Feature Article August 15, 2001
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Hot Weather and Hotter MusicBy Jeff GreenAt the end of a dusty Saturday, it looked like things were winding down for the day at the Blue Skies Festival this year, when a transplanted Chicago boy who calls himself the Boogie Man came on and re-energized the whole scene.
Alan Gerber brought a bit of Jerry Lee Lewis- style piano playing, some barrel-house blues, and some gospel sensibility to the stage, and the audience of dancers sprang into action, carrying the party on late into the night.
The evening concert had begun, hours earlier, with a set by Don Ross, Oliver Schroer and Friends, performing as a tribute to Dons wife, harp player Kelly MacGowran, who had died of cancer only six weeks earlier. They performed many of Kelly MacGowrans favourite tunes in an upbeat performance. While the concert was painful to watch at times, since it was a kind of musical wake, there was much joy and peace in the playing and singing. Several singers and players joined in, including Brent Titcomb and Rebecca Campbell. It was a privilege for the Blue Skies audience to be invited by Kelly MacGowrans family to share in their celebration of her life in music.
The next performer was singer-songwriter Stephen Fearing who performed a strong set. The evening then went off into a new direction with Jorene, a singing cellist who performed a sort of classically-Gothic danceable music that took the audience by surprise. She was perfectly placed in the program, and was followed by Juan Jose Carranza, a flamenco wizard originally from Costa Rica, who now lives in Montreal.
The one hitch in the evening was the disappointing performance of Groove Lily, whose violin-based power pop sound didnt match the energy and variety of the previous entertainment. Then, just when the yawning was beginning, the Alan Gerber Band came on to wake everyone up.
Sunday nights concert was good, although not as adventurously programmed. The highlight of the early evening was La Corde Du Bois, a band that blends traditional Quecois music with a jazz influence. Later on Juno award winner Alpha Yaya Diallo returned. Diallo is Vancouver based, although he is originally from Guinea, West Africa. His band Bafing a five-piece guitar and percussion ensemble, carries on complicated rhythms with ease. In stark contrast to Alan Gerber, who was constantly working the songs and exhorting his band to follow his lead, Diallo maintained a relaxed posture, occasionally whispering in band members ears or catching their eyes and smiling.
The challenges facing Blue Skies artistic director Al Rankin are unique in the musical festival circuit. For one thing, there is no need to find a marquee performer in order to sell tickets; Blue Skies is sold out before any bands are announced. It is also a festival that attracts a wide range of ages, including a large amount of teenagers and people in their twenties. The audience is looking for a sound they havent heard before, or even thought of before.
There was more good music at the festival that I havent mentioned here, including great short performances by Melwood Cutlery and Brent Titcomb. The music, the workshops, chance encounters with old friends, and familiar rituals all make up this event that defines its own community. It was another good year at Blue Skies.
