Venue: Jackie Robinson Ballpark
Saturday was hot and humid and the blues more than matched the steamy weather! The standout of the afternoon program was the Balkun Brothers from Hartford Connecticut. The brothers lit up the stage with a unique funk blues and rock combination. A wave of musical energy enveloped the ballpark as these guys played an hour and a half! Lots of hot slide electric guitar prevailed throughout their set of well delivered music. Eddie Cotton Jr took the stage next and this showman of the blues is very diverse playing several styles and was a delight to see and hear! Mr. Cotton can play his hollow body Gibson with precision! His stage band was tight and entertaining. I could hardly wait to see and hear Jarekus Singleton take the stage. This ex basketball player now turned blues man, continues to get better like a fine bottle of wine, each time he preforms. A new recording is on the horizon. He is a presence in the blues we will hear years from now. Nikki Hill and company took the stage as the sun was setting and this woman has got the chops to contend with some of the finest vocalists out there today. What a show as she wooed the audience with her full range powerful voice. Her husband, Matt Hill takes the spotlight with great lead and rhythm guitar that adds intensity to her music. Nikki Hill is a unique blend of blues, soul and rock that will never bore you.
Dates: October 9, 10 & 11
One of the very best Blues Festivals in the entire country comes every year to Daytona Beach. Great Music, Savory Food and Cold Craft Beers collide on this wonderful October Weekend! The organizers of this years event put their best foot forward in providing stellar entertainment as the lineup for all three days was one for the books! Notables on Friday afternoon was Noah Wotherspoon from the Buckeye state who didn't look a day over 18 but played the Strat like he was 50! Next the human highlight of Friday's lineup from Oklahoma was Watermelon Slim, Vietnam Vet, ex-truck driver and a triple threat Blues-man- playing harp, slide Dobro with memorable lyrics and vocals. I could have listened to him and his band for a couple more hours!
Grammy nominated Kenny Neal was up next.A true showman Kenny never disappoints and engages the audience to sing along as well. Making sure he passes the torch to the younger generation, Kenny had two young guitarists called up to the stage and put each in the spotlight making their debut in the blues! Janiva Magness ended the evening as the headliner as she and her band brought the house down with award winning songs from the catalog of tunes she has made a name preforming.
Saturday was hot and humid and the blues more than matched the steamy weather! The standout of the afternoon program was the Balkun Brothers from Hartford Connecticut. The brothers lit up the stage with a unique funk blues and rock combination. A wave of musical energy enveloped the ballpark as these guys played an hour and a half! Lots of hot slide electric guitar prevailed throughout their set of well delivered music. Eddie Cotton Jr took the stage next and this showman of the blues is very diverse playing several styles and was a delight to see and hear! Mr. Cotton can play his hollow body Gibson with precision! His stage band was tight and entertaining. I could hardly wait to see and hear Jarekus Singleton take the stage. This ex basketball player now turned blues man, continues to get better like a fine bottle of wine, each time he preforms. A new recording is on the horizon. He is a presence in the blues we will hear years from now. Nikki Hill and company took the stage as the sun was setting and this woman has got the chops to contend with some of the finest vocalists out there today. What a show as she wooed the audience with her full range powerful voice. Her husband, Matt Hill takes the spotlight with great lead and rhythm guitar that adds intensity to her music. Nikki Hill is a unique blend of blues, soul and rock that will never bore you.
The headliner of the Saturday evening show was master of the slide Sonny Landreth from Louisiana. Sonny is seriously one of the most technical players of our modern era. I was indeed mesmerized by his chops. The sum total of a three-piece band sounded like a six piece ensemble to the ear. It is no wonder Eric Clapton requests Sonny's presence at his Guitar Festival every year. You must experience Landreth live to fully appreciate his abilities. He covered the material from his relatively new recording: Bound By The Blues. All in all a splendid ending to the two days with one more to go! As is the custom, I had my Nikon camera in tow, so was able to capture some hard driving blues raw energy images. Enjoy.
