Thursday wasn't my one of my better days as I was still suffering from sleep deprivation and a cold. I worked on copy and photographs for Blues In Britain issue 84, for December. I tried, several times, to call the publicist for the Blues Caravan tour as I am supposed to interviewing Deborah Coleman and Sue Foley, at The Stables, Wavendon, on Sunday. He was engaged. I also tried to contact Big Joe Louis, about an article we want to do on him, to no avail.
Dave Peabody, acoustic musician and photographer, called. He was able to identify the bass player in John Mooney's band when they played at Festival New Orleans. Dave had sent me some great pictures of Dr John, earlier. Dave will be on tour with harmonica player, singer and guitarist Charle Musselwhite from next week.
The highlight of the day was seeing The Reverend Al Green at Hammersmith Apollo, with our reviews editor Jon Taylor, his lady Andrie and my American friend Kate. He was on good form. The band was great. The crowd was enthusiastic, the people just behind us too much so; the girls had smuggled in bottles of beer and were very chatty. I thought about hitting them with a rolled up copy of Blues In Britain but thought better of it.
I had to process emails after I got home. Lots of gigs were coming in for the Gig Guide in the December issue and several live reviews and more photographs.
I sent an email to the Blues Caravan publicist but in my weariness got the date wrong.
On Friday morning, I found he had replied in the night asking me to call him, so I did at 8 a.m. He gave me the name and number of the tour manager so I can fix a time for the interviews and said he would arrange two tickets for the show on Sunday as well.
I had to pick up my son James, who flew in from North Carolina, where he was working on the Obama campaign. One of his jobs was to check the legitimacy of the Republican lawyers who were challenging people' elligibilty to vote. Under North Carolina election regulations, anyone doing this has to be a resident of the area where they challenge the voter. As James had checked the local directories and found that none of the people did have the residential qualification, the Democrat lawyers appealed to a judge who told them they couldn't do what they had set out to do, prevent people, mostly black, from voting. This so messed up the Republicans that they abandoned their attempt so stop people voting. The Democrats policy is not challenge voters' elligibility. The North Carolina election was a very close call for Obama so this made a difference.
I spent most of Friday at the Barbican Hall, where my cousin's oldest daughter was receiving her MA in animation from the University of Westminster. Barack Obama was mentioned by the vice-chancellor and got a big cheer; Lewis Hamilton's name got a bigger cheer. I had lunch with Mwara, her sister and brother and my aunt. Neither of their parents could be there as they live in Nairobi.
Getting home, I had to field a few more email before supper. One was a message from Kevin Hillier of Ain't Nothing But, the blues bar in Kingly Street London W1. Kingly Street is a one way street, but, as of Monday 10th November, the traffic flow will be reversed and access will be from Great Marlborough Street at the north end.
I had phone messages from Sam Kelly, blues drummer, and Tom Doughty who has a new album coming out. I managed to call Sam Kelly back. He will be working with new people next year. I also got a call from Dave 'Munch' Moore who, I hope, will master the next CD we will be putting out with the magazine.