'I find myself getting kind of depressed, watching TV and someone's getting killed or bombed. We need some catharsis. We need to cleanse our mind of these negative thoughts. I hope the blues fest can do that. We need some psychotherapy. Sit in the park, hear some great music, drink a beer. Given the international climate, we need to take a weekend off and rejoice."Chuck Ross, the St. Petersburg lawyer who produces the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, said that.
A promoter's pitch? Sure.
Damn good advice? No question.
The blues has always been music for coping. Slaves and sharecroppers and factory workers and CEOs have used it as a respite from oppression, drudgery and stress.
Now is a good time for the blues. Now is a good time for a three-day blowout that features 15 acts spanning a generous cross- section of the genre, set on the picturesque downtown St. Pete waterfront.
If homefront battle fatigue has set in, the ninth annual Tampa Bay Blues Festival could be just the ticket.
Let's take a look at each day:
Fri., April 4While his brother Stevie Ray was setting the standard for scorching blues-rock, older brother Jimmie Vaughan was hanging closer to pure blues, employing a fluid, jazzy style with less emphasis on flash. Vaughan's uptown roadhouse vibe was honed with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, who scored a handful of hits in the mid-1980s ("Tuff Enuff," "Wrap it Up"). A native of Dallas but based in Austin, Vaughan has a style steeped in tangy Texas flavor.
Denise LaSalle shares a background with many storied blues artists — she migrated from Mississippi to Chicago. Throughout her 35-year career, she has toured the world and recorded for several top-notch producers (among them Memphis' Willie Mitchell) and labels (Malaco, ABC, MCA). Her voice is lusty, her approach bawdy (although her bio dutifully points out that she tempers her set when young 'uns might be in the house).
Also on Friday's bill: For 14 years, guitarist Jimmy Thackery anchored The Nighthawks, a gang of road dogs who specialized in fiery barroom R&B. He keeps on, leading his band the Drivers. Ross takes great pride in presenting upcoming talent at the blues fest; he expects Chicago guitarist Chris Beard to be one of the acts stirring a strong post-fest buzz.
Sat., April 5Every blues festival relies heavily on electric guitars, and Ross admits that sometimes his event slips into six-string overkill. Today brings some variety to the proceedings. Delbert McClinton is probably best known as the guy who gave harmonica lessons to John Lennon during a tour of England. Beyond that, he's a highly pedigreed veteran who will bring to the festival stage his rugged vocals and harp work along with a muscular, horn-heavy band. He also boasts a Top 10 pop hit on his resume: 1980's "Giving it Up For Your Love."
For the first time, blues fest presents a solo acoustic act. Keb' Mo' enjoyed some crossover success in the '90s with his soulful, honeyed vocals and heartfelt songs. He grew up Kevin Moore in South Central L.A. and worked in Top 40, funk and even calypso bands. In 1980, he released a pop/R&B album on the Chocolate City label. Turning his attention to country blues, he ventured to Mississippi to soak up the culture and learn from veteran bluesman Eugene Powell. Dubbing himself Keb' Mo', he released an excellent self-titled disc on the revived Okeh label (distributed through Sony) in '94. In the years since, he's released a series of formidable albums that bring the scent of pop crossover to the acoustic blues format. Keb' Mo' will perform on acoustic guitar, vocals and harmonica.
Ross scored a coup by scheduling John Hammond & Wicked Grin. For decades, the 60-ish artist gallivanted the globe solo, with his acoustic and steel guitars and harmonica in tow. These days he's touring with a band, thanks in large part to the success of last year's watershed Wicked Grin, a brawny collection of Tom Waits songs produced by Waits. Hammond recently released Ready For Love, produced by Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, that includes material by Jagger/Richards, George Jones, Willie Dixon, Waits and others. Hammond's recent music sounds at once antique and contemporary, and while it's resistant to genre, its guts come from the blues.
Electric guitar slingin' has long been the domain of bluesmen. Deborah Coleman breaks the mold with a fiery style that CMJ said contained a "mean streak." While grounded in blues, she does not rely exclusively on 12-bar changes and shuffle grooves. She brings elements of pop and rock to her sound.
Chicago's Anthony Gomes adds to the recent lineage of firebrand youngbloods like Jonny Lang (a highlight of the '01 fest). One writer characterized his playing as a "cross between Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy."
Opening the day is Shawn Brown, one of the most prized bluesmen on the local scene.
Sun., April 6For decades, Dickey Betts was the six-string linchpin of the Allman Brothers Band. Ongoing bouts with substance abuse and violent behavior helped lead to his eventual ouster from the legendary ensemble. While friends and fans continue to fret over possible future lapses, reports over the last few years have Betts playing with renewed verve and abandon. He'll always be a tattooed tough, but Betts at his best is a formidable presence. He and his Great Southern band will bring a touch of twang to the proceedings.
Besides producing the festival, Chuck Ross sings and plays harmonica in the Backtrack Blues Band (a fest perennial, the band is sitting this one out). Given Ross' soft spot for harp blowers, it's no surprise that he's cooked up a special treat for fans of the "Mississippi saxophone." Kim Wilson, late of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, will perform with his Blues Revue. They'll be followed by Rod Piazza, arguably the best harmonicat alive and a festival regular, and his boogie-intensive Mighty Flyers band. After that, Piazza and Wilson will join forces in a wide-open "Tribute to Little Walter" (one of the defining harpists in blues history).
"To get two harmonica players of that caliber jamming together — you could go to festivals for 10 years and never see something like it," Ross said. "We had to negotiate a bit to make it happen, but that's gonna be an exciting moment."
Michael Burks is making his second consecutive blues festival appearance, mostly because he was the breakout artist at least year's event. Sunday's opener is local legend Sarasota Slim, who's been stirring up top-notch blues in these parts (and elsewhere) for more than two decades.
Single-day ticket prices: $20 Friday and Sunday; $25 Saturday, available at the gate. Three-day passes are $50 and available on Friday.
Senior Writer Eric Snider can be reached at eric.snider@weeklyplanet.com or 813-248-8888, ext. 114.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2003.