I count myself among the small group of people who can’t help but feel blues music spiritually.
I don’t mean people who take their interest in blues as far as the Rolling Stones or the Black Keys – I am talking about those of us who may have been exposed initially through a mainstream rock band but who quickly discovered a nugget of Gold in the rhythm, power and raw emotion produced in the Blues.
Those of you who know what I’m talking about, you have all had that “Ah- Ha!” moment where you finally put it all together and said, it is the Blues at the root of the music I know I like that is responsible.
This leads us to pay more attention to the songs, where they came from, past performances, and finally the legends, stories and homage that are paid toward history to this fabulous tradition of roots blues music.
At that point, you go back to Robert Johnson, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Lightning Hopkins, Hubert Sumlin, Muddy Waters, the Wolf, Pinetop Perkins, John Lee Hooker and discover the rich history of emotionally-charged, message laden, simple yet deadly blues music that essentially built the foundation for rock and everything that has come since from pop to punk, rap to hip-hop.
At the root of the blues is the feelings and meaning they provide for you…what does blues music mean to you?
- Authenticity – in an era of falsehoods, there is no mistaking the authenticity in blues music – you can tell when the blues is coming from somewhere real within a performer and performance versus being faked
- Escape – when many people listen to blues their brain can finally let go of stress, fatigue and anxiety allowing what many will call a “cleansing” experience
- Sensuality – hard to argue that blues is some of the most fundamentally sensual and raw music ever produced
- Community – if you have ever been to a blues festival you have experienced the community feeling with both the crowd and the performers – that just doesn’t happen in rock and most other forms of music (traditional country and bluegrass are pretty good for this too)
- Good – despite them being called the “blues”, may people actually feel better after listening
- Sad – nothing wrong with working through hard times with the support of some great blues music, hitting rock bottom can be the start of amazing recoveries in people’s lives…often the blues accompanies us and helps us through
What about you, how does your favorite blues music make you feel? What does it mean to you?
Filed under Blues Festival, Blues Legends by on May 30th, 2014. Comment. 
King of the Blues
Back to the Blues is what I would call this year’s theme for one of North America’s largest music festivals – the Ottawa Bluesfest…even though officially the theme is “Take Me To The River”.
Bluesfest started as JUST a blues festival back more than a decade and a half ago growing each year to incorporate more music, a wider range of music and broader themes.
Last year’s focus on Electro Dance Music was too much for the die-hard fans to take and many didn’t buy tickets or come at all.
The result is a re-balancing act this year, a hold-the-line budget (so they can reduce ticket prices which have gotten out of reach for many), as well as a return to the balanced blues, country, rock and yes some Electro Dance Music and Rap – something for everyone.
So, what’s on tap for blues fans?
How about the first ever visit from the Kind of the Blues, Mr. BB King…ok, I’m sold!
Add to that names like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, Joe Spencer Blues Explosion, Eddie Shaw and no doubt some great local acts as well like the Maple Blues Award Winners MonkeyJunk.
Still, one could argue, room for more blues, but it’s a good start to seeing the lineup become more balanced.
Some interesting and very talented country acts I can’t wait to see include the first visit by The Zach Brown Band and the rough country of Justin Townes Earl
Other highlights include RUSH, Weezer, Fun and yes…EDM guru’s Skrillex. Lord help me when my kids find out Skrillex is coming back!
You can see the full lineup here – there are still a couple of prime spots left for a few last-minute surprise headliners – any bets on who those will be?
Filed under Blues Festival by on Feb 27th, 2013. Comment.
I always make it a top priority to catch Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi each time they come to town, happily each time I am more impressed.
Formed back in 2010, this Royal Couple of the guitar blues combines skill, dedication and passion to their craft…definitely a situation where 1+1=3
Two things I noticed at this year’s show from previous years…
1. Tedeschi’s guitar work is now a more featured part of the act – even though the band is now an 11-piece juggernaut, there is still more room for Tedeschi to shine with her passionate vocals and gritty guitar work. Nice job!
2. Derek Trucks is evolving even further into other guitar (and song) styles with the addition of horns, a flute and some very entrancing (is that a word?) guitar work (think Santana!) he is clearly not a man that lacks creativity. Some of it missed, but much of it hit BIG time.
Here is a clip of Rollin and Tumblin that features the considerable talents of Susan Tedeschi…hope they come back next year.
Leave us a comment if you have had the chance to listen or see Trucks or Tedeschi…let us know your thoughts.
Filed under Blues Festival, blues guitar by on Jul 12th, 2012. Comment.
It’s Christmas time here in Ottawa again!
What? Christmas in July?
Christmas time for Blues Junkies like me – it’s Ottawa Bluesfest time again…and even though the Festival gets bigger and more diverse each year, there are still some great blues moments I’ll be taking in.
One of those happened on Thursday evening when hometown heroes (and recent Juno award winners for Best Blues Album “To Behold” – a solid mix of rocking blues, soul and funky R&B that defines the MonkeyJunk sound) collaborated with New Orleans performer Johnny Sansone for a deep-fried blues set joined by the Texas Horns.
After some MonkeyJunk original songs to heat up the set, Johnny Sansone (a giant of a man by the way) joined them for a smoking rendition of “Corn Whiskey”.
If anyone doubted they were in for an authentic Southern blues experience despite the Northern roots of MonkeyJunk, those doubts were quickly erased. The crowd built and for another 1-hour we were treated to a heated exchange of blues guitar from Monkey Junk guitarist Tony D, funky base and soul from Steve Mariner and steady back-beat of drummer Matt Sobb.
You all know I’m all about blues guitar, but Johnny Sansone is perhaps one of the lesser known blues harp players (at least I haven’t heard as much about him as say Sugar Blue or the late Paul Butterfield or even Kim Wilson of the Fabulous T-Birds)
HINT – see that MonkeyJunk and Johnny will be playing together at Ottawa’s ultimate blues destination – The Rainbow Sunday July 8th – you will want to check that out if you can.
Here is a small taste of what we saw – if you get the chance to see either MonkeyJunk or Johnny Sansone – take that chance for sure.
Jeff
Filed under Blues Festival by on Jul 7th, 2012. Comment.
Wow – I have to admit, I was taken a little off guard by the amazing line-up that appeared at this year’s Dutch Mason Blues Festival in Bible Hill, Truro, Nova Scotia – a fine Maritime province up here in Canada.
It seems that Jimmy Vaughan has been touring with the James Cotton band for some gigs, Jimmie is the ultimate in groove with some of the most rock-steady, hit you in the gut blues rhythms that have ever been played on guitar.
So many people comment on how different Jimmy and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s styles were, yet every time I listen to Jimmie I immediately pick out the shuffles and rhythm’s that Stevie used to root each and every one of his classic blues guitar tunes.
Also at the show was Kenny Wayne Shephard – and as you can see in this video – Chris “The Whipper” Layton was the drummer for Kenny’s set – cool!
Other names that were on the bill include the fabulous Downchild Blues Band from Canada – great to see they are touring again and of course a personal favorite up here in Canada – Colin James (who seems to have gone into hiding of late up here).
In its 5th year, this one looks like a blues festival I’m going to need to keep on my radar next year – how about you?
Jeff
Filed under Blues Festival, Blues Legends by on Aug 16th, 2009.
It always makes me smile when I see how crazy the tour schedule is for some of these blues musicians. Take Sugar Blue, the grammy award winning blues harp player that has been on the scene for some time, but has a renewed passion and fire to his performances lately.
He was in our home town of Ottawa, Canada and Cisco Systems Bluesfest on the July 17th where he put on a terrific show – coming from Mt Tremblant the night before (a ski resort about 2-hours from Ottawa). Then I see that he played the Bay City Blues Festival in Michigan on the 19th and brought the house down on a night that saw blues legend Kenny Neal and blues guitar great Johnny Winter in the headliner slot.
I still recall a special evening in downtown Ottawa at the Rainbow – one of our mainstay blues venues in the city – seeing Sugar Blue, it must be more than 15-years ago. That too was an incredible show of blues standards with the fire and passion than Sugar Blue brings to every performance.
From all reports it turned out to be a magical evening of music where three very different artists managed to communicate their passion for blues music to the crowd, each in their own way.
You’ve got to love the summer – remind me next year, I’m going to take 3-4 months and just travel from blues festival to festival – to hell with working!
Filed under Blues Festival, Blues Legends by on Jul 22nd, 2009. Comment.
Larry Garner Blues Guitar
After 15-years of attending Ottawa bluesfest, this year was no exception – each year continues to get better and better.
As usual, it’s often the side stages that bring the performances that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, and those moments of pure musical genious when talented musicians combine to meet that perfect moment of synchronization with the heavens. For the audience, suddenly the 40 or 50 feet between us and band disappears and we are the blue guitar god, the masterful beat master drummer or the honkey tonk keyboard player.
With 6-stages, every musical genre covered, Ottawa bluesfest has world musical event. Only at this festival could you have rapper Ludicrous playing on a stage right before Lynard Skynard take the stage with their Southern Rock experience.
Blacksheep Stage
So – who was great, who was good and who wasn’t?
That’s a subjective thing of course and any one person’s opinions can only be issued based on the acts he is able to take in – after all, we are only human.
Here’s a quick summary from my perspective —
1. Los Lonely Boys were my walk-away favorites. They had it going on…Henry Garza (one of the 3 brothers) is an incredibly talented guitar player, the closest I’ve seen to Stevie’s ability to channel his soul through the guitar and touch the crowd. Not to slight the JoJo and Ringo on bass and drums respectively – they were incredibly tight while the entire night they knew exactly how far to push it to the line.
2. My second favorite was Doyle Bramhall – yes the senior one. Not exactly the showman many may have thought, but a terrific songwriter, musician and entertainer just the same
Hard Rock Cafe Stage
3. Larry Garner put on a terrific show and although one would have liked to have had more time to hear his blues guitar shine -his show was certainly one of the best received with his gracious ode to the crowd, festival organizers and Sugar Blue who contributed his drummer when Larry’s was unable to come at the last minute because his mother had broken a hip in a fall.
4. Oh yes, and a big positive for the Subway Rockband Guitar tent – an esecially big hit with my two kids while Dad watched some more blues
5. Who had off nights – the sound was horribly muddy at Lynard Skynard, they faught through and put on a giant show, but much of the fine guitar work all sounded like one big electrical surge – too bad on that one.
Ottawa Cisco Systems Bluesfest
6. Jeff Beck – he may be one of the world’s finest technical guitar players – but he could learn a thing or two from Eric Clapton on keeping it simpler, but really touching the soul of his audience. Many stared in wonder, but then wondered why they left unfulfilled
All in all, it was a terrific festival this year – for us fans of blues guitar, there was enough to keep us happy, though I can’t help but notice there seems to be a little less each year – hopefully Mark Monahan sticks with the blues and keeps us coming back for more.
Filed under Blues Festival, Blues Legends by on Jul 20th, 2009. Comment.
