The Undaunted Professor Harp came into Wilton, New Hampshire last Saturday night to do his blues thing at Nelson’s Candies/Local’s Café, down on Main Street. Professor Harp and his men treated the local audience to savory blues and oldies rock and roll songs that just can’t be found within miles of last Saturday night’s location. That blues music also sound extra good in Nelson’s long, cavernous music hall.
The Professor, along with guitarist Tom Williams, bassist Hal York, and drummer Ken Gardiner, opened his show with some smoky harmonica phrasing. Bits of yesteryear blues blew in every interval of notes. Leading the band through this opening instrumental, the Professor got the players to build a hefty rhythm section groove beneath his gritty harp playing.
Moving into more jump territory, guitarist Tom Williams slapped out some steady riffage and assertive chops on “All Night Long.” Trading in his harp for lead vocal duty, the Professor impressed with his booming low tenor/high baritone vocal. Yet, the guitar was the shining star here. Jumpy chords and twitchy notes made the number rock.
Harp and his team slid right into Slim Harpo’s “Got Love If You Want It.” Here, the harmonica phrase slithered like a snake through a swampy, muddy sound. Harp also belted the legendary lyrics with more of his booming vocal, making this song feel full, hearty, and hefty. His harp phrase near the close out was humming with excitement.
The Professor and his men, needless to say, paid tribute to the late, great B.B. King. The blues quartet performed B.B. King’s early hit “Baby, Look At You.” Tom Williams let loose with a feisty intro before Harp belted with his commanding high baritone, a full, handsome vocal melody line. His rich, hefty timbre was formidable, holding its own against several other timeless singers who have sung and recorded this song since its original release. Harp and his boys built up a mountain of tension. Rising guitar energy and an authoritative rhythm section delivered a powerhouse rendition.
After playing Jimmy Rogers “Walking By Myself” with a thick, jaunty groove, the players went into Wilson Pickett‘s “I’m A Midnight Mover,” giving it the rock and roll treatment. Drummer Ken Gardiner was smacking the skins like a drummer from the early days of rock and roll, smacking the skins with adept touches. Locking into a fibrous groove with bassist Hal York, they pumped out a full bodied, humming low end line. Harp, meanwhile, blew out a Hammond organ like phrase through his electric harmonica amp.
A song Professor Harp had recorded for himself in Austin, Texas called “How Does It Feel” felt like it could’ve been a hit back in the day, a time when hit songs were actually good. Its rocking chair groove was meaningfully deep, laden with a juicy undercurrents, while the vocal and upper register instruments moved around on top of it like precise dancers.
Another Slim Harpo classic, “You’ll Be Sorry One Day,” found the band pumping out a thickened, hopped up groove and a dominant, assertive, guitar lick. Moving onto Rosco Gordon’s “That’s What You Do To Me,” the foursome employed a stomping groove, flinty guitars in place of the original’s saxophone, and the Professor’s beefy vocal. Professor Harp made us feel it as he told this tale of a lover’s affect on her admirer.
Professor Harp’s backing band opened the second set with a couple of tightly played numbers. “Low Tide” by Freddie King was a punchy blues instrumental with driving rhythm and sharp guitar licks, each interval of notes brought out a biting pride. Hal York sang the famed Junior Wells song “Kansas City” with his deep, gravelly, whiskey-soaked vocals making it come alive in colors and tones.
Moving into jazz territory, the Professor got a chance to blow a 1960s organ timbre through his amp during a Joe Zawinul number, “Mercy Mercy,” making for a pleasant ride through the past. Harp and his boys next got into more aggressive blues. “All Your Love(I Miss Loving)” by Otis Rush featured some exciting guitar lines and the Professor belting the lyrics with tremendous strength. Their version felt closer to John Mayall And The Blues Breaker’s rendition.
Harp put heart and soul into Chris Kenner’s “Something You Got,” a New Orleans styled blues before leading his band through a Wilson Pickett trilogy and closing out with the blues romp “Three Time Loser.”
Professor Harp and Nelson’s Candies are two great tastes that taste great together. The spacious row of tables and chairs made for a comfortable atmosphere as well as great acoustics. The Professor’s harmonica phrases sounded fantastic as they traveled down from the stage area to the store’s front windows. If you haven’t seen Professor Harp yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. If you haven’t been to Nelson’s Candies yet, you don’t know what you’re not hearing in this room.
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