“Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane.
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain.
W.C. Handy, won’t you look down over me?
Yeah I got a first class ticket
But I’m as blue as a boy can be.”
— From Marc Cohn’s song “Walkin’ in Memphis”
It’s obvious that even these days, if you’re drowning in the blues, the name of W.C. Handy surfaces right beside you.
So the revue, A Tour of the Blues: Celebrating the Music of W.C. Handy, presented recently by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society, was sure to be right on the money for local blues fans.
And, with Andrew Homzy’s NOLA Nighthawks band and three great soloists to tell Handy’s history in songs and stories, it was a show that delivered on all fronts.
Some of the tunes are rooted deep, deep in North America’s musical psyche. Did you know Handy penned Memphis Blues in 1912 and St. Louis Blues in 1914? Yes, they are that old and they still resonate today.
As far as the show itself went, it didn’t hurt that a whole lot of fine performers obviously really loved playing and singing these selections.
Conductor Andrew Homzy is a real Handy enthusiast, he doesn’t try to hide it, and all the arrangements displayed his talent. But the NOLA Nighthawks themselves are a band worthy of your attention: even on the opening night of this show, their presentation was scalpel-sharp and professional but flavoured with plenty of passion.
And the singers? They were all from Vancouver Island University and all three sang it sweet and hot.
Some fans will remember Robyn Fortunat from her days at Cowichan Secondary but her voice now has a dark, sultry quality that’s beautifully suited to these tunes. She really delivered the news.
Dominique Pashley only arrived from Finland a couple of weeks before the show but still stepped up and presented songs like Careless Love in a sexy, yet winsome style that won plenty of hearts in the crowd.
And Layla Hansen? Wow!
Originally from Quesnel, this songbird has the whole package: a warmth that reaches out into the audience; a relaxed, confident style; and a voice like a young Judy Garland.
The trio of gals sang individually, giving the appreciative audience such tones as Beale Street Blues, Chantez Les Bas, and Aunt Hagar’s Blues, and then joined forces for another version of Careless Love, plus Atlanta Blues, and Long Gone.
The band themselves also presented Aunt Hagar’s Blues, Morning Star, and Ol’ Miss Rag, along with an overture called Father of the Blues.
All in all, an evening of great entertainment all around. If they come back sometime, don’t miss them.
