying to blues music!


Thanks to Mike Garner for the use of the article taken from B.O.P Blues Bulletin June-July 2009.
Check out the B.O.P Blues Club web site for more.

R.I.P. Chicago Blues Legend - Koko Taylor

Chicago blues legend Koko Taylor, known internationally as the "Queen of the Blues," passed away on Wednesday June 3, 2009 as a result of complications from a recent operation.

Koko Taylor had undergone surgery in Chicago on May 19th to fix a gastrointestinal bleed, and according to a previous post on her website, was originally expected to make a full recovery.

Koko Taylor

Koko Taylor made her last public appearance a couple of weeks ago, singing her signature Chess Records hit "Wang Dang Doodle" in front of a thrilled audience at the 30th Blues Music Awards show in Memphis, Tennessee.
Koko Taylor walked off stage that night with the award for "Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year," her 29th W.C. Handy/Blues Music Award, more than any other blues artist.
She was also a Grammy™ Award winner and the recipient of a NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, and was honored by induction into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1997.

Over an amazing career that spanned 45+ years, Koko Taylor carved out her own niche in the male-dominated blues world.
One of Chess Records' most popular artists, Taylor was a master of all media.
The bawdy blueswoman appeared in several films, including Blues Brothers 2000, and performed on television several times, including Late Night With David Letterman and Late Night With Conan O'Brien.
Taylor remained a creative force at the time of her death, her critically-acclaimed 2007 Alligator Records album Old School widely considered to be one of her best, and earning Taylor a Blues Music Award for "Traditional Blues Album of the Year."


Koko Taylor overcame poverty, tragedy, and physical infirmity to become one of the most popular blues singers in the world, male or female.
Her dynamic live performances and recordings have influenced countless young musicians, including artists like Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, and Susan Tedeschi.

Koko Taylor is survived by her husband, daughter, and other family members. Her presence in the world of the blues will be missed greatly.



Check out Koko Taylor's web site for more.

Darren Watson Interview

In this interview, it's my absolute pleasure to talk to Darren Watson, vocalist and guitar player in his band Darren Watson and the Real Deal Blues Band.


Darren's been making great music from his heart and soul for some twenty-five years now and in that time he has established a reputation second-to-none in New Zealand for world class, original rhythm & blues. He has recently won first place in the blues category for his song ‘All Going Wrong’ in the International Song writing competition . . . judges included James Cotton, John Mayall, and Alligator boss Bruce Iglauer.

Darren Watson

ANBTB: Hi Darren, first of all thanks for taking the time to talk with me, and second of all many congratulations on your winning the International Song writing competition. That must be a real thrill...

DW: Yeah, well you could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out. I was chuffed enough just to be in the finals…. It’s bloody brilliant, innit?!


ANBTB: You have been nominated six times for NZ Music Awards for a body of recorded work that includes two Top 40 albums and singles with Chicago Smoke Shop, in 2002 the album King Size was nominated for a Tui and 2005's album 'South Pacific Soul' is terrific. Does winning the competition top all of that?

DW: It’s up there, bro. I’m looking forward now though…. It’s nice to win awards but I prefer to concentrate on new things all the time.


ANBTB: What made you decide to enter All Going Wrong into the competition?

DW: Actually I wasn’t such a fan of the song, but then Midge started playing it in his set and I figured if it’s good enough for him? LOL…. So I fired off an entry and thought nothing more of it until I found out I made the finals. I don’t think most songwriters are the best judges of what their best songs are – I feel way too close to most of ‘em. It’s a real love/hate relationship.


ANBTB: I first saw you play with (who I thought were) Chicago Smoke Shop back in the mid-nineties at the Nelson School of Music and you guys were shaking bits off the ceiling. It must have just before the band split. Can you tell me a bit about the band at the time?

DW: Actually that was a post-Smokeshop line-up called The Behemoths. It would’ve been me with Richard Te One on drums, Darrin Hancock on bass, and Bob Smith on Piano/Organ. I remember getting to that gig and I couldn’t believe they only had a vocal PA for a 500 seat theatre?!!


ANBTB: Like Darcy Perry, you didn't start out on guitar did you... wasn't your first instrument trumpet? How did you get from there to playing guitar?

DW: Yeah, I played some trumpet, drums and then bass before I got to guitar. My first gigs were playing bass in a covers band. I was 14 – it was nuts. At 17-18 I took up six string and got on with learning to play blues…


ANBTB: So when you growing up, what music did you listen to and what really go you hooked into the blues and started you playing?

DW: I had a lot of 45s and EPs of Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and The Rolling Stones to start with… that’s what got me fired up. Plus I kept hearing stories about my cousin Rod Stone who played guitar in a beat group called The Librettos during the 60s… kind of got me interested. Hearing Muddy Waters as a young teenager changed my life. I didn’t know music could be that powerful…


ANBTB: In past you have worked a lot with Midge Marsden. Was he a big influence and did you learn a lot from him?

DW: I love working with Midge. His enthusiasm is totally contagious. He is a great friend and a ‘bluesologist’ extraordinaire!


ANBTB: You've played with Robert Cray, Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, Billy Boy Arnold, Doug MacLeod, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dr. John and Keb Mo. Who has been your favourite artist to work with and why?

DW: Koko Taylor and her band were amazing to tour with. We met Bruce Iglauer (Alligator Records) and had a total ball.


ANBTB: Can you tell us you least favourite?

DW: Not really, mate. They’ve all been pretty good in one way or another. Jimmy Vaughan wasn’t particularly nice to be around though…


ANBTB: 'South Pacific Soul' has been described as "genre breaking". There are quite obviously blues references, but it also encompasses rhythm and blues and soul. Was that a conscious decision because strict 'blues' audiences are a shrinking market, or is the blending of these different styles just where you are at?

DW: Mate, I’ve always been about blues/soul. I can play almost any blues style you care to name but I LOVE the soulier stuff. Most of the original Smoke Shop tunes were more ‘Stax’ than ‘Chess’, if you get my drift.

Darren Watson and South Pacific Soul

ANBTB: Specifically on blues and blues-related music, how would you assess the current live music scene in New Zealand at present?

DW: Well, much as I hate to be one of those older guys going on about how good things were ‘back in the day’… I think things were better ‘back in the day’. It seems to me that a lot of people are pretty much working for next to nothing and taking whatever they can get in the way of gigs.


ANBTB: Is it harder to please the venue owners or the audience?

DW: I find if we play well and enjoy ourselves it seems to keep both happy.


ANBTB: Do you think that as fans of the blues genre we value, or are perhaps encouraged to value, the wrong things about blues acts and performances? For example, guitar solos over songs?

DW: This is a pet peeve of mine. I really loathe long, noodly solos. For me it’s always been about the groove and the story. SOME solo work is great but only where it supports telling the story, in my opinion. We don’t play a lot of 15 minute jams in E, bro… Grin*


ANBTB: So, what can we expect from Darren Watson and the Real Deal Blues Band in the next year or so? I think there is a new album on the way isn't there, and any plans to tour? We'd love to see you back in Auckland.

DW: Yep, new album this year hopefully…. I would love to play in Auckland again soon but the guys won’t work for nothing let alone take a loss – which is pretty much what an Auckland excursion would be for us – so we’ll have to wait ‘til someone offers us enough to make it viable. I’m sure I’ll be up there in some capacity this year to support the new album. It’ll be hard to top my last Auckland gig with Midge at the Kings Arms in ’07 though… that just went OFF!


ANBTB: Thanks very much Darren, it was great to talk to you.



For all the latest on Darren and the band check out the offical Darren Watson and the Real Deal Blues Band web site for full details.

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Six Strings Down - Robert Johnson

While watching a performance of Six Strings Down by Jimmie Vaughan it got me thinking and I was also reminded of an article I was reading on a web site I 'stumbled' upon about Sean Costello and I thought I would compose a series of posts for this blog about other blues artists whose lives were also tragically cut short.

This is the third in the series of these posts and please check back in with this blog regularly as I will be composing a further posts on this subject.


Robert Johnson
b. Hazlehurst, Mississippi: 8 May, 1911 or 1912
d. 16 August, 1938

Robert Johnson is perhaps the most famous of Delta (if not all) blues musicians. His records from 1936–1937 are a remarkable combination of singing, guitar playing and songwriting and have influenced generations of musicians.

Robert Johnson's poorly documented life and death have given rise to the most famous legend in music.
According to that legend, Robert Johnson was a young man in rural Mississippi with a burning desire to become a great musician, and he was instructed to take his guitar to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation at midnight.
There he was met by the Devil who took the guitar from Robert Johnson and tuned it.
After tuning the guitar, the devil played a few songs and then returned it to Robert Johnson, and thereby giving him absolute mastery of the guitar, being able to play, sing, and create the greatest blues anyone had ever heard and in return Robert Johnson had sold his soul.

Robert Johnson's recordings have recently become the source of conjecture, and so suggesting that they recording we accept as Robert Johnson's genius have in fact been sped up by maybe as much as 20%.
And some even doubt the influence of Robert Johnson and authors such Elijah Wald ask why "Robert Johnson was ignored by the core black audience of his time yet is now celebrated as the greatest figure in blues history".
(Please check back in with this blog regularly as I will be composing some further posts on these subjects).

There are a number of accounts and theories regarding the events of Robert Johnson's death.
Leading up to his death he had been playing for a few weeks at a country dance in a town near Greenwood and one evening Robert Johnson began flirting with a woman at a dance.
One version of the account is that the woman was the wife of the juke joint owner who unknowingly provided Johnson with a bottle of poisoned whiskey from her husband, while another account suggests she was a married woman he had been secretly seeing.
Johnson was offered open bottle of whiskey and accepted it, and the bottle was laced with strychnine.
Honey Boy Edwards, another blues musician was present, and essentially confirms this account.
Robert Johnson is reported to have started to feel ill into the evening after drinking from the bottle and had to be helped back to his room in the early morning hours.
Over the next three days, his condition steadily worsened and witnesses reported that he died in a convulsive state of severe pain—symptoms which are consistent with poisoning.

His death occurred on August 16, 1938, at the age of 27.