Blues music legend Willie Dixon liked to say, “Blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits,” to explain the influence of that genre on other forms of music. But as the music progresses, the roots of blues music itself are sometimes heard less often, lost in the cacophony of over-amplified electric guitarists with pedalboards the size of dinner tables. Fortunately, two young bluesmen, neither of them more than 33 years old, are preserving and promoting the roots.
Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton and Jontavious Willis have paired together for a brief tour that found its way to the Auburn Public Theater on Sunday, November 17. Playing to an intimate, attentive audience of perhaps 60 people.
Jontavious Willis and Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton
Paxton opened the evening, displaying comfortable ease in switching from guitar, to banjo, to harmonica, and then fiddle throughout his set. He covered a range of jazz, ragtime, train songs, and acoustic blues. Incorporating finger-picking, flat-picking, and slide playing styles. Paxton also utilized particularly bawdy humor that was often a staple of both minstrel shows and blues songs that hark back to the ’20s and ’30s. A skilled storyteller, Paxton explained how songs came to influence him, through his family and personal experiences, or through their historical significance. His music can be found here.
Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton
Jontavious Willis followed with more of the same styles of roots and blues music, though many were more contemporary in origin, including original songs of his. A popular performer in Central New York, Willis has also performed in Norwich and Syracuse, and was returning to Auburn after a very well-received show just last year. Willis released his highly acclaimed recording Spectacular Class, in April of this year, produced by Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. It is available here.
The duo paired for an impromptu song at the back of the audience, before returning to the stage for one final song together. The setting, and smaller crowd, made for a distinct connection between the musicians and the audience, and shaped the evening into an enjoyable journey back to times, places, and songs that impacted what is heard today in blues, roots, Americana music, and more.
Jerron Paxton and Jontavious Willis ask the audience for one more song.
I can imagine it is sometimes difficult to be called an Americana band. I’ve heard a number of music fans hear that description and respond, “You mean they sound like Mumford and Sons, or The Avett Brothers?” That response is not only limiting, it’s unfair. Listening to The Drunken Hearts pending release, Wheels of the City, dispels the notion that they are a one dimensional entity. There is country, with pedal steel and banjo, as well as elements of soul, some of the classic Laurel Canyon sound, touches of rock comparable to Drive-By Truckers, and alt-country stylings reminiscent of Son Volt.
The Drunken Hearts
The album, recorded at Denver’s Silo Sound Studios, starts out with “Fire in a House,” slowly building an intro, leading to a verse, a piano melody, and continuing with layers of other instrumentation and backing vocals. The tune eventually deconstructs to some degree toward the end, sonically arriving back where it began. “Alive ‘n Free” reflects the overall upbeat feel of Wheels of the City, as evidenced by the lyrics
“Sometimes in life, you get to where you want to / Sometimes in love, you fall just where you’re meant to / Sometimes this world shows you how to be free / Alive ‘n free.”
The addition of strings and a female accompanying vocal on “Passchendaele” lend a sense of sad elegance to a song about one of the most prolonged battles of World War I, and a soldier discovering lost love after returning home from war. “In the Middle” is an uptempo tune that can easily have the listener singing along, tapping their toes and swaying to the music.
“Two Hearts (On a Limb)” perhaps best fits the “Americana” genre, although The Drunken Hearts display a much broader range than any one single style. That range is displayed on “Wheels of the City.” The title tune begins with a country music feel, and as horns come in midway through the song, it morphs a bit into a soul sound. That subtle transition reflects the chameleon-like qualities of the songs, and the band as a whole. By virtue of the way the songs take advantage of multiple band members’ instrumental skills, this may well be a group that hits its stride in live performances more so than in a recording studio. That’s not to say Wheels of the City is lacking in any way, it’s simply that some bands build their chops over the course of hundreds of live gigs, and the band took a decidedly different approach to this release – writing and recording eleven new songs in eleven days, rather than recording familiar pieces that had been road tested.
The album closes with “The Cave,” which begins with a spoken word intro and leads into an instrumental section which is markedly different than the rest of the album. As noted, the band’s novel approach to this recording was a rather daring roll of the dice, with unknown possibilities.
Wheels of the City will be released on multiple platforms as well as the band’s website on Friday, October 18. For more about the band, click here.
Key Tracks: Alive ‘n Free, Two Hearts (On a Limb), Wheels of the City
The Drunken Hearts current tour will provide opportunities to see them throughout New York State. All five of those shows are in support of Yonder Mountain String Band. The Saturday, October 19 show will be a homecoming of sorts for bassist and vocalist Jon Macartan, a native of nearby Guilderland, New York, in the capital region. The New York State days are listed below.
Wednesday, October 16, at Buffalo’s Tralf Music Hall Tickets here.
Thursday, October 17, at Center for the Arts of Homer Tickets here.
Saturday, October 19, at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs Tickets here.
Thursday, November 11 at Brooklyn Bowl Tickets here.
Sunday, November 17 at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock Tickets here.
To paraphrase the Downchild Blues Band, the 2019 Chenango Blues Festival had everything you need, almost. The lone exception was a few bouts of rain and lightning. Even then, the staff anticipated the weather, advised festival-goers, revised the schedule, kept things rolling with minimal interruptions, and were rewarded with a spectacular rainbow once the rain subsided.
Norwich’s native son, Brian Golden, kicked things off on the main stage. Golden has a long history of playing in Syracuse-area bands before eventually moving to Nashville, where he met his wife and band mate, Aletha. The Brian Golden Blues Experiment encompasses his interest in blues, but also makes room for Aletha Golden’s powerful voice on soul/R&B/gospel-styled songs, which included a powerful cover of “I Shall Be Released.” More information is available here.
Up
next on the main stage was a returning crowd favorite, Johnny
Sansone. A multi-instrumentalist, Sansone had fans up and dancing
with his energetic accordion playing on zydeco tunes, adding Delta
blues and swamp rock numbers throughout the set.
Johnny Sansone
The tent stage is traditionally where CBF presents emerging solo/duo acts, or artists that might cover different ground than traditional blues. There were a couple of highly anticipated performers there, beginning with Jontavious Willis. At just 23 years old, he has caught the attention of venerable blues men Keb’ Mo’ and Taj Mahal, who combined as Producer and Executive Producer on Willis’ Spectacular Class, released in April of this year and available for purchase here. Willis proved to exceed expectations, showing prowess, showmanship, an easy rapport with the audience, and surprising covers of a roof-raising version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say?” and a crowd sing-along on Prince’s “Kiss.” This is an artist not to be missed.
Jontavious Willis
“When I heard him play I said to myself: this is how the blues, as I know it, is going to stay alive. Jontavious Willis is the first blues musician I’ve seen in over 30 years that I would pay to see – and he’s only 20 years old! I’ve seen the best. Jontavious is the real deal.” [Paul Oscher, noted blues musician, and former harmonica player in the Muddy Waters Band]
Multiple Blues Music Award winner and Grammy nominee Danielle Nicole took the stage for an abbreviated set cut short by the first rainfall of the day, which made it impossible for her to continue on the main stage. Still, she displayed the powerful vocals and driving bass guitar that were staples of her debut album Wolf Den and last year’s Grammy nominated Cry No More. Hear her music and check out her tour schedule here.
With rain falling, the infield crowd shoehorned into the tent stage area to see Pokey LaFarge. A performer with a distinct vintage fashion style, LaFarge’s set had elements of ragtime, swing, country, and certainly blues. He was often hilarious and seemed joyous to receive such an enthusiastic response. A highlight was his very recently penned tune, “There’s Always Something to Drink About.” LaFarge commented that he wrote the song a few days prior to the festival, after contemplating his decision to “try” to quit drinking last month.
“…those…storms that rip up the world as you know it, and leave, like a sacrifice, a rainbow to make you forget what has come before.” ― Jodi Picoult, Picture Perfect
While festival staff scrambled to protect equipment and clean up the main stage, it was decided not to wait, but to switch the Downchild Blues Band from the main stage to the tent stage. Frankly, it was a stroke of genius as the legendary band, celebrating their 50th anniversary, was able to replicate the feel of pulsating, crowded Canadian venues they had played for upwards of 250 to 300 shows a year for many of those years. Led by top-notch harmonica player and guitarist Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh, with award-winning vocalist Chuck Jackson, the group played songs from throughout their history, including their famous “Shotgun Blues” and “I’ve Got Everything I Need (Almost),” as well as the high-energy “Mississippi Woman, Mississauga Man” from their 2017 release, Something I’ve Done, which features songs written by five different band members. The band’s impressive history and music can be found here.
Joe Louis Walker had a couple of surprises for fans during his set. Piano player extraordinaire Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, easily the best-dressed person in attendance, joined what had initially been billed as a trio. Walker is a familiar face to Central New York blues fans, having played in Utica years ago and more recently at Funk N Waffles in Syracuse. He shared stories of the elder blues men that gave him a chance when he was just starting out and paid tribute by playing a song by Earl Zebedee Hooker. The second surprise was when Walker paid it forward by inviting Jontavious Willis to join him. Willis looked elated as he grabbed Walker’s red and black Greco guitar and smiled all throughout his time onstage.
Once
the rain ended and the
rainbow appeared, perennial
blues festival circuit favorite Tab Benoit took to the main stage. A
dynamic guitar player with a distinct vocal style that mixes his
Cajun roots with a whiskey-soaked sound more often heard in country
music, Benoit is an original in a genre that often relies on familiar
forms. A power trio with just Benoit and a rhythm section, the band
had fans crowding up front and singing and dancing along.
Tab Benoit
Closing out the day was Mississippi Heat band leader Pierre Lacocque, an impressive harmonic player and singer in his own right, directing a slightly stripped down touring version of the band, which sometimes features a horn section and multiple guitarists. The band still packed a punch and Lacocque was perfectly willing to share the stage and shine a light on the other performers, including the magnetic Carla Stinson on vocals for several songs and very special guest, Chicago legend Lurrie Bell on guitar and vocals.
Now in its 27th year, the Chenango Blues Festival is revered by fans far and wide. They have a fantastic knack of identifying and presenting emerging artists that create thousands of brand new fans. Valerie June, Ghost Town Blues Band, Davina and the Vagabonds, Southern Avenue, Nikki Hill, and Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton come to mind in just the last few years. They also showcase known crowd pleasers and veteran acts that deserve an appreciative, responsive audience. They treat fans and artists with respect, pay attention to details, and just do things right. It’s a simple formula, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple to do. However, those are exactly the reasons why it is many fans’ favorite festival each and every year.
Woods Fest Music Festival is quickly becoming a “can’t miss” event in Central New York, featuring many of the best emerging and established bands in the region and New England.
The all-day festival also featured a Super Jam to finish the night on the big stage. The jam saw members of Nina’s Brew and The Old Main joining Annie in the Water on stage to finish the festival. Following the outdoor festivities, the music continued inside the lodge until sunrise.
Syracuse-based keyboard player Mark Nanni has recently released a CD titled Towns & Spaces In Between. It is a wide-ranging disc that represents the breadth of the artist’s playbook, encompassing jazz standards, original tunes, popular songs from James Taylor, and selections from the Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead songbook. He touches on classical, blues, and ragtime as well. It begins with a twist on Irving Berlin’s “Russian Lullaby” that allows Nanni to showcase his technique with precision and elegance. A different take on “Bye Bye Blackbird” catches the listener’s ear before leading into a couple of original songs such as “Sweet Danielle,” and “Royalty.” Perhaps the biggest surprise on the recording is the last tune, “Sonatina in G,” by Beethoven.
The CD was recorded live with no overdubs. While I admire the artist’s choice, there were a few places in which the vocals maybe could have used a little touch of enhancement, when overtaken by Nanni’s impressive keyboard playing. A minor point, to be sure, as his vocals serve the songs well. It’s just that Nanni’s piano and organ skills are so dazzling.
Photo Credit: Sandy Roe
For those unfamiliar with the work of Mark Nanni, Towns & Spaces In Between is a great introduction to the range of his abilities. I would hope the CD, and this review, each serve as an impetus to go see him live. The artist is at his best when able to stretch out on pieces, whether as a solo artist, or with the Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Hollow, or The Intention, Mark Nanni’s long-standing jazz ensemble.
Highlights: “Changes” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” “Sonatina in G”
The artist’s schedule is available at through his Facebook page here.The artist’s CD can also be purchased at his shows, or through his website here.
moe.down 17 took place at its original home July 4-6, 2019, at Snow Ridge in the Tug Hill Plateau town, Turin, following a one-year hiatus. The Independence Day weekend featured steamy temperatures and equally scorching sets.
The host band performed seven sets over the course of three days, as well as stints with side projects and sit-ins throughout. This festival has always been a family-oriented affair and this year’s moe.down proved no different — from guest spots from moe. bassist Rob Derhak‘s kids to drummer Vinnie Amico’s dedication of a cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Blue Sky,” to his daughter, who was celebrating her 19th birthday over the weekend. moe.down XVII was the family affair it has always set out to be.
The moePods reunited at moe.down for a Friday afternoon set. Comprised of members of Ominous Seapods and moe., the band first got together at a sold out show at Cohoes Music Hall in January of this year and reconvened at moe.down. A true Wetlands reunion took place during this set when Lo Faber of God Street Wine, another of this year’s moe.down bands, joined the moePods onstage. All three bands came up through the second wave jamband scene of the early ’90s together and the mutual love was obvious onstage.
Highlights of the weekend included an amped-up set from Cory Wong of Vulfpek with his band, all in matching outfits. The guitarist displayed his fret skills while the band funked up the main stage to kick off the music Saturday afternoon.
Drive By Truckers brought a little bit of southern grind to the Tug Hill Saturday, delivering a blistering late afternoon set on the main stage that attracted more and more festival-goers throughout the set.
The weekend was filled with a lot of positivity and small-town vibes one can only find at Snow Ridge this time of year. moe.’s seven sets over the weekend proved that they’re not standing still. Several new songs made it into the setlists and the accompanying light show was on point throughout.
The roots rock band Eastbound Jesus and Guthrie/Bell Productions have targeted the weekend after Labor Day for the Fourth Eastbound Throwdown at Irwin Farm in Salem, New York. The festival presents local and regional acts in styles including bluegrass, Americana, roots, and rock. The idyllic setting in the rolling hills of Eastern New York State adds to the relaxed atmosphere of the two-day event. Just thirty minutes east of Saratoga Springs, the venue features a hill forming a natural amphitheater facing the Main Stage.
Artwork: Luke Anderson
Performances
will be scheduled on both the Main Stage and the Pond Stage, over the
course of both days. This year’s lineup is not yet complete, but a
limited number of Blind Faith discounted tickets are available at
$50. Once those are sold, the price will be $65.
It is a family friendly event, and all ages are welcome to attend. One ticket price is good for both days and includes camping. Local vendors will offer selected food and beverages, and attendees may bring certain items of their own, as described on the festival website. Additional information and guidelines may also be found there, or by contacting kim@guthriebellproductions with any questions. Tickets are available through both of the links listed above.
The 40th Anniversary Blues Music Award nominations have been announced by The Blues Foundation. Nominees in twenty-five different categories will converge in Memphis on May 9th 2019, at the Cook Convention Center for the award ceremonies and artist performances.
Several Blues Music Award nominees appeared in Central New York venues within the past year, including The Westcott Theater, Funk ‘n Waffles, Wakely’s, the New York State Blues Festival, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and the Chenango Blues Festival. The nominated artists that appeared at these venues are
Larkin Poe – Band of the Year,
Samantha Fish – Contemporary Blues Female Artist, and Contemporary Blues Album – Belle of the West,
Danielle Nicole – Contemporary Blues Female Artist, and Instrumentalist – Bass,
