August 20th Today we headed down to Chelsea and Pier 54 on the Hudson River where the Blues and BBQ festival was being held. We didn't want to get there too early and melt in the heat, which was s till intense so we missed Eden Brent, the first act. The crowd was huge and boy it was HOT, weather wise and music wise! We caught about 40 minutes of the Homemade Jamz Band, one of the hottest new acts on the blues scene. Three siblings from the Perry family make up the band, Unbelievably Ryan (Gtr and vocals) is only 17, Kyle (bass, vocals) 15 and Taya on drums is only 10! She was only 7 when they started playing together! They hail from Tupelo Mississippi and say that blues is in their blood and they are doing what comes naturally! They played tunes from their first album `Pay me no mind' and their latest `I got blues for you' and drew a great response from the crowd. On the last number the boys came down into the crowd and strutted their stuff. You have to wonder what these guys will be like in 10 or 20 years!
Eddy `the Chief' Clearwater was next on stage. Eddy is a veteran of the Chicago blues scene and is known for his flamboyant stage act. Now that he's well in his 70's the performance is more laid back but still exciting. He played several songs from his most recent album `West Side Strut' like `Too old to get married' !Walkin' thro' the park' and I came up the hard way' and classics like `I just wanna make love'. There was some rock 'n roll in there and some slow blues, all in all a great mix!
Next up was Texas blues singer Diunna Greenleaf. I had heard a live concert last year on the radio so I knew she could deliver! My other favourite blues singer right now is Trudy Lynn who also hails from Houston. There must be something about the air there! Diunna has a similar gutsy gospel tinged style which really came through on her version of `If I had possession over judgment day'. Backed by her band `Blue Mercy' Duanna got the audience rockin' with the song .`The backdoor man' and other numbers from her `Cotton field to coffee house' album which we ended up buying afterwards! There was also a tribute to John Lee Hooker and a couple of powerful slow blues. These included one of my favourites `Mother earth' by Memphis Slim. Guitarist John Deltorro Richardson played some nice leads complementing Duanna's gutsy voice. Even the downpour that occurred halfway through the set, prompting everyone to get their umbrellas out, couldn't dampen the spirit of this great Texas blues belter! I'm sure we'll be hearing more of her!
Last to hit the stage was Michael `Iron man' Burks. Burks showed that he's not called `Iron man' for nothing! He has a powerful voice and great guitar tone. He plays with a quartet comprising Wayne Sharp on organ, Don Garrett on bass and Chuck `Popcorn' Louden on drums. Burks has been playing for many years but has become more recognized since signing with Alligator in 2001. Unlike many bluesmen he plays all original material. He performed material from last year's album `Iron man' and his earlier albums and even though most of the audience were unfamiliar with the tunes, many were up dancing and rockin! . .
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