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THE
MANNISH BOYS "THAT REPRESENT MAN"
Source: Positively
Entertainment & Dining
Date: 2004
Writer: Kurt
Johnson |
WATERFRONT
BLUES FESTIVAL PORTLAND, OREGON - 2004
The
blues is joy. The blues is pain. The blues is
love. The blues is the groove. You did get all
that and more watching and hearing the L.A.
blues super group The Mannish Boys at their
six appearances at the 17th Annual Portland
Waterfront Blues Festival over the Fourth of
July weekend.
With special guests like harmonica legend Johnny
Dyer, guitar powerhouse Kid Ramos, the amazing
blues guitarist Arthur Adams and harp aces Randy
Chortkoff and Lynnwood Slim, The Mannish Boys
took the blues festival by storm. They performed
two Credit Union stage shows, a Front Porch
stage gig, a blues cruise and two workshop performances
by Johnny Dyer and guitarist Frank "Paris
Slim" Goldwasser with band members backing
them.
The Mannish boys line-up included vocalist Finis
Tasby, guitarist Paris Slim, bass player Tom
Leavey, pianist Leon Blue, and drummer June
Core. An all-star group from Southern California,
the band performs a mix of traditional Delta
and Chicago blues that gets the crowd grooving
and dancing.
The largest blues festival west of the Mississippi
River, The Portland Waterfront Blues Festival
hosted over 100 performers and featured such
headliners as Keb Mo and Johnny Lang, along
with blues legends Hubert Sumlin and numerous
Portland favorites. As a charitable event to
support the Oregon Food Bank, the festival played
over the four-day Fourth of July weekend and
with gorgeous weather brought out capacity crowds.
In it's 17th year, the festival generates thousands
of pounds of food and a substantial cash inflow
for the Food Bank and is one of the major contributors
in the fight on hunger. With many volunteers
donating their time and efforts the four-day
event runs smoothly while handling crowds up
to 50 thousand.
The festival features blues bands of all sorts
from classic delta blues to gospel to big bands
and even a mardi gras marching band! With multiple
stages, you can catch a band playing continuously
or attend one of the many workshops or blues
cruises to see performers up close.
The Southern California super group The Mannish
Boys took the festival by storm. A project spearheaded
by Executive Producer, concert promoter, independent
filmmaker and blues harp ace Randy Chortkoff,
The Mannish Boys have participated in several
Portland Waterfront Blues Festivals.
Always appearing with different guest performers,
Chortkoff excels at locating legendary talents
and melding them with the core Mannish Boys
group. Chortkoff has produced CDs for many of
the band members and guests including lead singer
Finis Tasby and Frank Goldwasser's recent release
bluju.
The Mannish Boys themselves have put together
their new CD That Represent Man under Chortkoff's
guidance on the Delta Groove label. The CD features
Chortkoff on harp, Roy Gaines on lead vocals
and guitar, Johnny Dyer on harp and vocals,
Paul Oscher on slide guitar; and Leon blue on
piano and vocals-making his singing debut along
with blues vocal legend Mickey Champion and
regular lead singer Finis Tasby. Kirk Fletcher
is featured on bass with Paris Slim on guitar
and June Core on drums. Chortkoff explains the
concept and name of The Mannish Boys:"The
name didn't come about until everything was
complete and we were looking for a name. I wanted
to produce a CD on Johnny Dyer and also Mickey
Champion and Kirk Fletcher, who's now with the
Fabulous Thunderbirds. Paris Slim is one of
my favorite guitarists and singers. I recently
produced a record for Roy Gaines. So I thought
it might be a great concept for a supergroup.
I called the best rhythm section: June Core
on drums and Ronny James Webber on bass and
finally Leon Blue on piano. So we went into
the studio and in three days recorded 17 songs.
I wanted a muddy guitar song so I called Paul
Oscher who played with Muddy Waters for four
years."
Chortkoff talked about Delta Groove Productions,"My
production company is very diversified. We produce
independent films, artist management, concert
promotions and we just started our own record
label; Delta Groove Productions. The first release
will be The Mannish Boys CD that we debuted
at the Portland Blues Festival. We hope to produce
quality music and quality shows to enlighten
more people to this art form-the roots of all
American music."
Each band member brings something special to
the mix. Guitarist Paris Slim talks about the
band, and his new CD,"I play guitar and
some vocals when live. The Mannish Boys is Randy's
project. He's already booked us in some major
festivals. We have a really nice website and
the sky's the limit. My own CD is mostly originals.
I look for ideas and new ways to play old stuff.
I put my own career on the backburner, so I
dropped everything. I didn't want to do a standard
blues record. The new pressure helped me to
come up with the new songs."
Legendary piano player Leon Blue has begun to
take on singing duties with the band. Pianist
with Ike and Tina Turner for 14 years and lengthy
tours with Albert Collins and Albert King, Blue
is known as “the greatest blues pianist
you've never heard of”. He describes his
role, "I play piano, sing on You Been Goofin.
I give it good blues as close as I can: Otis
Spann, Lord Glenn. I'm mostly at the side. I
give it a fatter sound. I stay to the side,
but not busy. I feel real comfortable with The
Mannish Boys. They're a great group of guys!"
Lead singer Finis Tasby says this, "I've
known Randy for 10 years. We've done some clubs
and recorded the Evidence album in '98. I'm
the lead vocalist for The Mannish Boys. I'm
trying to capture the listener’s attention
to the blues. I was here in Portland in ‘95
and I love it. The people are nice, the weather's
nice and the town's nice. I think Portland's
best from my viewpoint."
Bass player Tom Leavey describes his function,"I
keep it glued together. I keep a good bottom
and don't get too fancy. Keep it simple let
the artists shine through. The drummer and I
are in constant touch. We always look to each
other for the breaks. Sometimes we don't even
know what key we're in. I love the festival.
I've been doing it on and off since ‘93.
I love Portland; it's one of the best festivals
as far as I'm concerned.
On guitar during each of their shows was the
great Kid Ramos of The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Now with a solo career, Ramos has released several
of his own CDs to date. On stage his presence
is unmistakable. With his high pomp hairdo and
all black outfits and cool black shades, his
look is unique. His playing with surgical precision
is blended with jackhammer power and a crying,
wailing tone. He takes over the show and makes
the crowd pay attention, listen close and leaves
them crying out for more!
Legendary blues harpist Johnny Dyer appeared
with the band at all its performances. He says
this; "I love it! It's great. The whole
band likes Muddy Waters' music. I like to add
that flavor to it. It's a lot of fun and the
best part is they don't work you so hard so
you can catch your breath. To tell you the truth,
I've loved every minute of it. The festival
is one of the best in the United States. It's
been great for me. I meet a lot of great people
and it’s just overwhelming, just one big
family!"
Another blues harp ace with the band is Scott
Dirks. He's also a published writer, co-authoring
the book, Blues with a Feeling-The Little Walter
Story. He talked about his association with
the band. "Randy and I, we're friends.
We've played in various bands. I've also done
all the writing and bios for the band. I also
produce records myself. I'm partial to the Chicago
Blues Festival as I'm from Chicago. Portland's
festival is great! There's a great laid-back
vibe and most of all it benefits a great cause.
What a beautiful place to have a festival. I
can't wait to come back!"
Perhaps the most amazing performer with the
band was legendary guitarist Arthur Adams. He's
played with all of the best and recently performed
with Bonnie Raitt. To watch him live is unbelievable.
He's the most energetic and active performer
this writer's ever seen! With his big ol' Gibson
guitar in tow, he runs up and down the aisles
and woos the ladies coming right up to them
and playing a blistering lick just for them---then
it's quickly back to the opposite end of the
aisle for more of the same. You can see the
crowd lovin' it when the smiles light up their
faces! On the frets, he's blistering fast and
has a commanding powerful presence.
Adams talks about what he contributes; "I
bring excitement, blended with the rest of the
musicians because we all know each other and
play the same type of music. My style is more
southern, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland and Little
Walter and jump blues. It's all united and merges
into a chemistry making it all glue together.
It's an indescribable feeling!" He talks
about going out in the crowd, "It's not
something planned. The people love it. It's
spontaneous. I know the people love it and I
couldn't get around it now!"
With legendary guest performers, an all-star
blues line-up and a new debut CD, The Mannish
Boys are set to take the blues world by storm.
With six shows over the course of three days,
they did just that at 17th Annual Portland Waterfront
Blues Festival. You can see more of The Mannish
Boys at their website www.themannishboys.com
and at deltagroove@earthlink.net .
Positively
Entertainment
www.positivelyentertainment.com
bonnie@positivelyentertainment.com
© 114747 Crooked Arrow Publishing
http://www.positivelyentertainment.com/
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