Blue Prints

"Mr. Charlie" Frazier gives us all the news that's fit for the blues and reviews the new compact disc from the legendary East Coast Muscle.

Best of the Green Mountain Blues Volume Two is now available, and thanks to everyone who went out and bought one. In just two months we sold almost six hundred copies! The ground work is already being laid for Volume Three, so send in your submissions. I'm looking for all facets of the blues, from folk to hip-hop to jazz. After all, isn't everything related to a 1-4-5?

My wish list for Best of the Green Mountain Blues Volume Three? I'd love to have Belizbeha, Strangefolk, Kate Barclay, Rachel Bissex, New Nile Orchestra, Viperhouse, Zola Turn, Quadra, Chin Ho!, Kip Meaker, the Nerbak Brothers, Cold Steel Breeze and Phish. These are all artists who haven't appeared yet and it would be great to have them on board. I'd really like these CD's to be an ongoing, yearly reference of what's happening in Vermont blues.

More sad passings in the world of blues: we recently lost Jr. Wells, Fenton Robinson, Jimmy Rodgers, Carl Perkins and Junior Kimbrough. I'm sure they have one great band rockin' in Heaven right now!

Speaking of the "old guard" in the blues world, is there a more gracious national treasure in the business than B.B. King? While some big stars don't give their paying fans the time of day, after B.B.'s sold out show on January 27th at Memorial Auditorium he sat and signed autographs, posed for pictures, and handed out free picks and pins for well over an hour. B.B. even provided his own black and white glossies for autographs! Hats off to Cloud Nine Productions for bringing B.B. back to town. Be sure to check out the man in the new movie Blues Brothers 2000 playing now in a theater near you.

One of my favorite local bands made their CD debut late in 1997 when East Coast Muscle released the fine disc called Blues You Can Use. I would have called it Blues You Should Use! Sixteen tracks deep, the album features fifteen original compositions and one cover (Buddy Guy's "Leave My Little Girl Alone").

Every facet of blues music is explored: slow blues ("The Bottom" and "Think of Me,") funky blues ('Call on My Baby,") instrumental blues ("Blues You Can Use,") funny blues ("Case Dismissed" which is my favorite on the album,) and fast, punchy and rocking blues ("Them Ol' Bones" and "Tough Luck.")

Noble Francoeur, Nobby Reed and Richie Ward have been knocking people around all over the northeast for what seems like decades and this CD delivers all the power of the live East Coast Muscle experience. Augmented by some nicely arranged horn work and George Curry on harp, this is a CD that every blueshound should pick up!

Some blues shows worth checking out: the Flynn will host Rory Block in late February, and Metronome brings us Luther "Guitar" Johnson on March 7th, Walter "Wolfman" Washington and the Roadmasters in a benefit for the Peace and Justice Center on March 17th and the Holmes Brothers on March 27th. See you there! ~GC~

Every Sunday morning "Mr. Charlie" Frazier hosts WIZN's Blues for Breakfast radio show and just about every weekend you can find him rocking clubs all over the northeast with the band called Blues for Breakfast. Any blues information, sightings, and comments should be sent to Charlie care of PO Box 271, Burlington Vermont 05402 or by e-mail: mrcharlie-b4b@juno.com.