Blues Festival Wrap-up: Great Music, Rain, Otis Taylor and Why I am in Love with his Bass Player
Well, my adventure at the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival is over for another year. I had such a blast. Folks, this is the largest free blues festival in the country. It is a festival that, somehow, manages to get better every year. You will have to pay through the nose to get food and drinks, and on a hot day like this, you’ll need that, but the music more than makes up for it.
When I first got there I was just in time to catch most of Shorty Mack and his Magnificent R&B Blues Band performing on the U.S. Cellular Front Porch stage, which is the first stage you see. The sun was out, but there were plenty of places to sit in the shade. Shorty was rocking the house and sweating his behind off, wiping his face constantly.
Right after that, it was time to wander off and spend a lot of money on a 1 liter bottle of water. For that and the food you need tickets. I nursed that bottle the rest of the day and then headed over to the Gibson Guitar Crossroads stage, facing the lake, to catch Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band.
What the hell is Zydeco? Is it really blues? There is a lot of “my woman done left me” lyrics going on but you have an accordion and metal worn on the front of some dude’s chest that he plays with…I dunno…sticks or sporks or whatever. I am not a huge fan, but I was in a good mood and the music was upbeat.
I then spent too much money getting just a few barbecued baby back ribs. I followed that up by eating the most gigantic and most-delicious piece of watermelon I have ever had. Thank you Dominicks!
It was then over to the Mississippi Juke Joint stage to catch Theodis Ealey. Theodis was also playing later at the main stage with his full band, but this performance was something to see. This was low-down dirty Mississippi Delta blues, folks. Plus, it was historic. He played with his two older brothers. Theodis is 61. His next oldest brother (his name, when pronounced by Theodis, sounded to me like YZ) is 71 and he played. Then they brought out his oldest brother, Bubba, who is 81 and he managed to bring the house down playing amazing guitar and singing blues in a quavery voice that made me think of old vinyl blues records you would find in a used record store. According to Theodis, they have not played live before.
Theodis is that kind of blues player that has a story before each song and then says, “So, I wrote a song about it? Wanna hear it?”
I then wandered a short way to the Maxwell Street Stage and caught Chicago native Steve Arvey. Steve has a voice like someone gargling with gravel and does the blues like you wouldn’t believe. I bought his damn CD and got him to autograph it right there beside the stage. Maxwell street is historic to Chicag blues and Arvey fits right in and carries on the tradition beautifully.
Then came the big show. Otis Taylor. Otis Taylor. Otis Taylor. Otis Taylor. I want you to repeat after me: OTIS TAYLOR. He spells it O-T-I-S T-A-Y-L-O-R. I wrote about him earlier this week and was anxious to see this show. Holy crap. Holy Moses. Holy Cow.
Otis’ new album is called “Reclaiming the Banjo.” YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS BAND LIVE. Beg, borrow, steal. Hitchhike, hop freight cars. Do whateve you have to do to see this band live. The Sad Salamanders are the official jazz band of the Jazz and Blue Lounge. I can only wish Otis Taylor would become the official blues band.
There’s only one problem. I think I am in love with Otis’ oldest daughter, back-up vocalist and bass player. Cassie Taylor! Oh, I love you girl. You can keep all of your supermodels and movie stars, just give me Cassie with her gorgeous curly red hair strutting and curling around that bass sexily. Lord help me! My apologies Otis…but damn!
Had there been doors around Grant Park, Otis would have blown them off. Had they put a roof over the park, he would have blown that off too. They were just, simply, and without any exaggeration AAAWWWWWEEEEESSSSSOOOOOOOMMMMMEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Then I got a text message telling me there was a tornado. The the sky got dark. Then it started raining big, giant fat drops of rain so hard it hurt. I got soaked. Otis finished his set early, then came back and played MORE to thank everyone for hanging out during the rain.
Whooo… What a day. Buckwheat Zydeco is the big headline act tonight. I alread saw one Zydeco performance for the day, plus you throw in tornados, and I am done. I had a blast, wish I could see BB King tomorrow, and will be back next year.
See you then.
Oh, and Cassie Taylor! I am but a humble blogger, and a struggling writer…
Comments Off