If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd like to hear it again. - Groucho Marx

Next month is the five-year anniversary of my time at the Boulder Outlook, and I’ve been thinking a lot about how my life story has taken paths I would have never predicted, leading me to the stories of so many others. Like a great book, great stories change the audience forever. Bells can’t be un-rung, and some stories’ rings echo in the heart and mind eternally.

Some of those stories can have me in tears of laughter at the recall. Like when Mike Zito told me about his first time both meeting and jamming with his guitar hero, Chris Cain. He said after about twenty minutes into a 45-minute jam with Chris, he thought to himself, “Damn! I’m holding my own up here with Chris Cain!” As they left the stage, Mike noticed Chris had a broken string, and asked, “When did you break your G string?” To which Chris replied, “About an hour ago.” Mike said he just sunk inside, thinking, “Chris Cain just kicked my ass all over the place with a broken G string.” While all that is sacred, tears are rolling down my face right now.

Speaking of Zito, he was here a couple of weeks ago, and we had our sacred 9:30 a.m. breakfast date. It’s become a tradition, so much so, that we don’t even bother confirming any more; we just both show up. Anyway, I told him what is one of my all-time favorites, and it involves Steve Spirn, guitarist and Tommy Castro’s former, long-time road manager/sound engineer, Jimmy Thackery, and an enveloped stuffed with cash. Coincidentally enough, this was told to me by Steve, also at breakfast. Here’s what happened (I have received permission from both parties to publish this):

It was the last day of a January Blues Cruise a few years ago, and Steve was on the upper deck fixing some sound issues when an administrator approached with his pay: an envelope with fourteen, one hundred dollar bills in it. She insisted he count it in front of her. Steve said he thought it was a bad idea given the amount of wind at sea, but he did, and then stuffed the envelope into his back pocket. Not long after, Tommy was going on stage, following Jimmy Thackery. Something was amiss with Tommy’s amp, so he called Steve over for an adjustment. Steve reached into his back pocket to retrieve his screwdriver. Do I need to tell you what happened? The envelope flew up in the air and disappeared before anyone could even track it visually.

Blow wind, blow wind, blow my baby back to me...

Blow wind, blow wind, blow my baby back to me.

Well, you know if I don't soon find them,

I will be in misery.

Those of us living on the Front Range need no explanation for this week’s title.  Yes, we have Chinook winds throughout the year, but thus far, 2012 has been a blustery, gale-filled blowhard, and I for one am done!  I believe I’ve yet to arrive anywhere in 2012 without looking like a scarecrow having a bad hair day.  Enough!

Fortunately for us, these strong winds are blowing the Mike Zito Band into town, and they arrive tomorrow!  There are still tickets, but I suspect we’re going to have a solid crowd tomorrow night.  Mike’s a house favorite (or maybe that’s just me...).  Boulder Outlook, 7:30 p.m.

Once again, Mike is having a great year, having secured yet another BMA nomination for 2012 Best Blues Rock Album, with the wonderful Greyhound.  The BMA’s are in Memphis on May 10th, and if the travel gods are smiling on me, I’ll be going with Lionel (who’s nominated for Best Instrument - Other/Violin).  

For some reason (probably having something to do with the winds), I’m waxing poetic today, in the mood for sweet reflection, and with my dear friend but 24 hours away, I think I’ll wax rhapsodic about Mike.  We first made our acquaintance via email, by way of Jason Ricci.  It was about three years ago, and Mike and the band had two nights off during a tour, Jason advised him to contact me about a musician rate at the hotel.  Within a week or two, Mike had filled those dates, so we didn’t meet for another couple of months, backstage at the 2009 Blues From the Top.  I walked over to where he was sitting, and said, “Mike?”  He looked up at me (like I said, he was sitting...still didn’t have to look up much), quizzically, and said, “Yes.”  I said, “I’m Honey from the Outlook.”  Without another word, he stood and gave me the kind of hug customarily reserved for close friends and family.  And three years later, we are just that. 

The last time he was here, in September, we had more concentrated time, just the two of us, to talk.  No, Talk.  We rarely go more than a few weeks without an email exchange, a quick phone call, etc., but those long, uninterrupted times are sparse, and I treasure them for the jewels of time they are.  Like I said, Mike’s family, so join us tomorrow night at the big reunion.  I love you, Mike!

Speaking of pretty (and when speaking about Mike, it’s implied), tomorrow night Stone Soup is back with Deborah Stafford, and that Don Finan is all kinds of pretty!  They pack the dance floor, so wear comfortable shoes.

My Beloved Delta Sonics return Saturday night for their first Outlook gig since returning from going to the semi finals in Memphis, so let’s dance a lot and eat bar-b-q.  Tuesday is Dan Treanor’s jam, he also having recently returned from Memphis where he accepted the KBA for Education (Bob Corritore told me he said a lot of touching things about John-Alex in his speech), so another big “welcome home” is in order.

Tickets for Tommy Castro and the Painkillers are still selling, so call today if you’ve been procrastinating.  Today is Leap Day, so make use of the extra 24 hours and get some live Blues tickets.  Make the day count! 

~Honey Bee Sepeda~  

Congratulations Diunna!

My good friend, Diunna Greenleaf, and her band, Blue Mercy, is number one all over Europe! I’ve been hearing and reading about her latest CD, Trying to Hold On, and even listening to song snippets on her site, and DAMN! That woman can not only sing the Blues, she can write the Blues. So well that she’s once again been nominated for a couple of Blues Music Awards: for the Koko Taylor Award - Traditional Blues Female, and for Traditional Blues Album.

I’m going to get back to Diunna in a minute. I just moseyed over to the Blues Foundation site to look at all the BMA nominations again. Including Diunna, this year there are SIXTEEN nominees who’ve played the Boulder Outlook at least once, and they are: Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone, Candye Kane, Tommy Castro Band, Trampled Under Foot, Samantha Fish, J.P. Soars, Eric Clapton (just seeing if you’re paying attention), Danielle Schnebelen, Lazy Lester, Keith Crossan, Lionel Young, Otis Taylor, Ben Prestage, Eden Brent, Mike Zito, and Zac Harmon. Right now I feel like I need to have a lie-down. That’s an overwhelming list of talent we’ve had the great fortune of hearing and seeing up close and personal. Wow...

Ok, back to Diunna. Anywho, I had a nice long phone chat with the Houston native late last week, and it was thrilling to share in her much-deserved excitement. Several months ago, I was having a nice long phone chat with another good friend (who also happens to be one of Diunna’s BFFs), Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin, a producer on this CD, and he told me I’d need to fasten my proverbial seatbelt once I got my hands on it. He said it was one of the finest Blues records he’s heard in a very long time. Last week I had yet another phone chat with yet another Bob (who produced six of the thirteen tracks and plays harmonica on four of them), who has this to say: I’m just thrilled to be a part of Diunna’s new record. I feel it is simply brilliant. Diunna’s is one of the greatest voices in Blues today, and the songwriting on this is superb. A simply brilliant songwriter-oriented blues CD. ~Bob Corritore~

Let's Be Gracious

I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon in bed, finally getting some time to rest a head cold.  The only way for me to get proper rest is to go off line; no emails, no facebook, no news.  I lasted until about 6:30 p.m.  I opened FB, and saw Matt Hill’s status on the passing of Hubert Sumlin at the age of 80.  My heart sank. 

Just the weekend before, Thanksgiving Weekend, Bob Margolin was in Boulder for the Otis Taylor Trance Blues Workshop/Jam/Festival, and he and I talked about what a difficult year the Blues has suffered.  We were sitting at the bar of Blues & Greens at the Outlook, as we have so many times over the years, having a quick bite in between workshop sessions.  Because the restaurant staff has suffered an inexplicable number of tragedies, particularly in the young sibling department, the subject of loss was heavily in the air: the 39-year old sister of one of our senior bartenders (and one of my best friends) was terminally ill, and passed away the day after this conversation.  Three weeks earlier was the sudden passing of another bartender’s 22-year old brother.

I Have A Cool Job!

I’ve know for a few years now that my job is way cool, but sometimes the severity of the way coolness can be overwhelming. 

First, I’ll not make the assumption that all readers know what I do:  I book and promote live Blues shows at the Boulder Outlook Hotel.   A little history; when hotel owner, Dan King, first started booking music in the hotel’s restaurant, he had a kitchen tenant called Skinny Jay’s.  Some artists would say, “Welcome to Skinny Jay’s!” on the mic.  I asked them to please change that to “The Outlook,” as the tenant had nothing to do with the music, and I didn’t want the name recognition falsely placed.  Then three years ago, Dan took over the kitchen, and named the restaurant Blues & Greens (local food, live music).  I’ve spent the last three years introducing bands with “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Blues & Greens.”   I gave that up a week ago.  Because of my earlier insistence, everyone refers to us as The Outlook. 

I’m coming up on five years at this wonderful Home of the Blues, and am daily grateful that I decided very early on that we needed a weekly “Blues Letter,” as now, all those shows have been documented.  I was genetically blessed with a good memory, but we’ve had so many barn-burners here, that even my near-total recall is tested (Blues Letter archive here).

John-Alex

The first time I met John-Alex Mason was the first time I was to hear him perform. Both events proved to be monumental on many levels. Musically, I couldn’t believe this Nordic version of the Greek God Apollo could sound like an African American native of Clarksdale, MS. But indeed he did.

I would go on to hear John-Alex many, many times over the years, and each time, my mind returned to the first, because each time was sui generis. One of the last times I heard him play, he was at the Boulder Outlook with the Cedric Burnside Project, and I wrote this (complete blog entry can be found here):

The evening opened with the amazing one man wall of sound, John-Alex Mason, alone on guitar. I’ve known John-Alex for a few years now, and yet this was the first time I’ve heard him alone on guitar. He typically plays his solo gigs on guitar and drums simultaneously, creating the illusion of a full band, and with a voice that was made for singing the Blues. I loved hearing him stripped down and raw last night.

I so did love it. Although most know that I’m the promotional director and talent buyer for the Boulder Outlook, I’m still perfectly comfortable blowing our own horn. We’ve had countless “one of those nights” at the Outlook. One jam saw the Tommy Castro Band, The Insomnias, Jason Ricci & New Blood, and the Delta Sonics. No cover. That lucky capacity crowd will be talking about that night for the rest of their Blues-loving lives. The same can be said of the audience that night with John-Alex and the CBP. So much so, that I broke the rules and let them play past music curfew. No one wanted that night to end.

John-Alex Mason, November 30, 19--, October 19, 2011

It is with a very heavy heart that I must report the news of John-Alex’s passing. He had been in the hospital in critical condition for almost three weeks after a routine outpatient procedure. He was comatose for all of that time with massive brain damage.

John-Alex was scheduled to play here this Saturday night with Gary Allegretto. Gary is now hosting a Memorial Concert with the Rob Wilson Band. There is no cover. 8:00 - 10:30.

Sunday we are hosting a Memorial Service and Blues Jam for John-Alex, 6:30 - 10:00. Let’s make sure he hears us. Goodbye my friend. 

~Honey Bee Sepeda