Blues Fest – Music with few boundaries

13th October 2014   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

The roots of blues comes from Africa with its essence brought to the plantations of the United States from the bowels of ships carrying their human cargo. As the slaves toiled in the field or wherever backbreaking labor was required, they sang rhythmic work songs to get them through the day and perhaps remind them of their homeland. Those calls and responses would eventually be echoed in Black churches and on wooden front porches where a humble musician with a homemade guitar might entertain himself, his family or anyone in earshot.

The music took another journey, this time to the north, when folks, looking for a better way of life and employment, traveled to big cities like Chicago. There the blues, like the times, got electrified.

From that point, the blues, which is the base of much of America’s music took a multitude of detours and evolved into a myriad of genres – rock ‘n roll, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock, soul, you name it. The line-up at this weekend’s Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, October 17 – October 19 at Lafayette Square, reflects the different directions it has traveled.

Headliners Los Lobos that close out Saturday evening’s show beginning at 7 p.m. would not be considered a blues band by some purists. And, strictly speaking the purists are right – yet wrong. This extraordinary, multiple Grammy-winning group, formed in East Los Angeles in 1973, dug into their own Mexican heritage to create their unique sound. Yet they were also deeply influenced by the rock ‘n roll, blues and rhythm and blues that hit their ears as residents of California. The way they blended their traditional music and modern sounds remains remarkable

The English translation of Los Lobos is The Wolves and from the start, these guys were as hungry as those bluesmen who hit Chicago to make something of their lives. The hugely talented band with the wonderfully pure voice of David Hildago and the edgy guitarist Cesar Rosas struck hard with 1984’s How Will the Wolf Survive? The title questions both the endurance of the much-persecuted animal and the guys living in the rough environs of East L.A.

Well, Los Lobos, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, did more than survive, it prospered (and we wish the same for the wolves). With landmark albums like 1992’s Kiko and the Lavender Moon and songs like Hildago’s and drummer Louis Perez’s “A Matter of Time” plus covers of Richie Valens’ hit “La Bamba” and “I Got Loaded” by Louisiana’s own, Camille Bob, of Little Bob and the Lollipops fame, Los Lobos has earned its reputation as one of the best bands in the land.

In late October of this year, Los Lobos added another big plus to its discography releasing, Disconnected in New York City, an album recorded live at The City Winery. It includes many of Los Lobos’ groovin’ staples like “The Neighborhood” and typically passionate ballads such as “Little Things.” However, Disconnected is anything but a financially-driven, “best of” project. Great musicianship trumps that and is at the heart and soul of the album from a band full of heart and soul.

The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is renowned for its “turn around” concept. It offers music on two stages – the larger St. Charles Street Stage and the more intimate one near Camp Street. So, cleverly, as soon as the music ends on one stage, the music begins on the one directly opposite. The rather amusing announcement of “Okay, turn around!” often marks the end of a set. The result is no boring, set up times.

On Sunday night, Louisiana-born, now Mississippi resident, guitarist/vocalist/composer Bobby Rush, who left his home state some 70 years ago, returns to the festival. With his energetic, soulful and sometimes hysterically funny performance, Rush blew away the crowd at his appearance at the 2009 edition of the fest.

Having been gone for so long, it is remarkable that Rush has retained the sound of his Louisiana roots. He utilized that base for his 2013 Grammy-nominated album, Down in Louisiana that was released on his own Deep Rush label. It was his second nomination, the first coming in 2001 for Hoochie Man.

“Call me homeboy,” requests Rush, who has been recording for some 60 years producing an amazing 327 records. “I’m still a Louisiana bayou boy. I’m one of the alligator boys.”

It’s impossible to separate Rush the musician from Rush the old-school entertainer. With a big smile, he engages a crowd with his humor as he prances and dances at the front of a stage. He is also armed with a secret weapon, two women dancers whose ample booties shake as if they had minds of their own.

The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival kicks off with an abbreviated program on Friday evening, October 17. The always sharply attired, guitarist and vocalist Little Freddie King opens the two-act show at 5:30 p.m. followed by guitarist/singer Ana Povovic at 7 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday the music begins at 11 a.m. with the last note ringing at 8:30 p.m. Incidentally, it’s been assured that there will be televisions onsite tuned to the Saints’ game. Think of it as a big tailgating party complete with music.

This article originally published in the October 13, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.