Blues artists please harbor crowd
Saturday night’s Buffalo Rocks the Harbor concert featured Robert Cray as the headliner and Keb’ Mo’ (aka Kevin Moore) as the opening act.
In reality these two top-notch blues artists could and have headlined their own tours but have joined together for a 13-concert series (Buffalo’s appearance was the fifth one scheduled) and seemed to have left their egos somewhere else.
Each of these fine musicians took turns playing in the other’s sets and appeared to have a good time doing so. While Cray, the better guitarist, was a bit more subdued during his soloing on Keb’ Mo’s “Perpetual Blues Machine” than he usually is, there was plenty of bite to his axe work. On the other hand, Keb’ Mo’, a more consistently arresting singer, was in top form during Cray’s “Twelve Year Old Boy,” as the two began trading extended choruses, both instrumental and vocal, that spiraled towards greatness.
Cray was at the top of the bill because his resume was a bit more stellar, having appeared on recordings with Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland and Eric Clapton in addition to selling more product than most bluesmen.
While Keb’ Mo’ wasn’t as familiar to many in attendance but it was clear from the reaction of the crowd crammed by the stage during his performance that he had his own fairly committed batch of fans.
All of the backup musicians were pretty strong themselves but the way they fit into each of their leader’s visions was subtly different. Cray’s men were seasoned, no nonsense professionals while Keb’ Mo’s guys were younger and more prone to showboating.
Although both rhythm sections featured fluid bass playing and crackerjack drummers, Reggie McBride, Keb’ Mo’s bassist, was a five-string master whose forte was the funky thumb while Karl Sevareid’s pulse was less flashy but no less impressive. Les Falconer III’s drums snapped with the rhythm of a soul stylist while Kevin Hayes was more in the pocket.
Both approaches were valid and entertaining and it would be hard to say which band was superior.
Cray’s lyrics mark him as one of the premier wordsmiths in the idiom and his guitar playing is totally unique among modern day bluesmen. Keb’ Mo’s singing is full bodied and joyful even if a song’s words reflect hard truths and his guitar picking, especially his slide playing, hearkens back to the stylistic mannerisms of the greats from another era.
All in all, the night’s blues concert will probably go down as one of the highlights of this year’s concert season.
Concert Review
The Robert Cray Band and Keb’ Mo’
Saturday night as part of Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor at Erie Canal Harbor.
