Your Complete Guide to the Chicago Blues Scene
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Your Complete Guide to the Chicago Blues Scene |
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CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL 2013
June 6 - 9
Grant Park, Chicago, IL
By Linda Cain
Photos: Jennifer Noble and Dianne Bruce Dunklau
(except where noted)
To see more photos of the fest, visit our
Facebook page
The 30th Annual Chicago Blues Fest had a few welcome
surprises up its sleeve this year. A free evening concert to kick off
the fest on Thursday, June 9 was held in Millennium Park at the
beautiful new Pritzker Pavilion starring
Shemekia Copeland with
Quinn Sullivan, Jamiah on
Fire & The Red Machine and
Fernando Jones’ Blues Kids of America.
The other surprise was the relocation of the Crossroads Stage which was
traditionally located at the far east end of Jackson Drive. This year
the stage was set up directly south of Jackson in a shady grove of
trees, closer to Buckingham Fountain and in line with the Mississippi
stage.
The move, no doubt, was prompted by last year’s heat wave. We recall
seeing Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials and Joe Louis Walker play late
afternoon sets when the sun was high in the West and blazing directly on
them, frying them as they played their hearts out to thousands of
roasting fans in 90 degree heat. Chicago doesn’t usually get this type
of heat in early June, but with climate change it could be a sign of the
future.
Many blues fans loved the new tree-lined location and parked their
blankets near it for most of the fest. Others felt it was too chilly for
them in the perpetual shade to stay for long. One problem with the stage
located under a canopy of trees is the lighting. The stage backdrop was
an opaque scrim which allowed light from the east off the lake to
backlight the performers. The only thing the audience could see was the
dark silhouettes of the musicians. You would never have seen singer Mike
Avery’s good looks and purple shirt unless you walked right up to the
stage. The photographers found this stage a challenge to shoot.
The problem could easily be
solved next year by installing some stage lighting and using a solid
backdrop.
And the third welcome surprise was the weather. Although storms were
predicted for nearly the entire weekend, there wasn’t a drop of rain in
Grant Park. The weather was pleasant and mild, neither too hot nor too
cold. You only needed a light jacket at night.
The theme of this year’s fest was “Rollin’ Up The River” with acts that
celebrated the journey of the blues as it traveled up the mighty
Mississippi, north to Chicago. The music on the Petrillo stage at night
reflected the voyage, with stops in Louisiana, Mississippi and Memphis,
TN.
Friday,
June 7 – Petrillo Stage
Earnest “Guitar” Roy
Earnest “Guitar” Roy
brought with him all the flavors of the blues – from rural Delta to
Mississippi juke joint, Memphis and Chicago styles. Earnest hails from
Clarksdale, MS and was mentored by Albert King.
The audience appreciated and applauded his skilled guitar playing
and personable stage presence. His band included an organ player who
added some nice spice to Earnest’s tasty gumbo of blues.
Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas,
a.k.a. The Soul Queen of New Orleans, showed us why she is still the
regal lady of Louisiana with a smooth set of R&B, soul, blues, funk,
Mardi Gras music and heartfelt
ballads. The golden-voiced singer of hits like “Time Is On My Side”
(which she did not perform) was backed by a sizzling band that included
congas, two horns (trumpet and sax), guitar, keyboard, bass and drums.
She opened with a couple romantic ballads “I Want To Hold You To Your
Promise” and “For The Rest of My Life.”
The upbeat, hip-shakin’ rhythms of “You Want Love, You Gotta Bring It
With You” with its incessant funky beat got everyone in a dancing mood.
Irma got down with the blues and belted out “You Can Have My Husband”
and gave “Down Home Blues” a sexy touch. “I’m A Hip Shakin’ Mama” was a
vaudeville era blues song, that featured a 1920s style trumpet solo.
The crowd really dug her blues set which segued into a New Orleans
party. As soon as the audience heard those irresistible second line
rhythms, Irma didn’t even have to tell them to raise their hankies, as
they were already waving white napkins in the air. The band played
a medley of “Iko Iko” and “Hey
Pockey Way”. Soon the crowd was a sea of white napkins as folks sang and
boogied along to the beat.
Then it was time for slow dancing as Irma sang her signature soul ballad
“It’s Raining” as the horn section’s notes cascaded like rain drops. Her
majestic voice, packed with emotion, rang out across Grant Park. Irma
crooned two more classic R&B songs released on 45s: “I Can’t Break
Away,” and “Let It Be Me.” Her voice soared on the dramatic ending and
the fans gave her a standing ovation.
The band treated us to a funky dance number before Irma left the stage
as the fans cheered for more. She returned, holding hands with her hubby
Emil Johnson. The singer dedicated her encore to her loyal fans who
supported her through the decades. Bob Dylan’s somewhat sappy ballad
“Forever Young” started slowly
but built to a crescendo as Irma topped it off with a wail and sent the
last notes sailing into the night.
Bobby Rush
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and supreme showman,
Bobby Rush hails from
Louisiana and Mississippi, but spent some time living in Chicago. He’s
back down in Mississippi now. When it comes to performing, Bobby Rush
wears two hats.
We have seen the serious bluesman side of Rush, where he sits
down on a stool to play guitar and blow harp on some authentic Delta
blues. We also have seen the other Bobby Rush, who is a bawdy chitlin’
circuit soul-blues man extraordinaire. Which
Bobby would it be tonight, we wondered? Or would he serve up a little of
both?
You knew what was coming as soon as he hit the stage, followed by two
flamboyant, big booty women. Dressed
in a white spangled suit, Rush commanded the stage from the first note,
backed by his super polished band, which consisted of four guitarists,
keyboards, bass and drums.
He kicked off with the funk of
“So Fine” as the ladies jiggled all of the junk in their considerable
trunks. No doubt the photographers needed to switch to wide angle lenses
to take it all in. Howlin’
Wolf’s “Evil” was next, done up in a funky soul style.
The well-endowed ladies, Miss Lovely and Miss Keela, would exit the
stage after a song or two, only to return wearing incredulously tighter,
flashier outfits. They were
a very visible and fun part of the act but even their wiggling
derrieres, that shook like Jello, couldn’t detract from the charismatic
star of the show. Rush’s energy and talent belies his senior status.
Rush randomly blew his harmonica when the feeling moved him. At one
point he stopped the band to blow harp a cappella, which was nice
moment. After the band kicked in
with a song that resembled “Down Home Blues,” but with different lyrics,
Rush felt compelled to tell us about his big bootied 319 pound lady back
home. He displayed two
pairs of undies the size of a small tent to illustrate her girth. (You
had to be there).
It was all about music after that, as Rush and the band got folks
dancing to a fast and funky tune, followed by a slow blues ballad
featuring a heartfelt harp solo. He and the band moved through a medley
of familiar blues tunes, but the lyrics often strayed from the original.
Rush put his own manly spin on Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie Coochie
Man” with its stop time rhythms, belting out the lyrics in his deep,
powerful voice. He clearly
enjoyed singing the salacious double entendre song “Catfish Fishing.”
He introduced “I’ve Got A Problem” as a song about his wife and two
girlfriends. Sounds like
he’s got at least three problems!
Rush closed with another problem song – the catchy danceable
tune, “Short Money,” about financial woes.
Saturday,
June 8 – Petrillo Stage
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Ronnie Baker Brooks
is no stranger to the Blue Fest Petrillo Stage. He has backed up his
iconic dad, Lonnie Brooks on several occasions. Like his father,
talented Ronnie is a triple threat: singer/songwriter/guitarist. And add
to that: outstanding showman and bandleader.
This was Ronnie’s debut as a headliner on the big stage and he was out
to make an impression. RBB and his powerful rhythm section (Carlton
Armstrong and C.J. Tucker)
wasted no time in whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Father
Lonnie and brother
Wayne sat on chairs in the
wings taking in Ronnie’s outstanding performance, smiling huge grins and
rockin’ to the beat. Even a couple of Chicago cops couldn’t help but
stop and watch some of Ronnie’s show, nodding in approval.
Ronnie’s version of “I Just Wanna Make Love To You” included getting the
crowd to sing along; they cheered his impersonations of John Lee Hooker
and Howlin’ Wolf. The power trio kicked into high gear to close the song
and the crowd went nuts, giving them a standing ovation.
Ronnie introduced his original song about romance gone wrong, “Stuck on
Stupid,” and the fans hung onto his every word. The skilled guitarist
played a monstrous solo that continued to build and build; as he
approached the front of the stage, the fans screamed in delight.
“I love you Chicago,” Ronnie thanked them, as he launched into the
catchy original “Take Me Witcha,” that had the audience dancing and
singing along.
Ronnie called his Dad on stage to help take us back to Chicago Fest
1980, when the Lonnie Brooks Band played their indelible, revved up
version of “Sweet Home Chicago.”
Lonnie stood by the front of the stage, getting the fans to sing along
to this shorter version of the song, and then waved and left, leaving
the finale to his son. Ronnie finished it up with a John Lee Hooker
style boogie as the fans cheered for more.
Otis Clay and the Platinum Band featuring Uvee Hayes
Now it was time for the Memphis portion of Saturday night’s show to
begin.
Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke, Isaac Hayes, James Brown,
Johnnie Taylor, Tyrone Davis… the list goes on, of the master soul
singers who have left us.
Thankfully Otis Clay is still here; he’s one of the greats, an American
treasure, who is celebrating his 52nd year in the music business and
still going strong. At age
70, he’s in fine shape both physically and vocally.
Not only does Otis move vigorously on stage, but he can really
work out vocally, too. Otis possesses that rare, emotion-packed voice
can move you to tears or leave you grinning.
Known for his gritty, powerful and gospel-infused vocals -- not to
mention charisma and showmanship -- in both sacred and secular fields of
music, Clay brought Memphis soul, Chicago R&B and contemporary gospel to
the Blues Fest stage.
The soul man was backed by his versatile, fine and funky band -- drums,
bass, guitar, keyboards, grand piano, four-piece horn section and his
three elegant female backup singers. Clay’s club shows are usually long
marathons, but since he had a special guest he didn’t put on his usual
lengthy show.
Clay opened his set with several smooth romantic soul songs. His band’s
arrangements sounded lush and silky and the ladies’ voices soared behind
him. Then it was time for some gritty Memphis gospel soul with Clay’s
Grammy nominated cover of “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.”
It was back to danceable, Memphis R&B with the classic “Nickel and a
Nail” which featured an otherworldly guitar solo from Hollywood Scott,
on his B&W polka dot Fender, as Otis and the band danced in unison.
Otis reminisced about meeting Ronnie Baker Brooks when he was born; he
also gave props to his departed soul brothers Tyrone Davis and Artie
“Blues Boy” White.
Clay introduced his special guest from St. Louis, MO,
Miss Uvee Hayes. They
clearly had a great time as they sang a duet, “Steal Away To Hide Away,”
a song they recorded together from Euvee’s
True Confessions CD from
2011.
Clay left the stage for Euvee, who commanded the crowd with her feisty
moves and powerful, beautiful voice. Even Billy Boy Arnold was heard to
remark: “She’s great!” Euvee performed a couple soul songs that got the
crowd cheering.
Clay returned to take us back to
Memphis with a medley that ended with “Respect Yourself,” the Staple
Singers’ hit. The master
showman finished the song and the show by suddenly stopping and holding
still, like a frozen statue, for quite some time while the audience
hooted.
The Memphis Soul Revue
starring The Bar-Kays with
special guests Eddie Floyd
and Sir Mack Rice
The Bar-Kays wasted no time in bringing out the legendary songwriter and
performer Sir Mack Rice who
got the audience moving with a couple numbers, including his most famous
song “Mustang Sally.” Naturally his version sounded nothing like the
many bar bands you’ve heard covering this done-to-death hit.
For his final number, Sir Mack got the audience singing along for
“634-5789” as the Bar-Kays thumped the Memphis beat.
Eddie Floyd charged onto the stage and took command as
he belted out “Knock On Wood,” with its famous horn intro and bouncy
beat. Floyd got the crowd into clapping and singing along.
It was about then that we
scanned the stage looking for the horn section, only to realize that
there was none! Nevertheless,
the keyboard player managed to duplicate the horn parts on synthesizer
well enough to not detract from the songs.
Floyd exited as quickly as he entered. And the Bar-Kays began their own
set, kicked off by a funky bass solo. A male singer entered, and threw
out a flame, so you knew it was going to be a hot show!
The band hit us with the funk of “Sex-o-matic” that got booties
shakin’. It was a hit that no doubt influenced early Prince & the New
Power Generation; Morris Day & The Time certainly copped dance moves
from these cats.
It was hard to see the entire lineup, since the Petrillo set up blocked
the view of patrons on the left side of the stage with an ill-placed
stack of speakers. But it appeared that The Bar-Kay band consisted of
bass, guitar, drums, keyboards and two male backup singers.
The band moved back in time to the ‘60s for Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m
Coming,” and “Soul Man.”
The Bar-Kays then performed their own hit from 1966, “Soul Finger,”
which seemed a shame to be played without the trademark power horn
section.
Nevertheless this was a dance party to remember!
A stepper’s song, “Do What The Old Folks Do,” was a nostalgic treat for
Chicagoans especially since it was a #1 hit here.
Larry Dodson came out to pay tribute to Otis Redding
with “Can’t Turn You Loose.” He tore up the stage with his Otis like
moves and soul singing power.
The first singer, James Alexander,
returned to sing Otis’ cover of the Stones’ “Satisfaction.” Then Dodson
came back for “I’ve Been Lovin’ You A Little Too Long” as he dropped to
his knees and put his whole body into this torch song.
The Bar-Kays went back to the music that inspired Morris Day with
the synth-funk of “Freak Show”.
Larry Dodson played a bit of Sly and the Family Stone on guitar, as the
band sang a couple “boom chaka lockas” before taking a bow and exiting.
The crowd screamed for more and the band returned for its lush finale of
the movie classic “Son of Shaft”.
Sunday,
June 9 – Petrillo Stage
Shirley Johnson
Shirley Johnson
has been a fixture on the Chicago blues scene since she moved here in
1983 from Virginia, where she grew up singing gospel music.
She came here to sing the blues
and has enjoyed a long running residency at Blue Chicago.
She has recorded two successful CDs for Delmark Records,
Killer Diller and
Blues Attack.
Shirley possesses a singular, smoky, versatile and expressive voice that
can project the pain and sorrow of sad blues songs or she can be feisty
as heck and tell off that no good man in song.
Although we have seen Shirley
many times over the years, we were sidetracked and didn’t get to over to
the Petrillo Stage to catch much of her show. By the time we got to the
Petrillo stage, Shirley had the crowd spell bound as she belted out her
finale of Ray Charles’
“Unchain My Heart,” giving
it her own gospel infused flavor.
Jimmy Johnson Band
It is almost impossible to believe that
Jimmy Johnson is 84 years
old. His emotion-packed high tenor voice still soars and his jazzy,
note-scaling string bending is as nimble as ever. His appearance was
part of the fest’s tribute to Delmark Records, although the artist has
been on a number of labels over the years.
The veteran blues and soul artist (brother to Syl Johnson) was
backed by an impressive five-piece band that included keyboardist
Roosevelt Purifoy and guitarist Mike Wheeler.
Jimmy opened with “Born Under A Bad Sign,” giving his own touch to the
Albert King classic. For “Reconsider Me” he instructed Mike Wheeler to
solo, and the guitarist (also a Delmark artist) obliged, to cheers.
After each song, Jimmy cleverly stroked his guitar to make it sound like
it was saying, “Thank you, thank you!”
“You wanna hear some real blues or what?” he asked the crowd, which
roared its approval. He played Albert Collins’
“Cold Cold Feeling” with great expression and sang with sorrowful
emotion. Both Jimmy and
Mike Wheeler delivered intense solos.
The blues elder changed the mood to an uptempo original with a
reggae/calypso feel that got people dancing. Then it was back to the
downhearted blues with his plaintive version of Fenton Robinson’s “You
Don’t Know What Love Is” featuring Roosevelt’s keyboard styling.
The band closed with Junior Wells’ “Little By Little” done up
Johnson style.
Chicago Blues: Old School, New Millennium
James Cotton, John Primer, Billy Branch, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater,
Lil’ Ed Williams, Deitra Farr, Demetria Taylor, Matt Skoller, Billy
Flynn, Johnny Iguana, Felton Crews, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
The last act on the big stage for the final night of Blues Fest was a
true feast for blues fans, starring hometown heroes of different
generations performing real deal Chicago style blues.
The backup band featured some of Chicago’s most stellar sidemen: Billy
Flynn (guitar), Johnny Iguana (keyboards), Felton Crews (bass), Kenny “Beedy
Eyes” Smith (drums), and emcee/ harp blower extraordinaire Matt Skoller.
Do a search for any of these cats and their collective resumes
are enough to fill a blues history book. The band played a short
instrumental and then brought out a young daughter of the blues.
Demetria Taylor,
daughter of the late blues guitar great Eddie Taylor, prowled, growled
and belted out “I Smell Trouble,” in much the way her mentor Koko Taylor
taught her. The feisty blues woman covered her dad’s signature tune,
“Bad Boy”, but she changed it to “Bad Girl,” and had us believing that
she was, indeed, a bit naughty.
Next up, Lil’ Ed stormed out
on stage ripping off some killer slide guitar riffs and getting the
boogie started with his West Side version of Ray Charles’ “Do The Mess
Around.” Ed moved about the stage and mugged for the cameras. The
fezz-hatted guitarist then slipped into some slow blues for “Things Are
So Slow,” from one of his recent Alligator CDs, a song about
unemployment and the economy that rings true to these times. Ed Williams
spun off some face melting solos on this one that got the fans cheering.
Eddy
“The Chief” Clearwater, looking resplendent in a colorful outfit,
roared out his tell-off song, “Damn Good Leavin’ Alone,” as the crowd
applauded. His playful
Chuck Berry styled song “Too Old To Get Married, Too Young To Be
Buried,” got the audience moving and smiling along to the good humored
lyrics. Johnny Iguana
handily fit right into the Johnnie Johnson role on piano, as Eddy rocked
out on guitar.
Up in the air above the crowd, a candle-lit Japanese lantern flew
dreamily in the evening sky. It was, perhaps, a good omen to keep the
rain away.
Songstress Deitra Farr
pulled out a variety of vocal styles from her bag of music.
First she caressed a smooth,
soulful love song, with her smoky flavored, passionate pipes that
quickly won over the crowd. She closed with the deep blues of “Black
Night” that truly aimed straight for the heart, as she sang from the
depths of her soul. Deitra called on friends Skoller and Flynn to solo
on harp and guitar which added a special touch to the song.
Blues harp hero Billy Branch
paid tribute to Junior Wells with “Hoodoo Man Blues” and also Little
Walter for his sizzling, but brief, set featuring plenty of instrumental
segments and jumpin’ solos from
his skilled bandmates.
Matt Skoller dedicated the show to the recently departed blues giant
Magic Slim as he introduced John
Primer, Slim’s former guitarist.
Primer also served as sideman to Muddy Waters and he opened his
set with some stinging, Muddy style notes, as Skoller wailed away on
harp. Now the stage was set for the next star, another former Muddy
bandmate, the one and only James
Cotton.
Mr. Superharp strolled out on stage, blowing harp as he moved to take
his chair, front and center. He was flanked by Primer, who was joined on
guitar by Cotton’s ace guitarist
Tom Holland. As Cotton
no longer sings, Primer took on vocal duties for “It’s Hard Sometimes,”
and “James Cotton Was There” (a
biographical song from the namesake’s new Alligator CD
Cottonmouth Man).
Cotton blew a seemingly breathless solo, to cheers from the fans, as the
photographers crowded to the foot of the stage to shoot this harmonica
legend who is still going strong at age 78.
The band moved into a lively instrumental blues boogie jam, as
Matt Skoller moved about the stage to organize the finale.
One by one, the Chicago blues stars came back out on stage: Deitra,
Demetria, Lil’ Ed, Billy Branch and Eddy “The Chief”. They surrounded
James Cotton for the last number, Muddy Waters’ “The Blues Had A Baby
(And They Named The Baby Rock and Roll).”
Cotton played his indelible harmonica riff that he recorded and played
so often with Muddy, as the artists took turns singing a verse, all
looking fondly and nodding at James as they belted it out. Cotton
signaled the band and they quieted, as he let loose one of his squealing
, reed ripping solos to close out the night.
Yes , the blues rolled up the river and landed in the Windy City --
where it became the shot heard round the world -- influencing early
rock’n’roll, the British Invasion on up to today’s rap and hip hop.
Chicago Blues Fest 2013 couldn’t have enjoyed a better finale than this!
Daytime Fest Highlights
Windy City Blues Society Stage
Tweed Funk/ Band Challenge
The WCBS street stage, for the fourth year in a row, hosted a slew of
outstanding acts for the three-day long weekend.
Sam Lay with Bob Riedy and Bob
Corritore, Smiley Tillmon Band with Billy Flynn & Special Guests, Harry
Garner’s Baker’s Dozen Harp Blowout, Shake ‘Em On Down, Kevin Purcell &
the Nightburners and many other top acts performed.
At any given time, the small stage (under a modest tent at street level
on Columbus Drive) was surrounded by huge crowds, including a bevy of
blues dancing couples who hoofed it over to whatever act seemed to be
playing the hottest dance music.
The collective of about two dozen young folks danced by the WCBS
stage frequently, a hearty endorsement indeed.
The dancers were by another stage for
Tweed Funk’s performance
later on Sunday and we were able to get a great spot to catch this
exciting six-piece blues band from Wisconsin, featuring guitar, sax,
trumpet, bass and drums. Fronted by soulful blues singer Joseph “Smokey”
Holman, who won a WAMI this year for Best Male Vocalist, the band played
their own horn-fueled versions of classics like “Knock On Wood” and
originals like “My Baby’s Fine Like The Finest Wine”.
Originally from Chicago, Smokey had friends and family in the
crowd, and he made a point to leave the tent to shake hands and exchange
hugs with them and random audience members all while singing and not
missing a beat. Tweed Funk carefully blended soul, blues and R&B with a
touch of jazz on the solos from the horn men and the bass player, while
guitarist/ bandleader JD Optekar played tasteful blues licks or
rollicking rhythms.
On Sunday June 9, five bands competed before judges for Round 1 of the
Blues Band Challenge contest. The winner was
Ryan Mumby & The 100 Year Rain
from Glen Ellyn. The Marty
“Big Dog” Mercer Band came in a close second.
The band competition will continue through the end of the year
with the winner earning a trip to Memphis to compete in the
International Blues Challenge in winter 2014.
Blues Women
Grana’ Louise
Sunday, Crossroads Stage
As we approached the relocated Crossroads stage on Sunday,
we saw the gang of blues dancers
lined up in the walkway doing their thing to the real deal blues sounds
of the mighty Grana’ Louise
and her band Troublemaker.
Thankfully there was plenty of room by this stage.
Chicago blues club veteran Grana’ stomped across the stage in her bare
feet, belting out “Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” followed by
The Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightnin’”
on which she growled and howled,
prompting some in the crowd to howl back.
Backed by a four-piece band that included outstanding guitar greats
Tom Holland and
Carlos Showers, whose solos
drew cheers throughout the set, Grana’ launched into her updated version
of the classic “Stagger Lee”. Her dramatic body language and vocal
finesse absolutely brought the old song to life and drew the audience
into this murderous saga. Grana’s background in acting was put to good
use throughout her set.
Grana’ Louise loves to sing
story songs and whatever tale she tells in song, you believe her!
Her clever covers of Denise
LaSalle’s “Learning How To Cheat On You,” and Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson’s
“Back Door” had the fans riveted and laughing.
Grana’ spoke of the encouragement she received from her late friend Koko
Taylor and proceeded to blow everyone away with her version on “I’m A
Woman,” on which she both purred and shouted Koko’s signature tune. The
Queen of the Blues would have been delighted.
Holle Thee Maxwell
Saturday, Front Porch Stage
Holle Thee Maxwell’s biography and career could fill a book, but she is
best known for singing with Ike Turner after Tina left. Fans by the
Front Porch stage on Saturday had to wait patiently for the diva Holle
to make her appearance. Thankfully, we were treated to a 20-minute warm
up set by an excellent six-piece band led by guitarist
Maurice John Vaughn.
Keyboardist Bruce Thompson
delighted the fans by singing
“Ain’t No Sunshine.” Vaughn’s
original “Everything I Do, It Got To Be Funky had the crowd dancing.
Holle made her entrance while clapping and dancing as her outsized
personality instantly won the fans over.
She belted a jazzy, New Orleans version of Muddy’s “I’m Ready,”
featuring trombone player
B.J. Emory.
She donned a huge white flower in her hair for her Billie Holiday
tribute on “God Bless The
Child.” Her smooth step
dancing number, “Only When Your Lonely,” had Holle giving dance lessons.
Holle’s blues songs were the crowd’s favorites and they really loved her
take on “Evil Gal Blues” from the 1920s as she nastily belted out her
intentions to do the men wrong. She closed with a unique version of
“Sweet Home Chicago” on which she sounded sultry and beckoning; she also
employed a bit of vocal scatting and changed the lyrics to suit her
style.
Vickie Baker
Sunday, Mississippi Juke Joint Stage
From gospel to soul to down and dirty R&B and blues, this Louisiana/
Mississippi gal has been singing and entertaining for most of her life.
Backed by three female singers – all family members who provided soaring
harmonies -- and a four-piece band that included her brother on
keyboards, Vickie treated the crowd to a nice variety of music. From
double entendre old school soul with advice for the ladies (“drop that
zero, get yourself a hero”) to a “nasty blues song” in the style of her
pal Bobby Rush, Vickie kept the fans at the Mississippi stage thoroughly
entertained and smiling. “They call me The Bad Girl of the Blues,” she
quipped. Her signature song,
“Love Strike,” advocated boycotting certain pleasures until her man
treats her right.
Talent certainly runs in the family and her brother got a turn to
display his fine, soulful vocals on “50/50 Love.” Vickie’s amazing voice
soared across Columbus Drive for a cover of “Midnight Train to Georgia”
that got the crowd revved up.
Three Guitar Heroes, a Soul Man and a Tribute
Guitar Heroes
We were able to catch the last couple of songs by two outstanding blues
guitarists on the Front Porch stage as they finished their sets.
On Saturday it was a true homecoming for
Khalif Wailing Walter who
moved to Germany several years ago. Blues fans may remember him playing
with his uncle Carl Weathersby and in Lonnie Brooks’ Band.
Khalif played to a packed park
that cheered him on as he played brilliant solos that kept gathering
steam and charged full speed ahead.
Backed by bassist Wendy
Hayes, drummer B.J. and
keyboardist Roosevelt Purifoy,
Khalif and the band finished with a dramatic instrumental that left the
crowd cheering for more.
Similarly, there was a huge crowd by the Front Porch stage for
Larry McCray; clearly they
were enthralled by this guitar great from Michigan, who is a frequent
performer at Chicago blues clubs. Larry
and his brothers have been working together since they were kids; they
played together with a kinesis and dynamic that only siblings can share.
Larry skillfully wove together a myriad of guitar techniques, styles and
sounds during the closing instrumental.
He was truly causing jaws to drop as the fans bopped along in
unison with every beat from the driving rhythm section.
On Sunday, there was quite a buzz among the blues cognoscenti about young Jarekus Singleton, so we hoofed it over to the jam-packed Mississippi Stage to check him out. A former college basketball player who returned to music after a knee injury, Jarekus was absolutely compelling to watch. Keep your eyes out for him, Jarekus could well be the next Gary Clark, Jr.!!! Everything about this handsome young performer was excellent. His vocals, his guitar playing, his original songs, his showmanship and his super tight band were all A-plus fantastic. His style of music seemed to be influenced by legends like B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan and was very tasteful.
Soul Man
Mike Avery
Saturday, Crossroads Stage
Mike Avery
has the kind of remarkable voice and smooth showmanship that is
guaranteed to send females to swooning. And the men like him too!
As we approached the Crossroads stage, the crowd was having a
great time dancing to Mike and West Side Soul’s upbeat R&B songs. Avery
and the band members have highly impressive credentials (various members
worked with Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, Tyrone Davis and Branford
Marsalis, to name a few). Mike’s cousin was Magic Sam and he grew up
singing blues, R&B and soul. Mike’s touching soul version of “You’ve Got
A Friend” got the fans swaying and “Very Superstitious” had them jumping
out of their seats to dance.
Tribute to Magic Slim
Shawn Holt & The Teardrops
Sunday, Front Porch Stage
We lost the great bluesman Magic Slim last February. Since then, his son
Shawn has bravely stepped in to fill his father’s legendary shoes and
take charge of The Teardrops Band.
Magic Slim played an instantly recognizable style of
hard-driving, rough-edged, house- rockin’ West Side Blues.
His passing marked the end of an era. Fortunately Dad passed the
torch to his son, whom he educated very well in the school of blues, as
evidenced by Shawn’s absolutely riveting and heartfelt performance on
the Front Porch stage on Sunday.
Like his dad, Shawn Holt has a big, deep voice and sings with authority.
He dedicated “Find Me A Part Time Love” to his father; Slim would have
been proud of Shawn & The Teardrops’ version. The super tight four-piece
band moved with precision from one song into the next. Like the original
Teardrops, this band features two guitarists. Shawn’s style stays close
to his Dad’s, while sometimes nodding to Stevie Ray. The second young
guitarist likes to fire off multiple notes at high speed.
This version of the Teardrops put their own spin on “Rock Me
Baby” and “Crosscut Saw” making both very danceable. “Mean Little Woman”
had a nice shuffle beat.
Shawn brought on special guest
John Primer, who had appeared on the Front Porch stage earlier to
play with Czech blues artists the
Michal Prokop Band. Primer
recalled Shawn in his youth, who told his Dad: “Someday, I’m gonna kick
John’s ass on guitar.”
On that note, Primer and Shawn traded solos for a couple extended blues
standards including “Rocks In My Pillow.”
The two guitarists were having a great time, egging each other on
as the crowd cheered them heartily. One fan was heard to holler, “Yeah,
John. You’re the real deal!” Indeed, the folks that packed the Front
Porch park testified to the power of authentic Chicago Blues and the
memory of Magic Slim!
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