The Lauren Mitchell Band

Date: February 6, 2016
Venue: The Alley, Sanford, FL


For quite a few years I have learned to rely on my instincts. On a uncommonly cold and rainy night in Central Florida, I could have easily stayed inside and not ventured out, but my gut told me I should go and see someone I had not had the pleasure of hearing preforming live. So I got in the car with a good friend and headed to one of my favorite venues; The Alley in Sanford (Home of the Blues in Central Florida). Of course I had done my due diligence in checking out her website,videos, articles, etc. But just like the old Marvin Gaye song; Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing. . . Well that real thing is Lauren Mitchell, and if you are aware that Soul and Blues music is a great combination, you will appreciate what Lauren Mitchell is all about, and that is: Soulful Blues. Immediately after a couple songs in her first set, I was hearing Aretha Franklin, Etta James, overtones of Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, all making themselves manifest in her voice! On the stage, the Ohio native who calls Sarasota her home is very comfortable. She has an exceptional command of it, as a bandleader. Lauren's sultry voice is the key to her success. She has "The Gift" keyboardist Michael "The Professor"Hensley explained. A veteran musician himself, the expression on his face said it all when he talked eloquently about the broad range of her voice. The Professor humbly acknowledged it has been a privilege to share the stage with her. Sitting in this night on guitar was a force in his own right - Chris K. Royal from the Tampa Bay area. An expert and versatile guitarist, he shredded the frets on solos several times during the set and added rhythms that complemented each song.  The beat was kept smooth and steady with fill -ins and shuffles by drummer Marvel Carraway.
However, it was Lauren who was the focal point of the night. She leaves every drop of herself on the stage. She makes each song her own whether they are covers or her own compositions. She connects with the audience and sings with emotions that go deep inside. So glad I listened to my gut and went to her show. It won't be the last. Once again I had my trusty Nikon in tow, so was able to capture some of the raw emotion of Lauren's performance. Enjoy the video and the link to her official site.

                                                                           

                                                                                 
                                           http://www.laurenmitchellband.com/                                      

Balkun Brothers

Steve and Nick Balkun have come out of nowhere to make their mark on the world of blues even though they intertwine traditional Delta Blues with all sorts of styles: Rock, Funk and just about everything in between. One thing for certain; The Balkun Brothers are intense musicians and entertain the audience to the third degree and are a force to be reckoned with. Steve lays down the slide, rhythm and leads on the electric Dobro with precision and passion. (Not to mention the little known secret of delivering bass licks with his thumb and running them through a bass amp simultaneously with the leads via the guitar amp). Nick "The Hammer"certainly lives up to the name as he works over the drum kit and fills in every nook and cranny of each song. Both share the vocals and there you have it. . .  a two piece band that sounds like a four piece. Two brothers from Hartford, Connecticut who grew up listening to Nirvana, Hendrix, grunge music and now have returned to the roots of Rock n roll- The Blues. CD is available via I tunes or their web page. Video from Daryl's Place is provided. I captured a few shots from their performance at the Daytona Blues Festival this year. Enjoy.

Daytona Blues Festival 2015

Venue: Jackie Robinson Ballpark

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.

Watermelon Slim

Venue: Daytona Blues Festival

Location: Jackie Robinson Ball Park, Daytona Beach

Date: October 9, 2015

Bill Homans, aka Watermelon Slim, Oklahoma Blues Man, is welcome  back in the Sunshine State anytime. He took center stage via the Daytona Blues Festival at Jackie Robinson Ball Park and literally put on a harmonica clinic, a Dobro slide guitar seminar and added a full range of vocal power with tried & tested road-weary lyrics! Slim is the real-deal. He is right at home on the stage as he frequents the edge of it with harp in hand, engaging the audience and interacting between songs with them. Behind the tabletop Dobro with either a chrome-plated socket or a bevy of mini whiskey bottles, he extracts sweet slide guitar notes that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The appreciative crowd can relate to his music which is very diverse. It is Delta Blues, with a tinge of country, a smidgen of Rock N' Roll and some Oklahoma Hill music intertwined in there as well. The Watermelon Man delivers and gives you your moneys worth. Bill has traveled extensively on the road of life and writes about his experiences in his songs. As a Vietnam Vet, a truck driver and musician, he has many stories to tell.

He has been preforming 

regularly since the 1970's. In 2005 Homans was nominated for the prestigious W.C. Handy Award for"Best New Artist Debut"for his acoustic masterpiece; Up Close and Personal. He and his band were nominated for six more W.C. Handy awards in 2006 for a variety of categories. With eleven recordings under his belt, Bill and various musicians he has worked with have provided the masses with plenty of music to select from. Please do yourself a big favor and check out his catalog along with a DVD live show at media outlets near you or on the internet. Or better yet, catch a live show soon! With my trusty Nikon in hand at the Daytona Blues Festival, I was able to capture Watermelon at his craft! Enjoy.