In the summertime of 1977, the good friend and I trekked to Washington D.C. St. Louis bluesman Henry Townsend at the Wolf Trap Folk Event. My pal Lenny did a superb job of burning Henry and we loved most of the broad ranging styles of roots music that were on screen that weekend. One unforgettable gamer that we especially enjoyed has been the relatively unfamiliar blues recording performer Jerry "Boogie" McCain, whose distinctive harp design and flamboyance actually captured on at Wolf Trap that yr. Verify Jerry out performing "Courtin in a Cadillac" from the 1950's. I distinctly keep in mind him tearing it up along with his popular "She's Hard," a tune afterwards covered successfully by the Fabulous Thunderbirds. One element of the 1977-1979 D.C. Having done a little bit of research on these gamers, it seems very clear that no various other city in the U.S. Venues like the Cellar Doorway, Crazy Equine, Blues Alley, Child Harolde and the Psyche Delly offered the store for the flourishing blues/jazz and roots scene, which the music critic Mark Wintertime dubbed "the Glowing blue Wave" in 1978. Also contributing to the D.C.

WHFS, which gave neighborhood musicians plenty of airtime which in turn aided local report product sales. In this article I would like to pay homage for some of the exceptional guitar players that contributed to the richness of the roots scene in the Washington/Baltimore area during those years. It truly had been the "Roots Guitar Funds" of the world at that time. Recently, new players like Melanie Mason and Sammy Blair are usually carrying upon this rich guitar tradition in the capital city. 1) Danny Gatton: Roots musician Billy Hancock resurrects the Aladdin label by helping to put together the 1975 recording Danny and the Extra fat Boys. This documenting energized the roots motion in the D.C. Gatton. His artistry will be on full display on the Horace Silver tune Opus de Funk. A few years later on, in 1978, Gatton records the very highly regarded "Redneck Jazz" which offered well in the D.C. From this period arrives this medley with metal guitarist Buddy Emmons. 2) Roy Buchanan: Buchanan, originally from Arkansas, settled in the D.C.

3) Tom Principato: Tom's 1970's blues based band and report label Powerhouse achieved a considerable following and helped to define the roots music approach to the D.C. 70's picture. After that he has recorded extensively with his blues based team Powerhouse. He's got won several WAMMY awards and I sure wish I could discover him live ! Great guitarists videos of "Red House" shows Tom's masterful guitar work from what appears to function as 1970's. Exceptional. 4) The Nighthawks: Directed by Jimmy Thackery and Mark Wenner, this D.C based blues group had a steady gig at the Far Finish through the mid 1970's and went on to get national attention during the 1980s and beyond. Thackery is really a gifted blues guitarist who teamed up with Principato to create the Assassins. I'm uncertain when this video was made, (possibly 1980's) nonetheless it captures the feel of what the Nighthawks had been around in the D.C.

1970's. This 2008 video showcases Thackery's talents close up. 5) Pete Kennedy: Pete's association with the D.C. Falls Church, Virginia back in the first 1970's. Kennedy and Principato teamed up because the opening action for Danny Gatton's Redneck Jazz Explosion. From that live show in 1978 comes "Fingers on Fire," an extraordinary recording which shows the flexibility of both gamers. In this video Pete's speaks of his formative times in D.C., and the influence of Gatton and Buchanan, then gives up this very nice homage to the picture. 6) Evan Johns: Johns shacks up with Danny Gatton in the past due 1970's in the D.C. Gatton's 1978 Redneck Jazz L.P. Also has with Gatton in the short lived group the "Benders" in the D.C. Johns is actually a rockabilly centered player who has had success in Austin, where he's got played with the Leroi Brothers. This recording is more recent, with his group The H Bombs with another D.C. 7) Dave Chappell - Dave was also directly linked to the 1970's D.C. Gatton mainly because a major influence. He's currently active in the D.C. 8) Joe Kogok: Joe grew up listening and playing around many of the gamers already mentioned above. He performed with Danny Gatton on a number of recording through the period. 9) Mark Korpi: Played gigs with Gatton in the early 1980's. Mark continues to be active today, playing here in the D.C. Here's Mark revealing his chops live.