Q&A with the Delta Groove Musicians

Is there a West Coast sound?
Larry Taylor: Yes.

Randy Chortkoff: Absolutely there is. We have had some of the greatest blues players ever known to the world.

Al Blake: Thats a two part question. There was a west coast sound created by the likes of T-Bone Walker, Charles Brown, Percy Mayfield, Roy Hawkins, Johnnie Moore, Oscar Moore, Lowell Folsom, Lloyd Glen, and Floyd Dixon a wonderful artist that just passed away. Artist that lived in Los Angles and recorded on labels like Hollywood, Aladdin and RPM.

And then part two, I would say the Hollywood Fats Band, he created a more contemporary west coast sound for our generation of blues artists.

Richard Innes: They came to LA because thats where the recording studios were. They call it the West Coast sound but thats just where they recorded.

Mitch Kasmar: You know as technology keeps going everything just blends and blends more and more.

What's your favorite California Club?
RC: The Boogaloo and Cozy's would come in second.

AB: Cafe Boogaloo has consistently been supportive of this music. It's not an easy thing to keep the doors open.

LT: The Boogaloo in Hermosa beach.

RI: A guy named Steve runs the Cafe Boogaloo, and he gets all kinds of national acts in there, all kinds of roots music.

MK: Theres a great one called the Cafe 322, a nice stage where we have room and good sound. And, where I live in the valley called Cozy's

What's your favorite California Festival?
RC: San Fransisco Blues Fest, Tom Mazaline puts it on and he's got great taste in music. Its in the great meadow overlooking the San Fransisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

AB: The San Francisco Blues Festival. There are other good festivals like the Long Beach Blues Festival, and the Doheny Fest .

LT: I kind of like the Doheny festival.

RI: The San Francisco Blues Festival it's a favorite of mine.

MK: The San Fransisco festival. I get to be on it this year with a great band consisting of Larry Taylor, Richard Innis, Jr. Watson and Fred Kaplan.

Who is your California blues hero?
RC: My Dad. But I'm a harmonica player so George Smith was a big one and Rod Piazza taught me a whole lot.

AB: There's Maxwell Davis, he was the A&R man and arranged some of the sessions and played sax. He had an amazing sound. He played sax on all the great west coast sessions whether they be Charles Brown, Floyd Dixon, Percy Mayfield. Behind the scenes Maxwell Davis was the guy putting all that together.

RI: I've been real lucky. I knew Fred Below, S. P. Leary and a lot of drummers that were on the records I really admired. I got to meet those guys and play with them. You can learn from watching a guy like Fred Below for 4-5 nights in a row. I would sit right on the side of the stage and watch every move he made. I learned more watching that guy in an hour than I could figure out by myself in a year. I was lucky, I got it from the horses mouth as they say.

MK: When I was 20 I got to hang around with Kim Wilson a lot. He would do gigs with us for fun. I had a band at the time called the Pontiax and we would do blues society gigs and be the house band for people like Joe Huston, Floyd Glenn, Eddie Vinson, Peewee Crayton, Margie Evens all on the same night. I played with Joe Turner right before he passed away. He sounded great, he was singing in the same key he sang in his 20's and hitting every note.

What is the best recording studio in California?
RC: Doug Messinger's Hard Drive Studio.

AB: My favorite recording studio, Peace in the Valley, Joe Bellamy is a brilliant recordings engineer.

LT: Peace in the Valley no longer exists, but I think it was the best place for making those kinds of records.

RI: In my experience mostly it is the mastering of the record that makes or breaks the way a record sounds. If you got a real expert, who is in tune with what your doing it's not necessarily what studio as much as the mastering. So many blues records sound real flat and two dimensional. They don't jump out at you like say a Specialty or a Chess 78 or 45 sounded back then. If you got the right guy they can make or break you on a record.

MR: The place we did the most recent record. Ironically its called Hard Drive, the guy who engineered us was Doug Messenger. He was Van Morison's guitar player for years. He calls the place Hard Drive so he can work, but he's a real analog soldier, he'll argue for analog the rest of his life. Thats Hard Drive in North Hollywood California.

What is your favorite blues label?
RC: Other than Delta Groove, Chess

AB: Gee, let me think, of all the labels, how about RCA Bluebird.

LT: All time favorite blues label would have to be Chess Records.

RI: Out here right now it's Delta Groove, Randy is doing a great job. He has only been going for a year of two, and he is building up a nice catalog.

Where is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
RC: Does it have to California? Because I would have to say Lansky's in Memphis.

AB: Clothing? Goodness gracious my favorite place would have to be Gary's in Newport Beach.

LT: Well for hats in was a place called Von Dutch, but they went out of business. For clothes all over from Costco to Mel Fox shop an old fashion clothing store.

RI: I'm not a slave to fashion. If I see something I like and I have the money I'll get it.

MK: Go to the Hollywood Suit Exchange. Its almost like you get on a conveyor belt, they will slap three outfits on you so fast. You'll get three suits, shirts pants, socks, tie for about $100 a piece. So you can look good when you don't have any money, like us.

Do you have any hobbies?
RC: Chicks, thats my number one hobby. And I also scuba dive.

AB: Absolutely, I am a master gardener. I have a gardening business, I design and maintain about 35 gardens. Also I love to surf and getting into the back country. I have a lot of hobbies, I think, the more you do the happier you are.

LT: Computers and records, 45's 78's. I own a pretty big collection.

RI: I'm a country boy basically thats where I live and where I like to be. I play music, thats my life. I take it seriously so I don't have to much time for any other hobbies except maybe reading and things like that.

MK: Before I started playing music I did sports, every kind of sport. As it turned out I realized I really didn't care much about the competition but I loved the sports.

Do you have a funny California story?
RC: Well, one of my best friends for many years a fellow by the name of Lester Butler. Lester was a fabulous harmonica player and singer-song writer and just a genius. He was in a band called the Red Devils. And then eventually Thirteen. His band recorded with the Rolling Stones and all that kind of stuff. But anyways Lester was my buddy. One day I was in Venice Beach and Lester was down there like he usually was, riding a skate board, and working out. I have to say that Lester was not the most hygienic person. He would usually go to his closet and sniff t-shirts till he found one. Anyway he was down at the beach looking all funky in shorts and dirty t-shirt and he looked like he hadn't washed his hair in a month. I was playing at BB Kings that night with King Ernest. And I said, why don't you come down, I'll put you on the list. It was packed at Universal and everyone was all dressed up. And from the stage I saw Lester walk in, looking just like he walked off the beach. I got on the microphone and said, “Ladies and Gentleman there was this kid at the beach today and he was playing his harmonica and saw that I had a harmonica and kept asking me questions. He told me how great he was and all this bologna. So, I told him that if he was so great why don't you come down to BB Kings tonight and I will let you sit in. I see him out in the crowd right now, kid get up here.” And here comes this grungy greasy looking kid and he got up there and just blew everybody's mind. And then I came running out on to the stage like I was jealous and pushed him, it was a very high stage, he did this flip off the stage and ran out of the club. He's long gone now, he passed away.

RI: OK, there was this guitar player named Luther Tucker he used to play with James Cotton back in the 60's. I used to see James Cotton back when he first started coming out to California. Well, he was sitting around with a group of guys way back in the 70's. I guess Larry Holmes was coming up for heavy weight champion of the world. Somebody said to him. ”Well Luther, you think that Larry Holmes is going to win?” Luther goes ”well, you know, Larry Holmes is bad and stuff, but he ain't fought that Rocky dude yet. “ In other words fantasy to him was reality. He thought that Rocky was a real guy, a fighter.

Good beach for a Beach Party?
RC: Any where the waters clean and those log fish aren't prevalent.

AB: Laguna Beach! Absolutely.

LT: Malibu

MK: I don't go. Where I live is maybe 45 minutes, an hour from any beach and that's without Los Angeles traffic. Last time I was at the beach we ran up to Ventura, me my girl and her dog. But I'm not out there surfing or anything.

What kind of ride is in your garage?
RC: Well, I change cars quite frequently so I'm not sure what I have in there right now. But I have a Razor electric scooter.

AB: I have a Mercedes Benz Sprinter.

LT: I'm driving a 2006 Hynundai Tiburon

RI: Hey Man! I'm a drummer. I have a GMC Van so I can haul the equipment.

MK: A 2004 Ford Focus

What music is in your car right now?
RC: I do have some music on that Razor. I'm listening to the rough cuts of the new Phillip Walker low down and dirty blues record that I'm putting out.

AB: Blues! Every kind of blues you can possible imagine.

LT: Jazz, a lot of 50's 60's jazz

RI: I got everything from Sun House to Sun Ra. Oldies, Rock, R&B and Blue Note Jazz, Anything from the 40's to the 60's, Soul music and anything new that is rooted in American music

MK: The Percy Mayfield CD called “Walking on a Tight Rope” And, I got this one we just made (Wake Up And Worry), I can listen to that one all the time.

Why is California the promise land?
AB: Well, its sort of…its the end of the road. You can't go much farther without drowning. Its got everything mountains, ocean, dessert, incredible farm land, and HOLLYWOOD!! Its one of the culture centers of the world. Partially I think its because of the climate here, the weather being so beautiful 365 days a year. Thats why everybody's here.