Jam host Arthur James
Lead by the inestimable Arthur James on vocals, guitar, and jam management, yesterday’s Sunday afternoon blues jam at Riley’s Place in Milford, New Hampshire proved an energetic event dotted with talented singers and musicians.
Arthur James lead the house band, himself with Rick King on drums and “Barson” on bass. Barson goes by his one and only stage name. The trio jumped right into a Mose Allison song, complete with a swaggering guitar line, sweet riffs Arthur James kept injecting in pleasant intervals. The Arthur James trademark masculine rasp was another of his tools.
Moving onto “Things Aren’t No Better” the trio showed what they could do with a snappier groove, a faster thump, playing a shorter meter.
Playing Barson’s own “Bye Bye, Baby” found a deep vibe in his bass, a thick sound he delivered. This supported his growling belt and his fine harmonies with Arthur James, enriching his sad tale of loss. The trio then tackled the action paced “I’m Ready” with authentic harp from Bill Luneau.
The Clavis Brudon
Taking the stage next was The Clavis Brudon Band, a country-ish quartet with guitar, bass, harmonica, assorted percussion instruments sans drummer. Harmonica player and singer Otis Doncaster opened their set with a rich, vibrant harp line that locked right into the groove. Their groove was so solid one does not even notice at first that they don’t have a drummer as they played “One’s Too Many (And A Hundred Ain’t Enough)” by The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Going into The Band’s “Evangeline” The Clavis Brudon Band successfully recreated the lilting, weepy melodic pace with Doncaster’s exuberant harp and Clarke’s washboard groove and harmony vocal. The band’s second vocalist, Stephen Clarke,” applied his husky voice, enveloping all instruments and the room itself into his large talent.
Tremendous tension developed between guitar (Kevin Visnaskas) and bass (John Bruner) when The Clavis Brudon Band went into Levon Helm’s “When I Go Away.” That put a serious stamp underneath the mind blowing harmonies atop the song, a gospel choir like finale. Performing the rhythmic groove song “Crazy (Falling Back In Love)” by the John Hall Band, Clavis Brudon got the whole room clapping along. Clearly, there is something special about The Clavis Brudon Band
Tammy Frances
Another line up featured the house trio supporting local singer Tammy Francis. Francis handled “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” with aplomb, her twangy, amicable approach doing justice to the loping groove the boys laid down beneath her vocal.
Versatile, Ms. Frances managed the floating, dreamy lyrical delivery of “Can’t Find My Way Home.” Using her chirpier timbre, she traveled around the sweet guitar lines in that song. Frances balanced her voice atop the simple tension the band developed for “Ain’t No Sunshine,” straddling its deep flex groove and its tender mercy guitar riffs. Arthur James proved his salt playing B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone” with every lick, sustain, and accented note he whipped out while staying in line with the band’s sharp timing.
Dylan Schouten
Riley’s Place and its Sunday jam casts a wide net. A youth musician named Dylan Schouten played a very tasteful guitar line on the Jimi Hendrix classic “Red House.” Likewise, he proved his worth with Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor.” Schouten was soon joined by acoustic guitar wielding Nick Morrissey, a fine player who brought a county blues and rockabilly flavor to his set.
Another local harp master, Dave Glannon, brought his deep pockets harmonica to the table. Glannon’s sly, mischievous sound matched the deep rich saxophone work of Craig Thomas during their team up on Ray Charles’s “I’ve Got News,” biting sadness coming from the harmonica, soulful pain wafting out of Thomas’s sax, grinding out mean riffs, furious notes that promised to keep coming.
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Glannon conjuring a lively party vibe with the motivational “Got My Mojo Workin’,” one that increased the energy level in an already hopping joint. Boston-based guitarist Bruce Kaiser made quite an impression playing mean, lean six string phrases and drummer Carol Chaplin helped keep a set on meter.
Arthur James relinquished control near the end, turning the reigns over to co-host John Mann. The John Mann perspective included a twitching “Let Me Love You, Baby” as well as Mann eventually leading the band through the flippant lyrics of “Honey Hush.”
I was too busy taking notes to order anything on the menu or at the bar. Yet, the feedback on such around the room was quite positive and the waitstaff was busy. A wooden structure and decor made for a homey, comfortable vibe. Owned and operated by Kimberly King, Riley’s Place is only two months away from its first anniversary. Her Sunday jam is only one of many musical offerings at her comfort food restaurant, and it will be interesting to see how popular this 29 Mont Vernon Street music venue will become in the coming years.
Riley’s Place | Milford NH | Facebook
