Upton Blues Festival 2007
Friday 20th July 2007
www.uptonbluesfestival.org.uk

Rarely have I seen such an emotive Blues man, Red’s involvement with his music was so intense that at times I’m sure he was oblivious to those of us gathered around him. His facial agonies and vocal tone perfectly expressed the depth of feeling acoustic blues evokes. This artist lived the pain blues music portrays and, short of tears, perfectly delivered his message to us all.

So it was thirty or so of us gathered at 5.30 for Red’s performance at The Kings Head – while outside in the rain the raging and swollen River Severn rose even more dangerously close. This stocky man with liver coloured hair, clasping his vintage 1958 Harmony Patrician guitar, took the room by storm. Opening his first set with a procession of covers the likes of Big Bill Broonzy, Otis Rush, Big Maceo and an exemplary version of Georgia. Little Red Rooster followed and the first set ended with Robert Johnson’s Steady Rollin Man – featured on his CD  “ In This Life”. Another track “Corrina” featured in his second set which opened with “Stormy Monday”. The highlight of this session was for me a superb version of Jimmy Rogers “That’s all Right” and that lyric – “Every night and day I wonder who is loving you tonight” how many of us in our testosterone fused youth can relate to those words! Other oddities occurred ”Sitting On The Dock Of The bay” sung like I’ve never heard before, “Georgia On My Mind” giving way to Robert Johnson’s “Love In vain”  and the session rounded off with a version of the Snooks Eaglin cover of “Shake Rattle And Roll”.

I have to add that Chicago Red is one of the most sincere blues men around, he took time to chat with Alan and I between the sets from which was born most of the detail and information about this streetwise musician.

Steve Wosket

PS Some three hours after the session finished The Kings Head slowly submerged into a rapidly rising and all engulfing River Severn.