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Classic Vinyl

With John Gardiner

Whiskey Howl's Michael Pickett takes centre stage in this week's Classic Vinyl

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Michael Pickett with Colin Linden.

(Following is a guest column written in response to last week's rant about the late '60's/early '70's Toronto blues band, Whiskey Howl. Michael talks about the band and its music and what things were like back in the Ñold daysÑ on the Toronto blues scene. Read on and find out what one of Canada's premier bluesmen is thinking about these days.)


Hey John: I'll fill you in as best I can off the top of my head.

Original band members John Witmer- vocals keys , Gary Penner -bass, Pete Boyko - guitar, Wayne Wilson - drums, John Bjarnason (B.J.)- harp.....formed late 1968 or early '69.

Played a Stormy Monday Blues nite at Massey Hall right out of the basement. B.B. King/Bobby Blue Bland etc.were the headliners. I don't know the details. Also played the Rock and Roll Revival at Varsity Stadium summer '69 John Lennon Yoko Eric clapton Chuck Berry Screamin Lord Such (or Screamin J Hawkins). *He made his appearance out of a coffin and I don't really know which it was. (I think they backed him up) Tony Joe White, Sly and the Family Stone closed the show . No one wanted to follow Sly Stone back then – they were too good. I was in the audience...35 yrs ago.

Feb. 1,1970 I got a call from John (I knew these guys...sort of 'cause they would rehearse with a small crowd in people's basements in Downsview (northwest end of Toronto) That's when I joined the band because BJ was starting a career as a chiropractor.

Managed by Ed Glinert we would go out on weekends and do various venues and high schools all over the map/mostly Ontario/it is a large province......20 hrs to Thunder Bay if you know what I mean. Could never understand why we didn't drive south to the USA rather than north. Ed Glinert got us a gig at Grossman's Tavern on Spadina just south of the El Mocambo (it was a dance studio at that time). Grossman's is where it really came together for the band. Certainly for me it did. Much different vibe/ambience playing in a funky bar than on a stage or concert situation. I really learned how to play there, I am still learning.

The first time we played there, there was a table at the back of the room, obviously it was their turf. They were jazz musicians /artists/ painters actors ....Gord Rayner/ Robert Markle/Michael Sarrazin...

At the end of the first set John Witmer announced that we were going to take a break and this entire back table stood up and facetiously applauded to let us know taking a break would be a good idea. That was a turning point in my life because up until that moment everyone we ran into told us how great we were and I knew that was not the case. I made Grossman's my second home. The Downchild Blues Band started there.....still together 35 yrs and counting (inspiration for the Blues Brothers a la Akroyd Belushi). Morgan Davis also. The guys from Muddy Waters Band would drop in and sit in ditto James Cotton!!!!!!!!! between their matinee 3-5 at the Colonial Tavern and their evening show I guess. I don't exactly remember but WOW do I remember those guys sitting in. It was scary good

Ed Glinert got Whiskey Howl signed to WB...very big deal back then. They hired Johnny Sandlin to produce (The Alllman Bros./ Cher etc). He flew in from Macon Georgia . In the studio he decided we needed a piano player and he sent for Chuck Levell....19 yrs old I guess at the time. Has a steady gig working with the Rolling Stones at present.

Personnel on the LP you already have.

Band folded approx. '74 reformed '76 ..folded again. Over these years we opened on the road for Muddy Waters and James Cotton a number of times. Backed up Koko Taylor for a full week at least twice at the Colonial Tavern. I reformed the band in I guess '80 for the last time - ran for about 6 mths to a yr. and crashed and burned. Some time in that time period late 70s or early 80s there was a ÑReunionÑ of the original players at Alberts Hall. I was not there.

There is a recording on CD-check my website (it's available there) from the El Mocambo circa 81/may....... big band. Also a studio recording issued on vinyl - I have a box of them........called ÑFamily ReunionÑ.

I don't think that much of this info is in my bio on our website.

I do know a lot of musicians from that era that are still playing full time but none from the original band or the band that played on the WB lp. To quote Donny Walsh /Mr. Downchild talking about Ñ the old days...Grossman's etc. Ñ Pickett and I (and Morgan Davis) are the only guys still doin' it.Ñ

I am happy to do this for you John and I hope it helps.

A fan came up to me in a club one nite about ten yrs. ago and said the best nite you guys ever had was etc etc etc talking about a gig that happened back in the late '70s.

It may have been the best gig he could remember. But he was WRONG. The best gig I ever had happened about 2 days before he saw me and he missed it. Might have even missed it if he had been there.

I am trying to say that while history does carry some weight, the music is about the here and now.

I was lucky enough to see Bob Dylan at a small venue in Toronto on Sunday. He has a ton of ÑhistoryÑ but he was killin us with the here and now of it. No reason to be out on the road at 62 yrs of age other than to play the music in the moment. It was !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

michael pickett
alloftheseblues



John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.