There are many great guitar players in the Blues Genre. Some well known, some underrated (Son Seals, Jimmy Dawkins), some overrated (Buddy Guy, B.B. King) and others (Bee Houston, Left Hand Frank, Guitar Gable) who are nothing more than footnotes to even the most dedicated collectors of blues obscurities.

Then there are the guitar players guitarists. The mention of whose name starts even the most self assured and technically advanced musician to speak of in reverent of tones. Lownan Pauling, leader and guitarist of The Five Royales is one of these gentlemen. He is the only guitar player that I have ever heard the not-exactly-humble Ike Turner rave about. Mr. Steve Cropper, an acknowledged but still highly underrated guitarist (he has to be seen live to fully appreciate his mastery of the six string beast) also name checks Lowman, as does J.C Fogerty, no slouch himself. Others in this vein are Wayne Bennett, Billy Butler, Jimmy Nolen, Mickey Baker, Roy Gaines & Wild Jimmy Spruill (whose stingin'solo on the Wilbert Harrison 1959 smash hit "Kansas City" is one the best known and most copied blues solos ever recorded) whose main contributions to music are hidden behind the artists whose recordings they've graced.

The hugely diverse and competitive Chicago blues scene is filled with guitarists such as this. Guys who can walk into a club and whoever may happen to be on bandstand at the time will usually defer to and just hand the gig over to them. This is called "headhunting." This practice and form of friendly and sometimes not-so-friendly competition goes on to this very day. It also makes for some great unexpected shows and jam sessions. Last summer I saw the legendary, in Chi Town, blues guitarist Johnny Dollar do this to an unsuspecting white blues band at a small corner bar on the West Side of Chicago just off Roosevelt Rd.

This band had somehow managed to book a gig at an all black blues club and it was not playing too well with the crowd of regulars. This band wasn't that awful and probably would've gone over fine at a more gentrified bar full of college kids, but to a crowd that lives the blues daily and were raised on Howling Wolf, Magic Sam and Billy Boy Arnold they just came across as, well, weak & watered down.

Long story short: Johnny sat in, then he had some friends who conveniently just happened to play bass and drums take over the bands gear and they proceeded to rock the house for the next couple hours, much to the crowd's delight and the visiting band as well I suspect, who got taken to school that night which they will never forget, I'm sure. Johnny was gracious enough to invite the band leader up on stage with him to play a couple instrumental tunes ("San-Ho-Zay," "Chitlins Con Carne") seeing as how J.D. was using one of his guitars and his bands gear as well. LOL!