• April 26, 2008 (Sat, 9:00pm-12:00am): Heather Banker and Jack Cook @ Fiddlers Inn (9219 35th NE, Seattle, WA; 206-525-0752).
  
  
• May 2, 2008 (Sat, 7:30pm-10:00pm): Heather Banker & the Nearly Homeless Blues Band @ Third Place Books (17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA; 206-366-3333).
  
  
• May 26, 2008 (Mon, 4:30pm-5:00pm): Jack Cook & the Phantoms of Soul @ Northwest Folklife - NW Court Stage (Seattle Center, Seattle, WA; 206-684-7300).
  
  
• May 31, 2008 (Sat, 9:00pm-1:00am): Heather Banker and Jack Cook @The Blarney Stone (1909 Third Ave, Seattle, WA; (206)448-8439).
  
  
• June 12, 2008 (Thurs, 6:30pm-9:00pm): Jack Cook & the Phantoms of Soul @ The Maple Leaf Grill (8929 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA; 206-523-8449).
  
  
• June 21, 2008 (Sat, 7:30pm-10:00pm): Jack Cook & the Phantoms of Soul @ Crossroads Shopping Center (NE 8th at 156th ave NE, Bellevue, WA; 425-644-1111).
  
  
• June 27, 2008 (Fri, 8:00pm-11:00pm): Jack Cook w/Dana Lupanaci & Guy Quintino @ Stan's Barbecue (58 Front St N, Issaquah, WA; 425-392-4551).
  
  

“The origins of Jokermania are as difficult to pinpoint as the beginnings of Jazz or the Blues. We do know that the union of two great but completely different minds formed an institution to be remembered by dozens. “Joe & Okes” may have not created a genre out of thin air but they were early tinkerers of an art form back in a time when there were no boundaries & no books to play by. They made their own rules.” (From the chronicles of “Joe & Okes”)

“I THOUGHT I HEARD ELLIOTT BAY”
by RAYMOND BARROW

Northwest blues scholar Raymond Barrow has spent most of the waking hours of his adult life researching the details behind pre-rock & roll northwest blues legends, “Joe & Okes”. These visionaries, along with their contemporaries, cultivated a unique music style, climaxing in a frenzy known as “Jokermania".

Candid “Joe” McKroy from Astoria, Oregon and Freddy “Okes” Callicott from Bethel, Alaska both arrived in Seattle separately in 1949, around the time of one of the city's major earthquakes. Joe McKroy & his Minstrels of Mischief became fixtures around the Pike Place Market, recording “Baby Let Me Vamp On Your Viaduct” and “Columbia River Blues” for Lenora Records. Freddy “Okes” Callicott first united with Seattle hipster, Denny Palatine and his uptown group, the Regraders. Together they recorded Palatine’s tribute to the Denny regrade, “It’s A Dirty Job (but somebody’s got to do it)” and Callicott’s own Jelly Roll Morton influenced “I Thought I Heard Elliott Bay” for Summit Sounds. Eventually Joe & Okes teamed up, becoming celebrities of the day and recording their collaboration “Meet Me Up In Playland” and Okes’ own lament “Blues For Salmon Bay”, for Mop Street Records. Other related artists and songs include Roebuck “Country” Holmes with “Magnolia In The Pines”, Otis McClellan with “Otis' Mood” and Denny Palatine’s tribute to Joe McKroy, “Bug Out”.

“I Thought I Heard Elliott Bay” is the presentation of Raymond Barrow’s story and the musical works mentioned. Brad Harrington will read excerpts from the story. Legendary NW sound engineer Kearney Barton will be announcing the song selections as radio personality Barney K. The music will be performed by, Jack Cook on guitar, jazzhorn & vocals, Hugh Sutton on piano, Al Farlow on clarinet & baritone saxophone, Steve Branca on bass and Dave Hudson on drums.

Photos from the show.