Blues and BBQ at the Hudson River

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! . .

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

August 7th We headed off to the park early to get a seat for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. They are a young up and coming band who play retro rock and blues/rock led by Grace Potter who has a voice like Janis Joplin. She's only 26 and hails from Vermont, not the usual location for a soulful mama! Bonnie Raiit called her band `One of the most soulful bands around!' Potter also plays Hammond B3 organ and the flying V guitar but leaves the leads to the guitarists. The band came on stage and immediately had the audience rockin' They play all original material and it's high energy all the way! They are a five piece outfit with 2 guitarists mostly playing Gibson 335's and SG's. They played some pumpin' double leads which drew a big reaction. Catherine Popper the bass player playeed a Fender which probably weighed more than she did! She harmonised with Potter on some of the vocals and this gave the tunes a retro feel reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac. The drummer also had a style similar to Mick Fleetwood but heavier. They all had long hair and looked like a band from ther 60's or 70's as you'll see from the pic!

Larry Carlton

This was the first time I'd seen virtuoso guitarist Larry Carlton live although I've been a fan since his days with the Jazz Crusaders in the early 70's and loved his work on `The Royal Scam' album which I have on vinyl. When I saw him play I realised what I'd been missing all these years. I've heard plenty of his recordings but to hear him play live was just music heaven! I have seen many great guitarists from jazz, rock and blues play live including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Derek Trucks, George Benson, John Mclaughlin, Jeff Beck, Duke Robillard, Frank Zappa, Bob Brozman and many more but this was seriously the most outstanding performance out of all of them! To Larry and the trio it was just another regular gig but to me it was amazing music! Carlton is a 3 time Grammy award winner and has musical collaborations with jazz, rock and blues artists as well as writing film scores and TV themes but is probably best known for his jazz fusion style which is what an audience at the Blues Note expected to hear.


Carlton began with a couple of solo tunes which set the scene. One was called `Song for Katie' and was dedicated to his daughter. Next he brought his son Travis to the stage. Travis has been playing bass guitar with him for 5 years and at only 27 is already a monster in total command of his instrument! He played two outstanding solos during the set demonstrating his incredible technique but he could lay low when Larry was soloing laying down some solid grooves especially on the slow blues in C. Next he brought up the drummer, Gene Coye, also a young gun with formidable chops. On the last number he let it rip with a fantastic solo! The intensity of the music increased but then Carlton could bring it right back down again. He didn't announce many of the tunes and as he's recorded so many it was hard to remember what they all were. One was a haunting melody called `Sunrise' and then there was the groovy `Smiles and smiles to go'. there was also a great instrumental version of `Aja' originally recorded back in `76. Another tune sounded like `Cold duck time' but not quite. He uses a Gibson 335 for all numbers and gets a full clean sound and without having to play loud He was able to play powerful chord and leads in combination. There are many clones but only one Larry Carlton!

Hall & Oates

August 6th Tonight was a perfect night to go to Coney Island to see rock 'n soul duo Hall and Oates. These guys were huge in the 70's and 80's so it was a night of nostalgia. These concerts tend to draw an older crowd (like us!) and tonight the crowd was huge. We managed to get seats but people were standing about 10 deep as far back as the Boardwalk so perhaps there were 20,000 there. The audience want to hear all the old hits and that is mostly what they got. Hall & Oates had 6 no.1 hits and many more songs that made the charts. They hail from Philadelphia and their specialty is blues eyed soul or as they call it rock 'n soul! They had some great ballads too. Who could ever forget `She's gone?' They played one long set which began with their big hit `Maneater'.and worked their way through all their big hits like ``One on one' `Say it isn't so' `Family man' `Out of touch' and `Sara smile and ending with Kiss on my list' and `Private eyes'. They included some lesser known songs too. The audience loved all the old tunes and sang along especially with `Everybody's high on consolation' which was what they called `She's gone' . I've been checking out the Tavares version which is also great. The 8 piece band were very tight and Tom `T Bone' Wolk on guitar played some outstanding solos on an amplified acoustic guitar especially on `Its uncanny' a lesser known funky tune from their earlier period.


Sax player Charles deChant was also fantastic. He could sound like Maceo Parker but also get mellow with the soprano sax and flute. With Darryl Hall on amplified acoustic rhythm guitar for most of the set and John Oates also playing some great solos on electric guitar plus a band consisting of keyboards, drums. congas and bass, the band had a great groove. For the last few numbers Hall moved to the keyboard which gave an even fuller sound. These guys must be around 60 as they had their first hit back in 1976 and were recording long before that but they looked and sounded great even though some friends felt their voices had lost their edge. Their recordings always had high quality production and I felt that they managed to almost reproduce the smooth sounds of their records. Everyone loved these guys and even young people seemed to know all their songs!

Robert Cray and The Sweet Divines

Celebrate Brooklyn July 17th The first band were a Brooklyn funk/soul/doo wop band the Sweet Divines which turned out to be four young girls and a seven piece backing band who sounded like the Markeys. the band did a good job of warming up the audience. Their first number was Big train by Booker T and I'm sure there wouldn't have been many, if any in the audience who have that tune on vinyl as I do! There was a short break before Robert Cray came on and there was music playing over the PA system to set the mood. I was surprised and delighted when I heard a familiar guitar solo and realised it was `I'm leavin' you' by John Earl Walker! John had not given them any music so the guy must have bought it. It is John's best seller. John was getting a drink and hurried back to his seat. I had told the people sitting near me that it was him and they were all surprised and impressed and asked why wasn't he playing at the concerts?



Robert Cray hit the stage and hit the spot right away! He has a great voice and distinctive guitar style. He worked his way through many of his hits like `Smokin gun', `I guess I showed her' `Phone booth' and `~Right next door', and tunes from his soon to be released vinyl album. I especially liked `Love 2009' `That's what keeps me rockin' and ~Chicken in the kitchen'. His version of Elmore James's `12 year old boy' was awesome and got a huge audience response! He had four guitars on stage and while playing a guy would be tuning one and so after almost every number he changed guitars. A few numbers into the set the predicted thunderstorm hit! This just seemed to add to the atmosphere! Everyone came prepared. Ponchos were brought out and umbrellas went up! The VIP's moved back to their tent or under the stage awning. No one left. How could you? The music was unbelievable! The whole audience was mesmerised! People were dancing in the rain and calling out their appreciation of this great performer. Robert Cray and his band let their appreciation of the audience be known too. Jim Pugh on piano and organ played some great gospel grooves and drummer Tony Braunegal and bass man Richard Cousins provided a solid rhythm section. This was definately a night to remember!
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Naomi Shelton and Burning Spear

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens and .Burning Spear
Naomi Shelton grew up in Alabama and like most soul and gospel singers began singing in church at a young age. Later she moved to New York and got into the soul scene. She had club hits on the 41st St. Breakdown” and “Wind Your Clock Beginning with the familiar `Wade in the water' she went on to sing songs from her new album `What have you done my brother' out on Daptone Records I loved `I'll take the long road' and `Lift my burdens' but all the tunes were great. She has a deep rich voice. On some tunes one of the 3 gospel Queens took the lead. The group were backed by a local quartet some of which had performed with other bands at these concerts and have a Booker T and the MG's type of sound but also including Cliff Driver on organ and keyboard. Often the sound was reminiscent of early James Brown material.



Burning Spear is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist and black activist. His philosophy was influenced by Pan African advocate Marcus Garvey who was born in the same town in Jamaica as Spear as was Bob Marley. There is a huge Jamaican community in Brooklyn and they were out in force along with many other fans of Burning Spear. We saw Asians, Mexicans and young and old in the audience. This concert drew a bigger crowd than any others we've been to in the park. Backed by an 8 piece band which included 3 horns Burning Spear performed his most famous songs Africa, Marcus Garvey, Slavery days, Calling Rasiafari and African postman all of which drew a huge response from the crowd. Literally everyone was on their feet on the 1st number and didn't sit down again! Spear is great on the congas and did several long solos often dueting with the keyboard. The guitarist played some wild solos on some of the tunes.

Fiona Boyes

July 3Oth We headed off to Lower Manhattan to see Fiona Boyes perform at a lunchtime concert at the Financial Centre. Due to subway delays we only saw the second half. The audience seemed to enjoy hearing an Aussie woman sing the blues. She charmed everyone with a mix of originals and old blues classic performed in her fingerpickin' style and as usual had some inteesting anecdotes to relate!! Fiona is doing very well with her new CD `Blues woman' which is high in the Blues & Roots chart. We are also happy that John Earl's `Live in Germany' CD has crept in there and is selling very well. Afterwards we hung out for a while wih Fiona, her mother Margaret from Melbourne and David Spellman from the New York Guitar Festival before going to grab pizza for a late lunch!

The Holmes brothers, Buckwheat Zydeco

July 24th The Holmes Brothers and Buckwheat Zydeco at Prospect Park.
I saw the Holmes Brothers in Adelaide two years ago and thought they were great. They are a trio who sing amazing harmonies and their repertoire includes some great gospel, country, blues and R & B tunes. Brothers Sherman on bass and Wendell on guitar and keyboards and Popsy Dixon on drums make up the trio .They did a great job of warming up the audience for Buckwheat Zydeco with tunes like `He'll have to go' `Big boss man' `I want you to want me' `Glory glory' and `Gasoline drawers
.Entertainment Weekly says, “The Holmes Brothers are juke-joint vets with a brazenly borderless view of American music.” Their chilling harmonies resonate with a passion and conviction matched only by their inspired musicianship and their ability to perform sanctified gospel, low-down roadhouse blues, deep soul, Americana/country and pure pop—all in one set...'
It was the first Zydeco band I've ever seen live and now I want more! Buckwheat was incredible. He was backed by a six piece band with two hot guitar players, bass, drums, organ/washboard and trumpet. They worked their way through some well known and lesser known tunes, some originals including the title track from their new album `Lay your burden down' and some covers like `Walkin' to New Orleans' and `Hey good lookin'. They finished with `Peace love and happiness' and had the whole audience joining in and yelling for more but they had played for over one and a half hours so there were no encores. This band really made the audience feel good and this is why they are in huge demand for festivals and concerts. The sky turned cloudy and there was lightning during the concert but thankfully this time no rain!

Woodstock 40th anniversay concert

July 16th Tonight's concert at Coney island was a celebration. It's been 40 years since Woodstock. They are bringing out a movie about it soon, John Earl was actually there soakng up ther music at age 18! In fact his band Creedmore State were scheduled to play the Powder Ridge Festival in 1970 which was predicted to be as big as Woodstock but cancelled at the eleventh hour! The problem is that many of the 32 performers and bands who appeared there are no longer with us or no longer performing. The audience was mostly people in their 50's and 60's who love nostalgia.This concert featured three bands who appeared on the Saturday but were not in the movie, John Sebastian, Mountain ans Creedence Clearwater Revival.The first artist was John Sebastian who is very popular as he hails from Greenwich Village. He's now 65 and his voice has lost its tone but the audience loved hearing hits like `Daydream, `Welcome back' `You did't have to be so nice' `Did you ever have to make up your mind' and `Do you believe itn magic' and he rounded it of with some nice harp.
Next were `Mountain' who mst be the loudest and heaviest band in the world! They are a power trio reminiscent of Cream but with less blues influenece. Corky Laing is a great drummer with a style similar to Ginger Baker. Guitarist Leslie West is a master of distortion and plays with many musical references in his tunes. Most memorable were their big hit `Mississipi Queen' and `Blowin' in the wind'.
Last was CCR. Singer/guitarist/songwriter John Fogerty left the band some years ago so this was a recreation with original members Stu Cook and Doug Cosmo Clifford on bass and drums and featuring John Tristao on vocals guitar and harp. They sounded authentic and pounded through their many hits beginning with Born on the Bayou and working through Susie Q, Proud Mary and many more.

Dr Lonnie Smith

Dr Lonnie Smith and his Trio at Smoke, NYC on July 3rd. This was the second year that I saw Dr Lonnie play on his birthday. You never know quite what you'll get with Dr Lonnie. This trio are very relaxed and comfortable playing together. Guitarist Peter Bernstein. and drummer Bill Stewart laid down some tight rhythms and Dr Lonnie worked his way through a great mix of tunes, many from his N'Orleans CD like `Your mother's got a complex' and `Backtrack' and `Freedom jazz dance'. Have to use last years pic as this years didn't come out well.

We actually went to see Dr lonnie again in September this time with dave Stryker on guitar so here's a pic from that night!

Monterey Blues Festival 09

June 27th I've been to the Monterey Jazz festival but never to the Blues Festival which is held in the same venue in late June. Today was perfect weather and all the music I saw was fantastic!.There were so many great bands playing many of which I'd never heard of. The highlight for me was the evening in the main arena with Trudy Lynn, Lucky Peterson and Clarence Carter but I also really enjoyed Terry Hanck, Elvin Bishop, Leah Tysse and the OG's and Janiva Magness who all appeared there on the Saturday.
Terry Hanck was appearing with his three piece band on the President's Stage. Former Elvin Bishop Band member Terry Hanck is a very talented vocalist and sax player. He played a great set and had much of the audience up dancing. Elvin Bishop joined in on a number or two. Singer Tracey Nelson says `Terry Hanck is the funkiest, sexiest, most prolific and talented singer/songwriter/musician on the earth. He has to be Jr. Walker's bastard child!"





Leah Tysse from Oakland, California has been building a solid reputation in the Bay area.. In 2007, Tysse won the Billboard World Song Contest's Award for "Best Blues/R&B Song"; Last December, she and her band took first place in the Monterey Blues Festival's Battle of the Bands..
Tysse's strong gutsy voice has been compared to Susan Tedeschii and Joss Stone. Backed by a powerful band with funky horns, she sang a mixture of blues and soul and got a great response from the audience. Definitely a name to look out for!



Blues/rock slide guitarist Elvin Bishop was next on the President's Stage. I first saw Elvin in London in 1967 playing with Mike Bloomfield in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band but had never seen him since he went solo. He's well in his 60's now and has been playing for 45 years or so. He knows how to work an audience. He began with `That's my thing' and kept the excitement going through the set. Bishop's style has been described by Rolling Stone as "careening slide and razor-edged bursts, all delivered with unflagging enthusiasm and wit." On the last number he came out into the audiecne and played a killer slow blues!





I missed part of his set as I went to check out R and B singer Jeffrey Osborne in the main arena but quickly decided that Elvin was more my bag!

Next in the main arena was Trudy Lynn a powerful soul/blues singer from Houston. Trudy has had a long career beginning in the late 60's when she opened for Ike and Tina Turner and other soul and R & B acts appearing in Houston. In the eighties she began recording under her own name for the Ichiban label. ."I'm not so much a blues singer; I'm a soul-blues singer," she says. "Now I can do tradition. I can do all types. I can even do country, you know. But my first thing is really soul - kind of soul and blues mixed together." Many of her songs are originals telling heartfelt stories of cheatin' men and love affairs gone wrong and she sings them with great conviction getting the audience on her side and responding accordingly. She sang tunes from her most recent album `Blues singing woman' and some blues/soul standards like `Your good thing is about to end'. With only a four piece band backing her she still had a powerful sound and stage presence. A festival highlight for me!




I felt sorry for any artist following Trudy Lynn but I needn't have! Lucky Peterson is dynamite on stage! I've been a fan of his for many years and have many of his recordings but had never seen him live. He began with a high powered organ instrumental featuring a horn section and then got into some strong vocals in the soul/blues tradition. His wife Tamara joined him on a few numbers and then he picked up his guitar and the whole place went crazy! Somehow he got down from that high stage and came in among the audience starting off with `The sky is cryin' and then going into a more up tempo blues/rock number. He left the audience wanting more but the festival keeps to a tight schedule so the stage had to be prepared for the next act.



I slipped off to The Presidents' Stage to see Janiva Magness who won entertainer of the year at the 2009 Blues Music Awards in Memphis as well as Best Contemporary Female Artist. Backed by a four piece band she sang a mixture of standards and tunes from her new album `What Love will do' and did a special tribute to Koko Taylor who was obviously a big influence and inspiration to her. She told how on the day Koko passed it was a rare rainy overcast day in LA with severe thunderstorms!





Back in the main arena Clarence Carter, the great soul singer, now in his 70's rounded off the night with smooth renditions of hit many hits such as Patches, Strokin' and Doing our thing. I had to leave before the end of the set to cath Janiva Magness on another stage.


On Sunday I saw Barbara Morrison in the main arena. I've seen Barbara before in the US and back home in Australia. She's been around forever but still has a great voice. She had a small backing group instead of the bigger bands I'm accustomed to hearing her with. The bass player was very funky and the guitarist very tasteful. Barbara went through her usual repertoire of jazz and blues and the audience responded enthusiastically!



Rene Solis and Lucky 13 were new to me. Rene is a guitarist based in San Francisco. The band were tight and soulful and played some great funky blues.



Denise LaSalle is a similar vintage to Barbara Morrison. In fact both celebrate their three score and ten this year. Denise is known as the Queen of Soul/Blues and is also a well respected songwriter She performed with a horn section and worked her way through many of her famous tune sincluding `Slippin' in `Trapped by a thing called love' `Down home blues' and `My toot toot'.




Kenny Neal who was awared Blues song of the year for `Let life flow' delivered his brand of Louisiana blues to a responsive audience playing some original tunes and blues standards. He plays a mean guitar and his bnd had a funky feel with both keyboard and organ. He's also a strong harp player and swtiched to his `Mississipi saxaphone' on a few numbers. Thinking about it it was the only harp I heard all week-end!


The Neville Brothers rounded of the evening. They started off with a funky instrumental `Cissy fish' and worked their way through some well known tunes like `Tipitina' `Fiyo on the Bayou' and `Fever'. Their big hits featuring Aaron Neville like `Tell it like it is' and `Yellow moon' got a big response. `Yellow moon featured a funky guitar duel from Japanese guitarist Makuni Fukuda and the sax of Charle s Neville. `A change is gonna come' sounded great with Aaaron's unmistakable falsetto and was dedicated to Michael Jackson. His voice sounded beter than ever. I love Cyril Nevilles work especially his new album so my favourite from the set was `Blues for New Orleans' .They ended with `Amazing grace' leading into Bob Marley's `One love' which had most of the audience on their feet joining in. It was a memorable ending to a great festival!