Shrimp City Slim: News

The SCS band circa 2001-2004 (Silent Eddie Phillips, guitar/vocals; Chuck the Cat Morris, harp/vocals; John Turbo Etheridge, drums; SCS, keys/vocals) did an impromptu reunion gig last night at Mimi's Creekside, for the pleasure of our friend Barbara Peterson, who is seriously ill, her husband Mike and their family.

It was the first time this quartet had played together since 10/04.

Tunes included originals ("Call Me in Carolina", "Highway 17", "Ain't No Future in This Town"); some Little Walter ("Just Your Fool"). Chuck sang "Early in the Morning" (Sonny Boy #1) and "Tee Na Nee Na Nu" (Slim Harpo). But the request of the night was Silent Eddie's soulful rendition of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad".

It was special evening to reflect on all the good times this crowd has had together.

As reported earlier, part of "Amazing Grace" from the 1992 CD 'Gone With the Wind' (harp swing version by Juke Joint Johnny) is a key ingredient in the soundtrack of award-winning filmmaker Monica Sharf's "While We Lie Sleeping", a tribute to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Good news: the film has been accepted into the Los Angeles Short Film Festival (September, 2007). More info at www.inversionfilms.com

As promoted on ABC News 4's "Lowcountry Live!", bring a funky (neck)tie to a Shrimp gig and get a free CD...plus you will have a 'shout out' on "Lowcountry Live!". Thanks to all our friends who have already arrived with (neck)ties. Remember: funk.

Several alumni of the band will join SCS and Silent Eddie Phillips this weekend:

Fri 7/20, 6-9 pm: Freshfields Village Green, Johns Island. CHUCK THE CAT MORRIS (harp/vocals) returns for a special appearance. Chuck was the leader of Sidewalk Blues in Boston before moving back down South in the late '90s. He can be heard on our CDs "I Work Nights" (1998) and "Highway 17" (2001). Chuck and his wife Ragan recently had their first baby, Oliver. He is also an active painter: www.chuckmorrisart.com
Sat 7/21, 8 pm: A Dough Re Mi Pizza, Mt. Pleasant. DUDLEY BIRCH will play drums & sing. Dudley was a member of the SCS band circa 1995-97 and can be heard on "Blue Palmetto" as well as the single (1995) "Phosphate Woman" b/w "Sticky Fingers". Dudley also had a couple of shag/beach hits under his own name ("Can Let You Go", "Stop, Look My Way").

Hats off to Charlie Barrineau and Angie Jones of Uptown Greenwood Development Corp. for another smashing "Greenwood Blues Cruise" July 12-14. We had a wonderful time playing and eating BBQ. If you want to enjoy some great blues in a true Southern cultural setting, plan to attend this festival next year...July 10-12, 2008. www.greenwoodbluescruise.com for more details.

Dr. Pickup (guitarist/singer Bruce Stringkiller), resident of Paris, France, will return to SC in September, 2007 to perform a series of gigs with SCS & band. Dates/venues t.b.a.
www.drpickup.com

It was Adam "Harmonica" Gussow's gig (Adam ex 'Satan & Adam') but a cadre of Lowcountry harp players came out and represented: (in order) Bob Meehan, Rob Posey (of Cotton Blue), Chuck the Cat Morris, and Juke Joint Johnny. All but JJJ jammed with Adam (and SCS on keyboard). A packed night - great comraderie and music. Thanks, Mimi & Monique Duffy, for the use of the venue! When in Charleston, you MUST dine at Mimi's, 1241 Harborview Rd., Charleston, SC 29412 tel 843-795-4090. The Lowcountry's gem...unique, memorable.

Thanks to Barry Dolins and his crew for a great time on the 24th annual Chicago Blues Festival. The SCS band (full 5-pc: SCS, Silent Eddie (guitar), Jerome Griffin (bass), LaMont Garner (drums), Mike Kincaid (sax) backed Wanda Johnson for a rollicking 90-min ride through all-original material. More details at www.wandaj.com

Go to www.chicagobluesfestival.us and click on 'What's in a Name?'' SCS & Wanda play the 24th annual Chicago Blues Festival this Saturday, June 9 (1:30-3 pm, Front Porch Stage).

"Lowcountry Live!" 10-11 am Mon & Wed on ABC News 4 (Charleston, SC)...going great! SCS plays and sings. Special guests recently have included the artists of the Piccolo Spoleto Homegrown Blues Series (Geoff Achison, Juke Joint Johnny & Drew Baldwin, Davis Coen, Congaree, Jeff Norwood, Smoky Weiner & the Hot Links, and more). Tune in!
www.abcnews4.com/lowcountrylive

NY-born harmonica tech/wiz Bob Meehan sat in with me tonight at A Dough Re Mi. We had a good round of boogies and slow blues. Bob plays great...and with great taste. Next up: Adam Gussow (the 'Adam' of 'Satan & Adam') rolls into town June 13. We will do "Lowcountry Live!" (TV Ch 4 ABC in Charleston) 10-11 am that day; then Barnes & Noble signing (Mt. Pleasant) at 3 pm; pub gig in the evening venue at our fave Mimi's Creekside on James Island. Adam has a new book coming out on University of TN Press. More at www.youtube.com/kudzurunner Some of y'all might remember those memorable Satan & Adam gigs here in Charleston ten years ago. Amazing stuff.
The harpoonists keep coming!

Photojournalist Peter Ellegard, of the British magazine 'Holiday', has just published a beautiful six-page spread on the 2007 Southern Comfort Lowcountry Blues Bash. Photos of Shrimp City Slim, Wanda Johnson, Smoky Weiner, Nappy Brown, Juke Joint Johnny, Baltimore Red & Wayne Werner, Queen Bee Zamagni, Drew Baldwin, and others. Nice stuff. Peter will be posting it on his website and we will soon add a link.

Award-winning filmmaker Monica Sharf has chosen Juke Joint Johnny's harmonica version of "Amazing Grace" (from the 1992 Shrimp City Slim & Blue Light Special CD "Gone With the Wind") as part of the soundtrack for her new short film, "While We Lie Sleeping" (a tribute to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan). The film is slated for release by July 4.
www.inversionfilms.com

With a couple of days off in Charleston after Blues By the Sea, Guitar Shorty sat in with SCS on "Lowcountry Live!" (TV) on Monday, May 14 to play a couple of 'bumps' into commercials and a torrid version of "Worried Life Blues". Congratulations to Shorty on winning Contemporary Blues Album of the Year at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis!

Kevin Crothers, Media Services at Charleston County Public Library, has advised that short video clips are now on-line from the 2007 Southern Comfort Lowcountry Blues Bash gigs at the downtown branch. This includes the February 14 appearance of the SCS band featuring Silent Eddie Phillips (guitar), LaMont Garner (drums), and Juke Joint Johnny (harp). Visit www.ccpl.org/media

See you at the following shows:

NORTH CHARLESTON ARTS FEST
May 7: Chocolate Thunder
May 9: Drink Small
www.northcharleston.org
BLUES BY THE SEA
May 12, Kiawah Island, SC
www.bluesbash.com/kiawah
PICCOLO SPOLETO BLUES SERIES
May 25-June 8, Charleston, SC
www.piccolospoleto.com
GREENWOOD BLUES CRUISE
July 12-14, Greenwood, SC
www.greenwoodbluescruise.com

SCS just his completed third week as "house band" on the popular ABC News 4 TV program in Charleston, SC (every Monday & Wednesday from 10-11 am). Thanks to everyone who has called, emailed and/or come out to the shows. More fun on the way!

We have a limited number of free tickets for "Blues By the Sea" (one-day blues fest, Sat. May 12 at Mingo Point, Kiawah Island, featuring Guitar Shorty, Eddie Kirkland, Skeeter Brandon, Harper). Send self-addressed, stamped envelope & indicate how many tix you want to: SCS, PO Box 13525, Charleston, SC 29422.

Thanks to Tony at the Guitar Center (N. Charleston, SC) for the deal on the used Roland FP-3 piano. I look forward to using that on my solo gigs. Great piano sound and touch. Still using Korg Triton (split) for band shows.

Starting March 19, SCS will perform live every Monday and Wednesday (10-11 am) on the wildly popular ABC-TV morning magazine "Lowcountry Live!" (Channel 4, Charleston, SC). These solo appearances will tie in with new solo gigs at Mimi's Creekside, Sesame Grill, A Dough Re Mi etc. (pls see Calendar). Tune in! www.abcnews4.com/lowcountrylive

The gig at Centre Tcheque was amazing. Big, wild crowd and extended jamming in the cellars below the Czech Embassy. Our friend Kola sat in on guitar and sounded great. Last night, we did a double bill in Bois d'Arcy with Broken Feet, a French band fashioned after the T-Birds, JJ Cale and others. Great sound and lights and a wonderful family-style dinner with the staff and crew before the show. This afternoon, Bruce Stringkiller and I do a duo at the Brasserie des Arts in Rueil; low-key Georgia Tom/Tampa Red sort of thing. And then it's home tomorrow. See you soon at a SC show.

Having a good time...first gig was a 4-hour blues show in a tropical music disco (zouk, soukous, reggaeton, merengue, etc.) in Reims, capital of champagne country. A wee bit incongruous (like a lot of "blues" gigs over here) but folks dug it. Second show at the legendary blues club Utopia Wednesday night...a small but enthusiastic crowd. Amazing to play a small club that once hosted the likes of Memphis Slim, Champion Jack Dupree, Luther Allison, Mickey Baker, et. al.
Tonight, " we're back down at the Centre Tcheque" ("Depart/Arrive" from 'Dark Road Piano'), Fri March 7, showtime 830 pm Rue Bonaparte No. 18 in St. Germain.

Thanks to everyone for your support. Attendance was noticeably 'up' this year and our 43 artists did a great job. Pls keep an eye on the Calendar for more upcoming fests in the area.

SCS will perform one or two songs on the nationally-broadcast "Michael Feldman's 'Whad'ya Know?', staged and aired Saturday, February 10, 11 am-1 pm, LIVE from the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, SC, during the Blues Bash. Whoo-hoo!

We've got some new photos in the Photo Gallery from the tour with Chocolate Thunder. Pls take a look. Silent Eddie Phillips (guitar) and LaMont Garner (drums) are mainstays of the current SCS line-up.