Tucson Weekly: Soundbites (January 15

Sound Bites WINTER BLUES: It's winter, and Tucson has the blues. The best of the blues, actually; but in the case of Ronnie Earl, few would classify the artist as blues, pure and simple. Earl has been producing music for the past 22 years, combining Chicago and Texas blues licks with elements of improvisational jazz, R&B, even gospel, developing a singular style reflecting a panorama of influences from John Coltrane to Carlos Santana, with a roomful of bluesmen in between.
Earl's story, even as blues musicians go, is fairly extraordinary. Born in Queens, N.Y., the son of two Holocaust survivors, his career in music truly began at age 22 when he attended a Muddy Waters performance at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. It was an evening that fomented his newly discovered inspiration to play guitar. From there, Earl's playing flourished under the influence of greats like B.B. King and Eric Clapton, as well as players including Junior Wells, Son Seals and Jimmie Vaughan, who he lived with for a month in the late '70s while on tour with the Rhythm Rockets.
Equal measures of talent, determination, hard work and fortuitous circumstances resulted in his tenure with the popular New England blues revue Roomful of Blues. A scant five years after he began playing, Earl stepped in as Duke Robillard's replacement. The eight years he spent touring with Roomful of Blues was marked by his widely publicized drug and alcohol abuse, a downward spiral that ended a year after Earl left the group for rehab and eventual sobriety.
Earl stepped out of Roomful and into a solo career, backed by The Broadcasters. He released several albums on Rounder, Blacktop, and more recently Bullseye. In 1996, he signed his first major-label deal with Verve (which boasts a roster of jazz giants including Billie Holiday and Ben Webster) to deliver what many consider his best album yet, The Color of Love.
Since launching his solo career, Earl's become notorious for making business and stylistic choices that have skirted the obvious, commercial route. Quitting Roomful, taking time off from music to get clean, and forming an instrumental blues band were decisions that met with general disapproval yet were instrumental to the success Earl is now enjoying.
The first incarnation of the Broadcasters was assembled for his 1983 solo Blacktop release, Smokin'; but it wasn't until 10 years later, with the release of Still River, that Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters hit full stride with their unique instrumental amalgam of blues and jazz.
The Color of Love, Earl and The Broadcasters' (drummer Per Hanson, bassist Rod Carey and organist/pianist Bruce Katz) major-label debut, was released last June to accolades from both blues and jazz corners. The album's only vocal performance is rendered by collaborator and guest organist Greg Allman. Producer Tom Dowd, known for his work with Allman, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Coltrane, also contributes his talents. Along with several Katz originals and an eloquent rendition of Thelonius Monk's " 'Round Midnight," Color of Love features several collaborative songwriting efforts between Earl and Katz, who recently left the Broadcasters to pursue his own solo career. He is replaced by former Broadcaster Anthony Geraci.
Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters make their Tucson debut on Thursday, January 15, at The Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St. Local blues favorites Tony and the Torpedoes, featuring Anna Warr, open the show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, with a $1 discount at the door for Friends of the Rialto and TBS members. Call 740-0126 for more information.
JAZZ JAMS AGAIN: The Tucson Jazz Society has combined forces with the Cottonwood Club to stage the late Tucson tradition of Sunday Jazz Jams. Once a regular happening, Sunday Jazz Jams petered out about a dozen years ago, primarily because the event lacked a regular venue. The Cottonwood Club, at the Cottonwood Café, 60 N. Alvernon Way, now hosts the resurrected tradition every Sunday from 7 to 11 p.m.
Each evening will begin and end with a set by a core group (composed of piano or guitar, bass, drums and horn), with two sets of open jamming in the middle. Participating musicians get in free; cover is $2 for TJS members, $4 for non-members for the listening public. One vice is encouraged, another discouraged: The Sunday Jams require a one-drink minimum, but are smoke free (smoking is permitted on the club patio). This Sunday, January 18, featured performers are the Mike Eckroth Combo. Call the TJS hotline at 743-3399 for more information.
LAST NOTES: Live music on Fourth Avenue continues through the winter with Saturday afternoon performances from 1 to 3 p.m. at either Winsett Park or on the Magpies Pizza patio. Beyond Seven performs Saturday, January 17. They'll also be shooting their video, "Nowhere." They need extras, so head out, take in the show and stand in for the shoot.
The Airport Lounge, 20 E. Pennington St., has announced the abrupt demise of the regular Wednesday "Open Mike Nights," an unfortunate loss to Tucson musicians and audiences alike. Something of an Airport tradition, previous open mike nights were marked by a great variety of Tucson talent, surprise star performances, spoken word, performance art and pithy emcees. We're sad to see it end.
But speaking of Airport traditions, Al Perry and The Cattle return to the Lounge on Saturday, January 17, performing with openers D-Liar, a band composed of members of Phoenix's Flathead and Hellfire. I don't know if we'll be hearing "Run Mountain," but according to Perry the new line-up promises some hard-hitting country goodness. Cover is $3 at the door. Call 882-0400 for more information.
Viva punk rock! The Weird Lovemakers are hands-down favorites of the local teen punk scene--yes, following their raucous set at Skrappy's last Friday night, the Lovemakers were outside autographing copies of their CD for an exuberant crowd of inspired, sweaty moshers, while inside Austin's Silver Scooter sputtered in front the meager handful of remaining youth, wondering what in the hell happened to everyone. Fans 21 and over can catch the Weird Lovemakers at 8:30 p.m. Friday, January 16, at the Nimbus Brewing Company, 3850 E. 44th St., where Degrees Plato serves up early evening Bluegrass every Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. Cover is always cheap, as are the pints. Call 745-9175 for more information.

--Lisa Weeks

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