Katy Guillen and The Girls

Venue: Sea Blues Festival
Place: Clearwater Florida
Date: February 20. 2016

Sometimes what you see is NOT what you get. Such was the case with Katy Guillan and The Girls. I was seriously expecting a blues version of The Bangles or The Go Go's and came away very much impressed with their performance. KG & The Girls who have been together since 2012, hail from Kansas City Ms. which seems to be a hub for blues talent nowadays. Katy Guillen toured local clubs in KC when she was 14, so honed her guitar licks by paying her dues in local clubs and dives over the years. Katy recruited Clair Adams (bass) and Stephanie Williams (drums) to form this trio. The three of them gel and are almost joined at the hip when playing. The songs are tight and seamless in their delivery. It is evident they enjoy what they do and delivered an enthusiastic set that featured some riveting &  technical guitar work by Katy while Clair and Stephanie integrated the rhythm section. Primarily they did stuff from their first album, Katy Guillen And The Girls, which I highly recommend by the way. You will find yourself humming the melody of "Don't Get Bitter" after hearing it for the first time . . I guarantee it! All in all they played a great 45 min set, signed some autographs and was off to another town and another place. I urge you to check them out if they come to a festival or venue near you. With photographers pit pass and my trusty Nikon, I captured a few images. I will post a video as well. Enjoy!
                                                                     

Davy Knowles

By all indications, 28 year old Davy Knowles should have been a fisherman, a motorcycle racer or a rugby player. However, this Isle of Man native was destined to be a Blues musician, via his father's record collection of Rory Gallagher, Eric Clapton and Robert Johnson. It was the iconic opening riffs of  the song: "Sultans Of Swing" by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits  that definitely steered him toward the guitar. A few years past and young Davy went on to form his own Blues/ Rock band; Back Door Slam in 2003 -04, and enjoyed some commercial success as the trio was on the charts with some recorded material, both studio and live. Blues aficionados took note of  Knowles expertise on the guitar, vocals and songwriting prowess when the band toured with Gov't Mule. As they say; All good things come to an end, and Back Door Slam broke up. Knowles was determined and stayed on course with his music and is touring this year all over the states. With keen anticipation I looked forward to his appearance at the Clearwater Sea Blues Festival in February of this year. Once he took the stage as a four piece band, it was evident that Davy Knowles is a gifted guitarist, who plays with the experience of someone over twice his age. The 40 minute set primarily covered the material from The Outsider released last year. A new album is due this year and Blues music fans can hardly wait for the new material. I covered the Sea Blues Festival and was shooting in the photographers pit with my trusty Nikon. Enjoy the photographs and please by all means go see Mr. Knowles if you get the opportunity before he returns to the Isle of Man somewhere far away between Ireland and the UK.
                                                                           

http://davyknowles.com/

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.