The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Mavis Staples comes to Wall Street Theater
This week has a good variety of blues-related shows, and some major acts who recently performed in Connecticut are coming back again. Their visits to other venues just highlights the quality of Connecticut’s entertainment scene.
Mavis Staples performs Friday at the Wall Street Theater. She began her career with her family group in 1950. When she graduated from high school, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch, Roebuck “Pops” Staples on guitar, and including the voices the Staples siblings, the Staples were called “God’s Greatest Hitmakers”.
Eventually, the Staples went from an enormously popular gospel group to become the most spectacular and influential spirituality-based group in America.
Mavis first went solo while at Epic Records, releasing a lone single “Crying in the Chapel” to little fanfare in the late 1960s. Her album in 1993. “The Voice” was named by People magazine as one of the Top Ten Albums of 1993. Her 1996 release, “Spirituals & Gospels: A Tribute to Mahalia Jackson” was recorded with keyboardist Lucky Peterson.
Staples made a major national return with the release of the album “Have a Little Faith” on Alligator
Records 2004. The album featured spiritual music, some of it semi-acoustic.
Her voice has been sampled by some of the biggest selling artists, including Salt ‘N’ Pepa and, Ice Cube. Staples has recorded with a wide variety of musicians, from her friend, Bob Dylan (with whom she was nominated for a 2003 Grammy Award in the “Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals” category. She has provided vocals on current albums by Los Lobos and Dr. John, and she appears on tribute albums to such artists as Johnny Paycheck, Stephen Foster and Bob Dylan.
Staples celebrated her 80th birthday with a concert at the Apollo Theater, 63 years after first appearing at the theater as a teenager with her family band, the Staple Singers. The show, which featured special guest artists, is one of a series of collaborative concerts she staged in May to commemorate her 80th birthday.
FTC has a Friday doubleheader. The Warehouse has Robert Randolph & The Family Band. Randolph grew up playing sacred steel music, basically gospel played on pedal steel guitar. Later he began taking his joyous, gospel-infused music out to clubs, backed by family members. He will have people dancing and yelling. Saturday, Randolph & The Family Band will be at Infinity Hall Hartford.
The second FTC Friday show is Tusk, the Fleetwood
Mac Tribute on StageOne. The ultimate tribute to Fleetwood Mac includes five seasoned musicians with more than 25 years experience.
Jack Broadbent, with special guests The Talbott Brothers is also at FTC StageOne, Thursday. Broadbent has been wowing international audiences with his unique blend of virtuosic acoustic and slide guitar, and poignant folk and blues-inspired vocals. Just watch what the man can do with only an acoustic guitar, a flask, and his voice.
Friday, Infinity Hall Norfolk has Peter Wolf and the
Midnight Travelers. Wolf, for decades, was the dynamic lead singer and song writer of the J. Geils Band. Together with his band, The Midnight Travelers, Wolf is known for his ability to create an intimate and personal connection with his audience.
Sunday, the hall presents Eric Gales, an American blues rock guitarist, originally hailed as a child prodigy. As of 2019, Gales has recorded 18 albums for major record labels and has done session and tribute work.
Gales picked up the guitar at age four. His older siblings taught him songs and licks when he was young, in the style of Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, B.B. King and others.. Although Gales plays a right-handed guitar “upside-down” (with the bass E string on the bottom), he is not naturally left-handed; he was taught by his brother, who is lefthanded, and never secondguessed the untraditional technique.
An afternoon of music to benefit Connecticut blues violinist Erica Schwichtenberg of Spontaneous Combustion Band is being held at NewSylum Brewing Company on Sunday (1 pm). Artists include the Doug Wahlberg Band , The New Desperation, and Tim DeHuff Music, withChance Browne as MC.
Friday, join the Cobalt Rhythm Kings for some smokin’ cobalt blues at New England Brewing Company. Under the outdoor tent at New England Brewing Company they part of NEBCO’s “Smokin’ Blues, Brews & BBQ” fall celebration.
Some other Friday shows include Lori and The Legends at Mona Lisa Restaurant of Wolcott, and The Orb Mellon Trio at Hartford’s Half Door. Maria V’s has Tony Ferrigno Band, Fade to Blues plays the Brass Horse Cafe and BRYAC has the Swamp Hogs.
Saturday, the Touro Band is at Sugar Hollow Taproom in Danbury and at Noon Hitch and the Giddyup are at Stone Gardens
Farm. Later Nod Hill Brewery host Hitch and the Giddyup and Chris Stovall Brown Plays The Stomping Ground.
Thursday at 5 p.m., The Sawtelles are at Best Video Film & Cultural Center.
Sunday, Kerri Powers is in Willimantic at the Bread Box Theater with Mad Agnes, while the Rich Badowski Band hits the Brass Horse Cafe at 3:30 p.m., and The Incredible Amplifires are at the Steak Loft at 5 p.m.
In nearby states, Saturday, Dave Keller Band is at Theodores’ Blues, Booze, and BBQ. In 2012, Keller Won The Blues Foundation’s “Best Self-Produced CD Award with Deep Soul Gem”
Also Saturday, The Falcon Main Stage has Jim Campilongo. Using the sound of his Telecaster, Campilongo connects American styles, blues, rock, country, jazz and R&B.
Thursday Daryl’s House welcomes the James Montgomery Band. He’s a vital presence and one of the most dynamic performers on the blues scene who carries on the tradition his legendary mentors John Lee Hooker, James Cotton and Junior Wells.