On Wednesday May 13, 2015, my faith in the great institution that is blues music was restored. I attended a show in Oceanside, California, (USA) called, The International Rhythm & Blues Revue. The program was held at the Sunshine Brooks Theatre in the recently gentrified downtown portion of this funky Northern San Diego County beach community.

This show was the flip side to the American Folk Blues Festivals held in the 1960s.

Oceanside’s own Nathan James presented this night of music in association with the Oceanside Theatre Company. The former continues to be one of the most accomplished and talented blues musicians on the scene. The latter is a California 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.  

The Brooks has a history that includes several incarnations since it was built in the 1930s. Not terribly unlike blues music, the venue has come full circle. After decades as a movie house, it is once again a setting for live performances. In 1993 the theatre was bought by the City of Oceanside from Hattie Hazel “Sunshine” Brooks, from whom the name of the venue originates. It has functioned as a performing arts theatre for the past twenty years.  

The program on this weeknight really was part of an evening of Americana by the sea. Just a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean is California’s historic El Camino Real. Better known as Highway 101 or Pacific Coast Highway, the road runs straight through the heart of Oceanside. Here sits the theatre and just a couple of store front windows away is the That Good Boy

This friendly neighborhood establishment serves up some terrific barbeque as well as a New Orleans centric Southern vibe complete with blues music. While enjoying some tender pulled pork with collard greens and mac & cheese (my two sides), I actually heard Slim Harpo, Little Milton and T-Bone Walker among other fine selections of blues. The place had the obligatory T.V. or two or three, but the hi-def flat screens were not the focus. I am very grateful they were showing baseball games and even more grateful they were muted. The service was attentive and friendly and the food came out fast and hot. I was in heaven.

As musicians from the program gathered at That Good Boy to get their grub on before the show, I thought the place should be renamed “ The Collard Green Room.” What a wonderful start to an evening where America’s cultural gift to the world would be celebrated in style. However, after our dinner, which for me could have also included a number of entrées including catfish or fried chicken and waffles, it was on to the main course, the concert.  

The show opened with some brief remarks from the theatre company’s production manager, Marnie Klein. Then Nathan James took the stage to bring out “his hero” the great pianist, Carl “Sonny” Leyland.

Leyland is a long time ex-pat from South Hampton, England. He has recorded and toured extensively with everyone from Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets to Big Sandy and his Fly Right Boys. He put out a terrific “solo” album a few years ago backed by guitarist Joel Paterson and his trio. He also has numerous recording credits that include work with Deke Dickerson and Lynwood Slim as well as Nathan James and others. In addition he has, for the past dozen years or so, fronted his own trio. However, this is the first time that I have seen him give a solo performance in front of a large audience. It was thrilling.

Leyland is an engaging performer who is deeply schooled in various blues idioms as well as different early 20^th century piano traditions which include boogie woogie, stride and ragtime. He put all of these on display and even threw in some George Gershwin. He sang on a couple of tunes. Leyland’s singing has always put me in mind of Jimmy Rushing and his voice fits nicely with the material to which he is so devoted. The audience was attentive and appreciative, as at the conclusion of each number they erupted into thunderous applause. It was a real treat to hear a true master play in a room with such great acoustics.

After his set, Leyland brought up Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers. They are James on guitar and vocals, Troy Sandow on bass and drummer Marty Dodson. They were joined by Leyland, who remained seated behind his upright piano. This set leaned heavily on material from the bands’ most recent release entitled, Natural Born That Way. It is a terrific album and was fun to hear this material which has a down home, southern feel performed live. James' prowess on guitar is no secret. It is also great to hear him emerge as an effective vocalist. He continues to develop that part of his arsenal and demonstrated his ability to communicate effectively with that instrument as well.

After an intermission the brilliant Brazilian guitarist Igor Prado was joined on stage by both Leyland and Dodson as well as long time Igor Prado Band bassist Rodrigo Mantovani. The Igor Prado Band is celebrating their 15th anniversary in 2015. This is a remarkable accomplishment as Prado is thirty three years old and Mantovani is but thirty one. Mantovani is an extraordinary bassist who played an acoustic upright for this performance. The band opened with an instrumental before Prado stepped up to the mic to give his rendition of the Rosco Gordon standard, No More Doggin.

Then it was star time as Prado brought out Austin, Texas’ own Jai Malano. Malano, who turned thirty four the previous day, was also celebrating her brand new release on Rhythm Bomb Records, Rocket Girl. She opened her set by launching into Ike Turner’s Matchbox. Her performance included a variety of material mostly from Rocket Girl, many of these Malano originals. Her song writing is like her vocal delivery; rhythmic, crisp and to the point. She writes with a great sense of meter.

One of the highlights of the new album and a concert favorite is Big Mama Thornton’s, Hound Dog. Malano takes that song right back to 1952 and the original Peacock Recording produced by Johnny Otis.  As the band exited the stage the crowd leapt to its feet to give Malano and the band a standing ovation.

Sweden’s own Trickbag was left to sweep up the ashes left behind after the double dose of dynamite provided by Prado and Malano, who ignited the building. To their great credit this ensemble was up to the task. This band includes the engaging vocalist and front man Tommy Moberg, bassist Lars Näsman, guitarist Tomi Leino, pianist Fredrick von Werder and Per Norin on drums. They were joined by Indian ex-pat and bay area blues impresario Aki Kumar on harmonica. The band has a brand new album which should be out later this spring.

Getting back to the restoration of my faith in blues music...the fact is I never lost faith in the ability of musicians to make this timeless music come alive, inject it with the vitality of youth and lethal doses of soul. This I have never questioned.

It was the ability of discerning music fans to embrace quality programs such as this and support the music in sustainable numbers which can be so frustrating. The 200 seat theatre was brimming to near capacity with patrons willing to pay a $20 cover charge to experience great music. It has been noted that you get what you pay for. Why folks think that somehow this does not apply to the presentation of blues music is beyond my grasp.

I have attended literally thousands of performances through the years. It was very refreshing to hear this music in this type of environment. It was a great joy to listen to blues in a way that can’t be experienced in a crowded nightclub or even a festival for that matter.

I know this is the music of the juke joints, gin mills and dance halls, but visionaries like John Hammond brought Big Bill Broonzy (substituting for the recently departed Robert Johnson) to Carnegie Hall in 1938. Three decades later the American Folk Blues Festivals brought the greatest blues performers from this country to Europe where they played in front of audiences who sat in rapt attention in large concert halls.

The International Rhythm & Blues Revue felt like that experience came full circle as musicians from five countries and four continents made extraordinary music. World class talent from Southern California such as Junior Watson, Kim Wilson and Thomas Yearsley (The Paladins) made their way to the Brooks to experience this special night of music.

The entire program was also enhanced by a black and white slide show of legendary blues musicians which served as a backdrop. It was done with great taste and wasn’t a distraction as soft fades between images floated almost like apparitions behind the musicians. The visual presentation, which included 236 images, was put together by Paula Castro. It was a subtle reminder that these performances, this evening, are all part of a grand tradition. From Carl “Sonny” Leyland to Nathan James, Igor Prado, Jai Malano, Rodrigo Mantovani, Troy Sandow, Marty Dodson and the members of Trickbag, it is not their contemporaries from which they draw inspiration, but the ghosts of all who have come before.

- David Mac