2004 Tampa Bay Blues Festival

Great Blues, Great Location

By Gary Miller

For the past 10 years the Sound Advice Tampa Bay Blues Festival has made its name known in the Blues world as one of the premier festivals in the U.S. By continually providing a great location, nationally and internationally know acts, and a state of the art stage and sound system the festival continues to grow. Providing an environment that is safe and fun the fine folks at the fest have brought out the Blues fans from all walks of life and every age. From the tiny-tots in their strollers to the veteran Blues fans, Tampa Bay has 'em all. Judging by the throng of ticket holders waiting every day at the main gate hours before the opening act, promoter Chuck Ross and company seem to be doing something right. Talking with many of the enthusiasts it soon became clear that this festival not only has grown in popularity in the states, but also abroad. Blues lovers from Germany, Australia, England, Canada, and many other countries had made the pilgrimage to St. Petersburg, Florida, for this event.

For some, it was snowing back home. For me, it was cold, but I knew that I would soon be in the warm, picturesque surroundings of St. Petersburg, Florida. Vinoy Park, on Tampa Bay, is an ideal location for this Blues festival. For three days during the first weekend in April every year, Vinoy Park is filled with over 35,000 Blues lovers, waiting to hear one of the finest musical lineups around. This year was no exception. Beautiful blue skies, warm breezes, and all the tasty food and drink one can stand, awaited Blues fanatics.

Friday's lineup got off to a great start. Renee Austin rocked the stage with her unique brand of soulful vocals. Backed by a great band, she twisted and turned her diminutive frame, showing off her broad vocal range and making the crowd her own. Ms. Austin's confidence and stage presence continues to grow and it is obvious why she was nominated for a Handy for "Best New Artist Debut."

Next up was Ronnie Baker Brooks , a crowd favorite everywhere, took us with him on his energetic. His "Take Me Witcha" is one tune the crowd insisted upon and Brooks repeated its strains with an energetic response that kept building. His guitar solidly ripped through a host of stirring Blues and Rock-oriented tunes. He also went into the audience to rock the crowd. Brooks' personal presence and command of his trade made his show sparkle. Brooks' crowd walk and playing to all the die-hard fans that arrived two-hours early to claim the exclusive real estate in front of the stage, showed his true appreciation for the fans. At one point Brooks stopped and had a 6-year-old Blues fan play his guitar! Acts like that are what will bring more of the younger generation into the music. That kid will remember that moment forever, as will the fans that shared it.

As night descended, with a cool wind and colossal clouds moving in, Walter Trout & the Radicals took the stage like a gathering storm. And like the dark clouds, Walter heightened the drama with his stormy guitar riffs and lightening speed. He is a perennial favorite at the festival since recording his live album with the Free Radicals in 2000 called Live Trout . When Trout takes the stage, everyone's amazed at the heights his playing can take them. Thirty years of Blues make the Master. To follow Trout with Susan Tedeschi seemed a bit like a roller coaster ride to Mellowville, but the lady put out some great Blues vocals and guitar like the trooper she is. Twisting and turning, Stratocaster clutched closely, she did the Blues with real fervor. Smooth, but real soulful, I was impressed since the last time I heard her live. One of her closing numbers was decidedly non-Blues, but tasty nonetheless. That cut was John Prine's great "Angel From Montgomery" during which Tedeschi slid into a verse of The Grateful Dead's "Sugaree" and then back to close the Prine number.

Saturday started brilliantly with a warm sun, yachts on the Bay, and everyone raring to go. Even with the night before, at a Blues jam at St. Pete's Ringside Café, featuring local Bluesman Jimmy Griswold , we still were ready to party. Griswold can burn the strings off a guitar, so see him when you can. So can Tampa's own Sean Chambers who open up the second day of the Tampa Bay Blues Festival. He warmed up Saturday's crowd with some tunes off his new album, Humble Spirits . He plays a blend of Blues and Rock, with some pretty psychedelic stuff thrown in with some Hendrix -styled licks.

After Sean wowed the crowd, Carl Weathersby showed that he is a real master of the groove, with smooth, soulful vocals and accomplished guitar work. The crowd was there to hear him and wish him well, after his appearance several years earlier with an injured finger that did not stop him from playing or signing several hundred autographs.

Never tell a Blues guy that he will never play again-he'll prove you wrong. Weathersby has a new album coming soon called Back Again. He certainly showed the Tampa crowd that it was true!

Bettye Lavette , whom I hadn't heard since her string of records from the '60s thru the '80s, finally took over the stage and led the crowd down a soulful path. She strode the stage, dressed in red, belting out some shouts and moans, just to tell us that she means business about singing the Blues. She sat on the edge of the stage and belted out some great vocals. She may be in the best form of her career. Chris Duarte took over from Lavette, and proceeded to play his version of the Blues, steeped in Psychedelic Rock, Texas roadhouse, and lots of volume and string twisting. I didn't get it, but as they say, the Blues is changing. If you like guitar, and plenty of it, this three piece sounds like six guys and they do put out some intense energy.

Charlie Musselwhite can put the crowd at ease quickly, with his mellow vocals and his superbly fluent harp. He is a giant of the harmonica for over 45 years and it shows that you can relax and never have to overplay this music. With a great backup band, Charlie gave the crowd some toe-tapping, finger-popping tunes that warm the heart and soul together. Thanks, Charlie! A stellar performance by Buddy Guy topped the evening off. Guy appeared reserved as he started off with some material from his Blues Singer album, accompanied by Jimbo Mathus on second guitar. Mellow turned to fiery as Buddy took over the black-and-white Stratocaster. He proceeded to churn through more great Blues material than any one man, his voice in seemingly great condition, as only he can sing it. He still plays with a fire and intensity that might be typical of a man half his age. This is some of the most intense Blues vocals, high over the music, and guitar playing that you will hear anywhere. The crowds loved it and were shoulder to shoulder during the entire performance.

Sunday was a delight, with just the right energy for the day. This was some fine music, kicked off by the Backtrack Blues Band , a local band led by the festival's promoter, Chuck Ross . They have been a favorite every year. A nice, rockin' band with great players, Chuck plays some mighty fine harp and is still able to run the entire festival like a lion tamer. That's a helluva job, Chuck! Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets , with Sam Myers , took off right away, albeit short their own drummer, but with a very fine stand-in: sounded just right for everyone to start swinging that thing. Anson was right on the money, as usual, with his beautifully thought-out and precise guitar. Sam Myers has the ability to make their music swing just right, which comes from his long experience. I always love their brand of Blues.

Bernard Allison , crack guitarist and singer, took over the stage, with a fine band and some hot licks. He left the stage to go out with the crowd, stopping to do some tongue-licks on his axe at the sound booth. His way with the crowd was infectious and he could hardly return to the stage for more fiery tunes. Marcia Ball rounded off the evening, but she always takes the fun and good times music to the edge. Her guitarist, Pat Boyack , has a new solo album out that was the talk of the show. Marcia sounded better than I have ever heard her. The music was joyful, exhilarating, and right on the button. She is a treasure and really looked like she thoroughly enjoyed the whole set. A rockin' band, for sure! 

Otis Clay and his stirring Soul, Blues, and Gospel style brought out the Sunday night feeling with strong vocals, background singers, and some healthy guitar licks. His brand of soul is way better than any remnant of the great Soul music of the '60s. He has it firmly in hand and knows how to make this style blend into the Blues atmosphere. He never fails to bring back those Soul feelings with a friendly smile and great stage presence. Professional to the end! With some Al Green covers and Otis Redding 's "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay," his show made the evening close perfectly. All in all, the Tampa Bay Blues Festival was another fine one, in a long line of great festivals. It's the perfect fest to kick the year off that's for sure! Plan on this one next year, folks!

© 2004, Gary W. Miller

BluesSource.com

(Edited & Published by Blueswax, 04/22/2004)

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