Arthur Lee Williams is a native of Tunica, Mississippi. As a boy he moved to Chicago with his family, and there, inspired by such neighborhood greats as Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter, taught himself to play harmonica. He began gigging in the mid ‘50s, sitting in with luminaries such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Eddie Taylor. He returned to Mississippi and his country roots after high school, breaking in on Memphis radio with Barber Parker and the Silver Kings and played countless dates in juke joints and roadhouses similar to the one depicted in Honeydripper, eventually partnering with Frank Frost and Sam Carr on several blues records. Relocating to St. Louis in the early ‘70s, he formed the Bluesmasters and became a vital part of the Midwestern music scene.
Eddie Shaw has played his tenor sax with many of the legends of the blues, including Hound Dog Taylor, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters and a long run with Howlin Wolf. He continued with many of the members of that band to form the Wolf Gang. His son Eddie ‘Vaan’ Shaw is a guitarist, while his son Stan Shaw has become a highly-regarded film actor. While Shaw’s appearance in Honeydripper is his first film work, he has long been known for his dramatic, powerful playing style.
Gary Clark Jr., recently named Best Blues Artist at the Austin Music Awards, is one of the most exciting young guitarists in the country. Self-taught, he hit the Texas music scene in 1998 at the age of fourteen, and since has opened for talents such as Gatemouth Brown, Jimmie Vaughan, Bobby Bland and Joe Ely, while steadily building a substantial club following of his own. A singer/songwriter who also plays bass, harmonica and drums, Clark is working on his fourth and most ambitious CD and has begun to write soundtrack music for films. Honeydripper is his first appearance in a movie.
Dr. Mable John was born in Louisiana and raised in Detroit. Following her younger brother, Little Willie John, she recorded as a solo artist for the Tamla and Stax labels, scoring her first major hit in 1966 with the soul classic “Your Good Thing is About to End,” which she co-wrote. She served for several years as director of Ray Charles’ backup group, the Raelettes, often performing with them, and created her own music publishing and talent agency. Now a Doctor of Divinity, Dr. John is pastor of the Joy in Jesus Ministries and supervises outreach programs that provide aid and counseling for people in the Los Angeles area, as well as writing and recording religious music. In 1994 the Rhythm and Blues Foundation presented her with its Pioneer Award.
View:youtube Honeydripper All-Star Band performing live at New York City’s River to River Festival. This song features Henderson Huggins whose hands make a cameo appearance in the film.
View:youtube Honeydripper All-Star Band performing live at New York City’s River to River Festival. This song features Eddie Shaw who also appears in the film.
View:youtube Honeydripper All-Star Band performing live at New York City’s River to River Festival. This song features Dr. Mable John who is one of the stars of the film.
I’ve always loved the summer in New York City. When others are running away to traffic-clogged resort towns, I like hanging around the city and taking in whatever surprises may be around the next corner. Among my favorite activities are margaritas at the 79th Street Boat Basin, bicycling on the path in Hudson River Park and kayaking in the Hudson itself. On days where I do all three of those things, I call it my triathalon.
My very favorite thing to do in the summer is to go to outdoor concerts, and last Tuesday night, I saw a great one. The Honeydripper All-Star band was performing at the River-to-River Festival in lower Manhattan. This is the house band from John Sayles’ new film “Honeydripper,” which Emerging will be releasing late this year. This particular night was only the second time the band had played together, but you wouldn’t have known it from watching them. They were hot! We’ve posted a clip from the concert at http://www.emergingpictures.com/hd_band.htm, so you can get a taste. This first clip features Gary Clark Jr., who in addition to being a major new music talent, is also the star of the film. We’ll post some more clips as the weeks go on, so you can see the other amazing musicians in the band. And watch for more information about the band’s upcoming performances. They may turn up in some unexpected places.
View:youtube Honeydripper All-Star Band performing live at New York City’s River to River Festival. This song features Gary Clark Jr. who stars in the film.
