If Raymond Chandler wrote this article it might start out something like “Thursday, January 10th. It’s 5:30 PM and I’m getting ready to play at a roadhouse. I’m hoping that they took the chicken wire from around the stage as promised. The night’s pouring rain like some tired early morning waitresses’ memories. Suddenly, the phone starts ringing off the hook like a hyped up caffeine junkie bill collector.”

Ok, I’m not Raymond Chandler and the call was not from a bill collector, it was from the Charlotte Blues Society President, Jay Daniels. The conversation went something like this. Jay said he appreciated the support that I had given the Charlotte Blues Society since my wife and I moved here from Virginia in 2004. That included writing articles for the news letter and participating in the house band for the Blues jams for the Blue Sunday’s at the Double Door. So Jay stated that he felt it was time for the Charlotte Blues Society to scratch my back. 

Tommy Castro was going to be in town on January 23rd and his management team asked for a recommendation for a local guitar player to join in during the jam highlight during the second half of the concert. Jay, God bless him, had recommended me. Last year the legendary Rusty Barkley from the Part Time Blues Band was the guest guitarist for the jam.

I thanked Jay profusely. It is amazing how one’s sense of reality can change in a few seconds. Here I was getting ready for another night of roadhouse Blues and the thought of jamming on stage with the Legendary Blues Revue, featuring Tommy Castro, Deanna Bogart, Magic Dick, and Ronnie Baker Brooks elevated my spirits to a higher level. This is the same revue that has performed on some of the Blues cruises. 

Now, to be honest, I was more familiar with Deanna Bogart because of her tenure as a saxophonist with Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band. Root Boy Slim was the DC area’s answer to the need for a white Howling Wolf. Sadly, Root Boy Slim is no longer with us and he is greatly missed. I was very familiar with harmonica virtuoso Magic Dick because of his tenure with the J. Geils Band and I had seen Ronnie Baker Brooks perform several times in the 90’s when he was playing with his father, Lonnie Brooks.

I knew of Tommy Castro from his tenure as in a house band on a late night television talk show and had heard some of his music. I wanted to know more and set about getting more familiar with Tommy’s songs. So I placed a request for everything that the Charlotte Mecklenburg County library system had in its vast collection. By the way, if you live in Mecklenburg County, support the library as they have an immense Blues collection. Check them out at www.plcmc.org.

I checked out copies of “Guilty of Love” and “Exception to the Rule.” Granted, not the most recent material by Tommy Castro, but it was a good place to start. I was immediately hooked. Tommy’s voice reminds of early Delbert McClinton in the Delbert and Glen period. Tommy’s guitar work blazes and reminds me of some of my heroes such as Freddie King and Albert Collins. By the way, anything by Delbert and Glen are rare albums and are also worth seeking out in a CD format. I have their work in vinyl myself as I still love records.

Per instructions from Jay I called, Steve Spirin who was the sound/tech guy with the revue. I found out immediately that Steve is a true gent and also discovered that he is a sound man extraordinaire. I was told to show up around 5:30PM on January 23rd. My wife Sharon and I were made to feel welcome. It was a pleasure watching the revue’s rehearsal for the night’s show. 

The first person I talked too was Deanna Bogart who plays exceptional piano and organ, as well as saxophone. Her piano playing reminds of the best of New Orleans piano and her organ playing has that deep Hammond B-3 organ sound. Her voice is remarkable and totally her own. She was immediately friendly and courteous to me. I had a nice conversation with Deanna Bogart about her tenure as a sax player with Root Boy Slim. We both agree that Root Boy Slim was a true American original.

After that, Magic Dick came up and slyly slapped me on the shoulder. Too cool! I then introduced myself to Tommy Castro. He is another true gentleman and a great player. I told him that I was the guy from CBS and he warmly welcomed me. We shared some personal information finding out we were the same age. He gave me the itinerary for the evening. I told him that I played slide guitar among other styles and we agreed on the Elmore James version of Robert Johnson’s “Dust My Broom” and then we would do whatever came down the pike.

After they did their sound check I did mine. Steve Spirin got the sound right on the amp in less than 5 minutes. This was going to work. I had been somewhat nervous until that point. Well, the greater the stage frights the better the performance. I hung out with Debby Wallace, and talked to Rick Bellew, who was going to MC the night’s event.

Showtime started at about 8:30PM with Tommy Castro kicking it off opening with songs from his latest album “Painkiller.” My favorite song of Tommy’s at the show was “My Big Sister’s Transistor Radio.” This is a great blue eyed soul song. I tell you folks pick up “Painkiller.” It is a great, great piece of work. After a few more songs, Tommy turned the stage over to Deanna Bogart. Deanna delighted the crowd with impeccable piano playing and a sassy voice. My favorite vocal performance from her that night was “Still The Girl In the Band”. She then blew me away when she picked up a saxophone and played the Jazz/Blues classic instrumental “Coming Home” in tandem with the Legendary Blues Revue saxophonist, Keith Crossan and the band’s trumpeter, Tom Poole for a three horn attack. The in the pocket rhythm section was respectively Chris Sandoval on drums and Scott Sutherland on bass. 

Then it was Magic Dick’s turn and he thrilled the crowd with such Blues classics as Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Pontiac Blues” and his own instrumental classic “Whammer Jammer.” Magic Dick is the ultimate hipster with a Blues harmonica. He has a voice and harp style that is reminiscent of the late Little Walter Jacobs. 

Finally, the great guitar player Ronnie Baker Brooks come up and ignited the Neighborhood Theatre audience with his incredible guitar playing, his wonderful showmanship, and his impassioned vocals. By this point the show had been going on for a little over two hours. I was definitely stoked for the jam that was going to follow in the second half. I’m thinking “Wow, this is one of those classic nights that I’ll never forget.” 

I was called up to jam with Tommy Castro and the band on “Dust my broom.” To hear Magic Dick play a harp line behind the Elmore James licks I was playing, well it was almost as good as sex….well almost. Tommy then invited another local guitarist Jared Stamey to come up. Jared plays with a local band called the Thermatones. Jared is 16 years old and a truly talented musician. Jared has a very cool acrylic guitar with flashing LED lights inside. Tommy called out for Freddie King’s “Me And My Guitar.” We each took solos backed by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue band and then we started trading solos back and forth. We were definitely playing in the best zone of the Blues highway. The audience loved it. After this Ronnie Baker Brooks came back on stage and called up guest jammer Hank Shell from the Contagious Blues Band. Hank and Ronnie Baker Brooks traded solos on a slow blues song that wowed the crowd. 

After the last jam the Legendary Blues Revue took it home with such great songs as Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round In Circles” and the J. Geils Band’s song “Looking For A Love.” 

Folks, this was a four hour show for $20.00 and I believe this is the wave of the future. This was done in the past to assemble talented musicians to put on great shows for a nominal fee. In the classic years of Blues and Soul these shows were common. The Legendary Blues Revue brings back the past in the best way possible. They are a sincere mix of passion, intensity, humor, and incredible musical talent. I will never forget my interaction with these talented, wonderful people and I doubt that those present in the audience will soon forget this awesome performance.