Al, Jeff, Bob, Gary, Jimmy, Wayne . . .
Here are most of the rest of the performers on SBC VIII . . .
at least those I have photos of . . . They all contributed to the
outstanding week of music. I know I've mentioned a few acts that are my
favorites, but by no means were any of the following less than absolutely
wonderful and a whole lot of fun. Thanks to all of them!
The Songwriters
. . . Al Anderson, Jeffrey Steele, and
. . . bless his heart . . Bob (13 #1 country
hits) DiPiero
These guys do an amazing job of putting together a show that we are
content to just sit and listen to! Imagine, a basically acoustic show that
played twice to a packed Grand Lounge (plus an Al Anderson "band" show).
The premise is so simple - each songwriter takes a turn playing one
of their songs. But it is so much more . . .
Bob
is not only a very good songwriter, but a VERY funny man (and,
bless his heart, did I mention he had 13 number one country hits).
But Al (in a much dryer way) and Jeffrey could definitely keep up in the
humor department . . .zinging away at Bob with great pleasure. These are
three friends who seem to have a genuinely wonderful time . . . they had us
in stiches with their stories and banter. But it never took away from the
great music they shared. Plus they brought up lots of the other artists to
do their own songs . . . folks like Delbert, Gary Nicholson,
Kasey Jones
, Miles Zuniga, Jesse Alexander, Bruce Channell, Stephen Bruton, Lloyd
Jones . . . we heard the craft of songwriting at its best. And, as I've
noted elsewhere, having a few performances where the song lyrics are the
focus provided a nice balance with the rest of the shows.
I know these were some of the most popular sets of the cruise and I
really look forward to more . . .
Wayne Toups and Zydecajun
The wild and crazy Cajun kept everybody rockin' with his chunky blend
of cajun, zydeco, and rock and roll. Another consumate entertainer,
Wayne always gets the deck or room up and dancing. And more colorful shirts
and vests are not to be found anywhere!
He seems to bring out the rubboard in everyone . . . (though they do seem
to make rather interesting ones in Montana)
Jimmy Hall
Another regular performer on the cruise, Jimmy Hall did two killer sets
of gospel-tinged blue-eyed soul. Though an excellent harmonica and sax player,
he is a great vocalist . . . his set on Friday afternoon rocked the
pool deck about as hard as anyone . . . we were all attending the church
of Jimmy Hall and felt pretty darn sanctified when the service was over. .
. and how could you not feel good after a couple of choruses of Keep On
Smilin' . . . .
Thank you Jimmy . . . that felt sooooo good . . .
Gary Nicholson and Friends
Delbert's producer and songwriting partner, Gary seemed to be everywhere
. . . but only did one set that was his show (not counting all of the jams
he was a major part of). With Delbert's rhythm section and James Penebaker
on lead guitar, his show brought together many of the musicians for
a loose, fun set of tunes. He's an outstanding songwriter and singer and seemed
to function all week like musical glue . . . an absolutely essential component
of the cruise. A very generous guy on stage, Gary featured singer/songwriter
Jesse Alexander for part of the set.
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