Howlin for Hubert

[January 25, 2003; Moon Traveller News Syndicate] - I got a surprise assignment to go to NYC for Linux World, and -  aloha and beholda - got a look in the entertainment listings and uncovered the fact that BB King’s Bar and Grille on 42^nd St was staging a benefit for Hubert Sumlin. I was brung down to learn that he’s recently had surgery for lung cancer, and he was taking part in this event to make up for the time he wasn’t on the road . He lives in Milwaukee. So no question but had to be there.

First of all, Hubert was well. At least Hubert the man of the stage was well. He had his slick sideway lithe moves same of ever. Hubert is fundamentally shy and even in a good mood tends to turn his back to the audience to concentrate on his guitar. Of course the important thing is he played Hubert Sumlin notes. As usual he hit chords and notes I never heard another player hit. Incredible notes really somewhere between dissonance and assonance. He still is a master of the sound he created in Chicago in the 1950s in the band of the Howlin Wolf.

The set I caught was a one-night Wolf-Hubert tribute band. I recognized Boston’s Dave Maxwell on piano, Roomful of Blues’ Greg Piccolo on sax, Levon Helm as one of two drummers, and David Johansen on vocals, along with Hubert dressed impeccably. Last time I saw David was with the New York Dolls at the Mercer Art Center in the early 70s. So there is a lot of water under the bridge, and even some rubble strewn about, since then. He growls in a styled rendition of Wolf – fact is, surprisingly, he’s been doing it for along time -- and the mood seemed mostly pretty right. For Hubert’s part I really hadn’t heard him do so many Howlin Wolf songs for a long time. The side guys and singer were very capable, enthusiastic, virtuosic, and sympathetic. Top numbers for me were: Shake for Me; 300lbs. of Joy; Goin Down Slow (hope not!); and Build for Comfort.

Brookline’s son, and Muddy Water’s great student, Bob Margolin drove up from Carolina to be up there. These days he’s beginning to resemble a New Yorker Koren cartoon with hair buzzed out. Hubert played with Muddy for one year between his very extended (23) years with Muddy. So there’s a connection there. But the real connection is that of the blues family, and the road. They did Don’t Go no Further and Mojo Working.

Harmonics and discord on a short thin leash with Hubetr. He is a really unique player as he constantly moves from single notes, to chords, or partial chords, on or off the progression, now doing rhythm, now on a melody. He made the famous Wolf songs more special – and sometimes you think your hearing some kind of channeling feedback from a primary student of his, Jimi Hendrix.

We came to know Hubert through his role of siding often with Sunnyland Slim after Howlin Wolf died. Knew only the guitar before, having chanced across the Goin Down Slow/Louise Chess 45 in Racine when I was 16.

Hubert definitely has a special artistic nature. Sometimes he can be obtuse; if the spirit of the audience or the bandstand doesn’t hit him right, he may finger the guitar neck but not pluck the body. He’s famed for his remark that he put his big gold Gibson down because ‘there were no more notes to play in it.” The feeling of the evening was “I am living!”

Hubert is in a funny quandary now really. First hand smoke is one issue, second hand smoke is a second issue. To make a living he plays in places that are like BB’s, insanely cigarette smoke clouded - took me a couple of days to get over, although I usta-woulda never noticed. Soon this is to be legislated smokeless. In the meantime, you pay the price with the spin of a wheel with the roll of the dice, as George Harrison said on his last outing. Stations fly by as I write these notes on a train back to Boston.

For more on the event http://nybluesandjazz.org/howlin.htm

Last update: 4/12/2003; 11:47:33 AM.