Blues On Stage - Oklahoma City Bricktown Blues Festival

Live Review
Oklahoma City Bricktown Blues Festival
@ June 6, 1998
by Kristy Jones

The Oklahoma City skies were filled with more than just celestial stars the night of Saturday, June 6, 1998. Three blues stars showed up for the 3rd Annual OKC Bricktown Blues Festival to light up the sky with their electrifying performances.

First on stage was Debbie Davies. A wonderful guitar playing gal with a sultry vioce that belted out several blues favorites. She seemed right at home on stage with several hundred people looking on. Her pink guitar sang to everyone as the crowd moved closer to the stage to get a closer look at her style of blues. The crowd clapped for more after her last song, and she gladly came out to do another. And another, until the stage crew said it was time for the next performer.

Next, on stage was Tab Benoit. The crowd was warmed up but he turned up the heat with his first song Nice and Warm. He played his keen guitar and the music soared through the OKC sky. He played some old favorites, but he introduced the crowd to many of his new songs off of his Live:Swampland Jam CD. Every one was dancing when he played Let Love Take Control. He is such a great performer, the crowd could not get enough of him, so after his last song Hot Tamale Baby he invited Debbie Davies out on the stage with him. He did his last song together with her. What a great sound when the two of them blended the sound of their guitars and their voices. It was an awesome performance that was enjoyed by all.

The crowd just thought though that they had reached celestial heights, because next on stage appeared Bernard Allison. The heat and the sound was turned up once more by the presence of Bernard's band. The crowd went wild with Bernard's aggressive no holds barred guitar playing style. His bass player threw love beads into the crowd that was jam packed around the stage. He played Young Boy Blues, and then came out into the crowd and picked his guitar with his teeth to everyones delight, has he kept perfect harmony with the tune. After back on stage, he played a song that will be on his new CD to be released in September, a song that he wrote and dedicated to his Dad, Luther Allison. The crowd applauded wildly after the tune, and it was apparent when he finished with tears in his eyes that this song was a very important tribute to his father.

The end of the night concluded with everyone on stage. Debbie Davies, Tab Benoit, and Bernard Allison. An awesome line-up of performers closed the show with several great tunes, like Baby Don't Ya Wanna Go. The crowd clapped for more, they couldn't seem to get enough, but when the music stopped for the night one could still hear the sounds dancing through the OKC sky.

E-Mail:BLONDI2712@aol.com

E-mail Ray Stiles at: mnblues@aol.com

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Copyright © 1998 by Ray M. Stiles
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