The Ongoing Adventures of Little Joe Washington, Houston Blues Legend - Episode 3

by Sonny James

A few years went by before i saw Little Joe again. I was hosting a jam at a club off Washington avenue called Silky's. Greg "Skinny G" an Mopar Mike Sinclair, joined me in this thrilling adventure. On drums was none other than John Chupin,a great drummer around Houston. The place was always packed. We alternated thursdays with the Hound Dog Taylor tribute band, featuring Eric Dane, Chris King, an Skinny G on slide guitar. I mean to tell you that that place was jumpin. People would get there early to find a place to stand. Yes, you heard me, stand. The Thursday Jam was as productive as most weekend gigs. Word got out, an Houstons Best would show up , reveling the Great Dan Electro's Blues jam on that same nite. National acts like Chris Durate, Jimmy Deen, Sam Massey, Jay Hooks Band, the Drop Kick Chihuahuas (my faves), Diunna Greenleaf, Lady D, Carolyn Wonderland, an even Jonny Lang took part in the Blues Gumbo. Well, Little Joe found out about it, an started showing up just when when the place was about to burst. He would come in sometimes, in the middle of the first set, an want to get up immedately. I would let Him.

This would , unfortanutlly , piss the other jammers who were waiting to get up seriously off. I remember telling Jonny Lang to get off the stage so that other jammers ,who had been waiting so long, could play, cause Little Joe had came in an "took the money an ran". ( Sorry bout that Mr. Lang). Little Joe would come, do 2 maybe 3 songs, using someone else guitar, lick it, rub it, scratch it , pass a old raggedyass hat, an leave with more money than we would make that nite.

He then would go jump in the light Blue Caddilac that Joe "Guitar " Hughes was driving..An off they went to another spot. Some jammers did not want Him playing their guitar because He dam near had sex with it. The place would go up in smoke. He would do any an everything to get the people going. The men were hollering, the women were ready to mate, an the cash register was ringing. He would rub the guitar with His crotch, His ass, the top of His head. He would play it with His teeth, His feet, an this made the place more explosive that anything a terroist could ever come up with. He was a "Blues Time Bomb", that blew the place apart, an left us with the damage. We would come back after He "took off", an try to recover the crowd. The jammers would be pissed. (Did i already say that?). This is what he would do every week and this is where I really got my first real good taste of the Little Joe experience. He licked my guitar one time so much that I thought I was going to have to put some clorox on it before I could play it. Just kidding. I felt privileged to have a real Houston authentic sho nuff blues man in my midst. Well, I got a kitty cat that's ready to eat....so, more to come...