Every year I look forward to the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, held at Vinoy Waterfront Park in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida. It is my first festival in "The Year Of The Blues," so I have lived long enough to see the music get some recognition at last. This festival, put on by Sound Advice, is, in my opinion, one of the very best Blues events in the country. They always book a little bit of everything for all tastes, and the talent is always first-rate. I don't find it too hard to crawl out of my winter shell and boogie on down Route 75 to meet up with the rest of the "snowbirds." After all, it was snowing in Boston! And in St. Pete it was 82 degrees, sunny and breezy. The Best!

JSP recording artist, Chris Beard, kicked off the event. His guitar playing is crisp and dedicated, with a fine bunch of guys in the band. He got them going strong and we were lucky enough to see him later at the Ringside Café, kicking out the jams for late night Blues lovers. This guy can really bend a string!

Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers followed him, taking the Blues for a hard-edged romp. Lots of great instrumentals from his new album, Guitar, let the band show off their prowess. Although we are still trying to get Jimmy to smile for the camera, he managed to play a ton of ripping guitar for the crowd. He takes his guitar-playing seriously, but he made himself available to the fans for the rest of the day and night.

R & B singer Denise LaSalle made the transition to the evening a real success. After a lifetime of music, she is again touring the Blues circuit with a hot band and backup singer, giving a long-overdue glimpse into her Mississippi roots. She has all the roots of Delta, Gospel, R&B and Blues wrapped up in her style. Jimmie Vaughan, next up, was a real excitement for the evening closer. He brought his distinct brand of guitar playing to a wildly enthusiastic crowd, cutting those cool phrases and simple licks into a piece of Blues cake that fed a hungry crowd. He is just the STUFF! Lou Ann Barton got up to sing, and that was just the icing on the cake. The two of them made some fabulous sounds that edged on everything from doo-wop to Texas Soul. I ambled to the parking lot, still chewing on my first time hearing Jimmie Vaughan. What a treat!

After our breakfast of raw oysters and a grouper sandwich at Crabby Bill's, we arrived to hear Shawn Brown, who is one helluva B-3 player and singer. He is featured on Willie Lomax's Blues Revue's recording, Ribs Are Ready. Guitar slinger Anthony Gomes, whose fiery style and energy-driven set got the fans really cookin', proceeded to rip off some of the best licks I have heard in a long time. He's got a great band and is one of the most personable people to meet. They hung in there for the fans and were available all day and night. Deborah Coleman brought her great voice and distinctive guitar style to the stage next. Deborah has been touring very hard for the past few years and has certainly become a major talent. Her guitar playing has new fire, taking it to the edge, to the delight of all. I even thought I heard some Southern rock in her playing. It was great!

I have long waited to experience John Hammond & The Wicked Grin Band mixing it up live. A big hero of mine since the '60s, Hammond has a penchant for making a song uniquely his own. They had some sound problems, although I was not as upset as the band about it. I just like to hear Hammond sing those funky tunes and play that slide. The Tom Waits tunes were really deep, so that collaboration turned out very well. I still want to hear Hammond play alone, not to fault the band. I just like him that way. 

With Keb' Mo' following, the afternoon got its share of some fine Delta and roots playing. Keb is just fantastic! He made a ton of fans, and although he brought no CDs to sell, he appeared for a legion of fans lined up to talk and get his autograph. You have to respect this man for keeping the Blues simple and beautiful. I spent most of the time grooving around and watching the fans lay back and enjoy Keb Mo'.

What a setup for the next act! Delbert McClinton! Probably the best sounding roadhouse band around-they played like I have never heard them play. I even got the privilege of talking to them, and, in particular, Mr. Don Wise. He has played sax for Delbert for years, and he is a Knoxvillian [Tennessee, like me!]. Hope to get together with him soon, since I know he's got some great stories. This band sounded better than any studio recording they have done to date.

Sunday had a delicious opener with Sarasota Slim [Gene Hardage], a Florida Blues regular that can mix it up with the best. His tasty slide playing and strong support from the Backtrack Blues Band harpist Sonny Charles got the crowd on its feet and truckin' right along. Michael Burks kicked butt with some of the finest guitar around. Better pick up his new album, which will come out in June. His incendiary, relentless guitar and intense vocals are something to be experienced. From Hendrix to Chicago, from the Delta to R & B, Burks knocked out tunes like they were the last things he would ever play. He does this all the time, and still remains as one of the most accessible players to his fans and colleagues on the road. 

With harp and camera in hand, the evening found me sitting in front waiting for my favorites-Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza and Miss Honey. Kim Wilson's Blues Revue is a crack outfit that suits his harp playing extremely well. Kim's voice was in great form, and he will be releasing a new album in June [Lookin' For Trouble on M.C. Records]. His laid back vocals and easy swing made everything seem just right. He played a hard-hitting ten-minute harp solo that had everyone up and at it. Followed by my friends, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, this was just a perfect evening of harp Blues. The beautiful and photogenic Miss Honey Piazza played some great piano, but shied away from the stool standing and foot playing, content to groove with the new guitarist, Henry Carvajal and new drummer, Paul Fasulo. Bill Stuve slapped that bass and that made for the perfection that is the Flyers. Rod still works like he's playing for 100,000 fans, so the short set still had plenty of punch. It was short so that Kim and Rod, along with a generous sprinkling of musicians from both bands, could get together for a "Tribute to Little Walter." This set took many of Little Walter Jacobs tunes and gave them over to the interpretation of two masters of the harp. I was in "Harp Heaven" seeing these guys perform this monumental tribute to their mutual hero.

The headliner for Sunday was Dickey Betts & Great Southern. Dickey was driving and playing some great slide, rockin' the whole field of fans. Dancing and groovin', everybody got into the sound of the band and its renditions of all of Betts’s inspired cuts, made famous with the Allman Brothers Band. Not much was lost in this transition, as all the music held up. I was busy with the photos, but my friends danced every tune. They came back to the truck with their mouths open. It was one hell of a three-day festival, so I advise you to check it out next year, right after you dig out from under the snow.

© 2003, Gary W. Miller

BluesSource.com (Published by Blueswax, 04/17/2003)

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