Levee Town Booking Agent
Brandon Hudspeth has played professionally for several years. Oiginally from Oklahoma, Brandon formed a band called Traffic Jam. Who opened for such names as Jay McShan and Bobby Blue Bland. He has also played with Cal Collins and the legendary Clark Terry.
At present Brandon has formed a band called Levee Town. He formed it from solid members of the Cobalt Project. Which includes highly skilled professional musicians from the area.
Brandon has a strong emotional approach to his guitar playing. He has a great work ethic, and brings it all out from the center of his heart and soul.
The beat is supplied by Adam Hagerman. A pro drummer in every sense of the word. Who is skilled in a wide variety of rhythmic styles. He has honed his craft on the road and in the studio. He brings a fresh energy to the bandstand each and every night!
Jacque Garoutte multi-instrumentalist arranger and producer fills in the bass with years of musical experience. From Miami Oklahoma, Jacque lays down a deep strong bass line, supplies quite bit of energy onstage, and sings with a smooth single malt voice.
While growing up in central Oklahoma, Brandon Hudspeth saw Johnny Cash on Sesame Street and had to start pickin’ on guitars. As he sings, he rings the neck of his wide body Gibson like its a Flying Vee dipped in gasoline.
These guys are blazing hot! They will cause you to stomp your feet, clap your hands, and maybe dance on the tables. Levee Town generates a lot of excitement and a smokin’ good time. For your own protection, you better wear a fire suit!
Then ‘Grand Emporium’ Kansas City # 1 Blues Nightclub hired him in 1990 for what became a twelve year stint. By now the blues market was demanding the latest hits by Latimore, Bobby Bland, O.V Wright, Johnnie Taylor or Little Milton and Millage eased himself into the wonderful lazy Malaco/Hi Sounds. Life was good and he sold a cassette ‘Live @ The Grand Emporium’ from the Bandstand.
In 1991 Millage laid down a number of tracks at Champion’s Studio in K.C. Five years later went back again to finish a CD’s worth of numbers. These were issued on the Red Hot Label in 1997 as ‘3 Faces of M G’ showcasing the different phases of his blues career. Unfortunately the day after the CD was released. The record label owner shot himself and the company folded.
When Millage retired from his day job two years later he decided to concentrate on his musical career. The active Kansas City Blues Society did and does champion his cause. They helped him get regular work throughout the K.C metroplex. They also helped him expand his net. To cover nightclubs and bars in Ohio, Nebraska and Missouri where he is a great favourite on the St Louis circuit.
He had also taken on festival work appearing at the King Biscuit Festival, The Mississippi Valley Festival, the Kansas City Blues Festival and in 2000 flew to France for a blues festival in Paris. His second CD of more recordings made ‘Live at the Grand Emporium’ was issued in 2003 and the following year the ‘Kansas City Street Festival’ organisers crowned him ‘King of The Festival’.
When David Popple and I discussed Millage we decided to present two completely different concerts to highlight the variety of styles that he has played over the years. For the Stamford concert we have booked Big Joe Louis Trio with Orlando Shearer, string bass and Peter Greatorex, drums to back him playing ‘down home blues’.