Robert's Review of Bull Durham Blues Festival at Durham Athletic Park , 9/12-13/99

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The 12th annual Bull Durham Blues Festival was held for two nights in the old Durham Bulls ballpark in a break between hurricanes. Each night had its own reward ranging from piedmont style acoustic blues to swinging California / Chicago blues. This festival had an absolutely amazing review of blues styles and all remarkably came off well. Seventy-Five year old John Jackson played the old Piedmont styles blues while Eric Bibb brought a new voice to the same legacy. Floyd Dixon played an old style piano and sax dominated blues while Honey Piazza starred on wild boogie piano with the Rod Piazza Mighty Flyers. And while Robert Cray played a new soul sound born of R&B and Shemika Copeland played a brassy Koko Taylor style while Pops, Mavis, Cleo led the Staples Singers in a gospel born R&B sound. Once again the festival brought to light talent from all ends of the blues and made them fit.

John Jackson plays a piedmont style guitar with a healthy dose of ragtime as well as blues. Familiar numbers included "San Francisco Bay Blues" and "Midnight Special." But it was upbeat ragtime instrumentals that were a special treat. His versatility and personality had the crowd demanding an encore that is rare for an act so early in the evening.

Eric Bibb recently returned to the States and brought a modern slant to long time folk / blues style songs. Bibb may get lost in the market because of the similarity to Keb Mo but he sings his own heart and sounds great. Although the sound engineers could have done a better job on the other guitarist who played with him. Singing songs about Nelson Mandela and introspective blues Bibb is a smooth sounding performer.

Shemekia Copeland stole Friday's night show. I've heard about her shows and Handy nominations and Friday night she lived up to it. Koko Taylor can rest easy she's not the last great female blues belter around. She played "Big Loving Women" and "Turn the Heat Up" with a great band featuring some hot guitar work and Donya Oxford on keyboards.

Shemekia is not shy talking to the audience between songs and welcoming her north Carolina family to the show. She's not shy during the songs either gyrating to music and belting out the blues and enticing the audience to join in on "My Kind of Guy". An energetic and professional performance that wowed the audience.

Robert Cray was the headliner Friday night touring to support his excellent R&B album "Take off your Shoes". Robert is very polite and somewhat stilted talking to the audience but he sings an echo of Otis and plays some of the most pointed solos around. A great album with a solid band and for this night he had the Memphis Horns. They opened with "Love Gone to Waste" from the album and also added "24-7 Man, Pardon", "That Wasn't Me" (which was too slow that late in the set), "Right Next Door", and "Smoking Gun". Cray was in fine voice and played his usual crisp well thought out solos. Jim Pugh added some nice organ work as well. The Memphis horns Wayne Jackson on Trumpet & Andrew Love on saxophone - long time players on numerous records - added punch to a number of songs but only had a chance to shine on the ending jam where they each played perfect solos - not a not to waste and a not a note missing.

Floyd Dixon leads a 50's style piano and sax band that swings, shuffles, plays the blues, and adds a little New Orleans spice to some number. Best know for his hit "Hey Bartender" they also played "Ooh-Eee! Ooh-Eee!, Call Operator 210", one song for the late Charles Brown, and Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill". This is a great sound that is lacking from the airwaves these days. You have got to love those rolling piano keys and meaty sax solos. I've also enjoyed sounds by Champion Jack Dupree and Professor Longhair so it was great to hear it live.

Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers won the 1999 Handy award as best blues band of the year and seeing them live you can tell why. What a hot band from Rod on harp to Honey on Piano this band swings the blues at a frantic pace without losing the feeling. But Rod and Honey aren't alone the whole band is made of great musicians who can solo or duet with ease. Everyone was up and jumping to this band. "Murder in the First Degree" and Honey's duet with drummer Steve Mugalian were just some of the highlights.

Pops Staples was next looking forward to his 84th birthday next month. He started a little shaky (bad cable on the guitar threw him off) but worked through singing a warning about "Miss Cocaine" and talk about the history of his family. Then the daughters and the band joined him on-stage and the Staple Singers closed out the festival with a string of gospel, funk, R&B hits including "Respect Yourself" , "I'll take you there", and "Lets Do it Again". There was more dancing from a very diverse audience in terms of both age and race.

This was a pair of evenings with great music, weather and crowds. The only dampers where some sound problems that showed up periodically both days. It's tough to do a festival but I hope they raise enough funds to update the capabilities for next year. It's hard to beat a couple of Carolina nights lying down in the outfield eating ribs, drinking beer and listening to the blues.



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