conqueroo: the blog

Ponderosa Stomp 2006

MEMPHIS, Tenn – May 11, 2006 -- I’m sitting in an indie wi-fi coffeehouse in midtown Memphis on my way to the airport after three nights of the fifth annual Ponderosa Stomp festival www.conqueroo.com/ponderosastomp, “three nights of insane rock’n’roll,” held at the Gibson Guitar Factory here. For the uninitiated, this is a festival launched by Ira “Dr. Ike” Padnos, a New Orleans anesthesiologist and record collector, who wanted to see his collection of 45s and 78s come alive onstage five years ago. Since then, P-Stomp has become action central for not only musicologists and collector geeks but for a new generation of hipsters who defy the market-dictated demographics of SPIN magazine and commercial “alternative” radio by unleashing their inner sultan of soul. Usually held in New Orleans, this year’s Memphis festival was warmly greeted by Memphis locals as well as fans from all over the world who flew in for the event. More than $35,000 in proceeds were donated directly to Gulf Coast musicians who played the Stomp, and to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and MusiCares.

Among my own musical highlights at the Stomp were Syl Johnson leading the Hi Rhythm Section through his roster of Chicago and Memphis soul hits, Stax artists William Bell and Harvey Scales, Cleveland garage band the Alarm Clocks, Roy Head, bluesman Jody Williams with Billy Boy Arnold and Lazy Lester, Sonny Burgess with assorted Sun session players, Ace Cannon (introduced by Memphis’ own Jerry “The King” Lawler), Boots Randolph, Arch Hall Jr., Barbara Lynn, Zakary Thaks and Archie Bell, who performed the ultimate “Tighten Up.”

Among those spotted scoping out the Stomp were Jerry “The King” Lawler, Yo Le Tengo, Peter Case, Big Sandy, www.conqueroo.com/bigsandy, Steve Cropper, Hubert Sumlin, Kim Wilson, Bobby Purify, www.conqueroo.com/bobbypurifywdanpenn, author Peter Guralnick and perhaps a Coen brother or two. It was also a scene for journalists and editors, as well as bluesologists who poured into town for the Blues Music Awards the following night.

I could go on endlessly with stories and vignettes, but let’s let the pictures do the talking. Just make sure you write Ponderosa Stomp (presumably to be relocated back to New Orleans) into your script for 2007.

Photos: 1) Lazy Lester (who cut the song “Ponderosa Stomp” in the early ‘60s) and Dr. Ike. 2) A sense of place: P-Stomp was held at the Gibson Guitar Factory just off Beale Street. 3) Al “Carnival Time” Johnson performs “Live at 9” on WREG-TV (CBS) Memphis at Peabody Place. 4) Former Stax artist William Bell tears it up. 5) Dr. Ike talks to Memphis’ Fox 13 News. 6) Sun Records alums Scotty Moore and Sonny Burgess. 7) The Stomp is also about buying and selling rare vinyl and CDs. 7) World champ Jerry “The King” Lawler brings up one of the “two best saxophonists in the world,” Ace Cannon. 8) Smoky strip-club sax courtesy of Ace Cannon. 9) Big Sandy (left) pays tribute to the 45 RPM record at the Stomp, seen with Cary all photos by Cary Baker

SXSW 2006

AUSTIN, TX, March 20, 2006 - SXSW is in many respects the crossroads of the year for conqueroo. This year, we represented 16 artists plus one multi-artist event at the annual Austin music conference and festival. Most of those artists played multiple shows — usually an official showcase and as many as eight or nine off-site parties, BBQs, live radio performances and such. For me, this was SXSW #19 — I’ve attended the confab since the conference was held in the ballroom of the the Crest Hotel (now the Radisson) with registration of about 150. Nowadays, registration is estimated at more than 10,000 with more than 1,400 artists hovering in the 512 area code. conqueroo wants to thank our artists who worked tirelessly with us to make some noise out there: Bobby Bare, Jessi Colter, Rodney Crowell, Tom Freund, The Gourds, Hank III, Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey, Eleni Mandell, James McMurtry, Willie Nile, Patty Hurst Shifter, Ponderosa Stomp, Stan Ridgway, Billy Joe Shaver, Translator and Tres Chicas.

I also want to thank Lil Deb, my partner in the annual Guitartown/conqueroo showcase, held the Wednesday of SXSW week at Mother Egan’s. There were times during the nine-hour hoedown that it looked like the Woodstock Nation out there.

We’re already scheming our plans for SXSW 2007 — our 20th consecutive one — but in the meantime we look to these events on the calendar: Ponderosa Stomp (May 8-9-10 in Memphis, http://www.ponderosastomp.com) and the Americana Music Association Conference (Sept. 20-22 in Nashville, http://www.americanamusic.org) We’ll be at both events in force and hope we’ll see you there!

	photos 1) Cary & Cary...Caitlin Cary (Tres Chicas), Cary Baker, Sin City’s Shilah Morrow (the queen of the L.A. scene) at the Guitartown/conqueroo showcase. 2) Jessi Colter and Kris Kristofferson backstage at the Austin Music Awards (photo by Cary Baker) 3) Billy Joe Shaver and band perform at the Compadre Records party. 4) At the Guitartown/conqueroo showcase, L-R: Cathy Guthrie, James McMurtry, Eleni Mandell, Mary Lynn (friend of Eleni) and Cary 5) Cary Baker poses with Stan Ridgway in the plush VIP area of the Guitartown/conqueroo showcase while Pietra Wexstun reflects 6) In Austin, even back yards have stages. Shaver testifies at the Compadre Records party held in Casey Monahan’s yard. 7) Drop kick me, Bobby: Cary and Bobby Bare Sr. at the Dualtone Records showcase. 8) It’s pretty hard getting Willie Nile to pose but with some cunning persuasion, I managed. 8) Willie Nile and Cary at the Guitartown/conqueroo showcase at Mother Egan’s