Blues crews

Ah it is fun to grab the JB and tail it down to the Canberra Blues Society jam session on a Sunday arvo and have a nice simple blues blow with that loud and clear backline.  The host band this day was Wally & Eric Crew and they are long termers in the CBS and authentic in their renditions and voices so a great pleasure.  The first item I encountered the CBS was yonks back at a venue near the Manuka Oval, was it the first location of the Eastlakes Club?  Then Tuggers, Austrian Club, Spanish Club, perhaps more, and now the Harmonie German Club with a decent hall and wonderful gear.  I'm revisiting recently.  My blow band just came together literally minutes before we went on stage.  Vox, 2 x guit, bass, drums.  Just three tunes, loud, D blues, A blues, an original with instructions: E, don't play the third. Well I played maj and min thirds in chromatic runs and b7 of course and it was a blast.  Again, noisy.  Aaron on vox, I missed the other names but drums was an ex-Army Band Euphonium player.  Big smiles.  Then a string of bands with familiar faces, some of whom I'd played with.  Once again no pic of my jam band.  Just one excellent German beer (dunkel) on tap and I had to leave before the end, but I came away with a smile on my face.  It's not complex music but it does have its style and authenticity and can merge into rock and it is fun.

Wally & Eric Crew were the host band at the Canberra Blues Society jam session at Harmonie German Club.  W&EC comprise John Van Buuren (guitar, vocal), Steve Hartnett (harmonica, vocal), Brian O’Rourke (bass) and Jonathan Jones (drums).

Back to blues

I used to attend blues jam regularly but it faded, but I've been looking forward to a return for some time. Finally, notification of a Blues Club jam at Hellenic and a free Sunday afternoon. Great! Pack my most appropriate instrument (stock standard sunburst fretted JB MIM with DiMarzio pups) and off. The host band was Northside City Slickers with John Van Buuren, Tim Spellman and Fred Pilcher and Bridget Croft sitting in for a few songs. Then the jammers list. I was lucky enough to play with a great band led by Chris Harland with Peter Kirkup, Mitch Preston and Chris Tominich on harp. Three 12-bar blues: Medium temp C, some walking; 12/8 in A; driving blues in G. That's the blues for ya. Great fun, fabulous amp (Mesa-Boogie, thanks Bucky), hot and tight. Then a series of other bands and various mates: Steve, Don, Ken, Ross, Dan, even Wayne Kelly made and appearance. A big hall with a decent crowd, some dancers, German beer away from the rain outside. Great!

Canberra Blues Society jam sessions are held 2-5.30pm, third Sunday each month, at the Harmonie German Club.

Canberra Blues Society monthly jam

Returning to Roots

I follow jazz and even fine music these days, but I still have a soft spot for blues-rock so a visit to the Pro Blues & Roots jam today was lots of fun. The Cherrypickers were hosting and what a great little band they are. No surprise there: they are made up of some of the cream of the local blues-rock scene and the songs were wide ranging and entertaining, the feels were solid and capable, Monica’s voice was in full flight - loud and powerful and often growling - and John’s guitar solos were busy and chordally full and often screaming. Just as this music should be. They had the dancers up, the feet tapping and a few heads nodding, and they were having as good a time as we were. John’s bass sounded great, too: hard and unyielding with playing that’s tight, rock-powerful and distilled. They didn’t strictly play the blues, although JVB sang on the classic, You don’t love me. The rest of the repertoire included Michael Jackson’s I want you back (this was commented on!), as well as Aerosmith(!)’s Walk this way, JoJo Zep’s The shape I’m in and Martha and the Muffin’s Echo beach. Not really the blues: more entertaining than impassioned.

The room was the same. This is not a young crowd – I don’t feel out of place – but all are welcome. The blues does have some young followers but I’m sure many of these people lived through the years of rock guitar. Cream’s Sunshine of your life was played and my guess is that the performer heard it when it released. But it’s a friendly, easy-going scene, beery but certainly more restrained than I expect these guys (mostly guys) remember from their youth. There were several other make-up bands, people having a jam, maybe friends who’ve played together here or elsewhere before. One was more a country blues style, playing JJ Cale and the like. One was led by the richly bearded ex-Canadian singer-guitarist Danny Mack aka the Cement City Cowboy. Chris Harland led another band with his hot blues guitar. I got to play a few tunes with JVB and Jon from the Cherrypickers and a few others.

It was an entertaining and sociable outing that I plan to revisit. The blues scene around Canberra revolves around the Canberra Blues Society with frequent events and Bucky’s monthly Pro Blues & Roots Jam sessions. There’s plenty of opportunity to hear the blues and it’s great fun. The Cherrypickers are Monica Moore (vocals) and the Jon/Johnnies: John Van Buuren (also known as JVB; guitar), John Coates (bass) and Jon Jones (drums). The Pro Blues & Roots Jam is held monthly at Holy Grail, Kingston and the MC is the garrulous and entertaining bassist Dave (Bucky) Buckmaster. Other players included Chris Harland, Peter Barta, Steve Hartnett, Mitch Preston and Danny Mack.

Danny Mack