Tucson Weekly: Soundbites (February 19

Sound Bites WINTER BLUES: 'Tis the season to be blue and the Tucson Blues Society has just the cure for what ails you: the Third Annual Wintertime Blues Festival, held on Friday, February 20, at The Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St. This Wintertime Blues festival features a double dose of Mississippi blues with the legendary Big Jack Johnson & The Oilers, soul man Johnny Rawls, and Arizona's top blues band, Sistah Blue.
Big Jack Johnson has been laying down the Delta blues since his first recording 1961 at Sun Studio, moving to the forefront of national attention in the late '70s as the voice--as well as guitarist and bassist--of the Jelly Roll Kings. A strapping man with a big voice and an even bigger guitar sound, Johnson has been building an extremely successful solo career, touring practically non-stop since the early '80s. Just last year, he added two W. C. Handy Awards nominations to his series of honors and critical accolades. Big Jack's next M.C. Records release is eagerly anticipated sometime this spring. Hold onto your hats, because Big Jack's liable to blow the roof right off the Rialto.
Johnny Rawls built his career backing the likes of Latimore, Lynn White, Blues Boy Willie, Little Johnny Taylor, Z.Z. Hill and O.V. White, before stepping out solo with a smooth fusion of soul and blues that's turning heads on both sides of the Atlantic. His easy, fluid style and clear, bright tone are wonderfully accessible--a readily approachable blend of his wide variety of influences and careful song craftsmanship.
Rounding out the evening's bill is the all-female quintet, Sistah Blue, winners of the 1996 Arizona Blues Showdown and voted Best Blues and R&B Band by the Phoenix New Times last year. Sistah Blue gets the party started around 9 p.m., followed by Johnny Rawls, and then the big man himself, Big Jack Johnson & The Oilers. Tickets are $10 in advance, available at Yikes, Hear's Music and Guitars Etc., and $12 at the door. A $2 discount is available to TBS members and Friends of the Rialto for tickets purchased at Hear's or at the door. Call 740-0126 for more information.
Continue your winter blues mania with the Texas-fried licks of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band featuring B'nois King, on Saturday, February 21, courtesy of Terry O' Productions and The Boondocks Lounge, 3306 N. First Ave. Signed to the indie blues label Bullseye Blues, Smokin' Joe and B'nois King have been touring and recording together since they joined forces in 1991 and are the label's most popular and best-selling act. Their sound combines the funk fusion of Kubek's early days in Robert Whitfield's Last Band, swaggering blues influenced by his tenure with Freddie King's band and the R&B Kubek played with Al Braggs and The Possessions, together with the soulful jazz authority of singer/guitarist B'nois King. The result is Texas blues with all the trimmings and a sizzling live show. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Call 690-0991 for more information.
"HEY GRANDPA! WHAT'S FER SUPPER?" Roy Clark is probably most commonly and popularly remembered for his tenure as co-host on that gem of '70s country comedy programming, Hee Haw, and not for "Roy Clark's Dieter's Choice" weight control foods, the fact that he was the first ever country music star to have his image enshrined in wax at the Movieland Wax Museum, or his dance down the stairs in white tie and tux on The Donnie & Marie Show. The fact that he debuted at the Grand Ole Opry appearance at the tender age of 16--the appearance was part of his prize as the winner of the National Country Music Banjo Championship--gets lost in the rhinestone-spangled country lore as well. Aside from his star in Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Clark is a master musician on the banjo, guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar and the fiddle, and claims dexterity on at least five other instruments. He's a man of so many abilities and accomplishments that his initial success as a musician is often outshined by the chintzy glitz of his Hollywood TV years. Roy Clark, country music star, is coming as close to Tucson as Tempe, playing two shows, one at 3 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, at the Red River Music Hall, 730 N. Mill Ave. Tickets are priced at $20 and $25. Call (620) 829-6779 for more information.
BAYOUBEAT: Break out the beads--it's Carnival time! In celebration of Mardi Gras, the Crawdaddy-O Brass Band adds some cayenne to their already spicy blend of Cajun brass jazz, hosting three nights of shows with special guests in that fine new subterranean venue, Double Zero, 121 E. Congress St. First off, Phonoroyale puts a little swing in your step on Thursday, February 19; while on Friday, February 20, the heat turns up with Helldriver; and finally, Saturday's special attraction is phat, funky scat with Oslo B. with the Grooves. All shows start after 9 p.m. Call 670-9332 for more information.
LAST NOTES: The Plaza Pub, 20 E. Pennington St., has joined the cocktail craze, featuring free, live happy-hour lounge music three nights a week, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Tuesday's schedule rotates weekly and generally starts around 10 p.m. Wednesday night's regular attraction is local jazz par excellence with The Dukes of York playing two sets: the first from 6 to 7 p.m. and the second from 10:30 p.m. to close. Thursday's regular entertainer is Jimmy Carr's Li'l Piano Bar--Crawdaddy-O's enigmatic drummer and leader takes to tickling the ivories in a solo set from 6 to 8 p.m. Call 822-0400 for more information.
Mighty, mighty Fishbone is back, headlining a triple bill with regular Rialto favorites The Blazers and Cousins of the Wise for an all-ages show at The Rialto Theater at 8 p.m. Saturday, February 21. Tickets are $13.50 in advance and $15 on the day of show. Call 740-0126 for more information.
Wanna learn How To Build A Rocket Ship? Head down to The Nimbus Brewing Company, 3850 E. 44th St. at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 21. Once you're in orbit, get set to see Spacefish. The group has been hard to spot since its voyage last fall to the more distant reaches of the galaxy--touring back East--but you can see them in all their wonder just off the starboard bow in 10 Forward. In plain English for the non-Trekies, How To Build A Rocketship is opening for Spacefish, and it's going to be a stellar show. No synthehol available, though, just Nimbus' $2 pints of home brew. Call 745-9175 for more information.
Sometimes the cosmos makes you smile...is it coincidence or planned accident? Lick The Victor and Taste of Peter will be bringing 'em to their knees on Saturday, February 21, at the Airport Lounge, 20 E. Pennington St. A steamy affair of hard rockin' in a dimly lit basement--how better to spend a Saturday night? Cover is $3 at the door. Call 822-0400 for more information.

--Lisa Weeks

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