Dusty Fingertips

I love going to record shows. I’ve been going to them since I was a teenager. This past Sunday I went to the Milwaukee Music Convention at Serb Hall over on Oklahoma Ave. It’s always exciting to walk in to a convention with the possibility of finding that perfect score. The row after row of tables covered with LPs, 45s, CDs, posters, books, etc laid out before you. The smell of old records fills the air.

That’s usually how it works, but this time I was struck by the lack of records as many tables sat empty from a lack of dealers. But you never know what may be waiting to be discovered so I wasted no time diving in. I quickly found the most promising looking crates to dive into. An out of town dealer had several boxes of vintage funk, soul and r&b 45s lined up in front of him.

I spent quite a while digging through the discs and listening to them on a portable record player. I was disappointed that I only found a couple that I really wanted, but they were both good solid records. Funky Floor-shakers to be sure. On the Maverick label I found Chuck Bernard’s “Indian Giver/Hobo Flats” and Bobby Patterson’s “How Do You Spell Love” on the Jewel/Paula label. This Shreveport LA based label put out some greasy funk and soul records back in the 60s & 70s and is often overlooked by collectors.

I’ll be spinning both this Wednesday night at The Soul Shakedown at The Hi-Hat Lounge on Arlington and Brady Street. I start at 10pm.