Hubert
Sumlin (partially obscured) Sammy Fender, Lavelle White, Steve Arvey,
Chico Chism, Curtis Obeda & Foots Berry
1982
This
was not an unusual night at the Kingston Mines. Often when I played
with Hubert old friends of his would stop down to sit in with us,
people who normally didn't even play out anymore. Fred Below showed
up one night with Louis Myers. Another night across the street at
B.L.U.E.S. Floyd Jones came down to play some of the really spooky
old tunes like "Dark Road" and "Hard Times."
Smokey Smothers would come almost anytime we'd go get him and promise
to get him home. Taildragger seemed to show up and sing "My
Head Is Bald" at almost everyshow played.
Brewer
Phillips (Phillips to everyone) was supposed to be down early on
one of Hubert's gigs to talk to a promoter but he didn't show up
until the midway through the last set, long after the promoter had
left. Blood on his slacks and his knuckles all raw it was obvious
he had been in a scuffle of some kind. He stopped at the bar long
enough to make a shot disappear and when he reached for my guitar
and realized it was strung left-handed I thought he was going to
hit me. Hubert offered up his guitar and the band took off following
Phillips for the rest of the set. Somebody scared up another right
handed guitar and Hubert joined us dragging along Detroit Junior.
Guys
always hung around the Mines, drinking free/reduced price cocktails
in exchange for sitting in on a few numbers. It was always a loose
party with some serious head-cutting lurking just below the surface.
The Mines has a late license and is the place many musicians end
up after playing their own gig. Miss Lavelle, who performed in between
sets every night on the "other side," could usually be
counted on to sing with anybody who could play and it was not uncommon
during the last two hours of the night that the billed attraction
would be supplanted by names like Jr. Wells, Sugar Blue or Lefty
Dizz.