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Frightfully Cool Blues
Story by Kevin Robinson
Pictures by Ellie Apuzzo
Saturday. In the park.
No way it was the 4th of July.
It was Halloween, however. October 31, 1998. And Anders Thueson and
the Hudson Valley Blues Society were throwing another party. The sun was
shining bright on the band shell at James Baird State Park, Autumn leaves
were blowing in the cool afternoon breeze, and there was great blues in the
air.
Fresh back from a tour de force in Memphis which included a performance
at B.B. King’s joint, the Slam Allen Band opened the show as only they can.
By now, I hope that everybody in the Hudson Valley who loves live music
knows about Slam Allen. The young musician hails from Monticello, where he
grew up in a musical family and played drums in his dad’s band, the Allen
Brothers. Slam always knew he wanted to entertain people, but his path to
becoming one of the area’s top blues guitar player/vocalists had a twist or
two along the way. Rumor has it (from a very reliable source), that
the young Allen came by his stage name after a brief stint training to
become a professional wrestler. Well, make no mistake, the WWF’s loss is
our gain!
Like every band, the Slam Allen Band has undergone some changes over
time. Musicians (and their dreams) come and go, and with a talent like
Slam up front, any good group of back-up players will get the job done.
But this band doesn’t settle for getting the job done. There’s a new
chemistry that shines through right now, and when that happens, it can be
the first sign that good career things are about to happen. Mike Chido on
trumpet and Rich Maraday on tenor sax make up the horn section, and they
work together well to create the kind of fill one usually expects with a
“big band.” They’re no Tower of Power (Who is?), but they’re the next best
thing. Erik Perez is a young drummer with style. Whether he’s shuffling
through the blues, bouncing in the funk, or rockin’ with the rhythm and
blues, his playing has a smooth and commanding flow that is both
appropriate and original.
Eric Winter anchors Slam’s band in more ways than one. Yes, his bass
playing is top notch, even rich and creative at times, but it is his
careful attention to what’s happening on stage and his subtle but
enthusiastic communication techniques that go a long way toward keeping
everyone on the same musical page. Mike Quick is a guitar slinger to
watch. . .and Slam has obviously been watching. Quick loves to play the
blues. And he loves playing in this band. His talent is impressive, but it
is his infectious enthusiasm that makes him an important asset to a band on
the way up. Whether they realize it or not, audiences pick up on that kind
of enthusiasm. When they see that the band members are having fun, they
are far more apt to have fun themselves.
Slam and company played a great set, as they always do, and then turned
the stage over briefly to an act called “Buffy, Fluffy & Scruffy.” I
wasn’t expecting this folk-bluesy trio, and never did find out who they
really are, but with guitar, bass, harmonica and washboard, they gave new
meaning to the term “alternative.” They were definitely “something else!”
When the Slam Allen Band returned to the stage to back the headliner,
Ellen Whyte, the cool Autumn afternoon really warmed up. Whyte is a rising
star on the west coast, where she and her band, Blue Reflex, have been
charming audiences and winning awards. One of the greatest benefits
President Anders Thueson and the Hudson Valley Blues Society provides to
area music lovers is the opportunity to see and hear exceptional talent
from the far corners of the musical world. It is no small matter, bringing
in a recording artist the caliber of Ellen Whyte, but it is obviously a
labor of love for Thueson. He has an eye and an ear for the real thing,
and if there’s a way he can bring it to the Hudson Valley, he and his loyal
“family” of blues enthusiasts will make it happen. Ellen Whyte is a
wonderful example of this.
I first heard Ellen Whyte on one of Kansas City’s great blues radio
shows. I think it might have been Lindsey Shannon’s Sunday night show, but
then it could also have been Bill Haddock’s “Saturday Night Fish Fry.” My
memory’s not what it used to be, but I’ll never forget Whyte’s voice. She
has the kind of a voice that melds heart, soul and blues in a way that gets
and keeps your attention. Live, Whyte is also playful. She and Slam
played off each other throughout the set, and the highlight of the show
came when they improvised a Halloween slow blues duet, and then jumped it
right into a rousing version of “Let the Good Times Roll.”
Like our own Slam Allen, the name “Ellen Whyte” will soon become far
more familiar to a broader audience... and for good reason. To learn more
about Whyte and her music, check out her website at:
www.ellenwhyte.com
Kevin Robinson
is a freelance writer/photographer, and
the author of three "Stick Foster" hardback mystery novels.
A former syndicated columnist for
the Detroit Free Press, his byline has appeared over 100 times in
national and regional periodicals. Kevin is a partner at
No Bull Productions,
and his PR credits include promotion and
booking work for several of Kansas City's top blues bands. Kevin can
be reached at nobull@NoBullProductions.com.
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Ellie Apuzzo owns and operates
Ellie's Consider It Done.
She provides
"on-site oversight for absentee owners" here in the Florida
Keys; and so far, this lifelong New Yorker just can't seem to
get into "Keys time!" Ellie can be reached at
ellie@elliesconsideritdone.com.
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