Bands rally for tribute to guitarist Jho Blenis

RICK NELSON; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Last updated: December 19th, 2008 12:36 AM (PST)

Starting at 3 p.m., the groups that will perform in the fundraiser for Jho Blenis will be, in order, Little Bill & the Blue Notes, Crossroads Band, Big Nasty, the Tim Hall Band, the Blues Power Revue (formerly the New Blues Brothers) and Billy Roy Danger & the Rectifiers.

Local clubs couldn’t afford to book this many top acts, and the volunteer event will end with “the Jho Blenis All-Star Jam.”

“Jho needs heart surgery, and he doesn’t have any medical coverage,” said Blenis’ longtime friend Tim Hall. “We’re trying to get him a head start on that and to help with financial problems from the fact he can’t work like he used to with Bump Kitchen because he doesn’t have the stamina.”

Blenis’ résumé includes Bump Kitchen, Big Nasty and many other popular South Sound bands, but it isn’t just his talent that inspires his musical colleagues.

“When I think of Jho, I think ‘great guitar player, hell of a nice man,’” said Bill Engelhart. He and his band will kick off the fundraiser before heading over to The Spar for a gig Sunday night.

Billy Stapleton is the Blue Notes guitarist, but when Engelhart performs in a trio format he uses Blenis or Rod Cook.

“Jho is an excellent musician.” Engelhart said. “Remember Rich Dangel? Jho is close to that. He’s a really accomplished musician. And he’s a genuine, nice person. He’s very gentle and a real pleasure to work with.”

That could explain why, as Hall said, “Everyone we called jumped on board when Mike Mitchell and I started organizing this.”

“Jho and I were in our first bands together in the eighth grade. … We were at Mann Junior High when we started our first band, and he was in a band called Muff back in the ’60s, real psychedelic. I played in that band with him a little bit, and he was in a band called Foghorn Leghorn with me and Robert Cray and Richard Cousins in 1971.”

Scott Simmons, a Bump Kitchen alumnus, was asked what sets Blenis apart from most guitarists.

“He’s continually evolving,” Simmons said. “His sound and his style are a melting pot of everything from soul jazz to Junior Watson. He wrote (about 20 Bump Kitchen tunes). They range all the way from old-school R&B to Latin and some blues shuffles. Joe can do it all.”

Many local music fans know Blenis from Big Nasty, which will reunite for Sunday’s show. A longtime member of the band, drummer Michael Kinder, will be playing in that set and with the Blues Power Revue, which is performing tonight at Jazzbones in a CD-release party set for 8:30 p.m.

The album is “Backin’ Up Santa,” and it’s a fun holiday-themed collection that features tunes such as “Santa’s Messin’ with the Kid,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Run, Run, Rudolph.”

Kinder, who recently played with Blenis at The Swiss in another Big Nasty reunion show, said his friend is “the consummate professional.”

“I think it has a lot to do with the fact he can play in any genre and plays it like he means it. And when you look into the crowd, like when we played at The Swiss, it’s full of guitar players of all different kinds.

“He knows his craft and hasn’t compromised his integrity about staying true to whatever genre he’s in. He doesn’t use a lot of gimmicks, and he’s a guitar player’s guitar player.”

Blenis shares his knowledge with aspiring guitarists and is highly respected as a teacher.

“He’s got a nice stable of up-and-coming guitar players who are going to make it their vocation in life,” Kinder said.

The veteran drummer, who works with the national Music Cares foundation to help musicians with medical-related expenses, said he hopes there will be more benefits to aid local performers, many (probably most) of whom do not have medical insurance.

“I think if we can make this an annual event or do it even more frequently, we could build up a kitty to help others,” he said.

Sunday’s show will start at 3 p.m. at Dawson’s, 5443 South Tacoma Way. The suggested donation is $10. The band sets are slated to end at 9 p.m., and the jam should last until midnight.

HALF NOTES

 • Dawson’s features rock and R&B from Tatoosh tonight and Saturday. The Billy Shew Band hosts an open jam on Thursday.

 • Jazzbones will follow up tonight’s Blues Power Revue show with DoctorfunK on Saturday.

 • The dance floor at The Swiss should fill up with the Retros playing tonight and Kry performing on Saturday.

 • The Jambalaya presents the Brown and Blues Band on Saturday and the Cody Rentas Band at 3 p.m. Sunday.

 • Johnny’s Dock has the Tim Hall Band Saturday, and the group plays at Inni’s on Wednesday.

 • The Mandolin Cafe will feature jazz from the Kareem Kandi Band at 3 p.m. Sunday.

 • You can catch Little Bill & the Blue Notes doing some Ray Charles at The Spar on Sunday.

rick.nelson@thenewstribune.com">rick.nelson@thenewstribune.com

Originally published: December 19th, 2008 12:36 AM (PST)