Blues Year's Eve 2011

Posted by Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania - Maria K Saturday, April 7, 2012 11:28 PM

This was our second year at the Clarion for The New Years Eve blast. After seeing Studebaker John play until 2:30 AM at our Christmas party the year before , I figured he would be perfect for a New Years' party. He was ! He let local musicians sit in, in spite of their inebriation in some cases. John again played until 2:30. It's not just the time, it's also the quality and the style that I love about John. He's a truly Chicago Blues musician and he plays guitar and harp equally well. People have a hard time believing the sound he gets from only a trio. Miss Freddye and Blue Faze opened up the show and Miss Freddye was her usual energetic self. She got the crowd in the mood for a party with her powerful voice, excellent band and her stories. John Erskine, drummer for Miss Freddye, showed his talents with a plethora of percussion instruments. Drums, tambourine and cowbell and more!


It was nice to see so many familiar faces. Some from the inception of the BSWPA, some newer.  Also , I met members who introduced themselves and complimented us on our writing and for all the work we do. We met some new faces who came as a last minute choice and ended up joining the BSWPA.  We take that as quite a compliment.

One of the highlights of our New Years' Party is the drawing for the autographed guitar.  The name was drawn and handed to me. It was the first time I recognized the name. Also a first, we didn't have to go far to get it to him . I had seen him there, so I let everyone know first, the winner is in this room! Grover Taylor!  Grover attends many blues events with his family.  The Taylor family have been great supporters of the BSWPA and blues music in general. It was nice to see it go to someone who knew the true value of what he had. I spent some time helping him identify the signatures . He was truly happy and that made us all happy.  Congrats , Grover !
Thanks to all who made it to the party . I had a great time and so did every person I spoke to. That includes Studebaker John , who told me at breakfast what a good time everyone had including himself. This year I only saw one person kissing a support  beam and only had to pick one person up off the floor, so perhaps people aren't indulging as heartily.  So, if you didn't make it this year or last, you owe it to yourself to come see the "Nighthawks" with Jill West and Blues Attack" opening for them for 2013! See you then. 


~  Don Vecchio