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CHICAGO 1965, the Jazz Record Mart

The Applejack Blues Band rehearses in the basement of the old Jazz Record Mart at 7 West Grand Ave. in Chicago, 1965.

This photo appeared in Living Blues Magazine, November/December 1993 issue, and was taken by Bob Koester, the owner of the Jazz Record Mart and founder of Delmark Records.

Note my mentor, the late and great Ray Parrish playing my Kay bass; Ray is sitting under the movie screen. (We sure saw some cool reel to reel movies here, like J.B. Lenoir, and Bessie Smith, for example). Jack Hirsch on clarinet, Ira Kamin on Wurlitzer. Yours truly Applejack standing to left of movie screen with back to camera, playing harmonica. (Yes, I'm the guy with all the hair). Mostly obscured and seated behind Ira is Ron Butkovich on guitar.

P.S. - Night Watchmen at the Jazz Record Mart:

I was one in a series of "night watchmen" at this record shop. Our duty was to serve as night watchman in exchange for a place to sleep in the basement. Other night watchmen included, in historical sequence, Big Joe Williams, Charlie Musselwhite (before me), and Iggy Pop (after me).