There have been many excellent blues\rock musicians that have originated from the Washington D.C. area. Some have become national acts, but many have remained close to home - developing a solid local following. To supplant income, these artists pursue secondary careers. One such artist is
Jimmy Cole; a popular musician at night, but construction worker by day. Unfortunately he had an accident and fell off a ladder - fortunately he has recovered. To help alleviate his medical bills several associates organized a fund raiser at the
The State Theatre in Falls Church. The lineup was amazing - as several Washington D.C. based artists set aside their schedules and participated in the fund raiser.
Jimmy Thackery opened the show, followed by
Randy Waller and the Country Gentlemen. Next was
The Cathy Ponton King Band - which includes
Dave Chappell,
Ron Holloway, and Billy Starks. This was the first act I was able to see and what a performance. King shares the spotlight with her fellow musicians so there were plenty of solos by each band member. The
Tommy Lepson Band followed and as usual guitarist John Bell was a crowd favorite. Lepson has that authentic blues vocals. In between these acts,
Dave Chappell,
Big Joe Maher, and in occasion,
Daryl Davis entertained the audience as the "tweener" band. These three were worth the price of admission themselves and brought back many recollections of seeing Big Joe and the Dynaflows years ago. And the first I saw
Daryl Davis - he was planning with Pinetop Perkins. What talent. Unfortunately I don't see a younger set coming along to replace them. Eventually
Jimmy Cole and his band rocked the house, and I couldn't stay for the
The Nighthawks finale. Yes, it was quite a lineup. All these artists have regular gigs around town, so check out the
219 Basin Street Lounge,
The Matchbox,
Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle,
JV's Restaurant,
Bangkok Blues, and other such venues. There is great talent in our own backyard.
One of the most longest serving bluesmen in the Washington D.C. area is Big Joe Maher, who has played in the area for at least the last 30 years. I first heard him with the The Uptown Rhythm Kings, then with the Tom Principato Band, before he started the five piece Big Joe & The Dynaflows. Good Rockin'Daddy is still one of my favorite CDs and since that release this band has continued to master the New Orleans blues and jump swing sound. That's why the WSDC Swing Dance Committee is always in attendance.And this past Saturday, we got a chance to see the band in action at the Reston Town Center for a free live concert. There was a strong turnout and as soon as the music began, the dancers were out front. What a nice way for a family to spend an evening.
