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The keyboard/singer in the Phantom Blues Band (linked above - "how 'bout that keyboard/vocalist") is Mike Finnigan. He's from Wichita. He was doing national tours while still living in Wichita up until the early 70's. Then he moved to the West Coast where he's made his living as a musician ever since. I used to run into him from time to time in Wichita.
Pat McJimsey is no longer with us. Heart failure April Fools Day, 2004.
Probably in the early '90's I played a jam McJimsey hosted at The Spot - in its last days. You pretty much know a bar is about to close when the door is missing from the women's rest room. McJimsey's band played a pretty ho-hum first set, which is typical of bands hosting jams. I had a drummer with me who had worked with Herbie Hancock and Oscar Peterson. The drummer and I had played together a lot and he knew all my stuff. We got lucky by pulling an awesome bass player. I had the crowd stacked with about 30 friends.
McJimsey got the typical polite applause bands get at jams. All my friends stood up, yelled, clapped, and basically raised hell after every song I did. That got everyone in the bar on their feet clapping, whistling, and yelling.
McJimsey - polite applause. Me - standing ovation after every song. That was the last time I played at any jam when McJimsey was even in the building. That was also the first and last time I ever talked to him - other than maybe some stuff in the '70's that I'm certain neither of us would remember.
Jonny Lang was mking albums and touring when he was 16. He's kind of faded. A couple of years ago he played Hartman Arena as part of about 4 name guitarists doing a joint tour.
Joe Bonamassa was called on stage and sat in with a band when he was 12. The singer/guitar player in that band was B.B. King.
There have been a lot of people who were going to be the next great blues sensation. It hasn't worked out well for most of them. the audience for blues has mostly disappeared in the last 20 years. there used to be blues jams 2 or 3 nights a week. Now there's one a month tht gets any publicity.
Pat McJimsey is no longer with us. Heart failure April Fools Day, 2004.
Probably in the early '90's I played a jam McJimsey hosted at The Spot - in its last days. You pretty much know a bar is about to close when the door is missing from the women's rest room. McJimsey's band played a pretty ho-hum first set, which is typical of bands hosting jams. I had a drummer with me who had worked with Herbie Hancock and Oscar Peterson. The drummer and I had played together a lot and he knew all my stuff. We got lucky by pulling an awesome bass player. I had the crowd stacked with about 30 friends.
McJimsey got the typical polite applause bands get at jams. All my friends stood up, yelled, clapped, and basically raised hell after every song I did. That got everyone in the bar on their feet clapping, whistling, and yelling.
McJimsey - polite applause. Me - standing ovation after every song. That was the last time I played at any jam when McJimsey was even in the building. That was also the first and last time I ever talked to him - other than maybe some stuff in the '70's that I'm certain neither of us would remember.
Jonny Lang was mking albums and touring when he was 16. He's kind of faded. A couple of years ago he played Hartman Arena as part of about 4 name guitarists doing a joint tour.
Joe Bonamassa was called on stage and sat in with a band when he was 12. The singer/guitar player in that band was B.B. King.
There have been a lot of people who were going to be the next great blues sensation. It hasn't worked out well for most of them. the audience for blues has mostly disappeared in the last 20 years. there used to be blues jams 2 or 3 nights a week. Now there's one a month tht gets any publicity.
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