Topic: John Miller, Bob West, J.J. Holiday??

[Mr.Natural]

I just finished watching a live dvd of the Imperial Crowns, recorded in Bonn, Germany - Preachin' the blues live!. The Crowns are a modern, rough electric blues band. I got interested in them and saw them a couple of times in Belgium after Bob West ( Arcola) told me he knew their guitar player - J.J. Holiday - from when he was still a kid, and that he got J.J. interested in acoustic blues - Sleepy John Estes & Blind Blake among others. Now, J.J. does not play normal lead lines like modern electric blues or rock guitarplayers do, it's more of an acoustic style (thumb & fingers) with lots of slide.? J.J. was also a member of one of Dylan's touring bands some years ago and he was Johnny Depp's guitar coach in the movie Chocolat where gypsy Depp plays Robert Johnson's Hot Tamales on an old National for a moment. To cut a long story short (??), in the liner notes of this dvd,? J.J. thanks John Miller and Steve Cavanaugh. As both Bob West & Weenie John Miller live in Seattle, I think J.J. is talking about our/Weenie John Miller. Is he, John? And does anybody know who Steve Cavanaugh is?
Sorry if this isn't really Weenie material, but the small history interests me..

Eddy van Gasse (Antwerp, Belgium)

[Johnm]

Hi Eddy,
I believe J. J. Holiday is talking about me in his acknowledgements on the DVD.  And at this stage of his career, it is very generous of him to mention me, for I taught him many years ago at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop (late '70s) when he was still in high school, or perhaps even junior high.  His current level of musical accomplishment is due much more to his own talent and hard work than anything I showed him back then, I'm sure.  It's a very nice gesture on his part to make that mention.  I don't know who Steve Cavanaugh is.
All best,
Johnm

[jjholiday]

Sorry to be a little late getting in on this bit... like a year? ha!  Yes, a little trivia as you put it.... but you are both right.  I have never thought of myself as anything really so great... I have my own odd style on guitar and I have somehow persevered to make a little headway with it... this is all we can do in life.  I thank you for even noticing.  I listed Bob West as my guru... this IS the truth. Ha!  I made it a point then, to try to officially thank the few special folks who I have always held dear inside my heart personally as early guitar & music inspirations.  I accidentally missed a couple names on an earlier CD called Hymn Book and so put some more names on the DVD you speak of. I also listed my 78 collector friend and a wonderful guitarist Jack Cook somewherez... all from Seattle... among a few others from where I grew up.  Steve Cavanaugh is a local working guitarist from Des Moines, WA who gave me one of my first amps an Oahu (Supro, National) and an electric guitar among other things.  I have never forgot that.  John Miller inspired me to get better at a Puget Sound Workshop in the 70's and he always amazes me... Also saw him at a place called "The Other Side of the Tracks" in Auburn where I used to go for open mics when I first got the bug to play guitar "seriously".  Chris Lund, thee man there, was always a wonderful supporter of my very fragile and young ego back then.  I recently tried to get into a place I saw called "Victory Music" when I was up there (in Tacoma) but it was closed that day.  IS that the same organization as before?  I hope he is still kicking.  I love that guy for what he does.  The Northwest really seems to have one of the richest musician and artist communities around... or at least did while I grew up. I don't get up there too much these days unfortunately.

I think it is important to always personally tip your hat somewhere down the line, whatever you do... to those who helped you along the way, knowingly or not.  I know I appreciate it when it happens to me now and then.  It is always a surprise where it comes from.  I believe this paying homage to those ahead of you is a folk-music tradition ...as well as taking in all your influences, honing your musical language skills enough, however you are able, to then be able to find & express clearly your own unique take on things... in this way, we add some of ourselves back into that big ol' pool of knowledge for music/art out there for others to tap into later. 

OK, so much for my soapbox.  Sorry, don't know how that all came up... ha!

Anyway, a big THANKS for this great station etc.  I've told a lot of people about this thing all over the place. Where else can you hear Sam Collins, The Jubilee Gospel Team or Blind Blake daily over the Internet?  I ask you.

 
J J Holiday
www.imperialcrowns.com

[Slack]

Welcome JJ!  Thanks for stopping by - and better late than never as they say!