UPPER LAKE — Guests were up dancing in the aisles Friday evening at the annual Blue Wing Blues Festival in the garden between the Tallman Hotel and the Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant.
Blues guitarist Barry “Big B” Brenner opened for a performance by the David Landon Band, according to Bernie Butcher, owner of the Tallman Hotel and the Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant in Upper Lake.
After ticket holders settled into their seats under the sycamore trees, Brenner launched into a set that made use of all four of his regular and metal resonator guitars, Butcher stated. In addition to original Brenner tunes, the set included blues standards such as “Stack-O-Lee” by Mississippi John Hurt and “Key to the Highway” by Sonny Terry and Brownie Magee.
During the opening set, guests had a gourmet barbecue dinner. After a short break, the headliners for the evening, David Landon and his band, performed.
Landon is a Bay Area guitarist and songwriter with five CDs to his credit, Butcher stated. Landon leads on guitar and vocals, and his band consists of world-class musicians Steve Evans on bass, Randy Hayes on drums and a three-man horn section made famous by Huey Lewis and the News.
Landon performed all-original music off his new CD including the title track “I Like It Too Much.” He also threw into his set a few classic blues songs, including a rendition of “Hot Little Mama” by Johnnie Guitar Watson, Butcher stated.
The event, now in its seventh year, continues tonight, with Brenner opening for Paul Steward and Twice as Good and guest vocalist Jackie Payne. Headlining the concluding Sunday show will be the blues group Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums featuring Carmen Getit on guitar and vocals.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and performances begin at 5:45 p.m. Tickets, which include a barbecue dinner, cost $50 plus tax in advance and $55 at the gate.
Some tickets are still available by calling the Tallman Hotel at 275-2244, ext. 0.
A final evening of outdoor blues music is scheduled for the end of Labor Day weekend Sept. 2 with an all-woman program with the Queen of Boogie Woogie, Wendy DeWitt on piano opening for Girls Got the Blues led by Lara Price and featuring Pam Hawkins, Nancy Wright, Janice Maxi-Reid and Laura Castro.
