ESPECIAL COVID-19
En aquests dies de confinament hem pensat que una bona forma de contribuïr a la divulgació del blues podria ser compartir amb vosaltres algunes entrevistes i articles per fer més amena l’estada a casa, i per seguir contribuïnt a divulgar el blues.
Per començar, us oferim aquesta entrevista realitzada a Anson Fundenburg al Festival de Blues de Lucerne, Nov de 2012, per Big Mama Montse amb fotografies de Carme Barrera i que es va publicar a la revista francesa Blues & Co. Desitjem que us pugui agradar. Trobareu, en primer lloc, l’entrevista transcrita de l’anglès tal qual la va respondre Anson Fundenburgh, i després us adjuntem les pàgines de Blues & Co on va ser publicada en francès.
Si algú vol subscriure’s a aquesta revista, que des de fa uns anys envia de forma gratuïta els seus exemplars al Fons de Blues, podeu consultar com fer-ho aquí:
ANSON FUNDERBURGH
We had the great pleasure of speaking with Anson Fundenburg after his concerts at Lucerne Blues Festival in which he acted with the Golden State/Lone Star Revue feat. Anson Fundenburg, Little Charlie Batty and Mark Hummel. Their concerts were spectacular! We were fortunate to meet him the first day we arrived in Lucerne, walking down the street as a tourist and talking with saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter, who at that time was the band’s road manager besides being an Anson’s good friend… Anson Fundenburg was very nice and friendly with us, and predisposed to give this interview that we finally did at the hotel where he stayed, a luxury hotel in which The Festival lodged all the artists that felt very happy to be there. Let’s enjoy this fascinating conversation!
B&C: One of my favorite albums that I never get tired of listening to is “Live at the Grand Emporium” that you recorded with The Rockets featuring Sam Myers Live in 1995. What memories do you have of this album?
ANSON FUNDENBURG: Oh, ok! Well, we recorded that album in Kansas City at Roger Naber’s place called The Grand Emporium. It’s the name of the club… In case of the people don’t know who Roger Naber is, he is the guy that does the Rhythm&Blues Cruise. Then we decided that we wanted to make a live record we choose that club because it was a great place to play and also because we had a big following in Kansas City. So we set up and recorded the album in three nights, three separate evenings, and then took the best of the songs we played…
B&C: Sam Myers seems to be sick on it…
A.F.: Yes, he was sick.
B&C: But he did it!
A.F.: Yes, he did it and it was good! At first we thought that maybe he’ll have to re-sing some songs but finally it was ok.
B&C: Recently it has been your birthday ’cause you were born in 1954, in November… Exactly what day, 14 or 15?
A.F.: It’s the 14. I was born in November 14th, 1954.
B&C: Congratulations and we wish that you enjoy it so much here, in Lucerne Blues Festival…
A.F.: I did! This is my second, no, my third time over here! I’ve celebrated it twice here, in Lucerne. This year, Miss Carr (Barbara Carr) sang “Happy Birthday” to me… And the last time, Sam Myers sang “Happy Birthday” and Pinetop Perkins played it on piano. I’ve had two wonderful birthdays in Lucerne Blues Festival!
B&C: Let’s see, you were born in Plano, which is located north of Dallas, Texas. I know that you’ve got a picture of you with a little Roy Rogers guitar when you were only 3 years old… You came into this world almost with a guitar with you! When did you start playing?
A.F.: Ha, ha! Well, I don’t really remember exactly when I took it up but I’ve been playing in clubs since I was 15 years old. You know, I’ve had this little toy guitars when I was a kid but I got my very first guitar maybe when I had 8 or 10 years. My mom used to work with a lady and her daughter’s husband had that guitar and a box full with 45 r.p.m. records. We bought it from them and those 45 r.p.m. records changed my life…
B&C: Do you still keep those 45 r.p.m. records?
A.F.: Oh, no, they’re long gone. Unfortunately!
B&C: As you said, your first guitar came with a magic box full of singles, including “Hideaway” played by Freddie King, “Honky Tonk” by Bill Dogget and some Jimmy Reed’s… What are your memories of those early days?
A.F.: You know, back in those days you didn’t really have like today on internet. Now, young kids that want to learn a song they can get the tabs or watch a video on youtube… But I had a stereo and I started over, started over, started over the same record… I mean you put the songs over and over trying to play those licks and learn that song! Sometimes they were frustrating days but we had a lot of fun by listening the music and playing the records…
B&C: And when it didn’t sound the same, you created your own voice…
A.F.: True! Sometimes you make mistakes that turn into something that is your own thing, your own touch.
B&C: What happened that day in “The Loosers Club” in Dallas, when you were 15 years old and saw BB King playing for about 100 people?
A.F.: It was one of the most wonderful experiences I think I’ve ever had! You know, for me, BB was such a wonderful kind of person!… He’d never remember this, but he treated me just like if I was the only person there, and I’ll never forget it! He made me always want to be as gracious as he was, not only to emulate and learn his songs and his music but I also wanted the same that he had: to have such a huge heart! He kind of change my life and in some sort of way it has helped me to come all that I am! Even as a person and not just as a musician.
B&C: It was an amazing experience…
A.F.: Oh, yeah, It was wonderful!
B&C: When you organized your own band “The Rockets” in 1978, you made all the booking, management by yourself, and even the promotion of the group for 10 years. How did you do it all ’cause you had lots of gigs?
A.F.: We worked a lot at that particular time! I guess we all helped to do different things: we had to do it all by ourselves! Some of that was fun and some of that was hard. You know, it was just like to start any kind of business: you got to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run! To try to figure out how we managed at that time: we made tapes and send them, make phone calls, ask people to hire us, then we had to call over friends to come and send out a lot of flyers trying to get people coming to the clubs… But it was fun, you know, and we did it!… We wanted to be successful and that’s kind of work too. It was a great learning experience for me because once I was able to find some sort of booking agent I never complained about paying them! It’s hard work!
B&C: In 1981 you recorded your first album with The Rockets “Talk to you by hand” which in turn was the first record of the independent record label Black Top Records in New Orleans. What happened then that led Black Top to start his company with your LP?
A.F.: Black Top Records was owned by Hammond and Nauman Scott, two brothers. Hammond Scott was a huge blues fan… We were playing in New Orleans at a little place named Clarities*, I can’t remember what street it was on but I think it was right on the edge of the French Quarter. Hammond came in and saw us playing and listened to us and liked us… I met two people that week: I met Doug Rynack that eventually played piano for me and I met Hammond that left me a card and said that he was thinking about starting a blues label. After we left New Orleans, we thought about recording and we started having conversations with Hammond. In 1981 we finally recorded “Talk to you by hand” and it was the very first Black Top Records’ album.
B&C: And how did you recorded it? Did you and The Rockets play together at the same time? Is that the way the band sounded alive then?
A.F.: You’re absolutelly right! That’s the way the band sounded, and we also get some horns too. We recorded at a place called Sumet-Bernet Studio that has a huge room. We all set up and played live. We get the horns there
B&C: We like so much that record!
A.F.: I like that record too!
B&C: In 1984 you were playing in Jackson, Mississippi, on a small place called George Street Grocery and you met Sam Myers for the first time… What happened there?
A.F.: Yes, but it was more like 1982 probably that I met Sam… We were playin’ in a record store to promote our record, Be Bop Records in Jackson Mississippi, when I met there Pete Cushney* who was the guitar player for Sam. He asked me to meet Sam ’cause we played one of Sam’s songs… He said “I’m playing with Sam” and I said “Really?” and he goes “Yeah!”. We asked him to bring Sam to the George Street Grocery so he brought him there and all of us became great friends with Sam. In 1884 I got Black Top interested in making a record with Sam and I hired Wess Starr that was playing drums with us over there, and also a guy that played string bass named Rory McLeod (he was playing with Roomful of Blues at that time) and I used Doug Rynack on the piano and Sam and myself, and we made that record “My love is here to stay”. And that was the very first record that I ever made with Sam! It wasn’t really a Rockets’ record, it was a different project… wich it was! And then when Darrell left the band in 1986 I called Sam up asking him if he wanted to move with us and start working all the time and he said “yes”.
B&C: Did you go to get him in Jackson, Mississippi, with your van to move him to Dallas?
A.F.: Oh, actually the funny story behind that is that I did’t have a van at that time. So a friend of mine drove me to Jackon in my car and I borrowed a van, an amplifier and an harmonica mike from Greg “Fingers” Taylor (if you’re familiar with him or not, he played harmonica for Jimmy Buffet for many years). He lent me his van, an old amp and an old microphone, and we picked up all Sam’s clothes and get all packed in the van and went back to Dallas. Within 6 months I bought my own van and took Greg his van back… It was a humble beginning with me and Sam but it was a relationship that lasted 20 years! We had a lot of fun… Maybe a lot of good music too! I miss him so much. He died right after my daughter’s birthday or the day before…
B&C: How about Sam Myers? Was he a person who liked to talk? Did he tell you his experiences as a musician with Elmore James?
A.F.: Oh he used to talk about him and Elmore making moonshine! Which is whiskey, yeah! He used to laugh and tell stories about that and also about him. He went to a school for people with eye problems and not much money that was called the Piney Woods Country Scool, probably between Jackson, Mississippi, and Meridian. He used to tell us some pretty funny stories about all the old school and playing tricks on each other… some stories I can’t tell them! It was a laugh a minute to be around him!
B&C: You have also preserved the art of Sam Myers with all the albums that you recorded together, that are truly wonderful.
A.F.: I have…
B&C: Do you remember if there was a song that he particularly liked?
A.F.: He just loved his own voice… If he had his voice on it, he likes it. I don’t know if there was any particular song that he liked to sing: he liked them all! He loved music, and even if we were home and off he would find some place to play… I’m not sure what song was his favourite.
B&C: You also met Robert Junior Lockwood and so many other fine musicians. You have had the good fortune to live with these geniuses, keeping with a tradition that cames from within… What is for you the blues?
A.F.: Oh yes absolutally… For me the blues is a wonderful music of stories about life, and they all come from the heart! It’s a very emotional music and not necessarily have to be sad or dawn… that can be happy and humorous! That’s what it is to me. I’m not sure I can explain my feeling for it. Blues moves me that way, but certain country music moves me that way and certain jazz moves me that way too: I can find joy or sadness or solitude in those types of music that just do something for me.
B&C: In August 1986 you published your first album with Sam Myers titled “My love is here to stay”. Next year you recorded “Sins” (also with Black Top Records) which won 4 W.C. Handy Awards: Best Blues Band of the year, Contemporary Blues Album of the year, Blues Song of the year for “Changing Neighborhoods” co-written by you and Sam, and Best Blues Instrumentalist for Sam Myers’ harmonica playing. How did you celebrate it?
A.F.: I think that’s correct… You know it happened so fast and I’m not sure we did!
B&C: You didn’t open a bottle of champain or something like that?
A.F.: Well, we didn’t do that because I don’t drink! But I think we just had such a wonderful time… That was very good! Both Sam and I did a lot of interviews and that’s like kinda of celebrating!
B&C: Despite all the awards (9 W.C. Handy Blues Awards for you and your bandmates) you’ve never considered yourself as a guitar hero neither showed any kind of “ego trip”… You say that recognition helps to have name and get people to fill the clubs. And you have played a lot, almost 300 nights a year!
A.F.: We use to play a lot, yes. Sam and I were very blessed, very lucky. We made a pretty good living by being blues musicians. There was a lot of clubs that would hire us, during the week, and we tour all the time. And we had a lot of fun! We just built our reputation on beeing a working band. Yeah, I’ve never considered myself a guitar hero… I’m more a band player: I wanna hear the piano, the bass. To me, you build a band around a song and a singer. For me, the voice is probably the most important instrument in the band. I like to support a singer. That’s what I like!
B&C: And an harmonica player!
A.F.: Yes!
B&C: In 1999 you recorded two more albums with Blullseye Blues. Having recorded 8 albums with Black Top Records, how come the idea to change of record company?
A.F.: It was time for a change… Nauman (the older brother) owner of Black Top Records had passed away and I heard rumours that they were trying to sell the company… I talked with Hammond (the younger brother), because were very good friends. Rather than to go and be with someone that I didn’t know I decided to go with someone that was interested in me. I had known Marian Leighton-Levy, one of the owner of Rounder Records, and at that time they were starting a new label, Bullseye Blues, that it seemed like a good move to me. We actually won two more Handys with them, I think it was Song of the Year with “Change in My Pocket” and on the next record “Which Way is Texas?” I think we won Album of the Year but I don’t remember…. I can’t remember anymore! It’s awful if you don`t remember it! You know, sometimes you’re so involved in what you’re doing and things happen so quickly… and it’s hard to remember them! When I look back, I see that we recorded a lot of music and we went to a lot of places, and I don’t remember some of them… It’s just so funny and time goes very quickly! I am 58 years old!
B&C: Last year you produced and arranged Mill Block Blues, a very hot album full of a rich Texas Blues sound. What can you tell us about this CD?
A.F.: Well I had a friend of mine that actually came to me with the project. His name is James Goode, bass player, and he wrote the songs. He was wanting to do a blues record so we put all of this things together. He decided that he wanted to give all the benefits to the HART Fund which is a musician’s fund for the Blues Foundation. We made this record and all the money went to the HART Fund. It’s a very good cause. We’re real proud because we’ve been able to give them over $10.000. It’s pretty nice!
B&C: And what do they use this money for?
A.F.: They help someone that becomes ill and need medical assistance. The money goes for operations, medical visits… if they pass away it goes maybe for a headstone. Just things that poor musicians need.
B&C: In our magazine we have a great appreciation for some great musicians like you, among which the guitarist Paul Size that has also recently played in Europe and that I think you know him… Can you tell us a few words about Paul?
A.F.: I do know Paul! Paul is a wonderful musician! Paul, Johnny Moeller and Jay Moeller used to come to see us when they were 15 or 16 years old at a place called Paul Davis Pub* in Dallas… It was pretty good to watch Johnny, Paul and Jay grow up and become men. Paul Size, he has his own career going, he is living in Boston, Massachussets, and Johnny and Jay are members of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. I like to be an observer and I’m glad to see that they careers have flourished…
B&C: Thank you so much for your patience and we wish you a great time in Lucerne!… We’re so excited to have talked with you! It was a pleasure… Good Luck and Happy Birthday!
A.F.: Thank you!
NOTE: The names with an* are written as we felt that Anson pronounced them but we can ensure that the transcription is correct.
ITW – Big Mama Montse
Photos: Carme Barrera
