Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin

Happy New Year to all my friends, Facebook and otherwise. It’s my feeling and opinion that we’re all in this together, so I think we should try to be nice to each other. Ask yourself “What would Hubert Sumlin do?” He had as much social grace as guitar talent. Just try it, what could go wrong?

Friday at the Boulder Outlook in Colorado was a very special night. My band was Al Chesis & The Deltasonics (Al, Kyle Roberts, John Butler) but we sure had some spectacular Bluesmen playing all night with us: Austin Young and Jake Miles on guitar and Jack Gaffney on piano.

Tonight as we looked to the future and tried to heal in the present, we really had the spirit and played attentively together as a band even though we’re not. Here are a before and after shot. I think there will be plenty of photos and Youtube videos posted soon.

Thanks to all for congratulations on my Blues Music Award nomination for Best Traditional Blues Male Artist. I thank the fine musicians who inspire me, past and present.

At home, they do not appreciate me leaving for Colorado this morning to play with Al Chesis & The Deltasonics.

Tonight - Lincoln Roadhouse, Denver

Friday - Boulder Outlook with special guest Austin Young

Saturday - Crystola Roadhouse, Woodland Park

EBOOK LINKS BELOW… Thanks to the nice folks who have been writing to me that they enjoy my eBook. It presents the best of the stories from my column in Blues Revue magazine, plus some photos with their stories and some Blues fiction. I recently found that I will receive a 2013 Keeping the Blue Alive Award for Journalism from the Blues Foundation and my book presents my writing to you. Also, if you enjoy my posts here about Blues and dogs and cats and travel, you’ll probably like the eBook. Thank you!

LINKS for Steady Rollin’ by Bob Margolin eBook

AMAZON KINDLE — www.amazon.com/Steady-Rollin-ebook/dp/B005N0M17C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1316121790&sr=1-1

BARNES & NOBLE — www.barnesandnoble.com/w/steady-rollin-bob-margolin/1105621821?ean=9781618421524&itm=1&usri=bob%2bmargolin

SONY — www.ebookstore.sony.com/search?keyword=bob+margolin

APPLE iBOOKS — search “Bob Margolin” on iBooks app for iPhone or iPad

One year ago, 12/4 Hubert Sumlin left us. Many were inspired by his guitar playing, none could sound like him. He was even more talented socially. As you admired him, he would shine a friendly light back on you. I feel him standing beside me on the bandstand, and in challenging social situations, it’s always helpful to ask “What would Hubert do?”

Here he is about 10 years ago, with my old Gibson. The book beside him is Robert Gordon’s biography of Muddy. The music we made that morning is on 2 songs on my Telarc album “Bob Margolin All-Star Blues Jam” from 2003.

Here is an iPhone photo, taken from 100 yards away, of the core of Hot Tuna onstage at the Beacon Theater last Saturday night. It’s blurry and grainy, but it represents the music and partnership of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, still going strong after playing together over 50 years. I’m home in North Carolina now, grateful to my Tuna hosts and their guests in New York, The Mike Sponza Band in Italy, Bonny B in Switzerland, and all the fine musicians I jammed with and the soulful audiences I met in the last 2 weeks.

Well, I’m sure not a star, but for a few hours…”My name in lights on Broadway”

The top photo was my last meal in Italy, before the show Thursday night. Ravioli with grilled vegetables, gnocci with pumpkin sauce…. The BOTTOM PHOTO was my next meal, on the plane to New York today. Don’t accuse me of altering the label if you can’t prove it…

I always knew a hotel bed could be a dangerous place but I’ve never seen it illustrated like this before. This is in Vittorio Veneta Italy where I played tonight. Leaving for NYC in a few hours — playing with Electric Hot Tuna Saturday night at the Beacon Theater.