Impressions of the Blues & Jazz Festival
El Dormido
Friday Night
Incredible start on the jazz side with the Metheny brothers pulling in a crowed that filled the greensward from end to end, from the stage to the hilltop, all rapt, listening to the music. Looked very urbane on the green like that.
Waxed Tadpoles got off to a great start on the blues stage, a
great new addition to my blues consciousness, 'cause if it don't
say "blues band," I miss it! DogHouse Band pulled in a
dynamic set too, leading into Terrence Simien's appearance.
Terrence is always the wildman, but he pulls a lot of soul into
his music and from his audience. Johnny Lang is young and
popular. A good headlining act to draw a crowd, but you need to
be sure you get your blues nourishment before listening
to this young confection.
Volunteers
If you're not a volunteer, you miss the fun. Its almost like being a carny, a circus worker. Getting there before the gates open to be sure the beer is iced down and the merch is set out right. A brief moment of quiet in the midday heat before the gates open, then it's a rush!
Soul School
Connie "Crash" Humiston did a helluva job on the Soul School, and Greg Patterson gets a lot of credit for letting her go head on with it. Greg is passionate on the subject of educating the public on the music and it shows in the festival's commitment to the Soul School and to the presenters. In some respects, this was where the action was really at, up close and personal.
Hawkeye Herman telling tales from the griot to the modern bluesman, telling of the signifying monkey. Louisiana Red taking everywhere he went by storm, putting his guitar behind his head and playing the hell out of it! Yes, I know its been done before, but when Red does it, it means something!
Then he takes the Heritage Stage and knocks them out. And this is after his KCBS-sponsored shows around town and before he heads out to B.B.'s to close out the night rollicking and rocking until past 1! He even started out there with the locals before his band got up with him!
Sunday Soul School also includes Phil Perry talking about how the music communicates in the household the love a man has for his woman. It's the minor keys that keep the walls down! Then Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin and Charlie Musselwhite demonstrated the sweet interplay of harp and guitar in a very immediate and intimate setting you can't get anywhere else.
Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin and Charlie Musselwhite
taken by Evie Quarles
Town Jumps Everywhere
And that's another thing, the whole town was jumping! Red down south, Claude Fiddler Williams and Fathead Newman at the Mutual Musician's Hall packing it up until there were people in the streets. Bernard Alison stopping traffic on Main in front of the GE!
The festival spirit spilled out of the site and out all across town. Was this what it was like in the hey day that Buck O'Neil talks about? All weekend long, festival performers were also showing up in club appearances so it seemed like it was everywhere. Hey, wouldn't it be great to catch that same spirit at Blayney's, down in the River Market, across downtown at John's Deck, out in JoCo at the Roxy and the Blue Note Café, and on up north???
Saturday
Everybody gets hot! Cotton Candy leads off the afternoon, leads into Lawrence Wright, the oldest young man or the youngest old man, take your pick, in Kansas City Blues. He reaches the stairs, straightens up, bounces up the steps and hits the stage dancing with his arms raised over his head. At the end of his set, the Blues Society acknowledges him with a lifetime achievement award.
Bernard Allison continues to solidify his stature as a passionate bluesman with an incendiary set. Sister Monica preaches, teaches and beseeches from the stage with her forceful brand of blues. Tab Benoit fills the evening hours with the reverence for the blues roots as the sun goes down. Wilson Pickett gives an uneven ending to the day with a short performance bolstered by a guest appearance with Sister Monica. Reportedly Wilson was ill and not able to do a complete show.
Unfortunately the crowd was unaware of that and uncharitable comments were heard about the length of Wilson's stage time. On the other hand, his band was smoking!
Heritage Stage
Pinetop Perkins draws a crowd playing with Steady Rollin' Bob. Impeccable piano playing, incredible color combination in 'Top's wardrobe. A sure handed piano man undaunted by the heat
Sunday Blues Stage
Neon Blue leads off with a soaring set. Big John & the 39th St. Band deal out the gritty, working-man blues. Michael Hill's Blues Mob fills out the afternoon with a tough set, his unique vocal stylings carried out across the lawn by the band pushing the music on out. Son Seals drops by the Blues Society's merchandise tent and reminisces with Mickey Mendoza about the old times in Chicago. He takes the stage with a ferocity that substantiates his status as the Bad Axe. Charlie Musselwhite and his band give a virtuoso performance, from the bass players nimble leads to the piano's slow build to crescendo, to the guitar players steady statement the eschewed pyrotechnics for passion, and Charlie making the harp an instrument of precision. Jimmie Vaughn closes the show with his sound, his song hanging in the air as the weekend empties out towards Monday morning.
Kansas City's Blues and Jazz Festival is major league. Its hard to see how it gets any better than this.
Webmaster: Gil T. Wilson
Last Modified 16 August '98