John Steele
From:
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 14 Jul 2008 6:14 pm |
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First of all, yes, there were a slew of non-blues acts there... so many, the name seems odd but;
It was a great fest. I had two shows to play there, so I took the opportunity to take in what I could. I also missed some good stuff. Some highlights:
Richard Thompson - brilliant singer/writer/guitarist. The only way I could have enjoyed his set more would have been to pull the power cord on the "Zappa plays Zappa" stage nearby to kill the bleed. He soldiered on like a pro, and he was great.
Lucinda Williams - we opened for her. I don't think her music speaks to me as much as it does to others, but it was a good show. I was disappointed not to hear her guitarist Doug Pettibone play his steel, but I had the chance to meet him anyway. Nice guy, good player.
Steely Dan - I took this in even though I'm not that familiar with their music. Great band, even if the show dragged a bit. They had Freddie Washington on bass though, and that made the night for me !
Adrian Belew - Some of the most "outside" music at the fest, and strangely compelling even to a trad wanker like me. The lady that played bass for him was also exceptional.
James Taylor - Man, I love JT. Superb solid show with a great band. Steve Gadd on drums... wow.
Blue Lou Marini was in the horn section. I can't remember the name of the conga/percussionist guy, but he was great. Also amongst the backup singers was fiddler Andrea Zonn, who appeared in a video online with Lloyd Green. JT sings as well as he ever did, and how many people can play a two hour show of top ten hits ?
Stuff I regrettably missed:
Robert Randolph was there on Sunday, but I couldn't go. Neither could I go to see Redd Volkert and Cindy Cashdollar, who apparently stood the audience on their ear. I got a call from a young beginner steeler today, raving about this beautiful woman who slayed everyone playing steel. I just laughed.
Also Mike Ihde was apparently there too, playing in the theatre. He was nice enough to take some time to talk to my friend the beginner, and I thank him for that. A moment spent talking to someone in the preliminary stages of learning can really bump up their enthusiasm, so, good on ya.
All in all, an excellent festival. They took very good care of the performers, and it was extremely well organized.
On to the next fest.... ahh, summertime !
-John |
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