• John Hammond • Willie Nile • John Wesley Harding
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John Hammond Returns as Ringwood Concert Series Celebrates Ten Years of Homespun Music! A Kweevak.com Rock Report by Rich and Laura Lynch Is there a more legendary house concert series in the United States? You'd be hard pressed to find an informal venue with the longevity and proven track record of producing a consistent schedule of quality events as Drew Eckmann's Cupsaw Concerts. This is a testament not only to the founder's passion for good music but also to the lay of the land in which he lives. Drew has been able to draw upon two strong musical markets - the Jersey shore Asbury Park crowd, and the New York City night club scene - in order to find high caliber talent to perform in his living room.
 Cupsaw Concert Series founder - Drew Eckmann! Drew is celebrating his tenth year of house concerts in 2007 with an impressive line up. So far this year Graham Parker, John Wesley Harding and Willie Nile have already graced the lakeside stage and on May 6th, blues legend John Hammond played the Cupsaw Series. John Hammond is a Grammy Award-winning solo blues artist who has performed with many of the masters such as Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters. John's impressive career spans over 40 years and includes various collaborations and numerous albums. Hammond is still passionate about the blues, folk and rock. He recently released Push Comes To Shove and the new CD is a combination of Hammond originals and renditions of classic blues numbers. The album melds old and new. With the help of producer G Love, drummer Stephen Hodges, bassist Marty Ballou and pianist Bruce Katz, Hammond reinvents his sound yet stays true to his blues roots.
 John Hammond brought the blues back to Ringwood! John mingled with people at Drew's before the music and signed CD's after the concert. Hammond had brought a well-worn acoustic guitar, a 1935 National guitar, a few harmonicas and slides to craft his authentic blues sound. Taking center stage, Hammond mentioned that he was back again, reflecting on another terrific year including the release of his latest record Push Comes To Shove. For his first song of the evening, John set the pace with his foot, playing an up-tempo, bluesy number, alternating from harmonica to his husky voice, which is ideal for his musical genre. John's guitar playing was rapid, yet he has the gift of pulling a full sound from a lone instrument. The next song was slow and sad with John gently pulling a sorrowful sound from each string, which was echoed by the harmonica. Hammond introduced the next number as a new tune, although it was a 1950's song penned by Lightning Slim. John reminisced about his days as a teenager, growing up in the 1950's, listening to a blues radio station out of Nashville at night. The music left him with heavy images and later shaped his career. With the power of his foot, guitar and harmonica, John crafted the illusion of a train moving and let his voice tell the story of travel.
 Willie Nile rocked the house! Switching to the National guitar for a more twangy sound, Hammond mentioned that he got to work with Muddy Waters, stating that Muddy was a great blues singer and a nice guy. "This is one of his early tunes". The song was soulful as John's fingers effortlessly slid over each chord with precise picking. Throughout the evening, John would give a history lesson in the blues by playing tunes that dated back to the 1920's. Hammond mentioned that the legendary Robert Johnson was one of his inspirations. The following number was slow and sultry with a tale about being lonesome. John mentioned that this next song was written for the new album in the Robert Johnson style, it was a tale about cold. "Cold - when your woman says your too damn old - cold, can't tell right from wrong," his points were hit home with foot stomps. Hammond is a blues band all in one. Continuing the history lesson, John played a Blind Willie tune on the acoustic using a capo and then a funky song by Washboard Sam. Reflecting on his expansive career, John talked about working with Tom Waits and played one of Tom's song in his own unique blues style. Hammond alternated his selections with up-tempo numbers to soulful blues, including a tune by Tampa Red who lived through the depression. Obviously songs from that period were subdued and the tale was about things going wrong. The woes were enhanced by John's impressive slide work. Between songs John would offer snippets of his colorful, musical history and influences. His song selections reflected his great respect of the blues and his interest in rock music too. Hammond closed his set with a snappy, twangy Howling Wolf tune and an animated encore. John Hammond pays tribute to the blues greats but he is a legend in his own right. It was amazing to see John play in the intimate setting of Drew's home and a great opportunity for fans to meet Mr. Hammond. John is still going strong, touring regularly and releasing new material with the likes of G Love who is know for the Philly hip-hop sound. May the blues continue to live on in masters like John Hammond, who carry on the tradition of the blues for contemporary times.
HISTORY OF THE CUPSAW CONCERT SERIES:
 All the way from the U.K. - the acclaimed John Wesley Harding! Originally Published: 05/15/2007 on Kweevak.com |
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