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If
these women have their way, Pittsburgh will be a BLUES TOWN
College
Life and Entertainment in Pittsburgh:
Week of 4 December 1998
One snowy
winter night in January three years ago, Ron "Moondog"
Esser saw a concept years in the making evolve into reality.
There was a feeling of electricity in the air inside Moondog's,
a small, intimate blues club located in Blawnox, Pa.,
like something special was about to happen. Seven women climbed
up on one stage, each with the utmost respect and admiration
for the others, and released the most powerful, inspirational
and breathtaking performance in Moondog's history.
"This
idea could put Pittsburgh on the map," said Esser. 'Every
other city has their own blues icons that give the city its
blues reputation. Pittsburgh has not had a successful blues
band since Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band, and that
was 10 or 15 years ago."
The
Pittsburgh Women of the Blues Band is a special project
that the seven members hold close to their hearts. This is
not an all-star band with only the best Pittsburgh singers.
It's something more. It's a band that has an intimate hold
on the audience and one that wraps itself in a push-on-the-gas-and-go
blues attitude that rubs off on the audience during performances.
They make you want to be a blues singer.
"I
thought the Women of the Blues could make Pittsburgh a blues
town," said Esser.
What started
as the, idea of having seven women sing traditional blues
for a one-night gig soon evolved into the possibility of an
album. The promise of an album still seductively lingers among
the women, as their collective services remain in high demand.
The Pittsburgh
Women of the Blues' original lineup consisted of Helene Milan,
Andrea Pearl, Shari Richards, Jill West, Jill Paone Simmons,
Lucy Van Sickle and Erin Burkett. All the members are involved
in. their personal projects, but Van Sickle and Burkett have
since left the band to concentrate full-time on their individual
work. This leaves five talented women to carry on the torch
and the emerging tradition
Jill
West has been singing for more than 30 years. She sang
in different musical styles, fluctuating between the blues
and jazz, eventually setting down the blues for the past 10
years. When it comes to musical instruments, West can only
offer limited experience with hand-held percussion. What she
does have is a voice. Her overpowering, bigmamma style blues
voice captures the audience's attention, as does the call
and response stage presence that envelops onlookers.
West's
major project is the Blues Attack. The hard-edged blues-based
band grips the traditional Chicago blues sound and doesn't
let go. Theirs is a different kind of blues compared to The
Pittsburgh Women of the Blues -- like Robert Johnson kneeling
at the crossroads as he sells his soul to the devil blues.
"The
Blues Attack is a driving force with guitars and my voice,"
said West. "The Pittsburgh Women of the Blues has a vocal
mix that uses four or five-part vocal harmonies."
West was
influential in getting the women together for the first gig.
There were two criteria: They had to be known, and they had
to have performed at Moondog's.
"Ron
asked me to get into contact with the other women that have
played at Moondog's and see if the would enjoy playing together
for a one-shot deal," said West.
She quickly
got down to business and phoned Richards, Pearl, Van Sickle,
Simmons, Milan and Burkett. All were honored and excited about
the invitation.
But the
biggest obstacle was yet to come -- conflicting schedules.
Some of
the women had side projects, which started to gain momentum
during the formation of the group. Burkett and Van Sickle
had solo projects in the works that sometimes made it impossible
to get together with the band for rehearsals. However, things
slowly began to come together.
The
one-shot deal happened in January 1996 during a horrible
snowstorm that caught Pittsburgh off guard.
"We
played at Moondog's, and the crowd was made up of countless
loyal Moondog's patrons." Said West. "It was full
house."
Fun-filled
excitement was a great way to describe the energy enveloping
those at Moondog's that snowy, bitter-cold January night.
West admits the band was not as polished as her band for the
simple fact that they didn't get to practice as a unit very
much. Scheduling still presents problems.
"When
we get together, we go over vocal harmonies," said West.
"But since we all are good friends, musically and socially,
the rehearsal becomes a gathering of friends."
"When
we play, I think we set off an energy chain that the audience
becomes part of and we relax and have a lot of fun,"
she continued.
The Blues
Band plays everything from the old Etta James tune, "Must
be Love", which all the women sing, to the traditional
gospel song, "I'm Saved" that Burkett sang and Simmons
now sings, to their original song, "Ain't Gonna Shake,
(Make it Swing)."
While
West performs a down-home and basic blues sound, others have
brought a more up-to-date blues sound to the listeners.
Rock and
Blues, a style of music derived from the traditional blues,
enticed Richards to enter the music genre. She lists her influences
among such guitar players and lyrical writers as Ani DiFranco,
B. B. King, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Rory Block.
"Ani
DiFranco is a damn funky player, but not a blues player,"
said Richards.
Richards
incorporates Bonnie Raitt, DiFranco and Laura Love songs into
her show because she doesn't want to limit herself to one
style of music. Even musicians like the Indigo Girls influence
Richards in that their music is inspiring, and she likes the
fact that they don't refer to themselves as just folk artists.
Richards
compares playing the tri-state area with going to the gym.
She says that gettting out and playing around Pittsburgh is
a good workout before she travels to other places. Richards
has played in Michigan, Illinois, upstate New York and southern
West Virginia. In October 1997, she even took her show to
Greece.
"There
are people over there that are craving the blues," said
Richards. "I really had a great time performing in Greece."
Richards'
extraordinary group of musical influences have molded her
into a distinctive player. The musician she most respects
is B. B. King.
Richards
talked to B. B. King once, and he told her that she should
not make distinctions between good and bad blues because it
takes up too much energy trying to determine what is or isn't
the blues. Richards agreed with his advice and incorporates
it into her song selections.
The one
thing that makes the Blues Band most unusual is its vocal
harmonies, which make it sound as if the women are selling
their souls for the love of singing. Richards brings versatile,
rockin' blues vocals to the stage, while Burkett contributes
a sultry, sexy blues-style music as she sashays across the
stage in sizzling, slinky dresses.
Burkett
began her musical endeavors as a child growing up in New Kensington,
PA. She fell in love with singing gospel music in a church
located behind her house. At 17, Burkett surrendered a full
art scholarship to sing on the road. She traveled the East
Coast, playing in a rock'n'roll cover band. After a nine-month
skid, she returned home and began her own freelance visual
art business, working on murals and doing some commission
work.
Four years
ago, Burkett's life returned to music. She was handed a mess
of old blues material ranging from Etta James to Muddy Waters
to Little Walter, and she sat in her living room soaking up
the music like a sponge.
Burkett
began rehearsing with Larry Belli and the Catfish Mary blues
band. The band blossomed and debuted in September of 1995,
playing in the New Kensington and Pittsburgh areas. Burkett
instantly became the spotlight performer in the band, taking
full control of the bookings, promotion and artwork.
"The
blues has to come from the heart, and it speaks to people,"
said Burkett. "Finding a new way of saying 'ouch' is
what inspires me."
Burkett
remained with Catfish Mary for only two years. But in that
time the band opened for John Mayall, Robben Ford, and Koko
Taylor at Graffiti. They also headlined the Latrobe Blues
Festival in 1997. Burkett was invited to join The Pittsburgh
Women of the Blues in 1996.
"The
Pittsburgh Women of the Blues was the most powerful thing
I was ever a part of," said Burkett. "The voices
on stage were a big power of spirit." Burkett checked
out of The Pittsburgh Women of the Blues because she wanted
to devote all her time to her new band, Erin Burkett and the
Mean Reds.
The Mean
Reds are Burkett's type of blues - heavily influenced by gospel,
with a hint of despair turned upside down. It's a hybrid of
blues music that reaches down to the bottom of her soul. Her
gospel influences are heard poetically on "Grits and
Groceries" and "Jesus on the Mainline"
Going
from sultry blues to get-down-and-dirty drinking blues is
where Van Sickle feels most at home. She expresses her blues
with all her heart. It begins in the pit of her stomach and
surges upward to carry the audience to the brink of ecstasy.
"I
put everything into my performance," said Van Sickle.
Van Sickle,
as a vocalist, performer and songwriter, is known for her
bluesy, melodic, harmonica sound. She's had the opportunity
to play with such blues greats as the late Stevie Ray Vaughn
at the Evergreen Hotel in the North Hills and Muddy Waters.
She also shared the stage with blues legends such as James
Cotton, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells and has opened up for Richie
Havens at Calliope.
Van Sickle
graced the stage with the Pittsburgh Women of the Blues at
its Moondog's gig, adding to the melodic harmonies on "Must
Be Love".
"Singing
with Jill West and Shari and all the women was a blast,"
said Van Sickle. "It was uplifting to hear all the voices."
In their
new project, Van Sickle and the Earth Shakers are creating
a crunchier style of blues. Joining Van Sickle is ex-Catfish
Mary guitarist Larry Belli.
"We
read each other well," said Belli. "We play off
each other on every song."
"Our
show is hard-core blues," added Van Sickle. "We
play skanky blues."
Other
than performing, Van Sickle also teaches blues harmonica at
Calliope Pittsburgh Folk Music School, located in the heart
of Bloomfield at the Carnegie Library. She has been teaching
there for five years. Even though the Pittsburgh Women of
the Blues couldn't fit in her busy schedule. Van Sickle tips
her hat to the their dedication to music.
'The Women
of the Blues is different because it's so much fun,"
said Milan. "It's every woman for herself." Milan,
a native of Pittsburgh's Southside, was influenced by the
Iron City House Rockers and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders
because of her low voice. She also counts Koko Taylor, "The
Queen of the Blues", and Etta James among her blues influences.
Milan,
a solo artist, began her career by getting up on stage with
various Pittsburgh musicians during Monday night jam sessions
at Gene's Bar on Route 51.
"I
was a late bloomer on the music scene," said Milan. "I
just enjoyed hanging out and watching the other performers."
Milan
finally got the nod up on stage after the request of one of
her good friends. By 1990, Milan started work with one of
Pittsburgh's premier funk, rhythm and blues bands, Room to
Move, who used to play at Moondog's every week.
Milan's
late entrance onto the music scene did not discourage Esser,
West or the other Blues Band members from inviting her to
become one of the vocal harmonies in the band mainly because
they dug her funky, voodoo style of singing.
"I
like the support and comfort of singing with them," Milan
said.
Other
than singing with the Blues Band, Milan is now performing
simple jazz standards at the William Pitt Hotel. And she's
been coached a couple of times by jazz master Frank Wible.
"This
is a whole new singing style for me," said Milan. "The
phrasing and the chord structures are sometimes very intimidating.
I don't feel real familiar with the songs yet."
The songs
that Milan performs are not the regular 12 bar blues songs
that you could fake if you had to. Milan got involved with
jazz standards because she burned out on the late night bar
scene. She blew her voice out and decided to cross over to
a different style of music. But she still plays the voodoo
blues whenever she gets a chance.
Milan
enjoys making music with The Blues Band, and that's the bottom
line. The Blues Band is special to her because the blues is
her language, heritage and roots.
"I
don't enjoy being with a regular band," said Milan. "Music
has to be fun for me. That's why I like working with these
great singers, because it is fun. And it is real fun playing
with the top blues players for our back-up band."
Pearl's
sounds of heartache country twang attached themselves to the
sultriness of Milan's voice and echoed through the still night
that January evening.
Pearl's
background in music goes all the way back to her childhood,
when she used to sing children’s songs with her older
sister Laura on the piano.
"She
used to play piano and I would sing the harmony or the lead,"
said Pearl.
She started
going to summer theater camp when she was six years old. Having
a great background in theater, Pearl tried out for the lead
role of Sandra Dee in Grease while she was in high school.
"I
was told that I got the part of Rizzo instead of Sandra Dee
because the girl playing Sandra Dee couldn't act sexy,"
said Pearl.
Pearl's
first band was a straight ahead cover rock 'n' roll band at
Indiana University called "Big Bash." The band lasted
the better part of three years until it started to fall apart.
"I
just outgrew the band musically and mentally," Pearl
said.
Pearl
was introduced to rhythm and blues by Phil Brontz, saxophone
player for 8th Street Rox, in the mid 1980's. He gave her
a tape of Aretha Franklin, and that was it. Pearl never listened
to soul or rhythm and blues music before, and once she heard
it she instantly embraced it.
It took
Pearl awhile to find the fight kind of players to satisfy
her craving to play the blues. She sang for numerous bands,
ranging from a '50s band to a dance band.
I really
had to challenge my brain to quit listening to WDVE and listen
to WAMO. I trained my brain to listen to pop and funk,"
said Pearl.
Pearl
has had more experience than most of the women in The Blues
Band, one of the reasons Esser invited Pearl in late 1995
to be a member of The Pittsburgh Women of the Blues.
"The
first night we performed was OK," said Pearl. "But
what we've grown into is great and exciting."
The night
of the first gig was wonderful, despite the fact that the
band rehearsed only four to five times before its premiere,
and she was uncertain of the other singers' voices, Pearl
said.
Pearl
admits that she loves the 'horns and the harmonies" of
old standards like Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Patsy
Kline. She also enjoys songs such as "Since I Fell For
You" and "All of Me".
Pearl
teamed up with Mike Sweeney, a songwriter and performer in
his own right, to create one of The Pittsburgh Women of the
Blues signature songs, 'Ain't Gonna Shake, (Make it Swing)."
This song will make the CD when it is put together.
The very
high, dear and agile voice of Simmons weaves through the soulful
blues sound Aretha Franklin would enjoy listening to. Growing
up in Latrobe, Pa., Simmons started singing in a children's
band called "Children in Song" which used to perform
in malls and churches.
Later
on she began listening to. Elvis and singing in her church
choir. . By the time high school rolled around, Simmons was
belting out vocals in the marching band, which led to gigs
at weddings and musical theaters.
She moved
to Pittsburgh shortly after high school and started listening
to WYEP. One afternoon she tuned in and heard Eric Clapton's
version of "I'm Tore Down," an old Somy Thompson
song.
"That
was a real turning point for me," said Simmons. "I
dug it so much. I never heard jazz or blues before. This was
a whole new world."
Simmons
was so intrigued that she went to see any blues band advertised
in the rhythm and blues section of In Pittsburgh Newsweekly.
She eventually wound up working the door for Esser at Moondog's.
Hanging
out at Moondog's and Excuses, Simmons was encouraged by George
Kazalas, a drummer, to get up on stage. The two later formed
a band called "Little Wretches."
(Please
see correction at end of article!)
Simmons
took the initiative to gain as much knowledge about the blues
as possible. She said she would begin conversations about
the blues not knowing what she was talking about.
"I
influenced myself by the radio, but players like Bonnie Raitt
and the people who performed at Moondog's really put a deep
impression on me,' said Simmons.
Simmons
was nervous after being asked to play with The Pittsburgh
Women of the Blues, since she had only played for a short
time in Pittsburgh area.
"I
felt that I was the most inexperienced of them all,"
said Simmons. "I didn't have my own band. I tell you
I was really honored to be with these women."
Simmons
is the soprano of the group, which gives her an advantage
She enjoys working with the playing with other types of music
other women and likes the fact that the word "ego"
isn't in the band's vocabulary.
"It's
the music that keeps everybody normal," said Simmons.
'We all respect each other. I just love the whole blues scene,
and the
Pittsburgh
blues music scene has been the most wonderful and pleasant
experience."
Simmons
explains that going from bar to bar, checking out every blues
band, and feeling comfortable in the surroundings is great.
This is what made her fall in love with the city.
She has
plans to get back into singing, but right now is relaxing
after recently marrying.
Esser,
the mastermind behind The Pittsburgh Women of the Blues, has
dedicated his life, time and energy to helping every musician
in any way he can. He shows so much love for music you can
see it in his eyes.
"Ron
Esser is a great man. He's a bright businessman," said
Pearl. "He can be difficult at times, but he is very
generous and a community oriented guy. He does all he can
for the musicians and has a great time."
Esser
always tries to keep the blues music community in order. He
promotes shows for Graffiti or helps Tony Denardo, its owner,
during shows.
The Pittsburgh
Women of the Blues is what brings much of the blues community
together. There is a lot of animosity in other musical scenes
in Pittsburgh, but having these women sing together has inspired
a whole city of music lovers.
"The
blues people are more friends than the rock people or the
acoustic people. They are not in competition with each other.
We're all kinda friends," said Esser. "We try to
support each other any way we can."
That's
why Esser got involved with the blues scene, because he tries
to help people in any way he can. He hopes that The Pittsburgh
Women of the Blues makes that album. After all, he would love
to see the idea he came up with driving down a snowy road
receive scorching success.
All the
pieces are in place for a good game.
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***CORRECTION
FROM THE WEBMISTRESS:
While
searching for background information about Jill West and Blues
Attack, I found this article on the Pittsburgh Women Of Blues
web site. Although it was written back in December of 1998,
I still thought that the fans would find the information entertaining.
In
the above article, the author, Jason Lee, writes:
Hanging
out at Moondog's and Excuses, Simmons was encouraged by George
Kazalas, a drummer, to get up on stage. The two later formed
a band called "Little Wretches."
I
can guarantee you that Jill Paone Simmons and George Kazalas
DID NOT FORM THE BAND "THE LITTLE WRETCHES!" This
band was founded by Robert A. Wagner.
As
the former girlfriend of the FOUNDING MEMBER of the LITTLE
WRETCHES, I want to set the record straight. Pittsburgh native,
singer, songwriter, guitarist, & harmonica player, Robert
A. Wagner, was the original founding member of the Little
Wretches. I witnessed this with my own eyes (and ears) way
back in 1984!
George
Kazalas joined the Little Wretches after the original drummer
left, but he was not a "founder" of this band, nor
was he playing in the original incarnation. I don't have any
information about Jill Paone Simmons, but it could be that
she joined the band after Bob and I parted ways in the late
80's.
Well,
that's Pittsburgh music trivia for you! Ancient history, but
my goal is for accurate reporting on this web site!
Best
Regards,
Deena
N. Alansky, Webmistress for Jill West and Blues Attack
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