Guitar Shorty Conquers the Stage (and the Snow) at The Turning Point in Piermont, New York

The Turning Point Cafe in Piermont New York has a restaurant upstairs with good food at reasonable prices. However, the real attraction of this cafe/bar at 468 Piermont Ave. Piermont, N.Y. Voice: (845) 359-1089 Fax: (845) 359-3219 is downstairs...an intimate venue in which to experience great blues and jazz. In fact, there are 34 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musicians that have played at the Turning Point: Charlie Thomas of the Drifters; Les Paul; Mick Taylor, David Thomas From the Kinks, Dave Davies, John Entwistle, Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, Noel Redding, The Door's Robbie Krieger, Eric Burdon, Rick Danko, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson from The Band, the Grateful Dead's Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten, Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner, John Cale from the Velvet Underground, Pete Seeger, Richie Furay From Buffalo Springfield, Bill Monroe, Michael Shrieve from Santana, Charles Brown, Bonnie Raitt , John Sebastian, Johnnie Johnson, Andy Summers, Traffic's Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi, Buddy Guy and Ronnie Spector. Check the web site today:
http://www.turningpointcafe.com/ and you'll see bands scheduled that are as varied as the The Persuasions, Marty Balin, The Chapin Sisters, and the Electric Prunes. There's a large, comfortable bar, and the rest of the downstairs features long tables, but the room isn't a concert hall, and no matter where you sit you are close to the musicians.



One of the greatest, not to mention hardest-working of the blues musicians is the legendary Guitar Shorty, who makes his way back to The Turning Point a few times a year to delight die-hard fans, and charm new ones. Throughout the years, Shorty's band has seen some changes. Since Shorty's latest album "We the People" was released, Shorty changed all of the band members and assembled new musicians with a more "Texas" sound, that infuses Shorty's blues songs with a different, but fresh, "Rockabilly/Austin " vibe. The band name: "We The People," coordinates with the album of the same name. That album won the 2007 Blues Music Award, for "Contemporary Blues Album of the Year." Shorty also won a Blues Music Award for an album he released while on tour in England called: "My Way Or The Highway." It won for "Contemporary Foreign Blues Album Of The Year" in 1990.



The "We the People" band is not just window dressing, they are serious, skilled, musicians in their own right. The talented keyboard player Matt Farrell (to the left in this photo) has now been with Shorty the longest. I remember his first concert with Shorty at the Turning Point a year ago. Matt was fairly new and was still finding his way a bit cautiously with his accompaniments. But at this most recent, early February 2008 concert at the Turning Point, the "McDreamy" keyboard player did a lively solo as part of the opening act, and continued to add complicated, complimentary background through the evening that really made Shorty's standards, even more exciting. Behind him (wearing the hat) is Sam Pemberton. He's an accomplished musician who effectively backs up Shorty's lead guitar.


Tall, lean, John Morris is fairly new with the band. I watched Shorty throw him a song he had obviously never played before and he picked it up without seemingly any nerves or difficulties. His base is a welcome addition to the overall sound. There's also a drummer, of course. I have seen several come and go in the past year. The one I heard at the Turning Point a few weeks ago is no longer with the band, and the newest (according to a phone call to Shorty after the concert) is Bruce Logan. I'll be eager to hear how he fits into the overall sound, next time Shorty's in town.



But the main man, the one the fans clamor to see, is Guitar Shorty himself. A living legend whose enthusiasm for hard-hitting blues and rock&blues is so powerful, once you've heard him you're hooked for life. He generally plays a variety of songs from the half dozen or so CDs he's made, including crowd-pleasing versions of "Hey Joe" and "the Star Spangled Banner," and one of my personal favorites :" I Wonder Who (is Sleeping in My Bed) which my friends and I call "the underwear song." In any case, Shorty doesn't just play songs, he puts his entire being into them. As a young showman he'd do backflips onstage (playing "The Thrill Is Gone" while spinning on his head won him first prize way-back-when, on the Gong Show). But today, Shorty still amuses with his antics as well as play amazing blues, backed up by a strong, gravelly voice that is distinctive for it's authentic intensity. Shorty plays every concert as if it's going to be his last, often playing for hours without a break. He's known for leaving the stage, going into the audience, and playing right in front of an amazed (and lucky) group of fans. And while Shorty doesn't do backflips anymore (I won't divulge his age, but he's old enough to know that keeping your bones in one piece is paramount), Guitar Shorty still.....

......dances .......rides his Guitar (called "Red")
..............plays the guitar in front of a fan, using just his mouth......





....and regardless of the weather, if the club's conditions are right, Shorty will not only leave the stage, he will leave the building, entirely, walking and playing his guitar. We have seen him walk around an entire building in a blinding snowstorm in New Jersey, dance with a woman outside the Turning Point at an earlier concert, and connect with two girls eating Ice Cream who just happened by on the street in New Hope.


During this recent concert at The Turning Point, Shorty left the building and ambled down the street, taking more than half the Turning Point Patrons with him, even though it was cold and there was snow and ice on the ground. We all followed him as if he were the Pied Piper, down the street...................to the local Police Station, where Shorty went inside and played in front of the intake clerk's window! ........................................ ............Then, out of range of his band (but still playing his Guitar) he headed back the street towards the Turning point.... went back inside, and finished his song!




Shorty always takes the time to connect with his audience not just through his incredible music, but in a personal way. He signs autographs and CDs, and even once signed my friend Howard's arm (wish I had a photo of that to include here)! Here, he's posing with former NFL Football player for the Seattle Seahawks, Carl Ditmars (who also happens to be my personal trainer, and since that night, a true, new Guitar Shorty fan).



To learn more about Guitar Shorty and see where he's playing next on tour, visit http://www.guitarshorty.com/ . To buy CDs and other "Shorty Stuff," and listen to clips from his album "We the People" visit: (http://www.guitarshorty.com/store.html


....filed by Alison Blackman Dunham on 2/28/08

Blues Legend Guitar Shorty Going "Home" (but only for a little while)

Last night we went to see our favorite musician, legendy bluesman and now, WC Handy Award Winner for 2007 Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, Guitar Shorty! If you read my blog, you know that we are not only fans, but friends, of this incredible artist, who also happens to be a really nice man. Shorty has not only influenced other blues guitarists like Jimi Hendrix (they were brothers-in-law) but he has been entertaining appreciative audiences since 1957 with the most incredible guitar playing on the planet!

Shorty is also known for onstage antics. While I have never seen him do one of his famous backflips, he shows no sign of slowing down. Last night, for example, he seemed super-charged (perhaps it was the knowledge that it was his last show for a few weeks). He still plays the guitar with various body parts, he jumps up and down, he is known for leaving the stage, walking around in the audience to treat astonished people to a bit of up-close-and-personal guitar playing, and he likes to go outside and play on the street, while his band waits patiently on stage for him to come back in! We've seen Shorty walk outside and play his guitar in a snowstorm, a rainstorm, and last night, he went outside and played, posing for photos on the sidewalk with two very surprised, ice-cream eating, girls!

We traveled a couple of hours to New Hope, PA, see Shorty at the bar/restaurant, Havana. Sadly, so many of the blues clubs nearby have been turned into other types of venues. When Shorty's within a few hours of us, we'll travel. We've even flown to California to see Shorty (at Harvelle's).

This was Shorty's last concert before he and his band (now called "We the People"--not to be confused with an 60's Garage Band with the same name) go home for a little while, and get some much needed R&R off the road.

Their relaxation won't last for long, though. Shorty spilled the beans that they're working on a DVD, and other exciting projects. Ageless Shorty was absolutely smoking-hot last night! He has a new band (and a new road manager who apparently keeps him to a tight schedule). The drummer is an affable "MC," introducing Shorty and interacting with the crowd. And I particularly like the addition (well, he's been with Shorty about 6 months now) of the keyboard player, Matt, who adds more of a Texas sound to Shorty's rockin blues. As an ensemble, these guys are not only professional, but smooth and comfortable with one another, creating a new style for some of Shorty's classics, such as "I Wonder Who (Has Been Sleeping in my Bed)" and "Hey Joe" (which Shorty did in double-time last night still playing every single ote, to keep to Havana's schedule).

Before Shorty's first song of the night, "We the People" (the title track of his now award-winning album), Shorty did something a bit uncharacteristic: he shared with the audience his dismay about being gouged at the gas pump, especially out West in the desert, and in California. He suggested we "ride a bicycle a few days a week" instead of taking our cars, so that the powers-that-be "feel it." Then he sang "We the People," a powerful, rock/blues song with verses that could have been penned by the likes of an anguished Bruce Sprinsteen, opining about the struggle of the "common man."

Guitar Shorty and We The People will be back on the road in a few weeks. You can visit http://www.guitarshorty.org and http://www.guitarshorty.com to find out more about Shorty. Here's the schedule of tour dates as they stand today for June and July. You're lucky if Shorty is coming to your town! Now, people and clubs are now vying for Guitar Shorty, so there are certain going to be additions:

Sat 06/09/07 Harlingen, TX Blues On The Hill
Fri 06/15/07 Tucson, AZ Old Town Artisans
Sat 06/16/07 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
Fri 06/22/07 Chicago, IL Buddy Guy's Legends
Sat 06/23/07 Minneapolis, MN Famous Dave's
Mon 06/25/07 Winnipeg, MB Jazz Winnipeg Festival
Tue 06/26/07 Winnipeg, MB Jazz Winnipeg Festival
Thu 06/28/07 Woodruff, WI The Longshot
Fri 06/29/07 Berwyn, IL FitzGerald's
Sat 06/30/07 Cleveland, OH Wilbert's Food & Music
Sat 07/07/07 San Antonio, TX Sam's Burger Joint
Fri 07/13/07 Arcadia, CA Arcadia Blues Club
Sun 07/15/07 Eureka, CA Blues By The Bay
Thu 07/19/07 Omaha, NE Murphy's Lounge
Fri 07/20/07 Des Moines, IA Blues On Grand
Sat 07/21/07 Dodgeville, WI Bluesfest
Fri 07/27/07 Buffalo, NY Lafayette Tap Room
Sat 07/28/07 Owego, NY Hickory Smoked Blues Festival
Tue 07/31/07 Piermont, NY Turning Point

Congrats to Guitar Shorty--Contemporary Blues Album of the Year: Guitar Shorty - We the People --WC Handy Award Winner 2007

I just found out that my favorite bluesman, Guitar Shorty, has won Contemporary Blues Album of the Year at the 2007 Blues Music Awards a few days ago. For Shorty's bio, photos, and even a video of Shorty in his early days, playing "The Thrill Is Gone" while standing on his head, is archived in my blog at: http://www.advicesisters.net/2007/02/last-night-my-friends-and-i-went-to-seeThe most highly regarded award ceremony in the Blues industry for performers, the Blues Music Awards Awards are considered the "Blues Grammys¹." Blues Music Awards are the premier event for Blues professionals, musicians and fans. Held in Memphis, the focus of this celebration is to recognize superior achievements in Blues performances while honoring a cultural tradition.

Learn more about Guitar Shorty, buy his albums, and give him the recognition he deserves: http://www.guitarshorty.com/ and http://www.guitarshorty.org/Here is a complete list of the winners. CONGRATULATIONS, GUITAR SHORTY!

Comeback Album of the Year: Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year: Robert Lockwood, Jr.
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year: Etta James
Acoustic Artist of the Year: David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Acoustic Album of the Year: Rory Block - The Lady and Mr. Johnson
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year: Marcia Ball
Instrumentalist-Guitar: Hubert Sumlin
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year: Bobby Rush
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year: Irma Thomas
Soul Blues Album of the Year: Irma Thomas - After the Rain
Historical Album of the Year: Shout! Factory - Hooker - John Lee Hooker
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year: Guitar Shorty - We the People
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year: Janiva Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year: Tab Benoit
Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Charlie Musselwhite
Instrumentalist-Bass: Mookie Brill
Instrumentalist-Drums: Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Instrumentalist-Horn: Eddie Shaw
Instrumentalist-Other: Robert Randolph
Best New Artist Debut: Slick Ballinger- Mississippi Soul
Song of the Year: "Church is Out" - Charlie Musselwhite
Traditional Blues Album of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware
Album of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware
Band of the Year: Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year: Tab Benoit

Where does the time go?

It has been two weeks since I posted anything. Actually, I got a really hideous cold and was feeling so bad, I couldn't focus on the computer or anything else. Then, I went to Los Angeles to see Guitar Shorty play a concert at Harvelle's, and got a chance to see my Aunt and my cousin, Jon Krampner (He is also an author, who has written two books on relatively obsure people in the movie biz). We also stopped in Las Vegas for a few days, and I had a chance to experience Social House at Treasure Island on the strip. I'll be writing much more about it in the future, but if you're ever in Vegas, Social House is THE place to go. The food is superb, the atmosphere, chic and energetic, and Tangerine, the downstairs nightclub, will make you feel like a star. No wonder celebrities like Paris and Nikcy Hilton, and Nick Lachey (and his love of the moment) call it a "fave" place to party.

The minute I got home, I got yet another "cold." Actually, it's bronchitis. I can't talk, and I'm not able to concentrate on anything for more than a nanosecond. Alas, the days of April are ticking away.

But I promise to be back at my computer with more productivity starting next week. Also, the Advice Sisters MAY (Mother's Day) What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html will be up May first. This column has two firsts: a "bonus" mini-article about how to choose scent for yourself, or someone else, and it's also the first time we've included "intimate" items in the column. Do check it out May first, and let us know what you think?

There will be a new Enews coming about next week as well, featuring tons of reviews. If you don't have a copy coming to your in-box, get yours by subscription (it's free):

Guitar Shorty Rocks the House in Rockland County!

Last night my friends and I went to see Guitar Shorty at at club in Piermont New York. We have been following Shorty for more than 14 years. In fact, when we all had "important" birthdays, we hired Shorty and his band to play for us at a private party, amazing our guests and winning him dozens and dozens of new, instant fans. That's me next to Shorty, laughing hysterically. It was such an amazing experience! We hope to repeat our private concert with more friends and fans, in the not-too-distant future.

*photo by Alison Blackman

Guitar Shorty, whose real name is David Kearney, was born in Houston, Texas. He began playing guitar as a young boy, and when he moved to Tampa, Floria, when he was just 17, Kearney won a slot as a featured guitarist and vocalist in Walter Johnson's 18-piece orchestra. Since he was young and shorter than the rest of the band, the club owner dubbed in "Guitar Shorty," Soon, Shorty was playing with many of the greatest-of-the-great blues musicians, but he credits Willie Dixon with having a huge influence on him and his recording career. The photo above is Shorty performing by walking around in the crowd, last night.

In the early years, Shorty met guitarist/vocalist Guitar Slim, famous for his his athletic antics onstage. Shorty started doing backflips and other showy moves onstage. In fact, you can see a young Shorty on the Gong Show (which he WON) doing backflips and standing on his head. Watch celebrity judge Jaye P. Morgan's face while Shorty is performing, and hear her predicition that Shorty will be a star "if your head holds out!"


Shorty's life hasn't always been a bed of roses, but it hasn't just been "tough breaks and bad decisions" as the "Story of his life", either." He moved to Seattle and married Marsha Hendrix, Jimi's stepsister. Hendrix loved his Shorty and it's common knowledge that while Jimi was in the army (believe it or not) he would go AWOL from his Army base in order to catch Shorty's area performances. Shorty was a big influence on Jimi. "I hear my licks in Purple Haze and Hey Joe. He told me the reason he started setting his guitar on fire was because he couldn't do the back flips like I did." recalls Shorty.

*photo by Alison Blackman

In 1990, while on tour in England, Shorty recorded an album called: "My Way Or The Highway" which received the Blues Music Award for "Contemporary Foreign Blues Album Of The Year" He received a W.C. Handy Award nomination for Blues Album of the Year for WATCH YOUR BACK in 2005. His latest album, "We the People" incorporates a new band and more rock rhythms featuring Shorty's signature "screaming" guitar. The latest interest in Shorty has landed him on Itunes and other online points of purchase where new, younger fans can learn about Shorty's music.

The photo above shows Shorty with his new bass player.

Shorty's new band has only been playing together for less than a dozen gigs. They all expressed their enthusiasm about what an honor it is to with with the great, Guitar Shorty. It was interesting to me to see the way he queued the various band members and how the personality of even some of his biggest hits have changed with the infusion of new views and talent in his backup band.

Last night, Shorty played a few songs from We The People, including the title track, "We the People," along with favorites such as "Hey Joe" and "Jody." After listening to some of these songs for years, it was evident that his new band members, all from Texas, added a more "Texas roadhouse" sound to the blues numbers, and make the more rock-oriented numbers fresh and modern, but still blues-y.

Shorty played until way past midnight, and even though it was a Wednesday and a work or school day for nearly everyone there the next day, virtually no one left the building. Shorty still walked around the crowd, playing in front of them. We have seen him actually leave the building and not come back for 15 minutes, while the band and the audience wonders: "where's Shorty?" We once witnessed Shorty leaving the building in a snowstorm, walk around the place, and come back in covered with snowflakes! Last night it was cold, and Shorty didn't go outside, but he still played the guitar with his teeth and other body parts!

Shorty has three web sites. The oldest is http://www.guitarshorty.org but the new one is even better: http://www.guitarshorty.com and he is also soon to launch, http://www.guitarshorty.biz You can get his tour dates, news, and purchase cds and T-shirts (the newest, featuring the "We The People" Tour is great)!

If you haven't ever heard of Guitar Shorty, now you have...so go out and get his albums and check him out in person if he comes to your town. You'll be very, very glad you did.