Singing the Blues: Hudson Valley Group Releases
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Thursday, January 14, 2021 Yorktown News – Page 3 PHOTO COURTESY OF ROADHOUSE ROOSTER The Roadhouse Roosters, a blues and boogie trio, are part of the Hudson Valley Blues Society. Singing the blues Hudson Valley group releases ‘Lockdown Sessions’ CD BY ABBY LUBY for HVBS. e serendipitous and vice president of HVBS. November 2018 with emails to health-related nancial needs. CONTRIBUTING WRITER start of the nonpro t group was “Learning about the blues was a Hudson Valley musicians and Bennett, who died in 2019, like an improvised ri in B.B. lot of fun.” music lovers, inviting them to an was a singer, saxophone, and Once you hear the blues, King’s “ e rill Is Gone,” with Roche, who professionally informal rst meeting of HVBS. harmonica player for over 40 you don’t forget it. Joyous or chance meetings of like-minded books local musicians to open for Responding to that email was years, an HVBS member, and a sad, the music draws raw emo- folks seeking to organize. Today, national touring bands, saw the Bill McCann, an IBM retiree New York State Blues Hall of tion from the heart and it runs they are active board members potential in starting a blues soci- and lifelong amateur musician Fame inductee. through your veins. It’s those vo- working to keep the blues alive ety. About the same time, Tosca- who played folk, rock, and old- Opening the doors of his cal croons, soulful guitar twangs, for its 120 members. no met Hillary Fontana, an avid ies. church for HVBS meetings and low thumping piano chords and “It wasn’t primarily about blues lover who frequented leg- “I was at a point in my life jam sessions was Tim Wagner, the steady pulse of drums. forming a group for people to endary rhythm and blues cruises where I wanted to give back to pastor of the Croton Falls Com- e blues is steeped in south- get gigs,” said HVBS president featuring top-notch performers, the community,” said McCann. munity Church for 28 years. He ern African-American history Paul Toscano, a Patterson resi- many of whom she got to know “ e meeting was in Brewster, learned about HVBS from Fon- and many devotees want to en- dent who sings and plays a mean at late-night jam sessions on the which is where I live.” tana, with whom he had worked. sure the genre is not forgotten. harmonica on the track “Turn boat. Fontana, an artist, graphic McCann didn’t know much Wagner became so enthused Keeping the blues alive means up the Heat.” “It was more designer, and professional web- about the blues, but his appre- about the blues, he scheduled a regular performances and more about being a performance so- site designer, contacted Toscano ciation grew the more he heard Sunday morning blues service recordings—a mission long em- ciety to help people understand about a musician friend’s lost and learned about it. that featured the group Agape. braced by well-established blues the blues, which seems to be a piece of musical equipment at a “It was an opportunity to be “ ey sang the blues version foundations, blues societies, and dying art.” local venue. a part of an organization and of about eight songs, including blues halls of fame all over the Toscano used to have a blues “Paul asked me if I ever want- to meet lots of really good blues ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Power in world. show on Pawling Public Radio ed to start a blues society,” said players.” the Blood,’” Wagner recalled. Two years ago, those passion- before it became a streamed in- Fontana, who lives in New Ro- McCann, now the group’s “ e music was moving, soul- ate about hearing and playing ternet station. e show airing chelle. “We didn’t know each treasurer, said HVBS is nan- searching, and provided a depth more blues here in the Hud- before his was Jacque Roche’s other at all, but the friendship cially stable. to our worship.” son Valley formed the Hudson “Jacque’s Giant Hudson Valley blossomed from there. Paul “We received some large do- Wagner said that since that Valley Blues Society (HVBS). Music Show,” during which she knew all the local musicians in nations from various members service, several members of his e group just released its rst, regularly interviewed Hudson the Hudson Valley.” pretty early in our existence. congregation had joined the two-disc CD, “Blues Alive in Valley musicians performing at Fontana is now the cor- Funds were set aside to help blues society. the Valley—Lockdown Sessions local venues. responding secretary on the musicians who are needy,” said One of the primary goals of of 2020,” featuring 23 original “Paul and I got to know each HVBS board. She designed and McCann, referring to the Ian HVBS is to preserve the history songs by known music celebri- other and he invited me to hang set up the HVBS website and Bennett Memorial Fund, which of the blues. In the late 1800s, ties of the Hudson Valley. out and listen to the blues,” re- created the CD cover. helps Hudson Valley musicians e CD marks a pivotal point called Roche, a Somers resident Everything started around struggling with medical and SEE BLUES PAGE 4 Page 4 – Yorktown News Thursday, January 14, 2021 The Staff BLUES attract people of color,” Toscano sicians have done their research,” ux; some were writing and re- EDITORIAL TEAM FROM PAGE 3 said, adding that the group is said Orlo. cording new music,” said Roche. BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER reaching out to such Black Hud- Orlo, who grew up in White “We had to revive the group and EDITOR: 914-302-5628 songs sung by southern Black son Valley blues celebrities as Joe Plains and now lives in northern get our members out of a slump. [email protected] sharecroppers, slaves, and ex- Louis Walker, the electric blues Westchester, has long worked at’s when we decided to pro- BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER slaves were clearly the sonorous guitarist and singer/songwriter, and played guitar with soul blues duce the CD.” SPORTS EDITOR: 914-302-5628 [email protected] linchpin of the blues. ese and the award-winning blues artist, Vaneese omas; his sultry, An aggressive outreach cam- songs, usually of anguish and de- guitarist Slam Allen. expressive guitar accompanies paign solicited Hudson Valley ADVERTISING TEAM spair, were the impromptu blues Attracting young musicians to omas’ soul-gripping voice on blues musicians to contribute a PAUL FORHAN heard in plantation camps, rural the blues society is another chal- the CD’s track “Mean World.” song. Stamped as “Lockdown (914) 806-3951 juke joints, and shacks before lenge and it has a few younger As HVBS became better Sessions of 2020,” the CD pro- [email protected] BRUCE HELLER spreading north of the Mississip- members. Acknowledging that known, it booked musicians to duction was headed up by HVBS (914) 486-7608 pi Delta, evolving into the Delta more young people are em- open for well-known groups at trustee Tom Forst, an interna- [email protected] blues, Chicago blues, jazz-blues bracing and playing the blues such venues as Daryl’s House tional touring and chart-selling LISA KAIN hybrids and later on, rhythm and is HVBS member and blues Club in Pawling, Hopewell Inn original blues artist. Among (201) 317-1139 blues and rock-and-roll. guitarist Al Orlo, who said the in Hopewell Junction, Lucy’s in the 23 tracks, the CD features [email protected] at HVBS is not as diverse as youths he sees playing the blues Pleasantville, Turning Point in Vaneese omas, Dion, the CORINNE STANTON it could be is not lost on Toscano. are learning about it through so- Piermont, the Moonlight Café Johnny Feds Band, Menza Mad- (914) 760-7009 “We’re all white people play- cial media. in Brewster, and the Falcon Un- ison Band, Union Stockyard & [email protected] ing music that wasn’t invented “ ey are speaking the lan- derground, Marlboro, among Transit Company, Tas Cru with JAY GUSSAK (914) 299-4541 by us, but it’s music we embrace guage. You can hear it in the others. Sonny Rock, the Full Stop Blues [email protected] and love. Truth is, without Black depth of their listening and in By the beginning of 2020, Band, and Roadhouse Roosters. JENNIFER CONNELLY people, this music never would their playing and they are im- HVBS was inducted as an af- To date, over 120 CDs have been (917) 446-7757 have happened. We are trying to pressive. ese young blues mu- liate of the Memphis-based sold at $20 each. [email protected] Blues Foundation, a major player When the pandemic is over, SHELLEY KILCOYNE in the blues world that holds the collective hope is to pick up (914) 924-9122 the annual, highly competitive where HVBS left o£ , promot- [email protected] International Blues Challenge ing musicians to play more live GABRIELLE BILIK (IBC). HVBS was planning its shows, essential to the vibe that ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/DESIGNER own local blues challenge whose refuels the core of artistic suste- [email protected] winners would compete against nance. PRODUCTION TEAM other blues artists from all over “When we play, there is a TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL the world at the January 2021 feedback loop with the audi- CREATIVE DIRECTOR IBC. It was also planning its sec- ence and sometimes you can feel PHOTOGRAPHER ond annual fundraiser. their pleasure and that ampli es [email protected] en the pandemic hit and the experience,” said Orlo.