Blues at Centrum

Tanner Wells Guitar Student

Tanner Wells, guitar student, talks about his classes at the Port Townsend Country Blues Festival

Daryl Davis: The Man Behind "Roots of Rock"

Post by guest author Rebecca Agiewich.

Pianist Daryl Davis, organizer of the Roots of Rock workshop, has spent most of his life steeped in rock and roll. Though he started playing music at the relatively late age of 17, he made up for lost time by majoring in music at Howard University and then meeting his musical idols one by one and learning directly from them.

He loved the music of rock pioneers like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis and dug deep into the music of his idols. “When I got into somebody – I wanted to know -- Where do they come from? Where did they get their ideas? Then I found out who THEY listened to. And whenever I could, I met those people and became friends with them.”

Great musicians like Pinetop Perkins (Muddy Waters’ piano player) and Johnnie Johnson (Chuck Berry’s piano player) would come over to Davis’s house when they came through town and show him things on the piano. 

• See Daryl Davis, along with the Queen of Rock-n-Roll, Wanda Jackson on Tuesday night, August 5, 2008,  at 8pm at the Wanda Jackson Rockabilly Dance. Get your tickets online.

“I got hands-on training from that generation of musicians – that’s part of what I bring to the table,” says Davis. “Those were my mentors.”  His training paid off -- now the Grammy-winning Davis himself plays often with Chuck Berry. (Check out the videos of Davis playing with Berry on Davis’ Web site.)

Davis also has a deep understanding of the racial and cultural issues that surrounded the birth of rock and roll, and he’ll be talking about those at the Roots of Rock workshop, as well as teaching students to how to play boogie-woogie and rockabilly beats on the piano.

“In the 50s, rock music did something that no other form of music had done before – it caused white kids and black kids to jump out of their seats when they heard that new beat, knock down the ropes that were supposed to keep them segregated, and dance in the aisles together.”

Davis, who also wrote about race relations in his book Klan-Destine Relationships, is full of fascinating knowledge about the birth of rock and roll and how it helped to bridge the racial divide. Participants who are here with Davis—besides learning how to ROCK-- are sure to come away with a much deeper historical understanding and appreciation of the music they play.

2008 Blues Performance Guide: Saturday Evening, 8/2

Yesterday, we blogged about the Saturday, August 2 afternoon show. As we wrap up our Blues Performance Guide Series, I'm going to be writing about our Saturday evening show, which starts at 7:30pm in McCurdy Pavilion, the Fort's WWI-era balloon hangar.

Saturday night is our "Women in Blues & Gospel" show. There are still good seats available, and you can purchase tickets online. Tickets for Saturday evening are $16 and remember--if you're 18 and under, your seat is free!

Here's who is playing on Saturday night...

Suzy Thompson is a Festival favorite, and specializes in oldtime fiddle rags and blues songs. She is a dynamite singer, and is a virtuoso on the blues fiddle. She'll be joined by some special friends during this set, but we're going to keep them a secret until showtime!

Resa Gibbs, the primary vocalist with M.S.G., is from Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is known for her silky, soulful and heartfelt sound. Resa sang background vocals on Gaye Adegbalola’s CD Bitter Sweet Blues, and is a featured vocalist with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation..

Alison Radcliffe has been singing all of her life. She says, "Music is the embodiment of truth and spirituals are the embodiment of music." Alison graced our stage last year for just a brief moment, but absolutely blew the audience away. We knew we had to have her back, and she'll be performing with her partner Allen Holmes.

Eleanor Ellis is known for her tough Piedmont style picking and her  honest singing. According to one reviewer, "More than copying one artist or another, Ellis distills the elements of the originals and transmits them, intact, in her own expressive way.” We're thrilled to have her with us in Port Townsend.

Shirley Smith has shared the stage with many of gospel music’s most prolific artists, such as Cece Winans, Vickie Winans, Yolanda Adams, Mark Kibble, Bruce Allen, and Fred Hammond. She is currently the Minister of Music at The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville, Florida. Shirley will be leading the Shirley Smith Gospel Choir.

Purchase tickets online.

After the mainstage show ends, join us downtown and uptown Port Townsend for Blues in the Clubs. $15 provides admission to all clubs, where you'll hear the likes of the Gallus Brothers, Cooke & Taborn, the Rev. Robert Jones, J-Dog Paxton, and many many more. Get the complete list at our performance page.

Interview with Phil Wiggins

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Phil Wiggins shares his thoughts about retiring as Centrum's Artistic Director for Blues. At the end of the interview, Phils holds court at the Thursday 3:30 204 jam session. Watch Video on Facebook.

Rev. John Wilkins Sing-a-Long Jam

On Wednesday night, Rev. John Wilkins lead a sing-a-long jam to the tune of "This Little Light of Mine" in the 204 lounge.

2008 Blues Performance Guide: Saturday Afternoon, 8/2

Although we are in workshop mode right now at the Port Townsend Country Blues Festival, we are getting close to our Friday and Saturday mainstage performances and club shows.

Next up in our Blues Performance Guide Series is the Saturday, August 2, 1:30pm show at McCurdy Pavilion, the Fort's WWI-era balloon hangar. Since it is an afternoon show, we open the Pavilion's huge hangar doors allowing seat-holders inside to wander outside and enjoy the music on Littlefield Green if they wish.

There are still good seats available, and you can purchase tickets online. Tickets for Saturday afternoon are $22 and remember--if you're 18 and under, your seat is free!

The afternoon show features a slew of great guitar players, before we close the show with some piano fireworks from Arthur Migliaza and Daryl Davis.

Rick Franklin opens the show, and is a terrific Piedmont blues guitarist with a sensitive appreciation of the style.

Reverend John Wilkins learned guitar at the feet of  his father, the legendary Rev. Robert Wilkins. You'll learn the essence of what it means to pass down a legacy from this inspirational player.

Festival favorite Mike Dowling is a guitar-player's guitar player. His engaging voice, self-deprecating wit, and arsenal of elegant interpretations of old blues tunes are favorites of audiences.

• Purchase tickets online.

We're thrilled to have Jerron "J-Dog"Paxton with us this year. J-Dog is a 19 year old, blind, multi-instrumentalist who plays with a confidence and perspective that belies his years. We recorded a podcast interview with J-Dog the day before he came to Port Townsend. You can listen to that interview here.

Ari Eisinger hasn't been with us in some time, and we've missed him. Ari is one of the most talented players anywhere, and he specializes in the really beautiful, and VERY difficult tunes of the 20s and 30s.

Before he became known as a blues singer, Reverend Robert Jones hosted a radio show in Detroit, and hosted jam sessions at a local club. He is a highly regarded interpreter of acoustic blues, influenced by Son House, who was also a minister.

• Purchase tickets online.

John Cephas and Phil Wiggins are the preeminent blues duo in the world. We'be been extremely fortunate to have Phil as our artistic director for the past 5 years. HIs passion and interests are deeply interwoven in the Festival. Needless to say, this set will be a memorable performance by two of the absolute best.

Blues prodigy Arthur Migliazza was heavily influenced by Otis Spann, Jimmy Yancey, and Professor Longhair. By the time he was in high school, he was already fronting his own band. In 2004, he released his debut CD, and in 2006 released his second: Pumping Ivories. This year, he makes his first visit to the Port Townsend Country Blues Festival. 

Daryl Davis has played with such legendary artists as Chuck Berry, the Jordanaires, Muddy Waters’ Legendary Blues Band, The Coasters, and Bo Diddley to name a few. Daryl is much more than a musician, however. On a quest to explore racism, Daryl met with dozens of Ku Klux Klan members, many of whom gave him their robes and hoods to symbolize the rescinding of their beliefs.

• Purchase tickets online.

After Saturday night's mainstage show ends, join us downtown and uptown Port Townsend for Blues in the Clubs. $15 provides admission to all clubs, where you'll hear the likes of the Gallus Brothers, Cooke & Taborn, the Rev. Robert Jones, J-Dog Paxton, and many many more. Get the complete list at our performance page.

Stay tuned for our next post about the Saturday evening show....

J-Dog's Back Porch Jam

Jerron "J-Dog" Paxton leads a jam on the back porch of building 204 Tuesday night. We also recorded a podcast interview with J-Dog the day before he came to Port Townsend. You can listen to that interview here.

Interview with Rev. John Wilkins (Part 1)

Rev. John Wilkins, the son of blues legend Rev. Robert Wilkins, talks about learning how to play the guitar.

Rev. Wilkins plays for the public Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 1:30pm at McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden State Park. Purchase tickets online.

2008 Blues Performance Guide: Friday Night, 8/1

Although we are in workshop mode right now at the Port Townsend Country Blues Festival, we are getting close to our Friday and Saturday mainstage performances and club shows.

Over the next day or so, we'll detail each mainstage performance, and share some 'don't miss' moments in the clubs. There are still good seats available, and you can purchase tickets online. Tickets for Friday are $16, and remember--if you're 18 and under, your seat is free!

Friday night's 7:30pm mainstage show is a big, brawling blues dance in McCurdy Pavilion, the Fort's WWI-era balloon hangar that was converted into a 1200-seat performance hall in the late 80s. We've blocked off a dance section off of stage left for some serious blues dancing, and of course, we'll have all of the great seating you'd expect.

We'll start the evening off with Del Rey and Craig Flory. Del is a favorite in the Pacific Northwest, and for good reason. She's a fierce guitar/mando/uke player, and brings a stage presence that matches the size of the venue!

Following Del and Craig, we present a special treat--the Warner Williams Big Band. You're reading this correctly--we're going to pack the stage with an all-star collection of musicians alongside one of the truly great blues guitarists. Warner and his partner Jay Summerour took the train out from the D.C . area to be here, and as these jam videos show, they are inspired this week!

We'll close the mainstage on Friday night with one of our favorites--Terry "Harmonica" Bean. Terry is a one-man band in his home state of Mississippi, but here in Port Townsend, he's created his own all-star band to back him in this set. If you haven't seen Terry live, you really must--he's not only a great blues musician, he's also one of the funniest people you'll ever meet. Watch a video of him jamming this week, and listen to him explain where and how he learned the blues.

• Purchase tickets online.

After the mainstage show ends, join us downtown and uptown Port Townsend for Blues in the Clubs. $15 provides admission to all clubs, where you'll hear the likes of the Gallus Brothers, Cooke & Taborn, the Rev. Robert Jones, J-Dog Paxton, and many many more. Get the complete list at our performance page.

Stay tuned for our next posts about the Saturday shows....

An Interview with Terry "Harmonica" Bean (Part 1)

"Terry "Harmonica" Bean reflects the true nature of the blues. His style is raw and pure. He does not like the use of effects on his music. He uses a style of finger picking that students of the real origins of American music appreciate and understand. His music is perfect for those who appreciate the fact that most American Music finds its roots in the Delta Style Blues." - CD Baby