In 2000, we worked on knowledge management implementation in Atlanta for much of the year. Our client had the wonderful idea that he wanted his consultants to like working for his firm and for him. So he was always doing nice things for us like loaning one of his son’s basketballs for our after work games.
He would also take us to Blind Willie’s for blues. Located at 828 W. Highland Ave. in the Virginia-Highland area, Blind Willie's is Atlanta's best bar for blues with live music every night. Phone: (404) 873-2583. It opened in 1986, co-founded by Eric King and Roger Gregory. Roger Gregory also doubles as the house band’s, The Shadows, bassist. We heard local blues acts like Luther “House Rocker” Johnson, backed by the Shadows. They would bring in Chicago bands on occasion. A post below discusses how to make Southern grits appealing to go with the music.
Luther “House Rocker” Johnson was with Shadows, the house band for much of the time we were there in 2000. The Shadows are still there. We picked up Luther’s “Retrospective” CD at the club which captures his solid blues performance. It is out of stock at Amazon but there are a few used copies available. You also contact Ichiban Records where they list a new blues CD by the Shadows, “Pale Interpretations.” They do not seem to have a web site but their address is Po Box 724677, Atlanta, GA 31139 and email: [email protected] Tel.: 770-419-1414.
Chicago groups included (If I remember correctly):
Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang has been a W. C. Handy Award nominee for the past four years. Eddie Shaw plays on tenor and alto saxes and harmonica. He was Howlin' Wolf's personal manager for five years. Originally from Benoit, MS, Eddie now lives on Chicago's South Side. Band Members include Eddie Vaan Shaw Jr., Eddie's son, Lafayette" Shorty" Gilbert, Eddie's bass player for over 20 years and a strong vocalist. Tim Taylor on drums, is son of the late Eddie Taylor. We picked up their CD, “Can’t Stop Now” on Delmark Records. You can actually find it on-line at the Jazz Record Mart which appears to have a great collection of blues recordings.
Magic Slim and the Tear Drops were one of the best bands. Magic (born Morris Holt in Torrence, Mississippi in 1937) Slim is a well-known Chicago blues guitarist who has led one of the major Chicago blues bands for about 30 years now. His “Black Tornado,” produced in 1998 on Blind Pig records is also available at the Jazz Record Mart along with a bunch of his other recordings. It is a hard rocking, high energy, traditional electric blues. Magic Slim plays regularly in Chicago.
Eddy Clearwater, aka "The Chief," has recorded Country & Western singles for the Nashville market, as well as rockabilly and Chuck Berry-derived rock, while also creating some of the finest, most original Chicago blues. Clearwater, whose real name is Eddie Harrington, grew up listening to Delta blues and Country & Western records in Macon, Missisippi, where he was born in 1935. At age thirteen he moved to Birmingham, Alabama, and started playing guitar in church. He was still playing gospel music when he arrived on Chicago's South Side. But by 1953 Eddy had made his move into blues. We picked up “Boogie My Blues Away,” recorded in 1995. There is also “Live at the Kingston Mines: Chicago, 1978” and a number of others on Amazon.
There is also a blues anthology, “A Chicago Blues Tour” that includes all three above: Eddie Shaw, Magic Slim, and Eddy Clearwater, along with some other good guys. I will have to do a post on Chicago blues clubs soon.
Now for the grits and gravy.
The grits part is easy. A Google search turned up 318,000 hits. Grits, the top site, defines them as:
“Grits are small broken grains of corn. They were first produced by Native Americans centuries ago. They made both "corn" grits and "hominy" grits…Hominy is made from field corn that is soaked in lye water (potash water in the old days) and stirred over the next day or two until the entire shell or bran comes loose and rises to the top. The kernel itself swells to twice its original size. After the remaining kernels have been rinsed several times, they are spread to dry either on cloth or screen dryers.”
There are many recipes, the Grits site has plenty. The problem with plain grits is that they have no taste so you have to add stuff. We were recently at Soby's in Greenville, SC which has "New South Cuisine" and they had about 12 versions of grits on the menu. I selected the grits and shrimp with New Orleans style BBQ sauce. This a modren adaptation of a Carolina tradition.
My father, who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, said you needed to have red eye (ham) gravy to make grits good. The Grits site has recipe for this combination. Here is their version:
Ingredients
6 servings Grits
1/2 cup Brewed Coffee
Ham Drippings
Directions: Prepare 6 servings of grits as package directs. In iron skillet, cover ham with water and cover. Cook country ham slices until browned. Remove from Iron skillet. Add a little water to ham fat, creating a brown or "red eye" gravy. Some folks add a little coffee. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring in ham drippings from bottom of skillet. Spoon over hot cooked grits and serve.
They punt the grits directions but you can just follow the instructions on the package. Quaker offers several types of grits. I would serve the ham on the side, at least. I like to cut it up and put it in the grits. Do not use the instant grits as it has too much salt.
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