A frigid night at the Jersey Shore was no problem for those in attendance at the Chubby Pickle, as a “Generations” bill put together by JSJBF board member and promoter Joseph Riggio heated up the crowd with some great blues in a fun-filled atmosphere. Youth band Nitro Blues, who are representing the North Jersey Blues Society at next month’s International Blues Competition, were the featured act but opened the night with a set of raw blues infused with their youthful enthusiasm and power that had the crowd involved from the first note.
A Night to Remember: Nitro Blues Takes the Stage
They opened with a Tom Waits tune, “Gin Soaked Boy,” and lead singer and guitarist Patrick Graham Mellor owned the stage. For those old enough to remember, his performance brought back memories of a young Jim Morrison with his swagger. With Armaan Gupta on second guitar and the sibling rhythm section of Bella Grande on bass and Tony Grande on drums, they powered through the number with their unique sound.
The song “16 Tons,” made popular by Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955, was an interesting choice, and the band totally reworked it to the delight of the listeners. As someone very familiar with the International Blues Competition, I know they will get good scores from the judges, who stress that it’s fine to cover songs as long as you stamp them with your own originality.
Original Songs and Unique Covers
Speaking of originality, the song “Stop Your Cryin’” was an original and another powerhouse—short in length but economically constructed. Another cover, which was right in their wheelhouse, was Johnny Kidd’s “Shakin’ All Over.” Bella took over the vocals, and while not as strong a presence as Patrick, she held her own and delivered the goods. Meanwhile, brother Tony pounded so hard on the skins that he put a hole in the snare, forcing Joseph to go into replacement mode for the show to continue.
High Energy Blues
The song “Blues Is My Business,” made famous by Etta James, featured Armaan on lead guitar, and his clean licks were a nice contrast to Patrick’s more overdriven sound. It was followed by two songs that couldn’t have been more different from each other: Buddy Holly’s “Rave On” and Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya (On the Bayou).” Both were delivered with an almost Ramones-like urgency.
Though the set was thoroughly enjoyable, it could have used a little pacing, as every song was pedal to the metal. The band acquitted themselves nicely on both James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom,” giving them their own high-energy sound. That was supposed to be the finale, but the room called for more, and the band complied with another original tune, “I’m Draggin’.”
The Incinerators: Veterans of the Blues
It was a bit of a rough night for the Incinerators, who were missing two members due to illness. However, as the saying goes, “the show must go on,” and with Ray Rasa stepping in as a last-minute substitute for Steve Smith on bass, they performed a shortened set of their fan favorites minus the originals.
As always, it was a great night of blues from both the seasoned veterans, the Incinerators, and a band fresh out of high school, Nitro Blues. Thanks, Joseph, for this fun pairing!
