Abu Talib a.k.a. Freddy Robinson Alive And Well

[ChicagoB...@aol.com]

Hi,

I went to BB King's Blues Club (in Universal City, CA) last night to see the
legendary guitarist Abu Talib aka Freddy Robinson. He was in very fine form.
Singing and playing very deep, mellow jazzy blues.

I recognised no other LA "blues fans" there, and I'm left wondering if I am
the only one in this town who consistently goes out of his way to see real
blues. If anyone from this list was at last night's show, or ANY other
authentic LA blues show in the last year, please come forward.

Thanks,
cb

[Twist Turner]

When I first started working with Seattle guitarist Issac Scott in
around 72 or 73 one of his favorite lps was Freddy Robinson "At the
Drive In" I hadn't heard it since then until I ran upon it last summer
and picked it up for a couple bucks. Very cool lp and definately worth
picking up if you run across it.

Twist Turner
http://members.tripod.com/~Twist_Turner/index.html

[bluesfantom]

Three songs from that LP have been reissued on an (expensive, too) Ace CD called Bluesology. Eight more songs from an LP called Off The Cuff. The rest are "previously unissued". Great stuff indeed. Wish I had the albums...

tom
(PS to Twist: some friends of mine who have recently seen Isaac said he was indeed loud, but no louder than Tommy Castro--this said and having seen TC, Isaac must be f*$#ing loud)

[Gerrit Robs]

Wished I could be there in LA when Abu/Freddie played B.B.'s.
CB could you please review the concert for us, this is one of the few true
masters still alive?
What band did he played with and what kind of songs, etc.

For those who are not familier with him, the march/april issue of Living
Blues Magazine (no. 144) has a great story of Freddie and his days with
Little Walter, Howlin'Wolf etc. He also sells his own cd on Son Pat Records,
if you are into Blues with Jazz/Soul and a bit of Funk, there is a great Ace
(UK) cd with the best of his Enterprise recordings, but I think most zellers
have 1 or more lp's by him (smile)!

So you better check this guy out before he's playing with all those greats
in the sky!

Gerrit

----- Original Message -----
From: <ChicagoB...@aol.com>
To: <BLU...@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU>

[Twist Turner]

All the west coast bands I've seen or worked with play way too loud.
Most guys amps hum louder when they aren't playing out of them than the
volume of any Chicago blues band. I didn't know Tommy was playing that
loud, its hard to believe anyone plays as loud as Issac was the night I
saw him(literally louder than any band I have ever heard anywhere in the
last 4 decades).

Tommy didn't used to play that loud but I only know him from when he as
about a 21 year old kid maybe younger, he was working with a band out of
San Jose called NiteCry. He always was a good songwriter and a nice
kid. I have a tape of a blues fest. here somewhere where they are
backing up Albert King. I"ve never heard any of his own records so I
have no idea what type of material he is doing now. I know Tommy was
very popular in the Bay Area in the years after I left there.
==================================

(PS to Twist: some friends of mine who have recently seen Isaac said he
was indeed loud, but no louder than Tommy Castro--this said and having
seen TC, Isaac must be f*$#ing loud) -----

Twist Turner
http://members.tripod.com/~Twist_Turner/index.html

[VT]

On 13 Apr 2001 02:06:55 -0700, ChicagoB...@aol.com wrote:

>I went to BB King's Blues Club (in Universal City, CA) last night to see the
>legendary guitarist Abu Talib aka Freddy Robinson. He was in very fine form.
> Singing and playing very deep, mellow jazzy blues.

Here's an anecdote that I got when interviewing Hubert Sumlin (Howlin'
Wolf's long time guitarist and "son")

As you know there's been a long time controversy over who actually
played lead guitar on Howlin' Wolf's classic "Spoonful".

Freddy King claims to have played on that recording and there are some
authorities that have given that claim some credence.

We actually did a "test" on the Blues-L where a former Blue-L'er who
was a big Freddy King fan listened carefully to "Spoonful" and other
tunes where the guitarist was definitely Hubert Sumlin - and concluded
that the guitarist IHO was _not_ Freddy King on "Spoonful".

So during my attendence at one of Hubert Sumlin's gigs - I asked him
who actually played guitar on "Spoonful".....

Hubert: "Oh, that was Freddy...."

VT (taken aback): "You mean Freddy King?...."

Hubert: "No.....Freddy Robinson...."

VT: "Who?"

Red (Hubert's Manager):
"Abu Talib - Freddy Robinson - you'll see his recordings advertised in
the back of 'Living Blues'"

That's how I found out about Abu Talib - aka Freddy Robinson.
--
Vincent
vtVi...@Prodigy.Net

[RHart...@aol.com]

Here's a Freddie Robinson story that Rick Holmstrom told me.
Not long after Freddie became a muslim and changed his name his old
firend Johnny Dyer called his house. Freddie's wife answered the phone.
Johnny said "Hi, It's Johnny. Is Freddie there?" The reply was "I'm sorry
there is no one here by that name." Johnny said" Come on I know he's there.
Let me talk to him." Freddie's wife held her ground. "I'm sorry there's no
Freddie here" Finally, Johnny caught on and gave up. "Is ABU there?" "Yes, he
is. Just a minute"
One time when I saw Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, in the middle of a
song Rod yells to Rick "Play some of that Freddie Robinson stuff!" and Rick
yells back "That's Abu Talib to you!"
Ryan

[Joe Lempkowski]

Hey Twist,

That's no B.S. I remember the first time I walked into JJ's in San Jose and
saw the sound guy miking drums and I thought what the hell is he doing that
for I've seen walk-in closets bigger than that club. When he was setting up
the microphone stand
in front of a Fender Twin, I knew it was going to be loud. That was for a
Johnny Shines show. My ears were ringing two days later.

Joe

[Terry Odor]

I go to LA every August and while there I go to as many
blues clubs as I can, including at least one trip to BB's at Universal
and Cozy's in the Valley. I'll be there this summer between
August 18 and 28th, so if you know of anything happening
in that time period let me know.
I'm in Portland, OR and I go to alot of blues shows here and have
noticed that attendence at shows I would think should be packed
is usually disappointing.

Terry

> ** Original Message follows...

>
> Hi,

>
> I went to BB King's Blues Club (in Universal City, CA) last night to see the
> legendary guitarist Abu Talib aka Freddy Robinson. He was in very fine form.
> Singing and playing very deep, mellow jazzy blues.
>

> I recognised no other LA "blues fans" there, and I'm left wondering if I am
> the only one in this town who consistently goes out of his way to see real
> blues. If anyone from this list was at last night's show, or ANY other
> authentic LA blues show in the last year, please come forward.
>
> Thanks,
> cb

>** --------- End Original Message ----------- **

>

[Steve Hoffman]

I'm late jumping into this thread, but where does Abu Talib, formerly
Freddy Robinson, hang his hat these days? Still based in Chicago??

Steve Hoffman
mailto:st...@goodnote.com