A CD by the Cathouse Blues Band
As I'm sure you know, our beloved lead guitarist and friend Kevin Short died on January 2, 2004. We tried to re-form the band with guitarist Adrian Clarke. One night while Adrian and I were jamming, I heard his jazz & acoustic guitars rendition on two of my original tunes I recorded with The Albert Mason Band back in 1999, How Do You Spend Your Time? and Blues In the Mornin'. I decided then and there that, no matter what, these songs had to be re-recorded with Adrian playing lead guitar.
After a few rehearsals, Adrian decided he couldn't commit to playing permanent lead guitar in the Cathouse Blues Band because he had live shows and recording projects going with his own band, "7:00 AM". After seeing Adrian perform with "7:00 AM" in
March 12th, 2005 CD Release Party
at Wild Buffalo for Take It Downtown.
In March I learned that our first CD, It seemed like a good idea at the time... had been nominated by the Washington Blues Society for a BB award. Instead of putting the time and energy into reforming the band, I decided to go back to the studio and make a CD comprised totally of my original material. Listening to Adrian Clarke inspired me to re-record the three tunes I had previously recorded in 1999, one song off of It seemed like a good idea at the time... and record five new ones.
The 3 most important reasons were:
-Several of my good friends, like Becky Schlotterback, Stephanie Williams and Fred Dorr, kept telling me I had a gift, and I should keep writing songs and recording them.
-I wanted to put out a record featuring the vocal styles of Heather Christian Meagher and Ibidunni Ojikutu. They were backup singers on the 1st CD, and I wanted people to hear more of their harmonies, and at least one lead vocal track each.
-I knew ol' "Shuga George" Clark, our talented drummer and friend had at least one more CD left in him.
The Cathouse Blues Band is:
-Kurt Aemmer: Vocals, electric & acoustic rhythm guitars
-George Clark: Drums and vocals
-Heather Christian Meagher: Vocals
-Ibidunni Ojikutu: Vocals
Guest Musicians on Take it Downtown:
-Adrian Clark: Acoustic & electric lead guitar
-Amos MacPorterhouse: 1st bass
-Fred Dorr: Congas and 2nd bass
-Scotty Harris: Tenor saxophone
-John Fricke: Trumpet
-Marvin Johnson: Keyboards
-Dave Weldon: 2nd electric lead guitar
The Crew:
-Becky Schlotterback: Publicist, photographer, graphic artist, CD cover designer and band go-fer.
About Heather and Ibi:
In the spring of 2002, The Cathouse Blues Band was putting our show together for the 2002 Mount Baker Blues Festival . We had recently added Mark May's Back in the Joint to our song list and really wanted to play it at the blues festival, but it needed at least 2 female backup singers. Early one afternoon, I went to Fred Meyer to get my wake up latte. While making my latte, an angel-faced barista, Heather Meagher, asked me how my day at work was going. I told her I slept during the day and played blues at night. She told me she was a musician, too...a voice/performance major at WWU. I left with my latte, thinking "voice performance major: That means she can sing, she's got stage experience, and she's in a college program with several other music majors who can do the same!"
The next day I went back to the espresso stand, inquired about the blonde music major, and left my card with another barista, requesting that she tell Heather of my need, and ask her to call me if she was interested. several days later I received a message from Heather saying she'd love to do the festival with us and she knew another voice performance major who would be perfect. She then introduced me to the lovely and talented Ibidunni "Ibi" Ojikutu. I gave them a tape of Back in the Joint and Standing on Shaky Ground and asked them to work out some backup vocals.
They came to our next rehearsal to audition and flat-out blew us away with their singing abilities, as well as their stage presence, and confidence. They were polished professionals who had probably forgotten more about music and performing than I will ever come to know! I have seen and heard both sing opera in several different languages, as well as jazz, rock, blues and Broadway show tunes. In December 2002, Ibi played the lead in the Bellingham Theatre Guild's production of Godspell. She was fabulous!
Heather and Ibi had so much fun doing the 2002 Mt. Baker Blues Festival with us, they agreed to stay on. Of all the things I have ever done musically, the most fulfilling is having worked with Heather and Ibi, and knowing that they will keep my music alive long after I am gone.
About George:
The fact is, no other drummer I have ever seen or made music with can do all the things George does so very well;
-George can change grooves seamlessly in the middle of a song or medley of songs.
-George does not play over the soloist, He consistantly sets-up the soloist.
-George has incredible instincts arranging music. As a songwriter, I learned long ago to listen closely to George's suggestions.
George is not only a talented drummer, he's a gifted musician and loyal friend. I could not have produced this CD without George's selfless talents.
About the Songs:
1. Take It Downtown: I wrote this not long after Heather and Ibi joined the band. I wanted to get more of their vocals in the show. The words are about reaching out and getting rejected. It rings of: "Here's a dime. Go call someone who gives a damn." Scotty's sax dances real nice around all the vocals, and delivers some serious "Uptown" throughout.
2. How Do You Spend Your Time?: I recorded this with a rock band years ago. But, after hearing Adrian play all that sweet jazz and blues, it was clear I needed to "chill it out." George pulled out his brushes. We had our own little jazz-blues fest.
3.Show Me Some Respect: I wrote this as a lament to all the promoters and club owners that never hired us (or offered us a reasonable fee) before Kevin died. As Ibi entered the sound booth to lay down the lead vocals, she growled, "Angry kitty. Angry kitty." I knew she was going to nail it! Scotty and John gave it horns.
4. Blues in the Mornin': My favorite. Written over ten years ago, it has history. I love the acoustic guitars. Adrian's leads are world-class. George catches the perfect groove with his brushes and his backup vocals are soulful. Heather and Ibi's vocals are sweet and smooth...and Fred's congas take all my pain away.
5. Set You Free: Before I ever wrote a blues, I wrote a lot of ballads. I always wanted a professional singer to record this one. I showed it to Heather and she jumped on it. Her interpretation of the tune was perfectly haunting. Her voice dances with Adrian's acoustic lead guitar.
6. Find Me in the Middle: I always wanted to write an old fashioned R & B song, and record it with the standard gear used by my heroes. Those bands out of Bellingham, Seattle and Tacoma in the early sixties; The Showmen, The Coachmen, The Rebels, The Wailers, the Sonics and Marilee Rush and the Turnabouts using drums, Fender P Bass, Gibson ES 335, tenor sax and a Hammond B3 Organ.
George cut it loose. Amos gave it bottom end, I hammered out the riff on the Gibson, Scott blew the hottest rock n' roll sax solo I've ever heard and Marvin gave it the screamin' B3. God, I hope that someday I get the chance to do this tune at a live show. Singing "call & answer" on this with Heather and Ibi in the studio was one of the highlights of my musical career. The song is a tribute to those folks who inspired me when I was young. The lyrics relate to decisions you have to make when you find out your friend and colleague has died suddenly. Do you run away, give up, get high or go find someone who cares enough to help you wait out the dark clouds?
7. Caroline, Would You Mind?: I wrote this song with a sax in mind (the tune, not the lyrics). I described what I was hearing in my head to Scotty, and again, he delivered BIG TIME! This one is really hard to sing with Heather and Ibi because I always want to drift off listening to their voices... and I forget my lines!
8. Spanky's Blues: I wrote this song after the CD project had already started. I wanted to try to capture some of that old Cathouse Blues Band guitar vibe. Kevin used to refer to his Les Paul as sounding "spanky." Hence the title. Dave Weldon, the engineer genius at Binary Recording Studio and lead guitarist for Bellingham rock band Slick Watts, offered to play lead guitar on any tracks I needed him to. I'm grateful to Dave for plugging his SG into a Marshall half stack and playing it with the rock feel Kevin would have loved. Freddy stepped away from the congas and picked up his P Bass for this one.
9. These Friends of Mine: A few monthes before Kevin died he had approached me about writing a slow blues in A minor to replace Johnny Winter's Life is Hard on our song list. We both loved performing Life is Hard at live shows, but the title and lyrics were such a downer. When Kevin died, I decided to write and record These Friends of Mine. The words are my way of thanking those who helped me get through those dark winter days and nights while grieving for Kevin.
One night, monthes later, George and I were rehearsing the rhythm parts. As we finished, he looked at me and gave me that old impish smile. I knew he had an idea that needed to be voiced. He said, "What if we use a muted trumpet for the solo on this one?" George then called Scotty and asked if he knew of any real good trumpet players who could do the job. Scotty brougt us John Fricke and his horn. Wow!
So I was sitting in the control room at Binary next to John while Scotty was laying down his scorching sax track on Find Me in the Middle. George, Becky and I were falling all over ourselves at what a killer job Scotty was doing. John leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I'm not as good as Scotty."
I looked at him and said, "John, if you are half as good as Scotty, I'll be happy." A few minutes later, he walked into the sound room and blew the sweetest trumpet I've ever heard. When I heard him play along with Marvin Johnson's piano, all I could do was sit there and sob.
I hope you enjoy it.
BLUES LAMP
BLUES LAMP
BLUES LAMP