The 2018 San Diego Blues Festival hit Embarcadero Marina Park North on Saturday, Sept. 8, with Billy Gibbons, Kenny Neal, Tommy Castro, Sarah Rogo, and more.
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Steve Covault
ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons (pictured here performing with harmonica player James Harman) was the fest's big draw this year.
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Steve Covault
Founded in 2011 with a missions to provide great blues music and raise money to support the battle against hunger, San Diego Blues Festival sponsors and festival-goers have helped contribute 12 tons of food and more than $585,000 to help the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank in San Diego County. This year's festival raised $50,000!
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Steve Covault
Gibbons wasn't the only draw scheduled to perform: Tommy Castro & the Painkillers (pictured), Kenny Neal, Sons of the Soul Revivers, and more wowed the crowd!
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Steve Covault
As always, the fest is a huge hit!
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From the San Diego Blues Festival website: "Along with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons is unquestionably one of the finest blues-rock guitarists to ever emerge from Texas. Born on either March 4 or December 16, 1950 (both dates have been given in the past), and raised in Houston, Texas, Gibbons grew up in a home that favored both classical and country sounds, but upon discovering Elvis Presley via an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Gibbons became transfixed by rock & roll. It wasn’t long before he discovered other early rock & rollers (Little Richard) as well as bluesmen (Jimmy Reed) via a local radio station."
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Soon after receiving a Gibson Melody Maker electric guitar and a Fender Champ amp for Christmas in 1963, Gibbons began emulating his heroes -- forming his first band when he was 14 (the Saints).
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The guitarist later joined a group around the mid-’60s called the Coachmen, who specialized in more psychedelic-based sounds, inspired by the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and the local Texas outfit 13th Floor Elevators (led by a young Roky Erickson).
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Steve Covault
Gibbons’ band eventually changed their name to the Moving Sidewalks, issuing a lone album in 1968, "Flash," although an early single, “99th Floor,” would later receive attention when included years later on the "Pebbles: Vol. 2" compilation.
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While the Moving Sidewalks never made a splash outside of Texas, Gibbons must have been pleased when Jimi Hendrix (with whom the Sidewalks toured with around this time) began endorsing the guitarist as one of his favorite new players to the media.
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Steve Covault
When the Moving Sidewalks folded in 1969, Gibbons sought to form a more straight-ahead, boogie/blues-rock-based band, and after hooking up with a pair of other fellow Texans, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, ZZ Top were born. The power trio slowly but steadily built up a solid following, largely due to Gibbons’ tasty guitar playing and muscular riffs (especially evidenced on such renowned tracks as “La Grange” and “Tush”). (Drummer Kenny Aronoff pictured)
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Over the course of five classic albums over a six-year span (1970’s self-titled debut, 1972’s "Rio Grande Mud," 1973’s "Tres Hombres," 1975’s "Fandango," and 1976’s "Tejas"), ZZ Top became one of the country’s top rock bands before taking a three-year break. When they returned, the musical climate had changed considerably, and ZZ Top opted to change with the times -- as a more modern, electronic sound was merged with their blues-rock roots on such albums as 1979’s "Deguello" and 1981’s "El Loco."
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But with the release of 1983’s "Eliminator," the new approach came together for the group, while both Gibbons and Hill happened to come across a gimmick that will be forever associated with the group: long and stringy beards that grew down to their chests.
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It didn’t hurt that the group was responsible for some of MTV’s most popular video clips of all time (which always seemed to primarily focus on good-looking girls and a snazzy 1933 Ford three-door coupe, rather than the band members), “Give Me All Your Loving,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs.” Gibbons and Hill also became known for their assortment of matching and outlandish guitars, which were also always on display in their videos.
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San Diegan Steve Solis hopped on guitar for Gibbons during his set.
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What a great set!
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Guitarist Lightnin Malcolm pictured. Malcolm is known as the "Human Juke Joint" -- "wherever he goes, he brings the intensity of a juke filled with the sweltering bodies of wall-to-wall dancers."
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Local, on-the-rise blues player Sarah Rogo performed earlier in the day.
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John Nemeth of John Nemeth & the Blue Dreamers pictured. A singer and harmonica player, Nemeth takes pride in playing whatever style of music he wants -- ranging from blues and R&B to rock & roll and hip-hop.
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Guitarist Seth Loveless (pictured) might just be as blistering hot as streets of his hometown of Buckeye, Ariz., just west of Phoenix. His finger-picking, soulful vocals and songs caught the eye of Gibbons, who's been championing his cause of late. He released his self-titled debut CD in 2017.
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Tommy Castro pictured.
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The Sons of the Soul Revivers, from Oakland, California, are evidence of the gospel tradition. Their music carries a powerful message delivered in the most passionate way a human voice can.
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Dwayne, 45, and his older brothers, James Morgan, 50, and Walter Morgan Jr., 55, form the vocal core of the group. They’ve been singing together in church since they were kids.
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Looks like the wife of our fine photographer, Steve Covault, enjoyed herself!
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Kenny Neal (right) pictured performing with Audrey Turner (left), the widow and eighth wife of Ike Turner.
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Neal has been performing since he was a child. At 17, he left home to play bass for Buddy Guy, and later for Muddy Waters.
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Now 60, Kenny has recorded nearly two dozen albums as a singer, guitarist and harmonica player, and has a fistful of Grammy nominations an dozens of blues awards. He’s even been honored for his stage acting for his Broadway role in the blues play “Mule Bone.” (Keyboardist Frederic Neal pictured)
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Kenny Neal drummer, Bryan Morris, pictured.
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Thanks for the memories (and the fundraising), San Diego Blues Festival! Can't wait until next year's!
