Debris                                              (HOME)

Blues Plate "Debris*":

Jan 3, 2013   THIRTEEN ! ! !  My lucky number!!   I actually turned 13 years old on Friday the 13th!  Guess that's why I play the blues!!  
So check out our updated gig schedule for some brand new venues!  Let's make 2013 the best yet for the BLUES!!!!!
StratCat Willie
tajstrut3.gif (63960 bytes)

Dec 2, 2012   Several folks have asked me if BPS was still alive and well...the answer is Y E S ! ! !
I have taken on a few new projects, so you may have seen me with some other players, but that is just because it has been difficult to book a blues band here in the Southern Tier. Not the most hospitable place for the BLUES! Yeah, I know that is hard to believe, but it is true. You have no idea how many club owners have told me "people just won't come out to see a blues band"!
Oh well.... anyway.... we are alive and well and look forward to seein' y'all again real soon! Check out the bookings page for a few upcoming gigs!     ..and tell your friendly tavern owners to BOOK THE BLUES!!!!

Jan 11, 2012   Well, this year has gotten off to a flying start! Several fun gigs already and more to come! Check out the schedule!  And... we now have videos of the band posted on YouTube for your viewing amusement!!!! Hope to see ya soon!!!

Dec 1, 2011  Times sure flies when you're playin' the blues!  Check out the new schedule & hope to see ya soon!  
.... oh yeah...  be sure to stay up with us on our FaceBook page !

April 4, 2011  What a great time at the Haunt! Love that place!  ...and check out the cool pics on our FaceBook page that our new buddy took!
StratCat Willie


March 29, 2011  Is this winter ever gonna end??!! Looking longingly at the Ultra... hopefully won't be long!
On another note...just got back from New Orleans where I had a chance to hang out and play with Jason Ricci. One hell of a player!!
...BUT... HEY!
   We're BACK!  Yeah! Check out the gigs! And we are ready... We've got Happy Hours, Bar & Grills, Fund Raisers, Dance Clubs... hope to see y'all REAL SOON!!! 
StratCat Willie


Feb 10, 2011   Wanna thank J for having us at the Haunt. The weather was horrible, but a bunch of our true friends braved it and we had a ball! Gotta another new venue to try out. A brand new place on Montour Falls called SAL's. It's a small neighborhood bar with a kitchen that specialized in steaks!!! So come join us on Saturday March 5th!!!!
StratCat Willie

JANUARY, 2011   So did y'all have a great New Years Eve??!!   Hope so!   
HEY! We're really looking forward to the gig at the HAUNT in Ithaca this weekend! It's our first time there and we'd like to make Ithaca a regular thang. You can help by bringing all your BLUES FANS out to enjoy some Bar-B Cue at the Razor Back Ribs joint co-located and then sticking around to ring in the first full weekend of the New Year! Hope to see ya! It's an early gig (7pm) so no excuses!!!!!! Let's all make the Haunt the Blues Center of the Southern Tier!         ...oh yeah, and check us out on FaceBook!
StratCat Willie

 

THANKS ...TO ALL OUR OLD AND NEW FRIENDS WHO MADE THE CD RELEASE PARTY A FANTASTIC TIME!    

...AND SPECIAL THANKS TO HAZLITT'S FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE HOSPITALITY!!!!


AUGUST 12, 2010
  Had a blast at the Wine Fest!!!!    Sold a bunch of new cds. 
Speaking of which, be sure to come celebrate with us as we officially release our new studio cd, "BASIC INGREDIENTS", at Hazlitt's Winery on Saturday, September 25 at 2pm!  We'll be there from 2-5pm, sippin' on the ole RED CAT and playin' some hot, tasty, cookin' blues off the new cd!
We're real proud of this cd!  It definitely "cooks"!    See ya there!
StratCat Willie

ps... the new cds are also available on cdBaby... just search for us, you'll find us there!!

 

JULY 11, 2010  FINALLY!!!!    New CDs ! ! ! ! !   See us at the Wine Fest!!!!!!
StratCat Willie

FEBRUARY 1, 2010  We're back and havin' a ball!  If you weren't at Hazlitt's Sunday, you missed a great party! ..stay tuned for more!
StratCatWillie 

OCTOBER 1, 2009  Well, it seems that life has sort of intervened again. What's great about this band is that we all have a good sense of priorities. And although we ALL love the blues, sometimes family comes first.
So we're taking a little time off to tend to business! But we'll be back soon.... so stay tuned! We still have a bunch of new original stuff and plans for another cd. We also have a live cd "in the can" for release at a later date!!!! 
Hope to see ya again soon at a club near you. In the meantime, if you'd like us for a special event, drop me a line... maybe we can spring loose!!!!
Thanks for all your support these past thirteen years...  and here's to another thirteen years of "the Good News of the Blues"!!!!
StratCatWillie

APRIL 20, 2009  Got a few new gigs up at a few new places! Dancers... check it out!
StratCatWillie

February 4, 2009  Had a blast at Hazlitts!   The recording went well. Hopefully we'll have live versions of our material available on cd soon!
We had to switch a few dates, so check out the Up Coming Gigs page!
   See ya soon!
StratCatWillie

January 21, 2009  Got some new gigs posted.... and it looks like we will be recording at the Hazlitt gig this Sunday. So come on up and get your screams and applause on our next live cd!!!
StratCatWillie

January 16, 2009  Gonna be at the Starlite Room! Check it out!   ...see ya next week in COrning!
StratCatWillie

January 10, 2009  Gettin' the "Spring Tour" lined up!
StratCat

January 7, 2009 And so another year begins!    ...and we move into our 13th year together!   Thirteen has always been my lucky number. Being a bluesman, I was born on the 13th of January, and I turned 13 years old on ... yep, ...you guessed it, ...Friday the 13th!!!
We're lookin' forward to a great year and... God willing, a new cd!!! 
Come see us soon!
StratCatWillie

December 18, 2008  Oh the weather outside is frightful....!   Sorry we had to cancel at GP. We were really looking forward to it. But we WILL reschedule soon, so stay tuned!  Meanwhile, rev up the snowthrower... gonna be plenty of white stuff to play in!!!!
StratCatWillie

November 23, 2008  Oops!   NO FOOD AT THE LODGE!!!! Oh well, come DRINK!!!!!
StratCatWillie

November 12, 2008  Hey!!! We got a couple more gigs!! check 'em out!!!
StratCatWillie

November 2, 2008  Boy does it feel good to be layin' down some grooves with the boys! Just talkin' with the rhythm section earlier and Catfish and Sticks said that they had a ball at the Pig last week. And man, ...was Rhythm Ray hot, or what!!! I don't know how he blows like that without fallin' down! Really lookin' forward to the next gig! 
Speaking of which, we just confirmed the Friday after Thanksgiving gig at the Seneca Lodge... it's gonna be a great way to wrap up the Thanksgiving weekend! Don't missit!
We've got a few new original tunes we're workin' on in anticipation of the long awaited recording session for our next cd. So, see ya soon!!!!!!!
StratCatWillie

September 3, 2008  Yeah... I've been completely remiss with the web thing. Blame it on a bad computer.... lousy internet service...my socks fell down.... my underwear rode up... hell, I'm gettin' old!!!
Anyway, we've got some fun new venues and we're lookin to kick it out! It was a great summer. Played some shows that were awesome (like the Toga Party at the Wine Festival! Wow, can they party!). 
Finished the "StratBoy", a custom Harley that took First Place in the Custom Class at the Bridge Street Blast in Corning. I'll get some pics on the web site..... 
Well, see ya soon and keep supportin' the BLUES!!!!
StratCatWillie

December 12 My how time flies! Contrary to some rumors, Blues Plate Special is alive and well!!!!  OK, so we aren't giggin' hardly at all. Sometimes life gets in the way of ... well... LIFE! We've still got plenty of new material to play and record and Lord knows we still got the drive to play the BLUES. Just seems like everyone (especially me) has had to tend to other business.
So, stay tuned.... come Spring we'll be back out there. In the meantime, get a helpin' of "Hot, tasty, cookin' BLUES" at Hazlitt's Winery on Sunday, January 20th!  See ya then!
StratCatWillie

 

February 14, 2007  Here I sit.. in the middle of what will no doubtedly become known as the SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY BLIZZARD! Man. wind chill -26, three feet of snow... can't wait for SPRING!
Sorry about the web page. I've been pretty remiss, but I'll try to do better. We're still doin' our best to keep the blues alive in the Southern Tier (check out our bookings page).  Stay tuned for more bookings and, as soon as we can get to the studio, another great cd!
...and if you're in the mood for something a bit different, join me and my son, Jesse, when he brings his band, "THE VOID UNION" to the Snooty Pig on Friday, March 2. These guys are the real deal, layin' down some serious rock-steady SKA and Jamaican Jazz grooves! They'll even let the old man up to do a few blues tunes... with horns!! ! See ya there!


August 27,  2006 
Wholly cow!!!!! What happened to the time???!!!!!   Anyway, in answer to a number of phone calls, YES WE ARE STILL TOGETHER!!!!!!   We just aren't out and about as much!  The demands of life sometimes interfere, but we still love playin' and have even more new material we want to get together for you folks! 
We met several old friends at gigs (especially the Wine Fest!) and made a few new ones. CD sales remain brisk!  Unfortunately some of our fall gigs got cancelled when BRING THE BLUES went under... a sad day for the blues in the Southern Tier, but we're lookin' to book some more gigs soon, so, stay tuned!
StratCatWillie


February 4, 2006 
Just sittin' here gettin' ready for Hazlitt's. Hope to see y'all there. It's an incredible party!!!  ...and be sure to check out our schedule. We're back ... and we've got some great new original material to try out... can't wait!!! See ya s-o-o-o-o-n!
StratCatWillie

December 28, 2005  We seem to be havin' a hard time gettin' this thing movin' again! Stop back... should start shapin' up real soon!
StratCatWillie 

December 10, 2005  Oops!  Had the date wrong on the Train gig... if you contact the Railway, they can give ya details. I believe it leaves Geneva in the afternoon.... check it out!
It's also lookin' like the "Comeback Tour" may have a late start, but, rest assured, we'll be back! Stay tuned...
StratCatWillie

November 27, 2005  Yeah, we're still around!  I've had a bunch of calls and e-mails asking "What happened!".... "Where'd ya go??!!!"...   well, we're still kickin' and doin' fine. Sticks has had to deal with some additional demands of having another baby in the house who has needed some special "TLC", Rhythm Ray has had more "repairs" done on his body (reaping the effects of a mis-spent youth???!!!) ... so rather than trying to "limp along", we decided to take a break, take care of the BIG priorities, and come back at ya stronger than ever in February!
We'd like to thank the folks at BLUES REVUE and BLUES BEAT for their reviews of our "BackForSeconds" CD release! We worked hard to bring y'all our ALL ORIGINAL blues and we hope that you enjoy them as much as we have makin'  them! We've got a whole lot more original material for ya and hope to get back into the studio next Spring to get our third cd out. Don't know what it will be called yet, but one of our newest tunes, "Booze, Blues, Bikes & Tatoos" (a true account of how I "got retired" and the "Big Boss Man" responsible for it!) is a leading contender!
We'd also like to thank those folks overseas (Italy, France, etc.) for your support of our cds! I still owe one to a radio station over there! I'll get it out to ya soon... promise!
So... enjoy the Holidays, enjoy and appreciate your families and friends, be safe, and
... BE SURE TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIVE BLUES CLUBS & SHOWS !!!!!
StratCatWillie

 

July 26, 2005  ...96 degrees!!!  YEAH!!!!   I love ta sweat. Makes me thirsty and gives me an excuse to hang with my favorite couple... Jack & GInger!
We have a GREAT show coming up this weekend. The weather looks fantastic, so don't miss it!     ...too haot to work at the computer... see ya Saturday.
StratCatWillie 


May 16, 2005  Spring has sprung, the grass has riz.... yeah!  Warm weather is OK with me!  SInce I wrote last I've been to Florida where I got to play with some great cats at Port St. Lucie Blues, a great blues venue not to be missed if you're in the area! If ya get there, be sure to tell Hawk that StratCat WIllie said "Hi!". Then it was Graduation Weekend... one son from Berklee in Boston and another from Tisch School of Drama at NYU. And most recently we caught Motor City Josh at the LakeView Inn on Cowanesque Lake. This is fast becoming "the" place to see blues, and Josh was great! Check out his web site (just search for Motor City Josh) ...and I hightly recommend ANY of his cds! He called me up and we had a blast!
... but now it's time to kick off the
"BPS 'SPF 1 (Let's ALL Get Fried!)' SUMMER TOUR"  ...with some gigs right here in the Southern Tier (including a FREE BLUES SHOW with a After-Hours party that YOU are invited to!). Check out our schedule for the latest!
See y'all at the PIG Saturday!
StratCatWillie

March 28, 2005  Well, we had to switch a few things around.... check out the schedule.... but the summer tour is gettin' filled up! Stay tuned!
StratCatWillie

February 26, 2005  If ya weren't at the Snooty Pig for the Mardi Gras Party, ya missed a great time! We even had a gen-u-ine N'Awlins style "Second Line" goin'... complete with hankies wavin'!!!  Several pictures got snapped... if anyone reading this has a few shots, send 'em to us and we'll put 'em on the web page!
Gettin' ready for a "double header" today! That's right.... party at Hazlitt's Winery (THE party spot on the Seneca Lake WIne Trail!) and then off to FAT CATS.... goin' from Red Cat to Fat Cat!  (Those of you that are familiar with Hazlitt's will get that!). Hope to see ya there!

StratCatWillie

January 29, 2005  We had the "Photos & Links" page redesigned for better navigating. More pictures are on the way! If you have any out there from a gig, please send 'em to us and we'll put ya on the web!
You probably noticed that we had to switch dates for the Snooty Pig. (Hope none of ya didn't get the message in time! But, hey, it's a great place for a drink anyway!)   They're gonna do their first ever Mardi Gras Party ...and we're just tickled "blue" to be able to play for it. It's gonna be fun!
...and a special "Hey!" to our friends "across the pond"! Yeah, the first few sales of our cd from CD Baby were to some blues fans in England and France! Who knows, maybe we'll get to play a show for ya someday!  Thanks for the support!
StratCatWillie

January 12, 2005  We've added another link to the botom of the Photos & Links Page... check it out!
StratCatWillie


January 11, 2005 
  Had the usual great time at TILLIE's Saturday Nite. Thanks to all those fans who braved the weather to venture out!  (...especially those two Wild Women from Watkins!)
We now have our new CD available at CD Baby. If you already own it, you can actually submit a "review" of it!   We'd love to hear and see your comments on our efforts! Just go to CD Baby and tell the WORLD how much you love "Back
ForSeconds"!
... see y'all at "the Pig" Saturday!
StratCatWillie

January 3, 2005   Updated the CD Purchase page.... and I've decided to try to do what I can to pass on the BLUES....
StratCatWillie


December 29, 2004 
  Got a few more bookings... should have that cd available on-line real soon!  See y'all at TILLIE's!
StratCatWillie

December 22, 2004   Well, it's history now, but what a time we had at FAT CATS!!!!  Plenty of old friends, made a few new ones, sold some cds, drank a little tequila, just had a natural good time!!! Check out the pics!  
Now it's time to settle in for Christmas. Lookin' forward to spendin' some quality time with family and friends... hope y'all can do the same.
If you're lookin' for a really nice place to bring in the new year with class and some fine live music, give FAT CATS a call, I understand they're doin' a party that should be deluxe!!!
Remember, when it's all said and done, all ya got is your family, your friends, your memories, ...and "the Good News of the BLUES" !!!!
StratCatWillie

December 14, 2004   Man, what a great time at "the Pig" Saturday nite! The joint was hoppin'! We ripped through our 20 originals and it felt great! It was particularly great to have Rhythm Ray back! I also had a chance to debut a new guitar. I picked up a Gibson, "The Hawk". It's a no-nonsense black beauty with absolutely no frills... just plenty of ass-kickin' humbucker tone!  My Strat will always be "#1", but the Hawk puts it out there real nice.
So, now we're lookin' forward to the "official" release party for "BACK FOR SECONDS" at FAT CATS this Saturday! Be sure to stop in and check out the newest club in the Southern Tier and pick up a cd or two to stuff in those stockings! Music makes a great gift!   See ya there!
StratCatWillie

December 5, 2004   I was scrolling down to see what I wrote last year at this time.... and it still seems to fit (unlike my jeans!). Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one. There is ALWAYS plenty to be thankful for.
We're gearing up for the CD release party at FAT CATS on December 18th (yeah, the Leader story said the 11th... but it's the 18th!). We've got twenty (that's right 2-0 !!!) original tunes to play for ya and plenty of cds, both the first and second. We'll be offering a special at FAT CATS, any two cds for $20!  They make great Holiday presents. I always enjoy getting music for a gift. It always "fits", lasts a long time, and takes up very little storage space!!!
So, come out to the SNOOTY PIG on the 11th for a preview and then join us at Corning's newest home for blues and jazz, FAT CATS, on the 18th!!!!

StratCatWiIlie

 

November 11, 2004   Veteran's Day... a day to remember those that gave their all for us and to thank each and every one of the veterans who, regardless of how you feel about the various conflicts we've been in and are in, do a great job to serve our country. We thank you!
Back to the more everyday issues..., we've switched our CD Release Party to a brand new venue in Corning, FAT CATS. It's gonna be one cool joint! I say "gonna be" 'cause they're scramblin' to get the place open! It is way cool... great dance floor, open, high ceiling, exposed stone/brick walls, just a neat, upscale kinda place. They plan on featuring jazz and blues, and we are honored to be among their first acts.
We've got a few new original tunes we're workin' on, hopefully we can try 'em out at TILLIE's next week.
Be sure to come out and support you local live music... especially the
BLUES!!!

StratCatWillie

 

September 28, 2004   Wow, ...where to begin.  You've probably been wonderin' where we've been these past two and a half months.  Well, we've played with the Duke, celebrated a wedding, added a member to the BPS "family", and improved our "hip-ness"!
More specifically, we opened for Duke Robillard at the Hickory Smoked Blues IV Festival in Owego. As usual, it was a blast! We did a set of all original material and the folks love it!  We sold a bunch of cds from "the couch"  (our thanks to Mike, Heidi, and our friends who assisted with sales, crowd control, and maintaining a certain level of "buzz" that took us through the day!). It got kinda strange that night when I thought someone stole our couch... but that's another story! Ask me sometime and I'll share it with ya! It has a happy ending!
We played a wedding in Rochester for a wonderful bunch of true blues fans! We had a great time... although the flat tire at midnight was not exactly the best thing to experience... especially when ya can't get the donut out from under the van! But like an old construction worker friend of mine said, "I can fix anything with a big enough hammer!". That, too, had a happy ending!
Our drummer, "Sticks" 's wife had a baby. Cute kid!  ...that had a good ending, too, although I guess it's more of a beginning than an ending!
And last, but not least, Rhythm Ray improved his "hip-ness"! Yep, we decided he needed to upgrade so we sent him out for a new hip! He's doin' great, although he's goin' nuts waitin' to be "cleared" to play!   We'll expect to see some of those somersaults while playin' the harp again!!!   OK.. I'm just kiddin'!    But I'm sure he'll be feelin' good and blowin' crazy soon!     ...another happy ending!
So... there ya have it!  
We just put a few gigs together and we hope to do a big "CD Relaease Party" at the Red Room in Elmira on December 11th! Mark the date!  It's a really classy venue and it'll be a great chance to pick up our new cd, if ya don't already have a copy!!!
Keep checkin' in as our "Winter New-Hip Tour" dates fill in! Look forward to seein' y'all at a club near you SOON!!!!!

StratCatWillie

 

July 18, 2004   Once again the Finger Lakes Wine Festival proved to be an absolute major party!!! We had a blast! People dancin' , playin' with the crowd.... a bunch of old familiar faces, several good friends. It doesn't get any better than that! The weather cooperated by generously distributing the rain everywhere BUT at the festival!
We sold a bunch of our new cds. It was a short run that we had done up, but we still have a few left.
So.... are ya gonna be at Hickory Smoked Blues IV in Owego?????   You'd better be! It's gonna R-O-C-K !!!!!  See ya there. And again, a big thanks to all you folks out there supporting LIVE
BLUES  !!!

StratCatWillie

 

July 14, 2004   My how time flies when... well, you know what I'm talkin' about...   Hope you've been enjoyin' the summer! Took a trip out to Laconia for Bike Week. The ole FatBoy had a fuel line problem, but we found a great bar (Guissepi's) outside Troy, NY and the folks at the Harley shop fixed me up while we sampled the beer!!!! It was great!
But the big excitement is our new cd!  We dealt with a great company, National Media Services, and managed to get the early release available in time for the upcoming festivals.
OK.... time for a plug.... if you are reading this and are in a band, I really recommend that you check these folks out. From my first phone contact to my receiving shrink wrapped, color cds to sell.... seven days!!!!
Anyway... hope to see y'all at the festivals. I know the gig schedule looks skimpy, but we've been dealing with other issues... no, we're doing fine as a band (eight years and goin' strong!)... it's just things like babies and old-guy surgery that has slowed us down a bit! But we'll be back promoting the new cd, so stay tuned!!       

Any ideas as to where we ought to have our "CD RELEASE PARTY"????   Let me know...

StratCatWillie

March 20, 2004   Put a few new pics up... check 'em out.
I had the pleasure of joining a few friends and opening up for Hadden Sayers in Watkins Glen last night! We had a great time and I think we pretty much warmed the crowd up!
As far as Hadden...he definitely R-O-C-K-S!!!    We had a blast...
Stay tuned for our new cd... it's shapin' up great!   Hope to see y'all at TILLIE's next week!
StratcatWillie

March 7, 2004   WOW!!  Where has the time gone???!!!!   Holidays came and went...  Snow came and (at least for now!) went....   Recording session came and went.... YEAH!  We spent the weekend with our good friend Jim Barbaro at Natural Recording Studio in Woodstock!  In addition to catching up and having a great time, we managed to lay down eleven... (count 'em, eleven!) ... all new, never been recorded before, originals!  We've got some you've heard, like "Harley Ridin' Yuppie" and "Lookin' Out For You", plus some tunes we've never played out before!
We're pretty excited! This cd has tunes by Rhythm Ray and me, but the big surprise are several by Catfish! Yeah! Catfish has put together some really nice grooves and some pretty interesting changes. (And if ya listen closely, you can hear Sticks singin' harmony!!!)
We've got the first mix back and we're getting ready to make what may be the final mix in the next few weeks. We hope to have
"BACK FOR SECONDS"  (yep, that's the title... complete with a title tune!) available by the end of May, at the latest. Of course, production delays can be unpredictable, so stay tuned!
We have a few new gigs lined up and we're still working on some others, so check out the Bookings page for details!
Hope to see ya soon at a club near you!!!  
StratcatWillie

November 28, 2003   Turkey...  yeah!      OK, having gained the obligatory 10 pounds yesteday, I'm now trying to convince my stomach that it doesn't need to be that full EVERY day!
Actually I was just listening to a raw recording that we did at TILLIE's the other night. The originals are shaping up... recording in February will definitely be a hoot!
So, hope to see some of the Corning crowd in January... til then, have a great Holiday!    ..and remember, cds (especially BLUES cds... and ours in particular!) make GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!!!!!!
StratcatWillie

October 30, 2003   Man, did ya dig those Northen Lights tonite!!! Pretty awesome! 
But back to the BLUES.... Had our usual great time at Heron Hill. Those folks sure do know how to host a party! We went back a few weeks later and caught Jonny James out of Buffalo. If you haven't heard him ... you'd better! He's one HOT player!!! We're still polishing up our originals... gettin' ready to try to hit the studio this winter. We hope to have a new cd out by Spring. Probably about a dozen ALL ORIGINAL TUNES!!!  It'll be fun layin' down some tracks out in Woodstock with our old buddy Jim Barbaro. Can't wait.In the meantime, be sure to catch us at a club near you!   And check out the new photos. We did a wedding recently, and man did they know how to have fun!!!
Be cool and be sure to SUPPORT LOCAL LIVE MUSIC!!!!!   ...especially the BLUES!!
StratcatWillie






September 29, 2003  Sorry about the Heron Hill gig... got rained out!  I know a bunch of people made the trek down and were  disapppointed.... but come back October 4!!!!  We'll be there, rain or shine. It's under the big tent and they have side curtains and heaters, so no matter what the weather, it'll be GREAT!!! 
After the disappointment came another all time high...  I'm still reelin' from the show in Owego!  We opened with a set of original material and the guys were hot! We had a blast! There's nothin' like playin' for a room full of BLUES fans!!!  And then Little Charlie and the Nightcats came on.... yeah, they sure did light the place up alright!  They had everyone jumpin'!!!
But the high point for me was when they invited me up to sit in with 'em!  Yeah, shufflin' with Rick and Charlie.... pretty cool! They are a class act!!      (But... don't tell 'em.... there's still nothin' like workin' with Rhythm Ray, Catfish and Sticks!   They are definitely THE BEST!)
So, ...we've got a few new gigs on the BOOKINGS page and we'll be at Heron Hill next week at 1:00pm..... be sure to come on out and party with us!!!
StratcatWillie


September 1, 2003  
Rain, rain, rain... good day to sit on the porch and play some acoustic Blues!   Managed to sneak in a ride yesterday. ROde around Keuka Lake and ended on at the Waterfront. Sam Pallet was layin' down some SERIOUS party music! If ya haven't caught this dude (he has several variations on his band... all great!) ya better. It ain't blues, but, hey, a party is a party!!!!  They had a guy named Jeff Wisor (yeah, a relative of our own Catfish!) playing some fiddle that brought the house down!
Lookin' forward to Saturday at the GMI. Hopefully some of our old sportscar crowd will stop in.... it's an 8pm gig, so come early, have a great meal with the "Million Dollar View" overlooking the lake, and then come downstairs and help us rock the evening away!!!      ...and if ya haven't got tickets for Little Charlie, better hurry!
StratcatWillie

August 16, 2003  Summer's flyin' by!!!  I just got back from a motorcycle road trip to Sturgis!  What a place. We rode about 4,000 miles in 11 days. The old Fatboy just hummed....Mike, Heidi, Aaron, Steve, Monique, John, and Cecelia... it was a rode trip to remember!!!
And if you haven't seen South Dakota, ya ought to... it's amazing!
Caught a couple of good acts while there. A great show by 38 Special and a killer guitarist with a band called  Greased Lightning.
The highlight of the trip was getting together with Chuck Reynolds, an old friend I hadn't seen seen in 35 years!  Man, it was a hoot!!!  We stood there at the Full Throttle Saloon, bent a few, and it was like we'd never parted ways! Brought back a ton of old fond memories. I guess that's what matters when all is said and done.... old friends and good memories!!!! 
Speakin' of which, I've got some old friends that I'm lookin' forward to makin' some music with tonite! It's good to be back and I'm itchin' to play. We're gonna rock BLEACHERS tonite!!   See ya there!!!!
StratcatWillie

June 23, 2003  So what happened to Spring!  It was cold and rainy and now it's sunny and 90!!  Never mind... I'll take it!
Had a good time down in Charleston a few weeks ago. Stopped into Momma's Blues Palace and played a set with the band. If you're ever in town, be sure to check it out!  Also sat in at a place called the Roadhouse in Jensen Beach, Florida. Great bunch of players! Had a ball!!!
We had our cd, "Hot 'n Tasty", reviewed by Border Blues, a French publication. Once I got through the translation, looks like they really liked us! Probably that's why I got that order from Luk in Belgium!!! Hey, maybe we'll get to play for our friends over there sometime, wouldn't that be a blast!
But the real excitement is this fall! We'll be opening for Little Charlie and the Night Cats at the Owego Treadway. Check out our  Bookings page for details!
StratcatWillie

April 4, 2003  Ice storm in April??? What's THAT all about??!!!!  Oh well, the joys of living in upstate New York.
Picked up a few new bookings since the last entry. Still got a couple of openings we hope to fill in before too long and the SUMMER TOUR will be complete!  Tryin' not to work too much this summer. I love to play music, ... but I also love to play!! Hate to have the summer slip by without getting my share of sun and fun!
Stop back often to see if we're gonna be a a club near you!!!!
StratcatWillie

 

March 22, 2003  Feels like Spring out there today! Can't wait to get back to ridin'. Picked up a '93 FatBoy and its up in Arkport gettin' some new pipes and few other tweaks to "make it mine'!
Looks like we'll have a little break in the gig schedule which we are using to develop some new tunes. We've got about a dozen originals to roll out this summer. We've also got a few other gigs in the works, ...so stop back and check out the site to see where we'll be next!
StratcatWillie

February 22, 2003  Gettin' ready to head out to Heron Hill for the day... by the way, I believe the paper had Blues Plate Special being there.... actually it's Short Order Blues.... Rhythm Ray and me. Should be a nice laid-back afternoon... come in, sit and sip some great wine, have a little late lunch, enjoy the blues and watch the rain melt all the snow!!!
..and, oh yeah, if ya weren't at the Valentine's Day Bash, ya missed a great time! Beautiful women, plenty of room to dance, it was a blast. We look forward to partying down with the crew again soon!
StratcatWillie

February 1, 2003  Just wanted to let you know that the Valentine's Party is really developin' into a great event! There are some nice places to stay up there in Geneva, so get a room and make it a Special Valentine's Weekend!
StratcatWillie

January 29, 2003  Go Bucs!!! Too bad it wasn't a better game...oh well.
Hey! I just joined the Blues Society of Western NY. Check out their website. It's a great source for what's happenin' in the Buffalo area and the BLues scene in general. There's a few other sites of local interest and I'm gonna try to get them assembled on our "Photos & Links" page soon... stay tuned. If you've got a cool site, drop me an e-mail and I'll add it to our links....
StratcatWillie

January 25, 2003  Super Bowl Sunday is tomorrow!!!  As a loyal Giants fans for several decades, I'm cheering for the Bucs... (as close to Tiki as I can get!)... Anyway...
Check out our Upcoming Gigs page for a few new summer thangs.... and it's still not to late to take your Sweetie to the Valentine's Day party in Geneva!  Get a room and make it a "memorable evening"!!!
I have a few more photos from the Chamber gig... featuring my son Jesse on drums (on Holiday break from Berklee). I'll try to get them posted soon...
And a special "Hello" to a couple of new Blues Plate Special fans in the state of Washington! They picked up our "Hot 'n Tasty" cd from DWM Music and then special ordered our LIVE "Over Easy" cd!!!!   
...oh yeah, if you happen to be in Belgium, check out a radio show called "Le Monde au Blues" hosted by Jean-Claude Mondo. They're playin' our cd over there!!!!   It's also getting airtime in Denmark and a couple of other Eurpoean countries... they love the blues over seas and we're proud to be a part of it!!!
... Meantime, stay warm and keep supporting the BLUES!!!!
StratcatWillie

January 6, 2003  So did y'all survive New Years Eve??? Anyone make it to the Smokehouse in Apalacin?? I heard they had a smokin' good time with none other than Roosevelt Dean!!! Wish I could have been there. Maybe next year! If ya haven't made it there yet... what are ya waitin' for????!!!!!
Well, 2003 is officially the Year Of the Blues!!!    Check it out by clicking on it!!! We look forward to a great year. Hope to see ya OFTEN!!!
StatcatWillie

December 21, 2002  Ho, Ho, Ho!!!  Got all your shopping done???!!!  Just finished wrapping and THAT's IT! 
Had a great time at the Smokehouse. The crew there really do a great job... and we appreciate their supporting the BLUES!!
Speaking of which, did ya hear that 2003 is officially "The Year of the Blues"!!   Yep... that's right. All year you'll be seeing stuff on PBS and in the media... so it ought to be a GREAT year!!!!
Well, I'm off to Bleachers... hope to see a few old friends and make a few new ones....   will I see YOU there????!
StratcatWillie

November 11, 2002  Just got back from our nations capital! Had a great road trip... no surprises!  Well, maybe a couple. Suffice it to say that you should always check the clearance at the parking garage where you are going before heading off... and make sure the sound/light guy and the hotel and the folks booking you have all had a complete discussion regarding 220 and three phase electrical hook-ups!  We ended up parking some wheels at Lot E of the National Zoo!!!! The sound guy was great and Linda (our "boss" for the gig) was her usual amazing self!!!  
But we had a good time. Saw some of the city and got to visit with some great old friends!!
Now it's back home and looking forward to a brand new venue... the Smokehouse..... in a few weeks....
If you are looking for something to do at Thanksgiving, I'll be doing a couple of shows with Brett Beardsley and the Boys From Berklee (my son Jesse and his bass playing roomie, Cooper, both from Berklee School of Music in Boston) at the Crooked Roostrer on Wednesday and Bleachers on Friday... located on Franklin Street in beautiful downtown Watkins Gulch about a block from each other... bring your family, hell, they'll be sick of sittin' around lookin' at you by then!!!!   (Yeah, I know, I told you about this in the note below, but, hey, it's free publicity and it's my column, so I'm gonna keep pushing it!)
StratcatWillie

November 1, 2002  Snow is flyin' and it's time to think about snowboards and all that fun winter stuff!  I just put fresh strings on the Tele and I'm ready to rock. Lookin' forward to a fun nite at the Glory Hole.
....and if you are wondering what to do over Thanksgiving, I'll be playing with Brett Beardsley and my son, Jesse and his housemate from Berklee College of Music at a couple of places. On Thanksgiving Eve we will be in the backroom at the Crooked Rooster in Watkins Glen and on that Friday, we will be at Bleachers, also on Franklin Strreet in Watkins Glen. So, come out out with the relatives and have a little Thanksgiving cheer with us!
Next week we will be heading off to DC... and I'm sure glad they caught that sniper. We were gonna be flippin' coins to see who had to pump gas! All joking aside, we are thankful that they were caught before anyone else was hurt.
So.... see ya at the next gig... and be sure to support LIVE MUSIC... especially da BLUES!
.............oh, and in response to several people asking, I sent a promo package to the Dinosaur and have been calling regularly... can't seem to get ahold of anyone... anybody out there got a connection that might help? We'd love to entertain some of the Syracuse/Rochester folks who saw us at the wineries this summer! THANKS!!!
StratcatWillie

October 19, 2002  OK... fall really IS in the air now!  Time to move into the cozy winter bar scene. A number of the places we are playing this winter serve food well into the evening, so you can take a nap Saturday afternoon, then get up and go out and party on down with us!
Had a great time at Heron Hill. Met a few new fans and sold a bunch more cds. Looks like we'll be back there next summer! We can't wait! In the meantime, keep an eye on our Bookings page to see when we'll be in your neighborhood.... catch ya there!
StracatWillie

October 2, 2002  Fall is in the air... What!!!!?????   Am I nuts!!!    It was 82 degrees today!!!   
Anyway... a few new things to report. I picked up a really nice Fat Tele which I plan on premiering at Heron Hill. It has tone up the wazooo!  Catfish is planning on bringing his upright, which always brings out the best in the band.
We've been working on some original material. Got about seven original tunes we're developing. Not ready for prime time yet... but soon!!! Hope to do another cd in the Spring with ALL ORIGINAL MATERIAL!!!  Should be a gas!!!    Speaking of cds, we're almost sold out, so get yours while they are still available!!!     ...and be sure to come out to Heron Hill Sunday... It's a great way to spend a fall day!!!!   See ya there!
StratcatWillie

August 24, 2002  This is DEFINITELY the best summer for the Blues in the Southern Tier yet!!!!   We had a crowd last night at Logan Ridge that was off the scale! I mean they danced and they whistled and they shouted and they hugged and ....  well, let's just say it was spectacular. And special thanks to that marvelous blonde who fed me spaghetti while I played at her table!!! Ya had to be there!
And we'll be back there tomorrow afternoon!!!!    Also have a gig booked at the Smokehouse in Appalachin, just east of Owego. That joint is fast becoming "Blues Central" for the Southern Tier! We're really lookin' forward to it!
The cd is selling fast! If you don' t have one yet, better get one! You can check out our web page to find out how...
See ya soon!
StratcatWillie

TRIO.gif (45822 bytes)August 11, 2002  I couldn't resist it... usually keep the photos to the PHOTO page, but this shot with Little Charlie Baty and Elvin Bishop had to get a special place!!!!  I asked them to "Look like we were lifelong buddies"... to which Charlie said, without missing a beat, "If ya slip Elvin a "C-note" as the picture is being snapped, it'd probably help!".  As you can see from the photo, no money changed hands!  But, all kidding aside, these two guys were marvelous... regular folks, true professionals. It was an honor to share the stage with them!!!
StratcatWillie


* "Debris", not the crap you find laying around after a storm, but a special dish at "MOTHERS" in New Orleans. Kathe (my wife) and I love the Big Easy and go there when we can. About a block off the Quarter is a restaurant called Mothers located on the corner of Poydras and Tchoupitoulous. They are famous for breakfasts that can last you all day! Crawfish ettoufe omelets, biscuits as big as your head... and baked ham! Well, the really good, kinda crusty and sweet part of the baked ham that sort of falls off when you carve it is called "debris". And you can get an order of it with breakfast to kinda round things out! So it was with this in mind that I decided to call this little entry "Debris" .

 Home ]