Entrepreneur Mark Begelman–the man who answered the question “I wonder what a 75-foot-high stack of calculators looks like?” when he was in charge of Office Depot–has taken his pallet-intensive retail philosophy and applied it to MARS, which is now to be known as the Musicians’ Planet. Planets are usually quite…

Jump for joy Before the term “guitar hero” existed, Guitar Shorty was one. His ear-reaming tones were a known influence on Jimi Hendrix, who may have lent an eye to Shorty’s showmanship as well. Born in Houston, Shorty took up music in Florida; in Louisiana he opened shows for Guitar…

The Man From Mars Smokey Wilson Bullseye Blues Records The old saw about not playing catch-up with the times, but relaxing and allowing the times to eventually catch up with you, has worked well for Smokey Wilson. Once too strident for the blues mainstream, his guitar sound now finds itself…

You’d think after 20 years, a nightspot would acquire ambience. Not Poor David’s Pub: The day it opened at 1924 Greenville, it looked like storage space for broken restaurant furniture, and it still looks that way. There is no jukebox, no pool table, no “decor.” When the Pub is open,…

I Got That Feeling Debbie Davies Blind Pig Records Davies’ three-year stint playing guitar for Albert Collins won her blues credibility her otherwise thin gifts would not have gained her. She’s a feisty instrumentalist, but her weak voice and bland material bar her from any measure of greatness. Here she…