Blues, and other sounds of music

Former Beatle Paul McCartney – currently in the news for recording with the one-time colleague, drummer Ringo Starr on his forthcoming album – sang about “there’s more to life than blues…” [on a track named Medicine Jar from Wings’ Venus And Mars album] and, although he was writing about drugs then, McCartney’s lyrics would have been moot reviewing the recently concluded annual Mahindra Blues Festival, held at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios.

But, fortunately, blues were not ignored, and there were pleasant surprises thrown to the audience, especially with the high-energy performance from Gráinne Louica Duffy, an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Apart from a sprinkling of covers Koko Taylor’s Voodoo Woman and Etta James’ I’d Rather Go Blind], it was her original songs – Duffy’s influences were obvious, mainly the Peter Green-fronted Fleetwood Mac era – that were supported by some marvellous guitar playing, such as on the harmony-driven Where I Long To Be – due to be featured on Duffy’s next album – and, in taking a complete tangent, to the reggae-tinged Sweet Sweet Baby. Backed by a crack band consisting of a rhythm guitarist, bassist, and drummer, this was an artistes true to her music, not afraid of working hard on her vocation.

Then, of course, was the consummate professionalism of Shemekia Copeland, returning to Indian shores after her debut performance at the festival in 2011. Having had the advantage of wearing appropriate genes as the daughter of blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, she showed once again why she is one of the strongest and most capable vocalists in contemporary blues. So it was as she fronted a band consisting of two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer as she tore into tracks such as riff-driven The Battle Is Over (But The War Goes On) from her last album, 2015’s Outskirts Of Love, the blues ‘n’ soul of Somebody Else’s Jesus, the very Creedence Clearwater Revival sounding Dirty Water, the slow blues of Married To The Blues which stretched Copeland’s expressive voice, the percussion-heavy Never Going Back To Memphis, and the rocking Pie In The Sky with featured some amazing slide, and fabulous interplay between the guitarists, including a call-and-response interaction with the audience.

Among other artistes of musical interest in the blues was 60-year-old American Janiva Magness who has, till date, released 12 albums. Doorway – a marvellous slow gospel blues ditty – was outstanding, so was the straight-forward Can’t Let Go which sounded like a brethren of Mustang Sally, the mid-tempo Walking In The Sun, and a rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Long As I Can See The Light, with impressive guitar work by the rhythm guitarist, and featured on her Grammy-nominated Love Wins Again [for the trivia-minded, this song also features on Shemekia Copeland’s last album]. Essential to make reference here to our homegrown boy, Warren Mendonsa’s Blackstratblues, whose independent talent as a guitarist can surely take him to an international platform. In all this, let us not forget the legend of Billy Gibbons, the guitarist of ZZ Top, who salvaged – and energised - the dull, heavy rock performance from Supersonic Blues Machine on three songs on which he gusted, including Sharped Dressed Man, and reiterated that Gibbons is unquestionably one of the finest blues-rock guitarists to ever emerge from Texas.

In disappointments was the one-time child prodigy Quinn Sullivan who proved himself as an adept interpreter, but merely an adequate composer of pop, and Eric Gales, who showed flashes of fancy guitar while gusting with Supersonic Blues Machine, but little else in terms of musical content.

I am – and will always be – a blues buff, but so too is the promoter behind Mahindra Blues Festival, who has undertaken a commendable job bringing international talent into the country through the years. Yes, Brian Tellis is passionate about his music too as I recall, since 1985 at least, when I saw him perform harmonies in a band called Voices at the Aid Bhopal Concert held in Mumbai. Through the years, there has been every reason to meet him (mostly at concerts, though), including at his very own One Tree Music Festival during the 2000s that I frequented regularly at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, which has since expanded into this festival.

Gospel, pop, and rock all made an appearance at this seventh edition and it may be appropriate that, if the blues are not immediately returned to its rightful focus at India’s premier event to promote the genre, organisers Oranjuice Entertainment may need to seriously consider a name change to Mahindra Beyond Blues Festival.