Blues men Craig Farrington and Alex Trebat have struck a gold mine of talent in Methuen, Massachusetts. Their Wednesday night Open Mic Jam at Muddy Waters Pub & Restaurant ran smooth as a well oiled machine last night, offering a lot of fine players and some of the best song ever recorded.
Last night, the house band, Farrington, bassist Scott Sheehan, second guitarist Rick Shaw, and drummer Leroy Pina(filling in for Trebat) opened with cool energy playing tunes that included “Shakey Ground,” “Down In The Hole,” and “Rainy Night In Georgia.” Farrington has one of those dry, raw vocals that fit that kind of music well, blues, R&B, and soul. The other players showed they had a good feel for those down tempo ballads like “Rainy Night In Georgia.”
After the house band had strut their stuff at the beginning, singer Lise Miller took to the microphone like a fish to water. Drummer Forest Wentworth hit the skins ever so rightly behind her while guitarist Mike Resta picked off some prime blues notes, making the audience hear the tone in each. Miller could go pro if she had the time. She displayed a crisp timbre and a character voice that sets her apart from other local singers. “Chain Of Fools” was a good vehicle for her sassier vocal approach and a great vehicle for Resta’s sharp guitar work, especially his deep, rich chords. Resta nailed down a particularly nice phrase as Miller sang “Hootchie Cootchie Woman.”
Back into blues territory, the house band returned with bassist Dan Danger. Danger is a his real last name. It’s German. Farrington hit the vocal notes with his raspy drawl while the band shadowed him well with brittle guitar, moody bass lines, and Pina’s tasteful stick work. Second guitarist Rick Shaw paid out a fine guitar line on “One Way Out” with Farrington’s strong rhythm guitar supporting the rhythm section well.
Bassist Dan Danger sang “Hey Joe” with rugged persistence as he and the band rocked it, making it one of the strongest songs and performances of the night. An instrumental work out was also hard rocking and fun and then the boys went into “Cold Shot” by Stevie Ray Vaughn. Guitarist Don G, who has a band called Papa D, sang lead vocal and sounded like he meant business.
Pena, adding a touch of Texas badass, sang lead vocals from the drum kit during Z.Z. Top’s “Tush” while Danger sounded nice and edgy with an old fashioned 1970s rumble in his bass.
Next, a trio comprised of Farrington, Pina, and Sheehan played some down and dirty blues. Farrington crooned in a low down street style while pressing out the gentlest blues phrases this side of the Mississippi. Lise Miller eventually came back up to sing some bluesy ballad material. She milked Etta James’s “Don’t Touch Me” for all the emotion it was worth. Miller also handled “Walkin’ The Dog” with ease while Resta pressed out a classy blues guitar line. Miller, with even greater ease, went into Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” caressing those timeless lyrics with her silky voice. The band behind her, Resta, Sheehan, Shaw, and drummer Carlos Avellan hit the right spot emotionally with their adept touches.
“The Sky Is Crying” gave Don G an opportunity to pay out some scorching hot guitar notes while he applied his earthy vocal belt to the words. The foursome turned it into a blues rock extravaganza, blues guitar notes sailing through the air with a rumbling rhythm section keeping the groove thick and muscular. Next, Farrington belted “The Blues Overtook Me” with Don G firing off a feisty guitar line. The boys then closed out the night with “The Letter,” turning the R&B classic into a bluesy hard rocking party song.
Farrington has taken this jam very far. He’s got some truly adept players and some very enthusiastic amateurs participating. This jam puts them all into one melting pot that creates a fun vibe for the room while offering a wide variety of some of the best songs in the American songbook. It also helps that Muddy Rivers Pub & Restaurant is a nice clean place with a good looking interior and a polite clientele. Well done all around.
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