19th annual Chenango Blues Fest kicks off with free show on Friday
NORWICH – Following another successful free summer concert series, the Chenango Blues Association is gearing up for the 19th annual Chenango Blues Fest with a free show at 7:15 p.m. Friday at the county fairgrounds.
On tap for this year’s Friday night performance? Upstate New York-based guitarist, singer and songwriter Tas Cru and the Chicago-style blues harmonica of Pierre Lacocque and Mississippi Heat.
Eric Larsen of the Chenango Blues Association called tomorrow’s lineup one of the most unique – not to mention entertaining – ever featured for what’s become the traditional kick-off for Saturday’s Blues Fest. The Friday show, he added, is a great way for people to get in the Blues Fest groove while enjoying some free entertainment.
“It’s always great to be able to offer this show for free and we have to thank Frontier for their sponsorship,” stated Larsen. “We’ll have food vendors and craft vendors on site, and it’s a chance for people to get a little preview of the Blues Fest.”
Opening the show will be guitarist and storyteller Tas Cru, one of the most unique and gifted blues artists to be found in the region. Known by many as the “master of the triple entendre,” Cru’s latest release, Jus’ Desserts, has garnered attention on a national level. Chris Spector of the Midwest Record called the CD, “One of those dangerous, infectious, outsider, offbeat things you can’t classify or quantify but fall under the spell of ... this is going to blind side you into having one of the best times you’ve had in a while.”
According to Larsen, Cru is known for performing in a number of different formats – solo acoustic, backed by a four-piece unit, as well as a seven or eight-piece band that features the singing trio Stacked Deck. And while Larsen has never seen the band perform live, Cru and his bandmates come highly recommended, he said.
“I’ve heard his stuff on radio and it sounds great,” he added. “He writes a lot of his own material and that kind of originality is always nice.”
Following Cru’s unique, poetic take on the genre will be the straight-up, Chicago-style electric blues of Mississippi Heat, led by harmonicist Pierre Lacocque. Born in Israel in 1952, Lacocque first visited Chicago in the late 1960s. Inspired by blues legends such as Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Little Walter, Junior Wells, Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Rogers and Jimmy Reed – among others – Lacocque soon found himself embracing the passion, energy and power of Chicago blues harp. In 1976, however, he found himself going “the intellectual route,” and focused on furthering his education. Years later, Lacocque realized something was missing – the music and instrument he’d set aside.
“They’ve been around for a long time. He [Lacocque] is just a great harp player and a great vocalist, and they’re a really good Chicago blues band with some great recordings,” said Larsen of the group. “We’ve thought about getting them for years and, like so many other artists we bring in, it finally fell into place.”
Also performing tomorrow – from 6 to 7 p.m. at Guernsey Memorial Library – the original acoustic blues of Doug MacLeod, who Larsen called “a great storyteller who always puts on a fun show.”
Both shows are free for music lovers of all ages. For more information on the Chenango Blues Fest visit www.chenangobluesfest.org. For information on Tas Cru, Mississippi Heat or Doug MacLeod visit www.tascru.com, www.mississippiheat.net or www.doug-macleod.com respectively.
On tap for this year’s Friday night performance? Upstate New York-based guitarist, singer and songwriter Tas Cru and the Chicago-style blues harmonica of Pierre Lacocque and Mississippi Heat.
Eric Larsen of the Chenango Blues Association called tomorrow’s lineup one of the most unique – not to mention entertaining – ever featured for what’s become the traditional kick-off for Saturday’s Blues Fest. The Friday show, he added, is a great way for people to get in the Blues Fest groove while enjoying some free entertainment.
“It’s always great to be able to offer this show for free and we have to thank Frontier for their sponsorship,” stated Larsen. “We’ll have food vendors and craft vendors on site, and it’s a chance for people to get a little preview of the Blues Fest.”
Opening the show will be guitarist and storyteller Tas Cru, one of the most unique and gifted blues artists to be found in the region. Known by many as the “master of the triple entendre,” Cru’s latest release, Jus’ Desserts, has garnered attention on a national level. Chris Spector of the Midwest Record called the CD, “One of those dangerous, infectious, outsider, offbeat things you can’t classify or quantify but fall under the spell of ... this is going to blind side you into having one of the best times you’ve had in a while.”
According to Larsen, Cru is known for performing in a number of different formats – solo acoustic, backed by a four-piece unit, as well as a seven or eight-piece band that features the singing trio Stacked Deck. And while Larsen has never seen the band perform live, Cru and his bandmates come highly recommended, he said.
“I’ve heard his stuff on radio and it sounds great,” he added. “He writes a lot of his own material and that kind of originality is always nice.”
Following Cru’s unique, poetic take on the genre will be the straight-up, Chicago-style electric blues of Mississippi Heat, led by harmonicist Pierre Lacocque. Born in Israel in 1952, Lacocque first visited Chicago in the late 1960s. Inspired by blues legends such as Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Little Walter, Junior Wells, Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Rogers and Jimmy Reed – among others – Lacocque soon found himself embracing the passion, energy and power of Chicago blues harp. In 1976, however, he found himself going “the intellectual route,” and focused on furthering his education. Years later, Lacocque realized something was missing – the music and instrument he’d set aside.
“They’ve been around for a long time. He [Lacocque] is just a great harp player and a great vocalist, and they’re a really good Chicago blues band with some great recordings,” said Larsen of the group. “We’ve thought about getting them for years and, like so many other artists we bring in, it finally fell into place.”
Also performing tomorrow – from 6 to 7 p.m. at Guernsey Memorial Library – the original acoustic blues of Doug MacLeod, who Larsen called “a great storyteller who always puts on a fun show.”
Both shows are free for music lovers of all ages. For more information on the Chenango Blues Fest visit www.chenangobluesfest.org. For information on Tas Cru, Mississippi Heat or Doug MacLeod visit www.tascru.com, www.mississippiheat.net or www.doug-macleod.com respectively.
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