Famous Dave's 3/14/98 Photo © 1998 by Ray Stiles, All rights reserved |
Photo © 1998 by Ray Stiles All rights reserved |
Famous Dave's 3/14/98 Photo © 1998 by Ray Stiles, All rights reserved |
The musicians in Frankie Lee's band were guitar player Donald D.D. Dunn, bass player Tonee Calhoun, and drummer Larry Ross. Dunn played a funky version of "Hideaway" at the start of the third set and broke a string starting out the second set. I like it when that happens. You get to see how the band responds under pressure and also get to see some improvisation from some of the other musicians as they pick up the slack. In this case bass player Calhoun stepped right in and strutted his stuff with panache.
Born Frankie Lee Jones, April 29, 1941, in rural Mart, Texas, Frankie said his early influences included Sam Cooke, but before that he sang in church groups. His grandmother encouraged him to sing when he was about 6 years old. "Missionary and gospel singing is what we did. My grandmother considered blues, to be the devil's music." So Frankie had to sneak out to the clubs to listen to the music he loved.
|
While in Houston he teamed up with Albert Collins. Lee said Collins was just like the big brother he never had. They moved to California and Frankie ended up singing with Albert for the next six years. It was during his time with Collins that Lee first met Big Walter Smith who now lives in the Twin Cities. By 1971, Lee was in Los Angeles, where his cousin Johnny "Guitar" Watson helped produce a record for him. In the late 1970's he recruited a young guitarist by the name of Robert Cray for his band. Robben Ford and Bobby Murray were also a couple of other fine young guitarists he had backing him while on the West Coast. Bobby Murray has been playing with Frankie Lee off and on for the past 20 years now, when Murray is not on the road with Etta James. Murray was a big part of Lee's most recent Blind Pig record "Going Back Home." In the later 1980's Lee moved to the northeast and just recently he has moved back home to Texas to be with his aging mother. He has a new record coming out later this year and if you like high energy soul and R&B music don't miss his next Twin Cities appearance. Lee knows how to chaise away the blues and leave his audiences with a memorable experience. Maybe you can even get your company to pay for your attendance at his "seminar."
Table of Contents:
Copyright © 1998 by Ray M. Stiles
[Home Page]
[Message Board]
[Calendar]
[Blues Musicians]
[Blues Clubs]
[Blues Jams]
[New Reviews]
[Live Reviews & Interviews]
[CD Reviews]
[Record Labels]
[Jukebox]
[Photo Gallery]
[Memorial]
[Blues Profiles]
[Blues Links]
[Site Description & Updates]
[Site Awards]
[Spotlight Archives]
[Member Directory]
[Featured Website]
[Website Design & Hosting]
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.