Lil Tyrone Davis and the Soul Connection Band Live at Ralph’s Bar & Grill in Whitehaven

When I saw a flyer on my Facebook timeline for a performance by someone called “Lil Tyrone Davis” at a place called Ralph’s Bar & Grill in Whitehaven, I immediately planned to go, suspecting that Ralph’s might be the kind of neighborhood blues and soul spot that I like. The spot turned out to be in a strip mall on Millbranch just north of Holmes, and had just opened under new owners, although I recall it being a bar some years ago. It was quite large and roomy, with two main rooms, the second of which was centered around a good-sized stage and dance floor, and at first it was rather empty, with a DJ playing good blues and southern soul. Slowly, the place began to fill, first with women, then with men, and I noticed that many of them were singing every word of the songs the DJ was playing. These were true southern soul fans.
The high point of the evening was the band known as the Soul Connection Band, comprised of some excellent musicians who did a great job of backing up several male singers and a female blues artist named Ms. Diedre. After a brief intermission, they were back, this time backing Lil Tyrone Davis, who was from Chicago, and made a point of performing most of the late Tyrone Davis’ classic songs. Many of his friends and relatives were in the crowd, which by now had filled up most of the room. I met the club’s owner, who told me it was their intent to have live bands at least once a month.

Ralph’s Bar & Grill
5162 Millbranch Rd
Memphis TN 38116
(901) 396-3120

Authentic North Memphis Blues with the Memphis Bluesmasters at Wild Bill’s

Memphis’ music reputation was built on blues long before gospel or soul, but authentic blues in an authentic setting in Memphis is not so easy to find. A few juke joints still exist in rougher Memphis neighborhoods, and one of the most long-standing is Wild Bill’s, a North Memphis institution on Vollintine Avenue that had a long run of popularity before closing abruptly last summer. It reopened under new ownership in December, and I read that on weekends, the Memphis Bluesmasters play there, often with Memphis blues queen Ann Hines.
So even though we were under a winter storm warning, I drove down to the rather tiny juke in a non-descript strip shopping center not far from Northside High School. When I arrived, there was already a good-sized crowd in a jovial mood. Despite the new owners, Wild Bill’s still has the funky juke joint ambiance that I remembered from my previous visit a couple of years ago, and the only real difference is that they have added a hot-wing menu and have started opening for lunch.
The Memphis Bluesmasters are a seasoned group of Memphis musicians with years of experience playing blues and soul music, on Beale Street and elsewhere, but here in North Memphis, they can let their hair down and play to the local crowd, some of whom come up and make a small dance floor in front of the musicians. Ann Hines wasn’t singing with the band on this particular night, but the female vocalist was called Miss Nickki, and she was an attractive singer with a fine and powerful voice. The material was largely taken from the standards of southern soul, with covers of Tyrone Davis, Shirley Brown and O. V. Wright songs.
At the end of the band’s first set, it was 1 AM, and I walked outside to discover that the whole neighborhood was draped in a coating of white snow that was still falling. The music would continue until 3 AM, but I decided it was best to make my way home.

Jackson’s Morning Bell Records (@MorningBellJxn) Moves Into New Larger Digs, Adds Coffee and Food

Since the sad demise of Mississippi’s venerable Be-Bop Records chain several years ago, the sole survivor as far as vinyl and indie rock has been Morning Bell Records, a vinyl-oriented store with a strong local selection that has operated in Fondren’s Duling Hall for the last couple of years. That space, while cool, was exceptionally small, and Morning Bell, like many of today’s better record stores, is a venue for live performance as well as retail music, so toward the end of 2013, it moved to new quarters on I-55 north just north of Northside Drive, not far from the old iconic Bebop Record Shop location. The new, roomier space has allowed for the addition of a cafe, which will feature coffee drinks, baked goods and panini sandwiches, and the larger room should be an asset when live concerts occur there. Other than the move, the bigger room and the addition of espresso drinks, nothing much has changed. Morning Bell is still as hip as ever, and demonstrated the point admirably by playing bluesman Leo Welch’s new album Sabougla Voices as I was walking in.

Morning Bell Records
4760 I-55 N Frontage Rd
Suite A
Jackson, MS 39211
(769) 233-7468
info@morningbellrecords.com

Memphis Music Holiday Party at @MinglewoodHall @MemMeansMusic

On Tuesday December 16, the Memphis Music Foundation and the Memphis Chapter of The Recording Academy sponsored a Memphis Music Holiday Party at the 1884 Lounge of Minglewood Hall in Midtown. The event featured some great barbecue and desserts, as well as live music from the Steven Lee Trio featuring trumpeter Johnny Yancey and his son, drummer Nigel Yancey, and the Hill Country blues inflected rock band Turchi. Over a hundred people came to get in the festive spirit, including legendary producer Boo Mitchell and Elizabeth Montgomery of Ardent Records.

Adam Warren and the Kings of Soul on Beale Street

Down Beale Street in front of the New Daisy Theater was another great blues band that seemed to be composed mostly of young teenaged musicians and singers, who seemed to be costumed for Halloween. I soon learned that they were a band called Adam Warren and the Kings of Soul, and the young guitar player was especially impressive, even playing behind his back at one point. I also noticed across the street that Memphis bluesman Preston Shannon has opened a place in the former Lil Anthony’s Cafe location which is called King Arthur’s Home-Cooked Meals and Blues Club. I will be interested to see what kind of live music they book there, and how often Preston Shannon performs there himself.

The Plantation All-Stars Live at Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall on Beale Street, Memphis @GSBMusic1

My homeboy Travis McFetridge was in town from Great South Bay Music in New York, and wanted to check out Beale Street, and my homeboy Antonio Motley (who is one of our city’s best young drummers) was filling in for the regular drummer with the Plantation All-Stars at Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall on Friday afternoon, so I took Travis there, and although there was literally nowhere to sit, we enjoyed a good half-hour of authentic Memphis blues and soul. Another blues band was playing on the outdoor stage in Handy Park as well, and yet another further down Beale in front of the New Daisy. I don’t think I’ve heard so much blues on Beale in one day as I did Friday.

The Kimbroughs-Live at the Cool Spot in Holly Springs MS 10/11/13 @_CoolSpot_

Last Friday night, as David Kimbrough Jr struck up the first few notes of his first tune at The Cool Spot in Holly Springs, I realized something momentous was happening that ought to be preserved for the future, so I recorded the entire show with a recording app in my iPhone. Of course the recordings were made under less than optimum conditions, but I have used the editing software in Audacity to clean the tracks up as best I can. Enjoy this authentic Hill Country blues played by three of Junior Kimbrough’s sons, David, Robert and Kenny. David’s album Shell-Shocked can be purchased on iTunes here. Kenny also recorded an album under the name Kent Kimbrough on Hill Country Records, and that can also be purchased on iTunes here.

David Kimbrough, Kenny Kimbrough and Robert Kimbrough Live at the @_CoolSpot_ in Holly Springs MS

Only once before had I heard David Kimbrough Jr, at this year’s North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, and at that event, he played the dulcimer with his drummer, but tonight, amongst his friends and relatives in Holly Springs, he played the Hill Country blues style for which his dad was justifiably famous. Backing him was his brother Robert Kimbrough on bass and his brother Kenny Kimbrough on drums, and the music, atmosphere and dancing must have been something like being at Junior’s old juke joint back in the day, except that everything had to end early because clubs are supposed to close at 2 AM in Holly Springs. As it was, the crowd didn’t want to leave, and the club owner finally had to run everybody out at about 2:30 in the morning!

Garry Burnside Live at the Cool Spot (@_CoolSpot_) in Holly Springs

I had heard that David Kimbrough Jr. would be coming from Arkansas to Holly Springs to play at a club called The Cool Spot, so I drove down there, and when I arrived, Garry Burnside was on stage with his band, and there was already a good-sized crowd in the place. David Kimbrough arrived shortly after I got there, and I learned he would be playing with Robert Kimbrough and Kenny Kimbrough on the evening’s second set. I also met a photographer for a Mississippi based urban entertainment magazine called MissHaps, which covers the state’s entertainment and club scene. The venue was of some interest, too. It was actually rather huge, with a large outdoor courtyard and deck that featured a projection screen on which videos were projected. It appeared that the other side of the courtyard was perhaps another club, or maybe a restaurant. It was actually a cool place to hang out and party, and I wonder if they’ve ever had live bands outdoors on the courtyard, which would be really cool indeed.

Great Barbecue In An Authentic Setting at Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt in Atlanta

I recall on a previous trip to Atlanta trying to get into Daddy D’z one night when they were having a live band playing, and ultimately giving up because there was no place to park at all. The neighborhood around Daddy D’z has gentrified somewhat since that night, but Daddy D’z still has the same old hole-in-the-wall ambiance. That atmosphere, and the alluring aroma of smoking pork was too much to resist, and so after my A3C panel was over, I headed straight over to Daddy D’z for lunch, and I was thrilled with the result. As a Memphian, I’m picky about barbecue, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect, as barbecue is different in different states and cities. What would Atlanta barbecue be like? I’m not sure if Daddy D’z is typical of Atlanta barbecue joints, but the barbecue was not that much different from GOOD Memphis barbecue. It was largely lean pulled pork, with plenty of smoke flavor, and a good, sweet sauce that was extremely complimentary rather than overbearing. The french fries were good as well, and there are a considerable number of down-home sides including beans, cole-slaw, corn on the cob and more. One unique difference from Memphis barbecue restaurants is that Daddy D’z offers cornbread, which is delicious and just ever-so-slightly sweet. Sadly, my waitress told me that live blues bands at Daddy D’z are largely a thing of the past, but the walls are still covered with paintings that highlight live music. All in all, Daddy D’z is a must-visit when in Atlanta.

Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt
264 Memorial Dr SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 222-0206
http://www.daddydz.com/