Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival
Sandy Point State Park
Annapolis, Maryland
May 18-19, 2002

by Roger M. Spoto

Saturday morning, 5 AM. Start driving south from New York in a mini-hurricane. Arrive in Maryland just as the rain stops. What luck! But wait…. is this Maryland or Alaska? The wind-chill factor is somewhere around 15° and it’s a good thing that we (my wife is a brave trooper) brought winter coats, sweaters, wool hats, scarves and thermal gloves. Unfortunately, due to travel delays and the wait for a sleigh ride into the festival site, we missed the opening set by Corey Harris and the 5X5 Band. However, after setting up our tent and space heaters, we settled in for a rousing set by Michael Hill's Blues Mob who started things off with a blistering slide treatment of "Heat on the Highway" followed by some wah-wah fire on "Gotta Have Some Blues Tonight". Michael's Mob is now a mature, world class act with a dynamic stage presence that simultaneously steamrolls and caresses you. His solos burn with the urban sensibilities of a New York veteran with sharp, clear vocals that hit home with topical messages. The Hendrix influence is evident but Michael stamps his songs with a unique twist and musicianship. This band is modern blues at its best. Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials came out blasting in the fine tradition of Ed's uncle, J.B. Hutto. Slide rules with this group from boogie to jump to Chicago standards and Lil' Ed's energy never lets up. He spent a few years in hibernation and is back with a vengeance as evidenced by the name "Pamela" (his wife) in large block letters on his guitar. It was Pamela who inspired his return. "Stormy Monday" got a slide treatment with power and passion that did justice to the T-Bone Walker hit. From blues to rock to R&B, Lil' Ed carries you along on a tidal wave of sound, piercing slide, duck walks and a pounding rhythm section. An exciting, well-paced set. Magic Slim and the Teardrops opened with a burnin' version of "Get Your Business Straight" with trademark nuclear riffs from the Teardrop rhythm section to match Slim's vibrato and sustain. Unfortunately, the bass was too loud in the mix but Slim is a pro who never disappoints. A protégé and childhood friend of Magic Sam in the 1950's, Slim has been playing real Chicago blues for 40 years and his vocal and guitar prowess has never sounded better.

Shemekia Copeland, backed by a hard driving backing band, got it rolling with "I'm a Wild Woman and You're a Lucky Man" before an appreciative audience which was on its feet when she hit the stage. This was followed by a rocking "Not Tonight, Baby" which should need no explanation. I've heard Shemekia a number of times in the last few years and she has matured into a fine blues belter with timbre and taste. Lead guitarist Arthur Neilson continues to shine and has generated his own brand of excitement with his "Flying V" axe. Great vocal range and better material (always a good barometer) has brought Copeland up a few notches as she continues to strengthen her already prodigious talents.
Double Trouble with special guests Jimmy Thackery and Tab Benoit produced an outstanding set balancing the requisite Stevie Ray Vaughn numbers and originals. SRV-bandmates Tommy Shannon (on bass) and Chris Layton (on drums) were flawless as was Reese Wynans who showed his keyboard versa-tility. Thackery was dynamic and Benoit captivated the audience with an unusual vocal delivery and rock stances. We never did see Kenny Wayne Shepherd due to the fact that just prior to his appearance we were in the car conducting cryogenic experiments (the freezing of human tissue).

Sunday morning. Clear skies. Warm temperatures. What a change from Saturday. We left the earmuffs behind. Got off to a good start with Curtis Salgado, a blues, soul, gospel, funk and R&B vocalist/harpist who was a veteran of the early days in Roomful of Blues and an inspiration/creative force behind the Ackroyd/Belushi Blues Brothers movie. Curtis slides easily between styles with his controlled power and a competent backing band. This man gets the most out of his talent and pours every ounce of himself into every song. Salgado closed with "Give Me More Lovin' and Less Attitude" which is exactly what he gives the audience. The crowd loved it. The Bob Margolin Blues Revue with Hubert Sumlin, Maria Muldaur and Carey Bell was an interesting array of talent. Margolin's voice and slide remind you of Muddy Waters' 1970 sound. It should considering that 'Steady Rollin' was a member of Mr. Morganfield's band at that time. Muldaur's vocals evoke a Memphis Minnie-like feel which intertwined the Delta and Chicago sounds which the band easily produced. Her urgent message was delivered with grit and style on Percy Mayfield's chestnut "Please Send Me Someone To Love". Sumlin added his guitar sauce to the mix accompanied by Carey Bell, a harp master whose tasty trills and fills make everyone sound better. Bell gave a spirited performance on the tin sandwich and his vocal skills have not diminished with time. Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers featuring harp virtuoso
Rod and his all star band, may be the most consistently fine touring unit in the land. Jump blues, R&B and boogie are safe in the hands of Rod's wife and keyboard wizard Honey Piazza who serves up a two-fisted boogie assault that is not flash-in-the-pan but part of the sonic plan which is entertaining and an education in and of itself. Bill Stuve's upright bass provides the perfect bottom to this 5-piece blues ship whose rudder is guitarist Rick Holmstrom. Rod really shines on slow chromatic numbers but high energy is the top priority for a band that gets it done every day of the year. It's a very simple equation here: pure effort plus total professionalism plus unequaled musicianship equals a group that ranks in the top echelon of the blues world. A great performance by any standard. The Fabulous Thunderbirds are as hard-driven as a steel piling into concrete. Led by Kim Wilson (Mr. Energy) on harp and vocals and Gene Taylor, a keyboard magician, the band starts hot and keeps burnin' bolstered by a howitzer rhythm section. Wilson is a superb frontman who never fails to give his best while allowing each band member to stretch out and solo. "Let's Rock This Place" is just what they did - and with authority. Wilson's honking harp led a full frontal attack on Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man" and the crowd let out a roar after each tune to signify its bond with this outstanding group, especially on their hit "Tuff Enough". They certainly are. After these superb sets, the only way to close the festival was with a man who is a legend in his spare time, none other than Jerry Lee Lewis. "The Killer" has been through more scenes than a hundred Hollywood movie lots. One of the fathers (not to mention survivors) of rock n' roll, Lewis started the fireworks and got the crowd on its feet from the opening notes of Chuck Berry's immortal "Roll Over Beethoven". In fine voice throughout, Jerry Lee still enthralls crowds with his pounding piano style which is part rock, part barrelhouse and part classical. "Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" was given a boogie treatment and a mid-tempo "Georgia On My Mind" was delivered with a kick in the prance. This is no lounge or nostalgia act. Jerry Lee is a tour-de-force at full throttle whose piano prowess was tops on a day when keyboard players ruled. Mixing tempos and phrasing, Lewis still stands as a behemoth of boogie.

This is not the biggest blues festival in the world but if you rate value based on (1) consistently great line-ups year after year, (2) the courtesy, efficiency and attention to detail offered up by the festival organizers, staff and security, top quality food and crafts vendors, (4) the spectacular setting (in the shadow of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge) and (5) crystal clear sound with a "diamond vision" screen and you've got a package that ranks this gathering at the top.
I heard every note and word during Shemekia's set while in a Port-O-San located 1,200 feet from the stage, once again proving that, at this festival, there isn't a bad seat in the house.

Add to that the fact that every cent taken in (after expenses) is contributed to a select group of admirable charities and crowds that are among the best behaved at any venue on the planet. This was one of the best festivals in recent memory and should be considered a model for such events. Next year, spend the cash, make the trip and enjoy it. They don't make 'em like this every day.