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Tom Marker’s Weekend Live Blues Pick
posted by: Tom Marker
Blues Breakers, Tom Marker, Music
12/10/2010
1:41 pm
i
4 Votes
Funky Mojo Daddy
Here I am, your friendly, neighborhood Rock and Roll and Blues DJ with another pick for live blues this weekend in Chicago(land). Today’s pick is based on the caliber of the players, the neighborliness of the bar/club, and the fact that these guys, though local, don’t play around here that often. Oh yeah, and the weekend cover is always only 6 bucks. Funky Mojo Daddy at The Harlem Avenue Lounge Saturday night.
Funky Mojo Daddy
First the players. These guys are the best. They’re all veterans of the Chicago music scene where they play with the best bands in a city filled with really good bands. Funky Mojo Daddy is a side project that grew out of the legendary jams at Leroy’s Hot Stuff in Porter, Indiana. The group consists of Kenny Kinsey from The Kinsey Report (bass/vocals), Nick Byrd, who plays guitar in Wayne Baker Brooks‘ band (guitar/vocals), Jerry Porter who played with Buddy Guy‘s band (drums/vocals), Jeff Massey from Steepwater (Slide guitar/vocals) and Corey Dennison, Carl Weathersby‘s guitarist (guitar/vocals).
The bar is an unpretentious, neighborly, welcoming bar on Harlem Avenue about halfway between the Ike and the Stevenson. The Harlem Avenue Lounge has the two most important ingredients of a blues bar, a good sound system and a good vibe. Live blues is free on Tuesday and Thursday, and on the weekend it’s only 6 dollars.
Because these guys have other gigs, it’s always a special occasion when they get together, more special when they play outside of NW Indiana, and more special still when the amazing Corey Dennison is able to be part of the band.
- WXRT- Blues Breakers, Tom Marker, Music
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Times music guru Tom Lounges ranks region's top albums of 2009
StoryDiscussionBy Tom Lounges - Times Correspondent | Posted: Friday, January 15, 2010 12:00 am | No Comments Posted
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..Having been the local music columnist for The Times since 1983, a good deal of albums cross my desk throughout each year. Some bad, some good, some exceptional.
Each December those in my "keepers" stack from the year get revisited, as the struggle begins to pluck out those which most warrant attention.
Always remember, music is subjective and one man's noise may be another's sirens' call. That said, here's my personal Top 10 of Chicagoland releases for 2009.
Criteria requires the artist reside in the Great Lakes region; released the CD between the last quarter of 2008 and Dec. 25 of 2009; that it's commercially available to the public; is professionally pressed and packaged; and contains a minimum of either six songs or 30 minutes of music.
So let's get started. Counting down from number 10, here are my picks as the cream of the 2009 crop.
10. FUNKY MOJO DADDY "Mojo Daddy" (Indie)
Though comprised of cover songs, the sheer talent on these tracks almost makes the songs themselves secondary.
Mojo Daddy features bassist Kenny Kinsey (The Kinsey Report) keeping the groove with the rock-solid backbeat of Jerry Porter.
Add in three scorching string-benders -- Jeff Massey (Steepwater Band), Corey Dennison (Vital Support Band) and Nick Byrd (Kinsey Report) -- and even blues standards like Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" and Willie Dixon's "Little Red Rooster" and "I Just Wanna Make Love To You," take on a new life. Highlights: Dixon's "Mellow Down Easy," Mississippi John Hurt's "The Ballad Of John Henry," and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." FYI: MYSPACE.COM/FUNKYMOJODADDY
- The Times
The band with the right balance of rock and groove, especially with Kenny Kinsey's fantastic bass work. The band sounded immediate and personal, which is always a challenge at an outdoor festival. - Calumet Press
Discography
MojoDaddy ( self-titled release, Dec. 2009 )
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Bio
Every roots music fan loves being melted by the vibe and energy of a smokin’ hot band. When the heat of the music matches that mood, magic is made.
The members of MojoDaddy are all top-shelf musicians who have achieved considerable success with their respective groups. Throughout their careers, these guys have taken the message of Chicago blues and traveled the world to spread it with artists such as Buddy Guy, Carl Weathersby, the Kinsey Report and the Steepwater Band. The group consists of Kenny Kinsey (bass/vocals), Nick Byrd (guitar/vocals), Jerry Porter (drums/vocals), Jeff Massey (Slide guitar/vocals) and Corey Dennison (guitar/vocals).
Joining forces for this project to take that message further, they've built a high-energy blues, funk/soul, roots-rock supergroup who thread the spirit of the past into this ten-song disc with creative, passionate playing. Employing a trio of accomplished, fire-breathing guitarists (Nick Byrd, Corey Dennison, Jeff Massey), a rock-solid rhythm section (Kenny Kinsey, Jerry Porter), and four distinct-yet-complementary vocalists (Byrd, Dennison, Massey, Kinsey), the band fuses their musical tastes into a must-have disc for any hardcore blues-rocker who has an occasional sensitive moment.
Together, they have quickly gained a reputation for being one of Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland area’s top blues bands and rhythm sections. All of this has led to them appearing on a regular rotation at some of the areas hottest live music venues and annual summer festivals.
These musician’s pride themselves on playing with heart and soul, creating an unstoppable energy. Their intense delivery of the music will have you up and dancing, while never letting you forget where our musical debt is owed.
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