Last Day of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise
By "The BluesWax Boys" Eric Wrisley and Chip Eagle
We're pulling into a foggy Ensenada on the last day of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. The good news is that we outlasted Hurricane Rick; the bad news is that it's the final day of the cruise. As things wind down, we're making the most of our time, taking in some great performances.
One of the "sleeper hits" of this cruise is the Lionel Young Band, and last night's Mardi Gras party in the Ocean Bar showed why Lionel won the International Blues Challenge (IBC) solo award in 2007. If you're not familiar with Lionel, you're missing out. A classically trained violinist, he's turned the corner into a quirky brand of Blues. Nearly everyone who's seen him this week says something along the lines of, "I've never seen anyone play violin and make it sound like a guitar," or "I've never... he's playing the... man, that's good!" Thursday night's Mardi Gras party was no exception, with the Lionel Young Band expanding to embrace a New Orleans vibe that packed the dance floor.
What makes Young stand out is that when he plays, he owns the room. He's one of those special performers whose able to do his own thing while still playing to the crowd. Typically backed by a trio, with Kim Stone holding things down on bass and Jay Forrest keeping time and sharing some vocals, Young is free to vamp with abandon. Thursday night, Ed Early and Randy Oxford brought dueling trombones to the front of the stage, and Kenny Wayne jumped in on melodica. Young's voice is mostly rich and smooth, but he can wax falsetto and turn to a low rumble with ease. Lionel has the soul of a Bluesman, but on Thursday, he kicked out a couple of hours of good time party music, and no one was complaining.
Café R&B is the new promise of the Blues. Cruise organizer Roger Naber picked this one perfectly. Byl Carruthers is a classic retro guitar player. Is he Coco Montoya? No - and he doesn't even try to be. Ron Hollowayfrom the Susan Tedeschi Band sat in with them on the pool deck and delivered a righteous sax solo, easily the best sax work of the cruise. Their repertoire fills the bill of retro R&B meets the Blues in a way that fills your soul with music. Equal parts sex, soul, and Blues, vocalist Roach captivates the audience with her visual presentation. We're not sure this act would fly so well in a huge venue, but it's got to be one of the best club acts to ever grace the stages of the Legendary Rhythm 'n' Blues Cruise. It could be her wig, it could be the guitar playing, it could be the total package. Whatever it is, it just freaking works!
We'll be back next week with our regularly scheduled BluesWax, assuming we're still standing. (Editor's note: Your intrepid Editor Don Wilcock was not on the boat but is still at the bow of BluesWax, so fear not the unsteady ones!)
Roach (vocalist, Café R&B)
"The fact that I don't have to cook and clean is the high point. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. I did do some laundry yesterday, though."
Heidi from Sacramento
"It's so different from my regular life. The cruise was a birthday gift to me. I love being around people with passion; that's why I'm here."
Angel from Alberta, Canada
"I've been feeling a little cooped up, but the music makes the difference, right?"
Gord from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
"Oh, I had an emotional reaction to Dave Mason. The magic of seeing him was that it brought back feelings from playing Traffic in high school. I had a Traffic live album that I wore the grooves out on. When he kicked into "Feeling Alright," it wasn't listening to music - I had an emotional reaction."
Carolyn Washington Gaines (Roy Gaines' daughter) from Los Angeles
"I'm here with the Blues Schools Program, we started it in 2001. This week, we did art and music with the kids. They were all great kids. I'm glad I came on this cruise, and I'm gonna try to get on the one in the Caribbean in January."
Chip Eagle (Publisher, Blues Revue/BluesWax; Chairman, Vizz-tone Label Group)
"If Café R&B was in my town, I'd be there. They should be on our label - they're just that good. Now, where's my wife?"
Nikki from Chicago
"Michael Burks in the Showroom was great last night. It was kind of southern regional stuff. I want to stay on the boat forever. This is my fourth cruise, and it's the best lineup that could possibly be."
Joe Rosen (photographer, LRBC/BluesWax) from the Big Apple
"Café R&B's first show, when the crowd said, 'Who the hell is this?' Wow, that was special."