Blue Collar Blues: Generations
Join us for another exciting night of Blues at New Jersey’s newest musical hub.
#njHighlandsMusicHUB
Featuring The Chuck Lambert Band and The Moe Diggity Blues Band
On the last Saturday in September, Joseph Vincent Riggio and his Jv Archer Entertainment Group, in conjunction with the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation, presented the bimonthly Blue Collar Blues show at The Chubby Pickle. In a new twist on this event, Joseph teamed long-time JSJBF member and the “Dean of Monmouth County Blues,” Chuck Lambert with a young up and coming blues act, the Moe Diggity band.
The Chuck Lambert Band
Chuck and his band of seasoned veterans kicked things off with “Back at the Chicken Shack,” a Jimmy Smith Jazz tune that was given Chuck’s signature blues treatment. They continued with a fan favorite, starting off with Kenny Burrell’s “Chitlin’s Con Carne” and seamlessly transitioning into “Strut” by the great Taj Mahal. Chuck has shifted from the Red ES335 to a Les Paul and his playing on this tune was inspiring. His rhythm section of Eddie Ellis on bass and Chip Dixon on drums have been with him for a while now and really know how to find the groove. Horn man Eric Salkin has been a wonderful addition to the band with some tasty solos and great fills; this band knows how to capture an audience. The set continued with a mix of songs the band presented with their own arrangements, including “I’ll Play the Blues for You” (and you and you and you), “Dangerous Mood” and finished with “Start It Up” by Robben Ford.
The Moe Diggity Blues Band
After a short break, Moe Diggity took the stage. Leader David Berlin sings and plays harp, Jack Santoro plays guitar, Curren DeVico plays bass, Stephen Gadless was subbing for Brian Wolinski on the drums and Kirk on trombone. They went back seventy years to cover Big Mama Thornton’s version of “Rock Me” and “Evil” by Howlin’ Wolf. Dave has a singing/talking approach to the vocals, lecturing the audience while Jack has a minimalist approach with a concentration on minor chords. This results in a unique sound that works better on some songs than others. The remainder of the set would be instantly recognizable to fans of classic rock with the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, the Doors and Stevie Ray Vaughn songs in the mix.
At the conclusion of their set, Chuck joined them for spirited renditions of “Every Day I Sing the Blues” and his signature closer “Chicago Line.” It was a fun night of seeing and hearing where the blues has come from and where it is headed.