Famous Musicians that I've Known

Bob Katt's Weblocation

Famous Musicians that I've Known

Some that I've actually played alongside,

Some Others that I Opened For

And Some that I had Chance Encounters with!

Sweet Baby James' brother Livingston Taylor

Livingston Taylor was the main act. Outside in the central courtyard on the main stage at the North end. 700 people. I'd never played for such a large crowd before. I'd played for maybe 300 or 400 but it seemed so overwhelming. Coalkitchen was my band. It was about 1970. I'd heard of his brother, James Taylor. His voice sounded almost exactly the same, but the music seemed somehow more musical. Accompanied by a cellist, a bassist and a drummer and it was very sublime.

Carla Peyton passed away in 2006

Larry (Big Twist) Nolan

Big Twist (Larry Nolan) used to come out to Carrie's on the banks of the Big Muddy River back in the sixties to sit in with my band. He'd always show up around midnite or 1 in the a.m. and he would come up and sing "Stormy Monday Blues" and other great selections.

His biggest hit on ALLIGATOR RECORDS was "300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy". He actually weighed about that much when I first knew him. He was TALL too, probably 6" 1" or more. He was reputed to challenge guys to foot races out in the road in front of Carrie's. It is said he was unbeatable. Hard to imagine in someone that large, but it's also hard to argue with blues lore.

Martin (Big Larry Williams) Albritton

Big Larry Williams (Martin Albritton), Big Twist's "brother" was usually hanging around with Twist. They'd show up at my Carrie's gig on quarter beer night or the weekend. "Carrie's Place", as some called it, was a true "Salt and Pepper" club. Depictions of white dancers in bobby sox and ducktails were featured on the West wall and black dancers in same era clothing (but hipper) on the East wall. Big Larry claimed to be the Larry Williams who had several radio hits back in the late 50s and early 60s, but that has been disputed. Years later, I played with Larry's band,

Powder Blue,

at a strip bar called DuMaroq, six miles north of Carbondale, IL for about a year. Every sunday we'd open the show and then play a set or two between ecdesiasts. We shared the dressing room with them. Talk about excitement! I couldn't sleep when I'd get home, with visions of nudes dancing through my mind.

I recently played a set with Big Larry (hence the recent photo above) at Von Jakob Winery in southern Illinois.

It must be pointed out that Larry, in his prime, was an incredible band leader, able to run a band through IMPROVISED arrangements, off the cuff, with subtle hand movements and spoken/sung cues. I think we rehearsed one afternoon in all the time I was with him, yet the band seemed to be well rehearsed.

Darryl (Munch) Jones of the Rolling Stones

Darryl and I played together on one or two occasions in Carbondale, IL.

I remember seeing him before he took off for New York in Springfield at the original Lake Club at an after hours dance. I remember them playing one groove that went on for an hour.

After he got to NEW YORK he played with Miles Davis, Sting, and other greats. In the the Sting video, Munch is the one that's all in grayscale while everyone else is in color.

R.E.O. Speedwagon had just got their first record finished when we (Coalkitchen) opened for them at the armory in Mount Vernon, Illinois in 1971. (this was after Gary Ritchrath took the place of Steve Scorfina, who took the place of DUKE TUMATO.

We partied with them outside Mt. Vernon til the sun came up at some old farmhouse. I don't recall whose house it was, maybe one of theirs.

After they got famous, I'd bump into Gary occasionally at Lloyd Music in Champaign. He was always all smiles and acted like he remembered me.

I have opened for Carl Gardner & The Coasters twice and played WITH them once on that same Paducah, Ky. River stage. The music director/guitarist, Thomas (Curly) Palmer and we (Jim Wall, Robbie Stokes and Charlie Morrill) rehearsed about 30 minutes a couple hours before the gig started. We had asked for charts two months in advance but they were not forthcoming..

We shared the trailer/dressing room with them. Carl's son, Carl Junior, who seemed to be only about 30 years old, but was really 50 something, was very nice and easy to talk to. Carl Senior had an obviously warped opinion of white people by the way he spoke. Peyton had a few drinks with Carl, Jr. in the bar at the Executive Inn. Carl told Peyt that the bass singer, Ronnie Bright was a junkie who they had to go looking for along the streets of N.Y. whenever they had to go to a gig.

He used to utilize braille cheat sheets on stage

I first met Jim Skinner in Carbondale in about 1990. He was just a boy then and beginning what would become a career as a singer/harmonica player. I noticed right away that he would hold a clipboard at his belt level, sideways with one hand holding it and another atop the papers in it. I doubt he still needs to use the clipboard and braille "cheat sheets", but it was (and still is) a very unusual thing to see. I've never seen anybody else do it anyway. Great voice, by the way. He can really scream it out.

Blind Boy Brian Lee hired me and a trumpet player

We appeared on several cuts on one album

I don't know what Brian Lee ever named that album that Dan Ward (Jungle Dogs) and I recorded on at Blue Earth Studio, but although promised copies when it was released, he never did send them to us. Darned if I'm going to go buy all his albums just to find out which one I'm on.