originally posted to my Windows Live blog May 2005
Tallahasssee, Florida, for being such an out of the way smallish town, has spawned some musical greats. Some you may not have heard of, but savvy Tallahassee locals know about all of these. If they are ever in your area, go check them out.
The most famous in recent years is probably the now defunct Christian Grunge rock band Creed whose break-out hit "My Own Prison" was originally recorded by another local talent. If you liked Creed, check out Alter Bridge which has former Creed members.
Another all time great who originated in Tallahassee is guitar legend Julien Kasper, who I first saw performing with a legendary local band Crosscut Saw (now defunct). Crosscut Saw was an outstanding blues/rock band who featured many local talents, but I was blown away when they backed Julien in a rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s "Third Stone from the Sun", which is not something your average player dares to perform in public. It’s very idiomatic of Hendrix, but Julien pulled it off with flair, playing as if on fire with the spirit of Jimi. Julien is now an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, sharing his expertise on the playing styles of Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix, among other things. I recommend his CD highly and if you ever get a chance to see his band perform, don’t miss it!
Also from Crosscut Saw emerged the king of harmonica Pat Ramsey, who I’ve had the good fortune to jam with on two occasions, once playing guitar at Tallahassee’s own Bullwinkle’s Saloon, and once while playing bass at the home of a friend of Pat’s. I’ve never heard a better harp player, though Pat’s own son may already be vying for his crown. Some claim that John Popper of Blues Traveller is one of the greatest, and I’ll tip my hat to his technique, but in terms of soulfulness and musicality, he doesn’t come anywhere close to Pat. You owe it to yourself to buy all of Pat Ramsey’s CD’s. I did. Catch Pat Ramsey and the Blues Disciples whenever and whereever you can. [Edit: Sadly, Pat has passed away since the time of this post.]
Dedicated fans of the Blues already know about "The Sauce Boss," Bill Wharton. Whenever Bill Wharton and the Ingredients perform, fans love not only the great blues but also the great eats. Bill has been known to cook up a big batch of mighty good Gumbo to share with the fans. You know you want some!
Well, that’s barely the tip of the iceberg for the best blues/rock musicians from Tallahassee, and hopefully I’ll add more in the near future, but I have to also tip my hat to two great Tallahassee organizations:
- The Bradfordville Blues Club cranks out the finest blues every weekend, sometimes with local acts, sometimes bigger names. This is Tallahassee’s authentic back-woods juke joint and if you haven’t been, you haven’t lived. Bring dancing shoes!
- The Apalachee Blues Society promotes Blues and Blues culture in a wide swath around Tallahassee. They also get together at least monthly and have a good time. If you live in the area and like blues, show up at a meeting and see what I mean.
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