THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

Growing Up with the Blues

By Serena Maria Daniels

Signal Staff Writer

Wednesday September 20, 2006

By the age of 14, Saugus resident Tom Leavey's interest in the blues had already begun to blossom.

Growing up in Brooklyn, he'd select 45s based on the label, whichever ones appealed to him most at the time.

There were no photos of the artists and no way for the curious teen to know what sound was going to come off of the record player.

What he discovered were some of his heroes: Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Billy Boy Arnold.

To Leavey, they were mythical characters, capable of creating magic with their music.

"Growing up in Brooklyn was really cool," said Leavey, who said the neighborhood abounded with creativity.

From the beginning, Leavey, now 64, knew that he wanted to create music like his idols, despite concerns from his family.

"My parents thought, 'What is this?' It sounded really foreign to them," said Leavey, whose father, uncle and grandfather all worked for the New York

City Fire Department.

Despite objections from his father about the style of music that typically did not get radio airplay, Leavey's interest quickly translated to a talent.

His first group -The Detours - competed in a talent show at Island Trees High School in Long Island, sparking his attention and that of others in the

local music scene.

The Detours landed gigs at the Copacabana's dance lounge, where pop acts like The Supremes headlined in the main hall and at the many Greenwich

Village clubs catering to the likes of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, during the so-called folk revival of the 1960s.

That initial success landed Leavey a record deal with Atlantic Records, the first white group signed to the label, Leavey said.

The band hit the local club scene as a "Twist" group, the popular dance style at the time.

Soon, however, with the onset of the British invasion, the folk and blues scene was headed west. So Leavey decided to follow.

He founded Geronimo Black, a group with a more eclectic sound that performed the Hollywood club circuit, including the Beach House, Whiskey A-Go-

Go and Ash Grove.

He eventually settled in Saugus, where he created a small studio in his backyard. Leavey's home is filled with many of the same vinyls, numerous musical

instruments and posters of the many blues festivals he has participated in over the years.

He said the community has over the years become a destination for other creative types to live in relative tranquility, away from the city limelight.

"New York has everything, but the winters are brutal and the summers are really hard," said Leavey, who added that "at my age, I don't want to deal

with that."

The 64-year-old bassist said he has performed with Rhythm and Blues giants in venues all over the world.

His group, the Mannish Boys, toured in Europe last year and is planning another tour in Australia.

Unlike his father, Leavey has made it a point to include his daughter Shannon in his work. He plans to take her on the next tour, where she can

experience her passion - surfing - Down Under.

Leavey's son Darrin is a drummer.