Maybe watching cable news makes it seem like there’s no hope: Democracy, justice, progress, escaping ecological calamity, even human decency are lost causes. But writing off all hope for everything good and/or hopeful is a self-fulfilling prophecy, that’s obvious. So, may you still believe. Here’s the words to a song about all that (with an mp3 below them):
This is a video of my wife Dorothy and I playing “Dog and Cat,” a song written by our good buddy, Dan Marsh. We originally recorded this for #closedmicnight, a weekly project by Carbondale musicians, which is raising money for local charities and nonprofit groups. We love this song.
“Dog and Cat” appears on Dan Marsh’s album of the same title.
Here’s Dan’s version of the song from his album. (You may notice a couple small changes to the lyrics we made.)
In its latest ( 4-23-20) issue, the well known e-zine Blues Blast reviewed Tawl Paul’s album That’s Just How I Am, which was released around the start of 2020. Here’s the review:
CD: 12 Songs, 42 Minutes
Styles: Blues Covers, Traditional Electric and Acoustic Blues
Perhaps no other musical genre is more intertwined with longevity than the blues. Rock has long verged from the path Elvis Presley and the Beatles trod. Country sounds less and less like Jimmie Rodgers and more and more like Luke Bryan. Move over, Madonna: Billie Eilish is fast becoming the Queen of Pop. In the blues world, however, the Waters are still Muddy and BB still reigns as King. Masters and originators are venerated, emulated, and invoked at every turn. Even Chicagoland’s Tawl Paul, on his latest CD, tips his hat to such greats as Bobby Charles (“Walking to New Orleans”), Hambone Willie Newborn (“Rollin’ and Tumblin’”), Richard M. Jones (“Trouble in Mind”), and John Prine (“Hello in There). The vast majority of these covers work – six in total – but some, such as “Autumn Leaves,” are a tad chaotic. The ensemble of artists is top-notch, and even though Paul’s vocals show his age, he remains a contender. His original work, such as “Baldheaded Blues” and the title track, are remarkably catchy.
Growing up on Chicago’s South Side, Paul Frederick got hard by the blues and soul, falling in love with them. He grew up to serve with the Army in Vietnam, then came to Carbondale in the early 1970s to attend college. Soon afterward, he joined a band and discovered two things: He was born to sing, and Carbondale was his home. For fifty years, he’s sung the blues, making himself into one of the local scene’s most revered performers. He’s enriched Carbondale so much that in 2013, Mayor Joel Fritzler declared June 23rd Tawl Paul Day. On top of that, local bar PK’s now holds an annual Tawl Paul Weekend every June in his honor, with local music greats coming out and alumni returning in droves to pay homage.
Along with Tawl Paul (vocals) are Kent McDaniel on guitars, bass and finger snaps; drummers Kegan Doty, Chris Butler, and Alpha Stewart; Mike Arthur and Mel Goot on keyboards; Dorothy McDaniel on flute and bass; Chris McKinley and Kathy Livingston on harmony vocals; Lew Hendrix on banjo, and John Temmermen on sax.
“Baldheaded Blues” comes first out of Paul’s original material, a spot-on Chicago-style shuffle. “I’ve got these lines in my face, but I sure ain’t over that hill,” he tells a prospective lover with cheeky charm. Mel Goot’s piano keyboards are a hoot, as is Kent McDaniel’s guitar. “Big Jim” is a lot grittier and a little bit wittier, a ballad about another denizen of Chi-town’s South Side. The title track has an earworm refrain: “Hello, sir or ma’am. That’s just how I am.” Do people change? Maybe so or maybe not, but in the end one’s true character shines through.
When local blues icons like Mr. Frederick continue to proclaim their love for the music and the fans who make it all possible, it often has more impact on a community than a CD by a household-name artist. Let’s hope Tawl Paul keeps it up for years to come!
Reviewer Rainey Wetnight is a 40 year old female Blues fan. She brings the perspective of a younger blues fan to reviews. A child of 1980s music, she was strongly influenced by her father’s blues music collection.
Here’s an article Carbondale Times ran about Dorothy and me back in June. We appreciate it, and like the new merging of Carbondale Nightlife with Carbondale Times.
The McDaniels make downtown Carbondale debut at PK’s
By Dakota Holden
updated: 6/22/2018 5:44 PM
The McDaniels will make their debut at PK’s in Carbondale June 23. The blues and rock will start at 9 p.m.
The McDaniels are Kent (guitar, vocals) and Dorothy McDaniel (bass).
Kent McDaniel originally performed in Carbondale in the 1970s with The McDaniels Brothers Band, splitting shows with Shawn Colvin, opening for Earl Scruggs, and often sharing the stage with Tawl Paul. The McDaniel Brothers were a PK’s regular, playing every Thursday night until Kent moved out the region.
Kent moved to Chicago in 1980. He tells Nightlife he bumped into Dorothy riding the train into the loop. She was going to her oboe recital, and he was on his way to see Koko Taylor. They decided to attend both events with each other. They later married and started a family of their own. They have been playing music together ever since as The McDaniels. In the past year, they both moved to Carbondale.
“No matter where I lived, I have always searched for a place that felt like home,” Kent says. “When I moved back to Carbondale, it finally felt like home.”
Since their return, they have hosted and performed on WDBX, played small shows at Tres Hombres and Celebrate 618, and now PK’s for their first full-length show.
The McDaniels have an interesting combination of influences. Dorothy grew up playing with a strong classical background, teaching Kent theory and how to read sheet music. In return, he taught her the art of improvisation and memorization of music.
The McDaniels have been working with Jim Foerster at Mole Hole Studios on new music and are excited to release their recordings. Their song “When the Blues Come Knocking” features B.B. King-style rhythms and tasteful leads as well as beautiful background vocals.
The McDaniels’ debut will feature guests including Stick Gilbert (percussion), Lew Hendrix (banjo) and Tawl Paul. It also happens to be Kent McDaniel’s birthday that night, so make sure to give a proper Carbondale welcome.
Music is available through kentmcdaniel.bandcamp.com.
The playlist below is four songs by The McDaniel Brothers Band, recorded Spring of 1978, at Carries, a late night roadhouse located out in the county between Carbondale and Murphysboro. Carries closed at 4 AM and the bands played from something like 11:30 PM to 3:30 AM. The songs were recorded live on a two track reel to reel. Considering, the tape’s sound quality was okay. Only, starting with the fourth song, the vocal level got drastically lower. So I’m including the first three songs, and one of the later songs. The vocals on it are pretty low, but we liked to jam out on a song sometimes, and I wanted an example included.
I got the tape from Tawl Paul a little after my wife Dorothy and I moved back to Carbondale from Chicago. We saw him at PKs, and he said, “Hey, man, I been meaning to tell you. I got this old tape. I don’t how I ended up with it, but I think it’s The McDaniel Brothers Band.”
I was pretty sure which tape he meant, cause I only I remember us taping one gig. Turned out it was the tape I was thinking of. Tawl Paul only had one tape, but two reel to reel tapes were recorded that night. I’d sure like to get my hands on the other one.
The guys in the band were John Zurek on drums, Rick Stoncious on bass, Doug McDaniel on rhythm guitar and vocals, Kent Mcdaniel (me) on lead guitar, and Gary Victorene on pedal steel. Here’s the songs.
Much thanks to Jim Foerster of The Mole Hole Studio, for getting the most out of those two track tapes in digital form.
L-R John Zurek, Rick Stoncious, Doug McDaniel, Kent McDaniel, Gary Victorene
Dorothy and I returned to our favorite radio station WDBX for an hour set back in December. It was just the two of us, playinga mix of blues, country, jazz, and folk, but I’m gonna tell you, we were rocking pretty nice. There’s a recording of the set, below. I hope you give it a listen and use some headphones when you do. It’ll be worth it.
Loy Addington
We want to thank WDBX for having us on. And especially Loy Addington, host of Lonesome Roy’s Country Hoedown. Every time we get together with him, it feels like a
party to us.
I’m posting audio below of a filk song Toni Weisskopf wrote to be sung to the tune of “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” The lyrics are below the audio icon, and below them a glossary to the various jargon from sci-fi fandom contained in the song.
I told Toni that I’d have it recorded by last May. The good news is that I’m not quite a year behind schedule.
Ghost SFPAns in the Sky
By T.K.F. Weisskopf Reinhardt
(after Stan Jones, 1948)
At DSC a fine young fan got on
the waitlist today
Upon a couch he rested as
He went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd
Of old SFPAns he saw
Plowing through the lobby
And some of them could draw.
[Verse 2]
Their hands were still on fire and
Their stencils made of steel
Their glasses black and shiny and
Their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as
Their comments made him sigh
For he saw the SFPAns drinking hard
And he heard their mournful cry
[Chorus]
Minac I owe! Minac aiee!
Ghost SFPAns in the sky
[Verse 3]
Their eyes were blurred, their faces gaunt
Their shirts all soaked with sweat
They’re writing hard to match page count
But they ain’t caught Lon yet
Cause they’ve got to write forever at
That con up in the sky
Al’s typer snorting fire
As they write on, hear their cry
[Chorus]
Minac I owe! Minac aiee!
Ghost SFPAns in the sky
[Verse 4]
As the SFPAns rumbled by him
He heard Ned call his name
If you want to save your soul from hell
From page counts in our range
Then Jophan change your ways today
Or with us you will write
Trying to match Hank’s golden wit!
And with Dolbear an Ignite!
[Chorus]
Minac I owe! Don’t make me OE!
Ghost SFPAns in the sky
Ghost SFPAns in the sky
Glossary
DSC – Deep South Con. One of the oldest science fiction conventions that happens in the southern U.S. Been going fifty-four years now.
SFPA – Southern Fandom Press Alliance. SFPA is a science-fiction apa (amateur press alliance) founded circa 1962. Members all send fanzines into the Official Editor (OE), who assembles them into packages called “mailings” containing one copy of every zine and sends them out to each member. Apas used to be the heart of much of the most exciting activity in sci-fi fandom. Mailings could run close to a thousand pages. Membership rosters were limited, and fans often spent years and years on a waitlist before gaining entrance into to the more respected apas. With the advent of the internet, apas have generally experienced dwindling memberships. And though most of the great apas continue, few if any have a full roster these days. In its day SFPA was one of the great ones, and many sci-fi professionals and well-known fans got their start in SFPA.
SFPAn – A member of SFPA. Pronounced Seffpan.
stencils– Mimeograph stencils. Before photocopiers and home computers, most fanzines were printed on mimeographs. The text would be cut into a stencil using a typewriter with the ribbon removed. The stencils would them be attached to a large curved ink pad, which could be turned by hand to print the individual letter sized pages that were fed one by one into an open ended tray that the ink pad would run over.
Minac – Minimum activity. In order to stay in good standing, apa members have to contribute a certain amount of pages. (Often six pages every other time a mailing is sent out.)
page count– the number of pages in an entire mailing or the number of pages contributed by a member to a mailing or over a period of time.
Lon – Lon Atkins, a long time member and OE of SFPA, who contributed prolifically, perhaps more so than any other member in SFPA’s history.
Con – Convention, in particular a sci-fi convention.
Al – Al Andrews, a founding member of SFPA, good guy, and co-editor of a respected fanzine called Iscariot. Late in life he was gifted an electric typewriter by some of his fellow SFPAns.
Ned– Ned Brooks, a SFPA member for over forty years, who was also SFPA’s official archivist. Over the course of his fannish life, Ned assemble a collection of tens of thousands of fanzines, which included a complete run of SFPA’s mailings. The collection is now housed at the University of Georgia.
Hank – Legendary sci-fi Fan Hank Reinhardt, a collector, editor, writer, active member of SFPA and The Society for Creative Anachronisms, and all around wild man.
Dolbear – Dennis Dolbear, a fan whom I never knew, but who I know was loved throughout sci-fi fandom.
Midwest Action!, a site with some street cred around the heartland, recently reviewed my He Flies album. I probably won’t destroy any suspense by saying they liked it. Otherwise, why would I be putting up a link to the review here? But I did think the reviewer had an interesting take on He Flies, and the site imbedded mp3s of of four of the album’s songs. I was also surprised to see which four they chose to imbed. Anyhow, the review’s at: Midwest Action!
Dorothy and I appeared live recently on WDBX radio in Carbondale during Lonesome Roy’s Country Hoedown. And a fun hour it was. Loy Addington, who hosts the show, is a smooth interviewer and a funny guy. Talking with him was a kick, and in between conversations Dorothy and I played songs. Several originals, along with some Hank, Merle, Prine, Carter Family, and a little jazz we snuck in, too. (Loy forgave us.)
The talk ranged from Carbondale’s music scene, to growing tomatoes, to songwriting, to my new album, to the relationship between Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, and Bonnie Owens as it related to “Swinging Doors.” Concerning that last topic, I got disabused of a long held misconception of mine. You can check it all out by clicking the link below. I hope you’ll use headphones. On my laptop you can’t hear Dorothy’s bass at all, and the overall sound’s a little tinny. With phones the bass comes through nice and clear and the whole mix sounds fuller.
As I said, we talked some about my new album. It’s called He Flies, and if you want to check it out, it’s streaming free at Band Camp.
WDBX, where the show aired, is a gem of a station. It’s line-up rocks, and no program director or AI algorithm sets the playlist. The DJs are are volunteers who just share the type of music they know and love best. A pretty refreshing mix results: blues, metal, country, jazz, hip-hop, punk, world music, electronic, classical, and various points in between. And whoever chooses the DJ volunteers does a good job. Overall, they sound pretty damn professional. I hear it’s unusual for a town of Carbondale’s size (27,000) to have a community radio station. Carbondale’s fortunate to have it.
I got started listening to it while I was vacationing down here from Chicago, and I streamed the station for years back home in Chicago. Now that I’m back in Carbondale, I’m glad to get a chance to play for the station. It’s broadcasts are fresh, high energy, and highly recommended. The station streams on the net. Check it out: WDBX
Midwest Action!, a site with some street cred around the heartland, recently reviewed my He Flies album. I probably won’t destroy any suspense by saying they liked it. Otherwise, why would I be putting up a link to the review here? But I did think the reviewer had an interesting take on He Flies, and the site imbedded mp3s of of four of the 
album’s songs. I was also surprised to see which four they chose to imbed. Anyhow, the review’s at: 
the type of music they know and love best. A pretty refreshing mix results: blues, metal, country, jazz, hip-hop, punk, world music, electronic, classical, and various points in between. And whoever chooses the DJ volunteers does a good job. Overall, they sound pretty damn professional. I hear it’s unusual for a town of Carbondale’s size (27,000) to have a community radio station. Carbondale’s fortunate to have it.
Dumbfounding Stories 