I was surprised to hear the jazzy horns, swayin' music, and the salty
voice of The Senders as I passed by the park's grand stand area. My
original plan to go to the Sand Creek Park Carnival in Coon Rapids was
to see the fireworks. KQRS had been announcing the event and said the
show would be worth the view. I thought it was definitely a plus to
hear The Senders play, and they entranced me for quite some time near
their stage. Instead of getting lost in the sea of people on the
midway, and conned by a carni, I was seduced in spell by the music, and
brought back a few decades in space and time. A time which seemed so
long ago and a moment when the finesse and the zing of the jump blues
swept all over the land.
All around me there were people, ranging from the very young to the
very old, kicked backed with smiling faces, and tapping their feet to
the beat of the swingin' band. The talented eight pleased the crowd
with fine melodies from numerous, great artists in history, such as Duke
Ellington and T-Bone Walker.
When the band went to break, I took the opportunity to approach the
stage and spoke with the band's guitar player and vocalist, David "Cool
Breeze" Brown, and asked him a few questions regarding the group. His
offstage presence was as collected as his nick-name implies, which made
me feel at ease while I talked to him. With a smile on his face, he
introduced me to the band. There's Scott Johnson who plays a luscious,
tenor sax. Pete Masters who plays a sultry, slide trombone. Bob Byers
who plays a sophisticated, baritone, alto sax. Bill Black who plays the
funky, upright bass. Mark Ashe who plays with jivin' class on the piano.
Steve Erickson who plays with an upbeat style on the drums. And Theresa
Eger, who was filling in for their full time vocalist, Charmin Michelle,
blew me away with her sweet, sinful voice. The eight of them astounded
me, and jump started a lot of soul within. I loved their performance!
Mr. Brown also informed me that they have produced two CD's, "Bar Room
Blues," and "Jumpin' Uptown," produced by Blue Loon Records. I am going
to have to purchase one of their CD's soon, because just hearing a
little bit of them wasn't enough to satisfy my cravings for the classic
sound of the jump blues."
If you want to leap back in history, and get your fill of the jump
blues, The Senders play every Wednesday at Famous Dave's in Calhoun
Square. Or you can check out their web site and purchase their CD at
http://www.thesenders.net, or Blue Loon Records, at
http://www.blueloon.com
The Senders definitely brought in my Fourth of July with a big band kind
of bang! Thanks for the great time.
This review is copyright © 2000 by Mia Jennings, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.
E-mail Ray Stiles at: 
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