Rosie, Marva, Eddie Shaw at Untapped & More!

by Phil Chesnut

ROSIE LEDET (& the Zydeco Playboys) - 5/9 @ The Yale, Vancouver, BC; 5/11 @ Untapped Blues & Brews Fest./Benton Co. Fairgrounds, Kennewick, 5:45pm; 5/12 @ Viscount Ballroom, Portland, OR, 6pm.

MARVA WRIGHT & THE BMW's - 5/10 (Tim Hall Band opens) @ Jazzbones, Tacoma, 8:30pm; 5/11 (with the BMWs) @ Untapped Blues & Brews Fest./Benton Co. Fairgrounds, Kennewick.

EDDIE SHAW & THE WOLFGANG - 5/8 @ Blue Heron, Missoula, MT; 5/10 @ New Orleans Restaurant, Seattle; 5/11 @ Untapped Blues & Brews/Benton Co. Fairgrounds, Kennewick, 2:30p.

The 6th Annual Untapped Blues & Brews Festival Kick-Off Party begins Friday night 5/10 at Kennewick's Clover Island Inn, with the Tri-City's favorite blues band, The Howlers, celebrating their first CD Into Something. Serving up some blues gumbo will be Big Al & the Heavyweights, with a dose of their zydeco-blues hybrid style. I'm guessing that the last set might be a monster jam with a list of great players, and a small preview of the next day's great show.

Rosie Ledet photo © 2002 Phil Chesnut

Untapped has a distinctly Cajun flavor this year. Eric Nyberg, the heart and soul of Untapped, has again put together a terrific list of national and international blues talent. This "Mardi Gras in May" starts at noon on May 11th in the sunny Inland Empire, at the Benton County Fairgrounds, and kicks off another fabulous blues festival season in the Northwest.

Starting the show is a band from way down south, Australia that is. Collard Greens & Gravy hails from Melbourne, Australia and definitely proves that blues has no boundaries. This hot blues trio was runner-up at the 2001 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and has won every blues award Australia has to offer. Fronted by harp ace Ian Collard, the band double-dips--performing again at 4:30. Their latest CD is More Gravy.

Representing the NW at this year's Untapped is The King Brother's Circus Featuring J.C. Rico (at 1:15). With Marshall & Corbin King's twin lead guitars, Bill Schwebke's hot B-3, and a solid rhythm section, this circus has no clowns. If that isn't enough, the band features amazing soul/blues singer and longtime NW favorite J.C. Rico.

Chicago blues man, and 2002 Handy nominee, Eddie Shaw and his band The Wolfgang take the stage at 2:30. Shaw's marvelous tenor sax and vocals have been a part of the Chicago blues scene for decades. Eddie's credentials read like a who's-who of classic Chicago blues; he's played with Muddy, Freddy, Houndog, and his mentor Howlin' Wolf (hence the band name). Shaw says of the Wolf's influence: "I try to walk close to his footsteps" and his stage presence proves it. Eddie also owned the legendary 1815 Club during the golden era of Chicago blues. Eddie's son Eddie Vaan Shaw, Jr. grew up around the likes of Willie Dixon, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, and of course the Wolf-with influences like that it's no wonder he's now the band's guitar player. Young Shaw's scorching guitar is a great balance to his dad's horn. Eddie Taylor's son Tim plays the shuffles, and Shorty Gilbert (a 25-year bandmate of Shaw's), on bass, fills out this tight rhythm section. Their new live CD, Papa Told Me, is on North Atlantic Blues.

Following another set by Collard Greens & Gravy, the festival takes a hard turn toward the Louisiana bayou and stays there for the rest of the night when Rosie Ledet and her band the Zydeco Playboys put their spell on the crowd at 5:45. With her button accordion and spirited voice, Rosie displays a presence that is sensual yet innocent, showing why she's known as the "Zydeco Sweetheart." Rosie's future husband and bass player, Morris Ledet, introduced her to zydeco music at a Boozoo Chavez show. Rosie says of her enlightenment, "When I heard Boozoo...I was hooked on it." One of the few women on the zydeco circuit, Rosie also writes her own material-with some clever double entendres in both English and Creole French. With Rosie's young nephew on drums and her father-in-law on rub board, this band is a true family affair. Rosie's current CD is titled Show Me Something, on the Maison de Soul label.

While the sun is setting, headliners Marva Wright & The BMWs will be rising. The marvelous Marva Wright is known for her energetic live performances and her dynamic soulful voice. This set promises to be a highlight of the festival season. With roots deep in gospel music and reflected in her awesome blues, R&B, and jazz stylings, it's amazing that she didn't start singing professionally until age 38. This New Orleans native recently made her film debut in the movie "Crazy in Alabama." Marva Wright & The BMWs have shared the blues world-wide, with tours in So. America, Australia, Europe, and even Russia. Marva's set will demonstrate why she's known as "The Blues Queen of New Orleans." Marva's current CD, Let Them Talk is on Aim Records.

The hard-touring New Orleans blues band Big Al & the Heavyweights close the show at 9:30, turning folks into fans called "Gumbo Heads." These guys play straight-ahead blues with a little zydeco hot sauce sprinkled on that's why they've been on "Emeril Live" twice. Their current CD is Live Crawfish, distributed by Burnside, and they have a new CD set for release in the fall.

Besides being a blues fan, I'm also a craft brewer and a fan of fine ales, so I must mention the Brews portion of this festival. The cradle of microbrewing, and the standard to which all other brewing areas aspire is the NW. Untapped offers a rare chance to sample some wondrous ales and wines from about 30 of the NW's finest breweries and wineries (responsibly, of course). For me, it's the best of both worlds: fantastic blues and, this year, volumes of New Orleans music without having to choke down any Abita TurboDog (New Orleans' only dark beer). Considering everything, Untapped 2002 may be the best one-day blues fest in the region. For more Untapped info go to their website.

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