swing Archives - the rockabilly chronicle

Dave Stuckey (aka Dave “Pappy” Stuckey)

Published on 11 November 202411 November 2024

He played with the Dave & Deke Combo in the 1990s and was part of the resurgence of American Rockabilly along with other bands like Big Sandy, High Noon, and Go Cat Go. He produced records, including the best album by the Hot Club of Cowtown, and wrote songs with them, too. He played drums with the Untamed Youth and was offered a place in the Cramps. He released the best Western Swing album since the genre’s heyday and won the 2020 Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Western Swing Vocalist. When he’s not leading his hot jazz combo, the Hot House Gang, he continues to play drums with the Lucky Stars. All these achievements — and more — raise the question: who is Dave Stuckey?

Dave Stuckey was born in October 1959 in Kansas City, Missouri. Undoubtedly, the city’s prestigious musical past influenced young Stuckey’s tastes and musical future. “Kansas City is an easy place to get interested in music history… As you know, Kansas City has a terrific music past, from the great jazz clubs at 12th & Vine streets, Joe Turner, Count Basie, and Charlie Parker to the country/rockabilly label Westport Records. They even had a ‘Barn Dance’-type show in the ’30s and ’40s called ‘The Brush Creek Follies’! It was a wide-open, New York type of town back then — during the Prohibition Act in America, Kansas City had more than 300 Speakeasy’s! As a kid, one of the first things I did when I got my driver’s license was head downtown to Union Station, where you could still see the bullet holes from a shootout Pretty Boy Floyd had with Federal Agents when he was trying to spring an accused bootlegger in custody. That gives you a sense of the great ghosts that are floating around in Kansas City.”

But well before discovering Rockabilly, Hillbilly, or Jazz, his tastes were those of someone his age. “The first record I remember getting is ‘Sugar Sugar’ by the Archies — It was a cardboard record cut out of the back of a box of cereal! The first 45 record I bought myself was “Monster Shindig” (which seems logical for someone who later participated in a documentary on Bela Lugosi, developed a friendship with the Cramps, and recorded songs for Roger Corman, but already, I say too much – Ed) on Hanna Barbera Records, a kid’s label. The first LP? Well, there were actually three. There was a department store in Kansas City that sold LPs; I had some money from cutting grass or something and bought ‘Golden Bisquits’ from Three Dog Night, ‘Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy’ by the Who, and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Green River.’” He then began to develop a taste for country music from the mid-60s, thanks to a dinner, The Skyline, which his grandparents frequented. But as he explains, it is the radio that played an essential role in his culture: “the real formative medium for me was listening to Top 40 radio on WHB, one of the first 3 top 40 stations in the US I was pretty well obsessed with the station and would often listen to my little portable under the covers late into the night…”

Around age 10, he received his first guitar (a Harmony Patrician) and, later, in high school, started playing drums when the bands he played in rehearsed at his house. Later, he also tried his hand at bluegrass banjo when he was around 17-18 years old.
He formed his first band in Junior High School. “We didn’t have a bass player… but still, if we set up in the driveway and played Deep Purple cover songs, the girls still hung around.”

The guy at the counter said, ‘You think this stuff is wild — you should try this’. He reached behind the counter and pulled out the ‘Chess Rockabillies’ LP that had just come out… I took it back to the dorm, and it really blew my mind… I mean, really! Rusty York’s ‘Sugaree,’ G.L. Crockett’s ‘Look Out Mabel’ — I was on the ceiling!

A few years later, when Punk emerged, the teenager immediately adopted the genre. “I was in high school when Punk first came around and was completely hooked by it. Kansas City was fairly tapped into it, believe it or not — there was a record store there (Caper’s Corner) owned by the brother of actor Ed Asner, and it was pretty hip. They carried the first punk LP (“The Damned”), the Sex Pistols’ first 45 on EMI, and got the NME paper every week… when the Ramones first came to town in ’77, Capers had an in-store appearance the day of the gig.” Punk led him to discover a genre that would definitively change the course of his life. “In my first year of college (in Denver, Colorado), I discovered an even better store called Wax Trax. It was a treasure trove of new and used records, 45’s, and LP’s. At any rate, in 1978 I was buying some punk 45’s or something one day, and the guy at the counter said, ‘You think this stuff is wild — you should try this’. He reached behind the counter and pulled out the ‘Chess Rockabillies’ LP that had just come out… I took it back to the dorm, and it really blew my mind… I mean, really! Rusty York’s ‘Sugaree,’ G.L. Crockett’s ‘Look Out Mabel’ — I was on the ceiling!”

Lawrence, Kansas
Dave Stuckey continued his studies at Lawrence University of Kansas. There, he joined the Regular Guys, a Power-Pop group. “It was pretty fun for two reasons: it was the first band I ever played bars with (the first show I ever played with them was in a strip club, where we had to share the dressing room with the strippers!), and they let play me Eddie Cochran covers! We got to open shows for a lot of bands who were coming through Kansas City and Lawrence at the time, like Secret Affair and U2!”
In 1981, he made his first trip to California. While in Los Angeles, Stuckey became friends with Lux and Ivy from the Cramps. “I met them at a club when I was in Los Angeles in 1981, and we fast discovered we had the same interests in music, comics, movies, and all that.”

Thumbs No Price On Earth — Thumbs – No Price On Earth – 1982

Eventually, Stuckey returned to Lawrence, where he produced an album for a group called Get Smart (not to be confused with the English group of the same name). Around the same period, he played for a band called Thumbs and appeared on their album No Price On Earth, which was reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine in 1982. Dave also played with a Rockabilly/Rock’n’Roll group called Dalton Howard and the Go-Cats. And for the completist, Pappy also drummed with a band named Start on their Tales Of Glory EP. “Lawrence was an incredibly fun time,” he sums up.

In 1984, Stuckey moved to Los Angeles for good and worked on various documentaries with Mark Gilman, the former singer of the Regular Guys. “That ties into my college degree in radio/TV/Film. When I graduated, I came out to Los Angeles to make documentaries with Gilman, who was a friend back in Kansas. We first did a 3 Stooges documentary called “The Funniest Guys in the World” (released in 1983), sold that, and then did the Lugosi docu (1986). And some other things. They’re pretty hard for me to look at now – I’ve learned a lot more about the production process since then — but we did get to meet and work with old Hollywood legends like John Carradine and Ralph Bellamy”. He also worked on editing video clips for Los Lobos (La Bamba) and Dwight Yoakam.

Callin’ all you cornfed dames
After nearly three years of good and – almost – loyal service as second guitarist, Kid Congo left the Cramps in September 1983 to reunite with his friends from the Gun Club. Lux and Ivy found themselves without a stable lineup for a few months. Following Congo’s departure, the second guitar slot was first occupied by Ike Knox (Nick’s cousin), then Click Mort. Eventually, Lux and Ivy asked Stuckey to join them. “I came out and rehearsed for shows, but ultimately decided not to take up their offer… We remained good friends. Actually, Lux and I used to go record-hunting together at a monthly Swap Meet in Pasadena, CA. I have to say that since he’s heard about everything, Lux turned me on to more fantastic 45s I never would have thought about otherwise. I’ve had some of the best times of my life record hunting with him — he turned me onto many, many great records.” Ultimately, Ike Knox returned for a while before being replaced by Touch Hazard, whose real name is Tim Maag (who will reappear further in this article).

Lux and I used to go record-hunting together at a monthly Swap Meet in Pasadena, CA. I have to say that since he’s heard about everything, Lux turned me on to more fantastic 45s I never would have thought about otherwise. I’ve had some of the best times of my life record hunting with him — he turned me onto many, many great records.

In 1986, in the credits of the excellent album “A Date With Elvis,” the watchful fan could read “‘Cornfed Dames’ based on the Novel by Dave Stuckey” The musician explains “The ‘Cornfed Dames’ thing was a gag — they got the title of the song from a little comic strip I sent them when I still lived in Kansas City, so the note on “A Date with Elvis” was a little thank-you.” Stuckey would participate a few years later in the demos that the Cramps recorded for the film Cry Baby. Although they didn’t appear in the movie (Dave Alvin and James Intveld got the job), the songs appeared on the B-side of the single All Women Are Bad under the title Cry Baby Suite (King Of The Drapes, Teenage Rage, and High School Hellcats). Stuckey concludes, “I really can’t say enough nice things about those guys…”

Meeting Deke Dickerson: the Untamed Youth and the Dave & Deke Combo
Dave Stuckey quickly became a member of the California music community. He played for a time with Russell Scott and met Lloyd “Lucky” Martin, with whom he played in the Bird Dogs with Randy Weeks on guitar. Stuckey also got in touch with Bill Miller of Kicks magazine. Bill’s wife was Miriam Linna, the Cramps’ first drummer. Both Miller and Linna also played in the A-Bones.

One day, Stuckey tried to reach Miller on the phone, but he wasn’t there. Instead, the man who answered was Deke Dickerson. Dickerson was on tour with the Untamed Youth and sleeping at Miller’s house. “Billy wasn’t home, but Deke was there, on a tour with his band The Untamed Youth. I already had their first LP, so we hit it off”. Dave and Deke shared the same interests and musical tastes. When Deke planned to leave Missouri to settle in California, the two future friends had the idea of forming a group. “Deke had suggested over the phone that we start a Hillbilly harmony-type rockabilly band, which sounded great to me. The original plan was to move the Untamed Youth to Los Angeles and have the hillbilly band as a side project, but it didn’t exactly work like that. When he decided to move out to California, he had hoped that the whole band would move out too, but as it turned out, Mace was the only one who made the trip. Once he got here, the Dave & Deke thing took off faster.”

However, even though Deke and Dave laid the groundwork for the Dave and Deke Combo, Dickerson did not give up on his idea of continuing the Untamed Youth with a new lineup.

Deke and Mace recruited Trent Ruane (ex-Mummies, Phantom Surfers) to play the organ and asked Dave if he could help them until they found a permanent drummer. “He asked, as a favor, if I could fill in on drums until he found someone permanent… and I wound up drumming for three years with them! It was great fun, actually. Since we tried hard to keep Dave & Deke ‘traditional’ (not too loud, not too rock), it was nice to be able to ‘blow off some steam’ with the Youth.”

The Untamed Youth, circa 1992, with Mace, Deke Dickerson, Trent Ruane (the Mummies) and Dave Stuckey.

Thus, the Dave and Deke Combo was formed in 1991. The original lineup included Dave, Deke, Lloyd Martin, and Bobby Trimble, who also played with Big Sandy’s Fly-Rite Trio. “Since Dave & Deke and Big Sandy shared Bobby Trimble as a drummer for about a year (before Lance), we would often all pile into Wally Hersom’s van and head down to San Diego or up to San Francisco for shows… What a riot that was!” Lloyd Martin was responsible for programming at the Blue Saloon and played a part in developing the entire Californian “roots” scene. The Blue Saloon became a popular spot for rockabilly and surf music, with different bands performing on different nights of the week. “So there became a point when you could go to the Blue Saloon on any night of the week! Sunday night was Dee Lannon & Her Rhythm Rustlers, Monday was Russell Scott & the Red Hots, Tuesday was Deke’s Untamed Youth spin-off band (called The Beatnik Bandits), Wednesday was Dave & Deke, Thursday was Big Sandy, and Friday & Saturday were usually touring bands like Sleepy LaBeef, Rudy Grayzell, Rose Maddox and Ronnie Dawson! With lineups like that, you can see how the scene was very big in Southern California.”

The Dave and Deke Combo differentiated from other bands by its more pronounced Hillbilly approach: with two singers who could perform solo or in harmony, two songwriters, a formidable guitarist, and a subtle and tight rhythm section, they quickly became a force to be reckoned with. They drew inspiration from artists such as Rusty and Doug, Homer & Jethro, Little Jimmy Dickens, the Farmer Boys, Joe Maphis, the Collins Kids, and various groups of brothers, real or not, such as the Paris or Everly brothers.

In April 1992, the group recorded their first cassette at Wally Hersom’s Wallyphonic Studio, titled Home Brewed Demos, which included the following songs: No More Cryin’ The Blues, Hey Mae, Laurie Ann, Red Headed Woman, Moonshine, This is It, Baby’s Hot Rod, and Wild Woman.

In the middle of the year, Bobby Trimble left the Combo to fully concentrate on the Fly-Rite Trio, as their schedule was becoming increasingly busy (and would later include dates as Morrissey’s opening act in the fall of 1992). Lance Ray Solidays, formerly of The Gigantics, replaced him. This lineup went into the studio on September 26, still under the guidance of Wally Hersom, to record Jimmy Lee and Wayne Walker’s Love Me and Let’s Take A Little Ride, an original song. Together with Baby’s Hot Rod and Wild Woman from the previous session, the result was Hey Cuzzin’, the band’s first EP on No Hit Records (No Hit EP03).

The Dave and Deke Combo – second line-up, with Lucky Martin on upright bass.

In October, the Combo traveled to Europe and performed at the 9th Hemsby Rock’n’Roll Weekender.
In March of the following year, the quartet returned to Wallyphonic Studio, where they recorded Moonshine Melodies. Moonshine Melodies marked the thunderous, smashing, long-distance debut of the Dave and Deke Combo. At less than 28 minutes, with the longest track barely reaching three minutes, it’s a well-rounded affair. With no surprise, the setlist contains Hillbilly with a strong Rockabilly flavor, with a few boogies (talkin’ or not) thrown in for good measure and a good dose of novelty. The songs of Moonshine Melodies maintained the tradition of Hillbilly groups such as Rusty and Doug, Jimmie & Johnny, the Farmer Boys (of whom they cover I’m Just Too Lazy), etc. Even if Stuckey or Dickerson sang solo on some tracks, the emphasis was on vocal harmonies. Perhaps less evident on record, the Dave and Deke Combo also posed as heirs to artists such as Homer and Jethro, Lonzo and Oscar, or Cousin Jody, bringing a touch of humor to a scene that sometimes tended to take it a little too seriously. And like their illustrious predecessors, this apparent relaxation and humorous approach hid a high level from both a musical and artistic point of view. Even if the album contained a majority of covers (Sparkletones, Tommy Cassell, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jim & Rod), Stuckey and Dickerson proved that they were excellent songwriters whose original songs had no reason to be ashamed of the company of their illustrious elders. Better still, they gave the impression of being period pieces because they blended in so well with the selection, like Dickerson’s You Ain’t As Dumb As You Look or Stuckey’s Warm Lips (Big Trouble).

Dickerson’s work on the album positioned him as a successor to the great guitarists of the fifties, drawing clear inspiration from Joe Maphis, Merle Travis, and Grady Martin. However, although less flashy, Stuckey’s rhythm guitar was crucial to the mix, particularly evident in the instrumental Two Guitars No Waitin. The rhythm was impeccable, and Soliday’s drumming is noteworthy for its subtlety and sparing use of cymbals, a rarity among drummers.
A cover of Al Urban’s Lookin’ For Money was recorded at the same session but only saw the light of day years later on the band’s collection of rarities (There’s Nothing Like An Old Hillbilly, Bucket Lid 503).
Like many bands from that period, Dave and Deke tried to keep things period perfect. “One thing Big Sandy and I used to talk about a lot was how important it was to get the music ‘right.’ It’s not just robotic replication — but it was truly fun to write songs like the songwriters you love … and have people sometimes not know which was a cover and which was an original! That is always a great thrill for me because I have such respect for the great old-time writers…” explains Stuckey.
It was more than playing music; it was also paying respect and homage to an almost lost art and doing it well. As he told Isaac Guzman in the Los Angeles Times in 1995: “It’s just music done authentically without making a point of being a museum piece or a carbon copy. My personal hatred is bands who play a ‘50s-influenced kind of music, but they have a heavy metal drummer or a hippie bass player. I like music really pure.”

One thing Big Sandy and I used to talk about a lot was how important it was to get the music ‘right.’ It’s not just robotic replication — but it was truly fun to write songs like the songwriters you love … and have people sometimes not know which was a cover and which was an original! That is always a great thrill for me because I have such respect for the great old-time writers…

The group had no time to rest and left for Europe in May for a mini-tour, including The Rock’ N’ Roll Jamboree at the Casino Wohlen in Switzerland with High Noon, Big Sandy, and the Fly-Rite Trio, Ricky Cool & the Western All-Stars, and Jack Scott. They also returned to the stage of the Hemsby festival to back the Collins Kids. While they were in Great Britain, they took the opportunity to make a detour to Liam Watson’s Toe Rag studio and record a few songs (Hey Baby, Alamo, Made In the Shade). The latter, Cherokee Boogie and Tally Ho were released on the Stateside Rockabilly compilation (NV Records).

After their return, the group continued to play whenever and wherever possible. The live music scene was still lively then, and the Dave & Deke Combo easily found gigs. “We were all just happy to have places to play and people who were excited to come see us. It only lasted for a few years, and kind of drifted apart after Lloyd left the Saloon. It continued in a smaller form at other clubs like Jack’s Sugar Shack and the late, lamented Palomino Club but really petered out in the late ’90s. I think that’s just what happens with music scenes, by the way. Even the good ones never last! ”

In March 1994, the Dave and Deke Combo returned to the studio to record Chrome Dome, Carryin’ On, I’m Gonna Tell, and Laughin’ and Jokin’. Both I’m Gonna Tell and Laughin’ and Jokin’ remained unreleased until their release on There’s Nothing Like An Old Hillbilly. Still, Carryin’ On (by Dave Stuckey) and Chrome Dome (by Deke Dickerson) formed the new single from the group, released on their label Bucket-Lid. The Lucky Stars’ debut single was also released in 1996 on this same label. Stuckey explains the connection: “One of the very early Lucky Stars gigs was opening for the Dave & Deke Combo at the Doll Hut in Anaheim, CA. We loved them and were all friends, so after a while, we thought they should have something out. We had put the ‘Carryin’ On/Chrome Dome’ 45 on Bucket Lid Records, so we thought it might be fun to put the Lucky Stars record on that label.”

Sometime around the end of 1994 or the beginning of 1995, Lucky Martin moved and had to leave the group. Shorty Poole replaced him. The same year, the group recorded songs for a film produced by Roger Corman called Not Like Us. Those songs also appeared on the rarities album.

The Dave and Deke Combo – third line-up with Shorty Poole

The Dave and Deke Combo took advantage of a tour in Finland to record two titles under the supervision of Janne Haavisto (member of Laika and the Cosmonauts and producer of High Noon’s Show and Dance): Chew Tobacco Rag and Twin Guitar Special, the latter with Lester Peabody (Hal Peters, Barnshakers) on second guitar. The single was released on Goofin’ Records (Goofy 552).

The group also recorded a song called Bear Creek Boogie to celebrate the twenty years of the Bear Family label. Yet, of course, the main event was the recording of the group’s second, unfortunately, last, album for Heyday Records.
Tim Mag, also known as Touch Hazard, joined Wally Hersom to help him record the album. As we saw, he had briefly played with the Cramps and was also a member of the Lucky Stars. When you listen to Hollywood Barn Dance, you can tell it sounds more like an extension than a companion to Moonshine Melodies. The sound is slightly cleaner (I said slightly). You can feel that the group has evolved, and the dynamic between each member seems different in Hollywood Barn Dance compared to Moonshine Melodies, which gives the impression of a more collective effort. The differences that led the group to separate shortly after began to appear on Hollywood Barn Dance. In other words, although the album includes moments of symbiosis like on Moonshine Melodies (Let’s Flat Get On It, Going Steady With The Blues, Deke’s Hot Guitar, or their cover of Ray Campi’s Let Go Of Louie), the personalities of the two leaders assert themselves. It seems that each of the two singers has found his way. Stuckey, who takes the lion’s share in terms of songwriting, tries to keep the group in a traditional line, whereas Dickerson, with his guitar sound and some of his compositions (No Good Woman), leads the group toward a more Rock’n’roll style. It’s very subtle, but let’s just say that Stuckey is pre-1956 and Dickerson post-1956. It doesn’t mean Hollywood Barn Dance is less good than Moonshine Melodies; it’s just partially different. All those elements, and probably things that are not our business, led the band to split in 1996. Dave’s take on the band’s split: “I think the main reason was that Deke wanted to do his own thing – and I understand that… I found that the more I played, the more ‘traditional’ I wanted to get… Deke has always had a deep love of Rock’n’Roll (I mean real, 50’s Rock’n’Roll, of course, not the weird definition that exists today), along with other kinds of music. He wanted to ‘mix it up,’ and I just wanted to get more and more Hillbilly. I understand the conflict, for sure. It was too bad since the band was just beginning to really get some interest after the second CD… but some of us could tour a lot and some of us had day jobs. It was just one of those things. And while I didn’t want it to end at the time (since I felt that we had put a lot of work into it), if it hadn’t broken up, I would have never met Whit Smith, who is a huge influence on me, Elana, and all the other folks in Austin I’ve gotten to play with. Most of all, I’d have never gotten to play with Jeremy Wakefield, which I think is the most fun I’ve ever had.”

Albeit playing for a relatively short time, the Dave and Deke Combo had a lasting influence on the Rockin’ scene. As Bobby Horton perfectly said, “This music wasn’t played that well until three bands came along: Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Trio, the Dave and Deke Combo, and High Noon. I believe those bands have really spearheaded this current scene and deserve a lot of the credit. They were writing original music and had great musicians in their bands.”

The Hot Club Of Cowtown
The Hot Club of Cowtown was formed in the second half of the 1990s. Whit Smith played guitar and sang, Elana Fremerman/James played the fiddle (and later joined on vocals, too), and T.C. Cyran played the double bass. Elana and Whit moved to San Diego around 1997, and it was there that Dave Stuckey met them through Sean Mencher (High Noon). “We got together, hit it off, and, with Shorty and Lance Ray, played the ’97 Greaseball Weekend in San Francisco, where we also backed the Collins Kids. Great fun. However, Whit and Elana were interested in continuing full-time with the Hot Club of Cowtown, so they moved on to Austin…” With Billy Horton (of the Horton Brothers, for whom Stuckey wrote Whole Lotta Nothin’ and I Guess I’m Just In Love) on double bass, the trio recorded their first album for Hightone in 1998.

The Hot Club Of Cowtown (Whith Smith, Elana James, Billy Horton) circa 1998/1999

The following year, Whit, Elana, and Billy called on Stuckey to produce Tall Tales, their second opus. “Man, was that fun! I was flattered that they asked. We all went up to New York and recorded it. I was very happy with the way that one turned out.” Stuckey and Smith co-wrote When I Lost You “over the phone, which isn’t ideal, but not much of a problem…”

Stuckey’s love for Jazz, which, through his previous formations, had remained in the background, could fully blossom. It shines through in the arrangements and compositions (Emily, which sounds much like Louisiana) and the various guests, including Peter Ecklund (Leon Redbone, Eddy Davis, Marty Grosz, and dozens of others) on the cornet. Stuckey later participated in the trio’s fourth album, writing Sleep and Paradise With You with Smith.

In 1999, “The Hot Guitar of Biller & Wakefield” was released. In addition to brilliant guitar and steel guitar duets, it contains three songs: one excellent tune (Steel Crazy) by Big Sandy and the presence of Dave and Deke on the other two.

Please Pass the Biscuits, Pappy
Stuckey had long dreamed of forming a Western Swing band, and this dream finally started to take shape almost by chance at the turn of the century. “How it happened was an unexpected surprise… I had gone to see Austin’s 8 1/2 Souvenirs in LA. They were a fantastic band, and Kevin Smith was playing bass for them. High Noon was one of those bands who had come out to California in the Blue Saloon days and were very good friends. Anyway, during the break, Kevin says, ‘You know what you and Jeremy Wakefield should do? You should come out to Austin; we’ll get two fiddles, two guitars, a piano, and drums. and record a version of (Bob Wills) ‘Whoa Babe’” I said ‘sounds like a winner to me!’ out there a few months later…We went to Billy Horton’s studio. Kevin and Billy got all the players together: Whit Smith and Dave Biller on guitars, Elana Fremerman and Eamon McLaughlin on fiddles, T. Jarod Bonta on piano, Lisa Pankratz on drums…Billy played a little bass as well. Jeremy and I called it ‘The Austin Dream Band’! We started messing around, and suddenly, we’d recorded five songs in an afternoon! It just clicked! We left with the idea of recording more tracks and putting it out… In the meantime, Hightone Records called me and asked if I wanted to put something out on their HMG label.”

The songs recorded with Kevin Smith include Whoa Babe, Dinah, Twin Guitar Special, and a western swing version of the Dave and Deke Combo’s Did Anybody Mention My Name. These songs remained unreleased until 2009 when Goofin released them on an EP (GREP 213). The remaining three, Nobody’s Sweetheart, Coyote Blues, and Some of These Days, found their place on the album. However, recording the album turned out to be complicated, as everyone was busy with their respective groups. It was not until a year later that Wakefield and Stuckey returned to Austin to finalize the recording. At the time, Kevin Smith was too busy, so Jake Erwin replaced him, and Stan Smith and Bob Stafford joined the lineup on clarinet and trombone, respectively. The album “Get A Load Of This” was finally released in 2000 and is one of the best contemporary Western-Swing albums alongside any Lucky Stars records.

The set list displays the band’s ability to blend the old and the new, featuring covers like Adolph Hofner’s I’ll Keep My Old Guitar, Benny Goodman’s Pick-A-Rib, Johnnie Lee Wills’ Coyote Blues, and standards like Whose Honey Are You, Nobody’s Sweetheart, and Some Of These Days, made famous in Western swing by Leon Selph & the Blue Ridge Playboys, Bob Wills, and Milton Brown. The album also features five originals penned by Stuckey, so good that it’s hard to tell whether they’re from 1946 or 2000. The album showcases the band’s unique sound and ability to keep the Western swing tradition alive, and Billy Horton’s flawless production manages to capture the band’s energy and authenticity in the studio.

Stuckey toured, mainly with Dave Biller, Jeremy Wakefield, Billy Horton on double bass, and Lance LeBeau on drums, to promote the album. He even went to Japan in 2001 for a few concerts, accompanied by the Rollin’ Rocks, a Japanese group.

Drummin’ pappy
However, Dave Stuckey did not remain inactive, even if he was not in front of the stage. Thus, he joined the Lucky Stars in 2002. “Sage was hard up for a drummer! Actually, they did have a vacancy, and he asked a few years later, and I’m still in it. I get to sing a little, play some drums, and have a few laughs.” More than 20 years later, he’s still in the band, having played on two albums with them.

The Bonebrake Syncopators: TK Smith, DJ Bonebrake, Wally Hersom, Dave, Jeremy Wakefield — The Bonebrake Syncopators: TK Smith, DJ Bonebrake, Wally Hersom, Dave Stuckey, Jeremy Wakefield

He also joined the Bonebrake Syncopators, a band formed by DJ Bonebrake (drummer for X, here on vibraphone) with Wally Hersom on double bass, TK Smith on guitar, and Jeremy Wakefield on steel guitar. They played drummerless for a year or so, but when they decided to add drums, it was natural to ask Dave to join. The band’s style was eclectic, mixing traditional Jazz with a touch of Western Swing, Bop arrangements, and even Hawaiian tunes. Musically, imagine a cross between Red Norvo, Benny Goodman’s small formations, Jimmy Rivers, and a lot of Bop in between, and you will have an idea of the result. The group released That Da Da Strain in 2008. With three soloists, two singers, and a superb rhythm section, this album takes no prisoners. Subsequently, Jonathan Stout replaced TK Smith on guitar. The Bonebrake Syncopators then recorded an EP of songs by Cy Coleman, including The Best Is Yet To Come, described by Stuckey as “[one of] the hardest things I’ve ever tried to sing! Lots of modulations and key changes.”

The Lucky Stars (Wally Hersom, Jeremy Wakefild, Sage Guyton, Dave Stuckey and Russ Blake)

When asked about his drumming, Stuckey cites among his influences drummers like Dave Tough (Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Eddie Condon), Ray Bauduc (Bob Crosby and the Bearcats, Jack Teagarden) or George Wettling (Red Norvo, Eddie Condon, Muggsy Spanier). “Well, I haven’t thought about putting it in words until now, but what I like about these guys has as much to do with what they don’t play! The common thread is syncopation and sparse fills played with unique accents. I love it when the fill doesn’t come at the point you think it is going to come; in other words, playing in between and around the rest of the rhythm section. You know, it’s hard to remember that traditional jazz drumming is about dynamics more than pure time-keeping. Bauduc, Wettling, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Tough have this style, which I find thrilling and adventurous. You can find the same thing on the country side with Muddy Berry (who played with the Tex William’s Caravan) and Smokey Dacus, Bob Wills’ drummer in the 30’s. I can only aspire to this kind of style, but trying to get closer has rejuvenated my interest in drums the last few years.”

The return of the Dave and Deke Combo
Finally, what was supposed to happen happened. In 2005, the Dave and Deke Combo reunited after being urged by different promoters. “I think we all knew at some point we’d do a reunion. Tom Ingram (Viva Las Vegas’ organizer, along with our old friend Barney Koumis) had asked a few times over the years, as had Marc Mencher, the guy who books the Green Bay festival, but it just never seemed like the right time. Mencher got on my case last spring and was really determined to make it happen. When Tom got word, they both ganged up on me until I finally hollered ‘uncle’! No, seriously, it just seemed like it was the right time to do it, and by agreeing to both shows, we get to use both bass players who have done time in the Combo, Shorty Poole in Vegas, and our first bass plucker, Lucky Martin in Green Bay. That way, nobody gets left out.”
The following year, the group performed on the Rockabilly Rave stage with the two guitarists. These concerts coincided with the release of the band’s rarities CD (There’s Nothing Like An Old Hillbilly), which included a new recording: a hilarious Homer & Jethro-style parody of Elvis’s In the Ghetto, entitled In The Meadow. Since then, the Combo has continued to perform, often with Bobby Trimble on drums, and their Hillbilly Fest at Viva Las Vegas has become almost an institution. Some of these shows saw them back the legendary Doug Kershaw (of Rusty and Doug fame).

The Hot House Gang
But in the back of his mind, the singer had not given up on his idea of forming a Jazz combo. He discovered the genre in high school when he saw Leon Redone on Saturday Night Live. Having talked about it with him during informal discussions, Robert Crumb, whether through his short stories about bluesmen and jazzmen (like the one he did about Kansas City Frank Melrose) or his band, the Cheap Suits Serenaders, also had an essential role in his discovery of the genre.

But, although there are many common points with Western Swing, both scenes seemed impervious to him at the time. In the early 2000s, he even declared, “There are also some traditional jazz bands around southern California that I really like and would love to produce, like the Rhythm Rascals who are a jazz band with John Reynolds, one of the best 30’s style guitarists going and his brother Ralf on washboard, but that’s a whole another scene I don’t really have many connections with.”
But everything changed, thanks, in part, to Wally Hersom. While playing in the Bonebrake Syncopators, Stuckey and Hersom told themselves they would like to do more shows but in a style closer to the swing groups of the pre-Big Band era, such as Muggsy Spanier, Eddie Condon, Wingy Manone, and Fats Waller.
Around the same time, a programmer contacted Stuckey, asking if he would be interested in putting together a band to play at a club. In 2015, he explained to Jonny Whiteside, “I’d been seeing all these cats at the trad jazz festivals that could really play like Eddie Lang or Pee Wee Russell, only I didn’t know any of them. But Wally did, so I called them up, and they’re working musicians, so, sure, they took the gig. It was a solid ball from the get-go.”

The Hot House Gang quickly formed around talented musicians such as Wally Hersom, long Stuckey’s right-hand man before he moved to Europe, Carl Sonny Leyland, Josh Collazo (Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five), Dan Barrett (whose credits read like a Who’s who of traditional Jazz, including Leon Redbone), Corey Gemme (Janet Klein), Nate Ketner, Larry Wright, or Marc Caparone.

With its lively and generous concerts, the group has gained a large and loyal following and is still in high demand on the traditional jazz scene. The lineup fluctuates depending on everyone’s availability, but the quality is systematically there. The band plays “head arrangements” only (instead of reading charts), always trying to keep things surprising and fresh.

Dave Stuckey and the Hot House Gang – from left to right: Wally Hersom, Dave Stuckey, Nate Ketner, Corey Gemme and Dan Barrett
In the background, partially hidden: probably Josh Collazo on drums and Carl Sonny Leyland.
© Dave Stuckey and the Hot House Gang

Those who can’t attend one of their gigs can comfort themselves with How’m I Doin’?!, the band’s debut album recorded in 2015. It comprises twelve songs, half of which are from Stuckey’s pen.
As he did with his previous groups, it’s essential for Stuckey to contribute (he’d probably add ‘modestly,’ but don’t believe him ) to the genre by writing original and keeping this music relevant like any other genre. His songs fit perfectly next to the classics, which are Love Is All Around The Corner, I Never Knew (in a version probably inspired by the KXYZ Novelty Jazz Band), and T’Ain’ t No Use. There is also an adaptation of Maybe It’s The Blues by Georgia Tom Dorsey and the excellent instrumental Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble.

Dave Stuckey’s relaxed (ala Jack Teagarden) voice works wonders throughout, and the musicians compete in daring and creativity in the solos and arrangements. Additionally, the recording perfectly captures the sound and excitement of the band as if they were in their natural element: the stage. Too many good bands fail to convey their energy and vitality in the studio, resulting in a cold and sterile result. This is far from being the case here. It’s romping and swinging and instantly puts a smile on your face (although it can also move you with songs such as I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance or T’Ain’t No Use). It’s hard to pick a favorite track; this album is perfect from start to finish. Still, if I had to, I’d choose the Oriental-tinged Sister Kate (The Potentate Of Harlem), a distant cousin of Egyptian Ella, featuring excellent horn solos and beautiful arrangements, and Pardon My French. Stuckey has a knack for writing nifty and clever lyrics.

The pandemic period was a challenging time for the musicians who made a living out of live music. During the lockdown, Pappy performed a live show on Facebook each week for 16 weeks called Ten Tunes On Tuesday At Two. But it was more than economical; Stuckey missed the interaction with the audience and the dancers, who are, for him, an integral part of the performance.

Now that period is behind us, Dave Stuckey has resumed his live activities, playing with the Hot House Gang, a new western swing combo called the Four Hoot Owls, a larger band with Hal Smith named Pappy & Junior’s Western swing All Stars, the Dave and Deke Combo and a refurbished lineup of the Lucky Stars. If only he could find time to record some new material with the Hot House Gang!

This concludes the Dave Stuckey story. I tried to be as complete as possible (but I probably forgot a couple of things). Anyway, I hope you’ve learned a thing or two and that this article inspired you to dig into the rich discography of that man of multiple talents.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Dave Stuckey on the web:
Website – https://www.stuckeyville.net/
Bandcamp – https://stuckeyville.bandcamp.com/

Sources
All interviews by Fred Turgis except where noted.
– Liner Notes
The Dave & Deke Combo – There’s Nothing Like An Old Hillbilly– Bucket-Lid (2005)
– Book
Catch That Rockabilly Fever – Sheree Homer, McFarland (2010)
– Websites
https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/tn-gnp-dave-stuckey-and-his-hot-house-gang-are-stuck-on-old-school-jazz-20151024-story.html
https://syncopatedtimes.com/dave-stuckey-pass-the-swingin-music-pappy/ (I warmly recommend you to subscribe to the Syncopated Times)
https://www.discogs.com

This article is © Fred Turgis & the Rockabilly Chronicle.
And of course, thanks to Cuzzin’ Dave Stuckey for his time, patience, advices, music and friendship.

Hociel Thomas & Lillie Delk Christian

Published on 20 May 202420 May 2024

Reissues

Hociel Thomas & Lillie Delk Christian – 1925-1928

Document – DOCD-5448
Hociel Thomas (1925-1926) gamblers dream – Sunshine baby – Adam and Eve had the blues – Put it where I can get it – Wash woman blues – Ive stopped my man – Deep water blues – Gwan I told you – Listen to ma – Lonesome hours - Lillie Delk Christian (1926-1928) Lonesome and sorry – Baby o mine (take a) – Baby omine (take b) – It all depends on you – Aint she sweet – My blue heaven – Whos wonderful! Whos marvellous? Miss Annabelle Lee – Youre a real sweetheart – Too busy! – Was it a dream? (waltz) – Last night I dreamed you kissed me – I cant give you anything but love – Sweethearts on parade – Baby – I must have that man

There’s a clear contrast in styles and quality between Thomas and Christian. Both tried (and sometimes succeeded) to create a hybrid of jazz-blues-pop, and both have benefited from the presence of Louis Armstrong’s cornet. The comparison ends here.
Hociel Thomas hailed from a family of musicians. Her father was a renowned pianist, and her aunt was none other than Sippie Wallace. Unfortunately, Thomas often sings in a key where she isn’t at ease, which results in her sounding tired and not very engaged and even top-notch musicians like Armstrong can’t transform more than average material into gold.
Lillie Delk Christian is more interesting vocally, and her material is far superior (I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Ain’t She Sweet, I Must Have That Man). This probably explains why the band gives a better performance. Noone (clarinet) and St Cyr (guitar) enliven the December 12 session featuring My Blue Heaven and Miss Annabelle Lee with gutsy accompaniment and fine solos. Armstrong appears six months later for the June 26, 1928 session. This session features the best, Too Busy, a bouncing number with Armstrong scatting, and the worst of Christian, Was It A Dream, a waltz that doesn’t allow the Hot Four to express themselves.
The last recordings lack a bit of swing in the vocals but are saved by a good rendition of I Must Have That Man.
This selection is an excellent addition to anyone interested in Satchmo’s early years and work as a backup band. Despite some flaws and, Lillie Delk Christian’s sides have a certain charm and are appealing enough for a curious listener and anyone who digs Annette Hanshaw with whom she shares a common repertoire and style.

Find it here.

Note: two more Christian tunes (Sweet georgia Brown and Sweet Man) can be found on Vocal Blues & Jazz – Remaining Titles Vol. 3: (1921-1928)

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Big Joe Turner

Published on 21 June 202023 June 2020

Reissues

Big Joe Turner – The Complete Boss Of The Blues

Bear Family BCD17505 [2020]
CD1
Cherry Red (Stereo) – Roll ‘Em Pete (Stereo) – I Want A Little Girl (Stereo) – Low Down Dog (Stereo) – Wee Baby Blues (Stereo) – You’re Driving Me Crazy (Stereo) – How Long Blues (Stereo) – Morning Glories (Stereo) – St. Louis Blues (Stereo) – Piney Brown Blues (Stereo) – Pennies From Heaven (Stereo) – Roll ‘Em Pete (Take 4) (Mono) – Roll ‘Em Pete (Take 5) (Mono) – Cherry Red Blues (Take 1) (Mono) – Cherry Red Blues (Takes 2 and 3) (Mono) – Morning Glories (Takes 1 and 4) (Mono) – Low Down Dog (Take 4) (Mono)
CD2
Cherry Red (Mono) – Roll ‘Em Pete (Mono) – I Want A Little Girl (Mono) – Low Down Dog (Mono) – Wee Baby Blues (Mono) – You’re Driving Me Crazy (Mono) – How Long Blues (Mono) – Morning Glories (Mono) – St. Louis Blues (Mono) – Piney Brown Blues (Mono) – Pennies From Heaven (Mono) – Testing The Blues (Mono) – St. Louis Blues (Take 1) (Mono) – You’re Driving Me Crazy (Mono) – I Want A Little Girl (Takes 1 and 2)

What an excellent idea that Bear Family had to reissue this album initially released in 1956.
If you remember (so to speak), in 1956, Big Joe Turner was almost synonymous with Rock’n’roll. In January, Elvis Presley had played Shake Rattle and Roll and Flip Flop and Fly on TV. Later that year, Johnny Burnette would record Honey Hush, and of course, Bill Haley made regular incursions in Turner’s repertoire, whether on disc or stage.
Oddly enough, at the same time, Turner and his label Atlantic decided to revisit his roots and recorded “The Boss of the Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz.”
He reunited a cast of veterans whose names were associated with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey. But the key ingredient was the presence of Pete Johnson, the pianist with whom he started to sing in Kansas City in the late twenties.
To complete the cast, Basie’s arranger, Ernie Wilkins, was drafted in to write the charts.
And of course, what steals the show is Turner’s voice: powerful as a trumpet, subtle as a reed. Turner was the man who swung the Blues and put the Blues in the swing.
With such a cast, who learned its chops by playing endless jam sessions in the smoky bars of Kansas City, it was not difficult to recreate that atmosphere in the studio, and one can hear that everyone was relaxed. Not only is the listener treated with some of the very best blues recorded at the time, but he also has the feeling to witness a reunion of old friends. This feeling runs through the whole record. Furthermore, with no commercial restrictions in mind, the band can go beyond the three minutes mark if necessary to leave more room to the soloists.
This reissue proposes the original album in two versions: the stereo mix on CD1 and the mono mix on CD2. One studio track (Pennies From Heaven) that didn’t make it in the final album is included here, as well as alternative takes, falses starts, and rehearsal. Not only you have one essential record, but you also have the chance to sneak through the door of the studio and assist in the music in the making.

https://www.bear-family.fr/turner-big-joe-the-complete-boss-of-the-blues-2-cd.html

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Stompy Jones (ex the Swing Session)

Published on 4 June 20195 June 2019

Reviews

Stompy Jones – Stompy Jones

Jewel Records JR-0403
Oh Marie – Mary Had a Little Lamb – Whistle Stop – A Woman’s Intuition – Close Shave – Without You Here – You Can Depend on Me – That’s Earl, Brother – Mondine – That Wig’s Gotta Go – Boogie Woogie on a Saturday Night – Can’t Find My Baby – Rug Cutter’s Swing – Dream – Knock Me a Kiss – Juke Box Judy – Along the Navajo Trail

Stompy Jones is a sextet (bass, drums, piano, trumpet, saxophone and vocal) known formerly as The Swing Session, and even this cd is not exactly a new one (it’s been released in 2003).

What kind of stuff do they play? Imagine Louis Jordan’s Timpany Five playing a jam with Fletcher Henderson and Louis Prima as a guest. The “swing” is something not that easy to describe: you have it or you don’t. Saying this boys have it is an understatement, just listen to their rhythm section: subtle and efficient. From the second this album opens with “Oh Marie” (a song so much heard you thought it was hard to give it something new but they do) you’re hooked by “Pops” Walsh’s voice, bluesy and warm with a feeling that is very hard to find today.

They don’t just play this music right, they write it too. From the Jordanish «A Woman’s Intuition» to the humourous «That Wig’s Gotta Go» à la early Ray Charles and the beautiful instrumental ballad «Without You Here», Stompy Jones shows once again they have it. I could also mention «Can’t Find My Baby» a superb bluesy number with Pops litterally speaking with the muted trumpet, «Dream» originally a ballad given the Prima/Butera’s treatment and «Along The Navajo Trail» with its Roy Milton meets The Sons of The Pioneers style. And cherry on the pie, this record is wonderfully packaged with informative liner notes about each song. Make yourself a favour, go to www.stompyjones.com and order it.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Stompy Jones – That’s Alright

Blowin’ To California – Don’t Lie To Me – Lost Mind – Born To Love Her – That’s Alright – Hot Sauce Boss – If You Love Me Baby – Wakin’ Up Baby – After Hours – Highway 99 – Hand Clappin’- Keep A Knockin’- Spiderweb – Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens

A decade or so ago, the swing craze took the USA by storm. All of sudden everybody and his cousin dressed like Jim Carrey in the Mask, discovered the sweet taste of martini and blew in a sax. But few bands played this music right and even fewer really understood it.

Stompy Jones (formerly known as The Swing Session) weren’t made of the same (young) wood. This guys have roots. They perfectly assimilated the elements of the small bands from the 30’s to the 50’s like Louis Jordan of course or Count Basie and have put the science of the arrangement to its highest point.

Buy when this album (their fourth) arrived, I was surprised to see that Pops the original singer of the band was no longer there (I later heard he had to quit due to health problems) and had some apprehensions about the newest one. Will he be as good as his predecessor? I only had one thing left to do : put the cd in the player. After a few bars of “Blowin’ To California”, the first song, my doubts quickly vanished. If different – and we didn’t expect a impersonnator, didn’t we? – the young was equally talented as his glorious elder. The band faced some minor changes too, but man they’re always incredibly tight and though they’re only six on stage they make you believe you listen to a whole big band. Like Louis Jordan did before, they swing the boogie, they rock the blues, they jump the jazz – always with class – and at the end they leave you breathless with a big smile upon your face.
Now that most of the swing bands have moved to a new trend, Stompy Jones is still here, alive and well and ready to shake your shack.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Johnny “Spazz” Hatton

Published on 23 April 2016

Interviews

The silky-voiced Tony Bennett. Country music queen Dolly Parton. Legendary protest rocker Bob Dylan. “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Elvis Presley. All four rank amongst the most recognizable names to ever pick up a microphone; all four have reached the pinnacle of success in their respective music genres.
And all four have utilized the slap bass skills of John “Spazz” Hatton.
Although best recognized as a member of the Brian Setzer Orchestra, John Hatton has been slapping the upright bass for years. From his days as Kansas City, Missouri’s go-to bassist to his television theme song work; from his unlikely British Top 10 hit with Big Daddy to his recent stint with popular swing band Royal Crown Review, John has done it all.
How does John Hatton do it? How did he adapt from playing violin with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra to standing on his bass with the Brian Setzer Trio? How did he land a gig with the one and only Elvis? And just how did John acquire the nickname “Spazz”, anyway? I recently spoke with the musician to find out.

Conducted by Denise Daliege-Pierce

After years of playing the violin and a two-year stint with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, why did you decide to forego the instrument?
Johnny “Spazz” Hatton: I just got too many gig calls with the bass.

What made you choose to play the upright bass?
My dad said, ‘Why don’t you try bass?’ He was a teacher with the St. Louis School District. I got a bass; learned all the notes. There was a gal at my school who played bass. She was first chair [in the school band]—I think my dad gave her first chair because she was so tall. I wanted first chair! She became bass player with the swing band. A friend of mine played cello, and he had a guitar with bass strings on it—it was an old Sears & Roebuck guitar, and he had cut new notches in the nut. That was [with] the Marauders, my first high school band. Girls said we were cool. We started making money and playing teen dances, and I had this little book that I wrote our gigs in; what we made.
I kept playing the violin into our college years and was concert master. I had been playin’ bass with The Morticians. We’d have our schoolmates follow us, kind of in a funeral procession, and we’d turn our [car] lights on. We wore black suits and black turtlenecks; that’s how we got the name “Morticians”. We played these little towns in Missouri.

How difficult was it to switch from the violin to the upright bass?
It was pretty easy to switch over to the string bass. The fingering is pretty easy. Kids see bands today and they say, ‘I wanna play guitar! I wanna play drums!’ Those are cool. They never say, ‘I wanna play bass!’ I dropped out of college after five years, just a half year from my masters, and started playing jazz clubs. I got called up for the draft and failed my physical. Otherwise….

What type of bass do you use? Why that particular brand?
One I use for Brian Setzer is King Doublebass. They’re in Santa Ana, California. These guys—or one of ‘em did—his name is Jason Burns. He would take old Kay basses and paint ‘em with, like, twelve coats. Plywood basses are best for playing rockabilly. You need a bass that doesn’t have so much tone. Hand carved basses are best. They found that, if they layer ‘em with paint, they have a better tone. It has a really lousy tone, but when you plug it into an amp, it just kicks. Jason and his friend, Brad Johnson—he became CEO—do a great job. I also use different basses for my jazz and studio gigs. I named them. Would you like to know their names?

Of course!
Well, there’s Berta, she’s German; Consuela, my Mexican handmade bass; my Ampeg bass, Peg; Kay, my Kay bass. My King bass is named Boom Boom; my flame bass—the one with the flames on it—is Blaze, and Dale, after Dale Evans. How many is that? Seven?

How did you meet Three Sounds pianist Gene Harris? What was your experience working with him like?
Gene—he had a lot of friends in Kansas City who would hire him for different functions. I worked for [pianist] Pete Eye. Gene would come in and see Pete play. I became good friends with Luther Hughes, Gene’s bass player. Luther left, and he said, ‘Do you want my gig?’ [My wife and I] loaded up the motor home—it was more of a van with a high top. My wife’s brother-in-law sold me a motor home. It was really nice. I remember when Gene was off, we’d park at Marina del Rey. There was a whole line of motor homes there. I played with Gene for about two years and on Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. I got a little disenchanted. He was gonna do another album, and he didn’t need me on it. I went back to Kansas City; did some jingles.

You also had the chance to work with movie and television music composer, Stan Worth. How did that collaboration come about?
I was home about two months and got a call from Stan Worth. His bass player was leaving, and he asked me if I wanted that gig. He was the guy who wrote “George of the Jungle”, “Rocky the Flying Squirrel”…a bunch of others. We sold the house and the motor home, and went back to California. I started working with Stan at the Hilton Inn—that was about ’74.

What television theme songs did you record with him?
We did “Fun Factory”—that was a variety TV show with Bobby Van. We did a TV show called “High Rollers”; Stan was musical director on “Name That Tune”.

While living in Kansas City, you had the opportunity to play bass for Elvis Presley. What are your memories of performing with “The King”?
This was around 1968-’69, and I think that this was when he did the ’68 Comeback tour. I wasn’t really an Elvis fan. I had been playing in this big time music scene. Musicians didn’t travel with big bands back then—they would hire local musicians to play with them. I played with Liza Minnelli, and someone called me and asked me if I wanted to do the Elvis show, and I said, ‘OK!’ We went down to the rehearsal and were told to wear black pants and a white shirt. They gave me a vest to wear. I bought a couple Elvis albums to listen to what he sounded like. The musicians were told, ‘You guys are gonna just play the introduction, the 2001 theme.’
Before the show, I’m backstage, and I saw Elvis and the Colonel talkin’ in the hallway. Elvis sees me waiting there, and he says, ‘You want me to sign those for ya, sonny?’ He signed my two albums. I don’t know what happened to them.
We’re on the stage and the whole house goes dark. We start playing the 2001 theme. The flashbulbs start goin’ off. It looked like noon during the day. That will always stay with me until I croak. There was one guy [Charlie Hodge] playing an acoustic guitar. He wasn’t plugged into anything—I think it was just for show. He’d follow Elvis around the stage and hand out scarves. [Elvis] was wearing a white jumpsuit with all the studs and the bell bottoms, and a red scarf. Ronnie Tutt, who’s famous for the Octopad, played that gig.

The musicians you have had the chance to perform with are a virtual who’s who of the industry: Little Richard, Hank Ballard, Al Jarreau, Brian Setzer—the list goes on. Who was your favorite to work with, and why?
Well, I think Setzer, ‘cause he’s so high energy. I had to kick up my performance with him. I didn’t really know how to play rockabilly. I met Geoff Firebaugh from Nashville. He showed me flapping, where you use both hands. Other guys showed me, ‘Here’s how you stand on the bass.’ Plus, the music: you have to be able to sight read notes, “flyspeck”, as we say in the business. The second time is just changes. The musicianship is incredible. I’m overjoyed to be associated with that.

While we’re on the subject of Brian Setzer and musicianship, during live Brian Setzer Orchestra shows, while the big band takes a break, you join Brian and drummer Tony Pia onstage for a stripped-down, Stray Cats-style mini set. How do you enjoy performing as part of the trio as opposed to the entire big band?
It’s weird. I like the big band because I like playing with the horns, and I’ve been playing jazz since Kansas City.
The trio is fun. It’s a workout. You’re throwing the bass in the air, and that’s fun. The music in the big band is reading—and hard. I learned how to climb on the bass in two hours, but sight reading notes took me twenty years. That’s the enigma.

During the 1980s, you joined Big Daddy, an eight-piece group that turned modern songs into ‘50s-style classics; a “Weird Al” Yankovic meets Sha-Na-Na type of project. Did the group’s overseas success with its cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” surprise you?
I think a couple of guys in the band had good business sense. Marty [Kaniger] had a skill on the phone and was good at sales talk. We were in [the movie] Book of Love. We did things with Little Richard; we did a video with him and Vin Di Bona, the producer of America’s Funniest Home Videos. We did Las Vegas for five or six years at the Tropicana. We played in Lake Tahoe at Caesars. We did a couple tours of England. We had a tour of Australia. I remember driving north of London to Newcastle, listening to the radio, and “Dancing in the Dark” came on. We changed stations, and it was playing on another station. Simultaneous play of “Dancing in the Dark”! The cool thing about that band was we all played a role in the arrangements. It was a three-ring circus without a ringmaster.

Is there any chance of a Big Daddy reunion?
We did Bubbapalooza in the ‘90s. We decided to get the band together for a show, but we could only remember 45 minutes of songs. We all got drunk. I think we should get into the studio and see what happens.

How did the “Spazz” moniker come about?
Everyone kinda had their own persona in that band. We had a biker guy, a ‘Bubba’ kind with greasy hair, a gold-lame-lightning-bolts guy….What about me? I saw this other band called Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries. They had a bass player. His character was a nerd. I got a slide rule and a bow tie, and I got a flat top. Nobody had a flat top. I found some old glasses from the ‘70s and put some tape on them.
Up at Tahoe, I got to sing a song. I sang “Stagger Lee”. I’d rip off my coat during the song, as if I was a sex god. I tripped over too many mikes and knocked ‘em over—it wasn’t deliberate, I was just clumsy. Stagehands started calling me “Spazz”, and it stuck.

You’ve also performed with rockabilly pioneer Billy Lee Riley.
That was a great, great experience. Ray Hermann, lead alto [sax for the Brian Setzer Orchestra] and Johnny Hallyday helped. Brian Setzer had been playing with [Hallyday] “The French Elvis”. Ray got me and [then BSO drummer] Bernie [Dresel] on one of his recordings, “Blue Suede Shoes”. The Montreux Music Festival wanted to do a tribute to Sun Records in Switzerland. We backed up Sonny Burgess, Billy Lee Riley; Brian May. Billy Lee told me, ‘When I was playin’, the bass was only slapped if there wasn’t a drummer.’

Who are some of your favorite bassists, and why?
Ray Brown, for his melodic playing, and Jacko Pastorius. Oscar Peterson—I used to have a record I’d listen to over and over again. Dick Youngstein of UMKC Conservatory of Music…when I heard this guy play, I’d go, ‘Wow, that’s how it’s played!’ His bass boomed, growled…was angry. Bass should pound in jazz. [It’s] the constant in jazz and swing. Bass is what holds it all together.

You have played nearly every style of American music, from jazz to swing to rockabilly. Which is your favorite to perform?
I gotta lean toward swing and rockabilly/big band. I like that power. The bass and the drums is the power. Same with rockabilly—bass and drums just drive it. I’m still lucky to be doin’ it. I deduct the cost of strings and music expenses from my taxes, and ‘cause I’ve taken losses the past few years, now, they [the IRS] call it a “hobby”. I don’t know how to do anything else.

Do you currently perform with any other acts when you’re not on tour with the Brian Setzer Orchestra?
I’ll be playing with this group called Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine. He opened for Brian’s band. He’ll take the filthiest song—the filthiest rap song—and turn it into a lounge song. It’s hilarious.

Let’s return to the subject of the Brian Setzer Orchestra. How did you become a member of the group?
It was because of friends I knew in the band. Bob Sandman was the sax player in Big Daddy, and he could sight read. Bob and I had played in other situations; he knew I was a good reader. Bob got the gig as a tenor sax. Mike Acosta resigned, and Bob Sandman got the musical director chair. This was before they had The Dirty Boogie album. We never listened to Brian Setzer or the Stray Cats, but we heard what Brian was doing and said, ‘This is jazz!’ We knew all the guys in the band. I was workin’ in a band here in L.A. called the Hodads. If the Brian Setzer Orchestra made $1,000 a week, we were makin’ three times that much a week. I had a financial hardship, so I turned him down. He was using Mark Winchester from Tennessee, but flying him in and hotels were costing too much.
On my first gig, at the Hollywood Hard Rock, they said, ‘Here’s the book; here’s the tunes. We go on in 40 minutes.’ It was excruciatingly loud. Everyone else used earplugs; I hadn’t used earplugs before. Brian was playing through two amplifiers, Bernie was bangin’ away on the drums, and I couldn’t get my earplugs in. In my book, there was a chart with brown splatter on it. I asked what it was, and someone told me, ‘Oh, that’s blood. The bass player’s fingers exploded.’ The guys were wearing white shirts, and blood sprayed all over the back of ‘em.
That was a one nighter. Brian started calling me to help him and Bernie demo the songs. I also did the master recording for what became Vavoom!, although they replaced my parts, I think with Mark Winchester. I knew they were going to do it, and I said, ‘OK.’ Mark Winchester left, and [Setzer’s solo album] Nitro Burnin’ Funny Daddy was the first album with me on bass.

Which BSO album that you have contributed to is your favorite?
That’s hard to say. That’s gotta be the most recent one [Wolfgang’s Big Night Out]. They got Frank Comstock to do the charts—he wrote the music for Dragnet and Adam-12. He hadn’t written anything in years. He said he didn’t know if he could do this anymore. They started crankin’ out two charts a week. This, you had to read the note in the arrangement. [Comstock] called me up, ‘cause I wrote an article in a local musicians paper, and wanted to thank me. The “Nutcracker” chart—Frank said he wrote that chart for Les Brown.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra has been nominated for Grammy awards on numerous occasions, most recently for Wolfgang’s Big Night Out. How did it feel to receive the nomination?
Hey, I wish we could’ve got it. Turtle Island String Quartet got it. We’ve gotten nominated for every CD since I’ve been on: Nitro Burnin’ Funny Daddy; the Christmas albums. I think last time, George Harrison was nominated, and he was dead.

That doesn’t seem fair to the other musicians.
They shouldn’t allow dead people to get nominated. Turtle Island String Quartet—at least they have talent. Music isn’t real anymore—it’s all canned. There’s no talent in that.

Arguably, you’ve achieved your biggest success with the Brian Setzer Orchestra–and at a latter stage in your music career, too. What are your thoughts on this success?
It’s about time! It is totally weird you think I’m too old to make the big time. It’s a dream come true. I subbed for the bass player in Europe for Royal Crown Review—he doesn’t like to travel—and everywhere we played, people recognized me from the Brian Setzer Orchestra. I still think of myself as a jazz player playing $100 gigs. What’s cool is I don’t have to buy equipment anymore—I get free amplifiers or whatever. I want to play it and see where it goes.

John, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me. Do you have any final comments that you would like to share with the readers of the Rockabilly Chronicle?
If any kids are reading this, or aspiring musicians, they should all learn to sight read. It opens doors. Learn to play everything. I play Dixieland. I played a symphony gig a few weeks ago. Learn to play jazz; learn to play disco. I do the disco stuff. I brought the bass to a gig and they told me we were playing disco; I said that I’ve got the electric bass in the car, but it worked out really well. It’s a love affair I’ve had with the string bass. Learn to play with feeling. Tony Pia told me, ‘Show up on time, play your ass off and keep your mouth shut.’

Joel Paterson

Published on 26 August 20159 September 2024

Reviews

Joel Paterson – Handful of Strings

Ventrella
Speedin’ North – Twin Guitar Shuffle – Pensacola Rhythm – After You’ve Gone – Swingin’ Easy – Northern Gentleman – Callin’ the Cat – La Paloma – Flyin’ Low – Seven String Ride – Blue Steel Serenade – Mable’s Rock – Fender Freeze – King Freddie’s Blues

One thing is certain: Joel Paterson is a man of taste. So, when he decides to record an all instrumental album on which he plays all the instruments (he’s also a man of many talents) it doesn’t sound like all those sterile records that too often sound like a guitar method. He draws influences from all the guitar greats. The more obvious here being Les Paul and Buddy Merrill but it covers a wide spectrum of genre from the Jimmy Bryant tinged “Pensacola Rhythm” to the funky tribute to freddie King (King Freddie Blues) with jazz, rock’n’roll and plenty of Joel Paterson in between. And as usual with Ventrella the package is superbly designed. Highly recommended.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis