Leo Goff :: Bassist :: Memphis Latest News and Pictures

2011-02-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I have not been updating this as I should. I've got a lot of material to post, and I'll get some new content up soon.

Beale St. IBC Weekend

2010-01-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

It was a a great weekend on Beale, with an overwhelming array of talent, industry "movers and shakers", Blues fans, and friends making their way to Memphis, and "The Street", for the 2010 Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge.

After the I.B.C. competition each night, every club on Beale hosted a jam.

Thursday night for me started at The Rum Boogie, on stage jamming with Zack Harmon, and my buddy, Jared Booty, among others. That's Jared in the picture on the right. Jared was Al Green's guitarist for several years, and is currently working with Alexis Grace.

Friday night, it was down to BB King's, Where Darren J. and Blackcat Bone were hosting the jam. Blackcat Bone is Darren J. (center) on vocal and guitar, W.C. Garrison (Left) on drums, and , and Kenny Allyn (right) on bass.

They kicked off the jam, and after a few tunes, invited Brad Webb, Tony Adams, Vince Johnson and myself, along with Miranda Louise, on vocals, onto the stage. With Brads flawless guitar work, Tony Adams' deep in the pocket drumming, Vince's dynamic harp blowing, and Miranda's soulful vocals, it was a great night of deep blues.

Ran into many friends, amongst those, from Sirius/XM Radio, Bill Wax, Program Director, B.B. King's Bluesville Radio, , and Jody Stephens, Studio Manager, Ardent Studios, here in Memphis. All in all, it was a great night at BB's.

Saturday afternoon, it was back to The Rum Boogie, to do a set with Brandon Santini, Victor Wainwright, and Josh Roberts...premiere musicians, and great friends as well..

Had a great time hanging out with my running buddy, and outstanding bassist for the Tinsley Ellis Band, Burr, "The Evil One"... he's not really evil, though...except on bass!

Burr was working with Guitarist Greg Gumpel's

group at Wet Willies Saturday night.

Capped the evening off with The Eric Hughes band, at the Blues Hall.......

It was a special night....Eric, as always, performed a fantastic show, with the Eric Hughes Band...Robert "Nighthawk' Tooms, "Memphis" Mike Forrest, and covering for James Cunningham, our regular drummer, (who was out that night), Doug McMinn, and myself.

It was a special night on stage, with a "standing room only" crowd, and everyone enjoyed the night at the Blues Hall.

A special thanks to everyone who stopped by, including my special friends Johnny Holiday, Jerry Williams and Jared Booty, Jay Moore, and Elizabeth, Carrington, and Alex Wise. It was a great weekend!

Wet Willies, Beale St, with The Eric Hughes Band, Saturday Night

2010-01-14T18:03:00.000-08:00

Back at Wet Willies, this Saturday night, January 16th . Weather should be tolerable, so bust out of that cabin fever hibernation, and come on down for some Blues! As always, starts at 8...

Wet Willies, Beale St, with The Eric Hughes Band, Friday Night

2009-12-16T05:14:00.000-08:00

I'll be performing with The Eric Hughes Blues Band, this coming Friday night, at Wet Willies, on Beale St., Memphis. Eric's latest CD, "Live on Beale St." is doing quite well, and we'll be performing most of the songs from the CD. The show starts at 8...hope ya'll can make it!

Victor Wainwright Blue, Boogie, & Genuine Rock & Roll Review at Wet Willies

2009-12-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

I'll Be with Victor, tonight, at Wet Willies, on Beale St., Memphis Starts at 8....hope to see everyone there!

Brandon Santini, from Delta Highway, will be our special guest on Harp!

The Beale St. Jug Stompers! Tonight at Wet Willies, Beale St.

2009-11-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

I'll be performing with "The Beale St. Jug Stompers" tonight, Nov. 27, starting @ 8, at Wet Willies, on Beale St.

The Beale St. Jug Stompers....I'll be playing with Guy "Jr" Venable, "Memphis" Mike Forrest, and Dennis Flangia.

Come down and hear some music, "Jug Band Style" from the 1920 to 1930's era.

It's acoustic, easy listenin', and a whole lot of fun.

Starts at 8, goes till' 12....Hope to see ya' there!

Dennis Brooks memorial Concert, Sunday, Nov. 29th, at Neil's, Memphis, Tn.

2009-11-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

Memphis music veteran Dennis Brooks, a behind-the-scenes industry force, served as a tireless champion of the blues.

"He's someone in the music business that did a lot of people good, without ever calling attention to himself," musician and Beale Street Caravan producer Sid Selvidge said of his friend.

Dennis passed following a heart attack last month. He was 59.

Dennis Brooks

The news of his death shocked friends and comrades in the local and national music communities, and elicited a tremendous outpouring across several blues Web sites and message boards.

The response was a testament to a man who never sought the spotlight for himself.

"He never stood up and took credit for the things he did," Selvidge said. "He was just a real genuine fan of the music and the musicians."

His passion for music, especially Southern blues, took shape in the various roles he played in the community.

Mr. Brooks was one of the key figures behind the Beale Street Blues Society, a longtime member of The Blues Foundation and a frequent judge for the International Blues Competition, as well as board member of the Arkansas Blues Trail Marker Association.

He also served as a concert promoter, manager and booking agent for several popular Memphis blues artist artists, including Billy Gibson, Blind Mississippi Morris, and the late Sean Costello, among others.

The concert is Sunday, November 29, 2009 commencing at 2 p.m. Neil's, 1835 Madison Avenue, Memphis. No Cover charge.

The lineup is as follows:

2 p.m. - Bill Ellis, Tomi Lunsford, Sandy Carroll

3 p.m. - Bobby Lawson Band, David Daniels, Stan Street, Don Cook

4 p.m. - Robert Nighthawks' Wampus Cats, MT Leon, Elmo

5 p.m. - The Hitmen, Sterling Billingsly, John-Alex Mason

6 p.m. - Blind Mississippi Morris, Billy Lavender, Microwave Dave, Phil Durham

7 p.m. - Steve Selvidge, Richard Johnston, Billy Gibson

8 p.m. - Don McMinn, Davis Coen

9 p.m. - Reba Russell Band, Valerie June

9:50 p.m. - The Eric Hughes Band

10:15 p.m. - Jam Session

Silent auction to raise funds for Dennis' headstone.

Please save the date and forward this information to anyone you think would like to attend.

With The Eric Hughes Band at The Rum Boogie Blues Club, Beale St.

2009-11-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who came out to listen and to say hi, this past week, during the three nights of solid blues with the Eric Hughes Band. And thanks to Eric for having me on bass during those three nights!

Eric's new CD is getting a lot of air play, and it was recorded live at The Rum Boogie!

Eric is a regular at The Rum Boogie, so if you haven't experienced The Eric Hughes Band, try to catch his next show.

2009-09-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

I'll be appearing at Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale, Mississippi, Saturday night, Sept. 19th, with The Eric Hughes Band. Should be a great show!

Tennessee FunFest

2009-05-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

Victor Wainwright, and his Genuine Rock & Roll, Blues, & Boogie Revue, will be headlining the Tennessee Funfest Main Stage, Saturday evening, starting at 9 pm.

Victor's performance will be the Grand Finale to 3 days of music, brought to you by the Tennessee FunFest

Make your plans to attend this gala event!

Beale St. Music Fest Shows

2009-05-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Victor Wainwright, and his Genuine Rock & Roll, Blues, & Boogie Revue, will be appearing at Wet Willies on Beale St.

Show times are May 1st, Friday evening, For 2 shows, starting at 8.

May 2nd, Saturday, again 2 shows, starting at 4 pm.

Sunday, May 3rd, starting at 2, 2 shows.

Many special guests and friends of Victor's, in town for Musicfest, will show up, and there will be some great performances.

It shaping up to a be a special time on Beale St. and Wet Willies!

The I.B.C. on Beale St, 2009

2009-02-10T05:18:00.001-08:00

The Blues Foundation International Blues Competition was held once more on Beale St. Feb. 4th through the 8th.
Always a large turnout, Blues Fans and Musicians from around the world flock to Memphis for the festivities.

I had a chance to renew old acquaintances and friends, and make new ones. The Bands, along with solo and duo acts, were in every Beale St. venue, competing for the honors. I attended many jams, and heard some outstanding Bluesmen and Women.

A highlight of the events was the Piano Summit, held by Victor Wainwright and The Rev. Billy C. Wirtz. Billy and Victor did a great job as usual, with a host of great pianists from all over the world.

The highlight of the night was a spectacular performance by Victor and Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms
with some traditional very early renditions of classic piano blues by W.C. Handy, and several other selections.

The event completed with a Jam at Ground Zero Blues club Sunday afternoon, held by Johnny Holiday. Johnny invited me up for a whole set, and Victor Wainwright showed up, and did the last few songs with us. It was a great weekend, and I know all who attended were well pleased.

Victor Wainwright at Huey's Cordova.

2009-01-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

For all of those local fans of Victor who don't often make our Beale St. Performances, we will be at the Huey's Cordova location, Sunday evening, January the 18th , starting at 8.

A great opportunity to enjoy The Victor Wainwright Blues & Boogie Review out east, off Beale St.

Come on by for some Blues, Boogie, Brew and Burgers!

Rum Boogie with Delta Highway

2009-01-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Santini and Delta Highway came back to town and did two nights and The Rum Boogie Club. They asked if I could help them out on bass, and it was two nights of some great blues. Their new CD is great, and they just received a Blues Award Nomination. Thanks to Santini, Justin, and Kevin for the gig. Best of luck on their Nomination.

New Years Eve

2009-01-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a party at Neil's for the New Years Eve celebration. Reba and Victor put on a great show. We had the full Victor Wainwright Blues & Boogie Review....Greg Gumpel & Josh Roberts on guitars, Dennis Flangia on drums, Andrew Elliege on percussion, Me on bass, and of course Victor on keyboards and vocals. We all had a lot of fun, and Wayne Russell sat in on a few of Reba's original tunes. Thanks to Reba and Wayne Russell for adding to the show...it was a lot of fun.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

Well, time flies. New Years Eve again. This year, I'll be appearing at one of Memphis' greatest music venues, Neil's. I'll be working with Victor Wainwright, The Victor Wainwright Blues & Boogie Revue, and appearing with Victor will be none other than Reba Russell. Reba and Victor on the same stage...this will be an amazing show!
If you're in or around the Memphis area this coming New Years Eve, this will be the show you won't want to miss. Neil's is located at 1835 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
Phone Number: (901) 278-6345, call for ticket information and reservations.

The Barker "Leo Goff Special # 001" Is completed!

2008-09-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

The collaborative effort in what I would like to have in my latest Barker Bass, and Lee’s suggestions in what could be done to enhance and improve my original concept, has resulted in what I think is a very cool piece of work.

After using my B1 fretted for some time, I thought I would really like to have a Fretless Barker too. My main fretless has been a Zon Legacy Elite, and most of the music I play suits a fretless very well. In conversations I had with Lee, I asked him if he would consider building a special bass, using some ideas I have had on my mind for a while. He thought the project would be viable, so the idea worked into reality.

Lee felt the B1 would be the jumping off point. My concept was to use a p-bass pickup, and a j-bass pickup, with the j-bass pickup in the bridge position. I wanted to use concentric pots for volume and tone, like the early Fender Jazz Bass. I wanted to use a fretless Bulbinga neck, with an Ebony fret board.

There were several reasons I wanted to use the Bulbinga / Ebony neck configuration. Bulbinga, when used as a neck material, produces a bright midrange, and a thick, well defined bottom. All Barker Basses are noted for their big, round articulate sound. I was curious to hear what the Special would sound like with the Bulbinga / Ebony neck combination in a fretless version.

P- Bass pickups are noted for their big, full, and round tone. Jazz pickups in the bridge position give even tone, great articulation, and snap…which comes in handy for solos. The concentric tone / volume pots make a lot of blending combinations possible, and I like their clean appearance. Lee suggested using Nordstrand pickups, and I agreed.

So that’s how this whole “Leo Goff Special” Barker Bass thing got started. It’s on its way from Lee now, and I’m very excited to start working with it. I'll keep posting my comments here.

Victor Wainwright Blues & Boogie Revue at The Fayette County Cotton & Music Fest

2008-09-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

TheVictor Wainwright Blues & Boogie Revue will be performing on the Main Stage, Saturday, Oct. 13th, at The Fayette County Cotton & Music Fest, in Somerville Tn. at 4:30. Come out for a day of fun and music, just minutes from Memphis.

The Blues Healers at The Fayette County Cotton & Music Fest

2008-09-10T05:24:00.001-07:00

The Blues Healers will be performing on the Main Stage, Saturday, Oct. 13th, at The Fayette County Cotton & Music Fest, in Somerville Tn. at 12 noon. Come out for a day of fun and music, just minutes from Memphis.

2008-09-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Heartsong Summer Concert Series, The Victor Wainwright Blues & Boogie Review.

With Kenny Neal, The Rum Boogie Blues Club, Beale St.

2008-09-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

The new website is now up. I'll be posting news about shows, and the latest pictures here.