Doc’s Juke Joint

Main Stage, Pocono Blues Festival 2010

Jimmy “Duck” Holmes opened the 19th annual Pocono Blues Festival in true delta style.  Jimmy “Duck” Holmes performed solo on guitar featuring Mississippi Blues Classics from his Broke “n Hungry and Fat Possum releases.  You can also check out Jimmy on the “M” for Mississippi Soundtrack & Movie.

The weather was perfect and so were the ribs.  Part of the Friday night festivities at the Pocono’s is a buffet which includes admission to the three Friday night bands.  All performances on Friday happen under the Tent Stage that is used for the remainder of the weekend.  The weather was perfect since the threatening lighting in the distance that lit up the surrounding mountains stayed far enough away for all three performances to take place.

Next on the bill was Mr. Johnny Rawls.  Johnny was joined by the Nutmeg Horns which really filled out his sound.  Rawls mainly played songs off his last two releases, Ace of Spades and Red Cadillac.  Highlights of Johnny’s set included a cover of his idol Tyrone Davis “Turn Back the Hands of Time” and a great version of the Robert Parker classic “Barefootin’” which brought the house down and got the Pocono crowd on their feet.  The show closer was the  Rawls’ juke joint classic “Juicy Lucy” from his JSP recording days.

Chick Willis, 2010 Pocono Blues Festival

Lady Bianca was the headliner on Friday night.  A real highlight of this set was her guitar player, formerly from London, England but Oakland, CA  based for many years, Steve Gannon.  Steve was also part of the band that backed Sugar Pie DeSanto a few years back at the Pocono’s.  Though Lady Bianca didn’t have the stage antics of Sugar Pie she did lay it down on the keyboards and provided the crowd with a rich variety of blues originals.

So much to do, so much to see and hear at the premier blues festival in the Northeast.  Saturday opened with an up and comer Marquise Knox.  From St. Louis, Knox certainly knew his way around his guitar and some blues classics.  His set included: How Blues Can You Get, Howlin’ For My Darlin’, Good Morning Little School Girl, The Sky Is Cryin’, Born Under a Bad Sign, Hootchie Cootchie Man, Night Fishin’, How Long, How Many More Years and I Got a Problem.

Georgia native, Veronika Jackson opened the tent stage with a nice mix of solo acoustic blues.  Highlights of her set included a real nice version of John Prine’s Angel of Montgomery and Little Walter’s My Babe.  I stopped by the merchandise table and had to laugh at the warning tag on one of her cd’s “Warning: Soul Stirring Conditions.”

Stage 2 opened with South Carolina native, Ms. Wanda Johnson.  She opened with Can You Handle This?  She wore a white dress fitting for an up and coming blues queen.  Wanda sounded a lot like Irma Thomas as she sang through a great set of originals off her independent releases.  Wanda was backed by keyboardist/band leader Shrimp City Slim.  Saturday was turning out to be a beautiful day.  The mountain was starting to heat up as blue skies gave way to a few puffy white clouds rolling over the ski mountain.  Sun block was a must and breaks for shade were definitely needed.

AJ Diggs was up next on the main stage as he opened with a nice version of the Spinners “I’ll Be Around.”  He then kicked into “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”.   He was the first act on this triple bill which he shared with Roy Roberts and Barbara Carr.  Diggs played a real nice version of “Rabbit Got A Gun” off his CD Already In Progress.

My favorite part of the festival came early, as Chick Willis hit the tent stage.  Chick was on guitar, backed by drums, bass and a vetern sax man, Jacques Johnson.   75 year old Chick Willis didn’t look a day over 50 as he opened with “Rib Shack”, one of his best tunes.  The tent crowd was immediately on their feet and Willis rocked the crowd on and off the stage.  Two Ray Charles songs kept his set tight and rollin’ (What I Say & I Can’t Stop Loving You).  Chick took us down to the Juke Joint with I Want a Big Fat Woman.  Other highlights of the Willis set included Tampa Red’s “Let  Me Play With Your Poodle” and Lightnin’ Hopkins “Hello Central Give Me 209.”  In Chick’s own words, he took it “Deep down in the alley” with the Hopkins cover.  Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better Willis broke out his all-time classic – Stoop Down Baby.

Detroit guitarist/vocalist Johnnie Bassett was up next on Stage 2.  A great front man and a great band will always make for a quality blues set and this was no exception.  Johnnie played cuts off his latest disc The Gentleman is Back.  The song, Keep Your Hands off My Baby, was part of one of my favorite sets of the festival.

Willie “Big Eyes” Smith & Hubert Sumlin, 2010 Pocono Blues Festival

Theodis Ealey was really the unknown quantity at this years festival.  Many might have questions why he was given the slot of performing on the Main Stage in the middle of the festival’s biggest day.  Well Theodis is a showman and the show put Ealey on the blues map for many new fans.  Theodis on guitar himself was back by two keyboard players, bass, guitar, a back up singer.  The Ealey band was right on with a JB groove that often bordered on a KC 70′s funk.  From Mississippi, Theodis assured us that he would take us from the mountains of PA to the Juke Joints of his home state with his version of I’m The Man You Need off his latest CD.

Ealey then worked his way through a 10 minute version of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” which was met with an almost out of control response from the mainly fifty year old plus Pocono crowd.  Ealey then performed “Kiss” by that Prince guy who I can’t remember if he is Prince again or some symbol.  The finale was an unbelievable you had to see it to believe version of Ealey’s signature song “Stand Up In It.”  Theodis left us with the quote of the weekend – “Anything can happen at the Juke Joint,” which he repeated throughout his set.

Chick Willis started his 2nd set under the tent stage with a fine version of his “Houdini Lover.”  This song was followed by Voodoo Woman, CC Rider, Everyday I Have the Blues and  Big Fat Woman (where one found her way on stage).  The crowd was soon on their feet and Chick treated them to another version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”

The Chicago Blues Legends closed out the main stage on Saturday night.  Lifetime achievement awards were given to former Muddy Water’s bass player Bob Stroger and drummer/harp/vocalist, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith.  After meeting Willie Smith at an after festival party he revealed to me that he had always been a harp player.  He merely took up the drums during the 1950′s when rock n’ roll was coming alive to get work.  If you hear Willie play the harp and sing you will quickly realize that this guy is a true blues legend and should be right up there with the other big names of blues past frontmen.  Bob Margolin joined Stroger and Smith to start and then Hubert Sumlin was brought out to a huge audience applause.

Though Hubert had to be be attached to constant oxygen while on and off the stage nothing would keep him from performing.  Hubert and the band worked their way through several songs including Killing Floor. Before the final performer (Pinetop Perkins) was to join the group, Hubert was summoned by his nurse/manager to leave the stage but he refused.  Sumlin told me after the show that he did not want to disappoint all the people and just could not leave the stage.  The magic was still there when Sumlin stood and took his solo shots.

When you are 97 years old you just hope you can still remember your name.  Pinetop Perkins is now 97 and can still headline a blues festival.  Pinetop played some signature licks as well as his signature song about himself.  The Pocono crowd was whipped into a frenzy as the Muddy Waters Band alumni broke into the classic “Mojo Workin’.”  Willie Smith, Margolin and Stroger finished with one more encore before Saturday’s superior day of blues was complete.

Campbell Brothers, 2010 Pocono Blues Festival

Dave “Muskie” Moskal announced the opening of Sunday’s events at the Pocono Blues Festival.  Moskal’s former hometown of Rochester, NY produced the band that would not only open but give a complete work out to the Pocono Festival early risers.  The Campbell Brothers get better every time I see them and they really connected with the blues fans before them.  A show highlight of their set is their rendition of the Sam Cooke song “A Change Is Gonna Come.”  “Morning Train” off their first album followed and they always seem to take this song higher and higher each time they perform it.

Hands were raising and feet were stomping as the Campbell’s rocked the mountain and the main stage.  Gospel classic “Bye and Bye” became a ten minute vehicle for Chuck Campbell’s guitar.  The best way I can describe the Campbell Brothers is a “Gospel Based Jam Band For People with Good Music Taste.”   Next the Campbell Brothers “Got Their Praise On” for an uncle who had recently passed away.  Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better they kicked into “I’ll Fly Away.”

Billy Sims, Jr. and Chaney Sims filled in for Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whitely.  Apparently Diana had problems getting into the U.S. from Canada so was unable to perform.  The acoustic duo of the Sims was real nice.  Billy switched from guitar to keyboards and performed some real nice blues.  Highlights included “St. Louis Blues” and “St. James Infirmary.”

From there it was off to the East Coast debut of Alabama Mike.  Alabama Mike had one of the best releases of 2009/2010 and is about to release his next CD.  After just two songs the weather turned from bad to worse and his show was shut down until the storm moved through. It then became time for the Rochester crew to gas up the bus and head back home.  Much more continued throughout the day including the Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Mavis Staples, Joe Krown with Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.  So much blues, so little time.

Greg “Doc” Lefebre host of Doc’s Juke Joint, heard every Sunday night from 7-10pm Est.  on Jazz 90.1FM.