Bringing home the Boogie - Woogie

Jan. 4, 2009

He is known to his friends and fans as “Boogie Bob.” To me he was the guy that owed me $35 for mowing his lawn back in the summer of 1973. Bob Baldori will take the stage this Saturday at the Milliken Auditorium with boogie-piano legend Bob Seeley.
The evening will include a repertoire of boogie-woogie classics banged out by the two on dual grand pianos. Now in his eighties Seeley is from Detroit and is considered to be the best boogie pianist living today from both a technical and stylistic perspective.
“Seeley is really the last living link to this style of music. He must know at least 1,000 songs off the top of his head,” said Baldori. “He plays at amazing speed and age has not slowed him by any means. I love performing with him.”
Baldori is also from Detroit. He was the founding member of the ‘60s blues-influenced rock band, The Woolies. The band was a mainstay on the Detroit rock scene even opened for the MC5 on the opening night of Detroit’s famed Grande Ballroom. The band enjoyed national attention with their version of “Who Do You Love,” that made the Billboard Charts, and garnered much radio airplay in 1966.

CHUCK BERRY CONNECTION
While keeping one foot in the music business and deciding that a college education might be important, the band moved to East Lansing to attend Michigan State University. It was during that time they landed another big break. Chuck Berry was performing in East Lansing and in those days some front guys would pick up local bands to serve as a backing band. Berry was not happy with the band the club owner had selected. In a panic the owner called Baldori.
“We hit it off that night and have been friends ever since,” said Baldori.
In fact, the Woolies have backed Chuck Berry more than any other band and performed with him at his induction ceremonies into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and at the White House for President Clinton. Baldori is also an entertainment attorney and represents Berry among others in the industry.
Baldori is also an accomplished harmonica player (he will break it out on Saturday). In addition to Berry, Baldori has worked and recorded with many other blues and rock legends, playing piano and harmonica with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, Del Shannon, John Hammond, Hubert Sumlin and Bo Diddley.
During the ‘80s he wrote and starred in “Almost Famous,” a rock/musical that had five successful productions starting at the Boarshead Theater in Lansing, Michigan, moving to the Wharton Center at MSU, Les Idee in Grand Rapids, The Apollo Theater in Chicago and in 1998 at The Limelight Theater, Toronto.

LOOKING BACK
I attended the first production of “Almost Famous” and wrote a review for the paper I was with (Michigan State Variety, the Northern Express of the Lansing area) at the time. I still have my kazoo that all audience members were given at the start of the performance (there was an audience participation part).
Boogie Bob Baldori was my inspiration to pursue a life of music journalism. He was my neighbor in East Lansing, and when in I started a lawn mowing business in fifth grade, he was my first customer.
Baldori remains active in the music business today, both as a performer and an entertainment attorney. He still performs with Chuck Berry on occasion and The Woolies have performed in Detroit in recent years.
If that boogie-woogie sound is your thing or you have never experienced it, this will be a classic-no-holds-barred-boogie-woogie concert performed by two masters of the genre. A few tickets remain for the January 10 show at the Milliken Audtorium and may be purchased online at dennosmuseum.org or by calling the box office at 231. 995.1553. To learn more about Bob Baldori and Bob Seeley go to boogiebob.com.