The 2019 Doheny Blues Festival was, by all indications, another rousing success. I can only attest to the artistic aspects of the event. The commercial end of all of this is for others to sort out.

While the Sunday forecast called for rain, other than a light sprinkle or two early in the day, it didn’t amount to much. It would take a lot more than that to damper the enthusiasm of the crowds that did decide to chance it. If a patron to this festival had to choose between an umbrella or sunscreen the latter would have been the wiser choice. By mid-afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday the crowds that came to the festival were out having fun in that famous warm California sun.

In its second year at their new location at Sea Terrace Park, Omega Events seemed to take advantage of a very fan friendly venue. The parking and shuttle services were fantastic. For early birds there was free curb parking on Pacific Coast Highway adjacent to the festival.

A more lovely location couldn’t be imagined…unless you can conjure up an image of the Doheny State Beach Park just down the road apiece. It was there that I had attended this festival for twenty straight years.

Folks asked me, as they did last year, what I thought of the new venue. To that I have a very simple answer: “I love it.” Sea Terrace Park is a gorgeous city park with spectacular landscaping, small, undulating hills and wide walkways where patrons can stroll comfortably without the congestion that had become an unwelcome feature of the state park grounds. The festival outgrew that facility years ago. Despite the obvious beauty of that location, it did have some limitations. Is Sea Terrace Park on the beach? No, it isn’t…but it’s pretty damn close.

I look at it this way. For me it is about the music and I’ve seen this music performed in all manner of dives and neighborhood joints. Believe me, these are places most Orange Countians wouldn’t go anywhere near on a dare. So, shut up and stop your whining. Great music isn’t being played on the beach anymore on the third weekend of May…well boo f*cking hoo. It is still being performed in one of the great, resort destinations on the West Coast and for that I am thankful.

The big difference this year was the performance schedule and layout. There were no musical acts competing with one another by playing simultaneously. In previous years this meant the back-porch stage had acts going on at the same time the main stage acts were playing. While theoretically it gave fans more options, for numerous reasons that should be obvious, it didn’t work as well in practice.

This year the area previously set aside for the back porch stage was used for interview sessions with artists. This was met with mixed reviews at best. I don’t know if it worked on any level. I was, as our readers might suspect, very anxious to see how this would be received, as I kind of dig this type of thing. I don’t know if it was the journalist or her subjects, but everything seemed awkward and stilted. Ultimately it was just plain boring. I don’t think anyone is to blame. It just seemed out of place and out of step at a festival.

I was flattered that people came up to me and said that I could have made these interviews entertaining. To that I repeatedly said, “No, I couldn’t.” If my interviews are entertaining, enlightening and informative it is only because you are reading them on a weekday, on your computer, in your office, while you are supposed to be working. Those interviews aren’t competing with the real thing and that is what this is all about in the first place…the music. That was the problem.

I would love to see that area used as a solo acoustic stage. No bass, no drums, just an artist or two playing acoustic, country blues at low volume in front of a small intimate crowd that appreciates that type of blues. This would give the festival an aura of traditionalism without sacrificing the revenue generating acts that sell tickets in greater numbers. It would also tap into that acoustic blues circuit which exists outside the “festivilized/blues cruise/blues-light” world. This would add paying customers who might otherwise take a pass on this type of festival. These acts would also look great on a poster.  

It is what the back porch stages are used for at festivals around the country. At the state beach park, the main stage was too close and would bury the acoustic acts under an avalanche of sound. This wouldn’t be a problem at the spacious Sea Terrace Park.

As for the 2019 version of the Doheny Blues Festival, it was a very satisfying mix of music. Several generations of blues musicians all brought their “A” game to the two big stages.

There was talent such as Taj Mahal, whose career got started in the 1960’s, and Robert Cray, who had hit songs in the blue wave revival days of the 1980’s. Both men make blues music in their own way which demonstrates the size and scope of the blues tent.

Newcomers GA- 20 were a real treat as it was the first time I had heard this up and coming band. Lindsay Beaver has a fresh spin on proto rock & roll. As for The Paladins, I have been enjoying their music for the past thirty-five years or so and I still don’t know how to describe what they do. It is fun and they made an early Saturday afternoon performance in a cool ocean breeze feel like a late, sizzling hot Saturday night.

Sue Foley made her Doheny Blues Festival debut and, despite a rather mediocre recording career, she turned out to be a compelling live performer. Her latest CD Ice Queen is the strongest of her career.

One of the highlights for me was The Nick Moss Band. This band features the sterling harmonica playing of Dennis Gruenling to go along with the guitar and vocals of the band’s leader. The newest member, bassist Rodrigo Mantovani is a welcome addition to this already accomplished band of musicians. This was the Doheny Blues Festival’s debut performance by the Moss family whose band also featured the guitar playing of Nick’s wife Kate. The two were joined on this Sunday afternoon by their daughter who was celebrating her 15^th birthday.

As for the extraordinary bass player in this all-star band, it was Mantovani’s third appearance at The Doheny Blues Festival having performed with The Igor Prado Band from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on two previous occasions.

The Doheny Blues Festival also included the third appearance by B.B. and the Blues Shacks from Hildesheim, Germany. They included the festival as part of a mini California tour celebrating their 30^th anniversary. These veterans of over 4,000 live performances stunned those not familiar with this band as to just how great blues music can sound played by musicians of this caliber, experience and dedication to their craft. This band is another example of some creative booking, as B.B. and the Blues Shacks are not on the U.S. Festival circuit, yet we remain lucky to have them and other international bands of this caliber at Doheny year after year. In this regard The Doheny Blues Festival remains a leader and not a follower.

From Vintage Trouble to octogenarian Roy Gaines, who logged in a strong, age defying performance…vintage trouble indeed, the 2019 Doheny had it all.

Gaines’, a Houston, Texas, native and long-time Los Angeleno, career began in earnest in the 1950’s. His guitar playing can be heard on early Duke/Peacock recordings by Little Junior Parker, Bobby Bland and Big Mama Thornton among others. Gaines had two stints with Roy Milton and his Solid Senders. He toured with Big Joe Turner before becoming the musical director for Chuck Willis. By the 1960’s he was touring with Ray Charles and his orchestra when the genius was at the height of his popularity. His guitar can be heard on recordings by the great Jimmy Rushing among many others. To be honest the list of recordings both as a featured side man and under his own name is staggering.

Roy Gaines is a national treasure, yet, he has been completely ignored by the Blues Foundation and more or less passed over on the festival circuit as well. It was great to see Gaines front a nine-piece band which included a five-piece horn section. His T-Bone Walker tribute was one of the real high points of the festival. It is bookings like this that help to separate The Doheny Blues Festival from the pack.  

Congratulations go out to Rich Sherman and his team at Omega Events for making this wonderful weekend in May something to look forward to each and every year for the past 22 years and counting.

-  David Mac

Editor’s Note: There were many other bands that played over the two days at this festival. Please enjoy a photo essay documenting the 2019 edition of the Doheny Blues Festival by Jeff Beeler and Brad Elligood in this month’s edition of BLUES JUNCTION. By enjoying this feature the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words will be reinforced dramatically.



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