John Hall is beginning his busy season, summer. Hall is the south shore based booking agent who has brought us Green Harbor Roots Festival and North River Blues Festival at Marshfield Fair for the last 20 plus years. He also organizes the local affiliate of the national AquaPaloooz musical boat ride to promote Sea Ray Boats. If that isn’t enough, he runs a second boat ride, Soundwaves, as a blues cruise across Boston Harbor to Spectacle Island where numerous blues bands entertain for a few hours before heading back to the city.
First up is AquaPalooza on July 16th. For the AquaPalooza event, the New Boston mores off of Peddocks Island while three bands take turns entertaining over the course of four hours. Several dozen other boats will surround the New Boston while the bands perform. One of many Sea Ray promotional events taking place all over the country, the local Boston Harbor AquaPalooza will feature three bands, The Roger Ceresi s All Stars, The Rampage Trio, and The Dirty Dotty’s. The Roger Ceresi’s All Stars, which is made up of former members out Roomful Of Blues, is a horn band based out of Rhode Island. They will play mainstream funk music. “They’re a big band. They do a lot of soul and some blues stuff,” Hall said.
Hall has also tapped Boston’s up and coming award winning band The Dirty Dotty’s for AquaPalooza. “I was there for the New England Music Awards, and I saw them on stage and I thought ‘They’d be a fun band,” Hall said. The Dirty Dotty’s were named Pop Act Of The Year at the NEMA event last spring. Dirty Dotty’s vocalist Julie DiOrio is excited about playing on a boat that will be surrounded by other boats.
“One reason we are psyched to be taking part in this unique and exciting event,” DiOrio said, “is because folks can actually check out our unpretentious originals and nostalgic throwbacks not only from the main stage boat, but also from their own personal vessels. We sure hope everyone has a life vest to match their dancing shoes because we intend to rock the heck out of these boats.”
Coming up on July 23rd, will be the Soundwaves blues cruise, sponsored by Save The Harbor, Save The Bay. “It’s always been a blues festival,” Hall said. Hall’s bands for the day will include Johnny “Blue Horn” Moriconi’s whole band and the Racky Thomas Band. “Everybody knows everybody,” Hall said. “It’s just a day hanging out with friends, making music, listening to the blues, and hanging out at the beach there.”
Last year’s Soundwaves, Hall admitted, was impacted by a faulty weather report. The forecaster made it sound like it was going to rain so half the crowd didn’t show up. This year’s line up will also feature the Basic Black All Stars featuring Sam Gentile, Toni Lynn Washington, Eddie Scheer,
Bruce Bears and Bob Worthington.
Hall’s Green Harbor Roots Festival at the Marshfield Fair will reach its 20th anniversary on August 21 so Hall grabbed some of the most entertaining bands he could find to put on the bill. The lineup for that Sunday, August 21 event will be The Barley Hoppers, Steve Morgan & The Kingfish, Matt Guitar Murphy, Aldous Collins Band, and Paul Thorn, with The Rampage Trio on the side stage.
“I love the band Paul Thorn band down in Fall River. He was available so I grabbed him,” Hall said. “Aldous Collins is a real draw in the South Shore. He’s probably the favorite band on the South Shore.”
Aldous Collins jumped at the chance to play this Marshfield gig. “We are so excited to play Green Harbor Roots Festival because we love the people of Marshfield,” Collins exclaimed. “It’s a historic spot and the line-up is great; looking forward to seeing a lot of friends.”
Hall also tapped Matt Guitar Murphy to perform with the Knickerbocker All Stars. “He’s a classic guy,” Hall said. “He was the guitarist in The Blues Brothers movie.”
Boston Blues Society’s Boston Blues Challenge winners Steve Morgan & The Kingfish earned their spot in this lineup by showing their competitive edge, both in Boston and in Memphis. “They won the battle, so I gave them a gig,” Hall said.
For the North River Blues Festival on August 27 and August 28, Hall has selected national artists like Brandon Santini and Curtis Salgado. “Brandon was nominated for Best Blues Entertainer this year, and Curtis Salgado is a classic. He sang for Santana and he sang with Roomful for a while. He played Marshfield before. He played at The Bailey(after party one year). I had goose bumps that night. It was one of the best shows I ever saw.”
Dirty Blonde, fronted by dynamic, powerhouse singer Cheryl Aruda is also on the bill. Aruda’s blend of blues, R&B, funk, and whatever else she feels like singing can be difficult to categorize. “I like to mix it up,” Hall said. When asked to describe Aruda’s music, Hall said “I don’t know. Party girl.” Hall is also bringing Boston to Memphis blues chanteuse Grace Curran back to the area to perform at the festival with her High Fallutin’ Band. “She’s a hometown favorite,” the organizer said. The August 27 Saturday show will also feature Vinnie Serino & Boston Baked Blues. Tim Gartland Band will perform on the side stage.
For the second day of the North River Blues Festival August 28th, Hall will host Sugaray Rayford and Kenny Neal as headliners. “They’re both great entertainers,” the booker said, “very energetic shows. My hope is, with the mutual respect they have for each other, they’ll probably get up and perform with each other.
Young Neal And The Vipers from Rhode Island, who’ve appealed to Hall for many years, have a landed a spot in his blues festival line up. “Young Neal is not so young any more,” Hall said. “I saw them in 1992, and I thought they were a fantastic band, and I haven’t changed my opinion of them.” The Sunday blues festival will also present Tony Soul Project, Paul Speidel, and Basic Black will be featured on the side stage.
Two boat shows, a roots music festival, and a two day blues festival is only part of what Hall does for the blues scene throughout the year. When asked what’s kept him going for over 20 years, he said: “Putting on a good show. Happy faces in the audience. Satisfied fans. Satisfied musicians. And a satisfied front office.”
After that last quote Hall went back to his day job, another hard working New England blues scene supporter who puts his time in day and night to make it all happen.
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