FESTIVAL Afinal,
Coimbra vai ter os seus
bluesAterceira edição do festival Coimbra em Blues, que chegou a ser dada como cancelada, devido ao facto de a autarquia ter decidido não a apoiar financeiramente, vai mesmo acontecer. Isso porque a delegação regional do Centro do Ministério da Cultura decidiu avançar com um subsídio de 30 mil euros, viabilizando a organização, pelo Teatro Académico Gil Vicente (TAGV), do evento.
Assim, o TAGV, que também contribui com 20 mil euros, apenas teve que avisar os músicos de que, afinal, há festival.
E vêm dos Estados Unidos todos os nomes que, durante três dias - 17, 18 e 19 de Março -, vão levar as emoções da música negra ao palco do TAGV. Três espectáculos bem diferentes, mas todos virados para o blues.
O festival abre com o blues acústico tradicional de
Robert Belfour,
Big Jack Johnson &
Keith Dunn.
No segundo dia do evento, actuam Toni Lynn Washington e Sheila Wilcoxon, numa estreia das vozes femininas no Coimbra em Blues.
O festival - que também inclui "workshops", uma mostra de fotos das duas edições anteriores e filmes temáticos - encerra a 19 de Março, com a presença de
Big Jack Johnson & The Oilerse e a banda T Model Ford, para uma noite de blues eléctrico, bem mais próximo do rock'n'roll.
Mississippi Delta Blues sensation Big Jack Johnson has received Four W.C. Handy nominations here in 2001, for his 2000 release on M.C. Records, Roots Stew. The nominations are for Traditional Male Artist, Traditional Blues Album of the Year (Roots Stew), Album of the Year (Roots Stew) & Blues Song of the Year (So Long Frank Frost), a heartfelt tribute to his former band- leader Frank Frost. In fact, only one other artist received more nominations this year than the “Oil Man.” This marks Nine W.C. Handy nominations that Big Jack Johnson has received since 1996. Big Jack was in Memphis, TN on October 9&10 recording his next CD. The session features Big Jack on electric & acoustic guitars, mandolin, and vocals. Joining Big Jack on every track is harmonica ace Kim Wilson of the legendary “Fabulous Thunderbirds.” Even though the two musicians had never played together before, they played as if they had been traveling the Delta Highway together for years. Joining the fun on two tracks is the Grammy nominated &W.C. Handy Award winning legendary piano man, Pinetop Perkins. Look for this release to be out by early 2002.
Big Jack Johnson’s 2000 release, Roots Stew, moves seamlessly from blues to country to rockabilly--- music that mixes all of the influences of modern American music into one big melting pot of sound experience. Then imagine that experience in the hands of a genuine Delta Master, with all the power, grit, and rhythm of the hardpan Mississippi bleeding through every note. Roots Stew showcases Big Jack’s expansive understanding of the blues and harks back to his days playing with Tammy Wynette and Carl Perkins. Roots Stew marks the first time Big Jack has recorded with the mandolin.
Big Jack Johnson is a native of Lambert, Mississippi and currently resides in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He first recorded in 1961 at Sam Phillips Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Big Jack gained national prominence in the late ‘70s as the singer, bass and guitar player in the critically acclaimed group “The Jelly Roll Kings.” He went on to record several solo records in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Big Jack Johnson has appeared in the films “Juke Joint Saturday Night” and Robert Palmer’s “Deep Blues.”
Big Jack Johnson has been recognized as one of the world’s premier blues artists. He’s been nominated for Nine W.C. Handy Awards, Three Living Blues Awards and a NAIRD & AFIM nomination for Blues Record of the Year. He also won the Blues Record of the Year from Crossroads Magazine. Big Jack has appeared on CNN’s World Beat, P.B.S.’s “The River of Song” and in National Geographic Magazine. In addition, he has also graced the covers of Living Blues, Real Blues & Blues Speak Magazines.
Jack has performed over 300 shows a year worldwide, for the last three years, a true testament to his fiery intensity and crowd pleasing live show.
Robert Belfour was born in a small plank house several miles South of Holly Springs, Mississippi in 1940. It was one of several shacks on the Hurdle farm, part of which his father rented until his death in 1953.
The specific part of Mississippi where Robert was born is the hill country in the northern part of the state. This region has a distinctly different culture than the more famous Mississippi Delta and the Blues from that region is strong and unique.
Like most of the other accomplished performers from the area R.L. Burnside, Fred Mcdowell, Joe Callicott, Jesse Mae Hemphill, Junior Kimbrough, and Charlie Feathers-- Robert Belfour, was submerged in the area's rich musical heritage. Robert's first memory is that of his father playing a resonator guitar in a style similar to that of Charlie Pattons. Robert ate at picnics held by Othar Turner, and at church sung gospel songs led by Syd Hemphill. When free from chores, Robert could be found in the company of neighbor, and future label mate, Junior Kimbrough. Robert was 13 when his father died bringing and end to his childhood. From then on all of Robert's energy went to helping his mother provide for him and his younger brother. Robert spent what little free time he had learning to chord his father's guitar.
In 1959 Robert married Norene Norman and they moved to Memphis, Tennesse. A year later Robert went to work for Choctaw construction a hard gig that lasted thirty-five years.
At sixty, Belfour's guitar playing is mature and highly accomplished; his voice, clear and powerful, and the sound is pure country blues. Robert left the hills of North Mississippi forty years ago but his music never did.
Keith Dunn - Alone with the Blues
Alone with the blues... That says it all ! Harmonica, vocals, and most of all, some good blues !
This atmospheric album features a wide range of blues music. A testimony of Keith's first hearing of Sonny Boy Williamson and the famous Buddy Guy and Junior Wells duo. Later his musical career which got him to meet B B King, Joe Louis Walker, Big Walter Horton, James Cotton and others also forged his sound. With a warm voice, Keith sings and plays gospel (A Feeling Called the Blues), work song (Geronimo), a tribute to the mentor of us all Sonny Boy Williamson (Bring it on Home), a minor blues (Trouble is going on) , a superb composition done a capella (Kool Struttin’) and more besides...
Beware ! A big harp sound can hide another big harp sound ! The first piece "Strange things are happening", uses a harp amplified through an Astatic/Fender Champ combination which projects the harmonica through your speakers. The sound is present, slightly overdriven, with a somewhate brassy tint that instantly grabs you into the album. The second piece is just as surprising : "Need to make a Dollar" is played acoustic, and that sound is... just as deep, warm and very expressive. Each track is a joy, because of Keith's voice, harp playing and most of all his musicality.
"Alone with the blues" is a magical meeting with a man who sings and plays the blues...
(Xavier Laune)
