Tonight: Earl Gilliam and I.J. Gosey at the Big Easy

William Michael Smith June 26, 2009 11:00AM

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Other than getting to live through umpteen 100-plus degree days each summer and a massive hurricane every now and again, one of the supreme privileges of being a Houstonian is easy access to blues giants like Earl Gilliam and I.J. Gosey. Between them, these two guys know more licks than most musicians will ever play, and they do it as though they were working in a convenient store or an assembly line rather than jumping up and down and hollering "Hey, over here, look at me!"

Honored by Mayor Bill White on Juneteenth with "Earl Gilliam Day" and "I.J. Gosey Day," these two battled-hardened blues scene vets have seem 'em all come and go, and always managed to hold their own. Both men are stylists of the highest order, and while they've got a track record - innumerable recording sessions, thousands of gigs, and a trillion road miles - that might cause some guys to just mail it in, these two class acts bring the goods every time they step up to the mic.

9:30 p.m., Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club, 5731 Kirby Dr., 713-523-5999 or www.thebigeasyblues.com.