Plenty of Labor Day Weekend Blues in Washington and Baltimore

Selwyn Birchwood, seen at 2013 DC Blues Society show will be appearing at the DC Blues Festival and Alonzo's Memorial Picnic this Labor Day weekend

For those in the Washington and Baltimore area, Labor Day weekend brings some exceptional music. Saturday August 30, the DC Blues Society presents its annual DC Blues Festival at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Northwest Washington DC, and the next day (August 31) the Baltimore Blues Society presents its annual Alonzo Memorial Picnic at the Rosedale Maryland American Legion Hall.

The DC Blues Festival has an excellent line-up headlined by a terrific singer Shakura S’Aida along with a bright young blues artist from Florida, Selwyn Birchwood. One will also get to hear some electrifying sounds of the Eddie Turner Band; Washington vocalist Shirleta Settles and Friends; the southern soul and blues of The Hardway Connection; and Stacey Brooks, winner of the 2013 DC Blues Society Battle of the bands and one of the area's most popular female blues singers. Also at this festival will be some workshops at the John Cephas workshop stage along with a jam session from members of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation Jambassadors. This free festival begins at Noon and runs until about 7:30 PM at the Carter Barron Amphitheater which is located at 16th and Colorado Streets NW in Washington DC. For more information visit www.dcblues.org.

The Alonzo's Memorial Picnic also has an impressive lineup which includes Selwyn Birchwood as well as another impressive young singer-guitarist Jarekus Singleton. Also on this line-up will be Gaye Adegbalola & The Wild Rutz, a four woman a capella group led by one of the former members of saffire-the Uppity Blues Women; and the swing-Chicago blues stylings of Doug Demming, Dennis Gruenling and The Jewel-Tones. This show will take place from 1 to 9PM (doors open at 12:30PM). The Rosedale American Legion Hall is at 1331 Seling Ave., Rosedale, MD 21237. For more information, including ticket price, visit www.mojoworkin.com.

Here are some videos to highlight some of the performers.

Here is Shakura S'Aida from a recent Toronto appearance. I am especially looking forward to seeing her as I was unable to attend some festivals she was scheduled at. Her album Brown Sugar was one of my favorite albums of 2010 and her most recent album, Time, is equally impressive in not simply her vocals and the backing but the range of material she performs. If you click on the underlined Brown Sugar,  you will see my review of that recording.

Selwyn Birchwood was the winner of the 2013 International Blues Challenge and he previously appeared at a DC Blues Society show in October 2010. He brings plenty of enthusiasm and energy as well as a fine band and his considerable talent.  Here he performs the title track of his debut Alligator album, Call No Ambulance. I look forward to seeing him perform in DC and Baltimore.

How many festivals can claim to present two winners of The International Blues Challenge presented by The Blues Foundation. The Hardway Connection won the Challenge in October 1994 (It used to be held the Sunday after the King Biscuit Festival) edging out Susan Tedeschi's Band. They do a nice mix of soul and southern soul classics and strong originals with three exceptional singers, Jerome MacKall, Toni Love and Robert Owens. MacKall may be the best deep soul singer you never heard (a cross of Otis Redding and Al Green) while Owens is a nephew of the legendary Don Covay.

Illness prevented me from attending the Pennsylvania Blues Festival where Jarekus Singleton appeared, but I keep hearing raves about him. His music is quite original and striking and you can click on the title of his Alligator debut, Refuse to Lose, to see my review of it. I am certainly looking forward to seeing his performance at the Alonzo's Memorial Picnic. Here is a clip from the 2014 North Atlantic Blues Festival from this July.

Stacey Brooks is a DC area favorite and here she is performing her signature song, My Name Is Stacy.

Here is Gaye Adegabalola and the Wild Rutz.

Hardway Connection's Hot Soul Blues Stew

Its been over a decade since an unheralded walk-on group competed and won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, edging out a group fronted by Susan Tedeschi. Previously unknown to many blues lovers in the Washington area, the Hardway Connection have since become one of the best-loved blues and old school soul bands around. Featuring several truly excellent singers and a tight band with two keyboards, guitar, bass and drums, they have produced soulful and funky music and in the course of their three self-produced CDs, have come up with some strong original material along with some covers of some gems by Roy C.

The first time I heard them live, they turned many heads, including mine, when Jerome MacKall launched into the group’s rendition of Ray Charles’ A Fool For You (filtered through Otis Redding). William Bell, the legendary soul artist, has compiled 15 tracks from the three discs on his Wilbe label, Hot Ticket, which hopefully will make their music easier to find. What is impressive is the quality of their originals (which shouldn’t be surprising since guitarist-vocalist Robert Owens is Don Covay’s nephew) as well as the remarkable vocals of Jerome MacKall backed by the group’s strong playing.

Originals range from the get up on the dance floor groove of Come On and Dance; the southern soul of What She Doesn’t Know about a man in an affair; Horn-ee Side, perhaps an unfortunate title for a lyric in which MacKall sings about wanting to reach the horny side of his women’s mind; one of the group’s finest soul ballads, It Must Be Love; and Somebody, a deep soul lyric that evokes the Bee Gees To Love Somebody. Guitarist Robert Owens gets to the vocal mike on the popular medley of Roy C songs Morning Train/ Peeping Thru the Window (Presented in both radio and unedited mixes) as well as the follow-up, One in the Morning, in which Robert attempts to remedy what his woman viewed as the deficiency in his equipment being too short.

When one sees Hardway Connection perform, one hears them performing their originals that are here along with covers of Dorothy Moore, Al Green, Etta James and others. Hopefully this disc will be available in better stores. You can get it at the group’s performances of course along with amazon, Barnes & Noble, wax.museum.com and other web sites.


This review appeared originally in the October 2005 DC Blues Calendar, then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. It was also published in the June 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 283). I have made some edits to reflect that this review is 5 years old and omitted material in the original review that was relevant to the Washington DC area readers and to reflect current availability. The Hardway Connection provided me with a review copy. 

Memphis Gold Benefit Big Success

I missed seeing Memphis Gold on Tuesday as I ran in Charlie Sayles on my way home on the Metro (Washington's subway). We stopped at his place, but he seemed out. I spoke to him Thursday and he is doing well, still a long way to go as far as recuperation, but playing and writing music. In fact he played for the staff at the Rehab facility in Baltimore he was at prior to being sent back to his home in Arlington VA.

The DC Blues Society's Benefit for Memphis Gold last weekend was a great success, with the Surf Club being as full as I ever saw it and (I understand) over $2000 raised for Memphis Gold. Was a great night of music and Memphis had the music video'd. There was some terrific music by the likes of Bobby Parker, the Hardway Connection, Charlie Sayles with the Memphis Gold Band, Mike Westcott, Clarence 'The Bluesman Turner with Stacy Brooks and much more. Memphis told me he was really impressed by Mike Westcott and Blues on Board (pictured) who he had not seen before. Anyway I will try to see him this weekend and will post about another benefit to be held in Baltimore this week.