Blue Steele

The Band Blue Steele was even more successful than the Ernie Steele Band. It started out being five pieces, Harmonica, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. With all of us taking turns singing lead Vocals. We each had our own few songs we contributed some were originals but most were cover tunes. The Band had its own personality that people would come from miles around to see. We worked hard and played hard sometimes two or three gigs in a week. especially outside summertime gigs. Blue Steele was a blues band all the way, we established a huge following. Guitar players and bass players came and went. The Drummer Jim Alvey was the constant that stayed with me from the moment Blue Steele became electrified. Jim and myself managed the Band with Jim doing the selling and promotions and bookings. I built a website and managed that along with e-fliers going out to our electroninc mailing list for every gig. Jim and I established Blue Steele as an actual business to keep us all honest with the IRS. A limited Liability Corporation (LLC), we named it Blue Steele LLC. This also covered us incase of someone falling over our equipment and suing us, they would have to sue the company and not the individuals. Jim and i were the foundation Blue Steele was built upon. Jim had many given talents and didn't know it. He could sing and write songs. Listen to Jim sing his heart out on the Blues tune Five Long Years off of Blue Steele's first album.

Blue Steele Is Born

I played in the Ernie Steele band for several years. I became known as Ernie "the Hurricane" Steele. The name stuck with me from the result of a Washington Post newspaper review of the band. We were playing the Psychedeli in Bethesda MD during a hurricane. The article stated there was a hurricane blowing outside and a hurricane blowing inside the Psyhcedeli by the name of Ernie Steele. Even today people still call me the Hurricane. The Ernie Steele Band was a huge success, but it came to an end. I left the band and it went on to become Doctor Goodfoot and the Toxic Socks, the band was short lived after I had left. The band changed from a premiere Blues Band to a Funk - Variety Show Band, the Blues left it and so did I. I took the time and practiced day and night like I had from the beginning just jamming along with blues records. I was in and out of many bands for years, I even played in a country Band. I joined the church Choir and sang every Sunday. Between the Church Choir and the country band I was in I learned to sing. The Country band taught me how to sing three and even four part harmonies. I sang tenor in the Choir and I always got the high parts of any harmonies in the country band. I remember the organist/Choir Director and myself with her playing piano and me playing the harmonica doing an instrumental version of Amazing Grace during a Sunday's Church Service. At the end of the song the entire congregation were on their feet applauding, some even cheered. I continued to play in and out of several different bands none of which was truly a Blues Band. One day I was calling musician ads in the Baltimore City Paper, It was a blues guitarist looking for musicians. His name was "I Michael" or IMike for short. IMike and myself got together and the blues we played was magic. We became an Acoustic Blues Duo, with IMike playing guitar and singing and myself playing harmonica and singing. The two part vocal harmonies were incredible. We needed a name so we came up with the idea of using my last name and the word blue for the blues. The acoustic duo Blue Steele was born. We played out many gigs for several years. It was hard getting bookings in clubs being an acoustic Blues Duo especially being two white guys. So we decided to turn the duo electric and became a full Blues Band. We auditioned drums and bass and even a second guitar. We finally found what we were looking for a Blues Band. We kept the name Blue Steele. We played a few gigs and then IMike quit out of frustration saying were weren't good enough. I continued with the band and we did become good enough. We practiced and gigged and kept the name Blue Steele. IMike and myself did write a song as a duo, an instrumental called Jazz Jump. We carried it forward to the electric Blue Steele. The new lead vocalist and lead guitar player wrote some lyrics to go with the music and we renamed the song to "We're Gonna Move". Here is that song that we recorded on Blue Steele's first album "Hot Wired." Please enjoy We're Gonna Move aka Jazz Jump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUYpSzVnFKE

The Ernie Steele Band

The years past by with me playing the Blues everyday. There was this local band called The Nighthawks that played every Thursday night at the Far Inn a club in Washington DC. The band was comprised of Harmonica, Guitar, Bass and Drums. I tried to make it every Thursday night to see them. I learned so much about what it took for a Band to put on a show. I received a phone call from a Drummer friend of mine that was in a band, he told me they were looking for a Bass player and asked if I would like to audition. I still had my Bass Guitar and a Sun Solarus Bass amp, even though I had put it down years ago to learn the harmonica I never sold it or my amp. I loaded up my car and went to their practice, the name of their Band was Rocket 88. Well I passed the audition. The band practiced a second and third time with me trying my best to play Bass. Well third time was the charm, at the end of practice the leader - lead singer-front man asked if he could talk to me alone. Him and I went outside as the rest of the Band packed up. He proceeded to tell me how much the guys loved me as an individual and how hard it was for them to tell me what he was about to tell me. He said "Ernie you're fired, we all love you but you suck at playing the Bass." I asked if they would audition me as harmonica player, I told him I had been playing it allot longer than I did the Bass. He asked the band and they were all leery saying it would be a waste of time because i sucked so bad on bass. But they said OK, so I pulled out my harmonicas and plugged in a Microphone into the PA. I had cheat sheet telling me what key harmonica I should use for the key of the song the rest of the band was playing in. I said the name of the band is Rocket 88 so do you guys know the song Rocket 88. It just so happened the was a James Cotton tune I had played along with many times. So they said of course we do so they began to play and so did I, I played my heart out. They guys were blown away. I passed the audition after the first song we played. We played a few more practices and did some gigs and even had tee shirts made. Then after a practice the leader said Ern I need to talk to you alone. I thought Oh God I'm fired again! Once we were alone he said the rest of the Band and him would like to change the name of the band, I said to what? He said "The Ernie Steele Band". My first quick answer was no but after talking with him I said OK. So now I was catapulted to be a front man with the lead singer. The band even went as far as performing four songs without me on stage, then bring me up from the back of the club. So I had a theme song that I would walk up on the stage to, It was "Born In Chicago". I didn't sing it I just walked up and began to play. It became my trademark, the crowds loved it. It was truly The Ernie Steele Band. James Cotton did it for me again the above picture is the album cover that the James Cotton tune "Rocket 88" is on. Here is a little diddy I wrote that showcases the harmonica in the tradition of James Cotton. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns85ogGlXsc

Living the Blues

Each and every day of my life I set aside time to play my harmonicas usually along with a Blues record. I tought myself to play by ear. I would start the record playing and blow each harmonica until I found the one that sounded right. Then I would play along with the record over and over until I could play the harmonica part without the record. Everyday I would come home from work and just play to records for hours. James Cotton was the first harmonca player that I learned from note for note. You can hear some James Cotton riffs in my style of playing even today. Then one day my mom took ill and it was discovered that she had ovarian cancer and given only 6 months to a year to live. There was no such thing as a hospice back then, so basically my dad, brother, sister and myself had to deal with it the best way we could. Well it was the longest 6 months in my life. I remember putting on a slow blues song and sitting on the side of my bed playing along with it. I didnt just play what I heard coming from my stereo but I started playing my own notes. The pain from my mother dying was so intense as the musical notes came from my harmonica the tears fell from my eyes. That was the first time in my life I had ever truly played with my heart and inner soul. As I played I could feel the music not just hear it. I was attached to my harmonica from that moment on. No matter where I went I had one in my shirt pocket right next to my heart. Well my mom died and went to heaven shortly after that. I know everytime I have played a gig she has been there because she loved music. I learned from that experience how to channel my feelings from my heart and inner soul through my music. Here is an example of me doing just that, It's Blues Time Y'all!!! Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMCFD8vZ6tk

Chicago Blues

As time went on the electric Blues became centralised in one place and that was Chicago Illinois. Bluesicians came from St Louis, Memphis, even New Orleans to form the Blues capitol of the world in Chicago. Blues Record Labels and recording studios catering to only the finest Blues musicians popped up. Aligator Records, Chess Records, Delmark just to name a few. My favorite music to play is the Chicago style Blues. I have never been to Chicago but one day I will make the pilgramage to Chicago the home of the blues. The Blues found its way into my heart the day I started working at the United States Government Printing Office in June of 1974. I was riding home from work and heard a Paul Butterfield tune on the radio and said to myself I want to do that, I want to play the harmonica just like him. So I stopped at the music store and bought my first harmonica that evening. That day in June was the begining of my career and the beginning of a musical journey that I am still doing both even today. I remember my parents asking me what i wanted for xmas that year and I told them I want every key marine band harmonica. They laughed at me and said "Why you wont do nothing with them as with everything else youve tried in your life." How true that statement was as up until that point my life had been a total failure. I tried piano lessons, i even tried playing the guitar and bass guitar and quit them all. Well my life had changed that day in june 1974 i no longer was a failure but the begining of a successful and wonderful life. I never forgot that Paul Butterfield tune that started it all it was "Born in Chicago". The first song I ever learned to play and the first song i ever sang in a band. Have a listen to me singing and Playing "Born In Chicago", and dont laugh at my singing..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoMXC8sV11g

Electric Blues

In the early 1950 the blues took a turn. The Blues had gone from the countryside and the cotton fields to the urban communities. Not only did the blues change its locality but it took on a new form in doing so. The Blues tuned from acoustic instruments to electric instruments. With the guitar and the harmonica leading the way. The harmonica was now played through a microphone and an electric amplifier, the electric guitar was now used instead of an acoustic guitar and the bass guitar and drums were added to complete the new electric Blues Band. Cities such as Memphis, Chicago and St Louis were considered homes of the Blues. Not ever being able to read a music note, the only thing i can say musically is the Blues is 12 beats to the bar. That is what distinguishes it musically. The first harmonica player that played with a mic and amplifier was Little Walter. Other great musicians came to popluarity using this new electric format, the best i know of is the late great Muddy Waters from Issaquena County in the Mississippi Delta. One of the very first songs i ever learned to play was a Muddy Waters tune called Blow Wind Blow. Here is my band covering that tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzggCqp-0KU

Not Just Music

The Blues is not just a type of music it is a way of life. Originating with slavery in the cotton fields Blues Music is still alive and well even today. The reason that its more than just a type of music is because it comes from the heart and inner soul. It can not be faked, it is a true feeling. The Blues can make you cry and it can make you laugh, it can make you feel happy and it can make you feel sad. I have been a Blues musician for 35 years now, playing the harmonica and singing blues songs. I have even written a couple of Blues tunes. When I am on the stage pouring out the feelings within me in a song and look into the crowd and see the smiles on the faces, it is the happiest I have ever been. It has never been about the money and it has never been about the glory, it has always been about the feelings that i can bring to people, it is about the music. Here is some Blues played the way it would have been back then! have a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLutvInRceo