It’s been a minute since we wrote about any live shows here, but we would be remiss if we didn’t tell you about this one to be on the lookout for. This weekend, we got the chance to spend a bit of our Saturday at the Heritage Music Bluesfest in Wheeling, WV, watching and listening to the likes of pianist and singer Eden Brent and guitarists/singers Matt Schofield and Selwyn Birchwood and their bands.
It was particularly great to catch Schofield again after a number of years and hear such favorites as “Don’t Know What I’d Do,” “Live Wire,” “Where Do I Have to Stand,” and “Black Cat Bone,” as well as get a preview of his upcoming album in the slow, smoldering “Measure of a Man,” and also see his band joined by Christine Tambakis on vocals for “Little by Little,” “Dr. Feelgood” and the smashing encore of “Them Changes.”
But the biggest highlight of the day was the closing set, a tribute to the Three Kings of the blues from Albert Castiglia, Chris Cain, and D.K. Harrell being performed for the very first time, with the trio of bluesmen from across the generations taking turns leading on songs from the great B.B., Albert, and Freddie King.
While it would have been easy enough to have each artist focus on just one of the Kings (Cain, after all, actually played with Albert, while Castiglia is a huge Freddie fan, and Harrell, on his debut album, had us — and, we’re sure, plenty of others — wondering if he might really be B.B. reincarnated), each of the players instead got the chance to lead on songs from all of the Kings, with Castiglia, for example, opening the set with Albert’s “Don’t Burn Down the Bridge,” then hitting Freddie’s “Can’t Trust Your Neighbor,” and B.B.’s “To Know You is to Love You” and “Rock Me Baby” on his next turns up, interspersed with a similar rotation of numbers from all Three Kings by both Cain and Harrell. For Cain, that included Freddie’s “I’m Tore Down” and shuffling “That Will Never Do,” B.B.’s “Darling, You Know I Love You,” and Albert’s “Blues Power” and “Crosscut Saw.” Harrell started his songs off with B.B.’s “Never Make Your Move Too Soon,” followed by Albert’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” and energetic takes on Freddie’s “Palace of the King” and Albert’s “C.O.D.” before returning to B.B.’s catalogue for the closing “Three O’Clock Blues”/”Playin’ with My Friends” and showstopping encore “Why I Sing the Blues.”
Even though the three took turns leading the songs, the others more frequently than not accompanied on guitars and vocals, only occasionally stepping back just to observe and listen, with all three also playing on Freddie’s instrumental “Boogie Funk” near the end of the set. The singing and playing were excellent all around, and Harrell’s band quite sharp, particularly for a first-time show.
If you have a chance to catch these guys paying tribute to the Three Kings, do yourself a favor and be sure to see them!
