by Robert Ham • Jul 2, 2019 at 11:40 am
Vanessa Collier Jeff Fasano
If, like me, you roll your eyes at the patriotic bloviating that goes on this time of year and worry about the effect that the nonstop fireworks are having on our pets and vets, there’s at least one small reason to look forward to 4th of July weekend: the Waterfront Blues Festival.
For the past 32 years, this summer event welcomes thousands of music lovers to Tom McCall Waterfront Park for a multi-day celebration of one of America’s best homegrown artforms, while paying heed to the international sounds that helped birth the blues, and nodding to the musical stepchildren it inspired. This year, the festival is getting back to its roots. Gone are the big-ticket headliners like Robert Plant and Femi Kuti and in their place is a group of artists that have been foundational to the evolution of the blues for the past three decades: Robert Cray, Trombone Shorty, and Karl Denson.
As ever, things get especially interesting if you look below the fold of this year’s Blues Fest lineup. The folks populating the smaller stages and playing earlier in the day represent both the old guard and the new school. With that in mind—and with the opening day of the fest coming up this Thursday—we thought we’d offer up our picks for those smaller font acts that you shouldn’t miss at the 2019 Waterfront Blues Festival.
Vanessa Collier
Hailing from Philly, this vocalist and multi-instrumentalist has been firing small shockwaves of energy into the American blues scene ever since emerging from the hallowed halls of the Berklee School of Music. And she’s done so through the strength of a voice that is supple yet touched by the right amount of grit and saxophone playing that summons the spirits of Junior Walker and Maceo Parker. (Thurs July 4, 2 pm, Buick GMC of Beaverton Blues Stage)
Anthony “Big A” Sherrod
This Mississippi native has been keeping the spirit of juke joint blues alive for the better part of his still-young life. A guitar prodigy from a young age, Sherrod has leaned hard into an electric, slow-burning sound fomented by such icons as B.B. King and Albert Collins, punctuated by his wise-beyond-his-years vocals that feel perfectly primed for the long haul. (Thurs July 4, 3 pm, Crossroads Stage)
Spiritual Brothers
Spiritual Brothers was borne out of necessity and resilience. The core members of this ensemble from Ghana made a name for themselves performing as the African Show Boyz, bringing intoxicating rhythms from the Motherland and an ebullient spirit to stages all over the world. But after emigrating to the US, visa issues forced the eldest member of the group to return to his home country. The younger members, now living here in Portland, carried on, joining up with fellow expats and starting an equally vibrant group that uses all acoustic instruments and wends storytelling, dance, and the history of their age-old sound into their earthshaking sets. (Fri July 5, 1:20 pm, Oregonian Front Porch Stage)
Saeeda Wright
If you’ve spent any time in Portland’s jazz/R&B/soul scenes, you’ve surely crossed paths with Saeeda Wright. And she’s been a fixture at the Blues Fest, dipping in to lend her gospel-honed, satiny voice to a number of local ensembles. This year, she’s hitting the waterfront for the first time as a bandleader, taking a well-deserved spotlight turn to help drum up some additional buzz for her forthcoming self-titled debut album. (Sun July 7, 1 pm, South Stage)
Cyril Neville’s Swamp Funk
Percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville is musical royalty in New Orleans due to his membership in two of the city’s most legendary exports: The Meters and his family band, The Neville Brothers. But although he left the former group in 1977 and the latter went quiet this decade, in and around both projects, Cyril has remained plenty active and kept his smooth tenor voice in great shape after years of use. He’s currently on tour with his appropriately named band Swamp Funk, a seamy, politically motivated outfit with a sound birthed from somewhere dank and dangerous. (Sun July 7, 7 pm, South Stage)
Waterfront Blues Fest: Thurs July 4-Sunday July 7, gates open at 10 am, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito Pkwy, $20-1250, all ages