Welcome to the end of summer, back to school, greatest hits issue of BLUES JUNCTION. Several years ago, when I used to watch television, they had reruns in the summertime. Maybe they still do. Last time I checked CBS, NBC and ABC were still in business. They even have a fourth network, FOX. I will watch that channel this fall as they will be televising the World Series. By the way, this is the last year Tim McCarver will be the color commentator on these broadcasts. I know I speak for all of you who will miss his pedantic insight into America’s national pastime.

“Why summer reruns in September?” you ask. It is because (or bakawz as McCarver would say) I haven’t written much this past month. I found myself in the odd position of having a severe case of writer’s block. I figured to heck with it, I’ll pretend that I am European and go on holiday for the month of August. Going on holiday just isn’t my style so I struggled a little.

It made me think of something that happened to me in college one hundred years ago. I had this professor who taught a class in English composition. He was an old dude who had a great sense of humor. He actually had a side gig as one of the writers who would write those limericks and jokes in Playboy magazine. We enjoyed each other’s company and I would often sit around his office and help him write these silly little pieces of humorous diversions from pictures of naked women, interviews, cognac recommendations and hi-fi reviews. To this day I deny any responsibility for ‘There once was a hermit named Dave...’ The old professor gave me some extra tutoring which I greatly appreciated, and probably needed, and in exchange I gave him tennis lessons and helped him write dirty jokes. It worked out great for everybody. He could stay in shape as it as was his doctor’s wishes that he engage in some sort of cardiovascular activity. In exchange, I would pass his class, no matter how badly I screwed off, and get a free copy of Playboy each month. It was a win/win.

One day he walked into the library and saw a pile of broken pencils on the table next to me and I was throwing scraps of wadded up paper all over the place. He walked up to me and said, “Hey Dave, what the hell is your problem?” I told him I was having trouble writing. He said, “Then put down the pencil and paper you dummy.” If that conversation were to take place today he would have said, “Turn off your laptop.”

Well, I had it made in the shade anyway; he was going to give me a good grade no matter what I did. I mean we had an arrangement after all. One day I was sitting in his classroom a few minutes before the scheduled start of that day’s session when in walked one of those teacher’s aides.  A few moments later she announced to a huge assemblage of students in one of those amphitheatre style classrooms that the professor had a heart attack and died while playing a tennis match. The stunned silence that hung over the room was broken when I asked, “Was he was winning at the time?”  As it turned out the only person who would have thought that was funny had collapsed on a tennis court a couple of hours earlier.

I was pretty shaken up, but eventually I also had to face the fact that I was going to have to pick up a paper and pencil again (typewriter). It did take awhile, so I just recycled old compositions that I wrote in high school and passed the class. I even got a “B” on something I wrote in the eighth grade. College can be so fun.

With this in mind, I dedicate the September edition of BLUES JUNCTION to the old professor. Don’t worry, I am not going to try and float any of that old public school crap past you. What I have done is dusted off and assembled some favorites from the rather voluminous archive section of the site.

As far as greatest hits are concerned, I could have gone with our readers' favorites based on unique hits to any specific feature and/or positive feedback. That would be too easy. The runaway winner here is a piece in the archives from September, 2011, entitled, Catching the Next Blue Wave. I still get letters of thanks for writing that from fans and, particularly, musicians all over the world and here in America who sometimes have a sense of being overwhelmed by the sheer callousness of the people who wish to marginalize their craft in order to elevate their own identity and social profile. You can check that out in the archive section of the site but I will leave it right there as it is not one of my favorites. The second most popular piece is one I wrote just a few months ago and touches on some of the same themes as Catching the Next Blue Wave. It is simply a better piece of writing on my part and has a little wit and style attached to it that is lacking in …Blue Wave.  If you missed it the first time check out the piece simply entitled, An Editorial by David Mac.

I chose a handful of essays mostly from other writers whose work I enjoy. The first three are also musicians. They exemplify the diversity and texture that we try very hard to provide to our readers each and every month at BLUES JUNCTION.

First off is a great article by New Jersey based harmonica player Dennis Greunling. It is an essay about the great George “Harmonica” Smith. We then go way out west for an interesting look back on an important slice of blues history in a piece written by pianist Fred Kaplan, entitled Surreptitious Treasure. I then direct your attention to one of my favorite essays that I had the privilege of “publishing.” It is entitled Hemingway’s Cats written by bass player Kennan Shaw. "What does this piece have to do with blues music?" you might ask. To that potential query, I say, “Read it and you tell me.” As it turns out, there is an unlikely companion piece to the Kennan Shaw essay I wrote the following month two years ago, entitled That Place Where "Things" Mean Nothing. For reasons that should be obvious to anyone who is inclined to read this, it is a personal favorite.   

One of the most popular pieces to appear in our ezine is from a blues scholar and writer Erwin Bosman of Brussels. His essay entitled, Blues is Good for Your Mental Health is a lot of fun. I wrote a piece a year and a half ago that, like Erwin’s contribution, also resonated with many of our readers. With that in mind, I share with you Our Blues Family.

The long form interview has become a popular part of our ezine. In many ways these features have become my favorite part of the BLUES JUNCTION experience. Three of my favorite interviews include an interview that Alex Gardner had with percussionist Mike Tempo last fall aboard The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. My "personal" favorites are very difficult to chose between as I have a great deal of admiration and affection for the people whom I choose to interview. Two of my favorites include the recent interview with Joe Arnold and the interview I did a couple of years ago and re-posted recently with Al Blake. However, I thought it would be fun to revisit a couple of older conversations. One is with the great Big Jay McNeely and the other with Lynwood Slim.  

Since I wasn’t writing anything this month I had time to venture out to check out some live music and share two important birthday milestones and an anniversary. On four consecutive weekends, I found myself in the presence of some tremendous music provided by the four most important blues music purveyors in Southern California.  

Starting in San Dimas, CA, on August 10^th, Art Martel’s Straight Up Blues Productions put on a terrific show that featured James Harman’s Bamboo Porch Revue featuring Nathan James and the Rhythm Scratchers with Mike Tempo. David Kiefer aka San Pedro Slim and Friends opened the show. It is David’s original artwork that again adorns our homepage this month. For more information on David’s artwork see our links page. For a list of upcoming shows being put on by Art Martel, check the tab that reads, Straight Up Blues Productions.  

The following Saturday the BLUES JUNCTION family made its way down the coast to the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego. Gathered there were friends of San Diego’s undisputed King of the Blues, Michael Kinsman, to help celebrate his 60^th birthday. Michael has worked to share this music with audiences in San Diego for many years. He is also a talented journalist as well as the producer of the San Diego Blues Festival which now is enjoying its third straight year after being on hiatus for awhile. Michael has again booked a stellar line up. The entire event is a fund raiser for the San Diego Food Bank which is an organization that is endorsed by BLUES JUNCTION. (See our links page)

The very next day, up in Long Beach, CA, Cadillac Zack celebrated his 6^th anniversary of doing weekly shows here in Southern California. Beginning last winter he started doing two shows a week by adding a Sunday show in the Los Alamitos Bay neighborhood of Long Beach to go along with his Monday shows that take place in the Tarzana enclave of Los Angeles.  To date Zack has put on 384 blues shows here in Southern California over the past six years.

This Long Beach show featured Nathan James and the Rhythm Scratchers with special guest James Harman. The show also featured a twenty four year old newcomer to the Southern California music scene, Big Jon Atkinson. Jon just relocated to the Southland from Knoxville, Tennessee. He is a multi-instrumentalist and a terrific singer. He recently joined the Southern California based Silver Kings. He sat in on both harmonica and guitar. He even sang a tune on this Sunday evening.  

On Saturday, August 24^th, it was time for yet another milestone as John Reilly celebrated his 50^th birthday.  John, who is universally known throughout the blues world as J.R., is a man who Nathan James referred to from the stage at his birthday party as the biggest blues supporter anywhere. While that distinction could be difficult to prove, I can’t imagine anyone mounting a plausible case to refute that claim. I have known John for a very long time and I am in awe of his dedication, passion and commitment to the presentation of great music and the musicians who make it. He walks the walk and talks the talk. He is an inspiration to me and one of the people who I envision staring over my shoulder when I sit down to write and assemble this ezine each month.

The afternoon’s entertainment was provided by a trio called Black Cat Bone which is led by guitarist and vocalist Stephen Webber. The duo of Al Blake and Nathan James were next up to the stage. The Memphis Kings rounded out the day of music. They are San Pedro Slim on harmonica and vocals, Tommy Harkenrider on guitar, Mike Turturro on upright bass and Marty Dodson on drums. They were joined throughout their performance by guitarist Rick Holmstrom. Junior Watson also made a special guest appearance and began what would become a revolving series of guitar tandems with at times Junior along with Holmstrom, James and Harkenrider in various combinations.

The following day it was back out to Long Beach to a benefit for Finis Tasby. As many of our readers already know, the great blues singer suffered a severe stroke last December. By all indications the standing room only crowds in Long Beach on Sunday, August 25^th, and in Tarzana on Monday, August 26^th, went a long way towards helping to stabilize Tasby’s medical fund. Kudos to all involved for making these shows a success.

There is also a benefit for Finis that is taking place up in Northern California. For details see the tab that reads NorCal Benefit for Finis Tasby.

I also want to direct our readers to an update on the condition of blues guitarist Kid Ramos from the president of Delta Groove Music, Randy Chortkoff. See the tab that reads, Donate for Kid Ramos.

Finally, as we began to publish the September issue of BLUES JUNCTION we received word that John “Juke” Logan passed away. Juke was an important figure on the Southern California blues music scene for many years. Logan, who was born in Los Angeles on September 11, 1946, was a singer and harmonica player who also played the piano and the Hammond B3 organ. He was a fine songwriter as well. He was the co-host, along with Ellen Bloom, of the popular public radio program based in Pasadena called The Friday Night Blues Revue. John passed away on August 30^th, in Joshua Tree, California. I would like to send my personal condolences to the family and friends of John “Juke” Logan.

Enjoy the end of summer reruns; new "episodes" will start in October.  As always, be well and be in touch.

- David Mac