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Roots music concert to feature blues, R&B
Published July 23, 2009
FREDERICKSBURG — Blues fans can catch a rare opportunity to hear national acts and legendary blues and R&B musicians when Guitar Shorty, Blues Mafia and Blues Specialists take the stage for the next Roots Music concert Saturday, at Pioneer Museum in Fredericksburg.
All three acts are making their Fredericksburg debut. Already a legend himself, Guitar Shorty has played guitar with legends T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Little Richard and Ray Charles. As a teenager, Shorty was fronting the legendary house band at the Dew Drop Inn in New Orleans, leaving only to tour with Sam Cooke. During his heydey, Shorty influenced a young Jimi Hendrix. He now is based in Los Angeles, where he records, jams and has won the WC Handy Award.
The story of Blues Mafia reads like a movie script: four kids meet at a Rock Camp, then are asked to fill in for some high-profile gigs. They add a female vocalist to play those dates, like their sound, and start writing and gigging. Still very young, they bring a fresh and honest energy to their rock, funk, soul and jazz that critics describe as honest, sultry and seasoned. They have recorded a CD, played in Los Angeles and finished second in the Blastbeat World Finals in Dublin.
The Blues Specialists were established by Austin’s Blues legends TD Bell and Erbie Bowser. Original and current bandmember Mel Davis is a cousin of T-Bone Walker, whose sound is the music center of Blues Specialists. The current lineup plays traditional Texas jump blues with a touch of jazz. The group’s album was voted best blues album in Austin and was a finalist for the Blues Grammys. The band has performed at Wolftrap, Carnegie Hall and on Bourbon Street.
The music runs from 6 to 10 p.m., with gates open at 5 p.m., and the music runs from 6 to 10 p.m. My Own Chef will cater a meal of barbecue chicken, baked beans and coleslaw for $8 a person, with a dessert of sweet potato pie for $2. Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available for sale on the grounds. Guests also can take advantage of extended shopping hours in the new museum store.
The Pioneer Museum is at 325 West Main St. in Fredericksburg, with concert entrance on Milam Street. Admission is $12 ($10 with printout from Web site, at www.pioneermuseum.com). Students high school age and younger get in free. Parking is free. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Roots Music is a series of live, open-air eclectic concerts on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum. Concerts feature both emerging and established artists in an informal, family setting. The 2009 series will continue on Aug. 29 with Western swing and Sept. 26 with Cajun/Zydeco.
Net proceeds from the concerts support the mission of the Gillespie County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
For information, call 830-997-2835 or visit www.pioneermuseum.com.
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