Show Blues jazz performers shine at Snowbird o I Tuck Patti Patt featured at two-day two concert Patrick Wallace Staff Writer HE E news that T. T THE TH the star blues attraction Albert Albert Albert Al Al- bert Collins would not perform at Snowbird on Friday July 30 was swallowed like a bitter pill The producers at Space Agency Agen Agen- cy had only two days notice to fill his enormous shoes On Wednesday Wednesday wednesday Wed wed- July 28 they were informed informed in in- formed forme that Collins' Collins doctor had advised him not to appear because because because be be- cause of a heart condition Collins was replaced with former Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood So much for the disappointments at the sixth annual annual annual an an- nual Utah Jazz Blues Festival The Ray Band opened the festival festival fes fes- with an instrumental Blues shuffle followed by Walkin Wallin The Dog Ray Franklins Franklin's sharp staccato staccato staccato stac stac- cato vocals got the audience in inthe inthe inthe the mood as he sang crisply over the top of the well-organized well band goers Festival-goers had an unexpected unexpected surprise as blues man Charlie replaced an earlier withdrawn Mick Taylor Mu backed by The Tempo Timers gave the crowd a taste of pure Chicago blues His Miss Bessie's was the epitome of a medium shuffle shuffle shuffle shuf shuf- blues He put on a harp clinic with his composition Just Put It In Your Hand il illustrating iI- iI lustra ng his expert grasp of the harmonica mastery of the instrument was a rare treat for blues purists His raspy voice was by harp solos that hit breaks and stopped on ona a dime The Th Five Blind Boys of Alabama mixed blues with gospel showing showing showing show show- ing a great display of vocal con con- They used harmonic diversity diversity diversity diver diver- sity with and modulations that gave the audience a bit of that ol of time religion Their version of If I Had A Hammer turned into a frenzy as people leapt into the aisles Jazz day Saturday July 31 featured Alvino Rays Ray's band Tuck Patti Pats Herbie Manns Mann's Brazz and the Gene Getze Harris Quartet Tuck Patti a guitar vocal duo captivated the audience with soul and dexterity Their 15 years of playing together gives them an instinctive feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing while performing They opened with a hard driving Ive Got Just About Every Every- thing After the tune Patti as asa ar artists artists ar- ar often do began talking with the audience Before anyone realized what was happening happening happening hap hap- pening she had turned the dialogue into a the spur-of-the-mo- ment ad lib song Her improvised improvised improvised im im- im- im High Heel Blues was wasa a study in mastery and control as as' she thought and sang herway herway her herway way way through a shoe store ex ex- ex- ex When she ended her song between the songs dialogue the crowd leapt to their feet in amazement screaming for more o Their interpretation of Jimi Hendrix Castles Made Of Sand left more than a few tearful tearful tear tear- ful listeners er Patti's beau beauty lies in her ability to vocalize She sang the poetically profound lyrics with sensitivity Her voice is in intoxicating off offering ring bliss intermixed with restless urgen urgen- cy Tuck is constantly leaping and gyrating across the finger board He pushes the issue drawing from his vast reservoir of experience using dynamics and intervals to produce guitar at its finest Pianist Gene Harris' Harris quartet ended the festival with a mixture of blues funk and mainstream jazz classics They swung jazz at its finest enticing the crowd beyond their expectation Harris Hams milks the piano for subtle subtle sub sub- tle tIe whispers then explodes straight ahead with a flurry of individual individual individual in in- tones and arpeggios He Heis Heis Heis is truly a motivator His rendition rendition rendition rendi rendi- tion of Ellington's Take The A ATrain ATrain ATrain Train took the introduction from tiptoes to a full-blown full avalanche of joy Members of the quartet compliment compliment compliment com com- each other beautifully Paul Humphries was clearly dearly the jazz drummer of the festival in and as he acted the transmission for a hard driving jazz machine Guitarist Ron Eschete and bas bas- bas bas- Luther Hughes delivered solos and rhythm work that jelled the band Even with the cancellations and some sound problems on Blues day the festival went well and the audience f f. f 1 i n r Y o I r J 4 f f jf i s i y 1 i q g I t A t tt t r 9 N L r rF F sf 1 r ry y 1 1 1 b.- b. o 1 v. v s fd t Y r p W t f i A t 1 7 I. I rm 4 Y i 0 Photo courtesy Alligator Reco Record Blues man Charlie Musselwhite entertained the crowd at Snowbird with his up back-up band The Tempo Timers |