Summer surprises... What was the best band

[PaulC]

ya' got to see that ya' had never heard of before....

i give you fine folks the finest house band i have ever encountered anywhere... they hail from Vancouver but New Orleans would be more than proud to call them their own....

http://www.brickhousetheband.com/media.php#

a great website too.... please,.. give all the music links a go,.. i promise you it's worth your time... this incredibly tight band played mostly original stuff all night... o.k.,.. they did do a few covers,.. but they covered it in a way that seriously shamed the original... these dudes (don't care much for their name) covered near damn every genre of music in one night and it all came down to one funky dance orgy,.. even a polka... Stanley strike me dead if it wasn't the most smile producin' thing ya' ever heard...

hate to sound goofy,.. but Rob Bracken, the lead singer, had possibly the coolest persona i have ever witnessed on stage,.. great presence,.. vocals,.. blues harp... the man lead the band and the crowd with a rare flair,..and very lil' hint of an ego... the whole band had serious talent but the keyboards were handled with exceptional funkiness by Darryl Havers... the 1st video on their website makes it sound as if they have higher aspirations,.. but we hung out and had a few beers with them that night with the band that night (who knew having an insanely attractive and friendly young lady in your crew made the band wanna talk) and to a man they all said they loved what they were doing and didn't feel the need to branch out... mind boggling... these guys deserve to be known all ova'...

the whole night was a complete surprise too.. it came after an incredible week of great weather and outdoor activities but they were the absolute highlight... no idea whatsoever who they were,.. asked the hotel concierge on the very last night... "where can i find some funky live music,.. blues jazz kinda funk thing... he pointed to the Yale Hotel,.. we went,.. they were there,.. too fcukin' good,.. the best live music of the summer....

[LisaRI]

sounds great paul, you weren't kidding about that keyboard, love it!

For me there were a few surprises at Rhythm and Roots, which usually features a host of familiar well-loved bands, but Chuck always manages to bring in a few new ones to liven up the mix. This year it was The Buddhahood, the best Funk/ Reggae/ Blues/ Latin/ band out of Rochester NY that I’d never heard of. Their funky grooves and lively percussion jams were a fun way to start the weekend - a perfect lead in for Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeans. Their horn section sat in with the Creole Cowboys zydeco band later on. Sadly, I learned that the lead guitarist/singer was killed in an auto accident a week later.... you never know....

Another new-to-me band was Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. Progressive rock and roll with yodeling, accordion and flute, they looked a like a band of gypsies, and they fit right in!

Also, Ray Bonneville, a Canadian country/blues singer-songwriter with a unique rhythmic guitar style and rather haunting melodies. I had missed his first set on Friday , but saw him sit in with a few others and liked what I heard in that little bit. According to his website, he spent alot of time in New Orleans in the 80's and that "was the place that influenced me the most," he says. "It was infectious. I learned that solid, but laid back rhythm is like a tightrope on which the notes and words can do their dance." When I got home I listened to his set on WMVY Radio (http://www.mvyradio.com/music_info/rhythm_and_roots_festival_2007.php) and became a fan. I'll go see him next time he comes around.

[steeleye]

I really enjoyed Jody Williams at the Pocono Blues Fest. I had never heard of him, but I'm sure you Chicago blues fans have. He supposedly wrote the guitar riffs for Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" as well as many other guitar pieces that made others famous. Disgusted that he couldn't seem to get the recognition he felt he deserved, he quit the music scene for like 20 years. His friend, Robert Lockwood, Jr., talked him into taking his guitar out from beneath his bed and start to play again. He told the story of his quitting the business and expressed his gratitude to Lockwood for keeping after him. He's recorded two CD's after his comeback, "Return of a Legend" and "You Left Me in the Dark." Both are worth checking out IMHO.

[VWGal]

ya' got to see that ya' had never heard of before....

i give you fine folks the finest house band i have ever encountered anywhere... they hail from Vancouver but New Orleans would be more than proud to call them their own....

http://www.brickhousetheband.com/media.php#

a great website too.... please,.. give all the music links a go,.. i promise you it's worth your time... this incredibly tight band played mostly original stuff all night... o.k.,.. they did do a few covers,.. but they covered it in a way that seriously shamed the original... these dudes (don't care much for their name) covered near damn every genre of music in one night and it all came down to one funky dance orgy,.. even a polka... Stanley strike me dead if it wasn't the most smile producin' thing ya' ever heard...

hate to sound goofy,.. but Rob Bracken, the lead singer, had possibly the coolest persona i have ever witnessed on stage,.. great presence,.. vocals,.. blues harp... the man lead the band and the crowd with a rare flair,..and very lil' hint of an ego... the whole band had serious talent but the keyboards were handled with exceptional funkiness by Darryl Havers... the 1st video on their website makes it sound as if they have higher aspirations,.. but we hung out and had a few beers with them that night with the band that night (who knew having an insanely attractive and friendly young lady in your crew made the band wanna talk) and to a man they all said they loved what they were doing and didn't feel the need to branch out... mind boggling... these guys deserve to be known all ova'...

the whole night was a complete surprise too.. it came after an incredible week of great weather and outdoor activities but they were the absolute highlight... no idea whatsoever who they were,.. asked the hotel concierge on the very last night... "where can i find some funky live music,.. blues jazz kinda funk thing... he pointed to the Yale Hotel,.. we went,.. they were there,.. too fcukin' good,.. the best live music of the summer....

Glad you had fun at the Yale -- it's a great place -- I go there with my festal virgin (who lives in Van) every now and then. Haven't seen Brick House, not sure why, but did enjoy Bettye Lavette there a while back.