DANNY BROOKS at CHICAGO'S!!!!!!!

On Saturday night,I trudged through the late November slop across the street to see Danny Brooks and his band,with Janice on my arm and a dark cloud of personal turmoil swirling in and over my head.Thank God I did! Not experiencing this incredibly talented and gifted man before,I had no idea what I was missing.Try to imagine me,the hockey puck, somehow bouncing off one of the Leaf goalies and proclaiming,"...I've been saved!..I've been saved!!!" OK...that's a bit of a stretch,but not too far off the mark.Recently nominated for 4 Maple Blues awards,Danny and his band delivered sweet satisfaction to his long-time fans,while converting the rest of us to his congregation.Blending Memphis soul,revival gospel and southern rock influences,Danny chased everyone's blues away with his bone-chilling,but heartwarming vocals and awesome guitar work. I'd love to go on about his influences and his band members,in particular,but not exclusively,lead guitarist Papa John King,but please do them justice by checking out his website http://www.dannybrooksmusic.com/ for a real in-depth understanding of the man and his band. I was fortunate enough to have my camera with me and Danny has graciously allowed me to include a video of "Lonesome Road" in this review.Buy a copy of his newly honoured CD,"No Easy Way Out",his soon to be released book,"Miracles For Breakfast" and see him live as soon as you can.Also,if you're arranging one of those "House Concerts" offered on the website,I'll bring along my Alabama BBQ Back Ribs if you invite me.You'll soon see why,when I left Chicago's last night at 1:30 a.m.,that the sun was shining,Heaven was smiling down on me and I didn't have a worry in the world. All things are possible...only believe! Thank you,Danny.God Bless......................................

DAVID ROTUNDO at CHICAGO's!

Someone said last Friday that they weren't sure if they had seen David Rotundo before or not.I had to tell them that they definitely had not,or they would have remembered.Once you see David and his band live,you'll never forget their awesome musicianship,showmanship and stage presence.Happily forever hypnotized with the blues in his soul,since he witnessed the legendary James Cotton in 1991,David travelled extensively to experience the real thing and assimilated himself into the music and the culture.What has resulted is a unique and electrifying performer who hints at,but never copies the greats he has studied and learned so much from in the last 15 years or so.With an impressive collection of his original songs as the vehicle,David alternates between gruff,gritty vocals and a harp sound that conjures up a Mississippi freight train rumbling through the bayou swamps at midnight on the way to Chicago.Supported by a tight-as-a-G-string band,featuring bassist/vocalist Shane"The Pillar" Scott,veteran guitar slingers Dan Dufour and Des Brown and the metronomical Chuck D. Keeping on drums,David keeps an audience involved all evening with an infectious and interesting blend of modern electric blues influences and his one-of-a-kind original style.Please check out http://www.davidrotundo.com/ for a more detailed appreciation of the band members.

Personally,"I Want To Get Lucky" again soon and be "Drinkin' Overtime" with The David Rotundo Band."Let's Have A Good Time"."I'm Into It".....................

On that note,be sure not to miss The David Rotundo Band on Friday,Dec.14 at Chicago's when they are joined by special guests Jerome Godboo(the other greatest harp player in Canada) and Al Cross on drums.I've seen this all-star line-up before and you've got to experience this to believe it.............See You There!!!!!!!!

PAUL JAMES AT CHICAGO'S!!!

To experience Paul James in concert,can be very overwhelming and that's even long before you see him.You know,you need ,a full understanding and appreciation for the work he has done and the people that he has been proud to play with(please see his website for his extensive history),to get the most out of one of his gigs.At the same time,if you just walked in to see if the band knew any TRUE old,rock'n roll,or Bob Dylan or something like that,coming from a 50's-60's guitar expert,who presents an on-stage(and off) personna that,if you were on acid,would come across as a demented,vaguely Presley-like leprechaun that would not be over-dressed in a Joker's cap with deadly looking pointy shoes,then you may see that.Thank god we quit doin' that shit.Instead,as you watch him wander into the audience and take a beer in one hand and a bang-on guitar solo in the other,finish the beer while still playing and then turn the bottle into a slide,as he serenades us through the rest of the audience before returning to the stage,you know you are in the presence of a true Canadian music icon. He must have peeked in on us one Tuesday night jam....sorry....anyway,whether you're dancing,listening or watching Paul James' performance(Juno winner for Best Guitar Solo Facial Expressions, among others,)on(and off) the stage,you'll know you're in the right place at the right time.Like Paul was,when he got the above picture taken with John Lee Hooker.Oh yeah??..Well,I toured with the opening act for Mr.John Lee Hooker for 3 months and I coulda had this picture taken anytime I wanted....but I didn't...so thanks,Paul, the picture looks fine,now.

Next time Paul James and his band come in to rock Chicago's I expect to see a lot of people there.I also expect to see a lot of people for the Tuesday Acoustic Jam....More players...More People...More Fun...See Ya!

CHICAGO'S WINS ANOTHER AWARD!!!

Well... Approaching Acoustic Jam #34 this Tuesday night at Chicago's,we get the news that the establishment has once again been honoured!After being bestowed with the "Friends of the Arts" award in September by the Durham Music Society,Chicago's has now claimed the Gold Medal for "Best Live Entertainment Venue" in the Reader's Choice Awards hosted by This Week Newspaper!Thank you to the owners,the staff and all of the great performers that appeared there during the last year,but most of all,thank you to all who voted.Without any of you this never could have happened. Live music is alive and well in North Oshawa and will always thrive as long as the support and appreciation continues to come from those who make the effort to attend. On the downside,however,my favourite bartender,Karen Lean,did not get enough votes to snag a prize,but that's obviously because when she made the list of nominees,the paper for some reason didn't indicate that she worked at Chicago's,so I'm sure some people just didn't recognize her name.That's OK,Karen,they also omitted the listing for the Acoustic Jam the last two weeks in their "What's On" column.Go figure.Anyway,you don't need a medal to prove that you're the best in the business.Your legion of fans,friends and admirers is well aware of that.
All right,then.....go to http://www.chicagosdiner.ca/ to see the upcoming schedule and try to make it out this Tuesday night.More players..more people..more fun..See you there!

ROBIN HAWKINS BAND AT CHICAGO"S!

Anyone who was fortunate enough to attend Chicago's last Friday night to see The Robin Hawkins Band will agree that we just may have a new Canadian music icon on the horizon.Being the son of and working with his legendary father,Ronnie,since Robin was fifteen years old,has obviously influenced his music and direction,but no more than,let's say,HP sauce influences a steak.The main course here is all Robin and his new band and as meaty,hearty,tasty and tender as you could hope for.Backed by Francois Caron on guitar,double-barreled keyboards by Peter Howe and Shai Peer and a tight,driving rhythm section with Rick Baker on drums and Brock McArthur on bass,it was no surprise that the dance floor was full all night.With an intense,but satisfying mix of originals and covers(Forty Days,Bo Diddley/Who Do You Love,of course),the audience and I were compelled to show our appreciation after each and every tune for Robin's refreshing and inventive vocals and blistering guitar solos.I'm sure that daddy must be really proud of how his boy has accepted the torch and is blazing forward on his own path to the roots-rock hall-of-fame and once you witness the experience yourself,I'm sure you will agree.

Check out http://www.myspace.com/therobinhawkinsband for a list of upcoming shows in this area and a taste of what you can expect to hear.Great stuff,Robin and I'm looking forward to doing it again soon!