A hectic Saturday jam-packed with a friend’s wedding, the MAMA Awards, and catching Jentri Colello’s band Flight at The Crystal, topped off on a bluesy note with Joel Paterson and Jim Liban. We missed the first set, which we heard was smoking, though we couldn’t complain about what we heard in the second set… perhaps it was just the right energy and tone for me to wind down for the night. There was plenty of interplay between the artists, with the music sounding fresh and vibrant. Plenty of regulars on the dance floor, but also folks listening attentively, watching Joel’s finger’s sliding over the fretboard, lips pursed in concentration … the intensity is evident in the playing… if you have not heard the Joel Patterson sound before, I suggest you redeem the situation. Catch Joel at his next gig in Madison – the Sugar Maple Festival; Joel’s more regular band, “The Modern Sounds” (jazz, blues, western swing) will perform on the main stage Friday night at 7 pm, the first night of the festival (Aug 6, 2010).
Meanwhile, here are some pictures from another night of the blues at the Harmony:
Madison’s east side favorite Harmony Bar and Grill celebrated it’s 20th Anniversary under the stewardship of Keith Daniels on March 14th last month. A longtime lover and supporter of the blues, Keith decided to throw a mega concert at The Barrymore featuring the Bel-Airs, Westside Andy/Mel Ford Band, The Jimmy’s, Cash Box Kings, Jim Schwall/Andy Ewen Band, the Midwesterners, the Roddys and Jimmy Chuch & The Drunken Sailors. With hour-long sets starting at 1 pm, delicious (and free) food catered by Bunky’s, and the beer flowing, The Barrymore was packed with people before too long. More than 1500 people went through the doors to help Harmony celebrate! Here are some pictures from the late afternoon, early evening sets.. enjoy!
Linsey Alexander, Chicago blues legend was back in town last Friday, cooking up some serious heat on the Harmony dance floor with his stash of raunchy lyrics and mean hand on the guitar. For those of you who have not seen him live, he is quite the character and puts up a performance not to be missed. He is one of the original blues men, transplanted to Chicago’s south side in the 60′s and ever since has channeled the grittiness and rough character of the area through his song. As Linsey puts it “blues music is not hard, it’s just a documentary about life.”
Here are some pictures from the show last weekend. If you missed him in town, catch him at his weekly gig in the windy city at The Kingston Mines Chicago Blues Center. We’re pretty sure he’ll be back in Madison again this year, and will keep you posted.
A hectic Saturday jam-packed with a friend’s wedding, the MAMA Awards, and catching Jentri Colello’s band Flight at The Crystal, topped off on a bluesy note with Joel Paterson and Jim Liban. We missed the first set, which we heard was smoking, though we couldn’t complain about what we heard in the second set… perhaps it was just the right energy and tone for me to wind down for the night. There was plenty of interplay between the artists, with the music sounding fresh and vibrant. Plenty of regulars on the dance floor, but also folks listening attentively, watching Joel’s finger’s sliding over the fretboard, lips pursed in concentration … the intensity is evident in the playing… if you have not heard the Joel Patterson sound before, I suggest you redeem the situation. Catch Joel at his next gig in Madison – the Sugar Maple Festival; Joel’s more regular band, “The Modern Sounds” (jazz, blues, western swing) will perform on the main stage Friday night at 7 pm, the first night of the festival (Aug 6, 2010).
