Friday night I took my host Craig back down to Fort Lauderdale to Satchmo's club where the J P Soars Trio were knocking out a set of covers plus some self penned numbers. I can recommend this club to anyone visiting this neck of the woods. Once again a certian notoriaty was obtained on the dance floor which was an open sesame to joining a nice group of folk for whom it was a regular night spot.
It took a five hour trip up the turnpike with a my friend Craig Norton with whom I'm staying together with his partner Kelly in Boca Raton (Near Ft Lauderdale), to get to Coachman Park on the Saturday morning arriving early afternoon. Craig who used to play basketball with my son Matt, is an ex-pat from Milton Keynes who married a local girl and a blues fan to boot. He'd never been to Clearwater so it was a mutual treat for us both.
Coachman's park was as it suggested a pleasant little park with a small lake and a fountain in a scenic setting alongside a rocky shore. It's slight slope provided a natural amphitheatre for a full pro stage set and sound system with a large screen to one side of the stage. There were about twenty rows of seats for rich bitches at the front but after that you brought your own chairs and pitched camp. A range of eateries provided an exotic range of southern foods, fried of course! There were also the regulatory beer and wine stalls plus blues fashion stalls and one for Blues Revue Magazine and the big recreation vehicle promoting the Legendary Rythym & Blues Cruise both co sponsors of the event. So I was able to catch up with friends made during the cruise plus some cruisers in the audience amazed that I was still in the States or in a state, can't remember which.
We caught the end of a solo first act Selwyn Birchwood on an acoustic playing some very acceptable roots pieces. Next up was a Chicago style Michael Williams Band but gave some light and shade with some slower numbers. The tersely named Tex Mex blues band from Austin, Rich Delgrosso/ Del Toro Richardson Band rounded out the afternoon. We left halfway through the set to check in with our hotel some 5 miles out of town and returned in time to pick up some food as Curtis Salgado took to the stage. This guy was the inspiration for the John Belushi character in the Blues Brother movie and in fact was an set consultant for it. So you can guess the kind of dynamic set he produced, backed by a romping five piece. Just after 8.00 Buddy Guy took the stage to an estatic welcome. This guy is 74 years young and flattened all the had gone before and had the largely seated crowd on their feet for most of it. Taking in the fact that only 48 hours before he had perfomed at Mumbai this was an an amazingly physical set. He truly deserves the accolades he continues to win.
Sunday the weather, previously cloudy with sunshine periods turned overcast and threatened rain. Solo Frank Robert opened at 1.30 playing a resonator to full effect. Piano playing Eden Brent followed mid afternoon. She'd been following me about! She was solo playing in the cruise's piano bar and was usually well oiled by about 3.00am. I had met her again on a trolley car in Memphis as we were going to the finals of the IBC, she to judge, me to watch. Here she was again! Will I never be rid of this woman! This afternoon she had hi jacked the drums/bass duo from Janiva Magness and brought in a trombone guy from London whose name I didn't hear clearly. An odd mix, but it worked except it was poorly balanced and her electric piano wasn't sounding right. She complained of being tout tired but is suspect alcohol had it's part to play and it was not a good set. A well endowed woman, her low cleavage dress did however attract the attention of the TV cameras especially as she leaned over her keyboard and a good many men I would guess. At one point she referred to the cruise and said she was mounting a law suit as she had been sexually harrrased front, side and back!! This brought a wide smile to the face of the cruise's CEO Roger Nabel.
Ronnie Baker Brooks, son of Lonnie BB, opened the evening's proceedings with a full hard rocking set of Chicago Blues that warmed the crowd at a time the wind was ominously picking up and spots of rain falling. The rain was short lived. The set ended to a standing ovation and oddly a far few of the audience left not trusting the weather I guess. When the Janiva Magness Band took to the stage the wind had picked up and was blowing across the stage. A couple of numbers established the band's musical credentials with a fine lead guitar and keyboards solos. Then the Multi award winner, Janiva took the stage and the crowd that stoically remained, by force. A fine entertaining set evolved despite the gale force wind, which at times buffeted her microphone. Why it didn't dawn on the techies to muff it for her I don't know. A true performer she gave us a full set to a slowly diminishing audience chilled out of their seats where many might have shortened it by three or four numbers. A cold end to what had been a wonderful weekend and remarkably it was free! Konology is an internet,cable,phone company in case you wondered.
Retreated to a local bar to warm up attracted by what sounded like blues from a local band. In the event I think they need more practice or a different hobby. And so to bed. Back to Ft Lauderdale tomorrow in preparation for the flight home to normality.
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