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Blues Band Members 'Truly Love' Music

Photo by Alyssa Gosch

BACK ALLEY BLUES BAND will perform at the new restaurant Fatty ‘n’ Mabel’s Riverside Eatery in Port Richey on Sept. 28-29. Members from left are Franc Robert, Marty Lindemann, Smokin’ Joe Sadowsky and Alza Perez.

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: September 19, 2007

PORT RICHEY, Fla. - PORT RICHEY, Fla. - If your soul hears it, do it. That's the motto of the Back Alley Blues Band.

"I could go out and play whatever style you name for more money, but it doesn't satisfy me like the blues does. It's music that speaks to your soul," said Franc Robert, one of the founders of Back Alley Blues Band.

The band will play at Fatty 'n' Mabel's Riverside Eatery in Port Richey next Friday and Saturday. The restaurant had its grand opening on Labor Day weekend.

It is in the 5,600-square-foot building of the former Edgewaters and Sandals.

Back Alley is a familiar presence in West Pasco. It was formed by Robert and Smokin' Joe Sadowski in 1996 and has been playing ever since.

According to Robert, the music is a combination of Chicago and jazzier Texas-Louisiana blues.

The band has played at the Cotee River Seafood Fest the past four years and regularly appears in clubs in Pasco and Pinellas counties.

It has opened for Charlie Musselwhite, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers, and Pat Travers.

Back Alley Blues Band released its second CD, "Boxcar Tourists," in 2006, and finished another CD, "You Can't Stay Here," this year.

Back Alley reflects members' love of music, said Robert. "We truly love and believe in music. It shows up in every performance we do. We flat out love to play, and it comes through."

Guitarist Robert was the host for a jam in the 1980s at Montreal's Rising Sun nightclub. There he played with blues greats Buddy Guy, Albert Collins and Robert Cray.

Sadowsky plays harmonica and sings. The Brooklyn native played with area bands, including Lazy Boy and the Rockers and Nuthin' But Trouble, before co-founding Back Alley.

Bass player Alza Perez has led area bands including Rock & Roll Xpress and the Wilde Knightz.

Drummer and percussionist Marty Lindemann has been playing drums since he was 5. He has performed with well- known artists, including singer/guitarist Bo Diddley, rock singer Del Shannon, and the Shirelles.

In addition to playing their instruments, all members sing.

They will be only one of many bands Fatty 'n' Mabel's will present, said owner Michael Simpson.

He does not believe in house bands, he explained. "I think variety is the spice of life."

The restaurant is named after his parents, the late Fatty and Mabel Simpson, who lived in Beacon Woods.

"Mom was Polish. Dad was Irish. Between the two ethnic groups, there was always a home-cooked meal," recalled Simpson.

His parents' culinary influences are reflected in the menu in Mabel-style french fries and surf and turf and Fatty's New York strip steak and ribs.

A former Navy chef and outside food sales representative, Simpson took the plunge of opening a restaurant after turning 50. He realized he could either play it safe and stay in the food industry or follow his dream of having a restaurant.

Simpson praises his staff for their support and help.

His restaurant offers three distinct dining areas: an air-conditioned section, a covered open-air dining area and a waterside deck.

The restaurant also has upstairs banquet facilities.

It features live entertainment on Wednesdays, 6 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 11 p.m.; and Sundays, 2 to 6 p.m.

Back Alley will be there Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29, 7 - 11 p.m. The restaurant is at the end of Limestone Drive, on the Cotee River, Port Richey.

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