Common Scents

Well the last time I posted an entry to this blog of mine called "The Blues" was in September of 2009 and here it is September of 2012.  This entry is long over due. During the time I was playing in Blue Steele I was also playing in a Classic Rock band with some of the greatest musicians I have ever met, and they were just young uns. The name of the band was Common Scents. Common Scents was a huge success, we played the Paragon located on top of the Italian Gardens resturant in College Park Md. The band was made up of John Graziano; Guitar and vocals , Megan Wheatley; Keyboards and vocals , Chris Davis; Lead Guitar and Vocals, and Dave Hawkins; Bass Guitar and vocals. I was asked to come to sit in with a band that was playing at the Tippy's Taco House employees party by my best friend who was a manager at Tippys. That was my first contact with Common Scents, where they asked me to join the band. I agreed to join the band and before I knew it there I was on stage at the Paragon, an old fart performing with this classic rock band in front of youngsters. it was one of the greatest points of my musical carreer. There were a few songs where I actually stepped up and blew my face out on my harmonica and recieved fantastic responses from the crowds. Songs such as a Grateful Dead tune called Berta, a Pink Floyd tune Wish You Were Here, just to name a couple.  One thing this band had was great personality, everyone that heard us fell in love with us. It was truly a magical experience. We werent a Blues band but we sure as hell played our hearts out with true feelings as if we were a blues band. When Blue Steele was making our second CD I suggested we cover a classic rock tune on it. My love for classic rock and the Common Scents band was the reason behind my suggestion. Well Blue Steele decided to go along woth me and we recorded our rendition of a Canned Heat tune called "Goin Up The Country". please enjoy "Goin Up The Country"

Ambient Sound

This blog I have been writing would not be complete if I didn't mention the man that had everything to do with the success of Blue Steele. Mr. Ray Tilkens was the recording engineer that recorded and mastered both of Blue Steele's albums. The son of a talented professional pianist and a seasoned musician himself, Ray Tilkens' diverse musical gifts have enabled him to thrive in an industry not particularly known for its fairness and virtue. Despite the competition, and time itself, Ray's "Ambient Sound" studio is still the pro's choice, having been established in 1979 in a homey setting just 2 miles off the Washington Beltway. When we got the time booked to record with Ray we would practice every night for weeks on end "wood shedding" every tune over and over until we were all having nightmares about the musical notes. This was done so when we went in the studio we would spend the time recording our tunes and not spend the time fixing our mistakes because time was money. So we attempted to use the recording time wisely. There were a few mistakes made anyway and a few redo's but they were few and far between. We all had day time jobs so the only time we could go into the studio was at night after work. I would just take the week off because I wanted to be on top of my playing and not be tired. I remember we were going to record an original tune of ours called "No Tootin." The tune was based on the fact that occasionally on stage I would stand there and just play the harp with no feeling or energy, the guys called it "tootin." So we decided to give Ray a chance to be on our second album. At the very beginning of the song we wanted Ray to say "Remember Ernie NO Tootin." It was so funny he did and we all got a kick out of it. So listen now to "NO TOOTIN" , featuring Me playing two harmonicas and Ray with the spoken words.

Back To The Basics

One Of the biggest influences on my harmonica playing was the legendary " Little Walter". Born Walter Marion Jacobs, May 1, 1930, in Marksville, LA; died from a blood clot sustained in a street fight, February 15, 1968; son of Adams Jacobs and Beatrice Leveige. Little Walter made his first released recordings in 1947 for Bernard Abram's tiny Ora-Nelle label, which operated out of the back room of the Abrams' Maxwell Radio and Records store in the heart of the Maxwell Street market area in Chicago. Little Walter scored fourteen top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts between 1952 and 1958, including two #1 hits (the second being "My Babe" in 1955), a feat never achieved by his former boss Muddy Waters, nor by his fellow Chess blues artists Howlin Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson II. My favorite Little Walter tune was "Juke", an up tempo harmonica instrumental.

Blue Steele is a strong, solid blues band, firmly in the tradition, with tasteful players all the way around and good vocals. A fine band.

- Bruce Iglauer (President, Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.)

I always wanted to play a Little Walter tune as tribute to him. Blue Steele went back to the basic slow blues of Little Walter and learned my second favorite Little Walter tune "My Babe". With Jim Alvey doing the vocals and me playing the harmonica, the song quickly became a total crowd pleaser. When in the recording studio making our first album "Hot Wired", I told Ray Tilkens the producer/engineer that I wanted my sound to be as close to the original sound of Little Walter as possible. Little Walter might be gone but his music truly lives inside of me. Please sit back and enjoy Blue Steele covering the Little Walter tune "MY BABE".
Ernie Steele

The Blues Band

Blue Steele was known all around the DC and Baltimore areas as a premiere Blues Band that folks loved to come see. I kept the PA at my house and was basically the sound man for the band. However big gigs that we did had the sound provided or we contracted a professional sound man to do.

Those rockin' chair blues ain't gonna get Blue Steele. Fronted (if not totally obstructed from view) by big harp player, Ernie "Hurricane" Steele, the band mixes danceable blues with rock and boogie.

- Pamela Purdy. The Baltimore Sun

All the reviews that Blue Steele received were nothing short of excellent.

I remember a gig we did at Fort Dupont in Washington DC. It was an outdoors gig on a big stage done by professional sound men. We opened up for Clarence Carter the great musician that was known for famous songs such as "Patches" and "Stroking". Clarence Carter and myself had adjoining dressing rooms. At the end of the night I opened the door and went in his dressing room and shook his hand, I told him who I was and how I thought he was so great. Clarence Carter being blind told me how great of a harmonica player I was and how much he liked my performance. That was all we said to each other because he was in the middle of changing his clothes and his manager chased me off. During our performance there were people as far as I could see all the way up a side of a hill. We played one set and we were called back to do an encore. I sat in the front row and watched Clarence Carter's performance and I was swamped by people wanting my autograph. Here is a song we did that summer at Fort Dupont. Please enjoy. Gettin' Tired of Waiting

Holding Down The Bottom

The foundation of every song for Blue Steele was the Bass Guitar player Tom Irion. Tom's bass playing combined with Jim Alvey's drum playing was the best rythmn section I have ever played with in any band. Tom's solid, steady and in the pocket bass playing drove Blue Steele to become a huge success. Tom also an artist infact it was Tom that brought Mark Jarvis to the band. Tom worked during the day for the Smithsonian Institute at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Tom also a loving father of three and a loving husband was a great family man. Tom would arrive just in time for gigs coming straight from a soccer or a hockey game. It was obvious to everyone that Tom's family was the most important thing in his life. Tom brought more than his bass playing to Blue Steele, to me Tom was the best vocalist in the band. The songs Tom brought to the band were more on the side of rock and roll than Blues. Tom loved it when people were on the dance floor dancing it would bring out the best in him. When the dance floor was full and Tom was singing one of his songs, the smile on his face was truly a site to behold. Here is Tom playing and singing on of my favorite Blue Steele tunes. Pleas enjoy Tom covering a Chuck Berry tune"Carol" off of Blue Steele's first album Hot Wired.

The Human Jukebox

The lead guitar player for Blue Steele was the best guitar player I have ever played with. A big man in many ways. When Joe Chiocca stepped out on the stage and began to play people knew they were in for a show. Living in Manassas Virginia Joe had the longest drive to come to practice and to most of our gigs. Never once did i ever hear him complain about the long drive. Joe love the Blues as much as I did him and I complimented each others playing of the Blues. Joe and I dwarfed the others in the band not just in size but with our stage presence and playing. When Joe took a guitar solo it was like his guitar became another limb of his body, the audience would be literally hypnotised by his playing. I for one would never take my eyes off of his fingers on the fret board. Joe also had a great vocal ability and could sing great. Joe has a heart comparable to his size, a loving father and husband with many friends. I remember playing a gig and people would come up and request a certain song. Joe would immediately start playing the guitar part but the rest of us not knowing the song would try to stop him. i looked over at Jim and he had look of wow on his face and said "Joe the Human Jukebox." I have never seen Joe say I don't know that song, the number of songs Joe knows is endless. Joe went on to form his own band and justifiably so is called The Joe Chiocca Band. Here is a song that showcases both Joe's Guitar playing and Joe's vocals: My Baby's Gone.

The Little Big Man

The rhythm/slide Guitar Player for Blue Steele was a little guy that was larger than life. His name was Mark Jarvis and he was the biggest man in the band. Mark being a professional Artist as a career and a Blues Musician. Mark was gifted with many talents. Mark was the best showman I have ever performed with in any Band. Mark wrote many songs. Before joining Blue Steele Mark had his on Band called Five Days, they recorded and released one album of all Mark Jarvis original tunes. Mark had heart of gold, Mark was a stay at home Dad raising two daughters working on his paintings yet finding time for his music. Mark would come to gigs dressed like a performer sometimes in a jacket and a shirt and tie. In addition to all his talents Mark was also a very good record producer. The first album Blue Steele released called Hot Wired is self evident of that. I asked Mark to paint my portrait playing the Blues, Mark loved Painting, I purchased the finished portrait from him it hangs on my wall today. The Picture you see above is that same portrait. Blue Steele released two albums and to me the first one Hot Wired is the best of the two probably because Mark was there for the first but not the second. Musicians are very temperamental. Well things were said feelings got hurt and somehow Mark was no longer a part of Blue Steele. I ran into Mark a few times after that at open mics, he never stopped playing the Blues or writing songs and recording and producing. Mark was the most professional professional. Mark was dwarfed in size by all the members of Blue Steele yet he was the biggest man in the Band. Please enjoy the Mark Jarvis Original tune of off Blue Steele's first album featuring Mark on slide guitar and vocals; Ladies and Gentlemen Mr Mark Jarvis and his song "Heart Tree"!