WSP Is Back!....They’re Really Back!

By: John Rhys
BluePower.com
Los Angeles, Ca.

There are very few times at this point in my life where I become excited about a group of men standing on stage playing loud music. When I was a much younger man, I relished the volume; the pounding of the kick drum; the deep “thud” of the bass; and the general orchestrated chaos of the people who make it all work.

Last night at the Wiltern Theatre, the machine that makes a successful band run was vibrating like a finely tuned watch. The light crew; the sound men; the techs and the band, created enough energy to light the state of California. My congratulations to them all, including the excellent staff at the Wiltern.

There are a lot of great bands roaming about today that are big business. Good for them; it’s hard work. Occasionally, a group of humans find themselves together in the back of a van somewhere in the middle of nowhere heading to a gig in God knows where. Who would have thought at that time they would be together twenty years later. For Widespread Panic, that time is a long, long way down a road filled with perseverance, talent and belief in how and what they play. Those are the necessary ingredients that led to last night’s show.

July 14th, 2005….Wiltern Theatre….8 PM

Tonight….a group of gentlemen took the stage and played two of the most powerful sets this writer has been privileged to witness in a mighty long time. Widespread Panic made thousands of LA folks very happy this evening. I was fortunate to be included.

The song list was perfect for the evening. Each song led to another; driving the energy into peaks of excitement for the audience. The people were in the mood and band delivered the goods. Two sets with an encore of not one, but two songs. One an original WSP tune, “Bust It Big”, and “I Wanna Be Sedated” a Ramones favorite. Members of the audience were leaping into the air; their screams deafening. The balcony was literally moving up and down six inches.

This was not the WSP that I heard in this same venue in 2003. The year off made a big difference. The choice of songs tonight was superb but it took the combination of a red-hot audience and one of the best live bands in America today to make the magic. At times the audience and band seemed like one being. The music held it’s sway.

WSP did several covers of singly great songs. Performing these songs in their own inimitable way, the band stamped their brand on one of War’s best known songs, “Slippin’ Into Darkness”. A couple of songs down, they nailed J. J. Cale’s “Ride Me High”. (The set list is given below.)

Tonight, Domingo “Sonny” Ortiz (percussion), Todd Nance (drums), Dave Schools (bass/vocals), John “JoJo” Herman (keys/vocals), George McConnell (guitar/vocals) and John Bell (lead vox/gtr), together known as Widespread Panic, rocked the city of Los Angeles. There should be no doubt now in anyone’s mind why WSP has taken twenty years to become one of the hardest working; imminently endurable and most loved, live bands in the USA.

Set List One………

“All Time Low”
“Little Lilly”
“Tie Yo Shoes”
“Makes Sense To Me”
“Nicotina”
“Help Me Somebody” (NRBQ)
“Trouble” (Cat Stevens)
“Holden”
“Walkin’ On Gilded Splinters” (Dr. John)
“Goin’ Out West” (Tom Waits)

Set List Two……..

“L.G.D.T.Biz” (Vic Chestnut)
“Littlekin”
“Slippin’ Into Darkness” (War)
“Henry Parsons Died.”
“C. Brown”
“Second Skin”
“Ride Me High” (J. J. Cale)
“Surprise Valley”
“Hatfield”
“Fishwater”

Encore:
“Bust It Big” (WSP) and “I Wanna Be Sedated” (The Ramones)

WSP will be performing at the Wiltern Theatre through Saturday evening.
Be prepared and make sure you get there early. 8 PM is showtime.

For all your Widespread Panic needs....click here.

Hang On.....It's Time For Smokestack Lightnin'!

Smokestack Lightnin' is all the way live this month with their latest and greatest selections of traditional and all new Blues.

We at BluePower wish to thank all the great guys who broadcast Smokestack Lightnin' and especially Mr. Tommy Thompson for the wonderful spot he put together for BluePower. A great big "thank you" from all of us here at BP.com.

Here's is SL's new playlist....Enjoy!

Smokestack Lightnin’s Top Ten Blues CDs:

#10 Leslie West/Baby, Please Don’t Go/Got Blooze/BBI
#9 Little Milton/Gonna Find Me Somebody To Love/Think Of Me/Telarc
#8 Tab Benoit/I Smell A Rat/Fever For The Bayou/Telarc
#7 Howard Glazer/Cold Sad & Lonely/Brown Paper Bag/Random Chance
#6 Finis Tasby/Back In Love Again/What My Blues Are All About/Electro Fi
#5 Solomon Burke/I Got The Blues/Make Due With What You Got/Shout!
#4 Zac Harmon/Its Cool With Me/The Blues According To Zachariah/Bluestone
#3 Jerome Godboo/Ventilator Blues/Pain & The Glory/self
#2 Little Charlie & The Nightcats/Keep Your Big Mouth Shut/Nine Lives/Alligator
#1 Sugar Ray/I Won’t Leave Home No More/Hands Across The Table/Severn

Featured Artist: Fillmore Slim:

Fillmore Slim/The Game/The Game/Mountain Top
Fillmore Slim/Funky Mamas House/Funky Mama’s House/Fedora
Fillmore Slim/My First Girlfriend/The Game/Mountain Top

All New Blues:

Popa Chubby/Hey Joe/Popa Chubby Live/Blind Pig
Walter Trout/If You Just Try/Deep Trout/Ruf
Duwayne Burnside/Pressure/Under Pressure/B.C.
Harper/Down To The Rhythm/Down To The Rhythm/Blind Pig
Tom Blues Man Hunter/Hell Hounds/Expressions Of A Blues Man/self
Nelson Adelard/Take Me Back/Take Me Back/self
Kenny Blues Boss Wayne/Blackberry Wine/Let It Loose/Electro Fi
Ernest Lane/Boogyin’ At Leon’s Place/The Blues Is Back/Acoustic Sound
Coastline/Play Something Sweet/Sweet N’ Ripe/Landslide

The Classic Blues:

Robert Nighthawk/Seventy Four/The United Records Story/Delmark
J.B. Hutto/Sorry/Stompin’ At Mother Blues/Delmark
Shaky Jake/That Ain’t It/This Is The Blues Harmonica Vol. 2/Delmark
T-Bone Walker/Party Girl/Lackawana Blues/Vanguard
John Lee Hooker/Jack O’ Diamonds/Jack O’ Diamonds/Eagle

Chitlin Circuit Blues:

Lee Shot Williams/Ghetto Party/Nibble Man/Ecko
Denise LaSalle/They Made A Blues Fan Out Of Me/Wanted/Ecko
Earl Gaines/Let’s Sit Down & Talk Things Over/Earl Gaines Is Back/Blue Fye

Featured Artist: Solomon Burke:

Solomon Burke/Goodbye Baby/Rock N’ Soul/Atlantic
Solomon Burke/Try A Little Tenderness/Homeland/Bizarre
Solomon Burke/Along About Midnight/Soul Of The Blues/Shout!
Solomon Burke/Medley/Live At The House Of Blues/Shout!
Solomon Burke/Your Time To Cry/The Definition Of Soul/Pointblank

All New Zydeco Blues:

Buckwheat Zydeco/I’m Gonna Love You Anyway/Jackpot!/Tomorrow
Roy Carrier/Take Me Crosstown/Living Legend/Severn
Geno Delafose/You’re Cute, But You’re Sneaky/Big Ol’ Box Of New Orleans/Shout!

New Blues Favorites:

Jimmy Thackery/Weaker Than You Know/Healin’ Ground/Telarc
Lil Ronnie & The Grand Dukes/Just A Fool/Do Whatcha Do/Trust Me Baby
Harrison Kennedy/Direct Hit/Sweet Taste/Label Group
Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings/Roll ‘Em Pete/Just For A Thrill/Fuel

Very Hot Live Blues:

Chris Beard/Never Felt No Blues/Live Wire/Northern Blues
Marcia Ball/It Hurts To Be In love/Down The Road Live/Alligator
Tom Principato&Danny Gatton/Back Door Blues/Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters/Powerhouse

(Just click on the link on yout right.)

The Story Of The Cadillacs....Part Two!

By: J.C. Marion

The year of 1956 saw The Cadillacs spread their influence with many personal appearances. A number of shows were done in New Jersey with The Valentines, Gloria Mann, The Wrens, and others. On Valentine's Day weekend the group appears with Screamin'Jay Hawkins, The Heartbeats, Ann Cole, Ruth McFadden, Frank Culley's Combo, Big Al Sears,the Bonnie Sisters, and appropriately enough, The Valentines at the Opera House Theater in The Bronx. The show was presented by Hal Jackson. For most of the month of March The Cadillacs will tour Virginia and the Carolinas on an interesting double bill with Ray Charles and his orchestra. "Speedo" continues to sell into the springtime and the group is all the rage throughout the country. They play the Fox Theater in Detroit as part of a show presented by Robin Seymour of WKMH in that city. Also on the bill are the Three Chuckles, Cleftones, Royal Jokers, Bobby Charles, the Four Tunes, and Harold Burrage. Back east in New Jersey for Ramon Bruce and his R & B Bandwagon Show which sells out everywhere. The Cadillacs are a must addition to the bill of the Top Ten R & B Caravan which will kick off in Richmond, Virginia in April. On the bill are Little Richard, Fats Domino, Ruth Brown, The Clovers, Little Willie John, and The Turbans. In the middle of all this activity Josie is able to release to the public # 729 - "Zoom" / "You Are".

Even as the sales of "Speedo" are just beginning to slow down across the country, the new rocker takes hold. First oddly enough in Los Angeles, and then in other regions "Zoom" looks like a winner. Although not able to duplicate the pop success of their previous side, it is The Cadillacs that are the number one vocal group attraction. "Zoom" captures the pure joy of rock 'n roll (as the previous three jump tunes by the group had) in a presentation of a song with simple basic lyrics. Some nice touches are the fade in of the background midway through the first bridge, the joyous "oh yeah" leading into the sax break most of it taken at half tempo, Drake's bass vocal on the second bridge and morphing into Earl Carroll's vocal take on the final verse, and the wordless last run through leading to the final note. It was just a great vocal performance again by the group. The flip of "You Are" is further proof of the under-appreciated ballad style shown by The Cadillacs on this wonderful tune featuring a great dramatic ending.

It was the summer of 1956 and The Cadillacs seemed on top of the R & B world. It seemed as though they couldn't miss on record and they were the most in demand vocal group with the possible exception of The Platters. It seemed inconceivable at the time but the fall was about to begin. The new Josie Records release was #798 - "Woe Is Me" and "Betty My Love". For the first time in along while the record did not catch on with the public. "Betty" was an undistinguished ballad and was seen by many as a lame answer to the Teen Queens "Eddie My Love" (which I had never thought it was meant to be) and the upside "Woe Is Me" was a slowed down medium tempo tune that seemed to drag and was missing that Cadillac exuberance. Even though the record sold in some areas (it claimed a top ten seller in Atlanta and Kansas City)it was not a national success. It was about this time that an integral part of the Cadillacs and a crowd favorite, Lavern Drake left the group and was replaced by James Bailey. In the fall Josie #805 was issued pairing "The Girl I Love" and "That's All I Need". Despite the hype of the record label in the trade press and on radio, the record went nowhere.

The "pop"-ularization of The Cadillacs continued with the November release of the group's version of the holiday classic "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" on Josie #807. The flip side was a bouncy throw-away called "The Shock-A-Doo". Trade ads taken out by Josie Records make sure that potential buyers know that the song is the original by Johnny Marks and that the record is a pop music version. They succeed somewhat as the record gets good airplay and sales are good nationally as proven by reaching the top fifteen on the R & B charts. Dissatisfaction over the direction of the musical fortunes of the group led to squabbling and differences of opinion. The group tried a return to their past successes with a bouncy uptempo tune called "Sugar Sugar" written by Chuck Willis. The forgettable flip was "About That Girl Named Lou". The 'A' side was a Cadillacs styled rocker and a lasting visual impression I have of the tune is Earl Carroll's performance of the tune during the Alan Freed holiday show in his adopted persona of a hip boulevardier with top hat and decorated walking stick and doing the fade out line "Sugar Sugar, Come Go Home With Me" off the stage and then re-appearing one more time, and then maybe again. It was a great musical moment that far outlasted the popularity of the record which was quite a disappointment.

By the late spring of 1957 the schism that had engulfed the Cadillacs caused the breakup of the group. In its wake were two separate lineups with the same name and recording for the same label. The two separate groups released records almost simultaneously. Josie #820 featured the group known as The Four Cadillacs (on later pressings just as The Cadillacs) with "Please Be My Girlfriend" and "Broken Heart". This group consisted of Bobby Spencer, James Bailey, Roland Martinez, and Lavern Drake. The tune "Girlfriend" was done a capella and the uptempo side was much more influential than sales would ever indicate. In the ensuing forty years or more it has become a staple of virtually every a capella singing group (as has the original version of "Gloria" by the group). Actual sales of the release were not great, and even less can be said for The Original Cadillacs ( Earl Carroll, Earl Wade, Charles Brooks, and Bobby Phillips) on Josie #821 of "Lucy" and "Hurry Home". They tried again listed as Earl Carroll & The Original Cadillacs on Josie #834 with a cover of the Hollywood Flames Ebb record of "Buzz Buzz Buzz" and the flip side of "Yea Yea Baby". This also turned out to be a forgettable side for the group. In this confused and disjointed state, the year of 1957 ended.

In early 1958 another strange Josie release saw the light of day. Listed as by Jesse Powell & The Caddys, the foursome responsible for "My Girlfriend" vocalized on a tune called "Ain't You Gonna" while the flip was an instrumental by sax man Powell called "Turnpike" on #834. By now the dual group situation was becoming troublesome. It was resolved after a number of meetings with Esther Navarro, Jesse Powell, the powers that be at Jubilee/Josie, and the result was one unified group of Cadillacs for recording and personal appearances. Wade, Brooks, and Phillips, called it a career and so the remaining five were Earl Carroll, Bobby Spencer, James Bailey, Roland Martinez, and Lavern Drake. Josie #836 was released in March of 1958 and the try for return to glory was the inspiration for the song "Speedo Is Back". Evidently the magic was not back as that tune and its flip side called "Looka Here" did not do much for the group or Josie Records. The one positive result was an increase in bookings for the group for personal appearances where they were still a top draw. The summer of 1958 saw the release of "Holy Smoke Baby" and "I Want To Know" on Josie #842. It disappeared without hardly a trace. But - the Cadillacs were about to return by the process of re-inventing themselves.

In the fall of 1958 after five years on the R & B and rock 'n roll trail the Cadillacs took stock of their future and its possibilities. They took note of the huge success of The Coasters with their humorous tales of everyday life and saw a chance for themselves to mine this very same category of fun and familiarity. The initial result was Josie #846 released in October. The 'A' side "Peek-A-Boo" was an instant hit and went big in the pop market. In broke into the top twenty five nationally and the Cadillacs had their biggest smash since "Speedo". In early 1959 they continued with "Jay Walker" on Josie #857, and "Please Mister Johnson" on #861. The Cadillacs in their "Coasters" phase had returned to popularity and their performance was captured on film in the Alan Freed motion picture called "Mr. Rock And Roll" (the same film that shows Jackie Wilson doing a "moonwalk" !). They finished out the year of 1959 with two more mostly forgotten sides for Josie - #866 : "Romeo" / "Always My Darling" and #870: "Big Dan McGoon" and "Dumbell". Soon Earl Carroll would leave and continue his musical career with the real Coasters joining long time member Carl Gardener and Cornell Gunter. He would be part of that continually touring group for more than thirty years.

Into the sixties the name of The Cadillacs continued on with various personnel and on different labels. None of the subsequent recordings were sellers of any merit but they were certainly worthy efforts by those attempting to keep the history alive. On Josie came #865 as by Speedo & The Pearls - "Naggity Nag" / "Who You Gonna Kiss"; on #876 as by Speedo & The Cadillacs - "Tell Me Today" and "It's Love"; on #883 - "The Boogie Man" / "That Is Why"; and on #915 as by The Original Cadillacs - "I'll Never Let You Go"/ "The Wayward Wanderer" released in late 1963. In 1961 there was one release on Smash #1712 - "You Are To Blame" and "What You Bet". Two recordings for Capitol as by Bobby Ray (really Bobby Spencer) & The Cadillacs - #4825 - "Groovy Groovy Love" and "White Gardenia", and #4935 - "La Bomba" and "I Saw You". In 1964 Esther Navarro was still around the Cadillacs and formed a record label for a one shot for the group. The result was Arctic #101 - "Fool" / "The Right Kind of Loving" and on some issues it is listed as by Ray Brewster & The Cadillacs. With this failed release, the wonderful decade long relationship between Navarro and The Cadillacs came to an end. It was a very special bond and in many ways it paralleled a similar team with Deborah Chessler and The Orioles that began in the late forties.

The music of the Cadillacs did not die there however. Two sides appeared on the small independent Lana label that featured a late sixties version of the group with Bobby Spencer on lead. Lana #118 was a remake of "Speedo" and #119 was a remake of the first Cadillacs song "Gloria". One last recording under the name of The Cadillacs was released, this time by a major player in the nineteen seventies on the Polydor label. It was a socially relevant "message song" called "Deep In The Heart Of The Ghetto" parts one and two, as by The Original Cadillacs on #14031. From time to time reissues of the Josie sides appear on off brand labels such as Trip and Virgo, and there were four LPs released by Jubilee. As with all of the doo wop era tunes the CD technology has been a treasure trove of re-releases and historically important sources of this music. Currently there are various collections of the Cadillacs tunes available and we are fortunate in that regard.

After seeing the Cadillacs many times in their glory days in the mid fifties, the last time I had the pleasure of witnessing their talent was at the Academy of Music in 1970. The two Earls, Bobby Spencer and James Bailey hit the stage and were joined by Lavern Drake who played piano on a couple of the ballads ! If you saw the recent PBS special called 50 Years of Doo Wop, you saw Earl Carroll still vocalizing after all these years and joined by (possibly Bobby Spencer and Leroy Binns (original Charts) as The Cadillacs. The sequence on "Gloria" was priceless with Earl Lewis, then Vito Balsamo, then Jimmy Gallagher, then Herbie Cox, then Johnny Maestro, and finally everyone deferring to Mister Earl on the lead vocal. It was great seeing Earl once again on "Speedo" and "Zoom". Zoom indeed ! The Cadillacs will never die !

The Story Of The Cadillacs....Part One!

By: J.C. Marion

The story of the Cadillacs begins on the street corners of Harlem in New York City during the spring of 1953. As usual the guys built a reputation in the neighborhood for the ability to put across a tune. At that time the name of the group was The Carnations, and the original members of the quartet were Earl Carroll, Bobby Phillips, Lavern Drake, and Gus Willingham. From the halls of PS 140 on 140th Street, and the stage of St. Mark's Church, the "name" status of the young group began to spread. From other would be singers in the area, they were put in touch with Esther Navarro, an agent and writer/producer with the Shaw Agency a top booker of R & B talent. This agency was known far and wide in the R & B circles of the early nineteen fifties by their slogan that "there's no business like Shaw business." The foursome auditioned for Navarro who was impressed enough by the guys that she set up a first recording session for the group.

Before that very first session however, Navarro made two changes in the group. First as a response to a suggestion by Lover Patterson a manager of various vocal groups such as the Five Crowns, James "Poppa" Clark a sometimes member of the Crowns was added to the new group. They were now a quintet. The second suggestion was a change of name - from the Carnations to what ? As a response to a passing car that caught the eyes of the young vocalists, this sure fire sign of success was what they wanted - a flashy new Cadillac. And so the Cadillacs were born. Esther Navarro contacted many independent record producers and met with little success until she contacted Jerry Blaine head of Jubilee Records, and he decided to give the new quintet a shot in the recording studio as part of a new enterprise he had launched - Josie Records (also known as JoZ). The time was the summer of 1954 and musical history was about to be made.

The five voices with backing by Rene Hall's Combo recorded four tunes in June of 1954. These four songs became the first two releases for the label. By the first of July in 1954 Josie #765 is released featuring "Gloria" and "Wonder Why". The group did not know it or couldn't even guess at the time, but this recording would create a unique history as part of the story of vocal group singing. At the time the release did not become a big seller but did catch the ear of a number of listeners in New York and Philadelphia. The Josie label with the Cadillacs release, along with new records by the Four Bars and the Ray-O-Vacs, attempt to become a brand new R & B player in the Northeast.Getting a bit of publicity with the new record, the Cadillacs are part of an R & B and jazz show called "Moonlight Sail With The Stars" along the Hudson River in New York. Also on the bill are The Scarlets, Velvets, Caverliers (soon to become The Fi-Tones Quintet), and jazz greats Kenny Dorham and Thelonious Monk. By the end of the year the second release on Josie #769 is out pairing "Wishing Well" and "I Wanna Know About Love".

At the outset of 1955 there were two changes in the Cadillacs world. The first was a major personnel change in the makeup of the group. Original member Gus Willingham left as did James Clark. They were replaced by Earl Wade and Charles Brooks. Wade had gotten some renown as lead singer for a group known as The Crystals who also recorded as The Opals. Brooks had vocalized with a number of neighborhood groups and was familiar with some of the Cadillacs. The second big change was supposedly the idea of Esther Navarro. She wanted her group to distinguish themselves by working on their stage presence, and for this she enlisted the services of dancer and choreographer Cholly Atkins of the long standing dance duo of Coles and Atkins. Part of a wonderful tradition of dance masters such as The Nicholas Brothers, The Will Mastin Trio with Sammy Davis Jr., The Four Step Brothers, and Peg Leg Bates, Atkins worked with the Cadillacs to develop what was to become their trademark dance routines. This learning sequence added the final ingredient in making the Cadillacs a group to experience on stage.

In late January all the parts were in place, and the group certainly delivered. Josie #773 was one of the great vocal group jump tunes ever released. "No Chance" took off on a full run, and the legions of new fans of the music hyped by Moondog Freed now in New York took to the tune in a big way. Backing up the group now was a combo led by smoking sax man Jesse "Tex" Powell recently with King Records recording with Fluffy Hunter and Danny "Run Joe" Taylor. "No Chance" was just a perfect uptempo R & B tune, with snappy lead by Earl Carroll, jump stop bass by Drake, and super riff singing by the rest of the group. Throw in a stomping sax break and the sound is complete. Add to the equation the synchronized dance routines crafted by Cholly Atkins, the knockout wardrobe, and confident stage presence, and suddenly the Cadillacs were the definite "must see" group for the fans of the R & B scene.

In February for a big benefit show held by the New York B'nai Brith organization, radio personality and m.c. Dick "Ricardo" Sugar booked The Cadillacs and The Hearts from Baton Records. As word of the group spread and the Josie release was heard, the Cadillacs were suddenly in demand. In April the 1955 Rock 'n Roll Festival was held at St. Nick's Arena in Harlem. Featured along with The Cadillacs were Lillian Leach & The Mellows, Varetta Dillard, Otis Blackwell, and the bands of Red Prysock and Joe Morris. Later that same month the Cadillacs joined Dr. Jive at Harlem's Rockland Palace for a WWRL radio sponsored show that entertained a turn away crowd with Roy Hamilton, The Hearts, Charlie & Ray, Buddy Johnson's Orchestra with Ella Johnson and Nolan Lewis and special guest headliner Billie Holiday. Coming off the first true hit record by the group it was time to put together a follow up which is always an important influence in the life of a recording act. For their next release, the Cadillacs turned up the tempo.

Josie Records released #778 in mid June - "Down The Road" and "Window Lady". The 'A' side was the rollicking "Down The Road" another classic example of up tempo vocal group R & B. The supercharged step down acoustic bass intro leads into Earl Carroll's jump vocal with great riffs by the group and bass vocal touches by Drake. A very progressive jazz tinged sax break by Powell leads into the second bridge with vocal by bass singer Lavern Drake. His last note on the bridge is picked up nicely by Carroll on the final chorus which leads into the final scatty wordless ending. With "No Chance" and "Down The Road" impressed upon the R & B public's consciousness, The Cadillacs were suddenly at the top of their game. They certainly didn't realize it at the time, but the best was yet to come for them and for the R & B world.

In July the group appears at the Apollo Theater in New York with radio d.j. Hal Jackson's big R & B show which also starred Willie Mabon, The Solitaires, Titus Turner, Annisteen Allen, The Honeytones, Little Jimmy Scott, and the Arnett Cobb band. In September, "Down The Road" breaks out big in New York City and the East coast. The Cadillacs stage show routines are the talk of the R & B world as they have forged a new direction from the former masters of the form such as The Orioles, Clovers, Vocaleers, and Ravens. They had the "look" of the young modern vocal groups that had taken the music over in the year of 1955. Working on their new record for Josie in the fall of 1955 they settled on another uptempo tune that concerned their lead singer Earl Carroll. Lavern Drake's four beat intro into "Speedo" (originally "SpeedoO) with its immortal tag line "They often call me Speedo but my real name is Mister Earl" took the country by storm during the fall and early winter of 1955. This third jump tune in a row for the group seem to place them in an exalted position as a group that was a tastemaker, one that led the way so others could follow. They were now the group that other groups watches as to stage presentation, choreography, and how to put over a song.

In December of 1955, the Cadillacs were certainly a busy R & B entity. The first week of the month found the group once again at the Apollo Theater, this time with The Pearls and the Sil Austin combo. Alan Freed now no longer legally allowed to call himself "Moondog", is however the leading purveyor of the new sound of American popular music. His big "Rock 'n Roll Holiday Show" held at New York's Academy of Music star The Cadillacs along with LaVern Baker, The Wrens, Valentines, Gloria Mann, The Heartbeats, Three Chuckles, Boyd Bennett & The Rockets, the Count Basie Orchestra with Joe Williams,and sax players Sam Taylor and Al Sears. By the end of the year "Speedo" is on the national charts and inspires terrible covers from pop music retreads. Almost overlooked in the tidal wave of popularity for "Speedo" is the bluesy ballad on the flip side called "Let Me Explain" which surprisingly gets some airplay in many areas. This effort shows the public that the Cadillacs can put over a ballad well and have not abandoned that style since the time of "Gloria".

Stay tuned for Part Two.....

Gershwin Balanced Classical With Blues!

From: AMG
By: William Ruhlmann

Born: Jacob Gershwin on Sep 26, 1898 in New York, NY
Died: Jul 11, 1937 in Beverly Hills, CA

In a career tragically cut short in mid-stride by a brain tumor, George Gershwin (1898-1937) proved himself to be not only one of the great songwriters of his extremely rich era, but also a gifted "serious" composer who bridged the worlds of classical and popular music. The latter is all the more striking, given that, of his contemporaries, Gershwin was the most influenced by such styles as jazz and blues.

Gershwin's first major hit, interpolated into the show Sinbad in 1919, was "Swanee," sung by Al Jolson. Gershwin wrote both complete scores and songs for such variety shoes as George White's Scandals (whose annual editions thus were able to introduce such songs as "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" and "Somebody Loves Me").

After 1924, Gershwin worked primarily with his brother Ira as his lyricist. The two scored a series of Broadway hits in the '20s and early '30s, starting with Lady Be Good (1924), which included the song "Fascinatin' Rhythm." 1924 was also the year Gershwin composed his first classical piece, "Rhapsody in Blue," and he would continue to work in the classical field until his death.

By the '30s, the Gershwins had turned to political topics and satire in response to the onset of the Depression, and their Of Thee I Sing became the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize. In the mid '30s, Gershwin ambitiously worked to meld his show music and classical leanings in the creation of the folk opera Porgy and Bess, with lyrics by Ira and Dubose Heyward. The Gershwins had moved to Hollywood and were engaged in several movie projects at the time of George Gershwin's death.

Together Again....The Chicago Blues Reunion!

Chicago Blues Reunion is a collaboration of Chicago music legends who defined the sound of their generation in the 1960's. In that time, they helped create the historic transition in popular music from acoustic folk to electric blues-influenced rock. For four decades they have continued to be an inspiration to younger generations that followed their trail blazing path.

Last year, these legends joined forces once again and the result is a two disc set, Buried Alive In The Blues, (audio CD + 60 minute DVD) from Out The Box Records that is a lasting document of their musical and cultural legacy showcased in a kick ass performance recorded live. The release date is set for July 12, 2005.

The band is a who’s who of blues lovers’ household names: Barry Goldberg, Nick “The Greek” Gravenites, Harvey “The Snake” Mandel, Tracy Nelson, Sam Lay, Corky Siegel with backing by a band of top flight pros including Gary Mallaber, Rick Reed and Zach Wagner.

Chicago Blues Reunion came back to Chicago in 2004 for a limited number of performances, one of which, a blazing night at Fitzgerald’s, the venue that has become a beacon for blues fans over the years, was documented for this release and an anticipated film. The Buried Alive In The Blues package is both a 14 track audio keepsake of the music history these veterans again made that night as well as providing deep insight into the time and social milieu that spawned a revolution in sound and style. The 60 minute DVD features 30 minutes of music and 30 minutes of interviews with the CBR bandmates plus on-screen recollections and telling the North Side Chicago blues story of the 60's from various perspectives.

The DVD also includes a “collectors photo gallery” that offers many never before seen photographs of the band members with their friends and influences including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Dylan, Santana, Janis Joplin, John Mayall, Canned Heat and others.

Chicago Blues Reunion will embark on a 24 market tour upon release of Buried Alive In The Blues, recreating the excitement on stage that is heard on CD and DVD in this extraordinary audio and video document. Dates include Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and, of course, Chicago.

CHICAGO BLUES REUNION BURIED ALIVE IN THE BLUES audio CD track listing

1) "Born In Chicago" – featuring Nick Gravenites
2) "Buried Alive In The Blues" – featuring Nick Gravenites
3) "Walk Away" – featuring Tracy Nelson
4) "Drinking Wine" - Nick Gravenites
5) "GM Boogie" - featuring Barry Goldberg and Harvey Mandel
6) "Left Handed Soul" – featuring Nick Gravenites
7) "Miss You Like The Devil" – featuring Tracy Nelson
8) "All The Help I Can Get" – featuring Tracy Nelson
9) "Death Of Muddy Waters" – featuring Nick Gravenites
10) "Find My Baby" – featuring Sam Lay
11) "New Truck" – featuring Tracy Nelson
12) "King Bee" – featuring Corky Siegel
13) "Snake" – featuring Harvey Mandel
14) "Hound Dog" – featuring Sam Lay

CHICAGO BLUES REUNION
SUMMER TOUR 2005

July 7 – Vancouver B.C. - The Yale
July 9/10 – Seattle, WA – The Triple Door
July 11 – Portland, OR – Millenium Records in Store
July 12 – Roseburg, OR - Music on the Half Shell
July 13 – Portland, OR - Oregon Zoo Amphitheater
July 15 - San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
July 16 – Irvine, CA - Barclay Theater
July 18 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s
July 20 – Chico, CA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co
July 21 – Santa Monica, CA - Santa Monica Pier
July 22 – Hollywood, CA – Amoeba Records
July 28 – Oshkosh, WI - Waterfest
July 29 – Chicago, IL - Buddy Guy’s Legends
July 30 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
Aug 2 – Northampton, MA - Iron Horse
Aug 3 – New York, NY - BB King's
Aug 4 – Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
Aug 6 – Annapolis, MD - Ram's Head