In 1974, the same year that The Fabulous Thunderbirds were conceived in Austin, Texas, by Jimmie Vaughan, The Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California, opened its doors for the first time. The Belly Up has been operating in the same location in this laid back little surfing village, just north of San Diego through most of the last five decades and that’s where we were heading.

Our evening began at the Wild Note Café which sits next to and is part of the Belly Up Tavern. The service ranged from nonexistent to surly. I did however come in contact with a waiter one time. He raced over to our table as I sat myself and asked if I had reservations. I assured him that I had some serious reservations and I never saw the man again. That’s OK…I wasn’t there to nibble artisan inspired bistro dishes from their excitingly eclectic menu or quibble with a rude waiter. I was in town to satiate my appetite with a big slab of great music and in that respect, the evening did not disappoint, as Jimmie Vaughan was in town. 

As part of a seven-piece ensemble, Vaughan and his band served notice that vintage rhythm & blues can still sound fresh, exciting, danceable and just plain fun when presented by musicians who have dedicated their lives to the form. All of the Southern California blues music fans who packed the 400 “seat” venue on a Tuesday night received a nearly two hour long, 24 song sermon that gave praise to the almighty power of the blues.  

No gimmicks, no frills or histrionics were necessary to get their message across. They performed with the empathy that great ensemble players have used in previous generations. Their secret weapon was tone, taste and dynamics in service of some great material.

On this night, the set included songs from many points of Vaughan’s long and storied career. He presented some very early T-Bird material including formerly obscure Gulf Coast gems such as Slim Harpo’s Scratch My Back to Guitar Jr.’s The Crawl and Roll, Roll, Roll from the band’s first, second and third albums entitled Girls Go Wild, What’s the Word and Butt Rockin’ respectively.

On the T-Birds version of Roll, Roll, Roll, and much of the 1981 Butt Rockin’ album, the Austin based band was joined by members of New England’s Roomful of Blues which included baritone sax man Doug James. James has been part of Vaughan’s ensemble for several years now. He, along with trombonist Mike Rinta, contributes mightily to the overall sound of the band. Long time Vaughan sideman, guitarist Billy Pitman is the glue that holds everything together. He too is on board for this lengthy 2019 tour.

Vaughan also pulled some tunes from his Blues, Ballads and Favorites series of two albums. These two early set pieces to the evening couldn’t be more different and yet speak directly to Vaughan’s view of American music.

It’s Been a Long Time comes from the pen of New Orleans based singer Annie Laurie, who worked with band leader Paul Gayten back in the 1950’s. It is a perfectly suitable obscure gem that was in Vaughan’s wheelhouse. Vaughan and company of course hit it out of the park. He then turns right around and scorches a tune by the wildly popular and yet all but for forgotten country western/honky tonk singer and guitarist, Pierce Webb, I Ain’t Never. Vaughan’s interpretation of this song, which was co-written by Mel Tillis, bears little resemblance to the loping, laconic original. Vaughan makes it sound like a proto-rocker that was shot out of a cannon.

Vaughan’s band didn’t need any more punch, but the various sonic elements that Mike Flanigin and his Hammond B3 organ brought to the stage is a welcome addition to an already terrific band.

The band dispersed after several numbers into the set and left Vaughan and Flanigin to go it alone with drummer, Jason Corbiere in a classic B3 trio setting. Numbers from Vaughan and Flanigin’s 2017 album Live at C-Boys were featured. This five song excursion was highlighted by the haunting Slide Hampton original Frame for the Blues. This big band jazz number was completely reimagined by Flanigin and Vaughan and was a wonderful mid set sorbet. It gave those dancing a chance to sit for a moment, but not for long as the great jukebox hit You Can’t Sit Down came blasting off the stage. This Phil Upchurch song was covered almost immediately by Booker T & the M.G.’s in 1962. The latter more closely fit the Vaughan/Flanigin version heard at the Belly Up.

Not surprisingly, Vaughan performed an old “Arkansas” Larry Davis tune Texas Flood. Here he channels the great guitar of Fenton Robinson, which was heard on the original Houston based, Peacock Records single. He has played this song in front of live audiences since his early teens. For Vaughan, and much of the audience, the tune has taken on some additional gravitas over the past three decades. 

Vaughan also sprinkled in new tunes from his soon to be released album entitled Baby, Please Come Home. On the new album Vaughan continues to do what he does best and interpret old chestnuts. Songs by Little Milton, T-Bone Walker, Howlin’ Wolf and others, which he performed at this show on a hopping Tuesday night, made it to the album which is scheduled for a May 17^th release.    

His encores included his own, Grammy Award winning, DFW. He closed the show the way it began with another instrumental. The Bill Doggett tune (written by his guitarist Billy Butler) Hold It! The tune made  for the perfect musical denouement.

This evening’s worth of music was just like one of Jimmie Vaughan’s guitar solos in that it told a story with clarity, precision and specificity. It is the story of a youngster growing up in Dallas, Texas, surrounded by the musical languages of Mid-Century America with all the bravado those times evoked. He has spent his life playing this music which he loves and is deeply ensconced in his soul. He brings that love and that soul to his performance night after night. Vaughan has a deep connection to every song he presents to an audience. If you want to know Jimmie Vaughan…listen. It was all right there at the Belly-Up Tavern last Tuesday night.

- David Mac



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