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Unknown Legends Artists |
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Blues
as Smooth as Kentucky Bourbon For the past five years during the International Blues Challenge, the W.C. Handy Music Hall has been the home of a blues jam that welcomes all comers. The jam has been officially sponsored by various entities but the common thread has been the host band, the Stella Vees from Lexington, Kentucky. The Stella Vees are a four piece blues band that live by the philosophy "less is more". The band consists of Jason Lockwood on guitar and vocals; Steve Parrish on drums; Fuzzy Konopka on harp; and Brian Murphy on bass. We chatted with the band before their jam session started on the final day of the IBC and found out how they got started, what they thought of this year’s IBC field, their take on the blues in general and where their name originated. US: How did the Stella Vees get started? Lockwood: Steve and I were in on the start of the Lexington Blues Society. We met at a nightclub downtown with a harp player named G Busy. We found a bass player and formed the Soul Casters. After about two years, G Busy and I had a difference of opinion on the type of music we wanted to play. We split and at that point brought Fuzzy on to play at the jams. We decided to practice and formed the Stella Vees. Our bass player left after that and we brought Brian on board. The Lexington Blues Society started from the band’s wanting a place to play. US: How long have
you been hosting this jam? Parrish: Another bass player and I backed up Blake Weaver with the blues foundation. We sat in on the jam and ended up being hired to do the jam. He (Weaver) left and we stayed on. Lockwood: Various blues societies from Kentucky have hosted the jam. Last year when we competed in the IBC for the Kentuckiana Blues Society they were listed as the sponsor. This year it’s hosted by the Stella Vees through River City Management here in Memphis. Murphy: We need to tell them about what happened last year before the competition. Lockwood: We brought Brian to play with us last year at the competition to pick the band to come to the IBC to represent the Kentuckiana Blues Society. It was a three state competition. I got the dates wrong and instead of two weeks to practice we ended up having two days. Murphy: I drove up for the weekend from Knoxville to Lexington thinking I was going to get to practice. Plus I had just gotten an upright bass…something I had never played before. And I had never played blues before. Lockwood: Brian spent all day Saturday learning our music. Sunday, we made the two hour drive to Stevie Ray’s in Louisville and ended up winning the competition. US: Pretty impressive for short notice. You’ve been a part of this jam for five years now. How does this year’s IBC talent compare to years past? Lockwood: As far as the jam talent, we’ve not seen the young guitarists like before. Same with the horns. Overall though the talent is better. We’ve seen bands from other countries doing traditional blues. US: What are your musical backgrounds? Influences? Murphy: I come from a family of gospel band. Because of that I had to learn to play a variety of instruments. You never knew when you might have to fill in and when you traveled you sit around jamming and basically pick stuff up from other musicians. Parrish: The Beatles. The drummer for the Young Rascals. Zydeco… That music changed my life. Konopka: I’m from Chicago so I have all those influences. I got into The Byrds and "Turn, Turn, Turn" and I played a lot of folk rock on guitar. I listened to Led Zeppelin and began to listen to what those guys had been listening to. In the navy I was given a harp. I had a little talent but I saw a need for the harp in the music I was playing. I attended the Old Town School of Folk Music and took harmonica lessons. I began to study technique and realized how difficult the harp really was. Parrish: Fuzzy is a true student of the harp. Lockwood: My parents were my biggest influence. They were traveling musicians. Mom was a gospel soul singer and dad was more of a Hank Williams type…rudimentary guitar with soulful singing. As for the blues…David Gilmore…I looked at his influences. His guitar work led me to Albert Collins. Buddy Guy was another. My grandmother pushed Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith. US: Isn’t that where you got your name for the band? From your grandmother? Lockwood: Her name was Stella and she was the first person that helped pull all the music together for me. US: What is the blues scene like in Lexington? Lockwood: It’s dying out. It’s a money issue with the clubs. And I think it’s an issue of the dynamics of the population that likes live music. US: I think that is a reflection of blues music around the country. US: Define the Stella Vees blues for me. Lockwood: Dynamic, in terms of volume and style… Spacious. Parrish: When we were with the Soul Casters we began trying to be sparse. We decided to change the beat to three beats in 12/4 time. It’s hard to get the feel for that but eventually your internal metronome kicks in and takes over. Lockwood: We try to hold to the "less is more" theory. Parrish: Our music tries to provide some dead air which leads to a smooth style. With our rhythm section, Brian and I try working on single notes, using quarter notes as the structure. Lockwood: We try to use small minimum effects. Konopka: Except for the harp. Lockwood: Right. Fuzzy likes his effects. Parrish: Don’t forget T-Bone Walker. Lockwood: Yeah. I try to get a T-Bone Walker style and/or a Ronnie Earl type guitar…something that will take you on an emotional ride. We aren’t necessarily a Chicago style blues band even though that’s what the sign says. We have so many styles working at once…I think that is what makes our originals sound a bit different. But no one drops out the floor like Earl and if we can get to that kind of dynamic, man, that is when we are hitting it. US: Any plans for a CD? Lockwood: We just finished cutting one about three weeks ago at the studio at Brian’s. We’ll finish it up within the next couple of months. We did our first CD completely live. This one will be a little more polished…yet still all live. US: Let’s talk about Memphis a second. Where’s your favorite place to eat? Parrish: Rum Boogie’s. They take pretty good care of us here. Konopka: Their food is very good. Parrish: We also need to say thanks to River City Management for letting us continue to do this gig. They’ve been excellent to work with. US: Ok, last question. What’s the weirdest experience you’ve ever had playing a gig. Lockwood: Weirdest experience…Steve booked a country bar one time and we didn’t know any country tunes…kept getting asked over and over. Finally had to just stop half way through the show. Konopka: Tell them about the gay bar. Lockwood (laughing): I booked a gig at a local club that catered to alternative lifestyles just so we could have a place to play. We were crowded into a corner for our set up and it was right by the door. I dropped my pick and bent over to get it. When I did some guy grabbed my ass and I don’t mean a little pinch. The fellows never let me forget that night. Hell, we all got the blues..but damn!
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