Bo Schronce Talks about Music & More at Sunset River Marketplace – April 23
This is going to be a lot of fun, so I thought I’d share it with you. Sunset River Marketplace,
Bo Schronce, founder of N.C. group the Fantastic Shakers (photo Dariel Bendin)
the very cool gallery in Calabash, N.C. where I hang out so much, is bringing in Bo Schronce to speak at their next Creative Exchange event on Monday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bo formed the Fantastic Shakers back in 1978, so you know he’s got decades of stories to share.
Growing up in Lincolnton, N.C. Bo Schronce first started singing at church, but he admits candidly that he liked the attention that came with being the lead singer in a band. His very first group was the Little Logan Hot Dog Band (He was Little Logan). A few other small bands followed including Bo & the Fugitives and Nobody’s Perfect. In the mid 70s, he joined the Catalinas, one of the Carolinas’ definitive beach bands. In fact, it was Bo’s vocals recorded on what has become the band’s signature tune “Summertime’s Calling Me.”
However, Bo Schronce is best known for his Fantastic Shakers, which, by the way, he co-founded with keyboard player Dino Fair, now with the popular S.C. powerhouse trio, Sea-Cruz. The Shakers are known throughout the region for beach hits such as, “Myrtle Beach Days,” “Shakin’ the Shack,” and the classic ballad, “Where Do I Go.”
With the Shakers, Bo has built one of the most versatile bands around. Five lead vocalists, three horns and what seems to be a limitless song list of original and cover tunes mean this group is always in demand.
They have performed at Lincoln Center in New York City, where blues fans and radio station deejays welcomed them warmly. “After they heard ‘Shakin’ the Shack,’ we got in big with the N.Y. blues stations,” said Bo. “I didn’t know how to handle it. I’m just a redneck farm boy from N.C. who knows how to sing.”
Bo Schronce’s vocals are well known and respected throughout the industry. Nashville guitarist and vocalist Rickey Godfrey says, “I think Bo Schronce is easily the most talented, versatile singer in beach music. He can do everything … and he does!”
Jim Quick, front man for the Coastline band and King Tyrone & the Graveyard Ramblers agrees. “ Bo has a voice that is the representation of the greatest songs in beach music. He’s a performer who can’t be compared to any other I’ve known, a southern gentleman … A father figure, a tutor, a singer’s singer, a show man a nd a dear friend. He’s a red-neck badass, a family man, and the hardest worker in and out of the music scene … a man of truths and a man of the most audacious lies an ear can absorb.”
How’s that for a ringing endorsement, Bo?
The Fantastic Shakers have been guests of honor at both North and South Carolina gubernatorial events. Myrtle Beach has presented them with the key to the city. They have also played the American Bop Association Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. The band’s gigs take them from the Carolinas and Virginia, beyond to Maryland, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Bo Schronce has taken home three Carolina Beach Music Academy (CBMA) awards for Male Vocalist of the Year. The band has five Group Album awards to their credit, plus other honors for singles and blues albums, including a 2011 Song of the Year award and 2011 Blues Song award for their hit single, “I Still Do.”
Despite all this, they cut back their play dates a little bit each year. “I want time for my family,” says Bo. “I love to garden, I love to fish and I’ve got my dogs – a competition pack of beagles that I take out whenever I can.”
Since opening in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has become an active supporter of performing, literary and visual arts in the area. The gallery hosted Brunswick Arts Council’s Evening of Miniature Masterpieces fundraiser multiple times and is a regular sponsor for the Friday evening Summer Concert Series at Ocean Isle Beach.
Creative Exchange is an interactive community event held at Sunset River Marketplace. The gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (Hwy. 179) in Calabash, N.C. The Bo Schronce presentation takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is a $7 fee and, due to limited seating, reservations are required. This event is expected to fill up quickly, so get your spot early.
For more information, call 910-575-5999. If you’d like to be notified about upcoming Creative Exchange, Coffee With the Authors or other gallery events, send an email to lassiter@sunsetrivermarketplace.com. Gallery news is also posted on the website: www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com.
Walk Softly and Carry a Big Fish Shtick
Once again, I’m a happy girl, with some lip-rippin’ food and cool sounds to boot.
It’s time for the fifth annual Big Fish Shtick!
On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 23, from noon until 7 p.m. at the Triangle Lounge in Wilmington, N.C., it’s Jim Quick’s Big Fish Shtick. And our boy knows how to party! There will be four bands this year – JQ & Coastline, the Castaways, 40 East and Band of Oz, plus deejay Joey Warren, who always puts the fun in fundraiser.
Ticket donations are $25 each for this event and all proceeds go to United Cerebral Palsy of Wilmington (www.ucp.org). So be sweet. Open up your hearts and your pocketbooks.
Come hungry kids, cause you be eatin’ all day. Jones Fish Camp will be on hand with fish and fixin’s. Boom Boom’s BBQ will be front and center. Plus you’ll have fried shrimp and Captain Crain’s World Famous Shrimp Stew. Think I’m gonna faint!
The music don’t get no stronger … Jim Quick & Coastline, where swamp funk meets smart. Quick is a lyrical Energizer bunny with soul.
Wilmington-based 40 East is a new band for me, one I can’t wait to hear. From what I’ve listened to on the web, they’re kind of crossover country pop with a little R&B thrown in for good measure.
The Castaways are one of those beach bands who like to mix it up. You can expect to hear their signature beach tunes along with some great soul sounds and some killer rock and roll. If we’re lucky, lead vocalist Karen Clayton will treat us to her version of “I (Who Have Nothing),” originally released by Ben E. King back in 1963. Goose bump time!
Last but not least, Band of Oz, frat band turned pro, and one of the most sought-after beach bands on the scene. These guys have been winning awards and hearts for years.
As with any fundraise worth its salt, the Big Fish Shtick will have auctions, raffles, door prizes and more.For any of you extra generous folks, sponsorship packages are still available at $250, $500 and $1,000 levels. Go to the website for details (www.bigfishshtick.com).
Shagfest In Chucktown
The nonprofit Charleston Beach Music and Shag Preservation Society aka Harriett Grady will hold its sixth annual Charleston Beach Music And Shag Festival over Labor Day Weekend on Sunday, Sept. 4 and Monday, Sept. 5.
This year the fun will be taking place indoors at Plan B restaurant and nightclub in Charleston.
The Festival will feature live entertainment, multiple deejays, shag dancing and shag workshops.
The shag, which is a six-step swing dance, has been hugely popular in South Carolina for more than 60 years. The roots of the shag being danced today is generally believed to have started with black R&B bands playing the beaches but not getting radio airplay. White teenagers discovered the music and danced to the jukebox, sometimes right on the beach. In 1984, then S.C. Representative Bubber Snow introduced Act. No. 329, which named the shag as the official dance of South Carolina.
Charleston residents Jerry and Barbara Wade will be conducting shag workshops at the Festival. They’ve been shagging together since the fifties, when they learned the dance at the old Folly Beach pier. They were shagging to artists like Jimmy Reed, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters and Lloyd Price. They still love shagging today and share their love and techniques with others at their Charleston Shag Company.
Live entertainment will be provided by four of my faves. On Sunday, from the Upstate of South Carolina, Rhonda McDaniel & Friends take the stage at 4 p.m. For the past three years, our girl has been voted Female Vocalist of the Year at the Carolina Beach Music Academy (CBMA) awards. In 2008, she also earned Solo Album and Blues Song of the Year. Playing with her at the Charleston Beach Music and Shag Festival will be guitarist Ashby Stokes (Swinging Medallions); drummer Eddie Wayne (Swinging Medallions, Fabulous Expressions); Frank Wilkie (Rickey Godfrey Band, Marshall Tucker Band) on bass; saxman Tony Kennedy (Rickey Godfrey Band, and keyboard player Joey Werner (Out-of-Towners).
At 7 p.m. Charleston’s Rick Strickland Band will open their show. Singer/songwriter Rick Strickland, also a multiple CBMA award winner, is well-known for some of beach music’s most popular recent hits including “Something Smooth,” “One Step Closer,” and “So Do I.” His duo with band mate Lesa Hudson, “When You Look at Me” has been No. 1 on 94.9The Surf for the past four weeks, and shows no sign of slowing down. Delivering soulful R&B with a rock & roll kicker, Rick Strickland Band is a crowd favorite every time.
Carolina Soulband has the 2 p.m. slot on Monday, Sept. 5. This group performed for years with Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters. Today, the nine-piece band plays their range of soul, R&B, and beach music to packed festivals and clubs throughout the southeast. Drummer Chris “Silk” Terry formed the group about two years ago. Jervey “Supreme Keys” Geddies , longtime bandleader for Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters also serves as CSB’s bandleader and keyboard player. These two lead a high-energy ensemble of extremely talented performers to present one crowd-pleasing performance after another.
At 7 p.m. it’s Coastline time – when Jim Quick & Coastline hit the stage. I love these bad boys for both their onstage shenanigans and their monster talent. Quick is one of the best songwriters around. When I pop his 2007 album Sneakin’ Out Back into the player, it’s every bit as good as the first time I heard it. Folks outside the area are starting to take notice of Quick and Coastline, too. The band has opened for Delbert McClinton, Montgomery Gentry and Darius Rucker. Quick’s latest CD, Down South, was produced by big ole Nashville producer Gary Nicholson. There’s a new music video and a live DVD coming soon. These boys are hot!
In addition to live music, popular area deejays Gerry Scott, Mike McDaniel,Jim Bowers and Betty Brown will be spinning tunes for dancers and listeners both. The deejays, who each have their own specialty niches, pride themselves on finding and playing that most obscure old tune alongside the current hits.
According to Harriett, “Plan B is going to be a terrific venue for us. The dance floor is brand new … the bars, the deejay booth, stage, sound and lighting … it’s all new. This is going to be a great event.”
Sponsors for the 2011 Charleston Beach Music and Shag Festival include: major sponsor, 1340 The Boardwalk; Big Mamma Entertainment; Coast magazine and Alternatives NewsMagazine; and DarielB – Flying Under the Radar music blog.
Tickets for the two-day event are $45/members of the Beach Music and Shag Preservation Society of S.C. and $55/nonmembers. One day tickets cost $25/members and $30/nonmembers. For tickets or more information, visit them online.
Plan B is located at 3025 Ashley Town Center Drive, #201 in Charleston. Take I526 West to Hwy. 17. Turn right on Hwy. 17, travel two blocks, and look for the Plan B sign on the right. Telephone: 843-571-2001.
Road Trip With Coastline!
The multi-talented Jim Quick during his live DVD recording at Papa Mojos Roadhouse.
Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse in Durham, N.C. was the place to be last Sunday night when Jim Quick & Coastline took the stage to record their first ever DVD.The cozy little club slash restaurant was packed with friends and fans hungry to hear their favorite band cookin’ up a hot, soulful concoction of classic Coastline and some tasty new material.
Once everyone had their drinks and Papa Mojo’s signature lip-rippin’ Cajun offerings – and the Tarheels had succumbed to the Wildcats – deejay Joey Warren introduced the band. From there it was more than three hours of rock and soul, swamp funk blues and just enough country thrown in to explain Quick’s choice of shirts.
They rocked from the onset with “Down South,” the title track from Quick’s latest album, produced by Nashville honcho Gary Nicholson, who was also the songwriter/co-songwriter for this and every other tune on the disc.
With lyrics like this, you could almost swear Quick wrote it hisself:
I met a runway model in New York City
Said she love to hear me talk
I said that suits me fine I’m from Carolina
And I’ll say anything to watch you walk
And, by the time, Quick got to singing about skinny dipping in the Waccamaw River by the light of the Tar Heel Moon, the crowd was singing along like a roomful o’ Coastline Crazies.
“Late At Night” from the Contents Under Pressure CD (Ripete/1998) was next, another big hit with the crowd.
Of course, we don’t know what’s going to make the cut to the final DVD, but they rocked out one hit after another, including (from the band’s Sneakin’ Out Back CD (Landslide/2007) “Mississippi Mud,” “Callin’, ”and the Cape Fear’s best one-night stand song, “A Little Bit of Money.”
“We basically wanted to do this DVD for the fans,” Quick told me. “They’ve been asking for years, so we wanted to give them their favorites along with some of the newer stuff.”
Other tunes included Albert Rogers taking lead vocals on “It’s Gonna Rain” and Glen Tippett on “The Hardest Thing I Ever Do.” Coastline has become a vocal powerhouse.
Jim Quick & Coastline record their live DVD at Papa Mojos Roadhouse in Durham, N.C. Sunday, March 27, 2011. (Deejay Joey Warren introduces them)
I’ve always considered Coastline one of the most innovative, talented bands in the area, but ever since Jim Quick cut Down South, it seems that, as a band, they’ve gotten even tighter. Casey Meyer’s guitar playing has become more aggressive, The harmonies are smooth and confident, and Quick’s vocals just keep getting stronger.
The second set opened with more classic Coastline, “Sweat,” and also included a killer’ version of the honky tonk tune, “What’s Wrong With You?” from the self-titled King Tyrone & the Graveyard Ramblers (KHP/2008) CD. For anyone new to the world of Jim Quick, King Tyrone is his alter ego who doesn’t get to leave the swamp all that often. We’re never sure what he’s going to do.
“The Tiki Bar Is Open,” the once obscure John Hiatt song that’s become signature Coastline, featured especially sweet slide guitar work from Casey.
The show was almost over by the time we finally got to hear “Mama’s Drinking Liquor Again,” the infamous tune originally recorded on the King Tyrone CD.
Encore performances were “Take It All” from Coastline Band Live Bait 2 featuring Jim on keyboard and then a no-holds-barred performance of “Strongest Weakness,” a rocker penned by Gary Nicholson and Bekka Bramlett.
The show was a blast, and Papa Mojos was the perfect spot for it – a cozy intimate venue with cajun art all over the place and friendly
Albert Rogers brings soulful vocals and a driving bass to the band.
efficient servers always on the ready. Randall Bramblett Band was there the night before, and owner Mel Melton and his Wicked Mojos band often provide the entertainment. Definitely worth a road trip!
I was able to talk to Jim a few days after the recording. I wanted to know what’s in store for him and the band.
“Well, you know I have this Sony deal now,” he said. “It’s with Red, Sony’s artist development and distribution leg. They’re handling digital distribution for “Down South” and “No Good Place To Cry” from the new CD. Hit Brothers Records is the label. May 17 is the release date for Down South (the physical CD) throughout the southeastern U.S. in Wal-Mart and other media outlets.”
Music City Media will be generating publicity for Jim and the band, and Jerry Duncan Promotions will handle radio play. Not easy to pigeonhole, Quick says they’re treating him as sort of “soulful country.”
A music video is also in the works for Jim Quick & Coastline. Recording takes place later this month, so stay tuned for more about that. Look for a new website design to be unveiled shortly, too.
“I really hope everyone got the Coastline vibe,” Jim says as he brings the conversation back to the DVD. “I’m excited. I liked the atmosphere. We turned Papa Mojo’s into a little studio. So people there got an idea of what it’s like to be in a band and recording.
“My guys are not just great live, but they’re stupid killer studio musicians.
“I think this DVD is as close as you’ll get to taking Coastline home with you.”
Wait for it folks, here’s the pitch.
“And I think everyone should have Coastline Crazies DVD parties!” Quick adds, laughing his head off.
The DVD, which will be called Jim Quick & Coastline Live At Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse, will be out before summer and priced at $25.
Jim Quick & Coastline are made up of the multi-talented Jim Quick on lead vocals and some time keys, guitar and horn; Glenn Tippett on sax, keyboard and vocals; Casey Meyer on guitar; Albert Rogers on electric bass and vocals; and Sam Bryant on drums. Live sound engineers are Ken “K-Dogg” Holland and Eddie Cogle.
What a week!
Victor Wooten's slapping and thumb-picking bass techniques was something to see!
The Grand Strand was the place to be this past week. Bass extremists Steve Bailey and Victor Wooten performed two awesome shows at Coastal Carolina. Whoa! South By Southeast brought the rockin’ Randall Bramblett Band back for another SRO crowd. I’m surprised the Train Depot is still standing. Green Dot Records had its CD release party for the Holiday Band’s latest recording, Sweet Love, and it was sweet. I love these guys.
Up at Ocean Drive there were two big deejay events. The Association of Beach and Shag Club DeeJays held its annual DJ Throwdown. Sure wish I could have made their James Hunter show on Saturday night! Duck’s Beach Club held its first annual DJ Appreciation party – four days of partying, that is, including a show by the mighty, mighty Tams of Hotlanta! I managed to catch the final set for Jim Quick & Coastline at Fat Harold’s on Sunday. Stay tuned for more news about this bad boy.
Myrtle Beach's own Steve Bailey is the master of the six-string fretless.
Randall Bramblett rocks with the best of them!
The legendary Davis Causey working his Strat.
The Holiday Band at their CD release party: Bob Martin, sax; Duane Neese, vocals, horns; Bill Ward, drums; Mike Taylor, vocals, keyboard, guitar; Doug Neese, vocals, bass guitar; and not shown, MIke Neese, vocals, guitar.
Frontmaniac for the Coastline band, Jim Quick
Are You Ready For Quick’s Shtick Thing?
Mark your calendars for Oct. 24 because it’s time for the fourth annual Big Fish Shtick, Jim Quick’s close-to-the-heart fundraiser for United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Wilmington. Once again, it’s being held in the back lot of the Triangle Lounge in Wilmington.
The fun starts at 1 p.m. and will keep going until about 7 o’clock. Your $20 donation will net you a pile o’ free grub: fish and fixin’ from Jones Fish Camp, plus Boom Boom’s BBQ, fried shrimp, steamed oysters and what else, oh, Captain Crain’s World Famous Shrimp Stew! A full cash bar will be available to help you wash down the super eats.
There will be plenty of live entertainment, too. Kicking off the party at 1 p.m. is Southern Ryder. I’m hoping to hear some great fiddle from this southern rockin’ group. Taking the stage about 2 p.m. will be the Tim Clark Band, and whether you want to dance or just groove to the music, you won’t want to miss this show.
Jim Quick & Coastline are bringing their Nashville-ized swamp-funk sound back to the Port City! My guess is we’ll be hearing a lot of how they do it Down South. YAY! Personally, I can’t wait to hear what Casey Meyer does with the new stuff.
Spinning tunes in between shows will be one of my favorite local deejays, Joey Warren, so be sure to tell him I said so!
Don’t forget to bring some extra moola with you, because this is a fundraiser, remember. You need to get you a ticket for the 50/50. Someone’s going to win a pile of money, and if it’s not me, then it might as well be you. So far, items for the raffle and auction include a booze cruise from Pole Position Boat Tours (Must be a real estate guy with a boat); handmade pottery pieces; a gift certificate from Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash (Have you been to this place? It’s wonderful!); a couple of Rickey Godfrey’s new kick-ass blues CDs; one of Babs Ludwick’s hugely popular prints in her Local Watering Hole series; plus, more items are being added every day. And what Big Fish Shtick would be complete without Jim Quick’s own art offering? This is your chance to own a Jim Quick original. Zowee!!
This is going to be a great day, and it’s for a great cause, so I hope you can be there. UCP is one of the largest health nonprofits in the country. Founded over 60 years ago by parents of children with the disease, it has evolved into a committed advocate for folks with disabilities. Their goal is to ensure a life without limits even if you’ve got disabilities. You can see the group’s work everywhere – on the Internet, in the workplace, in classrooms and throughout the local community.
Join me and Jim Quick in supporting this group. You’ll have a rockin’ good time while you do something nice for someone. Don’t forget your lawn chairs!
For tix & info, call 910-799-6253.
Directions to Triangle Lounge:
• From S.C. and southeastern Brunswick County, take 17 N towards Wilmington.
• Once you cross the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge into town (You’ll be on Dawson St.) go straight to Oleander.
• Turn right on Oleander Dr., which you’ll follow for about two and a half miles.
• Turn left on S. College and then take your third right onto Wrightsville Ave. Triangle Lounge (5920 Wrightsville Ave.) will be on your right. There should be plenty of parking in the field up the street.
Tellin’ It Like It Is ‘Down South’
Folks around here have been driving themselves pure crazy waiting for Jim Quick’s latest funked-up collection of melodic metaphors telling tales of heartache, woe, one-night stands and other intimate snapshots of his tumultuous life.
Well I’m happy to tell all ya’ll that there’s no need to get your panties in a wad, it’s finally here. Hot off the Music City presses, the CD titled Down South is here, but this time around, our hero is singing a whole different tune.
He’s left his Coastline band behind – for the moment – and teamed up with Nashville songwriter/producer Gary Nicholson. All 14 tracks on the CD are either written or co-written by Nicholson, who has brought together a colorful group of mostly southern songwriters to help him tell us how it is Down South.
I don’t mind telling you I was a little skeptical since Jim Quick, a fine songwriter himself, is pretty strong in the colorful department … sort of Cole Porter meets the Soggy Bottom Boys. But it appears to be a smart partnership.
“I’ve been wanting to work with Gary Nicholson since Nothing Personal [Delbert McClinton’s 2003 Grammy-winning album, which was produced by Nicholson]” Jim tells me. ‘A Little Bit of Money,’ ‘Buying This Beer,’ ‘Mississippi Mud’ … all were totally written with Gary Nicholson in mind. What would he do if he were writing this song?”
Quick’s vocals throughout Down South are some of his strongest to date – raw and emotional, with a little swamp funk around the edges.
Opening track is “Living On Love,” co-written with Craig Fuller of Little Feat and Pure Prairie League fame. It’s a fast-paced, high-energy piece that hints of what’s to come.
Track two, “Rewind,” is a sweet little tune, almost pop in nature, but soulful and fluid. Nicholson wrote it with N.C. native Seth Walker whose own music melds blues, jazz and soul with his recently adopted Nashville’s country sound. Carolina folks will love its shag beat.
Up next is “Stronger Than You Need To Be,” penned by Nicholson and Twin City players Bruce McCabe and David Z (You may know David Z for the distinctive snare drum on the 1989 hit single, “She Drives Me Crazy” by the Fine Young Cannibals). This is a tune about tenderness and surrender, accentuated by a spot-on vocal delivery from Quick.
Title track, “Down South,” follows and it’s a righteous romp through swamp living, downhome cooking and all things southern. Listen for some fine slide guitar here from Canadian Colin Linden. Southern Canadian.
“I’m a Dog,” a co-write with Delbert McClinton, is going to be a favorite at live shows. Listen closely, you’ll hear Delbert barking, too. Fun tune that I expect will become signature Coastline.
Bekka Bramlett, talented offspring of the California country-rock duo Delaney and Bonnie, is the husky, sultry female vocal on the fast moving country-edged “Deal With It.” Written by Nicholson and Billy Burnette, this tune was on Bekka and Billy, the duo’s 1997 pop rocka- billy recording, and now she adds her significant voice to Quick’s for another lively version of the tune.
She’s also one of the writers on “Strongest Weakness,” which has a rockin’ gospel sound that’ll get you out of your seat. Is that the McCrary Sisters I’m hearing?
Other tracks include “No Good Place To Cry,” a take-your-breath-away ballad written by Nicholson and Randy Houser, “Forever Man,” a Tyrone Davis-type tune, which was co-written with Billy Currington; and “It’s Too Late” from Alabama southern roots voice, Adam Hood.
“Hurt That Bad” (Gary Nicholson/Billy Currington/Paul Overstreet) will grab your heart, guaranteed. Vocals and horns are especially noteworthy here. The jumpin’ “It’s Always Something” was written by Gary Nicholson, guitar great Al Anderson, Tom Hambridge and Delbert McClinton. “Don’t Shoot the Snake” (Gary Nicholson/John Hadley/Kevin Welch) is a great blues-driven closer that brings us full circle back to the swamp.
Players on the CD include: Lynn Williams, drums, percussion; Steve Mackey, bass; Rob McNeely, electric and acoustic guitar; Gary Nicholson, electric and Kevin McKendree, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Hammond B3 organ; Colin Linden, slide guitar; Al Anderson, guitar (“It’s Always Something”); Jim Hoke, saxophone, harmonica, Jew’s harp; Steve Herman, trumpet; Chris Charmichael, strings; Delbert McClinton, har- monica and barking (“I’m a Dog”); Jim Quick, lead vocals; background vocals, Bekka Bramlett, Perry Coleman, Regina McCrary, Ann McCrary and Frieda McCrary; producer, Gary Nicholson.
Apologies to Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright. Soggy Bottom Boys is just way more poetic.
Little Isidore Takes It to the Street In Ocean Drive
Little Isadore aka David Forman
I love a street party and we’re about to have the granddaddy of them all, a double shot of fun right here in the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Fun Sunday and Fun Monday are set for Sept. 19 – 20, and folks around here are gearing up for the kind of laughin’ and singin’ and music swingin’ that would give Martha Reeves goosebumps. This street party extraordinaire is part of the ten-day non-stop party better known as Fall Migration. Main Street in O.D. will once again be overtaken by shaggers and beach music buffs from all over the south- east … and then some. Bring your lawn chairs, your sunscreen and your booty to Ocean Drive and get ready to boogie. You gonna dance!
Fun Sunday
The Sunday schedule features two of the most innovative musicians in the area: Charleston’s Rick Strickland and Jim Quick from Wilmington, N.C.
Rick Strickland is probably best known for his mega-hit, “Something Smooth,” from the CD of the same name that earned him a Carolina Beach Music Academy (CBMA) award in 2007. “So Do I,” the ballad from his 2008 CD, Island Soul, is still requested at least once during every gig. His current CD, Seven, was released earlier this year and is continues to spit out singles.
Rick, who worked with Todd Rundgren earlier in his career, is a sought-after producer – in addition to writing, singing and performing with his own Rick Strickland Band.
He tells me he’s got two projects in the hopper right now: an album for band member Lesa Hudson and another for Miami artist, Billy Lee. Singles from both CDs are on Sisbro Records’ compilation Carolina Shag 2: “You Make the Good Times Better” and “Living For the Love of You.” The seven-piece Rick Strickland Band rocks with the best. You won’t want to miss it.
Jim Quick & Coastline are also slated for Sunday’s fun.
After opening for Montgomery Gentry last December, filling the house for Delbert McClinton at the Myrtle Beach House of Blues this past Spring and enticing Nashville producer Gary Nicholson to produce a solo effort for Jim Quick, these boys are riding a mighty big wave that shows no signs of stopping.
Quick’s new 14-track CD, titled Down South, is due out in time for Fall Migration, so I imagine the Fun Sunday show will feature some of the disc’s new tunes. Coastline is already performing the title track, and it’s a rockin’ tribute to southern life that drips with those funky bits of the swamp that we’ve come to love.
Fun Sunday is gonna rock, ya’ll. Don’t miss it!
Fun Monday
There are four acts scheduled for day two of the fun: DieDra, the Magnificents, Hip Pocket and Little Isidore & the Inquisitors with our old friend, Angel Rissoff, front and center.
I was lucky enough to see DieDra at the Spanish Galleon during Spring S.O.S. and I’m
here to tell you, this is another high-energy show. This mama rocks from the minute she hits the stage. DieDra’s five piece band is led by husband Keithen Ruff, a powerhouse on the gui- tar. Her single, “Hip-Swingin’ Blues” from the KHP compilation Let’s Dance Again … Can’t Get Enough is currently at No. 15 on the Beach Music 45 chart and her “Ready To Dance the Night Away” from KHP’s Coast To Coast: Let’s Dance the Night Away is at No. 19. Her current CD is Livin the Bluz (Ruff Pro Records).
The Magnificents will take the stage next. Originally formed back in the sixties, this incarnation came together in early 2006, and earned them- selves the 2007 CBMA award for New Artist of the Year. This classic soul group has four strong lead vocalists in Clinton Horton, Kim Todd, Jimmy Matherly and drummer Joey Barnes. The group’s single, “Never Know What’s On a Woman’s Mind” is simmerin’ on Beach Music 45.
Hip Pocket, the CBMA New Artist of the Year for 2009, is one of the best dance bands around. Their variety is their strength, so you can expect to hear soul music that will take you back to the sixties, some sizzlin’ hot country, party rock and everything in between. Their website says, “It’s like New Year’s Eve every night with the Hip Pocket Band! And they’re right!
Headlining Fun Monday this year is Little Isidore & the Inquisitors with blue-eyed soul meister Angel Rissoff featured in the show. Wowie zowie!
There’s so much to say about Little Isidore, I don’t know where to start. David Forman, as he is also known, has been in the biz since the early 70s. He’s currently working on his Off Off Broadway show called “Dollface.”
Forman began his career with Bell Records and signed with Arista Records in 1975, releasing his debut album David Forman in 1976 to inter- national acclaim. The Japanese import of this album still sells on the Internet today for about $95. His ballad from that recording, “If It Takes All Night,” has been covered by The Neville Brothers on their Fiyo On the Bayou CD and again by the Temptations’ Eddie Kendricks on his Vintage ‘78 recording.
In 1977, Forman released a second album, Bacon in the Sun/Moonlight Mayonnaise co- roduced with Jack Nitzsche. After Nitzsche introduced him to lyricist Gerry Goffin (Goffin- King), they worked together until Goffin relocated to Los Angeles.
During the 80s, our hero worked in advertising as a jin- gle writer and singer. He col- laborated with some of the best agencies in the country produc- ing work for McDonalds, Ford, Northwest Airlines, Skippy Peanut Butter and other nation- al brands.
He founded Little Isidore & the Inquisitors in the early 90s with Neil Posner (better known as bass guitarist Johnny Gale) as a classic rock group special- izing in and devoted to what he calls “the forgotten idiom of group harmony rock & roll.” (Inspiration for the name came via Damon Runyon, “Guys & Dolls,” and David’s two Uncle Isidores.)
Little Isidore & the Inquisitors have been on the beach charts since 1994 with their debut No One Gets Hurt. A follow-up album Inquisition of Love included the hit singles “All Night Long,” “You’re So Fine” and “Harlem Hit Parade.”
Speaking of which, Angel Rissoff aka Little Leopold, the original lead singer of “Harlem Hit Parade,” is joining the group for this show, as will femme fatale Kitten Kaboodle. The 12-piece ensemble is going to bring Main Street to its feet – and that’s exactly what David Forman wants.
“I expect dancing!” he told me. “I want to see people dancing in the street. Really!”
For some great insight into the man who is David Forman and Little Isidore, go to his MySpace page (MySpace.com/LittleIsidore) and read all about his me-o-myo- cardial infarction, his early experience in a documentary about Phillip Petit’s high wire stunt between the Wold Trade Center towers in 1974, his paper doll cutouts and his love of 50s rock & roll. Pony tail or no, Little Isidore is like crazy, man.
NOTE: Lyrics borrowed from “Dancing in the Street,” written by William “Mickey” Stevenson and Marvin Gaye : laughin’ and singin’ and music swingin’.
Jim Quick To Speak On Songwriting At Calabash Gallery August 11
Musician Jim Quick (photo Misty Hudson Photography)
Sunset River Marketplace art gallery in Calabash, N.C. has announced that Wilmington musician, Jim Quick, will present Inside the Song: the Making of Music at its monthly Creative Exchange event on Wednesday, August 11.
Owner Ginny Lassiter said, “We are so excited Jim is coming to the gallery. Jim Quick is legendary in this area for his witty banter and comical onstage antics. But not everyone outside the music business realizes what a serious and skilled songwriter he is.”
Singer/songwriter Jim Quick is the front man for one of the most successful bands in the Cape Fear region and along the Grand Strand: Jim Quick & Coastline. The group plays to packed rooms up and down the east coast. In December of last year, they opened for country duo Montgomery Gentry in Cancun, Mexico. This past April, Jim Quick & Coastline were the opening act for national recording artist Delbert McClinton at the Myrtle Beach House of Blues.
Quick also fronts King Tyrone & the Graveyard Ramblers, which is something of an alter ego for Coastline, although the lines between them are often blurred. Coastline, though not a true beach band, performs more R&B and shag songs. King Tyrone puts out a funkier swamp sound and records some of the more irreverent tunes Jim has written, such as “Mama’s Drinkin’ Liquor Again” and “(I Didn’t Buy This Beer, But I’m) Payin’ the Price,” which the band co-wrote with Ed Carrigan.
Jim Quick has been named CBMA Entertainer of the Year seven times and Songwriter of the Year twice, as well as receiving five Song of the Year awards. The band has won Group of the Year five times, in addition to earning several other honors.
Live At HOTO’s is the band’s just-released CD, which was recorded at Harold’s On the Ocean in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach, S.C. earlier this year. Quick also has a solo CD being produced by Nashville songwriter/producer Gary Nicholson. A release date has not been scheduled.
About his songwriting, Quick says, “I can remember making up songs when I was a little kid, maybe three years old. But I was probably about nine when I started messing around with my dad’s guitar. I was much more prolific in high school, using the keyboard. I went through a stage of just making it rhyme.
“I think I was 19 when it changed. John Hiatt flipped the switch for me. I got it. I understood that you have this whole world that you create.”
According to Quick, he plans to explain his songwriting from the inside out, “where I get everything from, how deep I have to put myself in the type of music … how to convey the meaning … taking it and putting it together.”
Since opening in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has become an active supporter of performing, literary and visual arts in the area. The gallery hosted Brunswick Arts Council’s Evening of Miniature Masterpieces fundraiser multiple times and is a 2010 Silver Sponsor for the Friday evening Summer Concert Series at Ocean Isle Beach.
Creative Exchange is an interactive community event held at Sunset River Marketplace. The gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (Hwy. 179) in Calabash, N.C. Jim Quick’s songwriting presentation takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is a $5 fee and, due to limited seating, reservations are required. This event is expected to fill up quickly, so get your spot early.
For more information, call 910-575-5999. If you’d like to be notified about upcoming Creative Exchange, Coffee With the Authors or other gallery events, send an email tolassiter@sunsetrivermarketplace.com. Gallery news is also posted on the website:www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com.
Ocean Isle’s Callin’ Me
Jackie Gore performing with Legends of Beach at the Spanish Galleon, N. Myrtle Beach, Spring 2010.
Woo woo! It’s summertime at the beach and that means it’s time for Concerts On the Coast. Every Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Property Owners Association (with help from some very generous sponsors) hosts a series of free concerts just over the bridge on the Island.
This year, the Entertainers opened the series, followed by local classic rock band, Bailout, and then the Imitations on June 11. If you missed those, not to worry, we’re still got 12 more concerts throughout the summer.
Coming right up on Friday, June 18, will be Legends of Beach. And I’m here to tell you, these guys really are legendary. They’re some of the finest vocalists and musicians in beach music today. Lead singer Jackie Gore was the songwriter for the beach music classic “I Love Beach Music” back in 1979 when he was with the Embers. R. Mark Black (vocals, saxophone), Gerald Davis (bass), Jeff Grimes (guitar, saxophone) and Johnny Barker (vocals, keyboards) were all Embers, too. I saw this group at the Spanish Galleon a couple months ago and they were phenomenal, one of the best in this genre that I’ve ever seen.
The Attractions, known for their monster horn section and their number one hit single, “Zing Went the Strings,” take the stage on June 25. This popular group has opened for the Tams, Clifford Curry, Fifth Dimension and the Platters, just to name a few. This should be another great show.
On July 2, another of my favorite groups will be at Ocean Isle – Mark Roberts & Breeze. Formed in late 2007, MRB was named New Group of the Year at the 2008 CBMA Awards. They rock, they roll, they’ve got soul, and they’re going to get you on your feet. If we’re lucky, they’ll do Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell In Love. If we’re really lucky, they’ll follow it with Gary Moore’s “Still Got the Blues For You.”
CWB will appear July 9 and again August 27. (Photo Jim Allen)
The next Concert on the Coast is Craig Woolard Band on July 9. For those of you outside the beach music community, Craig has also been lead singer for the Embers. In fact, he took Jackie Gore’s place back in … what year was it, Craig? Since forming in 2004, CWB has evolved into a powerhouse of a band, combining soulful blues with R&B to deliver one great show after another. Visit cammy.org to see for yourself all the awards Craig and the group have won.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Continental Divide is known for their happenin’ horn lines and professional performances. If you’re into Motown, soul music, oldies and beach music, plan to attend this July 16 show. And wait until you hear lead singer Gene Pharr.
That brings us to July 23, when the big sound of Band of Oz returns to Ocean Isle Beach. Originally from Raleigh, N.C. Band of Oz was born in 1967 as a part time band playing frat parties and proms. Today the’re one of the top bands on the beach music circuit, playing the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia. Boasting a formidable horn section and the not-so-secret weapon of Jerry West’s guitar, Band of Oz draws a crowd wherever they go.
Churning out classic rock and blues, GB4 Band is on the roster for July 30. This is a group I haven’t heard yet, but I’m looking forward to the show. They’re known for playing everything from classic rock to funk, soul and blues. Something tells me they’re going to rock the beach!
Goldrush, in the August 6 slot, will be performing a happy mix of oldies, R&B, blues and beach. Together for 32 years, they are one of the few groups asked to perform at the very first beach music awards show in Myrtle Beach. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Percy Sledge and more.
The next group coming to town is another of my faves. The Holiday Band. So mark your calendar for August 13 and get yourself over the bridge to Ocean Isle Beach. Whether you’re a shagger, a blues mama, a beach purist, a party animal, you just can’t go wrong with the Holiday Band. They’ve played everywhere from Lincoln Center in N.Y.C. to House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. But they’re still a bunch of sweet ole boys. (Okay, sorry, you’re not really ole.) A word to the wise: bring your boogie shoes to this show. You be dancin’!
Jim Quick & Coastline bring their crazy asses to Ocean Isle on Aug. 20.
Here’s another first time group at Ocean Isle! Jim Quick & Coastline will hit the stage running on August 20. For the uninitiated, these are the bad boys on the block. Led by wild man Jim Quick, this rock ‘n’ soul group is known for their hard-drivin’, kick-ass, no-holds-barred brand of swamp funk. Don’t worry about the kids though, these guys have a soft spot for the young ‘uns. Another must see, in my book.
Now, just in case you made the mistake of missing Craig Woolard’s July 9 concert, CWB will be back for another round on August 27. If you’ve never heard Craig sing, make sure you catch at least one of these shows.
Closing out the summer season on Friday, Sept. 3 will be the mighty, mighty Tams of Hotlanta, Ga.! “Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me,” “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” “What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am).” Need I say more? Come out to see “Little Redd” Cottle and the rest of this legendary group.
The concerts run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and draw about 1,000 folks from the area. There’s an area for dancing right in front of the stage, and don’t forget to bring lawn chairs. See you there!
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