IPHONE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 4th ANNUAL HOWLIN WOLF BIRTHDAY SHOW:
"You're Gonna Wreck My Life" by Jesse Sublett & Big 3 Trio
I’ve been wanting to play this song live for years and finally got my chance. Denny Freeman over to my left, spitting out those razor sharp riffs on the Stratocaster.
"Back Door Man" by Jesse Sublett & Big 3 Trio featuring Denny Freeman
This one is a duet with Dominique Davalos of the BlueBonnets.
"Smokestack Lightin" by Jesse Sublett & the Big 3 Trio
"Goin' Down Slow" By Jesse Sublett & the Big 3 Trio Another duet, featuring the imitable Sonny James with me on this great, great song of a fabulously wasted life, with searing solos by Denny Freeman and Eve Monsees and Claude McCan.
Thanks to everyone who came out or played or who was working at the Continental Club last night, June 9, 2012, the eve of Chester Arthur “Howlin Wolf” Burnet’s birthday. We had a swell party. A number of people asked me last night, “How did this get started?” and some even asked, “Were you at the last one?” etc. Well, way back in 2009, I noticed that Howlin’ Wolf’s 100th birthday was fast approaching, since he was born June 10, 1910. I said, “Hey, somebody’s gonna throw a big party for his 100th birthday, and since he is my all-time musical hero, it oughta be me.” So I pitched the idea to Steve Wertheimer and he illustrated his deep wisdom by putting it this way. “Sure, I love me some Howlin’ Wolf.” (As you may know if you are in the know on such topics, Steve W is a man of few words. Email replies are generally monosyllabic). So my Annual Howlin Wolf Birthday Tribute Show at the Continental Club was born. So I called a lot of my favorite musician friends and pretty much each one of them said, “Hell, yes.” The actual cast of supporting players shifts a little year to year, depending on availability, but the folks who have played the show with me most often include Walter Daniels, Davy Jones, Bill Anderson of Big Foot Chester, and also Joe Doerr and the band Churchwood, Greg Izor and the Box Kickers, and of course Eve Monsees and Mike Buck, and also the great, inscrutable Sonny James. This year we were blessed to have my longtime pal Denny Freeman on guitar and Claude McCan on piano.
Big Foot Chester was joined by guests Texacala Jones, Tex Edwards, Black-Eyed Vermillion, and Ted Roddy. It was a rocking show. Ted Roddy also played some smoking harmonica during the Big Three Trio set and Bevis Griffin sang one of my favorites, “How Many More Years.” I enjoyed swapping verses with Joe Doerr on “Wreck My Life” and with Big Walter Daniels on “Do the Do.” Gil T guilt-tripped me into letting him sing on “Evil” and I guess this goes without saying, in case you are more than casually acquainted with Davy Jones, but said veteran guitarist and punk rock Mt. Rushmore of Austin Davy Jones was, as usual, demonstrating his vivid flair for sartorial splendor. In fact, my eyes still hurt from the explosion of plaid.
