Chuck Lambert and the Old Dogs and Young Guns Bring the Blues to Reckless Estate
by Tom Baldino
Friday night was the calm before the storm. As we were setting up for Reckless Steamy Nights at the Red Bank Woman’s Club, we were treated to a beautiful sunset with a rainbow over the building as the Nor’easter approached.
This special evening featured our own Chuck Lambert on guitar and vocals, Coo Moe Ghee on bass and Ed Trygar on drums. The first set included thirteen-year-old Gabriel Rosas on guitar and vocals, while the second set had another teenager, Jose Austin on guitar. Both of these boys have been attending the Chubby Pickle Blues Jam hosted by our own Jack Piccolomini, who was also in attendance. This special night was the brainchild of our board member, and resident soundman Gary Neuwirth, who also sat in on harp on two tunes in the second set.
The evening began with the Elmore James tune “I Can’t Hold Out,” also known as “Talk to Me Baby.” Gabriel took a nice solo, which was followed by Chuck’s own solo and included his strong vocals. Coo Moe did a fine job anchoring the bottom on his bass, and with Ed primarily working the cymbals, this was a good choice to get the night started on the right note (pun intended). They then picked up the tempo on Rufus Thomas hit song, “Walking the Dog,” which was highlighted by a nice bass solo. Up next, “Everyday I Sing the Blues,” a song written by Memphis Slim but made popular by B.B. King, had the crowd singing the refrain, and included some outstanding solos from Chuck and Coo Moe that livened up this number.
On Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy,” Gabriel took over the vocals and his inexperience showed a little here as he started too far from the mic to be heard, but when he moved closer, it got much better. “I Play the Blues for You,” one of Albert King’s signature songs, received a great intro on guitar by Chuck and the instrumental break featured Chuck and Gabriel trading licks, which was a real treat. T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday Blues” coupled strong vocals from Chuck with a terrific solo from Gaberial that made this one of the highlights of the set. Their final tune was “Messin’ with the Kid,” a song credited to Mel London, owner of Chicago’s Chief Records, but as it was a common practice during the mid twentieth century, the label owner took credit for a performer’s song. Gaberial broke a string, but Jose graciously let him use his guitar and the tune went off without a hitch.
The second set began with Gary joining Jose on stage to add some sweet harp to the John Hiatt ballad, “Feels Like Rain.” Chuck’s vocals and Jose’s tasteful fills rounded out this fine version of the song. They then laid down the funk on Chick Willis’ song “Stoop Down Baby,” a tune that was a big jukebox hit at a time it was released, even though it received no airplay because of the suggestive lyrics. They then went off the set list for another song tailor made for Chucks vocals, “Dock of the Bay,” written and performed by Otis Reading on his all too short say on Earth,and Steve Cropper.
Chuck spoke briefly about the different styles of the blues, shaped by the region they came from, and tied it to his and Ed’s appearance at the IBC, when they represented the JSJBF. During their performance, one of the Judges wanted to know why they were representing a “jazz & blues” foundation, and Chuck proceeded to give us his response on this night with a moving version of Ray Charles classic “Hard Times.” Gary again joined them on harp, and Jose added a wonderful solo, followed by Coo Moe’s equally fine bass solo.
Chuck then threw in another number not on the set list, Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Early in the Morning,” which was highlighted by Ed’s drumming, some audience participation, and another fiery solo from Jose. “Strut,” a Taj Mahal/Jimmy Reed number that is a staple in Chuck’s set list, began with audience participation in the form of rhythmic clapping to the beat, and took off from there. The final tune was B.B. King’s and maybe the worlds most recognizable blues song, “The Thrill is Gone.” Beginning with a sweet intro and the first verse from Chuck, he and Jose then brought down the house with their respective solos, ending a night on which those in the room saw that the best of, as well as the future of the blues, is alive and well.
More Reckless Steamy Nights at Reckless Estate
The evening with Chuck Lambert and the Old Dogs and Young Guns was another memorable night at the Woman’s Club of Red Bank. We look forward to bringing more music, entertainment, and Reckless Steamy Nights live jazz and blues music series.
Check the calendar for upcoming Reckless Steamy Nights performances, typically held on the last Friday of the month.
more from Chuck Lambert on www.ChuckLambert.com