A full blast of the summertime blues sweeps the Bay Area.
Summer ushers in a rush of hot shows and festivals
Thereain’t nocure for the summertime blues, so why fight it? It’s the time of year when the Bay Area brims over with the world’s greatest blues talent from near and far (though many of our local blues stars are on the road, plying their trade at festivals and venues around the country).
Even venues associated with other musical styles get into the act once the weather heats up. Yoshi’s kicks off a month of Monday blues shows in July with Bay Area harmonica ace Mark Hummel fronting a combo featuring Bob Welsh on piano and guitar, drummer June Core, bassist RW Grigsby and guitarist Little Charlie Baty (formerly of the Nightcats).
“It’s a killer band with some of the best players around,” says Hummel, who also performs a duo with the great guitarist Rusty Zinn at 8 p.m. July 2 at Armando’s ($15; http://armandosmartinez.com), and a show with his Blues Survivors at San Jose’s Poor House Bistro from 6-10 p.m. on July 3 (no cover; http://www.poorhousebistro.com).
Usually a steady presence at top Bay Area blues venues, Hummel is heading out on the road with the Golden State/Lone Star Revue this summer, and he’ll be a scarce presence until the fall. “With all the festivals and things, we’re really busy this summer,” he admits. “It’s just hard to find space for Bay Area bookings in the summertime.”
Not to worry. Whether your taste runs toward raw Delta twang, plugged-in Chicago boogie, bawdy tales from blues matriarchs, West Coast jump blues, or searing slide guitar, the world’s best practitioners are hitting a stage nearby. This weekend, besides the Hummel concerts, the Alameda County Fair hosts its annual Red, White and Blues Festival from 1-9 p.m. on July 4, featuring Dwight “Black Cat” Carter, Andrew Carriere, the Caravan of All-Stars and other acts (free with fair admission, http://annual.alamedacountyfair.com).
And here are 10 summer blues happenings featuring artists who define the tradition. Hayward-Russell City Blues Festival: Produced by the West Coast Blues Society, this long-running event celebrates the rich blues history of the unincorporated African-American enclave in Hayward known as Russell City. With some two-dozen acts featured over the course of a weekend, the shows conclude with headliners Guitar Shorty (July 11) and Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater (July 12). Details: 11 a.m.–7 p.m. July 11-12; City Hall Plaza, Hayward; $20-$45; 510-4728800, www.westcoastbluessociety.com.
Alvon Johnson: A supremely versatile performer who can croon a blues ballad, crack a joke and deliver a stinging guitar lick that fills the air with electricity, Johnson is a Bay Area blues master who seems to get more attention out of town than at home. With his infectious energy, he
never lets youforget that the blues exists to banish lowdown moods, not to dwell upon them. Details: 9 p.m. July 11; Smoking Pig BBQ Company, Fremont; no cover; 510-713-1854; www.smoking-pigbbq.net.
Keb' Mo’: Inspired by Taj Mahal as a teen-ager in the1960s, Keb’ Mo’ is one of the blues’ mostcharismatic ambassadors. When he’s not working as an actor on stage or film, he’s a sly and riveting performer who embodies the blues as a source of strength and comfort, delving into the genre's country and urban iterations. Details: 7 p.m. July 16; Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga; $35-$100; 408-961-5800, montalvoarts.org; 7:30 p.m. July 19; Stanford University’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium; $15-$55; 650-725-2787, https://stanfordjazz.org.
Catherine Russell: Asensational singer who handles jazz standards and salty blues with equal authority, Russell celebrates Louis Armstrong
during her four-night run at the Joe Henderson Lab at SFJazz Center. One of the great voices in American music, she taps into the bedrock spirit of the blues with grit, sass and abundant generosity Details: 7 and 8:30 p.m. July 16-19; SFJazz Center, San Francisco; $30-$40; 866-920-5299, www.sfjazz.org.
Ruth Davies Blues Night with Barbara
Morrison: Bassist Ruth Davies has spent years touring and recording with the best in the business, from legendary blues crooner Charles Brown and Delta shaman John Lee Hooker to her current employer Elvin Bishop. For the past two decades, she’s hosted a blues night at the Stanford Jazz Festival, showcasing a special guest with her world-class band featuring guitarist Danny Caron. This year, she presents the great Los Angeles blues singer Barbara Morrison, a West Coast treasure who’s also worked widely in jazz contexts. Details: 7:30 p.m. July 22, Stanford University’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium; $15-$45; 650-725-2787, https://stanfordjazz.org. PAL Blues, Music, Arts & BBQ Festival: For the past nine years, Redwood City’s Police Activities League has put on one of the best summer street parties in the East Bay. Musical highlights include guitarist Danny Caron’s Good Hands Organ Trio with Hammond B-3 expert Wayne De La Cruz and drummer Kent Bryson, and the reliably scorching Chris Cain, a guitarist and vocalist who’s been a Bay Area mainstay for three decades.
Details: 5-8:30 p.m. July 24, noon-8 p.m. July 25th: Redwood City Courthouse Square; free; 650-5561650, www.palbluesfestival.com.
Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythms
Kings: Roy Rogers has brought the slide guitar into all kinds of interesting places, including collaborations with the late Ray Manzarek of the Doors and the legendary John Lee Hooker. His new solo album, “Into the Wild,” is another departure for the Grammy-winning artist, focusing on ballads and instrumental numbers. Working here with his fearsomely tight Delta Rhythm Kings, he’s joined by special guest Carlos Reyes on violin and Paraguayan harp. Details: Rogers and the Rhythm Kings have several Bay Area shows in August, including the Sonoma County Fair Aug. 5, the Great American Music Hall Aug. 7 and Vallejo’s Maritime Academy Aug. 8 (tickets and details at www.roy-rogers.com).
Guitar Shorty: A blues survivor who first made a mark as a teenager recording under the auspices of Willie Dixon, Guitar Shorty is the ultimate showman, a guitarist and vocalist who combines audacious stage moves with commanding technique. An early inspiration for Jimi Hendrix, who borrowed his behind-the-back moves, Guitar Shorty continues to gig prolifically at 75, while recording some of the most satisfying albums of his career for Alligator Records. Details: 7 and 9 p.m. Aug. 9, Biscuits and Blues, San Francisco; $20; 415-292-2583, www.biscuitsandblues.com.
Nancy Wright and the Rhythm and
Roots Band: She’s been known for years around the Bay Area as a top blues saxophonist, but with her recent album, “Putting Down Roots,” Nancy Wright has fully emerged as a double threat, equally effective at belting the blues as a singer. She works with some of the top musicians in the region, including Macy Blackman, Frank Bey and Terrie Odabi, but leading her own band, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Details: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14; Turf Club, Hayward; no cover; 510-881-9877, wfturfclub.com.
Buddy Guy: With the loss of B.B. King, the title of baddest blues guitarist on the planet passes to Buddy Guy, who turns 79 this summer. An influence on generations of blues and rock guitarists, including the British Invasion trinity of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, he helped define the Chicago sound as a house guitarist for Chess Records in the 1960s. An inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Guy is still an elemental force. Details: 8 p.m. Aug. 15; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $35-$125; 866920-5299, www.sfjazz.org.