Sunday, June 27, 2010

Melodie ce soir

Last night, we went to LA for yet another concert at McCabe's - our favorite venue in California for seeing live music.  Here are the set list and some thoughts:

Walking Daddy
Rexroth's Daughter
Fat Boy Blues
China
If I Had Known
You Drive Me Crazy
Kokomo
Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues (cover)
One Wrong Turn
Driftless
Broke Showman's Blues (my name for this song, a tribute, in part, to Mose Allison
Let My Freak Flag Fly
Whippoorwill (If you Leave)

Encore:
Way Out in The Country
Folsom Prison Blues

Greg was accompanied by guitarist Bo Ramsey.  Bo and he are obviously simpatico through years of playing together.  Bo plays second to Greg in such a way that adds to and never subtracts from the groove.  That's what the evening could be called: a groove.  The kind of groove you get when you travel up the Mississippi, grabbing all the influences you can, and land somewhere in Iowa, in the middle of a mess of acres.  The groove that only a bluesman could afford.  He lets the audience buy a little off him, and still has plenty for himself.
Greg's most exceptional instrument is his voice and McCabe's is the kind of place where he can show it off.  It feels like you are sitting in on a session with Greg and Bo, as he plays with the low and high of his voice, slides a little phrase in, while Bo slides a little guitar.  It is perfection.  Drew doesn't mind me saying this, it is sexy...purely sensual.  Greg could sing to me all night.  I'm glad he did.

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