The Blues Music Festival '97

With B. B. King, Robert Cray featuring the Real Memphis Horns, Tower of Power, Magic Dick's BluesTime with J. Geils, and Johnny Lang

June 6th - June 28th 1997

This edition was uploaded from Danbury CT. while on the road with The Robert Cray Band Sweet Potato Pie Tour. The first two shows were at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom and Pearl Street in North Hampton. These were rehearsal/shows to warm-up the Memphis Horns for the big Blues Festival. We've been to the Casino enough times that we already knew where to eat an affordable breakfast, at the Broken Yoke in Hampton Beach.

The Blues Music Festival started June 9th in Saratoga NY. This has been an exciting and eventful tour. After the first couple of days, the mixing boards were dialed in and nobody sound checked. Blues Time and Johnny Lang took turns opening the Festival. Johnny is a 16 year old guitar player/singer from Minneapolis. This is Johnny's first album on A & M Records. Tower of Power opened for Robert Cray and I was injected with a "Soul Vacination" every night, while tuning Robert's guitars. Tower of Power's starts with "Souled Out" and continues with their hits. "Your Still A Young Man" and "What Is Hip?" are my favorites. I was able to meet Jeff Tamelier and Rocco Prestia, TOP's guitar and bass players. They are two really nice guys and Rocco asked me to intonate (calibrate) his new Fender Signature bass for him. Of course I said yes, who wouldn't? Robert Cray performs 5 or 6 songs from the new "Sweet Potato Pie" album.

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