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Event
Chris Vandercook Band - Atherton Summer Season 2013
In his seventh annual concert for Hawaii Public Radio, singer-guitarist Chris Vandercook and his band take a stroll through the many shadings of the blues. Vandercook blends his guitar style, which descends from past heroes like Magic Sam and Freddy King, with the distinctive soul-jazz sound of the Hammond organ and tenor saxophone, buoyed by a contemporary bass-and-drums rhythm section. The music ranges from jazz-inflected tunes by Stanley Turrentine and Kenny Burrell to songs by soul legend Sam Cooke and songwriter John Hiatt. Band originals are part of the mix as well, including a new tune that marries blues stylings to James Brown-style syncopation.
The Chris Vandercook Band includes keyboardist Marshall Kaneho, a veteran musician who has played with ensembles all over Hawaii and has mastered the B-3Hammond sound of people like Brother Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff. Billy "Billy P" Popaka, who has played with the band on several past Atherton concerts, is a Hawaii rarity: a skillful interpreter of the tenor saxophone style laid down on hundreds of soul and R&B recordings by King Curtis (with Aretha Franklin) and David ""Fathead" Newman (with Ray Charles). It's a style that emphasizes a big sound and a bluesy melody over pyrotechnics, one that Billy P has refined through decades with Hawaii bands. The group is rounded out by longtime bassist Ed Canto a solid player of both blues and funk rhythms, and drummer Scott Shafer, who can shift effortlessly from shuffle blues to New Orleans "second line" rhythms.
"Blues is everywhere in American music, and we can be confident it will never die", Vandercook says, "but it shouldn't be seen as a relic to be preserved in amber. The music has evolved rapidly throughout its history and there's no reason for that process to stop, as long as artists remain true to the spirit of the music".For him, the spirit is strongest today in the few blues heroes who remain: people like Bobby "Blue" Bland, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Otis Rush. "It's unlikely we'll ever again see as many grand masters flourishing within the same era as we did in the days when Muddy and the Wolf were still with us," he says, "but we can certainly honor their legacy; that's the goal of our music."
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LocationAtherton Performing Arts Studio (View)
738 Kaheka St., #101
Honolulu, HI 96814
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: Yes! |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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Contact
Attendees
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