The Mescal Sheiks: Home

"Walking To The River"

After the passing of Clabe Hangan in August, we've taken a few months to step back, absorb the impact of losing a very important person in our lives that we loved beyond words. Being side to side, shoulder to shoulder with Clabe for the last 8 years was such a gift.

We'll be getting back in the saddle after the first of the year and moving forward with Clabe always a part of us.

Paul Broucek went back into the studio this Fall with engineer Ed Cherney and has done a beautiful re-mix of the song we wrote together "Walking to The River".

"Walking" was a very special song as we wrote and recorded "This World is Not My Home" in 2004 -2005. Paul started writing it in the late 90's and put in on the shelf as he became heavily involved in some huge movie projects.

I always loved it, when we were writing for what eventually became "This World", as Paul was in Los Angeles in between London and New Zealand working on the soundtracks, Paul, Rick Solem and I got together and finished writing it.

We took it into rehearsal at The Alley and Clabe took it from a wonderful, beautiful song, and lifted it up into that very special place that only Clabe could.

During the first complete run through, Clabe hit into the 3rd verse starting "Back in Richmond..." and took the song to this "place". I've been writing music for close to 40 years and have never been a part of some thing like that.

When we finished playing and singing the song, we just sat for a minute in a wave of emotion. I looked at Elizabeth (Hangan, Clabe's daughter) next to me, tears were rolling down her cheek. It was incredible, and something only Clabe was capable of. And now, as Clabe is bathing in the River, even more so.

Walking To The River
(The Mescal Sheiks)
Broucek/Solem/Sterling-BMI



"Walking' to the River "
Broucek/ Solem/Sterling 2006 BMI

I keep walkin
to the river overnight,
When the cold wind
makes me shiver I don't mind,
As I'm walkin to the river
So many walk with me,
And we're walkin to the river overnight.

Soon we meet
A band of angels bathed in light,
Their voices ring,
Like a 1000 church bells in the night,
As they sing, their voices raise up,
And we join in harmony,
As we're walkin' to the river overnight.

Back in Richmond
The rolling St. James runs wild and free,
I wanna turn back
And ask each question haunting me,
But the moment comes to nothing,
As I fix my eyes ahead,
And keep walkin' to the river overnight.

Nah, nah, nah....



As a very special piece of Clabe, we're making the new mix available to our web site community. It will be going out as a free mp3 to everybody on our Sheiks e-mail newsletter in December.

If you're not in our Sheiks community yet, you can become a part of it by entering your e-mail address here at our website

We'll e-mail an mp3 of the new "Walking To The River" mix before the holidays.



Dean Sterling
Mescal Sheiks Productions
Los Angeles, CA

Bring Yer Own Blues

Big Time fest goes small time

Buddy Seigal
Published on July 26, 2001

The Big Time Blues Festival seems to get a little more small-time every year, and that's jake by me. What festival organizer BERNIE PEARL lacks in high Q-factor names for his lineup is more than made up for in lesser-known but perfectly goddamned wonderful talent. This is as it should be; this is, after all, the blues. I'll trade you three Keb' Mo's for one Corey Harris and throw in a Kenny Wayne for free. No, I'll pay you to take the Kenny Wayne off my hands.


For example, there's singer/guitarist CLABE HANGAN, a guy I'd never even heard of before catching him a few months ago at the Adams Avenue Roots Festival in San Diego. Lucky me: the veteran, Arkie-reared songster employs an old-school, country-blues method that recalls such bad studs of yore as Brownie McGhee and Big Bill Broonzy. Like those gents, Hangan seasons his tuff but folksy music and storytelling with a most dignified style and intellect; this is a guy who knows and loves the blues' history, legacy and societal import as much as he loves the music itself.


Hangan's presentation, on the other hand, reminded me of Muddy Waters' legendary performance at the Newport Jazz Fest in 1960 (no, kiddies, I'm not quite so ripe that I saw the concert live, but a video of the event has been a staple in my VCR for years). When the spirit moved him just right, Hangan, like Waters, became giddily animated, clearly in the throes of some marvelous rapture that seemed almost religious in nature. He quaked and quivered, whooped and hollered, trembled and gesticulated, stomped and danced; I half expected him to start speaking in tongues. What Hangan does is tread a fine line between blues primitivism and collegiate sophistication. For all his earthy, down-home musical charm, Hangan is also a professor (he taught humanities and folk arts in the University of California and Cal State University systems) and a minister, and he has served as a youth probation officer. Hangan is a humble old fella, too; he bills his band as the Hangan Brothers even though he's clearly the star of the show and none of his band mates are actually siblings. Pearl says the handle exists because Hangan simply refuses to hog all the glory for himself. Go see Clabe tear up the Big Time Blues Fest Sunday at Gemmrig Park in Long Beach; he'll keep ya Hangan on!

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Mardi Gras Mambo 2010 - 8 PM - Los Angeles, CA

This will be the Sheiks next live performance upon the completion of the Second Wind Sessions. So mark your calendars, and be prepared to party like you've never partied before! After a four year hiatus, the zombies of the second line will be rising!