After a quick "soundcheck" of sorts, the band opened their set and brought a taste of real Chicago blues to the Tennessee Valley. They opened the set with Moss on slide, covering Little Johnny Jones and Hound Dog Taylor. Moss asked if the crowd was familiar with either great. Not surprisingly, they weren't. "That's okay," Moss said, smiling. "You don't have to know 'em to like 'em."
He has more than enough chops to dominate a set, but his generosity with his talented bandmates is one of his strengths as a bandleader. On this night, the mighty "Piano" Willie Oshawny put on a fantastic show. Being a sports fan myself I've seen the chiseled physique of many great athletes, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anything more muscled than Oshawny's right forearm. Popeye would be jealous. Throughout the first set, Moss would call out for Willie and each time Oshawny was ready to pound the keys with some terrific fills. In addition to allowing Carter, Hundt, and Oshawny to shine as instrumentalists, Moss also passed the microphone around allowing each to take a lead vocal.
There is a small but proud tradition of mandolin in Chicago blues, and Hundt used his spotlight moment to pay tribute to one of the greats during a brilliant cover of Johnny Young's "Money Takin' Woman." With Hundt swapping his bass for mandolin, Moss set down his guitar and blew some more than respectable harp. Oshawny filled in for the absence of Hundt's bass with his lefthand pounding the keys to provide some bass-like work, locking in with Carter to keep the rhythm tight.
Moss and Hundt chatted up some fans and Carter made his way to my table to grab a smoke during a brief intermission. The courtyard at Humphrey's is one of the last places in America where a man can hang a smoke without being prosecuted for crimes against humanity. Moss opened the "merch" table (a large suitcase) and sold a few CDs before grabbing a seat with me and Carter.
"So you guys are headed back to Chan's to do another live album?" I asked.
Moss nodded. He said they had a guest musician lined up to do the shows with them. On the off chance that guest musician's identity is to remain a secret I'll say only this: if you listen to Chicago blues, you know this man.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Great review on what sounds like a fine evening Josh. Sounds like your informal relationship with these guys paid some dividendes as well.
Its also nice to know that there still are a few places left In America where they won't string you up to a noose for having a smoke.
Great stuff.
-Glen
2 - Mat Brewster
great review, Josh. Sounds like an incredible night.
3 - Allen From Altanta
Nice review. Last night, June 13th, my lady and I saw Nick and the FTs at Darwin's Blues Club in Atlanta; that was after an early week trip to Chattanooga (Riverbend Fest) for an evening FT show in the heat. If you love the blues, you owe it to yourself both to see Nick, as well as listen to his recorded performances. Most are live and capture the magic he conveys on stage. Nick and the band work hard at carrying on the tradition of Chicago blues. The gig at Darwin's was absolutely incredible.
4 - Josh Hathaway
Thanks, gents. It was a fantastic evening of great music and conversation. It was an affirmation of so much of what I love about music. There are still people out there who do it well and do it for the right reasons and it was really something to behold. I haven't had that much fun in a very long time and I was uplifted by it.
Allen, so glad you got the chance to see Nick last night and up in Chattanooga. If my work schedule hadn't prevented it, I came very close to driving down to City Stages in Birmingham to see the headlining set they're doing on one of the stages this evening. This was my first Flip Tops show, it won't be my last.
5 - Joanie
Congratulations on getting up off your ass and getting out to support live blues! The reason it's so hard to get quality acts booked is for the very same reason that almost kept you home. Stay home, and the bands and the venues make no money. Go, and you run the risk of having fun.
Like you, the price of tickets kept me from attending many concerts over the years, especially once I had kids. However, the great news is that most blues bands aren't booked at big venues (unless your name is Clapton or Santana or B.B.) and the tickets are generally more affordable. This excludes any venue that's a part of the Live Nation family.
Here, I can generally catch a show for under $20. Since I try to go to many shows and have been involved with the blues society, I often receive a discount. Email me, Josh, and I share another fun little secret about affordable concert going. Can't give away my secrets to the world, can I?