For the second time in two weeks, the stage at Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues in Uptown Minneapolis was graced with blues greatness. Following a memorable show the previous week, featuring a double bill of blues giants Louisiana Red and W. C. Clark, Famous Dave’s brought a stageful of greatness to the Twin Cities in the form of 91 year old Pinetop Perkins. Although Pinetop exudes a large presence on the stage, this description of “stageful” refers to the fact the Pinetop was accompanied on Friday night by an allstar band that included Eddy Clearwater Band guitarist Mark Wryra; Muddy Water’s alumni Robert Stroger on bass; Kenny Smith on drums; and Kenny’s father, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (another Water’s alumni) mixing in on vocals, harp and drums.
The occasion of this monumental event was the second night of the 10th Anniversary of the Uptown Famous Dave’s. With Dave’s staff festooned in formal wear and serving a packed house, the evening smacked of a night at a Chicago blues club with a host of celebrities in the audience. Among the notables in attendance were blues greats Mojo Buford and Jojo Williams; local talents Mike “The Hook” Deutsch, along with Mickey Bauer and Harold Tremblay from Cool Disposition; and local KFAI disc jockeys Jacqui “Lady J” Maddox and Lolli Obeda.
Members of the band, including Pinetop, held court at one of the front tables in the restaurant, accepting well wishers, signing autographs and greeting old friends and new acquaintances. Before and during breaks, Pinetop, “Big Eyes" and Stroger sat with their friends and fellow blues legends Jo Jo Williams and Mojo Buford. The blues greats exchanged greetings and swapped stories, joked about their experiences and shared the camaraderie that only musicians that have been through decades of ups and downs in the business can have. All told, there was nearly 300 years of collective experience in the music business, led by Pinetop Perkins, the senior member at the age of 91. These great players appeared to have lost none of their enthusiasm for life, people, and the blues. Just being able to sit and visit with such an incredible group of performers in one place made this one of the greatest nights of blues at Famous Dave's since its opening ten years ago.
Following a nice opening set by two local talents, Famous Dave’s Musical Director Paul Metsa, accompanied by harp player Sonny Earl, the first three members of Pinetop’s allstar band took the stage. Mark Wryra, Robert Stroger and Kenny Smith opened the first set with an up tempo instrumental showcasing Wryra’s talent on guitar. As the band moved into its second number, “Don’t You Lie To Me”, featuring Stroger on vocals, the dance floor was filled with more dancers than on a typical night. Interestingly, it got even more crowded as the evening went on, as the restaurant remained unusually crowded late into the evening.
After one more song with the three piece band, “That Ain’t Right,” Willie ”Big Eyes” Smith came up on stage to join the band. Although Smith made his name in the blues as the drummer for the Muddy Waters Band, he made his initial appearance on this evening as the featured vocalist and harp player. Willie’s portion of the show opened with a harp heavy instrumental that illustrated the versatility of “Big Eyes.” The four piece ensemble blazed through a half a dozen songs written and/or made famous by names like Waters, Wells, Wolf and Willie (Dixon), working up the audience for the appearance by the “star” of the evening, Pinetop Perkins. One of Willie’s highlights was the performance of a Howlin’ Wolf number called ”Treat Me Right” which had Willie doing everything possible to evoke the image of the Wolf right up to the wolf howls made famous by the late master of the blues.
Then the cry went up from the audience when the traditional question was asked of the crowd, “Are you ready for blues time?” After the resounding “YES!.” Pinetop Perkins finally came up on the stage, opening with his signature piano for the talking blues/instrumental “Chicken Shack.” Although Pinetop is an amazing 91 years old, when he sits down in front of a piano, he becomes a much younger man with his infectious smile and shining eyes. As Pinetop moved into some boogie woogie piano for “Down In Mississippi,” he had the audience eating out of his hand.
The evening was filled with highlights as Pinetop and the band played song after classic blues song including “I got My Mojo Workin’,” Long Distance Call,” “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” and Pinetop’s theme song, “They Call Me Pinetop Perkins.” One of the most poignant points of the evening occurred just before the band performed the Wilbert Harrison classic “Kansas City” as Pinetop prefaced the song with the comment, “We’re gonna do this just like we did in the 20’s,” alluding to the agelessness of Pinetop himself.
Pinetop and all the other members of the band were gracious and very accommodating for everyone in attendance as they autographed items ranging from Famous Dave’s monthly music calendars to a mini-Baby Grand piano. The blues royalty in the audience Mojo Buford and Jojo Williams also beamed as they sat and watched the performance, shook hands and signed autographs themselves.
The evening definitely had an “event” flavor to it, complete with the international headliner, allstar band and celebrity-filled audience. Even better, the turnout reinforced my belief that the blues is still alive and well in the Twin Cities. It was truly an evening to remember. To check out upcoming blues shows at Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues in Uptown Minneapolis, visit their website at www.famousdaves.com.
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