Outlook on the Blues

~July 2007 By Honey Sepeda, bouldershomeoftheblues.com

Twenty Eighth Street has a big secret.  Well, two really.  One is The Boulder Outlook Hotel and Suites, which is being discovered by more and more locals as the only place to put up visiting friends and relatives; or to hold a child's birthday party at the fabulous indoor pool.  Certainly Boulder's quirkiest hotel.   The lobby has the look and feel of stepping into a giant Matisse canvas with Calder accents.  A visual treat with vibrant colors reminiscent of a Dutch garden in May (think tulips).  So many colors.

Currently, however, the most important color at the Outlook is blue.  Well, blues to be more exact.  Owner, Dan King, is a true bluesman.  A fan.  A connoisseur, if you will.   He's familiar with the best and is in the distinctive position of being able to book the best at the hotel's bar and restaurant.  Over the course of the last year, he has thrice booked legendary blues guitarist, Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin.  Which is how I learned the secret, and this preeminent local secret periodically graces Boulder and the Outlook.

I had the great fortune of being introduced to the blues while still in my teens.  And also to my great fortune, it was Steady Rollin' himself who provided that introduction.  And all these years later, he is still introducing me to the best.  

In mid-summer of '05, I learned that Bob was playing at Oskar Blues in Lyons.  We'd not seen each other in many years, so after a few emails between us, our reunion was confirmed.   Upon arrival, he introduced me to Al Chesis, assuring me I was going to be blown away by his harmonica.  We hadn't much catching-up time before he had to take the stage, joining Chesis, John Butler on bass, and Kyle Roberts on drums.   I knew to expect only greatness from Bob; to be blown away by his playing as always.  Then Chesis hit that harp and I hit the other side of knowledge.  Who knew a mere mortal could make a harmonica sound like that ?  And those sounds he creates are complemented by a possessive energy that won't release him.  Al Chesis is a Master.  Having been blessed to have seen countless blues legends live, I have an idea of how it's supposed to be done.  Chesis gets it done.  All the way done.

When not backing Steady Rollin', Chesis fronts The Delta Sonics.  As the name implies, the Mississippi and Delta Blues are present, which is thrilling.  But that's not all.  Their website, deltasonics.net , is quite informative.  The opening of their "Bio" section states: "The Delta Sonics...have been playing in Colorado since 1992, and have established themselves as one of the finest blues acts in the area with their solid musicianship and exciting live performances. Their musical stylings include Chicago Blues, West Coast Swing, New Orleans R&B, and some early Rock n' Roll."

OK.  Fair enough, with one grand exception.  "Area" is especially misleading, as The Delta Sonics are one of the finest blues acts on the planet.  So, if by "area" the author meant for a Universal comparison, then the statement stands correct.  

In terms of our local "area," we are truly fortunate.  The Delta Sonics are pretty much local.  And Boulder now has some regular monthly dates set up. 

I only recently got to enjoy the experience that is the Delta Sonics all together.  You see, when Steady Rollin' is in town, the Sonics' guitarist, Erik Boa, has the night off.   But I couldn't take the suspense any longer and a few weeks ago, bassist, John Butler, and the Sonics' new drummer, Willie Panker (more on him in a minute), invited me to a gig they were playing without Chesis, as the “Erik Boa Trio.”  Ok.  I'm game.  I ran into John outside the club and, being the true gentleman he is, he escorted me in.  Then I saw Willie, who introduced me to Boa. 

We were able to get a bit acquainted before the first set.  Then he played.  What is the best way to describe Boa?  Ok, I've got it: he's the boy Mama warned you about, charming and approachable.  Very approachable.  But when he starts playing, every note drowns out Mama's warnings and admonitions.  By the end of his first solo, you can't remember a word Mama ever said.  By the end of the evening, you can't remember Mama.   

His influences are obvious at times, but mostly it's all him.  The guitar is more an appendage than an instrument.  A genuine old school lad.  And he's funny. Great guitarists are ridiculously fascinating to watch, and often impossible as their hands move far too quickly to follow. Boa's hands take on the manifestation of a couple of hummingbirds.

And Chesis and Boa have got the pipes too.  Boa's vocals have the sound of a blues-filled life, a man who lives what he sings, who knows what he sings.  The gravel is there.

Chesis.  Well, the power of his voice is clear of my verbal capabilities.  But it comes with the same possessive energy that seemingly is well beyond his control. His voice is as mesmerizing as his harmonica playing is commanding.

Mr. Butler, the giant gentleman on bass with more than forty years of professional playing, offers the soulful, rhythmic balance to the frenetic physical energy of Chesis and Boa. With eyes closed, he rocks back and forth with a calming sway that should seem out of place with his compatriots, but instead feels more like a parent's soothing hand when the kids have had too much sugar.

Speaking of sugar. Willie Panker. Panker is the first drummer to make me take notice of the instrument. I'm kind of a guitar girl myself, so I've not really paid much attention to drummers. After Steady Rollin' introduced me to Willie last year, he told me “He's one of the best drummers around.” He didn't exaggerate. And Panker didn't disappoint. He is, as with his fellow masters on the bandstand, a devotee to the tradition that is the blues, and he does the tradition proud.

As tremendous the distinct talents are of each, as an ensemble they are unreserved perfection, possessing a visceral zeal both dominating and infectious in equal measure; and with that amalgamation, innate physiological reflex disallows the human being the facility to remain sedentary during a performance. At least that was my experience. Or, as D.H. Lawrence puts it so eloquently, “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.” The Delta Sonics say it hot. And, there is no shortage of genuine passion on the bandstand.

There is also no shortage of vigor, be it unitary or en masse. At times, one is hard pressed to isolate the sources of the detonations of energy radiating from the stage, as they often emerge as one. Then Chesis decides to go to the bar. Or give Boa a hand. And Panker decides to give the windows a sound check. Don't understand? Go to one of their gigs and you will. And if you're really lucky, Chesis will be in a guitar mood. He has recently been venturing into the acoustic realm, opening with Panker, just the two of them doing Muddy proud. All the force and fidgeting that overtakes him while on harp are mystifyingly absent; the guitar stills the beast and gives the audience a whole other glimpse into this complex and talented musician. Margolin better watch out.

The Delta Sonics are popular in Denver and are quietly finding their audience in Boulder. That is in large degree because of King's dogged determination to establish a much-needed blues club for our music-loving masses, and with dedicated blues masters like the Delta Sonics regularly dropping by, putting the Outlook on the Blues Map shouldn't take long.

Check out the music calendar at bouldershomeoftheblues.com for their next Boulder gig you won't want to miss a note from these masters. And the pizza is a perfect accompaniment.

BluesWax Online Magazine

~December 2006 By Bob Margolin

For both player and promoter, booking a Blues gig is like romance: you do your best, but sometimes it just doesn't work out well. Every professional Blues musician, from the best on down, has had the experience of traveling thousands of miles to play to a handful of folks or a clueless audience. But sometimes gigs turn out much better than we could reasonably hope for...

Over the last couple of years I've flown to Colorado four times to do gigs with Al Chesis and the Deltasonics , a fine Blues band. I've really enjoyed every show. They play the Chicago Blues I love so well; we can just hit the bandstand and get it. Singing and playing his harp, Al understands the language of playing Blues - where to punctuate, when to support, and when to drive it all the way home. When we play at The Lincoln Roadhouse in Denver, a neighborhood bar whose regular customers are soulful, dancing, down-to-earth music lovers, I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing with my life.

We played for the first time at The Boulder Outlook Hotel (guess what city that's in) last March. Usually, the best part of playing in a hotel is when the rooms we stay in are in the same building as the club, which is convenient. But, the audiences can be "hotel lounge" audiences who are not really there for the music. When I checked in I got my first clues that this "hotel gig" would be different.

The Boulder Outlook Hotel is a former Ramada Inn with an indoor pool and recreational areas surrounded by the rooms and a medium-sized lounge/bar. I immediately realized that Blues music was playing in the lobby instead of elevator music. Hip shit, too. The staff was friendly and helpful to me and set me up in a comfortable room. I received the good news that our show was sold out - a pleasant surprise because I'd never played there before and the last time I'd played in Boulder, in 2001, it hadn't gone well. We set up the band equipment and had lunch.

I immediately hit it off with the bar manager, a young lady named Kate Keiser who croaked to me that she was a singer, but was barely able to speak from throat problems. Sometimes you meet someone and just know that they are a special musician even before you can hear them. I told Kate I looked forward to hearing her when she was ready to sing again, maybe next time I played in town.

When I came down to play later that night the club was packed, which is nice to see in today's Blues World - Boulder Outlook Hotel owner Dan King must have worked hard to make that happen. There were so many people that we could have turned the house after each set or booked more performance days, if we'd known. But even more rare: when we began to play, the audience was, well, the perfect Blues audience - listening closely, demonstrating enthusiasm and applause when they heard something they liked, and friendly and knowledgeable when I hung out with them on the break. It's redeeming for me and I appreciate it deeply.

Then I saw a familiar face, New Orleans drummer Willie Panker , whom I had met in the early 1980s when he was playing with The Iguanas . He introduced me to his wife, singer Amy Adams , and told me that after Hurricane Katrina they had taken the "move to higher ground" advice to an extreme and were now living in Estes Park, Colorado. I was glad that they had survived and were beginning to make music together in Colorado.

The next night I was playing in Colorado Springs for the Pikes Peak Blues Community on a show that featured local deep Bluesman John-Alex Mason . Panker and Adams had taken the long drive to the show. I invited Panker to sit in even though the drummer on this gig was the legendary Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (who moved over to playing harp). Willie Panker took me to Blues heaven with his hip, syncopated, creative, exciting, and ultimate-groove drumming. You cannot be a drummer in New Orleans and jive. Willie is on the top level with any drummers I have ever heard. Even though he was just sitting in, I paid him. It was not kindness, but due respect for what he added to our show.

It didn't surprise me much, when I came back to Colorado for more dates with Al Chesis in September, that Willie was playing drums with him and was on our gigs. When we started at Lincoln Roadhouse again, a lot of folks said that we sounded our best yet there. I credit Willie Panker.

more on www.blueswax.com

Grand County Blues Society

~July 2006

Al and the boys back all the legends that come to Denver because they got the blues down to a sweet science.  Pinetop Perkins, Bob Margolin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Bo Diddley have all used the Delta Sonics to support them in their Denver appearances over the years. 

Denver Post: Local Scene

~March 2006 By John Wenzel

"From blues to swing to New Orleans R&B, the Delta Sonics have proved themselves the area's best harmonica led band."

What's Doing In Denver

~April 2005

The Delta Sonics blew it out at Lincoln's Friday and Saturday night.  Al Chesis, harmonica player, puts on a fabulous show.  Erik Boa is a true-blue Chicago bluesman.  Al on the other hand, keeps things rolling.  He stands on the bar and blows, he duck walks through the dance floor and around the bar floor never missing a blow on that powerful harmonica.  No one else in Denver can blow like Al blows.  Catch one of their shows asap. 

Bob Margolin Interview: Boulder Camera

~January 14, 2005 By Michael Cote, Camera Staff Writer

"Al Chesis and his band are fine musicians and I'm really looking forward to working with them.  We've toured together in the past."   ~Bob Margolin

Colorado Bluesmen Defend Tradition
~ By Matt Schild for digitalcity.com, July 6, 2003

There's still dozens of acts out there that struggle to prove that, no matter what cultural pundits say, blues isn't a dead style. Some attempt to modernize it, fuse it with rock or otherwise tweak the form so much it's hardly recognizable. There's others who are ready to show the style still has a lot of miles left in it simply by showing how contagious traditional sounds can be when they're done right. With a love of blues history, The Delta Sonics are certainly of the latter variety.

The Denver blues act doesn't need any fancy tricks to put its genre on life support; in the Sonics' able hands the blues are a natural, breathing genre. While the band specializes in the Mississippi strains its name implies, its also got a knack for finding a raunchy New Orleans groove that straddles the line between blues and early rock. Of course it isn't anything that hasn't been done for the past 60 years, but the Sonics don't care. Musicologists can ponder the blues' future; its present lies on stage in front of audiences.

Hohner Harmonica Helps Take Al Chesis from the Bathroom to the Boardroom
~ from Hohner International Harmonica Magazine, 1993

Hohner's newest harmonica endorser, Al Chesis, has come a long way since his high school days when he first started playing the harmonica. He used to hide in the school bathroom to practice. And, when cruising with his pals, his friends constantly threatened to kick him out of the car and make him walk if he kept practicing his harp.

Today, fronting his current band, The Delta Sonics, Chesis has been described as "One of the few legitimate harp players." One critic said "Chesis actually makes his harmonica sound like a saxophone, a trombone, and a three-piece horn section."

Chesis, who primarily uses the Hohner Marine Band harmonica, also plays Hohner's Super 64 Chromatic to achieve his harp playing brilliance.

Recently Chesis' harmonica playing has served as a show opener for both the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Taj Mahal.

At mile high altitude you move a little slower, never mind that you have ninety plus years of life-god-almighty under your belt. A bouncer boosted the white satin form up the final eight inches of
stage riser and Pinetop took the stage to a standing ovation. Then he took to the keys, nodding and smiling his appreciation. The bass and drums kicked it into gear and it was hold onto your seat time.

Ahhhhh. So this is how it sounds. Muddy's old band. I was blown away. Imagine your most comfortable pair of shoes turned into music. The immediate effect it had on me was a welling up in my chest. I wondered, "Why does this make me want to cry?" I glanced over at J.C., the 80-year-old DJ - Sr. Citizen of The Airwaves - host of her own Friday night Blues and Jazz radio show on KUVO, 89.3 FM. There was no wondering with J.C. The band was letting it out and so was
she. The Sr. Citizen of The Airwaves and her friend, Mary, were all dolled up for a night on the town, just beautiful. And this was the night. And this was the town. Three legends.
Pinetop Perkins on piano, Willie Big Eyes Smith on drums and Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin on guitar; all riding the spell binding pulse of bassman Mookie Brill, who absolutely killed me later when he played harp and sang.

You can imagine the playlist. With those dudes laying it down, it's enough to say that Muddy was in the room. The blues were alive. And so was Denver. The final set brought members of the Delta Sonics back to share the stage with the legends. Too good to be true, I'm sure, for Al, Leo, Easy Bill, John and Kyle, the lucky bastards.

A couple of cool moments: Willie Big Eyes Smith surprised the bejesus out of Dan Todd when he got up and played Little Walter's Juke damn near note for note. "The drummer for crissakes!" Then, Dan lost his mind completely when Willie followed up with Junior Well's classic HooDoo Man, vocals, harp, the whole deal. Dan was lucky to make it home after that. Poor guy.

Between songs, the ninety year old Pinetop Perkins vamped "shave and a haircut", like a tickled twelve year old; a musical giggle that I took with me on my trip home, back down I25 to Colorado Springs.I opened the car door and pushed Santi into his yard about 2:30 AM. I didn't make it back home to Woodland Park until after 3 A.M. A week or so later, I'm still warm from the fire.