Three days of great music...

[Chip_B]

Mrs. B and I spent the last three days in St. Pete in beautiful Vinoy Park listening to some outstanding music at the 10th Annual Tampa Bay Blues Festival. The music, the crowd, and the venue combined to make this the most pleasurable festival we've yet attended...and it helps that after all these years, I finally got to see Buddy Guy. It was more than worth the wait, as his entire performance was electrifying. According to the 'Buddy vets' sitting around me, he was really 'on'. There aren't many musicians that can tell a crowd of around 25,000 or so to 'shut up!' and get away with it; he was in an incredible groove his entire show. As he told the crowd, he "don't do no rehearsin'" and he and the band (Double Trouble was the rhythm section, Reese Winans on keys, and Jim Mathus of Squirrel Nut Zippers on rhythm/2nd lead guitar) essentially just jammed to whatever Buddy felt like playing...and that included a jaw--dropping version of Cream's 'Strange Brew' and bits and pieces of Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' and Hendrix' 'Voodoo Child'. Buddy may be getting on in years, but he's lost none of his vocal power or playing ability.

Bernard Allison flew in from Switzerland to play the show and was outstanding until equipment problems undermined 'The Walk'. His wireless kept cutting out as he strolled through the crowd. He recovered beautifully though and for his encore he played a medley of 70s Blues-rockers, including ZZ Top's 'La Grange' and Zeppelin's 'Kashmir'. Bernard's new bass player is simply phenomenal. I've never heard anyone that plays like him...he took a 2-3 minute solo that would have to be heard to be believed...going from extremely melodic to thunderous to funkified. The young man is gifted. After Bernard finished his set, I waited in line to get his autograph on a CD and had the pleasure of giving him some pictures of his father, Luther, that I had taken back in '96. It felt good to be able to give him something that I hope he finds meaningful.

We were really impressed with the local talent that played during the festival. Sean Chambers has been getting some noteriety of late, having toured England and Japan and getting nice write-ups in Guitar Player. I grabbed both his CDs and Ginny and I ran into him on our way out Sunday night and spent a few minutes talking with him. Anyway, he's an outstanding guitarist whose sound is definitely 70s vintage Blues-Rock and he put on an excellent show.

The Backtrack Blues Band was the other local act playing the festival. They opened on Sunday and laid down some smoldering bar-band Blues. The harp player/lead singer blew a mighty fine 'horn' and reminded me of why guys like this can play circles around an overrated putz like John Popper. I really liked these guys and look forward to catching them at one of the local Blues clubs soon.

Walter Trout played Thursday night and was a crowd favorite. I can't say that I liked him much. He plays everything the same way: endless speed runs up and down the neck--no dynamics and no tension. Definitely ain't my cuppa tea.

A very pregnant Susan Tedeschi closed Friday night and was in fine voice, though she struggled with equipment and she seemed to have a hard time getting into a groove. Ginny was feeling ill and so we left just a few songs into her set. A pity...we both like her quite a lot.

Bettye Levette, who played Saturday, was outstanding. She's been singing for 43 years and was a contemporary of Otis Redding and though she's got to be well into her sixties, she looks 20 years younger and sings her heart out. During one number, she sat on the front of the stage and sang so sadly that she had tears streaming down her cheeks.

Chris Duarte played Saturday as well and I loved his show. He's not your standard Blues-Rocker in that he plays things not normally heard at a Blues show. His rendition of 'Los Angeles' was 10 minute masterpiece of spacey, jazzy guitar and vocal. It was the polar opposite of his funkier stuff like 'Big Legged Woman', 'My Way Down', 'Cleopatra', and his encore number, 'Just Kissed My Baby'. He really tore those songs up, especially 'Cleopatra' and 'Just Kissed My Baby'.

Every year, we hear at least one band that's new to us that really knocks us out. This year is was Ronnie Baker Brooks, Lonnie Brooks' son. The guy was simply amazing...he never stopped smiling, played to the crowd as if everyone in the audience was in his backyard for a party, and generally played his arse off. Like Bernard, Ronnie's talent exceeds that of his legendary father; he's a superb guitarist, outstanding vocalist, and a real showman. His band was also superb (I could've watched the bass player all day; he rocked back and forth with his face all screwed up in a smile/scowl and kept his instrument way up on his chest so that he could thrust it forward in time with the music).

Other highlights: an outstanding set from harp great Charlie Musselwhite; a crowd-pleasing, rousing performance from Marcia Ball that had damned near everyone on the festival grounds dancing; a passionate and remarkable set from Carl Weathersby, who's been to hell and back over the last several years; fine, understated, and spot-on work from Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets; and some excellent stuff from Renee Austin.

Other than Trout, the only artist I didn't care for was the festival closer, Otis Clay. He was a little too slick and canned for my tastes.

The crowd was great. The drunks weren't as noticable (obnoxious) as they were when we attended Blues festivals in Maryland each year. The people around us were friendly, though the cigarette smoke was killing me: stogies going in front of me and a chain-smoker to my immediate left. In spite of a little discomfort, we met many really nice people. A biker approached me and handed me a flyer for an upcoming festival strictly because he saw me wearing a Jimmy Thackery t-shirt and loves Thackery: "Thackery ROCKS, man!" I was also approached by several Marylanders who noticed the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival t-shirt I wore the next day (there were numerous people in the audience wearing shirts from various CB fests), so it gave me a chance to reminisce about the acts I'd seen there. I also met the publisher of Blues Revue and the editor of the online version, Blues Wax. Both are really nice guys that are, of course, huge Blues fans.

I'll post a pic or two when I get them on CD.

I'm already looking forward to next year!

-Chip
(please excuse any typos. It's late, I'm tuckered out, and I don't feel like checkin' for errors)

[Davey]

Wow, sounds like a great time Chip. Tampa Bay is a beautiful place. My sister lives down in that area but I've only been there a couple times. She recently bought a beach condo in the Keys and invited me to come down and stay awhile. Pretty tempting. Must be great to have your wife so much into the same kind of music as you such that you can enjoy outings like that. You're a lucky guy

[Chip_B]

Wow, sounds like a great time Chip. Tampa Bay is a beautiful place. My sister lives down in that area but I've only been there a couple times. She recently bought a beach condo in the Keys and invited me to come down and stay awhile. Pretty tempting. Must be great to have your wife so much into the same kind of music as you such that you can enjoy outings like that. You're a lucky guy

It is indeed a great pleasure to be able to share great music experiences with my best friend. I absolutely never tire of her companionship.

And yes, we had an outstanding time.