| Blues Guitar NEWS |
| May 2007 |
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Len Rainey & The Midnight Players "Smoking Them Blues"
Len Rainey and I go back to 1985, when he first moved from Chicago to San Diego, CA. He came in
my guitar shop I had then, and signed the guest book. Always looking for blues talent, I saw his
name in the book, and that he played blues, sang and was a bass guitar player. What a find I
thought, a real Chicago born and raised blues bass player that sang. I was forming a new group
called Driving Wheel, and we needed a bass player.
Victor Marquez, my high school neighborhood buddy had been in every band I had since 1967 when I
got out of the Air Force tour of duty and we went together like peas and carrots. Along with Victor we
grabbed smoking Tony Matoian on sax, and the late Ernie Cota on drums, both who had just been on
the club circuit in Ken Schoppmeyer's world famous King Biscuit Blues Band. We were doing
rehearsals at my place, and were sounding mighty fine. I hit a speed bump in life with an exploded
appendix, divorce papers from first wife and my partner in my music shop had just about run the
business in the ground financially while I was recovering from my appendix surgery that almost killed
me. I told the fellows to go on without me. Broke my heart, but I didn't want to hang them up.
With Danny "Fatback" Martinez on drums finally, they opened as the house band in San Diego, at
Ingrid Croce's world famous Gas Lamp District, "Jim Croce's Jazz Club" as Len Rainey and the
Midnight Players. As an official, un-official member by association, I was always allowed to sit in and
play with the guys any place, any time. Some of the worlds greatest jam sessions were heard the last
set at Croce's back in the late 80's. All visiting musicians touring San Diego would make it to this hot
spot jam, and sit in with us. Too bad it never got recorded, as this was some fabulous get down funky
real deal R&B at it's finest. At different times we would reunite everyone in Len's group, and my
group into a big stage band called Mike Dollins and the Cruize Brothers.
Our video from the 2004 San Diego Blues Fest is still floating around all over including at AOL Video
http://video.aol.com (type in Mike Dollins) where it gets a dozen or so views every day, and climbing in
popularity. The video was one of my proudest moments that was recorded on our home digital
camera by Jo Ann, and came out like magic. The boys were jamming that night in front of every kind
of blues lover, player, bands and promoters from all over Southern California. We brought the
house down, and fate would have it that we caught a glimpse from that night of six of top-flight blues
musicians smoking on cue, and grooving in boogie land sweeter than ice tea in Georgia on a hot
steaming Fourth of July.
A guy only gets a couple of these in a lifetime where the fuzz on the back of your neck tickles from the
excitement you are feeling from playing. It is like getting a home run, catching the biggest fish, and a
winning scratch off over hundred bucks. Len on bass and vocals, Roy Enjambre on drums, Dominic
Enjambre on piano, Tony on Sax, and victor and I on guitars is a massive powerhouse I was
privileged and proud to be in the middle of. You can see the blues energy for your own self at:
www.myspace.com/mikedollinsband Go on over to Len Rainey's new MySpace Music band site at
www.myspace.com/lenraineyandthemidnightplayers where Len has the video posted too. Introduce
yourself to my long time blues good friend Len Rainey; say hello and tag up with this talented blues
musician on MySpace.
Len Rainey and I go back to 1985, when he first moved from Chicago to San Diego, CA. He came in
my guitar shop I had then, and signed the guest book. Always looking for blues talent, I saw his
name in the book, and that he played blues, sang and was a bass guitar player. What a find I
thought, a real Chicago born and raised blues bass player that sang. I was forming a new group
called Driving Wheel, and we needed a bass player.
Victor Marquez, my high school neighborhood buddy had been in every band I had since 1967 when I
got out of the Air Force tour of duty and we went together like peas and carrots. Along with Victor we
grabbed smoking Tony Matoian on sax, and the late Ernie Cota on drums, both who had just been on
the club circuit in Ken Schoppmeyer's world famous King Biscuit Blues Band. We were doing
rehearsals at my place, and were sounding mighty fine. I hit a speed bump in life with an exploded
appendix, divorce papers from first wife and my partner in my music shop had just about run the
business in the ground financially while I was recovering from my appendix surgery that almost killed
me. I told the fellows to go on without me. Broke my heart, but I didn't want to hang them up.
With Danny "Fatback" Martinez on drums finally, they opened as the house band in San Diego, at
Ingrid Croce's world famous Gas Lamp District, "Jim Croce's Jazz Club" as Len Rainey and the
Midnight Players. As an official, un-official member by association, I was always allowed to sit in and
play with the guys any place, any time. Some of the worlds greatest jam sessions were heard the last
set at Croce's back in the late 80's. All visiting musicians touring San Diego would make it to this hot
spot jam, and sit in with us. Too bad it never got recorded, as this was some fabulous get down funky
real deal R&B at it's finest. At different times we would reunite everyone in Len's group, and my
group into a big stage band called Mike Dollins and the Cruize Brothers.
Our video from the 2004 San Diego Blues Fest is still floating around all over including at AOL Video
http://video.aol.com (type in Mike Dollins) where it gets a dozen or so views every day, and climbing in
popularity. The video was one of my proudest moments that was recorded on our home digital
camera by Jo Ann, and came out like magic. The boys were jamming that night in front of every kind
of blues lover, player, bands and promoters from all over Southern California. We brought the
house down, and fate would have it that we caught a glimpse from that night of six of top-flight blues
musicians smoking on cue, and grooving in boogie land sweeter than ice tea in Georgia on a hot
steaming Fourth of July.
A guy only gets a couple of these in a lifetime where the fuzz on the back of your neck tickles from the
excitement you are feeling from playing. It is like getting a home run, catching the biggest fish, and a
winning scratch off over hundred bucks. Len on bass and vocals, Roy Enjambre on drums, Dominic
Enjambre on piano, Tony on Sax, and victor and I on guitars is a massive powerhouse I was
privileged and proud to be in the middle of. You can see the blues energy for your own self at:
www.myspace.com/mikedollinsband Go on over to Len Rainey's new MySpace Music band site at
www.myspace.com/lenraineyandthemidnightplayers where Len has the video posted too. Introduce
yourself to my long time blues good friend Len Rainey; say hello and tag up with this talented blues
musician on MySpace.
There are those days when the planets, stars and destiny line up to produce a special
event happening no mortal can control or alter. May 20th, 2007 is such a date. I will
be taking Mike Dollins and the Big Blue Cats, with the rest of the Arkansas Blues
Entourage to the Delta Boogie, Blues Motherland on Highway 49. In 1913 my daddy was
born on a cotton farm here, and in 2007 on my son's birthday May 20th the Dollins Clan
and cousins return to the land of our ancestors to play the blues all the day and all the
night. You do not get many chances like this in life: Join us with Blues in the Park, May
20th. Delta Boogie Style. This is going to be magic all the way around, get your mojo
out your bag of tricks, tuned up and working.
event happening no mortal can control or alter. May 20th, 2007 is such a date. I will
be taking Mike Dollins and the Big Blue Cats, with the rest of the Arkansas Blues
Entourage to the Delta Boogie, Blues Motherland on Highway 49. In 1913 my daddy was
born on a cotton farm here, and in 2007 on my son's birthday May 20th the Dollins Clan
and cousins return to the land of our ancestors to play the blues all the day and all the
night. You do not get many chances like this in life: Join us with Blues in the Park, May
20th. Delta Boogie Style. This is going to be magic all the way around, get your mojo
out your bag of tricks, tuned up and working.
A lot of folks have a peace
statement on their music
site, which is way cool.
Now John Mayers site
Blues For Peace, is all
about peace through the
music we love. Click the
photos to see what we are
talking about in this
treasure chest of blues
information, and
networking.
< - - - - - - - - - - - -
statement on their music
site, which is way cool.
Now John Mayers site
Blues For Peace, is all
about peace through the
music we love. Click the
photos to see what we are
talking about in this
treasure chest of blues
information, and
networking.
< - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sunday in the Park: Blues and Delta Boogie good old, down home music festivities you can't
find anywhere else on earth. The crew here at Blues Guitar News will be there on May 20th, in
Jonesboro, Arkansas to join in making some blues, and BBQ. Located on Blues Highway 49, just
northwest of West Memphis, Arkansas this is in the Blues Motherland Delta Cotton country for sure.
find anywhere else on earth. The crew here at Blues Guitar News will be there on May 20th, in
Jonesboro, Arkansas to join in making some blues, and BBQ. Located on Blues Highway 49, just
northwest of West Memphis, Arkansas this is in the Blues Motherland Delta Cotton country for sure.
Our Bestest Goodest Blues Friends This Month. Go on over,
and click these mighty fine folks blues sites, and tag up with
them, unless you just ain't into us blues folks worldwide.
and click these mighty fine folks blues sites, and tag up with
them, unless you just ain't into us blues folks worldwide.
Tia Carroll
& Hard Work's
& Hard Work's
| Len Rainey |
Mike "Whisker Fish" Dollins & The Big Blue Cats