July 2009 Issue 318 jazz now in our 35th year &blues report www.jazz-blues.com Buckwheat Zydeco 18th Pocono Blues Festival preview By Ron Weinstock Editor & Founder Bill Wahl Layout & Design Bill Wahl Operations Jim Martin Pilar Martin Contributors Michael Braxton, Mark Cole, Kelly Ferjutz, Nancy Ann Lee, Peanuts, Matt Simpson, Wanda Simpson, Mark Smith, Dave Sunde, Joerg Unger, Duane Verh, Emily Wahl and Ron Weinstock. Check out our constantly updated website. Now you can search for CD Reviews by artists, titles, record labels, keyword or JBR Writers. 15 Buckwheat Zydeco, center, pictured here performing at the Duke Ellington Jazz Fes- years of reviews are up and we’ll be tival in Washington DC, will be at this year’s Pocono Blues Festival. That is Paquito going all the way back to 1974. D’Rivera to the right joining in with Buckwheat that day. Photo by Ron Weinstock Comments...billwahl@ jazz-blues.com Web .................. www.jazz-blues.com he Pocono Blues Fes- the blues tradition whether playing a Copyright © 2009 Jazz & Blues Report tival returns to Big rollicking boogie or acting as a one- Boulder Resort in Lake No portion of this publication may be man band. He will be followed by Harmony, Pennsylva- reproduced without written permission T James Armstrong, who brings an in- from the publisher. All rights Reserved. nia, Friday July 24 through Sunday cisive guitar style to match his July 26. The Festival has devel- thoughtful originals based on his own Founded in Buffalo New York in March of oped a reputation for its focus on painful life experiences. Closing the 1974; began in Cleveland edition in April of real deal blues as opposed to the evening will be Eddie Turner, who 1978. Now this global e-zine edition is blues-rock guitar slingers that some will know from his time play- posted online monthly dominate at some ‘Blues’ Festivals. at www.jazz-blues.com ing with Otis Taylor and subsequently The 18th Pocono Blues Festival emerged as a powerful solo per- has a terrific line-up that will include former with a scorching guitar style On The Cover such blues legends as James Cot- that melds blues, rock, Afro-Cuban Buckwheat Zydeco performed at the ton with Eddie Clearwater, Buck- rhythms and gospel. Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, and will be wheat Zydeco, Bernard Allison, Saturday, July 25, guitarist at the Pocono Blues Festival. Shemekia Copeland, Lil Ed & the Melvin Taylor opens the day with his Check out the review and preview. Blues Imperials and Saffire-the mix of Chicago West Side blues with Uppity Blues Women. With two elements of Jimi Hendrix, Wes Mont- main stages at the foot of two of gomery and George Benson. Also on Big Boulder’s ski slopes and a tent the main stage will be Terry Evans, stage for more intimate perfor- a powerful Mississippi born vocalist mances, this Blues Festival brings who some first became aware of from a wide variety of blues for the con- his work with Ry Cooder, and later noisseur. studio stints with John Lee Hooker, Friday Night July 24, the Festi- Boz Scaggs, Pops Staples, Joan val opens up with three performers Armatrading and Maria Muldaur. Af- in the tent stage. Paul Oscher, the ter teaming up with singer Bobby one-time Muddy Waters harmonica King (the pair did a couple of albums player has become a triple threat together), he now has been fronting Photo: Ron Weinstock on guitar, piano as well as har- his own music. The Bonedog Record CD Reviews Begin on Page 12 monica, and shows his mastery of Review will present Tommy Brown, PAGE TWO July 2009 • Issue 318 Git Shorty, and Stephanie Wellans. I am not familiar Schools programs. Both artists have new albums on with the last two, but Tommy Brown may be among the Electro-Fi. Son of Baton Rouge bluesman Tabby Tho- last of the blues shouters. He recorded a variety of mas, Chris Thomas King is a renaissance man of the singles for a number of labels including the powerful “ blues, able to perform traditional delta blues, Louisi- Remember Me” for Cobra, which featured some great ana swamp blues, as well Hendrix inspired blues-rock. harmonica from Walter Horton. His Bone Dog album He has incorporated hip hop into his musical stew as “Remember Me” includes a remake of that song along well as gospel and, among his movie roles, played with a cover of Big Joe Turner’s “Chains of Love,” that “Tommy Johnson” in the movie “Oh Brother Where Art show he can still belt out the blues. This is one per- Thou?.” His album “Rise” after Hurricane Katrina was former I’m really looking forward to seeing. Brown will one of the most moving musical statements arising from have a new recording out this summer on BoneDog. that catastrophe and he has a new EP, “Nawlins Callin’,” Up next on the outdoor stages is Trombone Shorty where he is accompanied by jazz masters bassist and Orleans Avenue will bring their vital mix of New Roland Guerin and drummer Jason Marsalis. Finally in Orleans brass, jazz, and funk to the Big Boulder stage. the tent is Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women who are in Then Shemekia Copeland brings her soulful blues with the midst of their final tour together after twenty-five an edge followed by another second-generation blues years of making terrific music. What I said about their performer, Bernard Allison, who will mix his soulful vo- most recent recording, “Havin’ the Last Word,” stands: cals with some blistering guitar. Finally Mr. Superharp “While the musical partnership of Saffire - the Uppity with West Side bluesman, Eddie Clearwater will con- Blues Women may be ending, their musical legacy is clude a very full day. Clearwater will bring his under- firmly established and will be enjoyed for many more stated vocals and guitar in the vein of Magic Sam to years just as each of the members will establish more the stage to join the always-popular Cotton for a set of of their own legacy with their solo careers. Like Jim rollicking Chicago styled blues. Brown leaving professional football, “Havin’ the Last At the tent stage on Saturday, Cedric Burnside and Word” has Saffire ending their run while still perform- Lightnin’ Malcolm will play two sets of their hard rock- ing at the highest level.” Their second set is scheduled ing North Mississippi Hills styled blues. Shemekia to start at 8 PM when Buckwheat Zydeco’s set ends, Copeland & friends will be performing a tribute to her so it will conclude a truly remarkable weekend of blues. father, the late Johnny ‘Clyde’ Copeland, and there will More information can be obtained from the Jack also be sets by Melvin Taylor, Terry Evans and Trom- Frost and Big Boulder website, www.jfbb.com/events/ bone Shorty; the later certain to raise the roof off the 2009/07/23/pocono-blues-festival. tent stage. Sunday July 26, the Pittsburgh Gospel Lights open the outdoor stages with some sacred sounds. Up next is Texas Johnny Brown, who will bring his urbane blues guitar and vocals. A great songwriter (He wrote “Two Steps From the Blues” for Bobby Bland) and musician, his Quality Blues Band is also first-rate. I have seen him twice in the past year and he was one of the best blues acts I have seen in that period. Ruthie Foster brings her mix of folk, soul, gospel and blues next with a riveting voice and some terrific songs with a mes- sage to challenge things as they are and to uplift one’s spirit. Little Ed & the Blues Imperials come on with their exhilarating slide guitar blues for the FezHeads (or is that EdHeads) everywhere. The final act on the out- door stages is Buckwheat Zydeco, celebrating thirty years of the best in zydeco as well as supporting the new Alligator recording, “Lay Your Burden Down.” Buckwheat’s high-energy music will keep the crowd on its feet. The Sunday Tent show will feature three acts. Harrison Kennedy and Fruteland Jackson will bring some strong acoustic blues. Kennedy, from Hamilton, Ontario is a former member of Detroit’s Chairmen of the Board vocal group, but was always blues -rooted and brings a soul-gospel edge to his songs. Fruteland Jackson specializes in performing acoustic blues, from contemporary to traditional, from the blues of early field- holler songs and work songs to Delta and Piedmont Blues, as well as his own original works; and in addi- tion to his wonderful performances is a gifted storyteller, oral historian and educator, renown for his Blues in the July 2009 • Issue 318 PAGE THREE 5th Annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival reviewed By Ron Weinstock Nicholas Payton and Esperanza Spalding performing at the 5th Annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. All photos by Ron Weinstock he 5th Annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festi- David Schulman playing in one of the galleries, inspired val saw this multi-venue event move from by the paintings, the remaining performances this day autumn to early summer. This year’s festi- were in the Music Room. Initially Alona Lee did some Tval was a salute to the New Orleans, the storytelling about Jacob Lawrence and his artwork. She City from which jazz emerged and the Festival ex- was followed by Janelle Gill, a marvelous pianist and panded to 11 days, spanning the first two weekends in later the marvelous saxophonist Antonio Parker, fol- June. Sunny Sumter, once of the most beloved vocal- lowed by trombonist Reginald Cuntje and his trio whose ists in the Washington DC area, had joined the produc- set included several numbers associated with saxo- tion team that includes Executive Producer Charles phonists.