PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond » Curtis Salgado + Joanne Shaw Taylor at the Blues BBQ

Curtis Salgado + Joanne Shaw Taylor at the Blues BBQ

August 27th, 2012 by Mr. C

(All photos & videos by mr c except the Annie Lennox performance)

I eventually stumbled into the Blues BBQ Festival on Pier 84 last Saturday which was a stones throw away from the U.S.S. Intrepid if you are a major league pitcher that is. Earlier in the day, my mind was double pumping in the paint and it was starting to fake me out trying to decide if I wanted to attend the Afropunk music festival in Brooklyn or jam it out with some Blues at the Que. In the end, I drove hard to the west side basket without being assaulted and walked right into the set of Curtis Salgado and his band while Curtis was doing one of his epic harmonica solo pieces blowing out fire from his instrument! It was refreshing to hear some real soul and R&B! I was able to capture a performance of SUMMERTIME LIFE (Soul Activated – 2001) from the Blues BBQ.

(Curtis Salgado burning up the harmonica!)

The next act was a pleasant surprise – JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR – a contemporary Blues guitarist/singer/songwriter from England! Apparently she was discovered by Dave Stewart from The Eurythmics as a teenage guitar prodigy and a decade later she has released 2 albums (White Sugar & Diamonds in the Dirt) and a new third album – Almost Always never – set to be released on September 17th. Taylor also recently played lead guitar in Annie Lennox’s (former Eurythmic) band at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of the Buckingham Palace in London last June where she jammed out to an extended solo during the performance!

(Joanne Shaw Taylor at the merch table after her Blues BBQ performance)

(Video of Annie Lennox with Joanne Shaw Taylor as lead guitarist at the Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace – courtesy of Surethom @ Youtube)

Joanne Shaw Taylor blessed and addressed us with her smoky soulful vocals with attitude and fire coupled with her dynamic guitar licks and extended solos from the front to the back! Her performance at the Blues BBQ Fest was amazing! Some songs on her set from Pier 84 included Diamonds in the Dirt, Time has come, Goin’ Down, Kiss the ground goodbye, and Manic Depression (Jimi Hendrix). Despite being a young lady, Taylor’s presence and spirit on stage brims with much gusto and confidence! I hate to compare artists but to me and y’all will probably think I’m crazy but I hear a bit of Norah Jones and Lisa Stansfield in Joanne’s voice albeit with a rougher edge and growl! Maybe it’s the tone of the voices that are just similiar or maybe I’m just obsessed about Norah Jones and Lisa Stansfield with their sultry voices! I can also see JST blending in just as smoothly as she rips up those speed induced solos in a metal band!

(Joanne Shaw Taylor performing at the Blues BBQ in NYC – vids by mr c)