Frank Ace Blues Band

Frank Ace Blues Band - Get On Line, Baby - 1999 - Chueffa

Blues, with a groove. Studio cd with a live feel. This is the highly praised first CD by Frank Ace on Chueffa Records. With his Kansas City based Band. Members are, Frank Ace on vocals and guitar, Bobby Smith on sax, Greg Miller on drums, Rodney Cunningham on bass guitar, Mr Howard Collings on piano,Hammond-B3, and harmonica. The Frank Ace Blues Band played Estafette 2000, plus many other festivals that year. There were numerous reviews.....like this one from Blues Revue "The most appealing aspect of "Get On Line, Baby" is the strong, soulful voice of frontman Frank "Ace.... . He sings with passion and heart, at times recalling Buddy Guy in terms of dynamic style. .....Frank Ace is a talented vocalist with soul to spare....Keith A. Mulhare....Blues Revus #60. (taken from cdbaby.com)

A good, strong, no frills, ol' fashioned blues album. Frank's powerful vocals are excellent, and he produces some terrific guitar solos. He also penned the eleven tracks on the album, and throughout his songs, there are elements of artists like B.B. King, Albert King, and Son Seals, but nothing wrong with that. One review called said that "Ace is a singer/guitarist in the /Little Milton vein, and this self produced CD is a very polished, highly produced program of laid-back, late-night blues". Buy Frank Aces "Cry u out of my heart" album.

TRACKS

1. Get on Line, Baby
2. Be There for You
3. I've Got Love (I Ain't Got No Money)
4. I Gotta Wake Up
5. Turn Your Love Around
6. J.B. Red
7. Bury the Bone
8. 3 O'Clock Blues
9. Sick & Tired
10. Be There for You [Bonus track]
11. Get on Line, Baby [Bonus track]

All songs written by F.L. Wallace (Frank Lee Wallace)

BAND

Frank Ace - guitar, vocals
Rodney Cunningham - bass
Howard Collings - keyboards,harmonica
Greg Miller - drums, djembe
Bobby Smith - tenor sax

REVIEW

Have you been thrown too many types of blues lately? There is jump blues, rockin' blues, swing blues, contemporary blues, and even electrified world boogie. If you are wondering what happened to real blues, check out this CD by the Frank Ace Blues Band. Here you will find strong, straight ahead, down home blues - the kind that is defined in the dictionary. Ace has been playing music for most of his life. Now, the Arizona native has developed his own full-bodied, radiant sound. You can't help notice the Albert King, BB King and Son Seals influences in his guitar solos and melodies. He plays sharp, almost cutting, notes on his guitar and sings deep, rich vocals ala Lonnie Brooks on every tune. Frank wrote all the songs on this 50 minute, 11 track CD. Frank Ace has put together a group of stellar K.C. musicians who are more than capable of providing the support he requires. Ace creates hard, vigorous notes that endure and magically flow thanks to the rhythm section of Rodney Cunningham (bass) and Greg Miller (drums). It's a delight to listen to the boogie'n shuffle, "I've Got Love", with Howard Collings' harp attack and Bobby Smith's mighty sax. Collings is equally gifted on keyboards. He dances across the 88s throughout but it's most obvious on "3 o'clock Blues". "I Gotta Wake Up" is a slow, passionate blues number about love gone wrong. It features Ace's recognizable signature ice pick sharp guitar. At times, it scratches and compliments his heavy voice which occasionally roars. His voice is so heartfelt on "Sick & Tired"; you know he is making a statement based on experience. Oddly enough the CD begins and ends with the same 2 songs. However, they are different versions and have been included as bonus tracks. The first version of "Get On Line, Baby" begins like a runaway train that is rumbling and rolling down the track. Ace doesn't belt out the 'e-mail over the Internet' words with the same enthusiasm on the reprised version. However, the guitar solos are longer and better. Throughout, Frank Ace delivers hefty vocals and piercing guitar solos. He is a gifted songwriter even if his influences are more than obvious on occasion. Thanks to Frank's top quality production, the sound is crystal clear resulting in a live feel to the disc. Ace is motivated to be more than a good band and he states, "Blues is a feeling; it comes from the inside". On this CD, he excels at both. © Tim Holek, April 2001 Southwest Blues

ABOUT FRANK ACE

As a child, Frank Ace learned to play country/western under the unlikely tutoring of rodeo cowboys who came to his stepfather's boots and saddle shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Frank Ace developed his love for the blues when he later lived with his grandparents. When Frank Ace attended Phoenix Union High School, he was making big bucks for a 17-year-old. Carver Barnes, a park director, took Frank under his wing and helped him to form his five-piece band, The Continental. During engagements, however, Frank Ace picked cotton and potatoes in the fields to earn money for sound equipment. The talented group caught the attention of Ray Agee, big-time blues singer and songwriter. After spending a year in Los Angeles with him, the group returned to Phoenix as professional savvy musicians known as the Frank Ace Combo. Frank always was the leader of the band. In 1964, Fank Ace cut his first records, Kirk and Lady Margaret under the Hydra label. Since then, Frank Ace has played in every state in the continental United States, and every club on the blues circuit. There were also dazzling USO shows on a Far East tour and memorable engagements at Mugen's in Tokyo and the 9000 Penthouse in Hollywood. In 2004, Frank Ace released his CD, Cry u out of my heart. Influenced by Vernon Garrett, vocalist, Frank adds his own singing arrangement to melodic blues lyrics. Frank Ace thinks Carver Barnes had the biggest impact on his life. The Frank Ace sound is the blues -- full-bodied, energized, synchronized and radiant -- making it come alive on concert stages, and every club on the blues circuit. © 2006-2008 BluesSearchEngine.com

IT’S ABOUT TIME – The Frank Ace Story. As told to Blues & Rhythm’s Phil Wight [ Bio taken from http://bobbiemercyoliver.com/newsletter/09_02.htm ]

I was born Frank Lee Wallace on September 5th, 1941, named after my dad's dad, Grandpa Frank Wallace. I was born in Bradley, Arkansas. One month after I was born my grandfather Willie moved the family to Friendly Corner, Arizona. It's about 35 miles south of Eloy, Arizona. Eloy is about 60 miles south east of Phoenix and 60 miles west of Tucson. Lula Mae Winzer was my grandmother, she married Willie Cooksey, they had two children, Margie Ree Cooksey and Roy Lee Cooksey, my mother and uncle. Mom married O. T. Wallace who was from Lodi, Texas. I asked my dad what did O.T. stand for, he said Ottaway and for me not to tell anyone. My dad was a running mate of my grandfather! My grandmother was the blues guitar player in the family, my grandfather Will, tried but he had a accident with a piece of farm equipment which seriously damaged his left hand. Even so there was always a guitar in the house. My grandmother was very religious, and we grew up in the church. I have two sisters Jewelene and Betty, I am five years older than Jewelene and ten years older than Betty. Betty's father was Walter J. Jones, boot and saddle maker from Tulsa Oklahoma. He moved us from Eloy, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I learned guitar chords from cowboys who came to our boot and saddle shop. I loved Chet Atkins way of playing. After we moved back to Eloy, I began to try and play blues music and gospel music. The first song I learned on guitar was ‘Honky Tonk’ by Bill Doggett. I put that solo on my song ‘J. B. Red’ to show my respect. My band in the early 60s, the Frank Ace Combo covered all the Bobby Bland hits of the day. John Fullbright head hunted us and took us to L.A. to back singer Marian Stell. Back in Phoenix in 1964 we were the hot item on the local scene and recorded a little song called ‘Kirk’ which was played by Tucson's # 1 DJ Mr Frank Kalil. Jerry Pinkiney, a good friend and great drummer, brought Bobby Bennet who was with James Brown over to my house and I played ‘Kirk’ for him. He asked for a few copies, he said Brown might could use it, and if so he would take care of me, so I gave him 12 copies HA ! He has yet to mention my name. I became a little more reserved about writing songs and playing them for people after that. Hydra1046 was the label that ‘Kirk’ pronounced ‘cook’ and ‘Lady Margaret’ was issued on. Both of the numbers were instrumentals. Verlon Musgrove was the owner of the after hours club in Tucson and the club was named The Hydra so we used Hydra as our label. Verlon and I grew up together in Eloy, Arizona, he usta help me empty my cotton sack. His father was the contractor so he worked the scale and helped the kids and women empty their sacks in the trailer. We had a band behind two singers Eddie and Ernie, two real good young singers. Sam Cooke recorded them but it was never released. I played behind Johnny Morisette, Hosea Wilson was managing him and was also working with us. I played Muygens in Tokyo in the 60's, did USO shows in Korea entertaining the wounded from Vietnam, did a show at the DMZ, man that was scary! We did shows with Ray Agee, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, I saw Albert King one night up on Melrose in Hollywood in 1969 or 1970 and was a fan instantly. I had met B.B. King earlier in Tucson at the El Casino Ballroom and he came over to The Hydra club where we played after hours and I got a chance to play behind him, because he didn’t bring “Lucille”, he didn't like my Telecaster guitar. After that I didn't either, I bought me a Jazzmaster which I kept until it was pinched. I now play “Ginger” my burgundy Ibanez Artists, which I love, and “Louise’ my black 1988 Ibanez Artist, that plays like a dream. I was taught guitar chords by a blind saxophone player, Mathew ‘Bird’ Washington. He couldn't see my fingers but he would tell me when I had the notes in the right places. Mathew passed away this year. All thru the 60's I was a rhythm guitar player and I made a good living playing rhythm guitar. Saxophone players like having me around, so did singing groups. I toured with Vernon and Jewel Garrett in the 60's, and with Vernon in the 70's and a little bit in the 80’s & 90's. He's a good friend, a great singer and a good person. But my idols are Freddie King and T Bone Walker and Albert King. I was in Los Angeles, California and I missed a big deal with Paramount Records, I was so upset so I took a tour with the first band leaving Phoenix, and ended up in Topeka, Kansas. I've worked out of Topeka ever since 1970, I lived in Kansas City, Missouri for two years, but never played, I actually worked a day gig. I managed a Payless Shoe store, go figure. I toured with ‘The Funky Tramp/Vernon Garrett Revue’ in the mid-70's and also played the hotel circuit. Got a chance to meet and play with ‘Blues Boy’ Willie Mcfalls in Amarillo, Texas. My stepfather Walter Jones had a boot shop there. In 1993 I decided to record a CD. I was in Monterey, Ca. And with the help of some wonderful people whom I still owe I started it. After running low on money I called an old friend, Mr Charles Allan Jones and he and I finished it. I told Vernon I was doing a CD he said "It's about damn time" we dropped the damn and kept ‘It’s About Time’ and that became the name of the CD (released on the Raina label), but not having a band was awful and I had a real bad time. The label was trying to rip us off for the CD and they put no money in it at all. But since it was on their label they said it was theirs. In 1994 the studio band and I, plus a couple of friends I met in Monterey, California, played The Monterey Blues Festival. The high point of the year for me. 1995 I called Vernon Garrett about my new band ‘America’s Mozt Wanted’ he said let’s get together. After the bass player moved on, and the drummer was unable to tour because of diabetes, I added bass guitarist Rodney Cunningham, and his drummer pal Roy. Rodney and I had played behind Leon Estelle for a short while. Orlando Zuniga, was the sax player with ‘America’s Mozt Wanted’. 1997 Orlando, Rodney and I joined ‘Big Woody’ Davis in his new venture for a couple of years. OZ left after a short stay and went back with Vernon. Woody found a tremendous sax and harp player name Pete Doakley. 1999 Rodney and I gave The Big Woody Blues Band our notice. Then called tenor sax player Mr Bobby Smith and lucked upon piano man Howard Collings. We had already recruited Greg Miller from the St Joseph, Missouri Opry House, and the Frank Ace Blues Band was born. In 2000 Our first CD ‘Get Online, Baby’ was well received, we were asked to play The Utrecht Blues Festival. In 2003 I became ill. Recovery took a year out of my life, I still live with Polymyositis everyday. I married the love of my life Susan, and I spend my life writing songs, recording CDs, and trying to help my friends. And performing, whenever someone call. [Reproduced with the permission of Blues & Rhythm magazine. Check out the website at www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk]