Summer Music Festivals Wind Down

 

Roger Gentry “Kidd Cincinnati” welcomed youth to the stage during his dynamic performance;

showcasing his willingness  to promote the blues to the younger generation. Photo by “I KNOW a GUY, who KNOWS a GUY” © 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twyla Birdsong  performed at Bluesfest with The Hoopties who perform a wide variety of original “all-American” music, ranging from old-school country to contemporary R&B to classic funk and reggae.

Photo by Shannon Poynter.

 

 

 

This past summer was packed with entertaining music festivals. Those willing to make the trek to Detroit, MI enjoyed the “true extravaganza”, with “Sing the Truth” featuring Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright honoring the legacies of Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln and Odetta. This amazing group of vocalists was joined by Detroit pianist Geri Allen, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist James Genus and Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. “Sing the Truth” – a special production that honors great women in jazz, folk, R&B, gospel and the blues, is making just three appearances in North America, and only one of those performances, the one in Detroit, was free. The 32nd Detroit Jazz Festival “Brings the World” to Detroit featured jazz artists from Japan, The Netherlands, Israel, West Africa, England and Brazil.

 

Closer to Home

 

The Old Town BluesFest in Lansing, MI is a two-day free music festival in September that brings national, regional, and local acts to a crowd of roughly 15,000 people from across Michigan and nearby states. The audience gathered to celebrate the music of The Hoopties feat. Twyla Birdsong,  Cee Cee Collin & RJ’s Rhythm Rockers, Freddie Cunningham & the Root Doctor Band, Mighty Medicine, Jackie Scott & the Housewreckers, Kidd Cincinnatti  & Friends and a host of other performers. BluesFest’s music truly is living music, history in the making. Most artists at the festival included something that hadn’t been played at any other festival.

 

The Story Behind the Music

 

Harmonica player, born the son of a carpenter and an elementary school teacher, Roger Gentry was raised and lived more than half of his life in the “Queen City”: Cincinnati, Ohio. He remembers listening to an eclectic mix of music around the family home. From Elvis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry to Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, B.B. King, The Beatles, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, he was immersed in a rich musical environment. This wide exposure led to a taste for more.

 

His parents originally offered to buy him a guitar after denying his request to play drums during junior high school, but fate stepped in around 1970 when a high school friend, Otis, shared with Roger the fundamentals of harmonica and the world of the blues.

 

He began his musical journey as a roadie and then went on to join suburban Cincinnati bands of the day such as Beouwulf, Sinbad & Fat Chance. With them, he sang and played harmonica throughout the northern Cincinnati valley for several years.

 

Now fast forward to the new Michigan-style millennium and a return to the basics for many folks, including Roger.  Similar to his parents’ time, job losses, foreclosures, corporate bankruptcy, a grown family and an empty nest, grandchildren and a weak economy have become the breeding ground for a new expression of his music. The creative bug has bitten again and Roger likes that feeling a whole lot. As many re-evaluate and re-invent themselves, Roger includes himself in that mix. That young man who left its streets long ago has returned in a sense, to that Ohio city, now proudly calling himself Kidd Cincinnati.

 

Kidd Cincinnati was joined by  Wayne Antonio on drums and vocals, Joe Glossop on bass and Greg Staam on guitar and vocals.

 

A crowd of over 15,000 gathered to celebrate food and the music of the blues.  If you missed it this year, be sure to mark it down on next year’s calendar.

 

An Opportunity to Learn

 

Jackie Scott above has opened for BB King & Taj Mahal has definitely been a plus. Touring trips to Mississippi, Louisiana, and California and performing at the 2007 and 2010 Chicago Blues Festival have all played a part in making Jackie Scott & The Housewreckers an entertainment machine! Jackie Scott lead a clinic  entitled “So you want to be a blues singer?”

 

We’ve all at some point or another thought about what it would be like to hit the highway doing something we love to do. Do you have what it takes? Actually, what does it take? Should you quit your job?  How can you get better? All that glitters isn’t gold, and if that’s all with you, then hitting the road might not be a bad idea. About 25 folks came out to get advice and ask questions.

 

A Different Flavor

 

For Tejano lovers,  the 1st Annual Tejano/Latino musical extravaganza showcased musical talents that highlighted  the unique sound of Tejano. The extravaganza included music, dancing, food vendors,a beer tent, car show, community informational booths and merchandise vendors displaying and selling their wares.

 

Music is the perfect way to wrap up summer. Michigan presents an exploration of the full range of creative events.  It inspires us through the cool fall and frigid winter but each moment lives through the ages.

 

 

Editors note:  Toby Ten Eyck contributed to this story. Some information also compiled from press releases.

 

This was printed in the September 25, 2011 – October 8, 2011 Edition.