The First Public Performance of the New Resurrection with Buddy Smith

[Gannon]

The place to be on Wednesday, January 19th is the Southfield Public Library...in the early evening.

Who wants to see and hear some Detroit's finest BLUES and SOUL at a LIBRARY?

A whole BUNCH of folk who may never grace a bar or larger venue, if our previous show [[with a number of other amazing musicians sharing the stage) was ANY indication!




If you don't already know, acclaimed photographer and music afficionado/historian Don McGhee runs this Jazz & Blues series on the third Wednesday of EVERY month...consistently showcasing hand-picked representations of the finest Detroit offers in these genres.


This night, in addition to the performance, you will witness history in the making. We will have a stage FULL of legends...if their stories were to all be told, you might never have time to listen to anything else! [[indeed, the stuff I've heard during rehearsals is simply marvelous, these guys are experienced!)




Come Join Charles "Buddy" Smith, McKinley Jackson, Thomas Postell, Shondu Akien, Randy Catchings, Gary Sims, and Larry Minne as they throw down some of the licks they've learned and created during their extensive careers covering at least 40 years apiece. Larry may not have the credentials of the rest of the band, he will show his harmonica chops beside these cats. Fact that they brought him INTO this great group should be evidence enough of his prowess and enthusiasm.


They will play some old and familiar tunes, but you will fully enjoy the new things flowing out of these creative geniuses.




You will NOT be disappointed in the venue, nor in their performance. Although the door is merely $3, making it the absolute best value in town, you will want to bring enough cash to purchase a CD or two of the music these historic musicians are making with this association. Come and meet these fellows, become a part of this fabulous year...this IS their launch.


Looking forward to seeing you all at the Library!


The show will begin PROMPTLY at Six Thirty, and ONLY lasts for two hours...the Librarians WILL kick us out no matter the ovations...and the police station is just across the parking lot. So, come early, grab your seat...and prepare to be moved right on up and out of it!




Cheers,
John Gannon
[[the sound guy)

Show starts promptly at Six Thirty, cover charge at the door is $3. CDs will be available for purchase for $15 apiece...with all proceeds going to the acquisition of equipment necessary to stage performances throughout this breakout year.

They will also be available soon at Inside Detroit's Welcome Center on Woodward just north of Campus Martius.

[Gannon]

Bump, this performance is tomorrow night...finally.

Sure would like to see some representation from the DetroitYES community out in Southfield!


Cheers,
John

[Gannon]

OK, can I tell y'all WHO will be sharing the stage with Buddy tonight?!


McKinley Jackson. Look him up. His list of accomplishments is longer than Al Capone's rap sheet. He was one of the principle arrangers and producers throughout the early Motown years, you will find M. Jackson on SO many discs even HE doesn't know the total count. His expertise caught Marvin Gaye's attention, to the point that when he split with Motown...he made SURE McKinley came along with him!

Thomas Postell. Keyboardist extraordinaire...also dating back to the early Motown era. He is too quiet for me to get many stories out of him, but after three months or so of rehearsals...he is finally opening up. This man can play, and gets a bassline groove out of his old Yamaha DX7 that will make you jump out of your seat.

Shondu Akiem. Percussionist. He no longer has to drag his huge drums around, thanks to the technology from Roland...but this cat has played stadiums. We drove out to Callahan's for the Detroit Blues Society's Christmas Party...and he casually mentioned playing the Silverdome after recording Teena Marie's first studio album. He used to be with Rick James' group back in the day. He is the humorous center of the group...always has something funny to say.

Randy Catchings. Guitar. This fellow has been keeping his chops by playing every Sunday at his church. For over forty years. He also goes back to the early Motown era, and makes it look SO easy you'd think he's falling asleep. Until it is his turn to solo...then watch out. The way he counterpoints McKinley's keyboard leads and weaves is amazing.

Gary Simms. Drums. He started hanging around Motown and the Twenty Grand club when he was a youngster...early teens! But his path took him to Los Angeles and back, and I know of no finer fellow in the skins. Plus, his technical expertise in the studio is a wonder to behold, I've witnessed his precision and utter self-control in awe and wonder. Let him drive, he sets the right pace.

Larry Minne. Harmonica. He has been around the scene for years, in the shadow of his very famous spouse, who many of you know from the old WDET. Back when they really played music. When he grabs his harmonica, everything seems to gel. So, as I inferred earlier, he may not have the pedigree of the other guys, but you would never know it...unless I told ya. Larry is the conscience of the group, and grounds us all.

And finally, Buddy Smith. This humble, gentle, and loving soul is one of the foundational inspirations of the entire Northern Soul movement in the UK. I met him originally when I lived at the Bohemian National home last year, and he's been talking up this breakout year ever since. If it weren't for the Vietnam War and the horrid way the government allowed him to fade into obscurity...something he refuses to talk about, but is crucial to understanding him...he'd be up there with the other greats of that era. Heck, he used to write songs with Tony Clarke and little Stevie's big brother...with Stevie hollerin' outside that he wanted to make music, too!

Last big deal he was involved with was Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion when it was recorded at the Fox last year. His true friend Sir Mack Rice made CERTAIN Buddy was on that bill, even though the producers didn't know who he was! He gets that often, and never seems to mind. I've never walked into any local musician's performance with Buddy where they didn't announce to the room that he was there, and then immediately ask him to perform at least one song. He is universally loved by those who know him, as far as I can tell.



So, come out and witness history with these guys tonight. I guarantee a good time. If you must miss it, the recording should be in the Detroit Welcome Center as soon as we can get them produced, I expect it to be stellar. The previous performances [[with other musicians in other venues) that we 'captured' turned out surprisingly well, given the donated and salvaged gear I've been working with. Tonight, I've got more things to record with.



Cheers and more...

[Downtown Lady]

Hi Gannon!

How did it go on January 19th? I was planning to attend but ended up not feeling well. I had read this related thread on Soulful Detroit and it piqued my interest:

http://faac.us/adf/messages/2/211083.html

Do they have more dates planned? I'd love to see them.