As all readers know, I always encourage outside news but it’s particularly cool when my longtime friend “Stilladog” has the time to write up a review on one of my favorite performers on the blues scene today, Hamilton Loomis. Stillog is a musician and long time blues aficionado and here is his coverage of Mr. Hamilton Loomis in concert near his home in Maryland!
Release Party – Frederick, MD 9/08/2013 SOLD OUT!
& Hyde’s in Frederick, MD delivered a very entertaining show last night. The venue was
quickly sold out by long time fans and many people who were captivated by Hamilton’s appearance
at the 2011 Western Maryland Blues Festival in Hagerstown, MD and those who had
seen his gig at Jekyll & Hyde’s last year were in attendance.
with many of his songs excepting those that were from his new release,
Give It Back and he had the audience singing with him on several
of his numbers. Since this was a CD Release Party for that album, there was a
generous sprinkling of tunes from the release in both sets. The Hamilton Loomis Band treated new and existing fans to his unique brand of blues, funk,
soul, jazz, and rock all mixed into a blender with the emphasis on the funk!
to the mentors he had before him and a way to begin to give back to those who
follow. Good advice for all of us
really. Hamilton’s exposure at a young age
to the musicians of Houston’s Third and Fifth Wards (a who’s who of soul
and blues) has helped mold his sound and it is plainly evident, particularly in
the second set when he had the house rocking with a Bo Diddley medley and with
the first set closer, Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s Bow Wow, which for me was the
highlight of the show.
Phoenix earlier this year, all the musicians are darn near virtuosos in their
own right. The first set started out with a smoking jazz instrumental featuring
saxophonist, Fabian Hernandez.
It was
followed by Best Worst Day, and then a
series of funk infused songs from the new album, the most memorable of which
was Stuck In A Rut. Then back to a few of what are becoming standards for his
sets, My Pen, Take A Number, and Pull Strings. When Loomis wasn’t knocking them
dead with guitar licks or his smooth soul voice, Hernandez was absolutely
wowing them with saxophone pyrotechnics on both alto and tenor.
and The Bluefish. Loomis had some
difficulties with what appeared to be the wireless on the PA which delayed his
first set a good 15-20 minutes. As a result
the first set extended way beyond plan going well over an hour even after they
got it cranked up. At the break, nearly everyone in the house lined up to buy
the new CD and other various items of swag.
I did my best to promote his Live In England CD to those around me as
well, which is an awesome representation of his live show albeit with some
different sidemen.
song Eternally about the prediction of the end of the world by the Mayan
calendar which of course didn’t happen. It’s on the new CD. My favorite for the
second set was Workin’ Real Hard. A surprise for many was Loomis’ rendition of
Prince’s Purple Rain which he identified as one of his all-time favorite songs
that he just wanted to play. The funk was popping, and the rock was rocking,
and the blues was flowing. The extended
drum solo by percussionist Armando Aussenac was
icing on the cake. Aussenac’s drums, combined with the lines bass man Dante
Ware laid down, well the foundation could not have been any stronger. Even when a local DC bassist sat in on a tune
the lower register remained as entertaining as it was solid. At one point Loomis left the stage jumped on a table and proceeded to inject everything
from Led Zeppelin to Chuck Berry riffs into an extended solo walking
about the room on a pathway of chairs the audience cleared out before him.
slowly made their way home it is safe to say a good time was had by all. Just about every face in the place was
smiling like the butcher’s dog!
recommended by Stilladog! And that’s a
fact, Jack!!! “
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