Charlie Apicella has been working hard over the last ten years that he has been involved with the JSJBF. Aside from playing our festivals and other events, he is the founder and program director of BLUES ALIVE: Ancestral Voices of the Blues, V.P. of education for the North Jersey Blues Society, and serves on the Generation Blues education committee at The Blues Foundation in Memphis. He also has received grants for his work preserving Ma Rainey’s legacy in collaboration with the Ma Rainey House Museum in Columbus, GA.
During that time, he has released ten CDs with the latest, Charlie Apicella & Iron City Live in NYC. Just released this month, this collection will be representing the JSJBF in the Best Self-Produced CD category at the 2026 IBC. This project was the result of a fan approaching him with a bootleg-style recording directly off the soundboard at a 2023 club date. On that night, Charlie was joined by long time Iron City members Brad Whitley on organ and Austin Walker on drums, along with his BLUES ALIVE cohort, Juma Sultan on congas. Those of us old enough to remember, know that Juma played with Jimi Hendrix at the Woodstock Festival.
The set opens with a Tito Puente tune made even more famous by Santana at that festival, “Oye Como Va.” It’s played here in a style Charlie refers to as Hard Bop Meets Woodstock, with some inspired playing, and Charlie’s guitar riding like a tsunami over the top. “Lemon Rind” is one of seven original tunes and here the band goes for Philly Soul and Motown filtered through a jazz lens, with pleasing results.
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of B.B, King and in his honor, Charlie is reissuing his 2016 album “Payin’ The Cost To Be The Boss: A Tribute to B.B. King.” He is also featured in an article, “Salute to B.B.” in the September issue of Vintage Guitar magazine. In the song here, “Remembering B.B. King,” he doesn’t try to attempt to solo in B.B.’s guitar voice, instead he transcribed what the master would sing, and used that melody for guitar. This gives the listener a fresh perspective on what was being portrayed in some of his more familiar songs, here it’s distilled into one number.
‘Idris” is another original, and a fan favorite that really brings the funk in this live version, with Brad getting that classic B3 sound from his rig and Charlie adding some great fills over Juma’s tasty congas and Austin’s in the pocket drumming. “64 Cadillac” is a nice mid-tempo number that has Austin on the brushes, and puts the spotlight on the extended solos of both Charlie and Brad. Judging from the audience reaction they certainly appreciated the musicianship displayed, in Charlie’s case harking back to Wes Montgomery and one of his teachers, Pat Martino.
Beginning as an improvisation between Charlie and Juma, this heartfelt salute, “Remembering Jimi Hendrix,” honors his legacy in a style that is all Charlie’s own. “Big Boss,” is a song dedicated to jazz reed man Sonny Fortune, who was the first artist Charlie heard live as a young man, and it immediately changed his life. It features some inspired playing, including Juma and Austin trading solos, much to the delight of those in attendance that night.
The 1961 Elvis Presley hit, “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” is the only other cover here. Based on the French love song, “Plaisir d’amour,” it features Charlie’s expressive guitar styling in the vein of Arlo Guthrie, and Brad’s interpretive organ solo, over Austin’s brushes, which sound like they are caressing the skins.
The set ends with what Charlie calls “a nightly catalyst,” the original tune “Sparks.” Brad steps out with some very expressive organ soloing over a funky beat, which leads into some fiery soloing from Charlie, and was a great way to end this special evening and the recording that came out of it.
You can go to www.ironcity.nyc to find out more about this project and the band.