Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

These articles are archives published at BluesWax as the Blues Beat,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published Stepember 1, 2004

Heritage Music BluesFest ’04

Heritage Port

Wheeling, West Virginia

By Gary Miller

It isn’t exactly the bluesiest place on the planet. It hardly qualifies as a Blues city at all, but for three days each year promoter Bruce Wheeler has crafted a Blues Mecca in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. Wheeler’s first few years were rough with a fine musical lineup, but mixed response from the weather and ticker buyers. But this year the Heritage Music BluesFest became one of the best Blues festivals in America. Each year Wheeler has been able to assemble one of the best lineups around, and this year he undoubtedly had one of the best in the Blues.

The third time was a charm for the Heritage with advance ticket sales up 225% over last year. The Friday night crowd was bigger than the Saturday crowd last year. Rooms in the local hotels went quick.

Wheeling is a town of about 30,000 that sits right on the Ohio River. In fact the festival takes place at Heritage Port in the amphitheater, which is right downtown on the river. The audience sits in amphitheater seating or on the surrounding grass looking down at the stage on the river. Throughout the festival massive barges are pushed up and down the river. At night a large suspension bridge is lit up over the river by the amphitheater creating a beautiful effect.

Bruce Wheeler provided the working folks downtown a bit of a festival preview on Friday afternoon and it seemed that much of white collar Wheeling showed up to have a lunch of vendor food and free Blues first from Mark Lemhouse, and then Nick Moss & the Fliptops. Willie “Big Eyes” Smith also jumped in on harmonica for a couple of numbers. Many locals voiced their sadness when the music ended and a sunny Friday afternoon in the office awaited.

The real festival then ramped back up at five o’clock with Nick Moss & the Flip Tops taking the stage. Nick and his band are one of the best bar bands in Chicago, and he is very impressive live. Their latest album, Count Your Blessings, got them picked by the Blues Foundation for a nomination of Best New Artist Debut at this year’s Handys. This was my first chance to see them and Nick is one helluva guitar player!

Next up was the “Southern Songbird,” E. G. Kight, who always casts a spell over the first timers. She is always a gracious and talented performer, with her infectious smile and strong voice and guitar. Despite some technical difficulties, Kight and guitarist Lee Anderson pleased the crowd with some favorites and some new songs off of Kight’s new release, Takin’ It Easy. Next, Sonny Landreth made his second appearance at the festival and bowled everyone over with his adept slide guitar work and swampy, beat-driven sound. Landreth’s The Road We’re On was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album. This guy is amazing!

Besides the Main Stage in the amphitheater, over on the grass in the park there was also the Volkswagen Stage featuring local acts that perform between sets on the Main Stage. On Friday night we got two sets from Guitar Zack Weisinger.

The headliner on Friday was Bob Margolin’s Blues All Stars. Bob’s good friend and bandmate Hubert Sumlin was listed among the All Stars, but was absent due to a heart attack and surgery only a couple of weeks prior. Leave it to Bob to come on stage with a cell phone and to call the recovering Hubert Sumlin up while he is resting comfortably and reassure him that several thousand fans from Wheeling were sending him their best wishes for a full recovery. There was no doubt that Hubert could hear the enthusiastic crowd wish him the best and a quick recovery. [Word is that Hubert will be back with Bob performing select dates in September.] But despite the missing guitar legend, Bob brought some sterling talent with him. Jerry Portnoy on harmonica, Pinetop Perkins on piano, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on drums, Mookie Brill on bass, and the very talented Janiva Magness on vocals. She is a treasure too and is climbing fast up the ladder with the fans that dig great female singers. Jerry Portnoy took a great solo that included the harp classic “Juke.” What a treat! The ninety-one year-old Perkins took a long solo that featured several of his classics and a lot of big smiles from both Pinetop and the appreciative audience. Pinetop’s new album is a set of duets with female artists entitled, Ladies Man. We got a little taste of that when Janiva Magness joined in with Pinetop and then featured him in her solo time. It all came together into a great big “Got My Mojo Workin’” that featured everybody including Nick Moss who jumped in and Matt Hill, a 19-year-old Blues guitar player from the Greensboro, North Carolina area, to whom Bob handed his guitar leaving him with a mike and big smile as the classic chorus came around again and again. What a jam to end Friday night! This was fast becoming Blues Heaven.

The official hotel for the festival was the Ramada Plaza City Center and the party was continued with two jams being held afterwards. Most of the action took place in the Club Rio bar. There was also an electric jam held on the second floor in a ballroom, which was hosted by the Adrian Niles Band with Ford Thurston. Downstairs the bar was packed and we were treated to several cool combinations of acoustic artists including a young local Bluesman Izzy, Mark Lemhouse, Dave MacKenzie, Nick Moss, Tim Gonzalez, and several others. The evening was closed down with a fine duet of Bob Margolin on acoustic with Janiva Magness singing. Things lasted until well after closing time and luckily most only had an elevator ride home.

On Saturday morning I hooked up with my friend Tim Gonzalez and his band, who were doing their first big festival. These are some great players from Nashville and Bruce Wheeler agreed that they needed to be heard outside of the great Nashville Blues circle. This was obviously good thinking, because when they got going to open up BluesFest on Saturday, the people had their mouths open at Tim’s harp playing. Getting to see new artists is one of the best things about the festival experience and it’s funny how a new artist affects people. Tim is different from most harp players today in that he is melodic and very inventive.

Mark Lemhouse [Check out our interview with Mark HERE] jumped the stage next. Mark is one of the hardest going, tough-love fingerpicking guitarists and roughshod ramblers I know of. All he has done for the past year or more is ramble around and play as hard as the fans saw at Wheeling. This guy is balls to the wall, a dark side takes us back with old classics of his style and jerks you forward to the present with his originals. He has learned the craft quickly and made it his own. Watch for big things from this great young player.

Earlier in the morning, the great player Dave MacKenzie held a workshop on “Open Tunings.”

When Tab Benoit shows up, the girls melt. His quiet good looks and thorough understanding off what it takes to rock a crowd is innate. He is intelligent and confident, and this all comes out in the music he plays. He is too cool and now I understand why he has such great appeal. His music is right out of the swamps and the Bayou where he lives. Tab is also very active in work to save these important wetlands and the people who live there. He will be holding a benefit concert in October (more about that soon). Tab is the real thing and so young to have such deep soul. The best part was this was just his first set. After warming up the crowd with his own band in the afternoon. Tab and his band would be back with the Whiskeystore. More on that later …

Once again the VW Stage was activated just as the artists on the Main Stage stopped. On Saturday on the second stage we were treated to two sets each from the Lost Souls, Dave Chisolm, and the young player who had caught everyone’s attention in the acoustic jam the night before, Izzy. Who is that kid?

Anders Osborne is a Scandinavian import to the Crescent City. I had heard him before, but this time he was truly amazing. From his unique perspective as a foreign-born artist, he has blended the Blues with Rock beats, New Orleans Funk, and Avant Garde Jazz. When I told him that I understood his vision and he told me about Folk, World music, Blues, and modern Jazz. Brother, I am a believer. I don’t consider myself a purist, and I’m glad I wasn’t when I heard Anders this time. In fact, it was a small respite, no matter how turbulent, from what is considered “the Blues.” By the way, his bass player, Kirk Joseph, plays a Sousaphone not the bass. He just dumps a mike down that big-throated tuba and plays the hell out of it. I don’t know where he gets the breath from, but he must have lungs of iron. I never missed the string bass or bass guitar once. Combine that with the endlessly searching path that Osborne throws down over the bass lines, and you’ve got one of the most unusual things I’ve ever heard in the Blues. While he played with a quartet here, I heard that when in his hometown he features many more musicians. Whoa, I wanna see that!

Robert Jr. Lockwood – what can I say? Back from last year, he is so great that it brings tears to my eyes. He knows how to play all this music, be it Jump, Swing, big band, Delta, or down-in-the-groove Funk. His band is always a delight to see and hear. He didn’t play a particularly long set, but he got the audiences attention and won more new fans as he has been doing for more than fifty years.

When Roy Rogers got out of the van, I was there to greet him. I told him-”Thanks for leaving California and coming out here to play for your fans.” I really meant that as he almost never leaves the West. He is a real treasure and one of the greatest slide guitar players and songwriters who needs to be heard all over America. I was humbled by the opportunity to hear him and he didn’t disappoint. It was some truly intense playing.

Then, as mentioned above, it was time to open the Whiskeystore, the combination of Tab Benoit’s and Jimmy Thackery’s bands and talents. The concept has spawned two albums and many shows, mostly in the South and East. These two play with a massive passion and let lose some awesome call and response jams that obviously even delight these two masterful players, not to mention the audience whom they brought along for the ride. When the music stopped there was an amazing second there where only the ringing of the sound system filled the amphitheater, before being replaced by the huge response of the stunned crowd. This is a not-to-be-missed combination, find it before the Whiskeystore closes. It is truly a delight and was a fine ending to the evening.

But it wasn’t the ending, because once again there was an After Jam at the Ramada. This night, West Virginia’s Dennis McClung Band hosted the electric jam. The band is a regular on the regional Blues circuit. There were a few players sitting in with Dennis and dancing was happening. Downstairs in the bar, Tab’s bass player, Carl DuFrene, was playing acoustic guitar along with a string of others. Tab Benoit was chatting with Dave MacKenzie and a good time was had by all. The After Jam was clearly one of the most popular and fun parts of the Heritage.

For a brave few, Sunday morning began early as there were two workshops. Mark Lemhouse hosted “Thumbpicking” and Tim Gonzales led “Harp Styles and Techniques.”

After weather being an issue in the past it seemed that Mother Nature was making up for lost Blues time as Sunday proved to be the finest of the three days. With the warm sun shining down on the Ohio River the Dennis McClung Blues Band, the only Blues band from West Virginia at the fest, opened this fine Blues morning. As is tradition at the Heritage, the most popular band on the second stage gets to open on Sunday the following year. Last year Dennis wowed the second stage audience and thus here he and his band were dropping his brand of Blues on the fans at the Main Stage and he was really psyched! They played some top-flight Blues and turned the stage over to Dave MacKenzie. Dave is one of the most knowledgeable and astute single guitarists in the country. Truly a master, he jogs forth with tremendous songwriting and deeply adept playing on the guitar. His songs are masterful and thought compelling. When they’re not funny as hell, they’re playful, deep, and wise. One crowd favorite was “If Jesus Came Back As A Mexican Man.” There was no one in the crowd that wasn’t ready for another song when Dave finally walked off.

What can I say about Reneé Austin, who, with a range that shames most Blues singers, manages to whip that whole mess up into a frenzy for the fans. She is a tough little lady who can belt it out. More than that, she writes here own songs. Her “new” band highlighted by Baby Jake Torkelson on guitar and Jon J.C. Coleman on keyboards has been road-tested and are becoming a finally tuned machine. Watch for Reneé Austin, you will come to your knees when you hear this lady sings the Blues.

Michael Burks staggered the crowd. He is so intense that I felt Albert King was walking the grounds, but no, it was Michael Burks who took a rip-roaring walk through the crowd playing some great King and Burks licks. Burks is in his apex, his prime, and he usually will close down any place he plays. There was no doubt that he was going over his time and nobody complained as he raged through Hendrix classics with a funky beat. His guitar playing is where he earned his reputation, but voice is often his instrument now, and boy is it working. I could hear it right away. How beautiful the whole thing is when it comes together; it’s like being visited by the masters.

Kim Wilson’s Blues Revue is a knockout and it was perfect for the last act. Kim is truly a master and after his last album, Trouble, he is intent on making music happen in a familiar, comfortable way. This shows true ambiance is his ability to sidle up to what is real and true. This isn’t the Thunderbirds, this is Kim’s band and Kim’s show. And Kim makes the whole thing come together with his sheer ability and showmanship. This year’s Handy Award winner for Best New Artist Debut, Nick Curran, showed up to sit in with Kim. And more news came with that appearance. While Nick is going to keep his solo gig, Kim Wilson told our publisher, “Nick is a T-Bird now.” Tonight the normally flamboyant Curran laid it back, after all, it was Kim’s show. And what a show! There are few harp players today who can take massive solo time and completely entrance the audience the entire time. There may be none who do it better than Kim Wilson. Ending with a roaring version of Chuck Berry’s “Livin’ In The USA,” the Sunday night crowd wasn’t walking without a little more from Kim, which he gladly provided with a solo performance with just his harp and a spotlight; a truly amazing sight for any harp enthusiast.

As the last notes played and Bruce Wheeler was on the stage thanking everyone and enticing them with promises of next year, it was truly obvious to all involved that this had been an awesome weekend of Blues. While you may never have had Wheeling on your map before, they are now on the Blues map, when it comes to making your plans for Blues Festivals next year, you can’t go wrong with this one. And book early! Because we are coming back and we are bringing our friends … and their friends.

By Gary Miller

]]> http://bluesrevue.com/2011/04/a-blast-from-the-past-30/feed/ 0 http://bluesrevue.com/2011/04/a-blast-from-the-past-5/ http://bluesrevue.com/2011/04/a-blast-from-the-past-5/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:00:30 +0000 Sully http://bluesrevue.com/?p=7543

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

These articles are archives published online at BluesWax as The Ezine,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published February,9, 2001

A Full Weekend Of Blues In Memphis!

Second Annual BluesFirst Weekend

by T-Bone

Damn, it was good to be back in Memphis – the Home of the Blues! Yours truly, along with a whole posse of Blues lovin’ road warriors, made the trek to the Blues Mecca of the Mid-South for the second annual BluesFirst Weekend. BluesFirst is the only international convention and expo for Blues societies, fans, musicians, and industry. This was not all – the International Blues Challenge was also held the same weekend, right on historic Beale Street.

BluesFirst consists of a series of informative workshops and discussions about a wide variety of topics. You could check out “Building a Better Bluesletter,” which I found to be valuable time spent. Other seminars included, “Blues Radio – Challenges and Opportunities,” “Getting the Word Out (Tricks and Angles to get Press),” “So You Recorded a CD…Now What?,” “Women in Blues” and “Blues in the Schools.” There were tips on how to run a non-profit organization and the laws of 501(c)3 and the basics for preparing a budget. You could get valuable advice on how to pick the right recording studio and also hear from industry professionals on booking, artist development, management, buying, hiring a lawyer and promoting.

Of course we have to eat, so there were some excellent luncheons and “meet-and-greets.” One of the most interesting things that I experienced was listening to Johnny Parth, who won the KBA (Keeping the Blues Alive) Award for Achievement in Historical Preservation. Mr. Parth is from Vienna, Austria and is the head of Document Records. He has been busy with his labor of love, which is to compile every Blues recording ever made before World War II. If a recording was done more than fifty years ago, it becomes public domain. Mr. Parth’s love for the Blues started with a 78 of Louis Armstrong’s “St. Louis Blues” and has blossomed into an incredible achievement. Document Records has a vast collection of pre-war Blues for the casual fan and completist alike.

Other KBA winners that I would like to mention include: Achievement in Blues on the Internet: www.allmusicguide.com. This is an incredible source for information on Blues musicians, their recordings and history. Achievement in Photography was awarded to Raeburn Flerlage – a most deserving and talented winner. To see this man’s magic with the camera, check out his book, Chicago Blues – As Seen From The Inside. The award for Achievement in Literature was given to Nadine Cohodas for her excellent book, Spinning Blues Into Gold, the recount of Chess Records and the men behind it. Certainly recommended reading.

But let’s talk about the music! 53 acts were on hand to vie for the “Best Un-signed Blues Act.”There were acts representing Blues societies from all across the United States and even Austria, Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan. These bands and solo artists all played their hearts out, displaying talent, charisma and soul. The first place trophy and prize package went to Richard Johnston representing the Beale Street Blues Society. Johnston is a one-man tour-de-force on guitar and vocals, favoring the approach of Delta artists like R.L. Burnside, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Jessie Mae Hemphill. Second place went to Collard Greens and Gravy, a 3-piece band from Australia. Richard Kern, a solo artist from Austria, came in third. I saw a lot of great talent and would not have wanted to be a judge! Every act received great exposure and experience, even if they didn’t land in the winner’s circle.

If all of this wasn’t enough, there were performances by Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin at the Black Diamond, not to mention the jam held at the New Daisy Theatre. I stuck around an extra night to catch Little Jimmy King at B.B. King’s Blues Club and then was able to get my own mojo workin’, sitting in with a local band in the wee hours at the Blue City Cafe. It was great to finally play and sing on the same street that so many stellar names have graced through the years – Beale Street!

T-Bone

CONGRATULATIONS!!! ” JWood ” You are this week’s winner of an autographed Kenny Neal CD, Blues Fallin’ Down Like Rain. Go to the Backstage to collect your prize. Remember to play the quiz each week for your chance to win great prizes.

]]> http://bluesrevue.com/2011/04/a-blast-from-the-past-5/feed/ 0 http://bluesrevue.com/2011/04/a-blast-from-the-past-29/ http://bluesrevue.com/2011/04/a-blast-from-the-past-29/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:25:21 +0000 Sully http://bluesrevue.com/?p=7361

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

 These articles are archives published at BluesWax as the Blues Beat,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published August 11, 2004

17th Annual Waterfront Blues Festival

Portland, Oregon

Fourth of July Weekend

 By Bob Gersztyn

Beginning at noon, on Friday, July 2, 2004, Portland, Oregon’s Waterfront Blues Festival, sponsored by Safeway for the benefit of the Oregon Food Bank, opened its gates. This year was the seventeenth for the second largest Blues festival in the nation. Admission was still only five dollars and two cans of food per person, which is a bargain that can’t be beat, especially with the escalating price of concert tickets. The festival raised over $350,000 for the Oregon Food Bank and 95,000 pounds of food, with over 100,000 people attending it over the four-day weekend. According to Terry Courrier, one of the annual festival’s organizers, this year festival concentrated on familiarizing the audience with lesser-known Blues artists, like James and Lucky Peterson, and Motor City Rhythm and Blues Pioneers.

Friday’s show was headlined by Keb’ Mo’, The Holmes Brothers, and 1960′s Blues/Rock pioneers Canned Heat. Keb’ Mo’ has come a long way from the time that I first saw him in 1998, when he opened up for Bonnie Raitt. After his involvement with Martin Scorsese’s Blues film series, his visibility has been augmented. The Holmes Brothers trio combined Gospel, Blues, Soul, Country, and Western into their own unique creation. They’ve performed and recorded with Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson. Odetta, and Joan Osbourne, among others. My last contact with Canned Heat reached back to 1970, at a Halloween concert at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan. At the time, Harvey Mandel had replaced founding member Henry “Sunflower” Vestine on guitar. Today, drummer Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra is the sole surviving founding member. Some concert attendees praised them for sounding as good as the legendary Canned Heat that once included Bob “The Bear” Hite, Allen “Blind Owl” Wilson, and Larry “The Mole” Taylor at Woodstock. Roy Book Binder was also up on Friday and his solo performance was one of the early highlights, along with local Bluesmen including, Terry Robb, Bill Rhodes, and Norman Sylvester.

Some of the highlights from Saturday included “Women of Blues,” featuring many of Portland’s local talent, including Sonny Ness, Lisa Man, Megan James, L.J. Porter, Brandy Hess, Lady Kat, and Janice Scroggins. The Mannish Boys featured Kid Ramos and Paris Slim on guitar, along with Mississippi John Dyer, Randy Chortkoff, “Mississippi” Johnny White, and a guest appearance by Lynwood Slim. Ramos and Paris Slim took turns delivering searing guitar rants, while Dyer and Lynwood Slim alternately accompanied them on the harp. One of my favorite acts was the father/son team of James and Lucky Peterson. Lucky had accompanied his father on keyboards, at the age of five, on the Willie Dixon-produced album, The Father, Son and the Blues. Lucky took the stage with his guitar and after fronting the band for a few songs introduced his father and moved over to the organ. Together they brought the audience to its collective feet and invoked the spirits of former protégé’s like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Sonny Landreth immediately followed on the alternate stage. His most recent collaboration was playing slide guitar with John Hiatt and the Goners. The Mississippi-born guitarist has worked with a variety of artists including Robben Ford, Mark Knopfler, Dolly Parton, and Junior Wells. His mastery of the slide guitar is a site to behold and his three-man power trio was reminiscent of Cream’s heyday. The final act of the night was Cyril Neville, who is the youngest of the four Neville Brothers. He combined Funk, Reggae, and R&B into a voodoo stew imported from deep in the heart of Crescent City. By the time he was half way into his set he had members of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, the famed black Mardi Gras Indians, joining him on stage.

Sunday’s shows included a Gospel summit, another lineup of the Mannish Boys, a Harmonica Blow-Off, and a tribute to Stax Records. The Paladins, from San Diego, rocked out with their Roots Rock, as they collaborated with the Texas Horns. Motor City Rhythm & Blues Pioneers, Joe Weaver, Stanley Mitchell,and Kenny Martin played their version of the Blues, Detroit style, where they first started recording for Fortune, and Deluxe back in the 1950s. After Lucky Peterson closed the music for the night, the fireworks began and concluded July fourth.

There were also a variety of different workshops regularly occurring, over the four days. Some of the workshops included Blues historian and photographer Dick Waterman, Howlin’ Wolf biographer and musician Mark Hoffman, and one by Blues entertainers James and Lucky Peterson. There was also a “Divas Workshop” with Angela Strehli, Tracy Nelson, and Ruthie Foster; a variety of guitar workshops, including Piedmont Guitar and Delta Blues Guitar; as well as workshops for Blues keyboard and harmonica for both kids and adults, and many others. One of the other features of the festival was the “Blues Cruise,” which took place on the Portland Spirit, which cruises the Willamette River with its passengers, who are made up of both the audience and performers. A variety of acts performed on the cruise this year, including Canned Heat, The Holmes Brothers, and Roy Book Binder.

Monday, July 5, was the final day and it featured a number of new acts including Canadian-born Anthony Gomes, who now lives in Memphis and was voted the “Artist of the Year 2004″ by the readers of BluesWax. His set sometimes bordered on a tongue-in-cheek old-time Gospel Hour, as he ran through a series of songs, including “Amazing Grace,” “I’m a Soldier In the Army of the Lord,” and a cut off his new album titled, “Darkness Before the Dawn.” Then there were the Strat Daddies, Texas Johnny Brown, and Hubert Sumlin with the Paul Delay Band, alternating between stages. Curtis Salgado took time out from his tour as the opening act for Steve Miller to play the main stage at the Blues festival again this year. Salgado is currently featured on the cover of our sister publication, Blues Revue.

My mind was completely blown by Monte Montgomery and his band. Montgomery is a native of Austin, Texas, and was named as one of the top fifty guitar players of all time by Guitar Player magazine. He pulled sounds out of his acoustic guitar that many couldn’t get out of a Stratocaster. The closing act of the night and of the entire festival, for the first time since 2000, was the phenomenal Jonny Lang. The first time I saw Lang perform was when he opened for the Rolling Stones during their “Bridges to Babylon” tour back in 1998. He was only sixteen at the time and sounded like a forty-year-old man who smoked three packs of cigarettes a day since he was ten. It’s still hard to believe that the voice comes from a twenty-three-year-old. The crowd enthusiastically enjoyed his closing set and by nine o’clock was leaving the park, while wondering who would be in next year’s lineup.

The Waterfront is one of the best festivals in the world and one that you should try to get on your schedule for next year.

By Bob Gersztyn

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

These articles are archives published online at BluesWax as The Ezine,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published Janury 26, 2001

Talkin’ With Thackery, Part 1

by T-Bone

It sure was a good time chattin’ with Jimmy Thackery. The singer/guitarist currently has a hot new album out called Sinner Street. I had a chance to ask Jimmy a few questions recently and he was more than willing to open up about the music he loves the best. The first installment of his entertaining insights make up this week’s BluesWax.

T-Bone: As a guitarist myself and someone who grew up around the same time as you did, I’m curious as to what your first recollections of music are and what had an early impact on you.

Jimmy Thackery: Well, my dad used to put me up on his workbench and play classical music while he would fiddle around with things down in the basement and he put on a recording by Chopin. And my usual thing would be to kind of rock back and forth and try to sing along with it but, for some reason, it got to a very emotional part of the piece and I burst into tears. And my father said, “What in the world’s the matter?” And I said, “Oh Daddy, it’s so sad.” And my father said, “Oh God, he’s going to be a musician.” (Laughs) You know, everything kind of went downhill from there. His dreams of me becoming a doctor or lawyer kind of flew out the window at right about two years old.

T-Bone: Well, I remember very clearly when I decided that I was going to have to play guitar…

JT: I remember that moment myself. As I’ve always been fond of saying, especially as you get into the Blues genre, you can always remember the very second that the Blues baseball bat hit you over the head. And you suddenly said, “What is that noise and how can I make it?” And for me, actually it was pretty early on. It was the days of transistor radios with the little earphones, if you remember those, and I had it tuned to the regular Pop station, and for some reason or another, Slim Harpo crossed over with his hit, “Scratch My Back”…and I went, “What’s that noise on my little transistor radio?” And then, a dear friend of mine from D.C…we were sitting around in his parent’s living room and I had pulled out a record by a fella named Son House. And I said, “Well, what’s this?” And he said, “Oh, that’s that stuff my parents listen to sometimes. Leadbelly and that guy.” And I threw it on the record player. Of course, the voodoo came crawling back. And I didn’t realize it was Blues I was listening to. It was just music that made me go…wacky. I mean, we were all trying to play Surf music cause it was about the only thing we could figure out how to muscle our way through, but then that (the Blues) came into play…

T-Bone: Well, there is something about the Blues – that feel… you can’t explain it.

JT: You can’t explain it! And, you know, as J.B. Hutto used to say, “I can’t ‘splain it!”

T-Bone: I’ve always said that everyone’s got a Blues bone in their body, even if they don’t know it yet.

JT: Well, it’s interesting to me, because I’ve seen more and more younger people who have been brought up on Hootie & the Blowfish and (stuff) like that, but they’ve been force fed this stuff by the radio conglomerate for so long and they’re never exposed to (Blues) unless they’re watching T.V. and they’re selling macaroni and cheese. (Laughs) And, you know, they say, “Well what’s this?” Of course, that’s not the real deal. That’s the real ‘white bread’ version to this kind of stuff. So, what’s funny, is that I’ve seen a lot of fathers dragging their guitar playing youngsters into my shows and when those kids go away they’re flabbergasted, because they’re suddenly seeing what it really can be like, and well…I guess it’s the closest thing I have to job security in this business – watching 14 year-olds get hit by the Blues baseball bat and I happen to be wielding it at the time. You know, it’s kind of an encouraging and satisfying thing.

T-Bone: Absolutely…yeah, they’re the future and you got to keep it alive and keep it rolling.

JT: Yeah, I just think that if you make it energetic enough and up-tempo enough, you will grab the attention of these younger people and they will go, “Hey, this guy’s really cool.”

T-Bone: Well, yeah, I think you’re a good ambassador for that, because you put a little bit of other influences in there with it – you rock it up a little bit.

JT: Yeah, we try to ‘hot rod’ it some. Yeah, the Blues has a certain (rep) for being a ‘falling asleep in your beer’, miserable music that’s really slow and it all has the same Blues progression and, you know, you can fall into that trap really easy, where it’s just really recycled stuff, but it doesn’t have to be. There are other parameters to it.

T-Bone: Well, yeah, a lot of people don’t realize just how wide a variety there is within the Blues.

JT: It’s where all this stuff we call Pop music came from.

T-Bone: Oh yeah, the Blues percolates through everything…

Our conversation continued on, and we will share some more of that talk with all of you in next week’s installment of BluesWax.

By T-Bone

CONGRATULATIONS!!! ” shimmering_safire ” You are this week’s winner of an autographed Sean Costello CD, Cuttin’ In. Go to the Backstage to collect your prize. Remember to play the quiz each week for your chance to win great prizes.

As European festivals go, the Notodden Blues Festival, a 17-year veteran, is an experience American Blues fans should not miss. Held four days in early August, the festival turns the tiny Norwegian city of Notodden, population 12,000, into a cosmopolitan Blues center of Europe, drawing over 30,000 fans from all corners of the Blues world.

For these days, the entire city becomes a Blues world. Everybody from children to senior citizens walks the streets wearing Blues garb and singing Blues tunes. The local beer gardens are all playing Blues over the loud speakers and cars drive through the town blaring Blues, not Rap, from their systems. And where else can you go to the public library and be greeted by the librarians wearing Blues festival T-shirts?

Each year’s lineup reflects a broad-minded, diverse musical philosophy. For Blues fans, the roster of performers reads like a who’s who of the W.C. Handy Awards. Past festivals have showcased B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Little Milton, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, Taj Mahal, Wilson Pickett, Charlie Musselwhite, Rory Block, Keb’ Mo’, Gatemouth Brown, Shemekia Copeland, and others.

That makes the festival run so efficiently is the huge network of 600 volunteers. Volunteers lug stages and sound systemhis year’s festival headlined Blues giants like Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza, John Mayall, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Eric Sardinas, and Jeff Healy. There was a tribute to British Blues featuring Bob Hall (Savoy Brown), Tom McGuinness (Manfred Mann), Colin Allen (Focus), Long John Baldry, Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown), and Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac).

In addition there were equally exciting and impressive Norwegian and European Blues bands like Vidar Busk, Kristin Berglund, The Cadillac Kings, Up To Fly, Amund Maarud, J. T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters, Kid Andersen & The Rock Awhile Band, Bjørn Berge, Knut Reiersrud/Sven Zetterberg Blues Band, and Notodden Blues Band & Torhild Sivertsen, who supported the headliners.

Ws, work the door collecting tickets, handle security, bartend, waitress, stock and restock food and drink, and clean-up. In addition, a veteran group of 50 volunteers are the drivers who not only shuttle bands to and from the Oslo Airport, but also to and from the hotel to sound checks, shows, and press obligations. A local car dealership donates cars and vans to handle the non-stop flow of musicians.

The festival is a template of city planning and festival organization reinforced by a Blues army of dedicated volunteers. The city turns every available nook into a stage for the music. Normal clubs burst at the seams, restaurants transform into Mississippi jukes, and warehouses sprout stages and sound systems and morph into venues that will easily support 2,000 fans. Two massive tents are erected in the center of town where festival headliners will entertain each night. Even a former church and choir meeting house sheds its sacred skin to boogie each night. In all, the festival builds 25 stages throughout the town.

Essentially, Notodden is an overwhelming four-day club crawl by night, strengthened by smaller stage performances throughout the city during the day. There’s an acoustic stage tucked behind a row of medieval buildings; an electric showcase in the center of the town; a huge, 1,200-person Blues biker bar a block from the city center; and, daily acoustic Blues cruises. The outdoor music breaks at 6 p.m. and the indoor energy starts back at 10 p.m.Each of the eleven evening venues has two performers playing 90-minute sets. Fans buy tickets for the evening performance they want to see. For example, on Friday at the sprawling Sliperihallen warehouse, which holds over 2,000 people, Vidar Busk played from 10 to midnight and The Fabulous Thunderbirds played from midnight until 2 a.m. A smaller venue like the Tapperiet featured Amund Maarud and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. On the main stage in the center of town, two of Scandinavia’s most respected guitarists, Knut Reiersrud and Sven Zetterberg, opened the first night for the Piazza band, and the Notodden Blues Band & Torhild Sivertsen opened Saturday night for Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers.

The festival held its opening night ceremonies on Thursday night at 6 p.m. in the center of Notodden. For 90 minutes, many of the bands who arrived early performed a song or two to whet the crowd’s Blues appetite. Norwegian artists like J. T. Lauritsen, Rita Engedalen, and Kare Virud mixed with John Mayall and the British Blues Masters and gave the black T-shirted crowd exactly what they came to hear.

Once the ceremony ended, there was a photo exhibition of Blues portraits by at the town’s library, which, if not for the Norwegian spoken, could have been a library in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

The opening night of the music issued a challenge to the rest of the nights, try and top this. A crowd of nearly 3,000 fans jammed under the center-of-town tent to cheer two of Norway’s premier Blues guitarists, 34-year-old Vidar Busk and 22-year-old Amund Maarud. It was a set of Busk’s weathered Strat tradin’ licks with Maarud’s red Gibson. Busk traveled to America years ago as a teenager and lived and toured with legendary harp player, the late Rock Bottom. And Maarud traveled to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge two years ago. If Amund comes again, he’s gonna be the talk of Beale Street! These two passionate and inspired guitarists and friends showed this American that, as long as you keep your ears open, there will always be musical discoveries to thrill and excite. Then fans were assaulted by ninety minutes of Eric Sardinas’ fiery electric Blues. When it all ended, one could almost see dawn rising in the east. Remember, in August in Norway daylight stretches well after 10 p.m., which means that dawn then happens shortly after 4 a.m.

The tiny town becomes a mini-Woodstock. Thousands of campers that look like they were at the original Woodstock, appear from nowhere. Tents are set up on nearly every available spit of green. In Norway, you can tent on any land as long as it’s not private property. So, the town is a massive tent city by Friday night. Though the town sells nearly 25,000 tickets for the various shows, almost 35,000 traveled this year to Notodden to party Blues style in the streets 24-7.

Since most fans only attend one show each night, my job was to get to as many as possible. That meant running down the cobblestone streets trying to see as much as possible. Both nights had Kid Anderson, Charlie Musselwhite’s new guitarist, throwing down everything from Little Walter to rhythmic Funk in the tiniest of venues at one end of town while J.T. Lauritsen played his brand of Soul and Blues in a wood-paneled, traditional European pub.

Fans at the center of town were treated to British Blues greats like John Mayall, Kim Simmonds, Bob Hall, Peter Green, Tom McGuiness, and the great Long John Baldry. While the fog machine worked overtime in the Tapperiet, a Norwegian black leather biker bar, guitarist Amund Maarud and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion provided the throbbing vibe until curfew. Norway’s Vidar Busk handled the opening set chores each night for Kim Wilson and the Thunderbirds.

Saturday afternoon featured a three-act show on the banks of the town’s lake. Imagine looking out over Norwegian hillsides while Jeff Healy, the Kim Wilson Blues Revue, and others played all afternoon!

On Saturday night, the action started all over again. The Notodden Blues Band featuring vocalist Torhild Sivertsen opened for Rod Piazza and they immediately raised the performance bar for the night. With looks like Marilyn Monroe and a flair for theatrics, Torhild kept all eyes trained on her throughout each song. After that, Saturday night became a battle of the curfew. Rod, Honey, and the Flyers blasted through “Southern Lady,” “Murder In The First Degree,” and other favorites, while across town, Kim and the T-Birds hit home runs with crowd favorites like “Tuff Enuff,” “Wait On Time,” “Let’s Rock This House,” and others. When each band ended the show, the chants of “We want more!” by 2,000 fans brought each band back over and over. In fact, at the Piazza show, after the band left the stage and boarded the van, Rod started blowin’ “Rockin Robin.” What a thrill to see Honey, Paul, Bill, and Henry dash out of the van and run to their instruments. At the T-Bird show, played at an indoor venue where the temps inside must have been 100 degrees, Kim had to be told by city officials that they were beyond the 2 a.m. curfew and the officials were about to turn off the lights.

The real cool part of this festival for any fans lucky to stay at the Bolkesjo, are the after hours jams. Imagine twenty bands arriving at 3 a.m. ready to party. At one point Gene Taylor of the Thuderbirds was playing as Long John Baldry was calling off tunes like “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” and “Key To The Highway.” Norwegian bands mixing with their U.S. and British idols. After three nights of this, one fan called it the “land version of the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.”

The Sunday afternoon finale pulled out all the stops for Blues fans. First, the festival showcased some of the finest musicians from the Telemark region of Norway where the festival is held in a tribute to Sun Records called “Notodden to Memphis.” That was followed by a tribute to Little Walter and other harmonica greats performed by a Rod and Kim and backed by a combination of Flyers and T-Birds. It began with Rod and Kim blowin’ “Goin’ Down Slow” at top speed and never they slowed down. With a backing band of Gene Taylor, Richard Innes, Ronnie Weber, and the new T-Bird guitarist Kirk Fletcher, every song offered the ensemble feel and dynamics of the best late night jam sessions you could ever imagine.

They slowed things down with extended solos on “West Helena,” while accelerating the pace on tunes like “Oh Baby” and “That’s Alright.” The highlight was the double chromatic powerhouse, “Black Night.” Rod’s deep, low-end intro gave way to Kim’s “Nobody Cares About Me…” By mid-song, it was the finest chromatic head cutting you’ve ever seen. As they smiled at each other through their sunglasses on the high flyin’ instrumental they ended with, they performed four-bar trade-offs over and over. This is an act promoters in the U.S. looking for something special should consider. If they had only walked the crowd together!

One final note, anyone considering a trip to this fest must combine it with a vacation to this magical country. The population of just over 4 million people fit into a country that stretches 1,700 miles to the north. Thus, it is not uncommon to drive the most picturesque road or meditate at the base or top of a 1,000-foot waterfall or study a Viking longboat in perfect solitude. Quite a difference from standing two or three hours to see Michaelangelo’s David in Florence with tour bus after tour bus of videotaping tourists. So while most American tourists are complaining about lines and waits, you can plan activities at your own pace.

Most first time travelers book a nice three-day excursion that leaves from Oslo and offers tours of mountains, fjords, and glacial waterfalls. The must see trip from Oslo is either train or car to Bergen on the Western coast. Within an hour of leaving Oslo, the formidable mountains of the Western fjords begin to rise.

The first fjord stop must be the train from Flam to Myrdal. For 20 kilometers, this fifty-minute ride spirals up rugged snow-capped mountains and down into lush meadows and orchards along the Aurlandsfjord, a finger-like branch off one of Norway’s main fjords, Sognefjord. Have cameras ready when the train stops at one of the many cascading waterfalls along the journey. Tourists then board a boat that travels through the famous Sognefjord to the old city of Bergen. Called the gateway to the fjords, Bergen is a city that looks and feels like a tiny San Francisco, except it’s centuries older. Then these tours take visitors back to Oslo three days later. However, there is a lot to see in this country and if you are adventurous, you can play out your own fjord adventure.

Whether your Nordic travels include breathtaking vistas, striking waterfalls, bustling cities, or what is clearly one of the world’s best music festivals, Norway is a destination that will re-center one’s spirit.

By Art Tipaldi

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

These articles are archives published online at BluesWax as The Ezine,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published Janury 19, 2001

Norton Buffalo Rides Again!

by T-Bone

Norton Buffalo & the Knockouts – King of the Highway

Here’s a name that you may not have heard of – Norton Buffalo. The man with the strange name is one phenomenal harp player, a good lyricist, and a decent singer to boot. If you haven’t heard of him before, it may be because this is his first solo release since his first two albums on Capitol in 1977 and ’78. He has been busy in between, though. In addition to recording a couple albums in the early �90s with slide guitar wizard, Roy Rogers, Norton has been a featured performer with the Steve Miller Band for the last twenty-five years. Buffalo has played on over a hundred albums by various artists. He is well-versed in many styles of music, not just the Blues. Just some of the names that he has performed with include Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, The Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins, The Marshall Tucker Band, Juice Newton, and Elvin Bishop. (Both Miller and Bishop return the favor by each contributing a guitar solo to King of the Highway.)

His new album, while showing his varied influences of Country, Rock and Jazz, is still a fairly strong Blues album. He is not only one of the finest and most talented harmonica players in the world, he also plays some organ, trombone, and conga. Every song is penned by Buffalo except “I’m Tore Down,” and he gets help from his regular guitarist, Johnny “V” Vernazza, on the title track. (Vernazza used to be part of Elvin Bishop’s band.) The rhythm section consists of David Brown on bass, and Tyler Eng on drums. David Mathews guests on piano for nine of the twelve cuts , and Merl Saunders adds his excellent B-3 organ work on five tracks. Trumpet and sax augment Buffalo’s trombone playing on four of the tunes.

The first three tracks get things off to a promising and energetic start, before he winds things way down for the melancholy “The Odds Are Against Us.” About when you think this is getting a little too maudlin, he creeps in with a nice, expressive solo on the chromatic harp, which helps. He keeps the chromatic out for “Hoodoo Roux” next, obviously a little trip down “N’awlins” way. Lyrically and musically, it reminds me of something that Dr. John would do, with a dash of Cab Calloway thrown in for good measure.

“Sweet Little Pumpkin” has a beat and rhythm similar to Albert King’s “Cross Cut Saw,” and is the tune that Steve Miller adds his creamy sounding Blues guitar licks. “Shuffalo” is a snappy instrumental with a short slide solo from Vernazza. The “flat tire” shuffle, “She’s Driving Me Crazy,” is next, featuring a short guitar solo from Bishop. Nothing really special here, though. “Line Of Fire” slows things down again, with some more melancholy lyrics and chromatic harp. Very bluesy.

He could have probably chosen a song less oft-covered than “I’m Tore Down” to include here. The band doesn’t sound too inspired, coming off a little stiff. “Harmonica Mambo,” another instrumental, is a little livelier, as Norton gives the harp a decent workout.

Buffalo does yet another slow, sad song before closing out the album with the curiously odd “The Monkey and the Man.” He proceeds to regale us in an affected voice with a somewhat humorous, but unnecessary parable about having that ol’ “monkey on the back.”

If you are a big fan of harmonica, I think you will get some real enjoyment out of this disc, and even though Buffalo isn’t an outstanding singer, his voice doesn’t detract from the proceedings. I think in the right hands, this self-produced album could have been even better. Now if Norton and his Knockouts were to come around for a gig, I think that would be a show worth catching. They’re probably much better heard live on stage where they could really stretch out and show what they got.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! ” blueswax ” (the member, not us) you are this week’s winner of an autographed Sean Costello CD, Call The Cops. Go to the Backstage to collect your prize. Remember to play the quiz each week for your chance to win great prizes

T-Bone

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

These articles are archives published online at BluesWax as The Ezine,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published Janury 05, 2001

The Soul Jazz Master of the Hammond

Organ Gets Seriously Blue

by T-Bone

Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith, the man who revolutionized the use of the Hammond organ in the ’50s and ’60s, and became the main pioneer of Soul Jazz, has released an album that digs down into his Blues roots. Titled Dot Com Blues, Smith gets plenty of assistance on the disc from some stellar names in the Blues field. Etta James, Dr. John, B.B. King, Taj Mahal, and Keb’ Mo’ all contribute, each singing one song apiece.

The core band consists of Smith, Reggie McBride on bass guitar, and the funky Harvey Mason on drums. Russell Malone, John Porter, and Phil Upchurch split and share the guitar duties.

The album starts with a strong medium tempo groove, with Dr. John doing the piano and the smoky singing on his song, “Only In It For The Money.” It’s great to hear Smith adding his organ work to the mix, along with the Texicali Horns (Joe Sublett and Darrell Leonard).

Track two, “8 Counts For Rita,” is a little more typical of what you have come to expect from Smith – a funky instrumental organ workout, with Malone pulling off some jazzy guitar licks.

“Strut” is next, and the title is very appropriate as the band sits down on an infectious groove that makes you want to strut ’round the room, singing along with Taj Mahal. It reminds me somewhat of Taj’s old tune, “Going Up The Country And Paint My Mailbox Blue.” What a nice and easy feel and vibe…

Next, Smith does a long, slow, but nice instrumental arrangement of the old classic, “C C Rider.”

Etta James turns up the heat for a fresh twist on Willie Dixon’s “I Just Wanna Make Love To You.” The Texicali Horns return, and the soulful duo of “Sweet Pea” Atkins and Sir Harry Bowen add backing vocals.

The horns and backing vocals are also found on Keb’ Mo’s offering, a slow and steamy “Over & Over.” Keb’ is certainly feeling the deep Blues here, singing about his woman who seems to be always walking out the door, leaving him over and over.

Between Etta’s and Keb’s songs, Smith pays tribute to the great Duke Ellington with an 8:46 version of Duke’s classic “Mood Indigo.” Indigo, of course, is the deepest shade of Blue. This one definitely brings home a mellow and somber mood.

The King of the Blues, Mr. B.B. King, steps up next and gets to reprise his very first hit, “Three O’Clock Blues.” B.B. gives a typically passionate performance. The band on this cut consists of the excellent Chris Stainton on piano, Pino Palladino on bass, Andy Newmark on drums, John Porter on rhythm guitar, and, of course, Jimmy Smith on organ.

The album finishes with three more instrumental tracks. Sandwiched between the title cut and “Tuition Blues”, Dr. John makes his presence felt once again with his funkified collaboration with Smith, called “Mr. Johnson.”

Jimmy Smith shows on this disc, once and for all, that the Hammond organ can be one of the most expressive instruments for the Blues. He can send chill bumps running along your arms and down your back. Even though Smith is better known as a Jazz artist, he has always had the Blues all up in his playing. Dot Com Blues is the most convincing testimony to the fact that Soul, Jazz, and Blues make beautiful partners in the capable hands of Jimmy Smith and friends.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! ” DeafJelloStoner ” you are this week’s winner of a Leon Russell CD. Go to the Backstage to collect your prize. Remember to play the quiz each week for your chance to win great prizes

T-Bone

]]> http://bluesrevue.com/2011/03/a-blast-from-the-past-25/feed/ 0 http://bluesrevue.com/2011/03/a-blast-from-the-past-24/ http://bluesrevue.com/2011/03/a-blast-from-the-past-24/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:59:03 +0000 Sully http://bluesrevue.com/?p=7177

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

 These articles are archives published at BluesWax as the Blues Beat,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published August04, 2004

The 2004 North Atlantic Blues Festival
Harbor Park, Rockland, Maine

By Shawn Henderson

There are a few things that Blues fans need to know when they visit Maine. The first thing is that you can’t smoke in the bars. This is hard knowledge for some, especially considering that smoky juke joints and the Blues go so well together. The second thing you need to know is that we believe in getting our lobsters right out of the ocean and eating them while they still have a punch left in their claws. You won’t find too many of those over-sized fish tanks in the corner stuffed to the rim with tired and listless crustaceans. The last thing you need to know is that Maine is the home of one of the finest Blues festivals in the nation, the North Atlantic Blues Festival (NABF). The first two facts you can throw out and forget if you want, the last fact however is something that should enter into your brain cavity and settle there because believe me, if you are a Blues fan living within a few hundred miles of Rockland, Maine, you are going to want to plan your future summers around the North Atlantic Blues Festival.

I’ve been living in Maine for most of my adult life and have known about NABF for at least seven of the 11 years that it’s been in existence, but this year was the first opportunity that I have had to attend. I don’t plan on missing another one if I can help it and I’d advise you not to miss out either.

The original idea and manifestation of the NABF came in 1994 when Paul Benjamin and Jamie Isaacson decided to hold a “Blues Bash” in the parking lot of a local hotel in Rockland. They kicked the thing off in fine style with a killer lineup that included Susan Tedeschi, J. Geils, Carey Bell, and others, as well as headliner James Cotton. It was the start of a yearly phenomenon that would continue to the present and an idea that would garner both Benjamin and Isaacson with not only praise and gratitude from Blues fans and performers alike, but it also earned them the 2002 “Keeping The Blues Alive” award from The Blues Foundation. They have deservedly joined the ranks of top promoters in the world and their perseverance and dedication to the Blues has paid off again this year with a great festival.

One of the reasons that NABF is so unique is that it is on the water. In fact the back of the stage abuts the seawall and when the sea is more raucous than this weekend, the saltwater splashes up to the stage. The festival is held in a city park on the marina, which is the site of this fishing town’s memorial to last fisherman. Directly behind the stage are folks parked in their boats digging the sound, with kayakers paddle right up to the stage and the lobster and fishing boats are coming in at the piers next to the festival grounds. There really isn’t another festival like it.

I attended this year’s fest in more of a working capacity than as an observer. I worked the weekend in the Blues Revue/BluesWax tent, talking to fellow Blues fans about the music, helping them with their subscription requests, as well as serving the musicians by helping to sell their CDs. I missed some of the experiences of watching the performances from the front of the stage, but helping the musicians as well as the flood of people that visited us was a thrill in its own right and our tent was set up directly to the right of the stage and during lulls in activity I had the best seat in the house.

The two-day event launched at 11 a.m. on Saturday and featured performances by the Blind Albert Blues Band, Sherman Robertson, Cephas & Wiggins, EG Kight, Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout with Paul Delay and Billy Branch, and headliner Bobby “Blue” Bland. The weather was cool and the skies threatened to shower all day, but aside from a few light moments of rain, the day remained overcast but dry and the spirits of those in attendance were high. The Blind Albert Blues Band did a commendable job at kicking off the weekend and really set the tone for the other acts to follow. Frontman Vincent Gabriel is leading local artist who works with the festival and plays in the Club Crawl (more about that later). Texas guitarist Sherman Robertson came on next and kicked it up a notch with a scorching set of guitar-driven songs. Robertson’s band was hot, but saxophonist, “Sax” Gordon Beadle, was absolutely on fire. He added a level of intensity to the set that helped bring out the best in the rest of the band, as well as the audience. After Sherman’s set, we were treated to the acoustic Blues of Cephas & Wiggans. Our publisher has called them a “national treasure” on more than one occasion and now I understand why. Of course they played through their trademark Piedmont and Tidewater Blues styles, but they also reached into their huge bag of songs to pull out some other traditional treats like “Frankie and Johnny” and “Stagger Lee.” John Cephas blew some nice harp on the classic “Key To The Highway.” Cephas introduced the next song by saying, “Whatever happens in life you can have the Blues, it can be happy and it can be sad.” They followed his comment with and an out of season Christmas song that put a collective smile on a crowd that had just found a new favorite act.

EG Kight was up next as she is touring in support of her Handy Award-nominated album, Southern Comfort. This Country singer-turned-Bluesman enchanted the audience with her own songs and covers of her mentor Etta James’ “At Last” and the Blues classic “Crossroads.”I had been told that EG had picked up a new guitarist who had knocked out the members of our editorial team who had first heard him at this year’s Handy Awards in Memphis. His name is Lee Anderson, and he was every bit as good as the rumors. EG joined him for some duets proving that she was no slouch on the six-string herself. She also presented a couple of songs from her upcoming release, Takin’ It Easy. They were as good as should be expected of this fine songwriter and album promises to be another winner for the “Georgia Songbird.”

Things eased up at the tent right before Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout, which was great because it allowed me to actually watch most of the set. Mark Hummel, Paul Delay, and Billy Branch are without a doubt the best group of harpists I’ve had the pleasure to see together on one stage. Each of the trio performed flawless sets on their own, but when they joined each other on stage for the harp jam, the crowd went nuts. This was the highlight of the day for me. I was awestruck at the virtuosity that each of these guys brought to the instrument and the way at which they worked off of each other to bring the passion of the moment to a peak. This harmonica tour do force rolled through several styles, did some call and response, and took turns ripping up a lick before finally closing it up. “Blowout” is right!

After the set, while signing CDs for their fans, the intensity had not died down as more than one die-hard fan came up to Mark Hummel to pledge his or her un-dieing love for him and his music. Mark turned to me at one point and said, “I guess I’ve got a few hard-core fans up here in Maine!” He made a few more during this festival.

The last set of the evening was by the incomparable Bobby “Blue” Bland. I had never seen him perform before and was delighted by his performance. He approached the stage rather slowly and slightly bent over which gave the impression, at least to me, of a somewhat tired, old man. My impressions changed as soon as he started to sing. His voice has obviously aged, but it hasn’t lost the power to move an audience. Unlike the frenetic energy of the previous set, Bland’s performance was intense but smooth. From the moment he opened his mouth I knew he was in complete control of his voice, his band, and the audience. His hybrid style of Blues, Soul, and R&B and the silky way he delivered his love songs gave him a flirtatious command of the audience. He performed the part of the “player” as he sang directly to different women in the audience and I imagined him in his younger days, causing younger girls to flush as he sang “directly” to them, be it on the radio, on a record, or in concert. It was a perfect ending to a fabulous day.

After the first day’s performances the town of Rockland closes down the streets for what they call a “Club Crawl.” The crawl had actually begun on Friday with nine bands playing in venues around Main Street in Rockland. Needless to say our team had to check out some of the acts despite a long day of traveling from all over the country. We caught Blue Steel Express in the basement of our hotel. Their laid-back guitar and fine vocals were a great way to start the weekend, even if the drink prices drove us in search of other spots. We found locals Pat Pepin and Brave New Blues before stopping into a local bookstore where Blind Albert was playing in the window. But that was on Friday night, after a full day at the festival, on Saturday night the little town pulls out all the stops and it’s basically an old time block party with various Blues bands performing in front of, and in, different clubs and restaurants in town. There were over a dozen bands playing within a few blocks. One of the bands playing on the street was the band we had seen the night before Blue Steel Express. A large throng gathered around them blocking a section of the main street, which was closed anyway. We also searched in vain for the jam where Mark Hummel and Billy Branch sat in with another local band, The Blues Prophets. Word was that they rocked a packed house of some pool hall. Music filled street and the clubs and the little town of Rockland closed up late, or early, depending on your perspective.

The Club Crawl continued for a third on Sunday with a couple of Blues Brunches in the morning with performers and a couple of jams hosted by local bands at night after the festival is over. The whole Club Crawl thing is cool and is a great part of the NABF that offers local musicians a chance to participate and for out-of-towners like us as chance to hear the local talent.

Sunday’s weather couldn’t have been better. It was a perfect day in Maine. The sun was bright and warm and the cool breeze coming off the ocean was a delight. Sunday’s lineup consisted of performances by the Steve Bailey Band, Ana Popovic, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, Michael Burks, Bettye Lavette, and Taj Mahal & The Hula Blues Band. The Steve Bailey Band started off Sunday with a short but good set. They won that spot by winning the Maine Blues Society’s “Road To Memphis” competition as part of the International Blues Challenge. I was unfamiliar with Steve’s music and I enjoyed him, but it seemed to me that his performance was a bit tentative. I’m not sure if it was nerves about playing in front of such a large crowd or the last remains of the club crawl, but he seemed to hold back a bit and I couldn’t help but feel like he probably had more in him than he gave. Perhaps this we due to the fact that this assembly of the band hadn’t played together due to the bassman’s recent move to Atlanta.

I hadn’t heard of the next act either and I sure as hell didn’t sense any kind of holding back from this powerhouse. Ana Popovic, an axe-wielding, petite blond from Amsterdam, via Yugoslavia, took the stage and completely took control of the festival. She jumped in with a song called “Don’t Bear Down on Me (I’m Here to Steal the Show),” which is exactly what she did. She reached out and grabbed the audience by the collective soul and didn’t let go for an hour. If each act sets the bar for the next act to reach, Popovic seemingly set the thing out of sight. She wailed through her set with tough and brilliant guitar work as well as gritty vocals and closed up with a great tribute to Jimi Hendrix. After about the third song, fans started lining up at our tent to purchase her CDs. The line stayed steady through her set and through the following set by Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne. Even after she set her guitar aside, Ana captivated her fans by remaining at our tent for nearly two hours signing CDs and talking to her fans. It seemed that everyone wanted their picture taken with this Blues bombshell. This is just another example of what makes Blues festivals such a success with the fans!

Even though the Blues Revue/BluesWax tent picked up during Ana’s set, I still got a chance to check out part of Kenny Wayne’s dazzling set. Popovic set the bar high and surprisingly Wayne seemed to reach its heights as well. Dressed head to toe in bright orange and cream; Wayne exuded a charm and charisma of days gone by. His flash wasn’t only his attire; this Vancouver-based pianist laid down some brilliant Blues and Boogie Woogie piano riffs and kept the audience bouncing right to the end of his set.

I thought the energy of the day would have to mellow a bit soon, but Michael Burks took the stage at around 2:15 pm and again raised the bar. Like Ana, he attacked the guitar and immediately had the audience enthralled. The energy in the whole park was increased immensely as I listened to Michael burn through originals and covers of Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He had been driving since five o’clock in the morning and only pulled in fifteen minutes before his set, but you could never tell as Burks just didn’t want to give up the guitar, but he performed over his time slot by nearly a half hour. The long set was appreciated by the crowd because everyone was on their feet during Burks’ last song and the applause lingered for awhile after he was finally off the stage.

The next act was somewhat of a surprise for me. Bettye Lavette is a powerhouse performer on her own right, but unlike the day’s previous female musician, Lavette’s power lies in her ability to convey the emotional edge of every song she sings. I’ve never seen someone get so immersed in the songs that they were singing. She completely mesmerized the audience with her vocals and with the way that she made us “feel” everything she was telling us in her songs. When she sang about the pain of being used as a women, at suffering through a broken relationship, or just the loss of a love, you could see the torment not only in her eyes, but in her body language as well. When she sang about taking back her power and standing tall and proud, she somehow passed that pride onto everyone that listened. And when she sang about love, we all felt a bit lighter. Is the rare performer who can create an intimate moment for thousands of people at once, but that is the power of this incredible performer. After years of struggling with little recognition, this lady is at the top of her game as she recounted to the audience the experience of receiving her Handy award this year.

The night ended with another legend. Taj Mahal has a similar power over an audience. It doesn’t necessarily lay in his lyrics, delivery or, to be honest, even his considerable musical ability. I think it comes from someplace else entirely and I’m not sure I can put my finger on it. Taj has a way of making everyone feel good just by being Taj. We feel better in his presence because his songs are so fun and his spirit is so giving. The music was phenomenal. His Hula Blues band was in top form, which brought out the best in him. His set started with a great rendition of “Coconut Man” and flowed through many more great tunes, including my personal favorite “Fishin’ Blues.” The highlight of the set was a gift he gave to a young couple in the audience. He invited a young man on stage with his girlfriend. As Taj stepped aside, the young man got down on one knee and proposed in front of Taj Mahal and close to 8,000 other spectators. The obvious overwhelmed fiancé, with tears in her eyes, and without hesitation, accepted his proposal. Upon seeing that she agreed to the proposal, the band broke into the great song “Lovin’ in My Baby’s Eyes.” I really couldn’t think of a better way to end the weekend. Taj and Co. then took the crowd to a new place as they all sang, “The Blues is all right!” The crowd was so enthusiastic that Taj added a couple of extra choruses.

The festival closed up with everyone smiling and fully sated from a wonderful weekend. Then something I hadn’t seen before happened: much of the Maine crowd showed that they were truly part of the festival by gathering up the trash and putting the chairs away. What a great festival and a great weekend. I can’t wait until next year. Taj is right, “The Blues is all right!”

By Shawn Henderson

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

These articles are archives published online at BluesWax as The Ezine,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published January 12, 2001

Young Man With The Blues

byT-Bone

Twenty year-old Sean Costello is one bad boy. This guitar slinger/singer puts more passion and fire into his performance than most other artists out there right now. I had the distinct pleasure of witnessing a recent show with his band, in the perfect place – an authentic Blues club with an appreciative, knowledgeable crowd. I had seen the same five men play last August, and it certainly was fine, but the night of January 5th was something extra special. Costello is improving with leaps and bounds, his confidence and stage presence elevating to a stunning level. His vocals, in particular, are getting stronger and more mature. Sean displays an array of “Blues faces,” which along with his animated body language, clearly demonstrates that he loses himself, immersing his soul in the Blues.

Costello isn’t the only star here, either. He has a band that understands what he is trying to put across, and they support and prod him all the way. One of the most interesting aspects of the band is the “tag-team” approach from the two keyboard players. Paul Linden generally handles the piano duties, while Matt Wauchope is the one emanating some spine-tingling tones from the organ. At one point, they even doubled up on the same piano. Even though they are excellent artists individually, they show that they also have a telepathic interplay that helps lift the band’s collective energy into the stratosphere. If that isn’t enough, Linden also provides some of the most powerful Blues harp playing around. Paul also gets to sing on occasion. All of this gives the band a versatility that keeps things interesting all night long. The overall sound is anchored by the very steady bass work of Melvin Zachary, along with the aggressive drumming of Terrence Prather. Prather, who is a fellow alumnus of Susan Tedeschi’s band along with Costello and Linden, whacks his drum kit with unending fervor.

The band’s repertoire is versatile and varied, also. They are adept at Jump, R&B, and New Orleans-style Blues, but are most convincing at authentic Chicago-style Blues. In particular, Sean performs Otis Rush and Buddy Guy tunes as well as anybody that I have seen. He wrenches out the words and notes with conviction and passion. He always seems to put a fresh spin on any cover tunes, though, whether it’s from T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy Rogers, Willie Dixon, Junior Wells, John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, or even James Brown. They also gave us a taste of some original work, including some that will be on their next album, due out this spring. The second set ended with Linden’s own torrid harp workout, “The Plumber.” He will clean your pipes, indeed.

They ended the night with the most incredible rendition of John Lee Hooker’s “I’m In The Mood” that I have ever experienced. With a steady, slow and heavy beat relentlessly driving things along, Sean played his guitar with all of the spirit of Hook, but added his virtuosity to the primal feel of the song. Linden added a harp solo that was downright scary! This was the Blues at its best – do not miss this talented, young Bluesman and his dynamic band when they come your way. They will kick your ass!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! ” walle ” you are this week’s winner of an autographed Jimmy Thackery CD, Sinner Street. Go to the Backstage to collect your prize. Remember to play the quiz each week for your chance to win great prizes.

T-Bone

]]> http://bluesrevue.com/2011/03/a-blast-from-the-past-23/feed/ 0 http://bluesrevue.com/2011/03/a-blast-from-the-past-22/ http://bluesrevue.com/2011/03/a-blast-from-the-past-22/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:57:45 +0000 Sully http://bluesrevue.com/?p=7207

Welcome To A Blast From The Past.

These articles are archives published at BluesWax as the Blues Beat,

we hope you enjoy reading them.

Originally Published July 28, 2004