Smoken Joe's BBQ September Music Schedule

Smoken Joe’s BBQ, is dedicated to the promotion, education, and preservation of Southern culture through good down home cooking and lively entertainment. It is features nightly live music seven days a week. For more information call 617-254-5227 or visit the website at smokenjoesbbq.com






September Music Schedule




Wednesday 7:30pm SEPT 1 Alizon Lissance w/ Cheryl Arena
http://www.alizonmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/cherylarena




Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 2 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband


Friday at 9pm SEPT 3 Juke Joint 5
http://www.myspace.com/jukejoint5


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 4 Shirley Lewis
http://www.shirleylewis.biz/


Sunday at 7pm SEPT 5 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 6 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 7 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 8 Alizon Lissance w/ Diane Blue
http://www.alizonmusic.com
http://www.dianebluemusic.com




Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 9 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband


Friday at 9pm SEPT 10 Timo Arthur Band
http://www.myspace.com/timoarthur


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 11 TBA
Sunday at 7pm SEPT 12 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 13 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 14 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 15 Alizon Lissance w/ Henri Smith
http://www.alizonmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/henrismithjazz




Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 16 Barrett Anderson, Ron Levy & Per Hanson Allstar Band!
http://www.barrettanderson.net
http://www.levtron.com/


Friday at 9pm SEPT 17 Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers
http://www.erinharpe.com


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 18 David Maxwell's Maximum Blues
http://www.davidmaxwell.com


Sunday at 7pm SEPT 19 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 20 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 21 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 22 Alizon Lissance w/ Ed Scheer
http://www.alizonmusic.com


Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 23 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband




Friday at 9pm SEPT 24 Love Dogs host Blues Audience party
http://www.thelovedogs.com/


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 25 Prof Harp Band
http://www.professorharp.com


Sunday at 7pm SEPT 26 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 27 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 28 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 29 Alizon's Monthly Jam
http://www.alizonmusic.com


Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 30 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband

Whoa! Man! Jesus! - Must I Holler?

Whoa! Man! Jesus!

Must I Holler

Review by Georgetown Fats

I have a dirty secret I need to share. I don’t get the whole Bob Dylan phenomenon. The ‘Bob Dylan gene’ was not included in my genetic make-up. I do not get the vibe, the music, or the people who will pay lots of money to see a somewhat incomprehensible diva strum away at his guitar and mumble away poetry. In fact I often find myself chuckling both internally and externally when someone sits in with my own band and wants to know if we know any Dylan material and then cringes as we all chuckle at the prospective jammer. In fact, it was not until I was exposed to Boston’s own Whoa! Man! Jesus! that I had to potentially rethink my ‘Anti-Dylan’ stance.

Must I Holler opens with “O Rosalyn”, a Wayne Rhodes original. The band uses sparse instrumentation to great effect in their trance blues sound. Rhodes hammers on the riff, while Julian Jefferies offers understand slide work to compliment Rhodes guitar work. Drummer Jason Beek holds it all together by offering a rock solid drum groove, at no point does the band miss a bass player.

On “Jesus was not American” another original written by Wayne Rhodes, Rhodes puts both those who use religion as a crutch and the deeply xenophobic in his crosshairs and fires away. It is a convincing and thought provoking tune.

Bukka White’s “Shake ‘em on Down” is approaching the “Stormy Monday” or “Mustang Sally” for the Deep Blues set. Whoa! Man! Jesus! still manage to do the tune justice with their minimal arrangement. Jason Beek’s vocals while Rhodes rides that one signature guitar riff are accented by Jason Beek’s drum groove and Julian Jefferies lead guitar work. Again due to the level of instrumentation going on there isn’t a lot going on within the track but the drum groove and both six string guitar lines are only there to advance the tune. It is a risky cover version of a classic which has been done properly by the trio.

Probably my favorite cut on the disk has to be “Your Jesus Doesn’t Rock”. Again the combination of the droning guitar hook and Rhodes’ Dylan-esque vocals prove to be infectious.

As mentioned previously, none of this is not to say Whoa! Man! Jesus! is yet another Dylan knock-off or cover band, it is just the the inescapable reality of vocalist Wayne Rhodes has similar vocal tones to Dylan but he is much more coherent and audible and backed by a far-more interesting band.

Whoa! Man! Jesus! are the equivalent of if Bob Dylan took the marbles out of his mouth and spent some quality time down in the Mississippi Hill Country backed by an established trance blues band. Whoa! Man! Jesus! tunes are not for the “musically ADHD’ but they are a band worthy of respect and repeated spins of their disk Must I Holler.

Review of Scott H. Biram's "Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever"

Scott H. Biram

Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever

Blood Shot Records - BS 167

Review by Georgetown Fats

During this holiday season, I enjoy adding my musical snobbery with the gift giving season. The music lovers in my extended family can expect to receive copies of Scott H. Biram’s "Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever".

“Hospital Escape” is an interesting opening track. Including two voice mail messages left while Biram was in a patient in a hospital is an interesting way to open up a disk. Clearly there is a wild back story, and Biram is not just another corporate produced image.

The second track, and first actual song, “Time Flies” kicks in with some Hammond Organ, some foot stomps and a heavily distorted guitar riff. Biram’s vocals, delivered through a tube amp and green bullet microphone, only add to the raucous sound.

On “Sinking Down” Biram, “The Dirty Old One Man Band”, increases the tempo ever-so-slightly while offering up more Hammond Organ, foot-stomping guitar riff and more distorted vocals. The tune is written about the difficult life Biram has set for himself in order to chase his dreams of making it as a professional musician. Though not lacking in it’s punk edge, the track shows that in addition to being a multi-instrumentalist Biram is also a strong song writer. “Time Flies” should be garnering Biram significant radio airplay.

Due to the 365 longest days of my life spent in Buckhannon West Virginia, I have an adverse reaction to country music. I normally hit the floor in the fetal position and scream until the song is over, but “Still Drunk, Still Crazy, Still Blue” is just that well written. Largely just Biram on his acoustic with some lead fills on an electric guitar, and another backing track with the Hammond Organ, the sparse arrangement compliments the song about love loss perfectly.

Showing his gospel roots, Birham’s “Aint It a Shame” is a rueful account of how conditions would improve if we all got a little more religion in our lives. Genuine in it’s delivery and frank in it’s nature “Aint It a Shame” is a powerful tune.

“Draggin’ Down The Line” is another song which proves corporate, main stream radio has lost it’s way. There are pop sensibilities all throughout the tune, written about the nomadic life of the professional musician. Again it another powerful tune that belongs in heavy rotation from college radio and AAA radio stations alike.

Closing out the disk, “The Dirty Old One Man Band” offers up of Leadbelly’s “Go Down Ol’ Hannah”. As an a cappella piece with heavy use of reverb, Biram’s voice shows that in addition to being an accomplished guitarist, an accomplished songwriter and an accomplished harmonica player his is by no means a slouch with his vocals. They are rough-hued, genuine and gritty. The bluesy link throughout all of his music and cover songs on Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever.

Biram’s ability to combine blues with americana, country, pop, and punk make for an

irresistible listen worthy of multiple repeated plays. It is clear he deserves all of the accolades the Deep Blues community heaps on him. Now If only commercial radio would catch on the contemporary pop music world would be a much better place.

New Projects

So I was hoping the Ten Foot Polecats winning at The Boston Blues Society Blues Challenge would bring a new acceptance to the Deep Blues sound to Boston. Sadly through no fault of their own, the Polecats who played an exceptional set at the first round of the Blues Challenge, the Polecats and I are still ahead of our time.

So, as my contribution to the Deep Blues anarchy there will be a concerted effort to seek out Deep Blues material and continue to spread the Deep Blues gospel to all who will read & listen.....

Stay tuned reviews of the 2008 Deep Blues Sampler and “Must I Holler” from Boston’s own Whoa! Man! Jesus!

Reply from Scott Iwasaki

It seems while I was in the process of spewing some venom, I got some of my facts wrong....

Kudos for the reply and correction. I may not agree with him, but Scott Iwasaki does earn some respect.

************************************************************************************
Greetings Mr. Georgetown Fats,
Thank you for your email. It’s nice to know someone is reading, even way out on the East Coast.

I see that you have an issue whether or not Ernie & the Automatics is blues rock.

In my story, I didn’t call the music “blues rock.” It was Billboard Magazine that catagorized and charted the album a blues album. I called it a “blues-based rock album.”

That may be a no-brainer, because the classic-rock sound has a base in the blues.

I hope that clears some things up.
Take care.
Scott IwasakiDeseret News music editor30 E. 100 SouthSalt Lake City, Utah 84110

Reviews In the Queue

I long ago swore off corporate terrestrial radio. It was an action I took well before the “blues overtook me”, but it was a conscious decision that I do not regret. For you see, between “Al Gore’s internet” and a close circle of musical friends and mentors I still manage to get “hipped” to various artists that either corporate radio can’t either sell or has yet to figure out how to water down and make them sound like every other artist on the air.

Over the last few months thanks for Cousin Mark, Jim Polecat, and Beardo of Bandana Blues I have managed to get my hands on;

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell ‘em What Your Name is

Barrence Whitfield - Raw!, Raw!, Rough!

Various Artists - 2008 Deep Blues Festival Soundtrack

And they are just too good not to share. So between my work with The Boston Blues Society and writings and ramblings on The Boston Blues, Brews & BBQ Blog reviews will be posted.