The Wagon Wheel Gang: News

Many members of the Wagon Wheel Gang are currently training to compete in a challenge relay race in January 2012. The Ragnar relay is a 199 mile race from Miami to Key West! Of the 12 people on the "Wagon Wheel Gang" team, 8 have appeared on the CD. Good luck to the team!

Big Donald was asked to join BLOWFLY as their drummer. Bloefly is a funk/rap/pop band led by Cllarence Reid. Clarence was a soul singer and songwriter in the 1960’s and 70’s and wrote several hits including many for KC and the Sunshine Band and for Grammy winner Betty Wright. Aside from his “legitimate” career as a soul singer and songwriter, he had an alter-ego “Blowfly” in which he was arguably the first rapper back in the 60’s. He also did “dirty” covers of popular songs and wrote plenty of songs with nasty and profane lyrics. They were not widely released in the U.S. but he was hugely popular in Europe and Australia. There is also an award-winning documentary about him.
Documentary website where you can view the film trailer:
www.blowflyfilm.com

Recent New Times article about Blowfly:
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-09-22/music/the-weird-world-of-blowfly-at-o-cinema-september-29-to-october-2/

Recent Biscayne Times article:
http://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=949:nasty-as-ever-and-not-yet-through&catid=38:art-a-culture&Itemid=201


Some funny vintage Blowfly videos (WARNING: Contains Adult Content):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO2E1ZVtMrg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO2E1ZVtMrg

Big Donald, Will Thomas and Alex Haw have been playing together for 16 years under several different formats and configurations, most notably with Dougan Clarke as the Tall Boys Blues Band, the wildly popular bar band from the early to mid 90's. Now, in preparation for their 11th appearance in the King Mango Strut and other holiday-time gigs, Will, Alex and Big Donald are putting together something new and entirely different - a soul band! If you think three white fortyish guys forming a soul band is a stupid idea, be careful. Don't forget that Alex and Big Donald are now backing soul, blues and R&B legend, Tree Top. Also, Will's voice has been heralded as soulful by multiple well-known critics. Be sure to check out their fresh and inspiring arrangements of Mowtown, Chess and Stax hits.

Big Donald came accross Tree Top playing one man band style at Shantel's Lounge in Liberty City. After striking up a conversation, he realized that Tree Top is a living legend in the Miami Music Scene. Tree was a regular in bands in the historic Overtown Clubs in the 60's and 70's.

Tree Top has been performing for over 50 years. Tree Top cut his musical teeth at age 16 in Tampa playing guitar in various clubs. He began touring with jazz/big band great, Erskine Hawkins. In the 60’s he made his way to Miami and played all of the historic Overtown night clubs. Tree spent many years in the house band at the Sir John Night Beat Club, where he shared the stage with many of the greats who came through Miami – Aretha Franklin, The Drifters, Patti LaBelle, the Four Tops, BB King and many more. Tree Top became close friends with and performed with Stax Label stars, Sam and Dave and Eddie Floyd and has recorded with Sam and Dave. Tree was a regular at all of the hotels on Miami Beach during the 70’s even getting local youngsters in on the act to dance and sing at poolside performances at the Eden Roc, Castaways, the Thunderbird and Fontainebleau. Tree Top played guitar for several touring acts including the Five Royales, Dyzzy Jones, Frank Desbordes and Sammy and the Vikings and has played tours in the U.S. including the famous Apollo Theater and has also toured in Europe. In 1970, Tree Top and the Soul Branches recorded the funk instrumental hit “Inside Out” (B side: “Don’t Go Away”) which received tremendous airplay behind the support of popular AM disc jockeys Butterball and King Coleman. Tree Top has been a major player in the Miami music scene for over four decades and even lived next door to Grammy winning soul singer Betty Wright. Tree also worked with soul singer-turned-producer/TV host, Steve Alaimo and many of the other acts from Henry Stone’s TK Records label.

Big Donald convinced Tree Top to come to the studio to play with Alex on bass and Big Donald on drums. A mutual colaboration was formed and we look forward to many great performances together.

Once again, our friend Jumpin' Johnny Sansone has been nominated for a Blues Music Award (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards) given out by the Blues Foundation. It is a great honor and we are very proud of him and hope he wins. Full story:
http://www.blues.org/#tagNews_862

Sensing a hole in the Miami Music Scene where soutehrn rock should be, long time collaborators Big Donald, Will Thomas and Dougan Clarke are teaming up once again (you remember them from The Tall Boys and Will Thomas and the Redneck Orchestra among other projects) to create a new sound. The Magic City Swampers will mark Alex's debut at playing bass and Wil Thomas will play nylon stringed acoustic guitar and handle vocals. Big Donald and Dougan retain their posts at drums and keys respectively. "MCS" will be bringing "acoustic southern rock" to Miami listeners soon. While starting out with covers from the Allmans, Skynyrd, the Band and Little Feat, originals can't be far behind and pehaps including new twists on songs from previous projects. Stay tuned.

New Orleans Bluesman, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone (who appears on the WWG CD) was recently nominated for 2 Blues Music Awards by the Blues Foundation. Formerly known as the Handy Awards, the Blues Music Awards are the most prestigious in the industry. He is nominated for Best Instumentalist (other): Accordion and Song of the Year for "Poor Man's Paradise." If you don't already have it, buy the "Poor Man's Paradise" CD at his website and wish him luck at the Blues Music Awards which are presented in May in Mississippi. www.johnnysansone.com
http://www.blues.org/bluesmusicawards/index.php4

I couldn't round up enough folks for a Wagon Wheel Gang set, but many of us will be playing at the Harvset Fair on November 17 and 18 at the Dade County Fairgrounds in Tamiami Park. Alex and I will be debuting our new duo called the Back Porch Unit. Alex plays acoustic guitar, dobro and a little harmonica and does most of the singing. I'll be pickin' banjo and playing harmonican and foot percussion. It should be good. Other Wagon Wheel Gang players will be playing in their bands like:
Will Thomas and the Redneck Orchestra
The 18 Wheelers
Matt Sabatella and the Ramblin' String Band
Live Bait

Other acts playing are:
The Dharma Bomb
Olga (from Mississppi)
Valerie C. Wisecracker
Laura Bradley
Ernie Southern
Karina Iglesias

More information on the event later...
- Big Donald

One of our favorite bars has closed down (only temporarily) for extensive renovations. When they re-open, the Wagon Wheel gang will be playing a special Grand Re-Opening Show. It should be sometime around mid-July 2007. More news to follow.

Although we got the shaft from the event proper, the folks at Dockside Bar in Tampa have asked us to host pre- and post-parties for the Tampa Bay Blues Fest on MAY 5, 2007. It should be THE spot to be, before and after the fest on Saturday. Friends of the WWG, Koko Taylor, Eric Lindell and Dickie Betts will all be performing at the fest and may come by for their AM Bloody Marys or a nightcap after the show. Although I have never met Watermelon Slim, I hope to do so at the fest and invite him and his band over also. He is sure to fit in with our crowd well.

Lots of Wagon Wheel Gang members will be participating in this great parade. Chris and Robert (who played bass and drums for the WWG CD Release Party) will be performing in the Strut with the 18 Wheelers and Big Donald, Alex and Will will also be performing in the parade as the "Curious Congressional Pages." Joining us three will be Dougan Clarke, which makes the line up the same as the wildly popular early 90's band, "The Tall Boys Blues Band." The parade starts at 2:00 PM in the Grove on Sunday, December 31. Come out for a great time and I'll be passing out free Slim Jims and Live CDs.

Big Donald has made some copies of a recording of the CD Release Party at Tobacco Road on 12/9/06. It includes all of the songs and some banter from the stage (profanities deleted) and it has liner notes about who played. Just ask Big Donald for a FREE copy while supplies last.

Big Donald forgot to make any arrangements to record our radio performance and interview, so unless someone recorded it at home, it is lost into the ether. If you did record it, please let Big Donald know (it is probably worth at least a 12-pack of your favorite adult beverage). I'll put it on the website so anyone who missed it live can hear it, too.

Michael Stock, the host of the Folk and Acoustic Radio Program on WLRN has asked us to perform LIVE on his show on Sunday, December 3. We'll give you some more information soon, but be sure to tune in. WLRN is on your FM dial at 91.3 MHz.

The new CD will be available in select stores and via CD Baby in November, but you can save money and get free stuff by ordering early. At retail outlets and CD Baby the cost will be $15 (but you'll also have to pay tax and/or shipping). If you send a check or money order for $15 US made out to Donald Lutton to 3509 SW 1 Ave, Miami, FL, 33145 you get the CD and don't have to pay tax or shipping, plus you get a FREE WWG Beer Koozie and Sticker! This offer is only for a limited time, so act now while supplies last!

We have been booked by Tobacco Road upstairs in the Diamond Tooth Cabaret to conduct our CD release party on Saturday December 9th. The 18 Wheelers will support and the night promises big fun with more details to be announced soon.

We are trying to put together a show at Tobacco Road in early November to celebrate the release of the CD. Artists wishing to participate please contact Big Donald.

Many of the Wagon Wheel Gang members were recently in Michigan for a recording session and a few performances. The recording at Frontier Recording in Copemish went very well and although we were outdone by the Scottville Clown Band in the Manistee parade, everyone had a great time. Informal jams around town caught the eyes and ears of Portage Lake Association leaders and it looks like we may have a gig in next summer's Onekama Concert Series. We are also likely going to set something up at the Cabbage Shed in Elberta for next summer. Now if we can just get a shot at the Dunegrass Festival in Empire, then we'll have a full Northern Michigan "tour."

The Wagon Wheel Gang has been chosen by the Manistee National Forest Festival Parade Committee to perform in their annual Independence Day Parade. Although many of the gang members have performed or marched in parades, this will be the first WWG parade performance.

Much of the recording for the CD is complete, but we will take the opportunity to record some vocals and additional instrumentation at Frontier Recording Studio in Copemish, Michigan. We will be there in late June.The studio is constructed within a 100 year old homestead barn in a rural setting of woods, fields and rolling hills, it should sound sweet and be a blast to record in. After that it will just be mixing back in Miami and we should be ready to release by late August. Stay tuned for updates.