Major talent rocked 23rd annual North River Blues Festival at Marshfield Fair; Sonya Rae Taylor, Tyler Morris stand out
Last night, the second night of the 23rd annual North River Blues Festival at Marshfield Fair was another successful event produced by south shore booker, promoter John Hall. At a time when blues artists are scrambling to find venues, when blues attendance is down, when blues societies are becoming increasingly irrelevant, it’s good to know […]
Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers made impressive premiere last Saturday for Newburyport Bluescruise, Boat Cruises On The Merrimac River
Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers kicked off the Newburyport Bluescruise, Boat Cruises On The Merrimack River series last Saturday night. With a penchant for old time blues and a motivation to play them hard, EH&TDS cranked out gritty, tasteful renditions of old blues classics as well as their original material based on the older […]
Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers rocked Mansfield last Saturday night
I don’t usually focus as much on national bands as I do New England’s home grown talent. Yet, it isn’t every day this reviewer gets to see two of his favorite bands in one venue. Yes, I’ve been listening to the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan since my childhood in the 1970s. My father had […]
Adam Ezra Group made a rainy day fun during their annual Boston Hahbah Cruise
Adam Ezra Group’s annual Boston Hahbah Boat Cruise was a bit soggy in the middle but snappy and fun at both the beginning and the end of the event. Having decided to remain on the top deck of the Provincetown II for the cruise meant that the band and its loyal audience of fan cap […]
Tokyo Tramps win over audience at Hugh O’Neil’s pub in Malden, Massachusetts last Saturday night
Tokyo Tramps made a strong impression on the patron at Hugh O’Neil’s Restaurant &Pub in Malden, Massachusetts last Saturday night. The husband and wife team of Satoru Nakagawa and Yukiko Fujii along with drummer Jungho Kang from South Korea served up their usual blend of blues, oldies rock and roll, and New Orleans flavored music. […]
Generations Gala featured Elliot Easton, James Montgomery, Charlie Farren, Johnny Glenn, Nicole Michelle
Sponsored by the newly formed Johnny Winter Foundation Of The Arts, the Generations Gala at Club Royale in Boston last Saturday night offered several good servings of music by artists of different genres and age groups. Variety was the key factor as singers and musicians from wide categories were on stage throughout the night. Host […]
Jon Butcher proved a valuable guest player at Parker Wheeler’s Sunday Night Blues Party
Jon Butcher proved a good fit for Parker Wheeler’s 27 year old Sunday Night Blue Party at the Grog in Newburyport, Massachusetts last night. Butch fired off plenty of old school rock and blues licks, bluesy phrases, and even some of his modern takes on everything.
MoGuitar blues band rocked hard at DC’s Tavern in Hooksett, New Hampshire
It’s hard to pinpoint what makes a MoGuitar show so successful. Is it all of the busy guitar techniques utilized by Gordy Pettipas? Is it his assertive vocalizing? Is it the flexibility and variety of grooves coming from the rhythm section of bassist Mike Berkowitz and drummer Garrett Cameron? The trio’s gig last Saturday night at DC’s Tavern in Hooksett, New Hampshire found them rocking the room with tremendous blues power.
HeatherFest 23 added some fun, new twists to a fine New England blues tradition
HeatherFest 23 brought a day of good music and charitable causes to New England blues fans. For those in the blues community who still don’t know, HeatherFest is an annual backyard party/blues music festival behind the spacious home of Norton, Massachusetts resident Heather McKibben. McKibben lines up several blues each year, requests a $25 donation on the way in, and allows charities to set up tents and kiosks on one side of her tremendously huge back lawn. Yesterday, a woman named Sara Tagget from a suicide prevention group, Katrina Tagget Memorial Foundation, made a stirring speech about helping others who may be in despair. The foundation was named after Tagget’s daughter who was lost to suicide in 2008.
The Evenfall Quartet soothed their Tuesday night audience at Hyde Park’s Fairmount Grille
Blue Duchess recording artists The Evenfall Quartet were missing a couple of its members at last night’s continuing residency at The Fairmount Grille in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. Saxophone player Arnie Krakowsky filled in for Mark Earley and piano player John Mulroy subbed for Joe “Sunny” Barbato.
