"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by The Blues Foundation
Bill Perry put on a show of snarling, howling guitar, heavy, dirty-toned picking, and some wicked slide on Friday night at Famous Dave's. Bill kicked things off with the fast, driving blues of "My Baby's Too Hot." He played fast, snarling licks, broke down for slower, expressive picking on his solo. His strong, low, gritty to gruff vocals perfectly suited the style of his guitar playing. Throughout the night he continued to demonstrate what a strong player he is by playing a good mix of covers and originals from his CD's.
On "Crappy Kind of Love" Perry had his band in a funky, heavy beat groove as he played snarling, howling licks interspersed with some great chord progressions. He came back after that with the first of several Hendrix covers. Like many strong guitar players, he has a real talent and seeming reverence for this music. Showing his versatility, Perry came back with some wicked slide guitar, playing snarling, repeating chords as he sang strong and heavy on "I'd Walk 500 Miles." The band came right back with a funky beat to Bill's growling guitar and solid vocals on "Crossroads."
In his second set Bill slowed things down with a blues grinder, showing some subtle, soulful picking and expressive fills. His scat vocals at the same added to the rich sound the band produced here. Bill's cover of "Big Boss Man" stood out as his guitar licks were big, rich and full, going from a growl to a howl, driving the band along with high energy. Perry then gave the crowd a short medley of Hendrix, so he could show off most of his guitar skills. He was superb here, going from powerful, grinding licks to howling and soaring to slow and subtle with very smooth chord progressions. Perry really seemed to pick up the energy and pace, barely slowing down as he went from one song to the next. "You Got an Itching For It" is a great original song with a catchy, funky, hooking beat powered by Perry's strong slide playing. His solid vocals on the clever lyrics made this number a highlight of his show.
Perry put an exclamation point on his show with a great cover of "Red House." His great guitar licks and soulful, powerful vocals wowed the crowd. Many fans simply could not leave because they needed to hear more from this solid blues player. Perry was backed by a three-piece band on rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. All three players did a solid job with the changing tempos and styles that Perry played throughout the night.
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