In Memory Of Gashouse Dave....

"Hey Homes....listen to this!", were the words I had heard so many times on the phone, often very late at night. But no matter the time, I always took the call because the man behind those words made me smile way too many times.

The first time I met "Gashouse" Dave Shorey was when he came to our home in Van Nuys to turn off the gas. The grizzled persona of David Randall Shorey not only kept the gas on but also revealed a true bluesman possessed of a unique talent. The details of that first meeting are in the show today.

I would like to thank my friend, Tom Sullivan, a very accomplished musician himself and a long term friend of Dave for joining me on this show and sharing some of his fond memories of the Gasman.

I would also like to thank Norm Sancho and Billy DaMota for arranging a great send-off for Gashouse Dave last week.

We are now preparing Dave's "Guitar King - Live In Hollywood" for release. Playing with Dave on that recording are Norm Sancho (bass) and Eddie Avilla (drums). The recording was made at Grandmaster Studios with Jimmi Mayweather at the engineering helm. The recording date was 7/13/96 and we are just sorry that Dave won't be around to enjoy its forthcoming release.

Gashouse Dave will long be fondly remembered throughout Southern California by the many lives he touched....on and off the stage.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Breakin' Up Somebody's Home"....Gashouse Dave & The Hardtails....unreleased
2)...."Knockin' Myself Out"....Mike Bloomfield....Takoma Records
3)...."Rainin', On Hiway 13"....Gashouse Dave & The Hardtails....unreleased
4)...."What The Blues Is All About"....Gashouse Dave & The Hardtails....unreleased
5)...."Way Too Cool"....Gashouse Dave & The Hardtails....Test Pressing

Click here to play....In Memory Of Gashouse Dave.

Click here to go to Gashouse Dave's website.

Click here to go to Tom Sullivan's website.

Daughter Of Mob Boss Balistrieri Dies!

By Sharif Durhams of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jun. 4, 2009

Benedetta Balistrieri, the daughter of Milwaukee's reputed late mob boss Frank Balistrieri, died May 27 in a Los Angeles hospital, her younger sister said Thursday.

Benedetta had complications from diabetes, according to Catherine Balistrieri-Busateri. She was 64.

Benedetta Balistrieri is the one of four Balistrieri siblings who left Milwaukee to make a new life. After running a downtown Milwaukee club, The Scene, that drew such acts as Jimi Hendrix to Milwaukee, she followed her second husband, Johnny Contardo, a former lead singer for the band Sha Na Na, to Hollywood in 1982.

A 2002 Milwaukee Magazine profile noted that she worked in Los Angeles on music videos and in television shows. Attorney Fred Van Hecke of Milwaukee told the Journal Sentinel that Balistrieri remained close with a network of friends in her hometown while becoming close with celebrities like producer Phil Spector in Hollywood.

"She was a gem," Van Hecke said. "She had a quick wit and could spin a yarn."

Benedetta's relationship with her siblings was the opposite of close.

Frank Balistrieri died without a will in 1993, 15 months after he was released from an eight-year term in federal prison for bookmaking and extortion. His widow, Antonina, died without a will in 1997.

Benedetta sued Catherine and brothers Joe and John after the sale of the Balistrieri family home and its contents in 2001.

Benedetta said she was entitled to a cut of the proceeds. The siblings said there wasn't any money from the estate to give her.

Catherine said Thursday that before she learned of her sister's illness in April, the two hadn't spoken since 1993. Catherine took note of the large number of her sister's friends who contacted her when they learned Benedetta became ill. Benedetta was always generous with her friends and entertaining to be around, her sister said.

Catherine said she and her sister didn't speak directly before she died, but said she reached out to her sister. She wished her sister had come home to Milwaukee years ago, she said.

"I just wanted her soul to have some peace," Catherine said. "I just wanted her to have a peaceful passing."

The body was cremated, her sister said. A service will be held at 11 a.m. July 11 at St. Rita Church, 1601 N. Cass Street.

Ace Is The Place!

Recently, I had the golden opportunity to browse a catalog from Ace Records in England. I was amazed at the thousands of titles available in that beautifully prepared catalog. I was whisked through time as though I were in a time machine.

I marked down the CDs I would have liked never thinking that I would receive them all. To my surprise, they sent everything I had checked off. It was like having all my birthday wishes come true.

The show today is a thanks to Ace for their generosity and to Mr. Alec Palao for setting the process in motion.

May I suggest you crank up your computer and travel to Ace Records and request a catalog for your own "time travel" experience. I'm in heaven.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."I Am Looking For A Woman"....Bo Diddley....Bo's Blues....Ace Records
2)...."Diddy Wah Diddy"....Bo Diddley....Bo's Blues....Ace Records
3)...."Variety Boogie"....Hadda Brooks....Romance In The Dark....Ace Records
4)...."I'm So Glad"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
5)...."I'm In Love Again"....Fats Domino....The Imperial Singles #3....Ace Records
6)...."Blueberry Hill"....Fats Domino....The Imperial Singles #3....Ace Records
7)...."I Did My Part"....Irma Thomas....Time Is On My Side....Ace Records
8)...."Pretty Girls Everywhere"....Eugene Church....The Very Best Of....Ace Records

Click here to play....Ace Is The Place!

Click here to go to Ace Records for your very own catalog!

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

A Tribute To The Gasman!

I met David Shorey in 1992. I was Mr. Mom at the time while my wife was in chiropractic school. I'll admit things were tough. The royalty checks had turned into dribbles and we were struggling to make ends meet.

One day, I see a man at our gate in front so I go out to see what he wants. He said he was from the Gas Company and had come to turn off our gas. I guess we hadn't paid the bill. While we were talking, he noticed one of my gold records through the window. That changed the course of the conversation to music. The gas man told me that when he wasn't turning off peoples' gas, he was a guitar player who loved the blues.

He went inside the house with me so that I could show him some guitars. Hours later the gas was still on and I had a new friend.

Throughout the years Dave and I became closer and I went on to play several gigs with him in the south land. He was a great player and could emulate nearly any Bluesman he had heard.

I remember one afternoon in rush hour traffic, we were driving together down the 405 South heading to a gig. When we were passing Hillside Memorial Park, Dave slowed down to a crawl. I looked over at him to see what he was doing and he had his head down and was murmuring something softly to himself. By now the traffic is honking their horns and screaming epithets out their windows at this car creeping along. After a few minutes, Dave became normal again and said, "I always say "Hi." to Bloomfield when I drive by." It was then I learned he had played with Mike Bloomfield (Bass) for some time.

David Shorey had a heart as large as a Cadillac and it's hard to believe we won't have those all night conversations about his writing, his music and his life in general.

Recently we hadn't been in touch that much. I talked to him about six months ago and he never mentioned a word about his illness. That was Dave all over. He would talk all night about trivial things but when it came down to something important like his health, he never said a mumblin' word.

We are preparing a special show to pay tribute to the man who let my gas stay on so I could feed my kids. A true human being and a good man. Gashouse Dave Shorey. Rest In Peace my Brother.

John Rhys and Family
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

A Sample Of The Best Music You Never Heard!

BluePower has been playing the Blues for fifteen years now and to be honest, we're just not finding the caliber material we would like to play in order to remain consistently strong. Sure....we could keep playing the old artists, the great artists who created the Blues in the first place (and we will from time to time) but there are now dozens of sites playing the Blues. When we started on the air in 1995 we were among three web sites with the intention of keeping the Blues alive.

Recently, a friend mentioned that I had produced and engineered many great artists during my time that never saw the light of day. He said that perhaps BluePower should look to doing something new with something old. After all....if you've never heard something, then it's new to you correct?

The Best Music You Never Heard.

Please let us know if there is anything in particular that strikes your fancy and we'll make sure to place more of that material into our upcoming shows.

Here's the music:

1)...."The Passionate Side"....Basha....unreleased....publisher unknown
2)...."Shut Up!"....The Hornets....unreleased....Hollywood Allstar Music
3)...."Full Moon"....The Infallibles....unreleased....publisher unknown
4)...."Walk Around"....Cliffdweller....unreleased....Hollywood Allstar Music 5)...."Spanish Eyes"....Real George....unreleased....Hollywood Allstar Music

Click here to play....The Best Music You Never Heard!

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Good Morning Blues........'Crazy 'Bout An Automobile'!

By 1953 and 1954, I was 12 and 13 respectively. Like so many kids in the United States, I waited impatiently for September to roll around; thus releasing all the new model cars at once into my impatient life. I read all the magazines, scrutinized all the ads and dreamed of owning most of the cars.

And then there were the songs.

The number of songs written for the illustrious automobile is far too long to elucidate here. There were songwriters whipping out cartunes from the very beginning of the production line, in every language and for every make. The Chevy Show with Dinah Shore was a huge success and I'm sure, sold millions of Chevy's. The Big Three manufacturers here in the States all hosted radio and television shows weekly during that time, blaring their theme songs to millions. "See the USA in your Chevrolet". Go little 409!

So, as usual....I picked a bunch of my favorite car songs. I hope you enjoy the show.

BTW....Find the line The Beatles used in one of their biggest hits among these songs below. It's a direct steal and an homage. Be the tenth person to write in with the correct answer and win a swell music DVD. No kidding!

John Rhys/BluePower

Playlist:

1)..."Rocket 88"........Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88's........Blind Pig
2)..."Crazy 'Bout An Automobile"........Billy Emerson........VeeJay
3)..."Cadillac Blues"........Blue By Nature V/Karen Lawrence........Shattered
4)..."No Money Down"........Chuck Berry........Chess
5)..."Seein' What I Ain't Got"........Steppin' Lazer........unreleased
6)..."Mercury Blues"........David Lindley........Rhino
7)..."Slow Down"........Larry Williams........Specialty
8)..."Hi Ballin' "........The Hula Monsters........Mega Truth
9)..."You Can't Catch Me"........Chuck Berry........Chess
10)..."Rocket 88"........Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats........Chess
11)..."Maybelline"........Chuck Berry........Chess
12)..."Greenbacks"........Ray Charles........Atlantic
13)..."V8 Ford Blues"........Mose Allison........Atlantic
14)..."SUV"........Mem Shannon........Shanachi
15)..."Big V8"........Mark Sallings And The Famous Unknowns........Vent
16)..."Big Ass Green Van"........Bill Perry........Blind Pig
17)..."Peddle To The Metal"........Sonny Landreth........Sugar Hill

Listen to: Crazy Bout An Automobile!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Stand By Me....A Beautiful Video For An Amazing Lady!

Recently....a dear friend of many has fallen upon hard times. She has been completely renounced by her family and now....has only the support of her friends.

Let me tell you a bit about her.

Her name is Benedetta Balistrieri and I first met her while loading in for a gig with a band I was producing at that time. Benny (as her friends call her), was one of the most beautiful women I had seen in my life. This little lady ran one of the most prominent venues for developing music in the United States. Through the doors of The Scene in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, flowed the essence of what would become the greatest and most historic bands in the world; long before Woodstock or The Monterey Pop Festival. From Jimi Hendrix to Cream to Mountain and everything in between were helped along their way by the generous nature of Benedetta Balistrieri. Benny was always there for an advance so the musicians could pay their hotel rooms or just provide gas for their vans full of equipment to the next job. Benny was always available for a touch. There are many of us who will never forget that.

Now....times are a lot different. A series of bad marriages, family disputes and poor choices have left this wonderful girl in dire straights. What is amazing though is the fact that Benny's friends are popping up all over the world with help and support.

Today, I received a video from one of Benny's most staunch allies. Kate Teipel sent this video of the song "Stand By Me" as performed simultaneously by musicians from around the world. A more fitting stance could not have been provided. For this, we thank Kate most profusely.

All we ask is that as you view this video, you think good thoughts and prayers for our dear friend and compatriot for many years. I know she will appreciate your kindness. The universe works in strange ways.

This is a lady who did more in her own way to help new music along the road than most record companies ever did.

Please send us your thoughts via blupwr@sbcglobal.net and we will make sure Benny receives them in good order.

Here's the link to the video....Stand By Me

Best wishes to you all....
John Rhys/BluePower.com

Bobby Womack....From Valentino To Superstar!

Bio from: AMG
Written by: Steve Huey

A veteran who paid his dues for over a decade before getting his shot at solo stardom, Bobby Womack persevered through tragedy and addiction to emerge as one of soul music's great survivors. Able to shine in the spotlight as a singer or behind the scenes as an instrumentalist and songwriter, Womack never got his due from pop audiences, but during the late '60s and much of the '70s, he was a consistent hitmaker on the R&B charts, with a high standard of quality control. His records were quintessential soul, with a bag of tricks learned from the likes of Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, and Sly Stone, all of whom Womack worked closely with at one time or another. Yet often, they also bore the stamp of Womack's own idiosyncratic personality, whether through a lengthy spoken philosophical monologue or a radical reinterpretation of a pop standard. An underrated guitarist, Womack helped pioneer a lean, minimalist approach similar to that of Curtis Mayfield, and was an early influence on the young Jimi Hendrix. Additionally, his songs have been recorded by numerous artists in the realms of both R&B and rock, and the best of them rank as all-time classics.

This perfomance was mixed by John Rhys at Master Sound Recorders in Hollywood.

We at BluePower.com wish to extend our congratulations to our dear friend on his acceptance into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. An award long overdue to one of the true contributors of American popular music.

Listen To Bobby Womack Live At The Roxy With Special Guest..Sly Stone!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Blackfoot To Appear At House Of Blues Anaheim, April 4th!

One of the hardest working, multi Gold and Platinum acts to hit the charts and perform the world's stages are once more performing their classic tracks like Train Train, Highway Song, Baby Blue, Fox Chase, Left Turn, Fly Away and others as well as new songs. Having completed over 120 shows already and there are no plans to slow down.

Blackfoot's bold and long history are the stuff of which legends are made. Touring the world with bands such as The Who, Deep Purple, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, to name a few have helped to solidify their place in rock music. Blackfoot's headline tours gave America their first taste of bands like Def Leppard, Scorpions, Iron Maiden and others who opened for them.

Blackfoot has left their mark in Southern Rock, the term Southern Metal was first coined to describe the band. Their history is a thing of legend and they have left their fingerprint on countless bands that came after them. Blackfoot is back, now we all have a chance to hear the real thing again for a long time to come.

Click here to see Blackfoot at the House Of Blues in Anaheim on April Fourth!

Click here to visit Blackfoot's web site!

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Lester Davenport Now Playing In The Heavenly Band!

• RIP Lester Davenport 1/16/1932-3/17/2009: Word has just come in from Kevin Johnson of Delmark Records that Chicago blues harmonica great Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport passed away on Tuesday, March 17, 2009, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was a respected figure in Chicago blues, best known for his stunning harp work on Bo Diddley's 1955 recordings of "Pretty Thing" and "Bring It To Jerome". Lester Davenport was born in Tchula, Mississippi on January 16, 1932, and moved to Chicago at age 14. Lester soon found work as a blues harmonica player working with Arthur "Big Boy" Spires and Homesick James before landing a gig with Bo Diddley that led to the famous recording session and a gig at the Apollo Theater. In addition to harmonica, Lester also played bass, drums, and guitar, which ensured him lots of work in the active Chicago blues scene. During the 1970s, he worked with W.W. Williams, Kansas City Red, Illinois Slim, Steve Cushing, Tchula childhood friend Jimmy Dawkins, and many others. In the 1980s he toured extensively with Big Daddy Kinsey & The Kinsey Report. Lester Davenport's career yielded 2 beautiful CDs: When The Blues Hit You on Earwig Music (1993) and I Smell A Rat on Delmark (2002). He also had a couple songs released on an anthology called It's Great To Be Rich on the Red Lightnin' label, and a song on Chicago Blues Harmonica, an anthology on the Wolf Records label. Lester's recording credits as a sideman are extensive: Bo Diddley for Chess records, Big Smokey Smothers for Red Lightnin', Willie Johnson, Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis, Johnny B. Moore for Wolf Records, Big Smokey Smothers, Big John Trice for Red Lightnin', Aron Burton on Earwig, and Bonnie Lee and Willie Kent for Delmark. Aside from all of these great credentials, Lester was just a wonderful man who was eager to welcome new friends and share his harmonica secrets to aspiring players. He had a warm smile and the ability to add humor to any situation. His harmonica playing will be remembered for its glorious, sweet tone and perfect phrasing. Though he never achieved great fame, he will always be remembered as one of the greats. Funeral services will be this Saturday, March 28, 2009, 10am to 12pm, at A.R. Leak Funeral Home, 5000 W. Madison, Chicago, IL 60644.
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.