Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Blues and BBQ Festival day 3 and more

The final day of the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival didn't quite live up to the standard of the previous days, but it wasn't bad. First up was Smokey Greenwell, a white blues harmonica player who was adequate on numbers such as Crazy Mama and Let's Work Together. I was expecting a lot more of Benny Turner, brother of Freddie King, who has a soulful voice but stuck to well known numbers such as Let The Good Times Roll and Rock Me Baby and showed that he's a good bass player and a decent singer, but in the area of blues rather than soul. Other numbers included Big Legged Woman and Freddie's Hideaway. After Freddie's brother came Little Freddie King - no relation - who looked superb as ever in a purple suit. He's a reliable performer and went down well on some fairly standard blues numbers including Dimples.
I didn't see a lot of the next act, Johnny Sansome (we were in the pub) but was there in time to see him run into the crowd like a mad man. A rock, rather than a blues act it seems. More to my taste was Tyree Neal, the latest member of the Baton Rouge dynasty, who started slowly, seemed to be just a blues guitarist, but then showed that he has real soul. Supported by two girl singers and a horn section, his numbers included soulful versions of Harry Hippie, Candy Licker, Lets Straighten It Out, Running Out Of Lies and My Baby's Home Tonight. Enjoyable stuff. Next on was Cedric Burnside, who is a bluesmen cum drummer from another famous family but nothing special, but we congregated in front of the other stage for the final act of the day Tucka. He clearly has a huge local African American fan base, especially among the ladies, and I was expecting something really good. It was not to be. He has a reasonable voice and was ok on numbers such as Trapped, She Was My Girl, Please Take Me and, rather predictably, Down Home Blues. But I fail to see what clearly others see. He was wearing dreadlocks and a baseball cap, a black T shirt and brown trousers and didn't really look like heart throb material. But what do I know? Dave liked him enough to buy his CD.
In the evening there was another Ponderosa Stomp show at the Ace Hotel which was fun. The support act was a 60s style R and B trio from New York called Daddy Long Legs. I hadn't seen them before but was impressed by their loud and raucous act, which included Blood From A Stone, title track from their new Norton LP, and Motorcycle Madness. The singer plays harmonica (and sang and played guitar as well on one number), the guitarist is excellent and the drummer is a crazy Keith Moon throwback. Great fun. They were the warm up act for Guitar Lightning Lee and very good they were too.
After the weekend's hard labour we took it easy on Monday, but made a return visit to the Ooh Poo Pah Doo bar, owned by Jessie Hill's daughter Judy, in the evening. There were quite a few people there this time and it was New Orleans party time as Judy led a second line to the music of the James Andrews band with Bobby Love on keyboards. Numbers included, naturally, Ooh Poo Pah Doo and Judy did La Bamba. All the numbers were over extended but the audience enjoyed themselves.
Tomorrow we are off to Lake Charles and then home via Houston. I will be posting photos soon.

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