Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:47 am Post subject: Robert Lockwood Jr. Road Trip
I had a wonderful day at the Poconos Blues Festival last Saturday. The weather was picture perfect and the mountains were eye candy to flatlander like me.
I went most of all to see Robert Lockwood Jr., a 90-year-old musician who was taught guitar by Robert Johnson (his 'sometimes' stepfather).
Robert Lockwood plays a 12-string electric guitar with the nimbleness and finesse of a player half his age. In terms of genre, his jazzy style of playing and chord use sound similar to Robben Ford and many of the other blues guitarists we discuss on this Forum.
I would 'guesstimate', Robert Lockwood Jr. and the 8-piece All-Star Band that played Saturday collectively represented nearly 500 years of professional Bluesmanship. His band was wonderful -- the three piece horn created lots of energy and provided the perfect complement to Mr. Lockwood's jazzy blues. After a warmup set by the All-Star Band, Mr. Lockwood performed a 10-song set, including a 3-song solo interlude. There were two instrumentals and Mr. Lockwood sang and played lead guitar on the other 8 songs. The songs I recognized were: "I Got to Find Me a Woman," "Big Leg Woman," "Driving Wheel," "Steady Rollin' Man,"* "Stop Breakin' Down,"* and "C.C. Rider."*
Mr. Lockwood still tours extensively in the U.S. and abroad -- his upcoming tour schedule includes the Notodden Blues Festival, as well as several domestic festivals and Mid-West gigs. If you have the opportunity to see Mr. Lockwood at one of these upcoming shows, please go.
Some of the gear-oriented people on this board may find it interesting that Mr. Lockwood acquired one of the first electric pickups in 1939 and that he was the FIRST to play electric blues guitar on the radio (1941, King Biscuit Time program). He is a true pioneer of the electric guitar sound we love so much, yet very few people make that connection.
After the show, Mr. Lockwood and his beautiful wife greeted fans and signed autographs. It was one of My Perfect Hour(s) _________________ Travelling by train of thought
Joined: 21 Jul 2003 Posts: 401 Location: College Station, TX
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:04 am Post subject:
Hi Road:
Thanks for the great review. And considering the recent passing of Little Milton, it is so important to take every opportunity we can get to see and experience the older generation of artists like Lockwood before it is too late.
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:29 am Post subject:
Thanks telefunk ! My words cannot describe how deeply I feel about supporting, promoting and celebrating the music of our living Blues legends.
Little Milton will be sorely missed. I read that he last performed with The Allman Brothers Band at a concert in May. It's beautiful when artists, like Warren Haynes & ABB (and many, many others), show their support for the men and women who inspired and mentored them by inviting them to their concerts and to share the stage with them. It's a big thrill for every fan as well! _________________ Travelling by train of thought
Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 943 Location: Terra Firma, Ether Sea
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:06 am Post subject:
Telefunk 1 wrote:
...considering the recent passing of Little Milton, it is so important to take every opportunity we can get to see and experience the older generation of artists like Lockwood before it is too late.
roadwarriorfortheblues wrote:
...Little Milton will be sorely missed. I read that he last performed with The Allman Brothers Band at a concert in May. It's beautiful when artists, like Warren Haynes & ABB (and many, many others), show their support for the men and women who inspired and mentored them by inviting them to their concerts and to share the stage with them. It's a big thrill for every fan as well!
!!!!! I did not know about Little Milton's passing. Yes, he did sit in with us, a couple of times since the beginning of the year.
Too bad. Such a nice man. I enjoyed his performances. _________________ B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)
Joined: 21 Jul 2003 Posts: 401 Location: College Station, TX
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:32 am Post subject:
Gatemouth Brown is another artist who is not doing well these days. Very poor health, although I understand he did manage to perform at the NO Jazzfest this year. If you ever get a chance to see this man, by all means do what it takes to make the show. he is truly an American icon and a living legend. His playing represents a direct link to people like Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker. I have had the pleasure of seeing him many times, most recently opening for EC's "From the Cradle" tour. I almost left after Gate's set, and it was not even close to being one of his best shows.
Thanks guys for mentioning all the names of these artists. We have a company here in Europe specialized on Blues and it's a great help for me to choose from their catalogue (www.crosscut.de) f.e I never heard of Little Milton
Ed
Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 943 Location: Terra Firma, Ether Sea
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:47 am Post subject:
telefunk1 wrote:
Gatemouth Brown is another artist who is not doing well these days. Very poor health, although I understand he did manage to perform at the NO Jazzfest this year. If you ever get a chance to see this man, by all means do what it takes to make the show. he is truly an American icon and a living legend. ....
I have long been a Gatemouth fan. I'm sorry to hear this about Gatemouth altho I was aware of his getting weaker in recent years.
'Twas a treat for Robben to do a show with him about 3 years ago and Gate sat on a stool most of the time. It was one of those 'radio broadcast' theatre shows (might have been the Mountain Stage, I'm not sure) but I really got a kick out of seeing Gatemouth live.
I recommend the CD Roy Clark & Gatemouth Brown - Makin' Music. It is still available if you keep your eyes open, usually filed in the 'Roy Clark' section. (And while you're looking for that one, watch also for the RoyClark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams CD. It was the last thing Joe recorded before he passed away and the two of them really rip it up. _________________ B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)
Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 943 Location: Terra Firma, Ether Sea
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 8:10 am Post subject:
telefunk1 wrote:
...it is so important to take every opportunity we can get to see and experience the older generation of artists like Lockwood before it is too late....
So true, so very true.
I teched briefly for Paul Kantner and his Airplane mere months before the passing of Papa John Creach.
While working with Tom Petty at the "Filmore 'House Band'" shows as Benmont's tech I had the pleasure of meeting and talking extensively with Carl Perkins, alive, vibrant, personable, and seemingly full of vim, vigor, and healthy life. About 6 months later, he was gone without the slightest indication that his 'number' was coming up.
Producer Bruce Fairbairn (Oingo Boingo, Loverboy, Aerosmith, Dan Reed Network, etc.) became a good friend in the late 80's and remained so well into the mid 90's. About 5 years younger than me, I was shocked by news of his totally unexpected demise from a heart attack in his sleep while producing a "Yes" album in the late 90's.
Another aquaintance was John Entwhistle. I'm glad he and I became personal friends while he was alive.
I have been truely blessed in my years to have met & worked with some of the greats in their fields before their untimely deaths.
Take advantage of, and appreciate, your opportunities while you can. You never know when they may go away, never to be available to you again. _________________ B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:44 pm Post subject: Robert Lockwood Jr.
Robert Lockwood Jr. died of respiratory failure last Tuesday (Nov 21). He was 91.
In one of the obits, I read that Mr. Lockwood was a mentor to BB King and gave Mr. King some guitar lessons when he was younger. Years later, he advised Mr. King to add horns to his band to disguise his imperfect sense of keeping time. I guess it worked! _________________ Travelling by train of thought
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:13 pm Post subject:
RW ft B's: Sad news about Robert Lockwood Jr., but thanks for posting the info, and for bringing this great thread back up.
Yes, folks get old and pass away. At least two or three times a year my now-27-year-old daughter thanks me for having taken her to a Grateful Dead show when she was in high school, only a short time before Jerry Garcia left us. And a few years ago she and I got to hear Little Milton at the Long Beach Blues Festival, and meet him at the autograph tent.
Sometimes we're tempted to let someone come throught town with us thinking, "I'll catch him (or her) NEXT time." Hmmm. _________________ - BlueRunner
Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Posts: 234 Location: Hartlepool, U.K.
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:33 am Post subject:
Daved - is Robben getting enough sleep? Does he eat healthily? Smoke too much (better he stops completely - I blame Larry Carlton - he's a bad influence)? Does he manage to avoid excess stress? Exercise regime? Take unneccesary risks?
We believe you can exert a certain beneficial and salutary influence if required.
Sorry, but reading all the above makes one rather nervous. After all, the man's a national - nay - an international treasure. _________________ "Creativeness often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were only thought up a little more than a century ago?" - Bernice Fitz-Gibbon 1894-1982
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:25 pm Post subject:
nineacres: Not to worry. You may recall that Robben's hometown of Ojai, California, was the outdoor set for Shangri La in the 1930's film version of "Lost Horizon." Just like in the mythic Shangri La, folks there live a long, long time. One of Ojai's most famous, avant garde artist Beatrice Wood, lived to be 105. (She's quoted as saying that "I owe it all to chocolate and young men.") Wood was a disciple of Ojai "newcomer" Krishnamurti, who brought his school there from India, and spoke to the United Nations when he was 90. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Robben at one time or another sat with both Wood and Krishnamurti and picked up a thing or two from each of them. Like spending one's life doing what one loves, with a smile on one's face. When you watch the way people like B.B. King, Robben, and a host of others, smile, you start to think that maybe it's that simple. _________________ - BlueRunner
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RW ft B's: Sad news about Robert Lockwood Jr., but thanks for posting the info, and for bringing this great thread back up.