The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Don’t miss Big Al Anderson at The Kate
Sunday, the Garde Arts Center and The Kate are presenting Joan Osborne and Madeleine Peyroux . Peyroux hit the blues scene a number of years ago; she’s added jazz to her repertoire, but her roots stretch back to her teenage years busking the streets of Paris.
The teenager started skipping school to frequent the city’s Latin Quarter, where street musicians dwelled. At 16, she joined the Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band and toured the streets of Europe, where she discovered the stylings of Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.
Saturday, Papa Chubby is at FTC StageOne. If you want to hear some hard hitting blues, this is the man. Add in some bluesrock and maybe a ballad and it is the complete show.
Also on Saturday, get ready to raise the roof with multi-instrumentalist and Grammy Award nominee Trombone Shorty & Orleans at the Ridgefield Playhouse. He provides diversity from brass band blare and deep-groove funk, to bluesy beauty and hip-hop/pop swagger and plenty of emotion all anchored, of course, by stellar playing and the idea that, even in the toughest of times, as Andrews says, "Music brings unity."
He inherited the esteemed annual fest-closing set at the New Orleans Jazz
& Heritage Festival, in the tradition of Crescent City greats like the Neville Brothers and Professor Longhair. New Orleans is known for variety and spice, and Trombone Shorty gives you that.
Advertised as “Two Big Nights with the Big Man,” The Kate brings in Big Al Anderson Wednesday and Thursday. Get ready for a big show as one of Connecticut’s favorite sons brings his wonderful self to the stage with the Floor Models. They will rule the night and Christine Ohlman, the Beehive Queen, will join in for a few hipshakin’ tunes.
Big Al is listed as one of the top 100 guitar players of the 20th century by Musician Magazine. Big Al’s listened to WWVA in Wheeling West Virginia late at night and would devour all genres of music from the Ventures to Motown to Stax, paving the way for what would be a giant life in music.
While Anderson loves to tell people, “my junior year in high school were the worst three years of my life,” his real education was coming up in the black clubs in the north end of Hartford. “There was a camaraderie, a brotherhood, among all the musicians, black or white it didn’t matter. If the music was good, you were in,” he said.
Chicago bluesman Studebaker John continues his swing through the on Friday with a stop at the Norwich Arts Center. Studebaker John will take you back to the heyday of Chicago's Maxwell Street for an evening of olde style blues. John's strong bluesy voice, harp and slide guitar play will excite and delight you when he takes the stage of the Norwich Arts Center's Donald L. Oat Theater, joined by Liviu Pop on drums for a special performance.
On Saturday, the duo moves to Simsbury Grange No. 197 Concert Hall and conclude at the Berlin Fair.
Blues fans also get a special treat following Studebaker John with The Mike Crandall Band at 3:45 p.m. The Mike Crandall Band is has accumulated many awards and qualified as finalists in Memphis after being evaluated against more than 200 bands from all over the world.
Saturday, at the Berlin Fair, Neal Vitullo and the Vipers will be on the Pavilion Stage at 2 p.m. They play American Roots Music encompassing blues, rock & roll, rockabilly, and surf, entertaining their fans for over 30 years.
The Beehive Queen, Christine Ohlman, will rock The White Plains
Performing Arts Center Saturday with special guest Tom “The Suit” Forst, and with all-star bassist David Stoltz.
Friday, Delusions of Grandeur is playing the Housatonic River Brewery and Carl Ricci, and 706 Union Ave with Dave Robbins play The Brass Horse.
Friday, Notch 8 has Ol' Moose & Friends while over at the Black Rock Social House it’s the B Side.
Saturday, the two-day, outdoor Newtown Arts Festival presents Ed Accardi, and later the Doug Wahlberg Band as part of the entertainment.
Also Saturday, you can head to Two Roads Brewing Co. Ok2berfest, a twoday event; on Saturday, see the Flying Fingers Jug Band. At the Easton Town Hall, an outdoor town party will have Stella Blue's Band playing two sets.
Rich Badowski is playing solo on Saturday at Whalley Park, while Cassandra of Cassandra and the Knighthawks plays at the Station House Wine Bar & Grill.
Chris Tofield’s tour has a Wednesday stop at the Tipping Chair, and Gene Donaldson and The Stingrays play Four Dads Pub for a 6 p.m. show, with 60s, 70s and 80s classic rock and blues.
Dan Stevens plays Friday at Crabby Al's, then he’s off to the Goat Farm Benefit in Baltic for a 1 p.m. Saturday show. Wednesday, he visits Sarah's Wine Bar.
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. there’s a Rallye for Pancreatic Cancer at Riverview East, Norwalk. There is a car show, silent auction and four bands including Bobby T and the Namedroppers. Donations will be gratefully accepted to benefit Norwalk Hospital's Dr. Richard Frank's research for early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Up in Massachusetts, Theodores has George T. Gregory Band Friday and the Sara Ashleigh Band, Saturday.
Saturday. Johnny Marino and the BluesHead Band bring blues music to the historic district’s Forest Park in Springfield. Illumination Night is the theme of this annual neighborhood street party at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones bring their award-winning blues to the Knickerbocker Music Center.
In New York, Saturday, Professor Louie & The Crowmatix are at The Turning Point Café. Sunday, Daryl's House, hosts Back to the Garden 1969, The Woodstock Experience; and Thursday, Chris Smither. There’s also free music at the Towne Crier Café with Mulebone on Saturday.