The April Blue Collar Blues had a pleasant twist and it was direct from Italy. Through a good friend and performer of the JSJBF, Dave Fields, promoter and sound man, Joseph Vincent Riggio, was able to connect with Italian bluesman, Roberto Morbioli. A native of Genoa, Roberto is doing a six-week tour of the states and Dave arranged to do this gig with him and two of Dave’s fellow musicians. To this day, the Roxy Perry Band, which Dave played in, are the only act sponsored by the Foundation to win an award at the IBC in Memphis. In 2006, they won the best self-produced CD category.
Open for them was our host band, The Incinerators, and as always, they set the bar high. Led by former JSJBF VP John Fernandez on vocals on a red ES335, that he chose from his arsenal for this night, he was accompanied by Steve Smith on bass, Chris Martell on drums, Rich Coccoli on guitar and JSJBF board member and chair of our membership committee, Gary Neuwirth on harp. Their secret weapon, Miss Kimmy, doubles as the official photographer and highlighted vocalist.
Their set included some reworked old favorites, and some new material which will appear on their new CD, which should be out later this year. When it is, you will hear about it in my review on our blog. Stay tuned! The band was well received by the full house in attendance and they shined on “Help the Poor,” a song made famous by B.B. King. John’s vocals are like a fine wine that gets better with age and his guitar always sounds fresh and inventive. Gary added some tasty soloing on the harp, and you could tell the band has had some serious studio time by how tight they were. Originals like “Forget About You,” and “Discarded,” stood up to the covers, with Miss Kimmy’s vocals sounding better than ever. She confided in the audience to getting hearing aids, which has made a big difference with how she hears herself and consequently sounds better to us. Unfortunately, that’s one of the hazards of singing and listening to live music at high volumes for many years! Steve complimented his fine bass work with some spirited vocals on “No More Doggin’,’’ a fifties tune by Rosco Gordon and a song made famous by Elvis, “Little Sister.” The set ended with a swinging version of another original, “Showdown,” highlighted with a nice solo by Rich. Another solid set by a band that knows how to get a room moving.
After a brief intermission, Roberto Morbioli took the stage with Dave Fields, backed by Buddy Allen on bass and Don Guinta on drums. They kicked it off with one of Dave’s originals, “Let’s Get Shakin,” which was a sample of the high energy show Dave in known for. Dave and Roberto traded licks while the rhythm section was laying down some solid accompaniment. Roberto then took over with an excellent version of Robyn Ford’s “Start it Up,” a song Ford wrote in the nineties for his band The Blue Line. Next up was another of Dave’s up-tempo numbers, “Let’s Go Downtown,” with that custom Fodera blazing, Dave displayed why he is one of the best showmen around, engaging the audience with dancers all around him. Roberto was equally up to the task on his next featured number, “I Don’t Wanna Be a Star.” His is a natural star quality which flowed effortlessly from this R & B style tune. The alternating of songs was a great way to contrast two blues guitarists who come at it from different angles.
Back to Dave, his song “Wake Up Jasper,” an ode to his son who was a young boy when it was written, is a playful tune that still rings true as a father’s love for his child who’s now in college. Dave informed the audience that Jasper is following in the family’s musical footsteps, as Dave and his father are both accomplished career musicians. Roberto followed with the beautiful self-penned ballad, “You Smile,” a song he said was written for his wife. Dave mentioned that the following song was on the IBC winning self-produced CD he played on. They then joined forces on a terrific rendition of the traditional folksong, “House of the Rising Sun,” which dates back to the birth of the blues. In their hands this night, the song showcased four musicians at the peak of their powers.
Roberto then continued with his mid-tempo shuffle, “Got You on My Mind,” which led into an extended reworking of Dave’s show stopping version of Led Zepplin’s “Black Dog.” Unfortunately, they had to stop there, despite the pleas from the crowd for more, but what a show it was. Roberto has another two weeks on the road, with stops in New England, before returning home but he will be back in late summer, so we will keep you posted.