Q So tell me how did you end up making a CD in Cleethorpes?

Well, I first played in Cleethorpes in 2002 and I loved the sound of the room and the vibe of the people were great!! I knew this would be a great place to record a CD.

Q . I see that you have recorded other live CD's in the past.

I have always liked the truthfulness of live recordings. Studio sessions are great but a Live show can create some great moments.

Q. The CD is very diversified musically; is this typical of your shows?

I have many different styles in my playing. The main thing is that I have my deepest roots in the Blues. I grew up in Chicago with this form and no matter what I play and record you will always hear this in my music. My mother was a big band Jazz singer and I was exposed to many styles of music as a child. Growing up in the sixties in Chicago exposed me to great rock and roll and funk. I tour all over the world and all the musicians that I perform with have their own distinct styles. The magic of this CD really is the Improvisation in Cleethorpian Sunset. This was not rehearsed and as far as I am concerned this is the real Gem on this disc. Music that can be created by 5 Musicians from all over the planet on the spot is what Music is really all about.

Q Yes that cold wind opus is like something that Jam bands do.

Exactly. Mark Hoekstra who flew in to record this CD from the United States also plays with me in a Jam band in the states called Dizzie Jones. If you really think about it Steve Arvey and Blues move is a Blues Based jam band. You see I performed as a Sideman in Chicago for years until I started my own Band West Side Heat. Most sidemen never get a real chance to stretch out on their instruments. I wanted to create a musical environment that would allow musicians to expand musically while creating a whole musicality that would flow.

Q. But it is important to for the band to be tight.

Yes. I remember in 1979 when I first met the Legendary Dave Myers of Little Walter's band the ACES. He let me sit in on Bass and I was trying to impress him with all these Jack Bruce and Entwistle Bass lines that I learned. When I went to ask him what he thought of my bass playing he said "You Stink". I was crushed. He took me outside and explained to me that I have to play as a group and not just concentrate on my own playing. A "team" concept was what I needed to achieve. I started listening to the Drum parts and the guitar and piano parts and became a great player.

Q. How many years did you spend as a sideman in Chicago?

Well I still work as a sideman in Chicago when I am home. Mostly I play Bass since their is a lack of Bass players in Chicago. I also work playing second guitar behind Honeyboy Edwards and driving Honeyboy to Festivals (see picture below). At 85 years old he still plays his ass off and is my "Yoda" of life. The last fest I played with him he really straightened out some problems that I was having in life and I am very lucky to be around one of the last links to the Mississippi country blues Heritage. I first started as a sideman in florida when I was 19 years old playing Bass behind Bo Diddley and Robert Hunter. So that would be 26 years

Q Robert Hunter the lyricist from the Greatful Dead?

No Robert Hunter was a blind saxophone player that lived in Gainesville Florida. I met him Through Barrelhouse Chuck. As a matter of fact Ben Andrews who performs in the UK quite often played electric guitar. I do love Robert Hunters lyrics though.

Q Ben Andrews the Acoustic player?

Yes same Ben. He plays great electric guitar. I met ben in 1979 in Gainesville Florida and Ben was the first guy to teach me how to fingerpick and taught me about Delta Blues. Ben and I were also in Bo Diddleys Florida band. Ben and I would travel to Chicago in the Summer when school was on break and back up John Henry Davis on Maxwell street and in Clubs. I eventually moved back to Chicago and played Bass behind Smokey Smothers at club B.L.U.E.S on the north side. I performed on Sundays from 5:00 till 8:30 when Sunnyland and Big Walter would take over at 9:30 and play till 1:30. Man do I wish I had that stuff on Video!! Anyway that gig let me meet. Jimmy Rogers, Eddy Clearwater, Andrew Brown, Hip Linkchain, Moose Walker, Homesick James and 100's of Musicians that were hanging out waiting for the Big Walter Sunnyland Slim shows.

Q Did you ever perform with Sunnyland?

I only jammed with Sunnyland a few times. The bass players Bob Stroger or Floyd Jones would let me sit in at B.L.U.E.S and I performed with Slim at the Delta Fish market on the West Side. One of the best moments of my life is when Barrelhouse Chuck took me to Little Brother Montgomery's house on the south side and Sunnyland was their. They both played Piano for hours and talked about where songs came from. Priceless.

Q What was your first road trip like?

First road trip I ever did was with the late Valerie Wellington in August of 1981. Chicago all the way to Montana with Abb Locke, Jon Mcdonald, Rick Howard and myself. It was not a great journey!! My best road trips were with Hubert Sumlin and Jimmy Rogers. With Hubert we had Moose Walker and Moose was a great guy to hang with and taught me a lot about music theory and life. With Jimmy Rogers it was with Hip Linkchain, Wild Child Butler, Barrelhouse Chuck and Ted Harvey. Ted Harvey is one of the greatest Drummers and Fun People I know. I wish I could have travelled with Hound Dog, Brewer and Ted, That must have been quite an adventure.

Q. I noticed your name being mentioned in the new Howling Wolf Book. How big of an influence has Hubert been on your playing?

Major. My goal was to get a Job with Buddy Guy playing Bass. I even went to Jack Myers house to get lessons from him.

Q. Jack Myers who was on the Vanguard and Delmark Sessions?

Yes same jack. Met him at the Checkerboard lounge in 1980. Man talk about a bass Player!! Yes the work he did behind Buddy and JR was pure gold!! Jack and Floyd Jones taught me how to play Lag Bass. But anyway I had got a call from Illinois Slim a guitar player who worked with Smokey Smothers that Taildragger needed a Bass player at Mary's lounge at 436 S Pulaski on the West Side. My car was broken but I got a ride from Lucky Lopez. I got to the gig and was setting up and in walks Hubert Sumlin to play guitar with a Fender super 6 Amp (see photo below). Then walks in Eddie taylor to also play guitar. Bald Head Pete played drums for the night. Talk about Heaven!! Me playing Bass between these two legends!! Well I was hooked on Hubert and my dream of playing with Buddy Guy just fell to the side.

Q how did you end up in Hubert's Band?

Hubert Did not have a band at that time. The first road trip I did with Hubert was with this so called promoter Texas-T-Bone in 1982. It was a trip to New York City with stops in Detroit, Wabash Indiana and Cleveland. The Detroit show was great with Stevie Ray Vaughnn sitting in. In cleveland we did a split show with Robert jr Lockwood. We never did play in New York City cause the $$ was not secured for the gig before the show. I did another tour of Canada in 1983 with T-Bone and we had Moose walker on the gig. T-Bone this time tried to take off with the $$ and tried to stick Hubert, Moose, Andre Cotton and I with a $1000 room service bill. T-bone invited everybody after the shows to party with the band every night saying to us that the club owner/promoter would pay for everything. Hubert is also a great detective and figured out where T-Bone was hiding in Toronto and we got our $$.Trust me Hubert is the most peaceful guy in the world but do not cross him or you will see him turn into his Dad Howling Wolf. (you will have to know how the wolf got mad by reading about wolfs life) I had enough of these shennanigans with T-Bone and decided that I could do a better job booking Hubert. First tour I did was in 1984 and I booked some gigs in NYC, Boston, Providence, New Jersey, Ithaca and Syracuse New York along with some other cities that I cant remember. It was tough because Hubert did not have an album and all I had were some qoutes from Hendrix and Stevie ray Vaughnn in the press package. Patrick Day who handles Rod Piazza and Antoine from Antoines in Austin also helped me. If you go to my web-site you will see more info about my days with Hubert. What was the original question?

Q How did Hubert influence your playing?

Sorry! Not using a guitar pick and phrasing would be the main things. Hubert also got me out of the "box' which is a term for a certain use of the fretboard on the neck; and use the rest of the fretboard.

Q Who are some of your other influences on Guitar?

Boy I hate this question!! I have so many influences that it is so hard. Homesick James, Andrew Brown, Smokey Smothers, Freddie King, Jimmy Vaughnn, Ronnie Earl, Carlos Santana, and Buddy Guy to name a few. When it comes to Acoustic guitar it is just endless.

Q What about song writing influences?

My favorite song writer is Kraig Kenning. I guess since I watched how he formed the songs that he wrote I really appreciate his music. I have already covered two of his songs on my CD's. I love Steve Earle, Neil Young, Richard Thompson and Christy Moore.

Q Yes I noticed that you spent some years with the Chicago Rovers are they a Celtic Band.

Yes the Rovers was a great Band and I cut 1 CD with them. I had to leave the band because I could not dedicate enough time to the Rovers. playing Celtic Music really helped me as a musician. I have played Blues based music my whole life so having all these new Rhythmms and scales were a challenge and caused me to rethink the neck of the guitar.

Q You spend a lot of time in Australia. How did that come about?

Australians are amazing people. Only 20 million people and they support music like crazy. If the population of America which is 265 million loved music as much as the Ozzies I would be swimming in money. A fellow by the name of John Ward who is my Manager in Australia has built a great following for me. I sent John one of my CD' s back in 2000 and it has been a great relationship. Touring is very hard since the cities are so spread out.

Q How many times a year do you come to the UK?

I come to the UK at least once a year. I have many fans in the UK and it is always great to see them. The Band Blues Move is also Fantastic to play with. Mike Hellier is a great Drummer who I really enjoy playing with. Jules Grudgings is such a talented Keyboard player, Jules can play anything from Straight ahead Blues piano like Otis Spann or play Funky Clavinette like Stevie Wonder or get that B3 Groove like Jimmy Smith. Roger Ennis is one of the worlds elite talented Bass players. He can lay down a solid groove and can unleash into Fusion Styles that are unthinkable musically. Just check out "Roger Gets Funky" on the Cleethorpes CD. For me British Blues History is as important to the evolution of music as much as New Orleans, Mississippi, Memphis, Kansas City and Chicago is. Visiting these Cities and performing in these places is an honour and priveledge.

Q Do you enjoy playing more acoustic shows or electric ones?

I have been splitting my shows into doing 6 Acoustic tunes and then performing Electric. I enjoy both formats. Performing acoustically is a challenge. Just you and the Guitar and the audience. It is nice because I can set the tempo however I want and stop and start songs whenever I feel like it. I actually sell more CD's at my acoustic shows then at my electric shows. I feel that people like to hear my song writing and can enjoy the intimacy of the show.

Q. What are your plans for the future?

Record more and more songs. I see a bright future for independent artists. The majors are falling apart and the internet helps guys like me keep going. As long as I can stay healthy and keep my worldwide following and keep the money coming in so I can post a small profit I am happy. I don't want to be a star. I want to be able to drink beer and coffee with my fans and not hide backstage. The lives of my fans are important to me and I want to hear their stories.

Interviewed in Cornwall Feb 1 2005 by Ian Dettmer

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