MUSIC I Got the Blues but I Ain’t Sad
by Travis Cruse
travis_cruse@yahoo.com
I
got the blues and so does Santa Cruz, because the annual blues fes- tival held in Aptos Village Park is
over. Yes, the party filled weekend is over and we are left with only memo- ries, possibly a hangover and that euphoric response from listening to the blues. There is an irony when listening to the blues. The genre is an outlet to sing about your woes and misfortune, yet when you listen to it, especially live, it gives you such pleasure. Every bent note, raspy vocal and slick chord, elicits a deep and profound joy from within. It brings a smile to your face and goose bumps to your skin. It’s a reaction that can only come from the blues and that’s why it’s a shame that blues festivals around the country are straying further and further from the blues each year. Even the awesome Santa Cruz Blues Festival is guilty. For the blues purists out there, this year may have been dis- appointing, but the rest who just want to enjoy good music without worrying about nomenclature, it was bliss. The festival is spread across two days, Saturday and Sunday, and they normally have five acts each day. However, this year things were a little different. On Saturday, there were only four acts because we were all lucky enough to be in the company of Experience Hendrix. This is a group of musicians that are touring the country paying tribute to the late, great Jimi Hendrix. The lineup includes Billy Cox, Steve Vai, Johnny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Keb’ Mo’, Los Lobos, Living Colour, Luther and Cody Dickinson, Chris Layton from Double Trouble, Ernie Isley from the Isley Brothers, Brad Whitford from Aerosmith, Chuck and Darick Campbell and Mato Nanji
from Indigenous. Needless to say this was a long set, just shy of three hours. Yet, even though it was long, it was never dull. Everyone put their own spin on Jimi’s tunes with wonderful creativi- ty, but still kept the soul of Jimi alive in the music.
The other acts that day were Mia Borders, Jackie Greene and Trombone Shorty. Trombone Shorty is an amazing musician and a solid entertainer. He has a grooving band and represents all that is wonderful and hip in New Orleans. People go crazy for Jackie Greene. The New York Times called him “the prince of Americana.” I must be missing a piece of the puzzle, because I don’t see the genius that everyone else does, but to each his own. Mia Borders is a great singer that lit up the stage. She very well could be the next Tracy Chapman. Of the two days, Sunday was by far my favorite. San Jose local Chris Cain opened the day with some down home dirty blues. In addition, he added a bit of his comedy routine between each song. “It’s 11am, I’m hung-over and I’ve already started drinking.” That may have been why his guitar playing was not quite where it normally is, and why the band was a little more sedated than usual. It was still a great way to start the day. Cain was followed by another San Jose local and respected blues man, Tommy Castro. Tommy came out with his cool greaser look and set the place on fire. This man not only can play guitar like the greats, but he has the voice and is expanding on the genre. He’s introducing Latin and funk grooves into straight up Chicago blues and it works.
Sunday was the California day and Dave Alvin is about as California as it
adsales@outandaboutmagazine.com
gets. With a very long career playing rockabilly, punk and pretty much any- thing but the blues, I was unsure of his place at a blues festival. This band was different than anything he had done in the past, but had an identifiable sound. It was so slow – like molasses or how one might feel in the Deep South on a hot summer night. Again not my cup of tea; I require more stimulation and Tower of Power was that stimulation. Tower of Power revolutionized the funk world in 1969 and they’ve been running strong ever since. I challenge you to not dance to their grooves, because everyone in Aptos Park that day couldn’t. The day ended with pop legend Boz Scaggs. Again, Boz was not somebody I was expecting at a blues festival. His radio hits are far from blues, they’re more accurately described as disco, but he came out and blew me away. He started with a hip-grooving shuffle that was beyond good blues. Unfortunately, that was the height of his set. He continued to play a slew of crowd-pleasing radio hits that resem- bled disco more than anything. He fin- ished the night strong, though, with the classic blues song “Loan Me a Dime.” I walked away fulfilled and a little sunburned. As a musician and a music lover, there is nothing better than a weekend of literally doing nothing but sitting and listening to music. There may have been some bumps along the road, but I’m sure the acts I considered “bumps in the road” were others’ favorites. That’s what’s beautiful about music; everyone takes away something different from the same experience. ~Travis Cruse teachers guitar and is currently pursuing a bachelors degree in music. Email him at
travis_cruse@yahoo.com.
Out & About • July 2011 39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60