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| FPM C10 |
Hubert Sumlin
BB King’s / Times Square NYC
3/5/05
Saturday, March 5. The long-awaited day had finally arrived, bright and beautiful; the car was packed, and we were headed to B.B. King’s in New York City to see the great Hubert Sumlin. Erica rode shotgun, navigating and videotaping, and her folks, Fred & Danielle, were in the back. Fred had brought along his Sirius radio, which we tuned to the Blues station, and as we eased onto Rt. 78 our excitement rose with each song we heard. We cheered when the disk jockey extolled the virtues of Hubert Sumlin and played “Walking Through the Park”. “We will DEFINITELY hear this tonight,” I said. I was sure about THAT – David Johansen was on the bill for sure, and it was one of his tracks on Hubert’s just-released new album, About Them Shoes. There were a lot of question marks about the night, though – would there be any guest stars? Who? What would our seats be like? Would we get backstage again?
Erica and I had first seen “Howlin’ For Hubert”, the name of a loose aggregation of musicians who assemble to back Hubert Sumlin whenever his health and circumstances allow him to perform, the previous June at the Billtown Blues Festival in Hughesville, PA. It couldn’t have been a big deal to these guys, playing a small festival in Pennsylvania; it was the day after their appearance at the prestigious Chicago Blues Festival, and the day before lead singer David Johansen left for London for a historic reunion of his original band, the New York Dolls. But it was a big deal to US, seeing Howlin’ Wolf’s lead guitarist, backed by Jimmy Vivino and Michael Merrit of the Max Weinberg Seven and the great Levon Helm of the Band on drums, with manic frontman Johansen. We positioned ourselves center stage at the fence and were awestruck by an entire set of Howlin’ Wolf classics, played as close to the originals as you could possibly hope for. Hubert, the living link to this history, seemed tired but willing; he sat on a chair and played a Stratocaster the color of tomato soup (his signature guitar from the fabled days of yore, a gold-top Les Paul, had been stolen), but it was obvious that Vivino, the bandleader, was carrying the show musically. Hubert’s health has been precarious for some time – he was supposed to be a special guest of the Rolling Stones when they played his hometown of Milwaukee in 1999, but he collapsed before the show; the problem was eventually diagnosed as lung cancer, and “Howlin’ For Hubert” was first convened to raise money for the operation he needed.
By the time we saw him In June, he’d had a lung removed; he was cancer-free but tired easily. After the show we got to the backstage area, where Hubert was catching his breath in the back seat of a limo, chatting with bassist Michael Merritt. I approached respectfully and got Hubert to sign my vinyl copy of Howlin’ Wolf’s Greatest Hits, which had introduced me to Hubert’s work when I was in high school. Then we met the gregarious and wonderful David Johansen, who signed Erica’s New York Dolls CD and told us he was leaving for London the next day for the Dolls reunion.
Within a few weeks, both of these men had brushes with death – Johansen when the Dolls’ bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane unexpectedly died of Leukemia immediately after the Dolls’ triumphant reunion; while Hubert himself suffered a heart attack, fell into a coma, and was not expected to recover. We thought how lucky we were to have seen this great man and his highly unlikely bandmates, and to have met them, because certainly we would never see them again.
Days after he was stricken, Hubert amazed doctors by emerging from the coma. This in itself was considered miraculous. More miraculous, however, was the fact that a few months later he was out playing gigs again. His album of Muddy Waters songs, “About Them Shoes”, recorded nearly five years earlier with an all-star cast including Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, was released, and among the handful of dates announced for 2005 was a CD Release Party at B.B. King’s club on Times Square in New York City. Excited and elated, Erica and I got tickets the day the show was announced.
Now, a few weeks later, we were tooling up US 78 listening to great blues songs, exulting in the finest weather we’d seen in months, happily buzzed and energized. We talked about what special guest stars we might see – the internet rumor mill placed Keith Richards in France, so he seemed unlikely. We passed a sign that said “At The End of the Road You Will Meet God” and I said, “I just switched my vote to Eric Clapton.” But we didn’t care, really – the guys in “Howlin’ For Hubert” are special enough.
Ahead of schedule, we entered the Lincoln Tunnel and minutes later we were checking into our hotel on 42nd Street. We walked the few blocks to B.B. King’s and stood outside for a minute, smoking cigarettes. A familiar-looking guy, handsome and dark-haired with a neatly trimmed moustache, walked into the club carrying a guitar in a gig bag. As he walked in I said “Wasn’t that Bob Dylan’s guitar player?” and we realized that Larry Campbell, who had just quit Dylan’s touring band, was going to be one of the special guest stars. Not a HUGE name, to be certain, and not on the album, but a great player who would certainly not detract from the celebratory vibe. We entered the club and were given a ticket with the number 14 on it and told to wait in the bar.
In the bar we met up with more of our friends from home, Scott and Linda and Danny and Lisa. Their number was 24 so we decided that when they called the numbers we would try to get them in with us. That ploy worked and after a round of drinks we were summoned to the main room. As we entered another guy with a gig bag over his shoulder butted into line with us – I knew who this one was immediately. “Blondie!” I said to Stones back-up singer and Keef road buddy Blondie Chaplin, who sings “Now Look What You’ve Done” on the new album. He looked nervous that I’d recognized him and a little freaked out. I WANTED to ask him where Keith was, but thought better of it; instead I said “Great work on the new album, Blondie.” Once inside the door he turned and said “Thanks, man.”
Our party was seated at a table for 8, just a few feet away from the stage. A chair marked the spot where Hubert would be sitting. Our seats were damned near perfect! We ordered drinks and went back outside for a smoke. A nice lady with frizzy hair and tremulous hands approached us and said to Fred, “Are you with a record company?” When he said no, she said, “Oh, you look just like the guy from Rounder Records.” Then we struck up a conversation with her and she said her husband was playing harp with Hubert. I asked what his name was, and was a little disappointed when she said “Richard Rosenblatt.” I shouldn’t have been, though – just because he’s not James Cotton or Paul Oscher, “Rosey” is still a well-respected harp player, as well as owner of Tone-Cool Records, the label that had finally released “About Them Shoes” after years of red tape and delays from other people involved. She told us some really wonderful stories about Hubert – they’d known him for decades.
As it was getting close to show time, we took our leave of Mrs. Rosenblatt and returned to our seats. Some kids on the stage were throwing little packages wrapped in silver foil into the audience, and Danielle and I each caught one. Inside was a cookie with Hubert’s picture on it, a shoe-shine sponge with the cover of “About Them Shoes” (get it?) on it, and a Hubert Sumlin refrigerator magnet. “Well, we’ll be the only folks on our street with any of THESE items,” I laughed as I showed them to Erica.
At ten minutes after 8 the house lights dimmed and the musicians began to enter the stage. Jimmy Vivino, wearing a dark suit and a beret, began the introductions – Michael Merritt on bass (an electric solidbody stand-up bass on a tripod), and David Maxwell on piano, who, Jimmy said, had sported a ‘fro and big sideburns when he’d played with Freddie King in the 70s. “On drums – what more need I say – Levon Helm.” Mr. Rosenblatt was introduced simply as “Rosey”. And then the man himself was introduced. Thin, dressed to the nines and beaming a beatific smile, Hubert said a few words of thanks, shouldered his guitar – not the red strat, but a new gold-top Les Paul. Vivino announced that the show would be two sets, and that they were starting with “the Muddy stuff” because “Wolf wouldn’t want to see Muddy following him”. The band kicked into “Don’t Go No Further”, with Vivino on vocals. Hubert, ignoring the chair, stood tall and played like a GOD. His warm tone cut through the mix. It was a totally different story from the show we’d seen last summer.
The second song brought Johansen to the stage. Impossibly thin, dressed in 70s rock-star chic (black crushed velvet suit and an apricot-colored scarf tied into a huge bow over his flowered silk shirt), his shoulder-length hair, hipster shades and strange simian beauty made him look more than a little like Mick Jagger’s little brother. The fact that he was singing “I’m Ready” made it clear that Clapton was NOT in the house; the band was wailing so hard that it didn’t matter at ALL.
The next song was “The Same Thing” – this song has a great deal of significance for Erica and I, it’s one of “our songs”, and she put her arms around me from behind and sang some of it in my ear. I was in heaven. The next song seemed written for me: “I Live The Life I Love and I Love The Life I Live”. When the band began “Two Trains” it made it clear that Keith must indeed be in France; again, the version blasting off the stage rendered it a moot point. Johansen owned these songs vocally, and Hubert! It seemed completely impossible that Hubert had nearly died since the last time we’d seen him. He was playing brilliantly, laughing and smiling. Johansen threw some of the promo shoe shine kits into the audience – “It’s about them shoes,” he said. A guy in front of me caught one and gave it to me – I’d been giving each song a standing ovation and he knew I deserved it, I guess.
The set continued with “Walkin’ Through The Park” and “Long Distance Call” before the night’s first special guest was introduced – Blondie Chaplin. He did a fine version of “Now Look What You’ve Done”, playing a white Musicman guitar. Then Johansen returned to the stage and sat down in Hubert’s chair as Vivino introduced “a special treat – Levon’s gonna sing one.” Levon held up his crossed fingers – to my knowledge he hasn’t sung in years, since a bout with throat cancer left him nearly voiceless. The band launched into a fast, funky groove, with three guitars and two harps all bashing out a joyous din. Hunched over his snare drum, Levon started singing: “I’m gonna take you down town and put shoes on your feet…” It was a wonderful moment, emblematic of the entire night – these men might all have seen better days, and most of them had been counted out more than once medically AND musically, yet tonight they were champions, kings among men, and not even cancer could keep them down. As the set crashed to a close we stood and cheered, then dashed back to the street for a quick smoke before they started the set of Howlin’ Wolf songs.
The second set started with “Shake For Me”. Then “Built For Comfort” – “but the way I’m built / now don’t you call me fat” seemed hilarious coming out of Johansen, who can’t weigh much more than 100 pounds soaking wet. Vivino introduced the next song as “what we like to call ‘The Trainwreck Song’” and explained the difficulty they have mastering the intricacies of “Hidden Charms”. And in fact they had to begin it again after a false start, but once it got going it was great. The show was now moving into territory that was just unbelievably intense for people like us who study this music and hold it nearly sacred. They delivered textbook versions of “Little Red Rooster” and “Evil (Is Going On)”. Johansen lightened the mood a bit with “300 Pounds of Joy” before they got as serious as it gets – “Going Down Slow”. It was breathtaking.
The next song, which Johansen announced as “a Howlin’ Wolf rarity”, was “Who’s Been Talking”. I was on my eighth or ninth Guinness, and when Danielle said “this is the best song of the night” I wasn’t about to argue. It might very well have been. It was absolutely sublime. Larry Campbell, who I’d forgotten about, was brought out, along with harp player John Paris, for a jumping up-tempo “Crawling King Snake”. I think Blondie had come back out onstage by then too; the stage was full and the sound coming off it was just beyond description. “Wang Dang Doodle” ended with a big audience singalong on the “all night long” part, but, alas, this wouldn’t last all night long. Jimmy said “We’re going to do one more – we’re not going to bother going offstage and coming back on.” Then they played “Killing Floor”. It was – well, fill in your own superlative. I’ve run out.
Back out on the street we were all drunk, euphoric, and nobody wanted to go home. We wanted every night to be just like this. I looked up and Larry Campbell was coming out the door with his guitar over his shoulder. “Larry!” I said, and he stopped. I said “You were GREAT tonight” and extended my hand. He came over and shook it. “I LOVE you, man,” I said as he disappeared down 42nd Street. I looked around and there was Mrs. Rosenblatt. I went over to her. “Your husband was GREAT tonight. GREAT!” I said, shouting the way drunks do when they’re excited about something. “Tell him we LOVE him!”
Then there was a crashing sound. It was an employee taking the letters which spelled out “Howling For Hubert” off the marquee. The night was truly over. Whether we liked it or not.
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| Dutch Michael D. |
is Keith gonna Join him on Stage? |
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| Joey |
Outstanding Post !
Extremely Well Written and a pure joy to read .....
Thank You FPM C10
( Rocks Off Member )
Johnny Carson would be very proud of you today !
" Stones Rule "
J.C. |
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| Tom |
Great review FPM |
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| Riffhard |
FPM I am so incredibly jealous of you! As you know I was supposed to go to the show as well. I looked very forward to quaffing a few Guinnys with you. However,at the last moment I had to do a radio appearance and so my plans were scuttled. It seems that the jock that was supposed to do the gig was very sick and he had to bag it. I was the only one available to bail out the promotiuons department. They begged me to cover for fucking sickboy! I made a few hundred bucks,but from the sound of your superlative review I got the short end of the stick. I am glad you had a good time and only wish I could have joined you guys. I had total access passes too! My friend went and showed me the pictures he took backstage with Hubert and David Jo. Afetr the show my friend went out on the town with David and said that they had a blast!
I will now make sickboy feel guilty as shit! That motherfucker costed me a great night! Oh well. Maybe next time.
Hey,by the way,Moonie has graced us with his pressence over at the Lotus Couch. Where the fuck are you? C'mon over Monkey it's a good time!
Riffhard |
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| FPM C10 |
I was looking for ya, man! Oh well, at least Keith DIDN'T show up - you'd REALLY be kicking yourself! |
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| Riffhard |
quote:
FPM C10 wrote:
I was looking for ya, man! Oh well, at least Keith DIDN'T show up - you'd REALLY be kicking yourself!
LOL! Good point,but the fact is that I would be kicking sickboy! Then I'd bitch slap him and give him a real Rodney King beatdown! Sick? Fookin' pussy!
Riffhard |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
ShitdamnhellFIRE!
I love you man.
BTW...the couch is fine. There is a seperate couch for talking pol. I don't go there. I go to the one with the bar. |
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| time is on my side |
Thanks for the review!!!! It sounds like you had one of those magical, spiritual nights where the body is transported away from dull ordinary human affairs into a state of heavenly bliss; where the air is filled with godly musical entertainment and the senses have been stripped away to take in the smell and feel of an unspeakably pleasant atmosphere.
Moments like these are to be cherished!!! They are remembered long afterwards in hushed, broken voices of awe!!! It's moments like these that make life meaningful, worthwhile. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Great read...thanks for posting it.  |
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| FPM C10 |
quote:
time is on my side wrote:
Thanks for the review!!!! It sounds like you had one of those magical, spiritual nights where the body is transported away from dull ordinary human affairs into a state of heavenly bliss; where the air is filled with godly musical entertainment and the senses have been stripped away to take in the smell and feel of an unspeakably pleasant atmosphere.
Moments like these are to be cherished!!! They are remembered long afterwards in hushed, broken voices of awe!!! It's moments like these that make life meaningful, worthwhile.
Thank you sincerely for getting it (because you're exactly right in your assessment), and for these poetic words, sadly so out of place here...by the way, what is YOUR favorite kind of soup? And what do you hate most about Bill Clinton? |
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| time is on my side |
Thanks for the kind words. My favorite kind of soup is DUCK SOUP and Bill Clinton????
[Edited by time is on my side] |
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| FPM C10 |
I was just kidding. I don't care what you think about Bill Clinton.
I am sincere in my thanks, though. |
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| Nellcote |
Super review.
I've had conflicts every time Hubert comes around.
Reading this was about the closest to being there.
I was to have seen Pinetop Perkins last Friday night,
however, he took ill.
See these bluesman while you can...
Seeing Muddy in the late 70's is one of the best gigs I've ever attended... |
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| FPM C10 |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
Super review.
I've had conflicts every time Hubert comes around.
Reading this was about the closest to being there.
I was to have seen Pinetop Perkins last Friday night,
however, he took ill.
See these bluesman while you can...
Seeing Muddy in the late 70's is one of the best gigs I've ever attended...
Thanks, Nelly. I agree - see 'em while you can.
I saw Muddy in 1980, and it's still something I work into conversation every chance I get. "Mmmm hmmmm. So I need a new carburator. Uh huh. Did I mention that I slapped five with Muddy Waters at Mancini's?"
I used to work with a guy who saw Muddy in '78 or '79, when he had his last great band, with Bob Margolin and Pinetop. He not only saw them, but he ran into them in a diner the next morning and bought them all breakfast! I thought that was pretty cool.
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| Nellcote |
Too Cool For School~!
Yeah, it was right after "Hard Again" did I catch Muddy, @ The Paradise Theatre here in Bahston. Margolin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Jerry Portnoy, PineTop, all in tow...Evangelical! I imagine Solomon Burke (caught him on Conan last night, was good) nears this, only Muddy did not need a crown, flashy getup, he just exuded the "spirit".
You know what I'm talkin about, even when you caught him, nothing quite comes close.. |
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