"The blues to me personally brings back memories of life, love, happiness, sadness, growing up at a blues club and hanging in other clubs."

Frank Bang: Americana Roots Gumbo

Bang’s musical journey began in his native Chicago. He was born in the Austin neighborhood into a music-loving household where everybody from Lou Rawls to the Village People shared time on the family’s turntable. Bang, whose actual surname is Blinkal, saw his first live music at the lounge where his mother waitressed. His father, a Chicago police officer, was initially disapproving of his son’s interest in playing guitar. But Bang persevered, and at age 16 bought a cheap six-string and amp that he was only allowed to play in the garage.

It was rock — everything from AC/DC to Z.Z. Top - that caught his interest as a budding guitarist. But when Bang turned 21, he made his first visits to Chicago’s clubs, where he began to grasp that the genre provided the musical bedrock of his favorite artists. Buddy Guy chose Frank to play guitar alongside him on his tours. 

On the road, he has jammed with Rolling Stones, Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Jimmy Vaughan, Eric Clapton, to name a few. Soon he was living with the blues, working days as well as nights at Buddy Guy’s Legends. He was soaking up musical genius and after-hours wisdom from local blues greats like Junior Wells, Otis Rush and Lonnie Brooks, as well as the world's most prominent touring acts.

Following several years playing for Buddy Guy, Frank pursued a musical outlet of his own. That started with an acoustic guitar quickly transformed into Frank Bang & The Secret Stash. He have opened for Johnny Winter, Dickey Betts, Dick Dale, Hank Williams Jr., Little Feat, to name a few. Now after 3 discs on his own label, Frank has teamed up with producer Manny Sanchez and released the “Double Dare” (2013). Bang describes the new album as “driving music – something to get you from point A to point B.”

Interview by Michael Limnios       Photos by Chris Monaghan 

What do you learn about yourself from the blues and what does the blues mean to you?

The blues to me personally brings back memories of life, love, happiness, sadness, growing up at a blues club and hanging in other clubs. It was always about a good time, a good vibe, a relaxed party.  Ah, you can do what ya do as long as it don't mess with nobody else's party way of living. And the cast of characters ya meet along the way. Priceless...

What experiences in your life make you a GOOD BLUESMAN and SONGWRITER?

I didn't jump hard on blues till I was 21, old enough to go to clubs, and I learned about life hanging in those clubs at least a part of me did, I think you have to live life to enjoy the music to begin with ...even with its original origins of juke joint or house party or even dating back further it's always been about the performing live and making it a party, a jumping scene. I grew up in that as a man, and a musician. Plus I really did learn the biz as well, I did everything at Buddy’s, everything and I loved it.

"Buddy Guy told me many things including you have to have people around you in your personal and professional life that get you and don't try to manipulate you, everyone has to understand from your wife on down...this is what you do for a living and it's normal for us."

How do you describe Frank Bang sound and progress, what characterize your music philosophy?

My sound is part of being born here in Chicago, and about the timing, when I started playing out. All the Legends of this music, Son Seals, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Willie Kent, Sunnyland Slim, Sugar Blue...etc. all held weekday gigs, plus you had Otis Rush, Buddy, Junior Wells, Pinetop, and so many more guys. Doing it all, I had to start my own thing to get my own sound, and it's seems like I'm always the Blues Guitarist in a rock, or blues rooted music, but make no mistake, I've never made a true blues record, or recorded with a group of true blues guys, on my own. My sound is a mix of music, all rooted in American Music, with blues guitar basically.

My musical philosophy is to have fun, don't take myself too seriously but also cherish the gift of playing music for folks.

Which is the most interesting period in your life? Which was the best and worst moment of your career?

Most interesting period of my life is now; I think I'm doing things for a second time in my life, that I only dreamed I would do when I was a young man growing up. I really try not to take that for granted, it's very humbling, and I mean my mom worked 3 jobs at one point. Best moment of my career, wow, too many. Way too many those are super personal. But I will share a few that were both, good and bad, in the same... came down to the hotel lobby in Oslo, Norway. Buddy's band starts saying there he is, "Hey Frank, Robert Plant wants to know if you know how to get a hold of Hubert Sumlin." To make a long story short I say hello and inform him, he comes to Buddy's show and gets up for a couple songs, we are playing a section, like a James Brown hit, Hey...hey...I feel all right, one time,,,bam and the band hits it one time,,,bam. Two time,,,, bam, bam, get it? Buddy yells out three times and for some reason I hit it four times,,,, whoops,,,Buddy Guy and Robert Plant both look at me and Robert says sly on the mic,,, nice solo...The band kicked in and they both started laughing ridiculously... So in one moment I'm riding high and then boom a mistake,,, when I saw two legends who changed the course of music a couple times both laughing at me,,, I felt better really quick.

I also once played an unrehearsed show at Legends with Buddy and Dr. John, that for the first 45 minutes was amazing, and for the last 45 minutes was a great band playing one chord and one groove cuz basically too much Cognac was ingested for either great legend to take the reins as a band leader....that wasn't so cool...

"I think Blues Music will always be where it is, a American treasure that is sorely over looked, every once in a while some younger soul will influence some other folks to research out the guys that do it on a daily basis." 

Why did you think that the Blues music continues to generate such a devoted following?

Blues music always goes back to the feeling, and it gets you, deep inside, it's a deep river of music that will consume you, plus we have so many great cats and great woman, continuing on such a great tradition while adding a little something that is unique. We could do an interview just about all those folks I like. 

Do you remember anything funny from the recording and show time with Buddy Guy?

When your with someone that long and I really started as a door guy, took over merchandise 4 months later, became night manager a year and a half later, started doing booking with GM soon after, guitar tech for shows both at the club and on fests, drove his equipment from his home to recording studios and set it up for and worked on Slipping In as a tech, I Intro the Buddy and Junior record from legends, that's even my guitar Buddy played....Then many years later to get to join his band, and learn and share music with the man, share a large period of life together, I mean I was always laughing and always in awe of the moments... I did see him recently in last couple years at the club and was laughing it up with him, The Baker Brooks boys and I met Big Lou that night, when we had a moment, I told him ...this...is the stuff I miss, the hangs, the laughs, every Christmas we would get together as a band and play to no one at the club in the afternoon,  those jams were very special to me, just 6 guys on stage having fun, no clowning, laughing about life in between songs, and the cuts we would play would be literally from a disc of an old time favorite of Buddy's. We would listen once maybe twice and then jump in... Guitar Slim, O.V. Wright, Little Brother Montgomery, Dee Dee Walton, some cool stuff, and we would just play...  for the sake of playing, Beautiful man...

What’s the best jam you ever played in? What are some of the most memorable gigs you've had?

Best jams wow, I had quite a few, Los Lobos was amazing, honored they even asked me, Jimmy Vaughan was always a special treat, Plant, Santana, so many Blues guys. One night at Legends pre-Buddy days I had Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells all on stage with me together and then Sugar Blue came up and ripped the place apart, I was walking on clouds for a week I had this jam at Legends one night in the house band, which I fronted at the time,  it's a Monday night blues jam, I was off the road from Buddy, and had his horn player with me, Zakk Wylde from Ozzy came in, I knew who he was immediately, and we closed the place down with the House band, and his buddy Robbie, ya know Robert Turillio from Metallica, I'm sure if I ever write a book it will have its own chapter it was so damn funny.

Most memorable gig. Opening for Ray Charles at The Hollywood Bowl. It was Ray's 10,000 gigs. ET was there so much press even MTV.

Which meetings have been the most important experiences for you? What is the best advice ever given you?

Most memorable meeting too deep, best advice...Here's a few. Junior Wells literally told me not to worry about becoming a musician full time, cuz God put it in ya, and it's got to come out, Buddy Guy told me many things including you have to have people around you in your personal and professional life that get you and don't try to manipulate you, everyone has to understand from your wife on down...this is what you do for a living and it's normal for us. Luther Allison told me to leave Chicago, cuz, it won't appreciate you till you do... John Primer told me to hit that thing like you mean it when you play rhythm and Magic Slim always told me...hey man, you’d my son, but you could always play less notes

Are there any memories from Wayne Baker Brooks and Larry McCray which you’d like to share with us?

I love both Wayne Baker Brooks and Larry McCray, we all have bros that worked with us in the scene, my brother Kevin was my door guy and later managed and booked Legends. So, Wayne plays Madden (video game) against my kids, they talk a lot of smack, he was with me the night I met my first wife. I have been fishing with Larry and Steve, my bro and the McCrays have a twisted sense of the same humor where we imitate the voice of the person in our story and I hear they both do a very good Frank Bang ... Have not seen it yet though, just heard its hilarious.

"I miss seeing Magic Slim, Son Seals, Sunnyland Slim, John Duich, and George Baze all in the same week that was my blues scene when I was 23 and I know it's nostalgic but I miss that..."

From the musical point of view what are the differences between: Chicago and the other local Blues scenes?

Every music scene is regional, and there are so many great and strong scenes, but I gotta represent my birth place, Austin district. The Chi...here we got some of the strongest players on the planet, you can go see a local legend that may only be known in Chicago here in the states, but he is worldwide, plays in Japan, Germany, Brazil, you may see a bass player who's nationwide with other cats, like Steve Wonder or such, and that’s just called a Wednesday around here, you can see a bunch of the real deal cats at the airport late Sunday night coming back home from all over the world. Last time I did ran into guys from Ohio Players and Wilco...you got guys who play in church bands who turn down national cats, cuz they want to be a the church all day Sunday to give it back ... Rock, Smashing Pumpkins, Fall Out Boy, Jesus Lizard, Soul, my god Chi Lites, Curtis Mayfield, Americana, Neko Case, Robbie Fulks, Bloodshot, heavy stuff, ministry, we have it all, we don't get the credit and maybe that's our fault in Chicago for not recognizing what we have. Let alone what has happened with The Birth Place of Muddy and Wolf’s sound...

What do you miss most nowadays from the Blues of past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of Blues?

I miss seeing Magic Slim, Son Seals, Sunnyland Slim, John Duich, and George Baze all in the same week that was my blues scene when I was 23 and I know it's nostalgic but I miss that...

I think Blues Music will always be where it is, a American treasure that is sorely over looked, every once in a while some younger soul will influence some other folks to research out the guys that do it on a daily basis. I met Corky Siegel recently he asked me how I got my sound, almost 30 years apart in age and our stories are so similar , so I think that proves it....

"My sound is a mix of music, all rooted in American Music, with blues guitar basically. My musical philosophy is to have fun, don't take myself too seriously but also cherish the gift of playing music for folks."

Which memory from Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Jimmie Vaughan, B.B. King, and Eric Clapton makes you smile?

I had to pull Carlos Santana up from the floor as he was bowing to me, that wasn't happening on my watch, from anybody ...let alone him, told ya about Mr. Plant, had a birthday dinner for Buddy in London with Jimmie Vaughan, and we had a great night, he was really into being with musicians and it showed, I regret not taking him up on a prayer circle before a show in Austin, still to this day. B.B. and I just sat around and watched him and Buddy and Lonnie Brooks sit around and laugh for hours, B.B. would always get Buddy to do a Johnnie Lee Hooker imitation that was hilarious with an equally incredible story that would bring the room to tears, I always loved hanging with his guys Caleb Emphrey Jr. and playing golf with Melvin Jackson. Clapton, him and Buddy would sit and talk about the Ferrari that they just bought so, needless to say that wasn't my crowd.

What are the lines that connect the legacy of Blues with Soul and continue to Rock and Country music?

I think all music is tied together, all of it, it starts very rudiment.  Blues or World music for example. Then after melody is established it grows, soul, country, old R n’ B, then as it advances we get more intricate. Jazz, fusion, jam, funk, and while these different style can become intricate what common thread that runs through them all is the simplistic or rudiment of where it starts.

It is no coincidence that live music is almost always better the recorded and these forms of music truly do shine when done right live.

"Blues music always goes back to the feeling, and it gets you, deep inside, it's a deep river of music that will consume you, plus we have so many great cats and great woman, continuing on such a great tradition while adding a little something that is unique."

Do you know why the sound of slide and resonator guitar is connected to the blues? What are the secrets of?

Slide guitar is where it started for a lot of folks, and what I mean is a wire, nailed to wood or a wood wall. Stretched out to a pitch and then fingered or slid on with a variety of different things, from a knife to a stone... That's where a lot of early blues Bukka White, Charlie Patton, etc. came from before they found a guitar. So it makes sense why they went to sliding into a voice on the guitar... And I mean the guys who brought up from Mississippi to Chicago like Earl Hooker, J.B. Hutto, Elmore James, Muddy… For me it is a warm blanket that wraps around my soul, I also, think it is one of those less is more kinda things,  now don't get me wrong Sonny Landreth and Robert Randolph know how to, add some more notes and kill it... But the less I try to do the better it sounds, one night I opened for Johnny Winter in KC, the club has closed circuit TV, and watched him in the dressing room all night with the camera almost solely on his slide hand, it barely moved all night, and he just kills it....

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really wanna go for a whole day..?

That is the deepest most intriguing question I have ever been asked, I have honestly been working on a song call "One More Day with You".  So, you could not of picked a better time for some deep thought, people I miss, or events that I missed that still bother me after all these years, like missing the birth of my first son, I can fill your magazine with a list of people that I would spend one more day with, just so they knew I loved them and that there life meant something to me and whatever they left me, still lingers in me everyday, even if just a little bit. I would go back in time and make sure nobody got into that helicopter that killed Stevie Ray, nobody... Great question.

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