Friday Night At The Canal Bank Shuffle
October 19
Jill West & Blues Attack @ the Holy Rosary Hall
Started the night out with Pittsburgh's Jill West jumpin' the blues at the HRH...I believe I'm havin' another blues attack...a groovin' opening set for Sugar Ray.
Sugar Ray Norica & the Bluetones @ the Holy Rosary Hall
...smokin' dynamite...willie johnson...willie steel...step on it, step on it, play that guitar till it
smokes...house rockin' boogie...early 50's Chicago blues a'la Walter & Wolf plus Lazy Lester Excello & a smattering of rock-a-billy...stand-up bass...official guitar parts...& the harp!...if the Chessmen were together still today?...you women heard of jalopies you heard the noise they make...I couldn't believe it...I couldn't sit still...get on up & dance!...but time to move on...
Paul Reddick & the Sidemen @ Castaways
...down the street & around the corner to see Paul Reddick...Paul is the total opposite of Sugar Ray
when it comes to material but when they both pay tribute to Chicago style harp they both know what it's all about...Paul reinterprets the Blues & pulls it off & as Holger Peterson sez' " Paul's a blues poet"...later walkin' down Thorold's Front street coming back from seeing Harrison Kennedy @ the Brownstone Pub Paul's harp is wailin' out the front door of Castaways & rockin' up all up & down the block...people on the streets being pulled this way & that by the sounds coming out of club doorways...& next block up Steve Strongman has just started his set at the Summit & his sound is pourin' out the door & onto Front Street...& all in the name of local charities...
...as much as I like blues guitar both harp players I heard Friday night have what it takes to make my legs shake & heart skip a beat....just gotta' dance!
Harrison Kennedy @ the Brownstone Pub
...meanwhile down at the bottom of Front Street Harrison Kennedy is doin' his 'thang'...jammin' the blues...
stretchin' it out...austere but right on guitar parts...a little Sonny Terry style harmonica...& Keith Lindsay's organ & keyboard sounds provide perfect accompaniment...& in some songs Keith swtiches to
his squeeze box & I get goose bumps from the sounds...& a special treat tonight Hamilton's Danny Lockwood on drums layin' down the beat...it's my thing do what ya' wanna' do...great funky blues sounds from the Hammer!
WSNB, upstairs at the Canadian Corps
...we play some nasty blues...& they do...
that's as far as I got... bunch of young dudes strivin' to keep the 'blues' alive...
satisfied & filled to the brim with the blues I headed back home!
I say Hey! Hey! The Blues Is Alright!
