SAN FRANCISCO BLUES

Two weeks into our cross country tour we had four days off to drive from Dayton, Ohio to San Francisco. I decided to pay the band a little extra to do the drive while I treated myself to a plane ticket, giving me a few days off to stretch my legs and visit some old haunts. I'm one of those folks who can actually say I did leave my heart in San Francisco, along with a few really good friends and lots of memories (some a little foggy!). And I did need to arrive in the city before the band, as I had a recording session booked for the House of Blues Radio Hour, so I did feel somewhat justified for this self indulgence.

It was a good forty-minute hike from my hotel in Union Square to my favorite vintage guitar store, Real Guitars, down in the Mission district, but my legs were really welcoming the work. It's been over twenty years since I left the bay area, but my moves have always been motivated by where best to pursue my music career at the time. But as I walk past the Courthouse, the Town Green and City Hall, and the clouds begin to make way for the sun, I unbutton my leather jacket and wonder why did I ever leave my favorite city by the bay? I've come to realize that my drive to play blues guitar goes way beyond logic and rational!

Meanwhile, Real Guitars looks as it always did; funky, down home and unpretentious, with old guitars and amps climbing the walls and filling every nook and cranny. I was greeted by my old pal, Chris Cobb, who just happens to own this joint. Chris' partner, Ben, sits behind the desk noodling on an acoustic guitar, and Gary Brawer works in the repair shop in back on all sorts of stringed instruments. From the other back room, out pops custom guitar builder Danny Ransom to say hello. The same posters and pictures are on the walls. There are several of Joe Louis Walker. I feel at home. Before long Chris and I have plugged into some old amps and I'm pulling vintage strats off the wall and trying them out. Chris adds a couple of his custom Telecasters to the mix, and pretty soon we have a small audience of store clientele, customers, and even a homeless fella is pulled in off of the street by the sounds.

As luck would have it, the Chris Cobb Band was playing that night at the Saloon in North Beach, so now my plans for the evening were set and I could continue to walk back through time. And speaking of time traveling, the Saloon is the oldest drinking establishment in San Francisco, having originally catered to drunken sailors and miners during the gold rush. Of course women weren't allowed to drink in public in those days, so to speed up the male patron's ability to consume alcohol, a trough was put in along the base of the bar and run out into the street, allowing one to drink and pee without ever having to move an inch. Talk about being glued to the bar and keeping a nice flow going! Anyway, you can still see the outline of the trough as it was eventually filled in with mosaic tiles, probably when the first restroom was built.

Having met a friend for dinner at Fisherman's Wharf, I decided to start the night out at Lou's Place. Lou's is a landmark bar at the Wharf, serving seafood, of course, and featuring blues bands seven days a week! Tonight it was the Daniel Castro Band and I'd been wanting to catch him live for a few years now. No relation to Tommy Castro, Daniel has been banging it out the same Bay Area clubs that the more famous Castro carved out his career in. What strikes me first when walking in is the guitar tone. Daniel is playing a Telecaster through two old black face Fender amps with just the right amount of reverb and delay. His tone is fat and sweet with a touch of bite and sparkle. Everything a guitar lover wants to hear! The next thing I notice is his voice. He's really a good singer and quite soulful! As the band laid down their grooves several folks in the audience were moved to the dance floor, and two gals, young, attractive, and out on the town, danced loosely by themselves. One in particular did what I came to refer to as the "Hippie Ballet" and I haven't had the pleasure of seeing it too much since leaving the Bay Area!

After the first set Daniel graced me with two of his CD's and I moved out onto the street with the band for their break. Break time conversations among musicians are always the same; moaning about the stage sound and its imperfections. So I tried to reassure the guys that what the audience was hearing was some killer sound! I would recommend Lou's as a must-stop to anyone visiting the city! I glanced at the two CD's and noticed that one was a live recording done at the very North Beach Saloon that I was headed to next. This night was full of serendipity! When I later got an opportunity to listen to the CD's, I was impressed by how close the studio guitar tone was to both his tone live, and the tone on the Live CD. The studio Recording, NO SURRENDER, will satisfy early Stevie Ray Vaughan fans with both his recording of Empty Arms and his use of the wah-wah pedal, Daniel sounds like a slightly laid back Stevie. Not to say that there aren't plenty of originals in the mix and like any good blues man playing a Telecaster, he dedicates a song to Albert Collins.

The lyrics of some of the material Daniel chooses to sing suggest he's lived a life that's given him a personal relationship with the blues. I feel ya Daniel! Blues fans in general, and specifically fans of Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, will love Daniel Castro.

THE SALOON and CHRIS COBB

Next stop, the Saloon in North Beach, and a jam with the Chris Cobb Band. So I stepped outside to hail a cab. No longer smoke-filled inside, now when you enter the club your nostrils detect a strong undertone of urine. I like to think that they just weren't able to get rid of the smell, but more than likely it's just the over-used Johns in the back making their presence known. But the funk, and the history, is what is to love about the Saloon!

Chris' band is in full swing with vocalist Leah Tysse up front belting out the blues. She sounds great and has obviously studied Susan Tedeschi's Just Won't Burn CD very thoroughly, which is never a bad thing! And it doesn't hurt a bit that Leah is quite the "hottie" up there. At the end of the bar facing the stage sit the hardcore Cobb fans; all guitar players, of course. The small dance floor is peppered with local characters and out-of-towners. And seated at the bar and along the wall, sipping their drinks with a mellow glow, are all the regulars who can't get enough of good live music. Chris spots me and hails me on up to the stage. He's got a second amp set up and hands me his Tele that I had bonded with earlier that day. It was heaven for me, jamming with Chris again at my old haunt, free of any and all pressures that one has as a band leader. Yea, this was vacation, baby!

OTHER PLANS

Veteran San Francisco guitar player and owner and operator of REAL GUITARS, Chris Cobb has released his second solo CD. This project has been long awaited by his fans, and Chris addresses this fact in his liner notes. Yea, sometimes life gets in the way. Thus the title of the CD, OTHER PLANS. Though his soulful, down-to-earth personality might indicate otherwise, if someone were to ask me to sum up Chris in one word or less, I'd have to say "brainiac." He's just one of those super bright guys who can excel at anything he chooses to do in life. You would think running a full-time retail business would be about all someone could handle, but Chris has maintained his career as one of the Bay Area's top blues-rock guitar players, fronting his own band and as a gun for hire.(He also has a great partner in Ben!) His most recent claim to blues fame was touring for several years with Sista Monica Parker and appearing on her two latest recordings. Chris is also a featured guitar player on two of E.C. Scott's Blind Pig releases.

Did I mention that Chris is also a family man? He and his beautiful wife, Gemme, have two sons, both of which are aspiring guitar players, of course. But like any good Gemini, Chris needed to put his hand in yet another creative pie, so he built his own state of the art home recording studio, PACIFICA RECORDS, where he laid down the tracks for his new disk. OTHER PLANS is a mostly original effort, save for three covers. Since it's been a staple in his live shows for so long, Chris decided to record Sleepwalk. He mentioned this to me very apologetically, knowing that quite a few folks have recorded this one, but I defended his decision as I know this is what his fans want to find on a Chris Cobb CD. The other two covers are Beatle tunes and I love the fact that Chris stays true to the tunes but is able to put his own stamp on them.

As for Chris' originals, you will know right off the bat how steeped in electric blues the man is, as guitar-star homages to the Kings, Albert and Freddie respectively, abound. But Chris was also inspired by Larry Carlton and Robben Ford so you'll also hear lots of extended chords and sophisticated guitar glissandos sprinkled throughout. His sensitive side is exposed both during Sleepwalk, and his self-penned R.F. Blues. For a good rockin' fix, I love the tune No Goodbyes. It's got one of those really tough guitar hooks that suck me right in! Fans of Jimmy Thackery, Coco Montoya and Tommy Castro, should seek out the music of Chris Cobb.

LAURA CHAVEZ

As Thursday rolled around I was looking forward to reuniting and playing with my band. It was our night at Biscuits and Blues, and ya know we always have a ball there! I found out a few years ago that San Francisco has spawned yet another cool blues-rock guitar player: Laura Chavez. Yep, a girl! Laura is all of 22 now and an accomplished musician on both guitar and drums. She's been the lead guitar player in the Lara Price Band for about five years now, and they have put out two of their own CD's. And if these names sound familiar, perhaps you have been checking out the GUITAR WOMAN CD, on Ruff records. Their recording of Can't Quit The Blues kicks this CD off, and Laura's playing has caught the ears of several guitar magazine people, naming her an exciting up-and-comer.

I first met Laura about four years ago as she and her parents had taken a table in the front row at our show at Biscuits. There was something about the way she watched me play that told me she must be a player herself. When we took our break, I joined them at their table and found out my suspicions were correct. I had a gut feeling about her, and asked her if she'd like to sit in. This is something I never do if I haven't heard a player before, cuz sometimes you can find yourself in a trick-bag up there, with no immediate way out! But my gut failed me not, and Laura got up and wowed both my band and the crowd. Since then we try and stay in touch and keep that good guitar player friendship goin' on. So if she isn't gigging herself when we pass through town, Laura always comes out and sits in with us. I know we both get a special kick out of this cuz, let's face it, neither of us get to jam with other gals too often. And likewise, the audiences don't get to see two women swapping electric blues licks back and forth too often, either. The girl is just a powerhouse on both rhythm and leads and cites Tommy Castro as a big source of inspiration, and brings that same kind of energy to the stage each night.

The latest CD is entitled I GOT NEWS and except for a Jimmy Hendrix number, Little Wing, and a Leon Russel cover, the album is all original. So far the girls have been releasing their CD's themselves, but labels are beginning to sniff around them, and I wish them nothin' but great luck!

So if ya find yourself planning to visit one of the world's greatest cities, San Francisco, a good blues fix is guaranteed!