BIG CITY BLUES
January-February 2008 Issue
Ace's Alley:
Xmas Notes

Hello out there in Big City Blues land!…I wish you all a very happy 2009!…There have been some really fun gig’s in the last month It’s always so good for the soul that these gig’s happen..It’s a great way to end the year. …One was our annual X-mas party at The Saloon in North Beach here in San Francisco with old blues buddies on guitars and vocals, Tommy Castro and Johnny Nitro. Walter Shufflesworth was on the drums. Many dear old friends showed up and a lot of local blues friends came to sit in. Ron Hacker, guitarist - vocalist really tore it up with some blistering slid work. My better half, Cathy Lemons in the last set sang an impromptu Xmas blues she made up about me being a “thrifty lad” she actually said CHEAP to the crowd, and that comment s almost started WW 3 on stage between her and me I was really mad!..HA HA!!. But it was all in fun, just some Yule Tide stage antics..MERCEY! I guess you had to be there..We’ve been doing these Xmas parties for the last 13-14 years and they seem to be one of the best gigs in the whole year...One day maybe we’ll put it on DVD to share with you.

Then on Dec.30th, four or so day’s after the Xmas party there was a huge benefit for our dear friend, bassist Fly Brooks at Biscuits and Blues. Fly had a head injury that put him out of work for 4 months. The jam was run by guitarist Kid Anderson who 10 or more years ago came out here from Norway to play and learn the ropes with Fly in tenor man Terry Hank’s group. I’m here to tell ya, they really taught Kid stuff that you don’t learn in ANY school!..HA HA! Now Kid is in Rick Estrine's band. There were just too many musicians there to name..In fact there were so many, there wasn’t enough time to get every one up to jam. Me included.. Kid asked me if I’d like to go up and help with the auction. Charlie Musslewhite who was out on the road donated some stuff to auction off. I gladly did my best to get some money for Fly. And we did. The highlight of the evening was Fly’s old boss for many years Elvin Bishop wailing away with Fly on bass. It wasn’t like the old times, if it was we wouldn’t be here now!..But for today, now, it was all “ruby-doo!”

The annual Jan.1st New Year’s day 1-8pm marathon gig at The Saloon with Blues Power was as always a blast. This gig has been going on for the past 14-15 years, and like our annual Xmas gig, it’s really not only a tradition, but it makes me really proud and happy that I’m a musician. Many people bring food and this time he bar was overloaded. It never goes to waste and if there are leftovers, the remaining food goes out into the alley.

On another note, I’ve been hearing so much talk, positive, and negative on this new movie about Chess records “Cadillac Records” that since I love movies and I also LOVE Chess records I went to see it and see for myself…Cathy went with me. Well I feel if I knew nothing at all about the Chess story it would have been a great movie. I guess the people who made it wanted to give it there own twist…or twists…

I enjoyed a lot of the sets. And I wish that the movie sound track was all original Chess...The only original Chess record I remember hearing was Little Walter’s “Last Night” .The music that was played in the movie was played well. I thought some of it could have been a little more relaxed in the groove...just a couple of drinks worth ha ha!..

Some of the acting or even more the casting was pretty off the mark for me...The Willie Dixon character and Chuck Berry in particular were tuff for me to watch. There was only one Chess brother Leonard, where was the other Phil? And the actor they used, I don’t know his name, but he actually once won an Academy Award. But not for this.... He just didn’t have enough old school, street, Russian Jew in him. I’m sorry! At least make his hair style look like Lenard’s, that cheap 1950’s 75 cent butcher cut..Mercey!.. The woman who played Etta James, Beyonce Knowles, did a fine job. She’ll probably get an Academy Award nomination...If I was the producer I’d have made her put on another 10-20 pounds. The small details! And where in this time of life, this century are you gonna find an actor or human who looks like Howlin’ Wolf or Muddy Waters? It’s pretty tough to say the least. Yea, the molds were broke when they left this planet.…I think I better stop.

On a more positive note, maybe this movie will give a little boost to the blues. And maybe some young people or old people who never heard of these great Chess artists will go out and buy the original music. And maybe some young persons will start to come up to me at gig’s and ask me to sing a Muddy Water’s or a Howlin' Wolf song…But I NEVER DID in my life sing any Muddy or Wolf songs, and I 'm NEVER gonna!....As there untouchable! MERCEY!

This time of the year I always get a bit sentimental and my mind goes way back in time... 43 years ago, like it was yesterday. WOW! It’s a dark freezing bitter cold night. I’m walkin’ under the Jamaica Ave. El by the Brooklyn-Queens city line with my old pal guitarist teacher the late Matty Puluso. We're heading for a jam. We have our guitars and one little amp in a shopping cart we stole..I mean borrowed from King Kullins...The snow is coming down on us like an avalanche. It sucks! MERCEY!

As we're schlepping the blues march of hell Matty’s telling me, "John, we gotta go to California!”..Well, it took me about 3 or 4 years to leave New York. And Matty never made it here for to long. But everyday that I’m out here in San Francisco, I thank my lucky stars for not being back East freezing my ass off...O.K.I miss some great old friends and family, but I have so many great friends out here Not to sound to corny, but I’m very happy to be alive, and playing the music I love..Even if there not a ton of gig’s like there used to be…. Life will improve, plus we have a new Pres.! RIDE!

The End

Johnny Ace is still living in San Francisco and performing and playing bass regularly with blues singer Cathy Lemons.
Their website is http://www.lemonace.com .