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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1990)
* Arts & Entertainment 3v!^E^Sl ‘Big Daddy9 Kinsey promises blues treat Courtesy ot Blind Pig Big Daddy Kinsey By Julie Naughton Senior Reporter The Blind Pig Blues Revue tour began in January, with blues legends Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and Snooky Pryor making up the bill. At the end of January, Pryor was replaced by Lester “Big Daddy” Kinsey on the tour. Since Kinsey’s addition, the band has traveled to New York City, Boston, Canada, Upstate New York, New England and Cleveland. Now the show is coming to Lin coln, and they are bringing Big Daddy with them. Kinsey joined the tour, he said, after Pryor became ill. Kinsey origi nally had hoped to be with the show, but due to booking conflicts, it was impossible. When Pryor became sick, Kinsey was contacted and joined the tour. Kinsey said he was excited at the way things had turned out. Kinsey, patriarch of the Kinsey Report group, is well-known for his deep-chested baritone and his incom parable slide guitar delivery. He de scribes his blues as traditional blues that “I sharpen up a little bit.” Kinsey’s style of blues, which he calls “Gary Blues” after his home town of Gary, Ind., includes influ ences from musicians Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed. The release of Kinsey’s “Bad Situ ation” (Rooster Records) in 1986 helped to propel Kinsey and his group, the Kinsey Report, from a regional act to a sought-after national band. Kinsey said that he worked a day job (at U .S. Steel in Gary) for 27 years while also pursuing a music career, but his career “really took off” when he began working at his music full time. “My wife encouraged me to give up my day job for a year to do music 100 percent,” Kinsey said. “That’s when it really started to lake off for us. I owe it to her. “I haven’t regretted it (his deci sion to pursue music full time) one day. “We’re not rich by any means, but I’m making a decent living doing what I love to do.” coru'prt Kinsey’s latest release is “Can’t Let Go,” which features Kinsey and his sons. Kinsey began performing in Gary with his three sons, Albert, Don and Kenneth, before the boys were 10 years old. “The boys have been performing with me ever since I’ve been working commercially,” Kinsey said. “We would tour in the summer and on the weekends, when they weren’t in school.” He was nicknamed “Big Daddy” about that time. He explains. “I’m a big man, and I was on stage in my hometown with a group of kids that the audience knew belonged to me. Somebody yelled ‘Hey, Big Daddy! ’ and it kind of stuck. I liked it, and then I began to use it profession ally.” Kinsey and his sons originally performed as Big Daddy Kinsey and Soul Satisfaction. After local perform ances and an appearance on TV’s “Soul Train,” the group broke up because of Kinsey’s poor health. In 1983, Kinsey had recovered and he and his sons regrouped as Big Daddy Kinsey and The Kinsey Re port. This was alter Kinsey’s son, Don, had come off associations and lours with musical luminaries such as the Rolling Stones and had finished recording with artists such as reggae legends Peter Tosh and Bob Marley. Kinsey has appeared once before in Lincoln, at the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St. However, once the band started to grow and play bigger markets, smaller bars like the Zoo Bar couldn’t afford to pay what Kinsey’s group was charg ing. The Blind Pig Blues Revue, fea turing artists off the Blind Pig Rec ords label, will continue through mid March, with appearances in the Mid west, the Rocky Mountain slates, Washington and California. According to Blind Pig Records, each performance of the Blind Pig Blues Revue will showcase the per formers individually before the grand finale. The veterans will share the stage with “one of the most promis ing young blues bands around,’’ Little Mike and the Tornadoes. Perkins, Sumlin and Kinsey will appear tonight at Bourbon Street, 200 N. 70th St. Cover is S10. Kinsey believes that Lincolmtes will enjoy his show. “I’m looking forward to meeting the people of Lincoln,’’ Kinsey said, “and I hope that they’ll come out and see the show. If not, they’ll miss a treat. For blues lovers, this show will be a definite treat. “This last leg of the lour should be dynamite.” Violinist Stem gives captivating performance By Lisa Stankus Staff Reporter Violinist Isaac Stem has been called ‘‘the best known classical violinist in the world,” “the world’s greatest violinist” arid ‘‘one of the most dis tinguished musicians in the world.” And with good reason, as he demon strated in Wednesday evening’s per formance at the Lied Center for Per forming Arts. Playing to a sold-out crowd, Stem and pianist Robert McDonald brought a level of world-class excellence and artistry to the stage. And considering that the evening’s performance was the first visiting artist to play at the Lied, who could have asked for a finer christening? At 70, Stem’s credentials include Originating Member of the National Endowment of the Arts, the 1987 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, literally hundreds of classical recordings, a performance career that has lasted more than 50 years and other dubious distinctions given only to the elite. Stem is the proverbial big fish in a little pond. Stem and McDonald presented a performance of varied classical pieces. Compositions by Bach, Dvorak, Faurc, Janacck, Krcislcr and S/.ymanowski provided an eclectic appeal of the distinctive classical standards to a variation on the Viennese wall/. Se lection choice allowed the audience — to experience the range that Stem commands as well as hearing a veri table progression in the time line of classical composers. The program could have been divided into two halves; the first being the serene eloquence of Bach and Faurc and the second a combination of frenzied bravado and quickened tempos. The folk flavor of Janicck’s Mo ravian peasant music had a marvel ously uplifting nature, as was demon strated in Sonata for Violin and Pi ano. Stem’s violin-turncd-fiddlc had a down-home appeal, as did McDonald’s piano play ing. But perhaps the best received compositions were the collaborations by Krcisler and Dvorak. Slavonic Dance No. 1 inG Minor and Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor featured a combination and alteration of tem pos. Both performers exhibited a preciseness in following the fluclual ing tempo, all the while maintaining a grace and verve of presence. Stem and McDonald were as captivating to watch as they were to listen to. McDonald, a masterful and world renowned pianist by his own efforts, matched musical emotion with Stem’s control. This marriage of violin and piano sounded, as perhaps, the origi nal composers would have done it themselves. What the audience heard was an evening of exciting and intriguing musicianship from what there arc so few of these days: true musicians with an unfailing dedication to the arts and its sustenance. Musical groups galore fill bars this week By Mick Dyer Senior Editor Zydcco, reggae, blues, pop, alter native, R&B — except for country, there’s a little bit of every musical style in Lincoln this week. Alternative: Sunday, Victim Nation and Saw horse will play at Duffy’s, 1412 O St. Victim Nation, a local psycho industrial band influenced by bands such as Chrome, Ministry and Mctal lica, will make its stage debut. Sawhorse is one of Lincoln’s fin est alternative-core bands, featuring loud noises, perversion and intimida tion. Wednesday, Trip Akimbo, an Omaha-based, college, pop rock band, will play at Duffy’s. Jazz/Blues: Tonight, Pine Top Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and Big Daddy Kinsey will perform with Little Mike and the Tornadoes all together for the Blind Pig Blues Revue at Bourbon Street, 200 N. 70th St. Little Mike and the Tornadoes is a New York City powerhouse blues band. Pulling these three big names on the same stage with a light, East Coast blues band guarantees to be one of the best blues shows of the year. Tonight and Saturday, the Tony Brown Band will perform at the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St. Known for mixing a little funk and soul into its jammin,’ jammin,’ jam min’ reggae, the Tony Brown Band has been intoxicating Lincoln audi ences with its music for several years now. Tonight, Silent Partners will play at 9th Street Blues, 421 S. 9th St. Saturday, JoannaConnor will play at Bourbon Street. Monday, Zachary Richard will play at the Zoo Bar. Zachary Richard plays a rough and tumble, grinning, accordion squeez ing and guitar picking blend of zydcco and rock. Good stuff. Tuesday, Mr. Peabody will play at the Zoo Bar. Wednesday, The C Street Gyp sies, one of Lincoln’s best ’60s-style electric blues bands, will play at Bourbon Street. Wednesday, The Tablcrockers, featuring Annette Murrell, will play at the Zoo Bar. Thursday, Too Smooth will play at Bourbon Street. Thursday, Preston Love will play jazz at Julio’s, 132 S. 13th St. i-______ Thursday, the Bcl-Airs will play at the Zoo Bar. The Bcl-Airs play slick, uptown Kansas City R&B. Rock: Tonight and Saturday, Guerilla Theater will play at Chesterfield’s, Lower Level 245 N. 13th St. Tonight and Saturday, Rocking and Rolling will play at The Mountains, 311 S. 11th St. Tonight and Saturday, Brass Kit ten will play ai The Royal Grove, 340 W. Cornhusker. Tonight and Saturday, the Sandy Creek Band will play at Sweep Left 815 0 St. Tonight through Sunday, Power play will play at The Prospector, 640 W. Van Dorn. Saturday and Sunday, Paul Phil lips will play at Oscars, 800 O St. Tuesday, Illustrator will play in the Nebraska Union, 14th and R St. Connor brings modern Chicago blues sound to Lincoln uy June Naugmon Seruof Reporter In 1984, musician Joanna Con nor packed everything she could fit in a suitcase and boarded a bus from Worcester, Mass., to Chicago. She stepped off that Greyhound bus in Chicago, ready to seek her fortune in the highly competitive Chicago blues scene. And now, Connor, complete with band and personal van, will be performing in Lincoln on Satur day. Connor’s distinctive vocals and peerless lead guitar work set her apart from the many musicians struggling to make a living in the Chicago blues scene. She began to work with slide guitarist Johnny Littlejohn and playing the club circuit. In 1985, guitarist Dion Payton invited Connor to join his 43rd Street Blues Band. The band then featured Connor and played lop Chicago clubs such as the Check* erboard Lounge and Kingston Mines. Connor and the band also played at the 1987 Chicago Blues Festival. By late 1987, Connor decided she was ready to move out on her own and began to put together her own band. Connor’s band consists of Brian "3J” Jones, who she describes as a ‘ 'powerhouse drum mer,” guitarist Anthony Palmer and bassist Stan Mixon. Connor describes her style ol blues as a style that "combines funk-rhythm blues with rock and roll overtones. It’s a modem Chi cago blues sound.” Her debut album is "Believe It!, and Connor is at work on a new album, to be out next winter. C on nor and the band will per form Saturday night at Lincoln’s Bourbon Street, 200 N. 70th Si Cover is $4.