Blues guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek and his partner, Bnois King, have been together longer than many marriages have lasted.
Twenty-six years and counting. Heading into decade No. 3 of traveling the world and spreading the gospel of guitar-centered rocking blues.
“The audience always keeps us inspired,” Kubek said last week from home in Dallas as he and King were getting ready to hit the road for a series of shows, including one Saturday night at The Boondocks Lounge.
The pair and their band — a bass player and drummer — will help the Boondocks celebrate its 19th anniversary. The Southern Arizona Blues Foundation is pitching in on the party, which will be the first time in several years that Kubek and King have been in Tucson.
“Every time we’ve played there, there’s been a lot of people that’s been ready to hear us,” Kubek said. “I’ve always enjoyed playing there, and Cathy (Warner), who owns the place, she’s always taking care of us. She makes these beautiful tuna fish sandwiches at the end of the night.”
And from the way Kubek describes the pair’s live show these days, the sandwiches will come in handy. Their shows are high-octane affairs, much like their weeks-old album, “Fat Man’s Shine Parlor.”
“We tried to capture a lot of guitar playing,” Kubek said. “On the last two albums, we kind of focused more on traditional blues and rocked-up songwriting. This is more radio-friendly.”
In some ways the album also celebrates the pair’s relationship, which was born on a blues club stage in Dallas. Kubek had a standing weekly gig at the club. One night he invited King to sit in.
“Normally when two guitar players get together, you’ve got to sit there and work things out. But when him and I got together and played on stage, it was effortless and it felt good,” he recalled. “I said why don’t you come do this with me next week. Next week ended up being 26 years later and we’re still doing it.”
