Nightflying: The Entertainment Guide

---David Hughes
    Being close to the music scene I get a lot of questions about bands and musicians. Who’s good? Who should we go see? Can you recommend someone? Do you have any different acts you can send my way? As a booking agent I’m always looking at the talent that’s out there. Sizing up the competition or looking for the next big thing. As a writer I find myself doing the very same things. Who’s the hot band in town this weekend? Who’s coming up to fill the shoes left by retirement or death?
    Something that has troubled me personally for a couple of years is the lack of younger players out there, especially in the blues world. By younger, I’m referring to musicians in their mid 20’s and below. There seems to be a lot of heavy metal bands falling into the ebb and flow of the music business, here today with a rush and then gone when the next new thing rolls in. I’ve wondered why there doesn’t appear to be many youngsters staying with music of any kind as they grow into adulthood.
    Oh, I know cars, jobs, families, those things have a way of making all of us re-focus our priorities as we get older and attempt to become more responsible. Doesn’t mean we have to give up on those dreams of playing music and the euphoria that comes with standing on a stage in front of a crowd of cheering people. But where are they, these youngsters?
    For me, I found a mess of them in Memphis during the International Blues Challenge this January. For a couple of years now the Blues Foundation, based in Memphis, has helped put on a Youth Showcase. The showcase, sponsored by Smokin Bluz radio and entertainment network, gives young musicians a chance to display their abilities and hone their skills as the heirs apparent to the blues world.
    For several years the IBC has been seeing more acts with younger players coming to town to compete for the title. Some are ready and some, well, not so much. Most of the youth acts were being scheduled into one venue due to age barriers I’m sure, and competing among themselves for a spot in the finals. Not necessarily a fair call for a band that wants to chase the brass ring. But, also not a bad call either. Case in point was a couple years ago when the family band Homemade Jamz took second place in the competition with a 9 year old drummer, 12 year old bass player and 14 year old guitar player and vocalist. Since then, Homemade Jamz has become a well known and successful blues act, and they are all still under 21 years of age.
    This year’s IBC saw 33 youth acts make it for the Youth Showcase. That number doesn’t include the acts that competed for the title that had members under the age of 21. There were at least half a dozen more bands in the competition with members under 21 years of age. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty damned impressive to me.
    The Spa City Blues Society in Hot Springs sent the duo of Taylor Wernecke and Grayson Goff across the Mississippi River for the showcase. I was not able to attend their showcase but was told by several people who did attend that young Miss Wernecke had the crowd eating out of her hands with her soulful vocals and that Goff’s guitar work kept the venue lit up. In fact, the duo managed to get a gig out of their performance thanks to another blues society in attendance.
    I had the good fortune to be able to host a venue during the competition (see related article) and to also host a venue during the Youth Showcase. Friday afternoon of the competition I found myself on the stage at Alfred’s introducing four acts over the course of the afternoon. I have to say I was duly impressed with all four groups, from the quality of their music to the delivery of their performances.
    The first act up was a three piece band from Wichita, Kansas, called the Nick Hern Band. These kids took the stage like they’d been doing it forever and slid right into an impressive set of traditional blues music, led by Hern on guitar and vocals. Hern’s vocals were smooth and his guitar playing was almost flawless.
    Following Hern was Will Jacobs and Dirty Deal from Chicago. Jacobs’ blistering guitar work was nothing short of phenomenal. His shuffles and solos connected the dots between Chicago and Austin and his deep vocals were reminiscent of another hot shot guitar player by the name of Wes Jeans, who also spent some time on Beale Street.
    The band that really knocked me out was a group of kids from the Atlanta area called Frets on Fire. Ranging in age from 10 to 13, these young musicians were dressed in black suits and ties with black hats, much like a mini band of Blues Brothers. Playing together for about two years, they took the stage with all the energy of a seasoned band of music vets. Not only did they play the music well, they put on a show. At one point, the bass player, Conner Reinhardt, age 12, got on the microphone and told the audience something along the lines of “…we’re glad to be here in Memphis, home of the great Stax music. Since Stax is just down the street we wanted to play a little something for you. Here’s some Rufus Thomas…” (it was something close to that) and then he launched the band into the song. Wow! And not only was there music impressive, these kids had a professional looking promo kit. Wow again!
    The last band up in the venue for the afternoon was from Kansas City. The Unexpected were a laid back, groovin’ little band that featured an 11 year old vocalist (I didn’t get her name. Sorry.) that was singing and playing original blues music. How many veteran bands out there today can say that?
    I have to tell you, I was very impressed by the performances of these four acts. Their showmanship and their musical abilities were rough around the edges but it was obvious they knew what they were doing. The most impressive thing about these youngsters though was what they all said at the end of their performances. To a person, every one of them thanked their respective blues societies and all the people involved in getting them to the stage in Memphis.
    So, where are these young people who play music? From where I was sitting, they are firmly planted in the blues all over the country. Who knows if they will continue on the path of the blues or if they will stray from it into other genres? Regardless of where they go, be it with music or some other profession, it makes my heart soar to know they are out there, learning, remembering, keeping it alive, following the blue note, wherever it may take them.

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