[c]2010 DOUG DUFFEY

more chronological disorder

L to R: Dennis Goodwin; Randy Ross; Doug Duffey- opening for Ted Nugent at American Legion Field, Monroe, LA 1972

Dennis Goodwin straightened me out on the era of "Starlett Ferrari & The Main Drag"- August to late November, 1972 - 4 months that have and "will live in infamy.... "

[c]2010 DOUG DUFFEY

chronological disorder

have been trying to get back to doing this band x band site in chronological order- but have so much on my plate at the moment- and so many files in disorder- that it is taking more time than i'd expected.

i began the "doug duffey/street level/ new orleans" band page a while back, but have recently found more fotos, artwork, fliers and have been scanning them. have also been busy transferring live performances of the band in 1988 [recorded on 2 track stereo cassette tapes] to digital- editing them for a soon to be released "je ne sais quoi" 'album'-or 3- thinking digital download only.

i've been through a lot of musical phases in the 45+ years of my professional musician/artist life. i think all those phases are important, and have brought me to where i am today. i also think it is rather impossible to separate them. even though my current status is "blues/soul/rock"- there has also been a lot of funk and techno and various experimental periods at times.

most of my writers tapes contain extremely genre jumping material; usually very personal and not meant for mass consumption. this band by band site should explain some of that. but as time goes on, i realize i need to put everything [of good enough sound quality] OUT to the globe, as i have always wanted to. technology has finally made that possible.

all the various projects will slowly be added to and released on cdbaby.com under my name.

[c]2009 DOUG DUFFEY

my face space book

i have quit blogging mainly because of facebook and myspace... which take up too much time! needless to say i have neglected this blog and my others... and even updating my website because of FB and MS

check my cds here

[c]2009 doug duffey

doug duffey- solo

i heard through the grapevine that there was an opening for a solo artist [piano/vocal] at the tricou house [711 bourbon] i applied and got the gig... and a new life began. after working with bands and traveling around the country for years, it was a blessing to be able to stay home and 'work steady'. working bourbon street 6 days a week was a real learning experience, and i learned a lot as both player and performer. i'd never done a lot of solo gigs, and realized i needed to make the piano become "my band"; so my left hand became the bassist, my left foot became the drummer, the right hand both rhythm and lead instrument... with my voice on top of it all.
i was totally self contained. being a "one-man band" was work!...but it got to be 2nd nature. my left hand got so strong i was breaking the bass strings [which didn't please the club owner] ... BUT i always packed the joint! so all was forgiven.
it was also inspirational; there was so much visual and auditory material [conversations, street scenes, crazy people, etc] swirling around twenty four hours a day; it was a songwriter's goldmine... and many songs came from that period. i feel like i found myself both musically, artistically and spiritually then and there.
[c]2009 doug duffey

doug duffey's new orleans rhythm & blues revue

after street level i started "doug duffey's new orleans rhythm and blues revue" -which was not a revue at all- we did all r&b/soul/old new orleans hits/ cover material. we started on bourbon street [as paid rehearsal] then graduated to the regular clubs in town [muddy waters, etc] we did shows around louisiana, and did some cruise ship gigs [cancun, cozumel, belize]. i was also going back and forth from new orleans to shreveport working with jerry beach, or blues singer betty lewis, or drummer brady blade. BUT doing cover tunes- even if they were some of my favourite old new orleans/R&B/soul hits- was NOT what i wanted to do... again. it was a means to an end... but the ends still didnt meet so i decided to go solo!
[c]2009 doug duffey

doug duffey/street level/new orleans

back in new orleans i 1st began playing some local gigs with various bands to make some money; but i really wanted to be doing my original music: thus, 'doug duffey/street level/new orleans' came about.

bill dunn [who'd been with me in 'white lightning', 'merging traffic', 'duffey's plantation band' and 'the next'] and tim blunk * joined, moved to new orleans, and thus we began.
i met carl whitehead [also from monroe] at storyville who was also interested in doing an all original music band. linda bailey


we were doing what we called "techno-voodoo-euro-gumbo" -funk-rock-dance music- and it was very ahead of it's time. most of the subject matter in the songs was very dark and explicit lyrically - nothing was taboo- and that's exactly what i wanted! i wanted to push the limits.

we did the 1st 1/2 of each set with drum machine/2 keyboards/guitar, the second 1/2 with real drums/2 keyboards/guitar; starting out very techno funk & rock, progressing into techno rock and real rock. [carl played drums & keys; bill played keys, flute and sax]- we didn't use a bass player- i wanted the band to be a new-age punk funk version of 'traffic' and 'the doors'
we did some "opening act" shows at storyville [for disco diva's 'the wetaher girls' and drag queen/actor/actress/singer 'divine']- played various clubs around town [the dream palace, cafe brasil, etc] and clubs around the state. we did a good 'live' wtul radio broadcast at tipitina's- and recorded several gigs: which need to be digitized and put online!

later bill quit and was replaced by ricky andrews; we soldiered on a while but unfortunately the band didn't survive; it was too progressive at the time... and, new orleans has never been musically 'progressive'.
[a sad note: both tim and bill are deceased. they were my best friends... and i miss them 

terribly.

[c]2009 doug duffey