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Another year of across the genre artists from the Pocono Blues Festival. Here is the 1999 who, where and when, along with our reviews of some of the artists' CD releases. "Quicktakes" is a highlight overview of the festival - from our ears to yours. Quicktakes: Chris Beard was a perfect kick-off to the festival. He was super charged and high energy throughout his set. Looking confident and deeply soulful Chris wowed the audience. Proffering up blues with a southern soul edge he was touching - easily reminding me of the blues of Lonnie Shields. Terrific guitar (and I do mean terrific) along with smooth, luscious vocals made this 50 minutes pure joy. Chris also played the crowd with some over the top stage antics that had the photographers lined up, snapping all they could. Of note in Chris' set was the distinct characteristics of many blues stalwarts who you could hear he listened to and absorbed. While clearly a player of his own sort, Chris had the real deals down pat. In contrast to the straight-in-your-face blues that Chris Beard offered up James Armstrong brought a strong jazz underpinning to his set. His music was "precise" and "highly orchestrated" along with some intentful guitarwork and excellent vocals. James added plenty of funk and contemporary soul and solidified his position of standing at the "new edges" of the blues genre. After his set the crowd was abuzz. James Harman offered a California big band blues jump set that had me mystified. If I had not been front and center I would have thought that on stage was a guitar slinger - so much of the music was turned over to his guitar player that the set was more guitar and less harp than one would have wanted or expected. Over on the bright side - James is an excellent vocalist and arranger. From more than 1000 feet away as I was walking over to Stage 2 Roy brought my ears to full attention. His set was power driven and full out. His arrangements were tough as nails with no holds barred - he also played the crowd with plenty of stage antics and even more than any other player of the 2 days he made the cameras click. This was a terrific 1 1/4 hours of pure hard hitting blues that had the crowd raging. The Son Seals set was touching. Being helped on stage (having lost a leg) Son was honored with a Pocono Lifetime Achievement Award. His guitar playing was not so much affected by his recent medical loss as was his singing - though playing a major festival during this recuperative phase certainly deserves him of not just an award for Achievement but an award for dedication and courage. To everyone's surprise (and delight) Son was backed by the Eddie Shaw band which included both Eddie and his son Vann (I am of the opinion that Vann may be the absolute best blues guitarist on the scene today and throughout the set he proved it with mesmerizing solos and sidework.) Of course when Eddie Shaw hit the microphone everyone was stopped cold. This set was an exceptional one and a true homage to Son. Saturday's Performance Tent featured 3 monster talents. Jimmie Lee Robinson's set was a walk through history, Henry Butler took everyone by storm and Arthur Williams' 2 sets had the crowds over the edge and dancing where ever they could find room. My favorite of the three was Arthur Williams who performed a swampy, juky set of high powered, shoulder shaking songs that were marked by drums to die for and harp to fly for. Much like Saturday, Sunday's opener was turned over to another blues youth - Chris Thomas King. Chris was very confident as well as highly accomplished. He made a strong presence as he showed an intentfulness and sincerity that moved the listeners. His guitar, while fluent and expressive, spent much time hooked to the boxes. There were plenty of electric effects and rocky-edged pyrotechnic stylings but what stood strong every moment was his effortlessly moving ability and presentation. His showcase tune written to his dad "Blues Is My Life" was a super mix of heart tugging alley cat blues set against those pyrotechnics mentioned - it was a stealer. Another excellent opening act and another nod to the youth of the blues. In contrast to Chris King, Johnny Rawls was the epitome of soulful southern tinged blues, accompanied by refined playing and huge arrangements. Johnny is another of those super confident and well heeled players that makes it all look like it's just a piece of cake. His style is touching and as you listen close you come to hear why he is considered a top flight arranger and producer. One of the original artists to be aired by Rooster Records Johnny is now on the JSP blues-wagon both as a featured artists and as a force behind many of the artists being recorded by JSP. As expected Shemekia Copeland wowed everyone (of note, her keyboardist Dona Oxford stole the stage several times); Jimmy Johnson brought Chicago right to the Poconos; and Otis Clay made the sound of S.O.U.L. real for us all. From other reviewers Charlie Musselwhite's set was a showcase. His skills on the harp were evident continuously and as some of you who read our reviews know I think he's one of the best on the scene (2 other picks of mine are Steve Guyger and Paul deLay). As the night closed the historic magic of two legends, Snooky Pryor and Pinetop Perkins, said goodnight to the crowds in pure blues terms. Sunday's tent was both a disappointment and a joy. Cookie McGee had the audacity to make the fans wait while her band warmed the air and then she came up and began tuning her guitar. For such an unknown artist to take up our time not by her own efforts is both an affront and a shame. Her set that followed was at best average and predictable. On the other side of the coin Honeyboy Edwards, one of the true blues legends, tantalized us. Honeyboy's set was not for reviewing, it was for sitting by and relishing the roots of the blues. The overview of the Pocono Festival is that it continues to do service to the blues by hunting out the special, soliciting the real deals and making room for who's next and upcoming. |