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2011 WATERFRONT BLUES
“Where else could you see Teeny Tucker, Johnny Rawls, and Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne at one festival?... You got it goin’ on here… Waterfront Blues is the real thing”
- Johnny Rawls
High praise indeed from multi Blues Music Award winner, Soul / Bluesman Johnny Rawls. And, judging from the response from a record crowd of 35,000 plus, a sentiment shared by all those who attended the 7th annual Waterfront Blues celebration.
When the first notes were dropped in the opening night performances of Scott McCord " The Bonafide Truth and The Gary Kendall Band, (featuring Chuck Jackson), you just knew that something special was in the offing. And that something would be Blues to satisfy any and every palate.
You want some Coffee House Blues? There was Harrison Kennedy weaving his stories into song. If you prefer your Blues to be guitar centric, how about tone perfect masters like Rick Taylor and Larry McCray? Song writing? Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick. And, if it’s the human voice that you view as the only true expression of the Blues, we had the much anticipated Teeny Tucker, Curtis Salgado, and Gina Sicilia. Throw in the showmanship of Johnny Rawls and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne and you’ve got just about everything that’s essential when talking about the Blues!
And if that wasn’t enough, after Curtis Salgado finished his unparalleled main stage show on the Saturday night, there was a Waterfront Blues after party! To satisfy those who still needed a Blues fix, the “Big Voice. Big Sound” of Maple Blues Award nominee Erin McCallum was on full display at the nearby Boston Pizza.
When this much talent is showcased over the course of 3 days it’s a difficult task to identify a high point. But the combustible performances by J.R. and Ms. Teeny Tucker, who matched Sunday’s heat by turning Woodbine Park into a Southern juke joint, simply can’t go without mention!
Expect more of the same in 2012; outstanding performances from today’s major Blues artists!
