Back in February Chris Chamness appeared on Down Home Cookin ‘, my weekly radio show on WDBX FM in Carbondale, Illinois. We talked about his life and music, and he shared some of his songs. It turned out to be over twenty minutes of really good radio. And you can check it out below. Click on the arrow.
The Homegrown Playlist is one of the most popular segments of Down Home Cookin’, which airs every Friday 1-3 PM Central time on WDBX 91.1 FM, Carbondale IL (www.wdbx.org). The segment is an extended playlist of the best acts from the region (and they are very, very good). Right up above this paragraph, that’s a typical example of the Homegrown Playlist. Click on it and enjoy some fine tunes.
In 2017 Regina Zavala journeyed to Carbondale from her native Honduras attend Southern Illinois University. She almost immediately joined into the local music scene. Her vocals, guitar works, and songwriting turned heads, and her charm made her friends everywhere. In Time she transferred from SIU to University of Texas, where she earned a Masters degree. Then she made us all glad by finding work around here and returning.
Again she lit up the local scene, and we enjoyed that for a good year. The time came recently, though, when she felt the need to return to her homeland. We all wish her the best there, and hope we’ll see her again. I’m happy that not long before her departure, she stopped by WDBX along with her good friend Stick Gilbert for a farewell performance, on Down Home Cookin’. A recording of the show is right below, and I hope you’ll check it out. You’ll be glad you did.
Kent McDaniel
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.
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.
Who: The McDaniels
When: June 23
Where: PK’s
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.
WDBX in Carbondale, IL
This post is by Loy Addington. He uploaded the photos below on Facebook, and I asked permission to use them in Dumbfounding Stories. He agreed and also sent along some text putting them into context.
Sometime around December, 2016, our dogs Daisy and Tuffy Lou insisted on going for a hike after being rained in for two days. I tagged along. The weather had cleared, and we went to one of my favorite spots: an area of three waterfalls located within a forty acre parcel of Shawnee National Forest. It’s in a box canyon formed by three small, steep creeks that form the first major tributary to Lick Creek. All he rushing water here creates a roar that increases the feeling of being totally immersed in this environment.
I have no jurisdiction there, but since this place is so near and dear to my heart, I have included it as part of my empire. Which actually means I’m the self-appointed garbage man. I would not easily volunteer its location. Scatter my ashes here!
This is not a great place to visit in summer, because the forest canopy holds in the
heat and humidity exuded by the rock face of the bluffs. But in winter it can be a paradise, the south facing bluff face capturing and radiating heat as it blocks the north wind. Incidentally, this line of bluffs extends from Grand Tower on the Mississippi to Golconda on the Ohio, and its length contains many rock shelters. All of them show evidence of prehistoric occupation, from the Paleolithic to Mississipian eras. 350 million years ago this area was the edge of what is now the Gulf of Mexico. The bluffs are composed of sedimentary rock (sandstone). The base of Lick Creek, just 400m south, is limestone from the ancient sea.
There are cultural features in the canyon that may have created by historic or by prehistoric peoples, I’m not sure which. One photo in this post is of a large basin in the 
creek. The basin has been cleared of all rock to create an area that could have been used for bathing, baptism, prayer? And a rock wall has been constructed along the edge of the main creek. It’s typical of prehistoric construction but in a very atypical location. That large “turtle” rock seen in the post is all natural, but prehistoric people were known to revere turtle images. Finally, an exceptionally large mortar hole was revealed when an old post oak tree there was blown over. I believe it was created by prehistoric people, and judging by its size and location, it seems to me to be ceremonial. In other words, this place is sacred.
During the winter I make several trips, especially after rain, to bask in my favorite area. During such extreme rain events I have to carry Tuffy across the many brooks, small but very swift when rain swollen. Tuffy is the little woolly one. Both dogs are rescue dogs. I’m including several other shots below from our hike that day.
And here are two photos and a short video from a hike we took to the canyon in April, 2017:
A native of Southern Illinois, Loy Addington is the long-time host of “Lonesome Roy’s Country Hoedown” on WDBX radio.
Dumbfounding Stories 