Tag Archives: Amy Whitesell

Out of Her Mind — Cassie Taylor – Crystola Roadhouse, Crystola, CO 8/19/13

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Cassie at Crystola 8/19/13

Cassie at Crystola 8/19/13 with guitarist Steve Mignano and whatshisname on drums. Hey, if you’re not named on the web page, you’re not really in the band, are ya?

” We’re goin’ to the Roadhouse gonna have a real…good time! ” – The Doors-                        ” Roadhouse Blues”

When you’re the daughter of  famous Chicago bluesman Otis Taylor, but raised around many genres of music, it’s good to keep in mind that ” they all come from the blues “, as Cassie pointed out on Saturday night to a crowd of aging whitebread patrons perhaps unfamiliar with the genealogy of her g-g-generation’s hip-hop and rap. So when she spliced Trent Reznor’s  ” Closer to God ”  together with the Etta James blues chestnut ” I Just Wanna Make Love to You “, hopefully many saw the connection. That is,  if they could get over the shock of the pretty young big-haired woman singing ” I wanna fuck you like an animal “. Not that it bothered me!

So it is with the style-shifting Ms. Taylor, who glides easily between pop ( ” Satisfy My Soul”, from the Girls With Guitars project with Samantha Fish and Dani Wilde), R and B    ( ” Leavin’ Chicago”),  rock ( “Out of My Mind “),  brassy funk ( ” New Orleans”), and slow  blues ( ” Lay My Head On Your Pillow” ). Her edgy stage persona ( ” if you know her father, you know where she gets it “, according to promoter Amy Whitesell) contrasts sharply with her runway model looks ( she has her own designer label)  and ordinarily soothing voice. But those sweet expressions and dulcet tones can turn to snarling growls in a heartbeat, so watch your ass!

Cassie solos on keys!

Cassie solos on keys!

Otis told Cassie to learn songwriting, ” because it’s the only way to make money in this business”, she says, and her set at Crystola featured precious few covers, save the Nine Inch Nails/Etta James mashup noted above. The songs on her fine new CD, ” Out of My Mind ” ( Yellow Dog Records), reflect her hard work to overcome childhood dyslexia and craft narratives reflecting her own perspective and influences. Not surprisingly, given the pride that she shared in her parents’ long-term marriage on her last visit to the Springs area ( check the archives!), themes of marriage ( ” No Ring Blues”, ” Again” ) and family     ( ” Lay My Head On Your Pillow” ) recur throughout. While the CD was cut at Boulder’s Immersive Studios, sassy Cassie has recently tied the knot and relocated to Kansas City with her beau, whose own devotion is chronicled in the liner notes: ” Dedicated to My Man, who sold his car to make the album “. Talk about givin’ it up!

So it all made sense  when Cassie lead in to ” Forgiveness” by asking the crowd, ” how many of you have parents?”, and hearing little reply,  taunted, ” so the rest of you were raised by wolves.. Howlin’ Wolves” ! See, it really does all get back to the blues.

Mr. Phledge regrets that journalistic integrity compelled reporting the profane lyric verbatim–  Editors.

Blues Under the Bridge Festival, Colorado Springs, CO 7/20/13

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Justus League, DB Reilly, the Slide Brothers, and Blues Caravan– Blues Under the Bridge Festival

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That’s no backdrop behind the Justus League, but a line of boxcars moving north within spittin’ distance of the drum kit!

” I hear that train a-comin’, it’s rollin’ round the bend …” – Johnny Cash, ” Folsom Prison Blues”

While DB Reilly sang those words, a conductor hit ” that lonesome whistle”  in recognition of the Blues Under The Bridge crowd, as the line of boxcars passed by the makeshift flatbed trailer stage under the Colorado Avenue bridge, marking the return of the summer’s finest moment in the Springs. Throughout the day at this fest,  a band blithely plays on while a freight train passes just behind the stage, as if the drummer or a guitar tech might hop on board like the wayward kid in Merle Haggard’s ” Mama Tried”, and roll on to some place unknown. No doubt many stuck in Colorado Springs’ tarpit of evangelical organizations and Paleolithic politicians have entertained similar thoughts! But every summer Blues Under the Bridge brings a cultural oasis to this barren desert, and once again, the festival team and promoter Amy Whitesell of A Music Company had assembled a terrific lineup of up-and-coming acts and deserving veterans of the blues scene at this smooth-running, hardly-known-outta-town event.

The Justus League is a mash-up of local Colorado Springs musicians infused in blues/rock. Despite an all-star lineup including Austin Johnson on guitar, Sean Pyrtle on bass, and Matthew Taylor on keys, they are virtually unknown to the public save their fine guitarist, Jake Loggins,  a perennial winner of local blues awards. The guys tackled the opening slot with enthusiasm, leaving many patrons nodding in approval as they roared through their set. I notice that Jake still has shows booked for his eponymous band, so this assemblage may be a side project for all, but it shows promise, particularly Loggins and drummer/vocalist Dean Woodward. Locals can catch their CD release party at Stargazer’s on August 23.

DB Reilly shakes a tail feather while squeezing the box!

DB Reilly shakes a tail feather while squeezing the box!

The versatile DB Reilly and his talented band play a blend of country, blues, Cajun, and even Zydeco, ” underwhelming audiences across the country “, as the self-deprecating Reilly cracked onstage. The amiable Reilly kept up a stream of humor throughout the set–” I just heard from Billboard..my CD went plywood “– ” we were named Indy Band of the Year in New York City… by my mother and her friends… they were high at the time ” — and breezed through a set of clever originals and timeless covers like the aforementioned ” Folsom Prison Blues”.

Setting up for the Slide Brothers

Setting up for the Slide Brothers!

When you are promoted as Robert Randolph’s favorite band, there’s gonna be some pedal steel involved, and I don’t mean some drippy cornpone country tearjerker, but jumpin’ gospel-based ” shoutin’ “, as Calvin Cooke of the Slide Brothers described his introduction to the Sacred Steel tradition in the Church of the Living God. Calvin and Aubrey Ghent whipped the crowd into a dancing frenzy in front of the stage time and again with foot-stompin’ rock that had one foot in the sanctuary and the other in the juke joint. Their twin-pedal steel attack moved smoothly from slow gospel to Elmore James’ blues and the Allmans’ rock, with Cooke’s handling of Gregg’s vocal on ” Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ ” a highlight of the set.

Aubrey Ghent and Calvin Cooke: two pedals or a life of crime!

Aubrey Ghent and Calvin Cooke: two pedals or a life of crime!

The engaging Cooke kept the crowd involved with tales of church services and good times past, and seemed thrilled with the gig: ” I’ve never been up under the Bridge before. I didn’t know the hobos had it so good!”

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Blues Caravan’s Bart Walker shreds through his set Under the Bridge!

The Blues Caravan 2013 brings together outstanding musicians  showcasing their own material in mini-sets while backed by their mates. This year, guitarists Joann Shaw Taylor and Bart Walker are joined by guitarist/bassist CJ Wilder and hard-working drummer Austin Curcuruto. The full band opened with John Fogerty’s ” Proud Mary”, with Taylor, Walker, and Wilder trading verses and sharing choruses. To the crowd’s apparent dismay, Taylor stepped offstage, prompting cries of ” Bring back that woman” and ” Where’s Joann?” from the heretofore compliant VIP section, prompting Walker to explain the format and promise that Joann would return. Walker switched to bass for a fine set of originals by Wilder, who is a pleasant singer and competent guitarist in his own right. The return of Bart Walker to guitar kicked the tempo and volume considerably, as he amazed the crowd with blistering runs and tasty licks, eerily resembling the burly Warren Haynes with the current Allmans lineup.  His originals ” Took It Like A Man ” and ” Waitin’ On Daylight ” were well-received, and anybody hollerin’ for Joann at that point was truly missing out.

Joanne Shaw Taylor rockin' the Gibson Les Paul!

Joanne Shaw Taylor rockin’ the Gibson Les Paul!

I’d seen Joanne Shaw Taylor and her band twice at Springing The Blues in Jax Beach, where she rocked out the electric blues that went worldwide from England in the late 60s with John Mayall, the Yardbirds, and early Zep, tearing into war horses like ” Killing Floor ” with great enthusiasm and plenty of chops. Seeing her share the stage in the Blues Caravan, you wonder how long Girls With Guitars like Joanne Shaw Taylor, Samantha Fish, Ana Popovic, and ( no relation) Cassie Taylor will have to wait to headline fests like this? Hopefully not until they’re John Hammond’s age! Shaw returned to the stage, tag-teaming Bart Walker like they were in the WWF, and wowed the fans with her striking looks, roaring guitar, and rockstar moves. In contrast to Walker, she eschewed intricate solos for power chords and tornado-level blasts that truly ” sounded like a train ” , as Patterson Hood says, and left the crowd stunned but roaring in her wake. Her vocals are mostly shouted, and the lyrics are barely intelligible below the guitar din, but as Muddy Waters told Mick Jagger of the blues, ” the words don’t matter”. By the time Bart Walker returned, the crowd was nearly spent, though the full-band finale of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s  ” If the House Is Rockin’, Don’t Bother Knockin’ ” brought the fans to their feet and the dancers down to the front.

With my pockets emptied by the great vendors– chickpea frittata from locals!– and no freight train to hop back to the unit, I bade farewell to the fest, passing on headliners John Hammond and Watermelon Slim for another time. To paraphrase W.C. Fields, my tombstone won’t read, ” I’d rather be in Colorado Springs”, but for one day a year, the Blues make it bearable.

Your erstwhile Mountain correspondent, Nanker Phledge

Kelley Hunt

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Concert review- Kelley Hunt at the Crystola Roadhouse, Woodland Park, CO 10/19/12

Kelley Hunt and band at Crystola Roadhouse, Woodland Park, CO 10/19/12

The irascible Mr. Phledge heads for the hills to catch some live blues!

When advance notices like these come in, you turn your head:

“Hunt’s latest CD (GRAVITY LOVES YOU) sounds like her best yet – which is high praise considering the quality of her 2009 release, “Mercy”. Hunt’s songwriting shines on powerful, moving compositions like “Deep Old Love,” “This Fall,” “In the End” and the title cut. And she proves she can shine on the keyboard as well – with dynamic inspired playing throughout.”
Terry Perkins ST. LOUIS BEACON

“…Hunt’s vocals and captivating piano playing work together to lift each composition to gravity-defying heights. With each new release – this is her fifth – Hunt’s velvet-smooth voice is further defined.” “This is a superb production with the subtle colors Hunt is famous for…”
BLUES REVUE (Jul/Aug ’11)

“This Kansan is a full-blown phenomenon: Powerhouse singer, hard boogieing pianist, polished songwriter” —-MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE

With local promoters Amy and George Whitesell bringing reliably good acts to the mountains, who could resist a ride up the Ute Pass to the Roadhouse? Way up past Pikes Peak, this joint is loved by a mix of bikers, cowboys, locals, hockey fans, and even Seniors if you happen to roll in there on Mondays, when they only serve bargain burgers and the bluehairs ( ” Smile when you say that, sonny..”) pack the place. But you can add blues fans to that mix, now that we’ve seen a steady stream the likes of Jim Adam, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Samantha Fish, and Chris Duarte roll through this classic Western roadhouse where you can see straight from the diner through the bar to the dance floor and stage. The walls are covered with cowboy photos, hockey memorabilia, Harley-Davidson gear, mounted heads of bison and bighorn, handbills from shows featuring Patsy Cline and Nashville artists, and a place of honor reserved for the poster of Merle Haggard standing next to six cases of George Dickel. They don’t suffer much pretense at the Roadhouse, and how could you, when the smoke from the fire pit on the back deck covers even the well-groomed with a layer of… ahhh, isn’t that Ponderosa Pine? The locals say that if you catch the house vegetable beef soup, yep, that’s the remaining prime rib from Friday in there. Take that, Mrs. McNabb! The barmaids all look capable of whupping any patron’s ass, so there’s rarely even a dust-up that doesn’t quickly end in a call for another round.

( Someone go down there and reel Phledge in, he’s veering way off course..-Ed.)

And don’t forget that huge poster of a very close-up Johnny Cash flipping the bird to the camera that proudly hangs right above the drum kit stand! This note’s for you!

Kelley and the band arrived on time and were ready to go at 8pm sharp, despite having played in Thorold, Ontario the night before. That’s a 6am Eastern wakeup in Buffalo, flights to Vegas and Denver, and a two-hour drive from DEN to Teller County. Despite the brutal travel, Kelley, her manager/hubby Al, and the band were genial and appeared well-rested, chatting up their fans new and old before the show.

The guys is relatively new. Bassist Kenny Ames of Nashville has been with Kelley for three years, but Nashville drummer Hamilton Hardin and Detroit guitarist John Rhoads only came on for the current tour in May. Kelley spoke of how the band reshaping was “all for the better”, and warned fans that these guys didn’t know all of her old material, only selected favorites, including one she later bowed to repeated requests,   ” Queen of the 88s”.

The real ” Queen of the 88s”

A rousing intro by George Whitesell welcomed the band onstage, and Kelley soon displayed the terrific voice and amazing hands that the rave reviews had promised as she moved through selections from her 2011 CD, ” Gravity Loves You”, including the title track, “Music Was the Thing”, “I’m Ready”, and “Land of Milk and Honey”. The set revealed a wide range of styles, including Gospel, Cajun, Jazz, and Blues reminiscent of not only the rockin’ boogie of Jerry Lee Lewis or Fats Domino, but the thoughtful pacing of Gregg Allman, particularly his cover of Jackson Browne’s ” These Days”. Kelley, you oughta work that one into your set! The band was excellent, particularly guitarist Rhoads, fresh off his self-described “Master’s Degree” playing the East Coast with blues veteran Motor City Josh. Notably, despite the vagaries of travel, equipment, and venues, the set ran like clockwork, with no delays for tuning, wiring, or babbling that can plague shows ( sorry Hamilton; drum solos are best suffered from the Men’s Room). A well-paced set is the mark of a veteran in control of her evening, and Kelley made the train run on time.

Late in the first set, Kelley switched over to a big red electric Ibanez and chose two covers: Dylan’s ” Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, and Nick Lowe’s ” ( What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”. The former was particularly moving, with Kelley sharing some remembrances of friends  passing too soon, including one who came dancing toward her in a dream, reassuring her that it was okay to sing “Knockin'” at his memorial. Kelley is a pro, and she might have delivered that intro enough times to do it in her sleep. But Friday night, it seemed to come from the heart, and the response from the crowd was palpable. Though not a ” dance number” by any stretch ( and to call some of that dancing would be a further stretch), the floor was jammed by the end of the song. Many were milling back to their seats when the band launched into the latter tune, perhaps best covered by Declan McManus ( that’s Elvis Costello to you ). Kelley and the band nailed a spirited version, and she proved to be no slouch on the guitar, laying a rhythm base for some soaring solos by Rhoads, he perhaps being spurred by Kelley’s mention of his beloved Tigers’ sweep of the Yankees the night before.

Rockin’ out on the Nick Lowe classic!

During the break, John assured our table that “Queen of the 88s” was one of the early tunes that he and the band had learned for the tour, and that Kelley would break the set list to play it if we asked. Thankfully, a knot of knowledgeable fans around the stage kept banging for ” Mary, Mary..”, the piano teacher who brought out the boogie-woogie in a young Kelley and inspired the song, and soon Kelley had the room jumpin’ with her  storytelling signature tune, backed by a left hand on the keys that Jerry Lee would love and a band reveling in the reason they had traveled all those miles.

” The only time that ever seems too short is the time that we get to play…” – Jackson Browne, “The Load-Out”

Having visited Kelley’s site, I knew the band was headed next for Tucson, some 800 miles away. But none of them seemed daunted by the four-day  Ontario-Colorado-Arizona itinerary. As John pointed out to the Tigers fan at our table, ” It’s Friday night; we don’t have to be there until Sunday”.