BIG CITY SUGAR MAE

BLUES
BIG CITY
SUGAR MAE
Photo/Robert Jr Whitall)
All photos by Shirley Mae Owens unless otherwise credited.
Our new blues muse from the 9th ward,
New Orleans, Lightning Lee.
Etta James is thanking her lucky stars that
she is back, And she is! Jazzfest 2009.
Samia and Shamara Butler with Silky Sol at Congo Square Stage,
New Orleans Jazzfest, 2009.
And I Ain’t Lyin’!
ig City Rhythm & Blues
Magazine toured with The
Legendary Rhythm & Blues
Revue (LRBR) beginning at Detroit’s
home of the blues—Callahan’s for
their very first Motor City appearance of this high octane blues
machine that began on the high seas
and now touring on land coast to
coast. At 6 pm over 50 patrons stood
in line anxious for the doors to open
for the sold-out show. The LRBR
stars— Tommy Castro, Deanna
Bogart, Ronnie Baker Brooks, &
Magic Dick each were showcased
which made for nonstop over the
stop rhythm & blues at its best. The
multi-musically talented Deanna
Bogart who just picked up her sec-
B
ond BMA—Blues Music Award- Horn
for her hot sax licks kicked off the
show on piano & vocas; Ronnie
Baker Brooks knows how to work
the room and did not miss a guitar
lick as he played behind the bar,
ordered a shot of Courvoisier &
sipped it down with a straw; Magic
Dick felt right at home with his adoring Motor City faithful, always the
best fans wanting more (and Detroit
recently had a double dose of Magic
Dick reunited with Jay Geils at the
end of April - the two shows sold
out in minutes); and Tommy Castro
also worked the room and brought
the crowd to their feet with his fiery
guitar and vocals. It turned into a big
jam with Etta James’ guitarist
Sirius XM’s Bill Wax conferring with the
Queen of the blues Miss Koko Taylor, BMA’s 2009
60 Big City Blues • June-July 2009
Bobby Murray who learned from
the “Master of the Telecaster” Albert Collins. The next day Sugar
& Junior met the LRBR crew at
Motown’s Hitsville for a photo op
and then showed them what’s left of
John Lee Hooker’s stomping
grounds—Hastings Street & The
Apex Bar.
Junior finally braved a trip up to
Indian River near the Mackinaw
Straits to pick up his new silver
dream—a 1970 Airstream Land Yacht
that once was used by Marty
Spaulding—411 Blues Club owner
and previous deejay who often interviewed blues star like Junior Wells,
Luther Allison & Son Seal at
Kalamazoo’s Blues Fest. It was the
first week in April and he found the
RV blocked by 4 feet of solid ice!
Triumphantly Junior returned with it
in tow. A few days later Sugar &
Junior traveled to the Pocono for
Junior’s early birthday celebration
with the parents—Mother Owens &
the good Doctor Eric Cassell. The
next day they caught up with the
LRBR bus parked in front of The
Apollo. They surprised Larry
Johnson who strolled by listening to
his headphones. It was another perfect cover shot and off the LRBR left
for their show at the Gramercy
where Sugar & Junior saw another
spectacular show with sister
Rebecca Owens. Afterwards New
York blues musician, producer &
songwriter Dave Fields treated them
to a meal. On Saturday night Sugar
& Junior kissed & thanked Teddy
Taub for getting them in to the sold
out Jimmy Vivino’s going away
party at The Bowery.
It was back to the Motor City to
prepare the Land Yacht for its first
Jazzfest that should be on everyone’s must do list every year. It sets
the standard for all summer fests.
Jazzfest had the largest attendance
since Katrina with all 12 stages back
Little Willie Littlefield “breaking a leg” at 2009 Ponderosa Stomp.
John Lisi and Monk Boudreaux on the Louisiana Heritage Stage.
up. During its 7 day run Sugar &
Junior began and ended their day at
the towering Blues Tent where
Rockin’ Tabby Thomas kicked the
fest off as well as Mem Shannon on
the Acura Stage. Highlights of the
first weekend included: Spencer
Bohren, Roy Rogers wsg Marcia
Ball,Tab Benoit, Joe Cocker, Henry
Gray & The Cats wsg Carol Fran,
Lil’ Buck Sinegal, Texas Johnny
Brown, Pete Seeger, Ivan Neville &
Dumpstaphunk, Irma Thomas,
John Mooney, Johnny Winter,
Sonny Landreth, Robert Cray, Etta
James, Sharon Jones & The DapKings. Before the second weekend of
Jazzfest, Sugar made it to Day 2 of
the Ponderosa Stomp. Besides Jerry
“Boogie” McCain, Little Freddie
King & Lazy Lester, Sugar enjoyed
meeting Little Willie Littlefield up
in the HOB green room when
Bonnie Raitt walked in with Wanda
Jackson. Sugar’s second Jazzfest
weekend highlights included: Little
Freddie King, Lil’ Ed & the Blues
Imperials, Solomon Burke who
brought along his Baton Rouge
buddy—Clarence Fountain accompanied with the Sam Butler Family,
Washboard Chaz, J. Monque D.,
Walter “Wolfman” Washington,
Marcia Ball, Bonnie Raitt, J.D. Hill,
Crocodile Gumboot Dancers of
South Africa, Sherman Robertson,
Bryan Lee, Dr. John, Deacon John,
Chris Thomas King, John Mayall,
Kenny Neal, Cedric Burnside &
Lightnin’ Malcolm, Eric Lindell,
The Voice of the Wetlands—Tab
Benoit, Dr. John, Cyril Neville,
Anders Osborne, Monk Boudreaux,
Johnny Sansone & Waylon
Thibodeaux, Los Lobos, Neil
Young, The Neville Brothers and
Buddy Guy!
Sugar also emceed after the fest
at the French Quarter’s Tipitina’s for
a Backbeat Productions event on
Thursday, April 30 for the Big City
Rhythm & Blues Orchestra featuring Little Freddie King, Wacko
Wade, Ready Teddy, Julia Magness
& Deak Harp opening up for The
Wild Magnolias reuniting the two
Big Chiefs—Bo Dollis & Monk
Boudeaux followed by Cyril
Neville’s CD Release party-“Brand
New Blues” wsg Tab Benoit. And on
Sunday after the fest Charlie &
Henri Musselwhite added their
names to their VIP guest list for The
Blind Boys of Alabama wsg Charlie
Guitarist Steven Seagal got a kick out of Junior's “lucky nuts.”
Little Freddie King and his Texas flower,
Janis at the Blues Tent, NOJHF 2009.
Musselwhite at uptown Tipitina’s.
Sugar left for Detroit and returned to
Memphis for the BMA’s—Blues
Music Awards which to her recollection was the by far the best one in a
long time. Highlights included seeing Steven Seagal walk up and surprise Junior as he turned around to
shake his hand, B.B. King, Bonnie
Raitt, Pinetop Perkins, Marcia Ball,
Betty Lavette, The Mannish Boys,
Kenny Neal, Otis Taylor, Billy
Gibson, Cedric Burnside &
Lightnin’ Malcolm, Curtis Salgado,
Eden Brent, Candye Kane, Janiva
Magness & Watermelon Slim. Plus
big kudos to Bill Wax from
Bluesville XM for his fabulous
emcee work. And congrats to all the
winners & nominees! The following
evening was a seriously bluesy
California groove throw down transplanted right on Beale Street and
what a show at The New Daisy for
the 4th Annual Delta & Eclecto
Groove All-Star Blues Revue! Junior
set up the Big City Rhythm & Blues
MagazineTent in front while a line
formed for the doors to open to see
first a harmonica film documentary
“Pocket Full Of Soul.” Then the
music flowed all night long at this
star studded West Coast bash with
performances by The Hollywood
Blues Flames with Junior Watson
& Johnny Dyer, Jason Ricci & New
Blood, Jackie Payne & Steve
Edmondson, Lynwood Slim, J.T.
Ben Cohen (of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream)
dreaming of ice cream with Charlie
Musselwhite at Tipitinas, 2009.
Guitar Slim JR and Rockie Charles at
the fairgrounds with the Louisiana
blues.
Lauritsen, The Soul of John Black,
The Mannish Boys with Bobby
Jones, Finis Tasby, Candye Kane
and Los Fabulocos & Kid Ramos.
Check out www.bigcitybluesmag.com – Social & Pleasure Club
and you just may see Sugar & Junior
out on the road at upcoming festivals with their new silver dream
Land Yacht. Happy summer & festival season!
Love & happiness,
Sugar Mae
The future is here! Sharon Jones of the Daptones rocked the Blues Tent, New Orleans.
June-July 2009 • Big City Blues 61