Colin Linden, Whitey Johnson / January 30, 2009 / St. James Hall / Vancouver, Canada
It
was an epic moment for the history of blues music in Canada, and it took place
at a little venue in the west end of Vancouver, British Columbia, a night that
was put promoted by of all things The Rogue Folk Club, whose name really does
not do justice to the tremendous artists encompassing several genres, whom
they bring to Vancouver. On January 30th, arguably the two best
Canadian blues guitarists and singer / songwriters in the past two decades,
Colin Linden and Colin James shared the stage with Whitey Johnson, whose name
may not be as familiar to music lovers, but whose songs definitely are, as he
penned them under the pseudonym of Gary Nicholson, and they have been recorded
by artists such as, BB King, Gatemouth Brown, James Cotton, John Mayall,
Delbert McClinton, Etta James and Bonnie Raitt. The kicker is that although
Linden who was the headliner, had invited his friend and former Nashville
neighbor Johnson (originally from Texas), to join him in Canada, Colin James
was not supposed to be on stage, and just happened to be at St. James Hall on
this evening, probably because he is a longtime friend of Linden.
Linden started the evening out alone on stage, with his acoustic guitar, wearing a black fedora, a zebra tie and a black sports jacket, and as his rich, smooth vocals filled the hall with the lines to, “Which Way Does The M & O Run?,” (Southern Jumbo – 2005), you knew this was going to be a special night, but nobody in their wildest dreams could have imagined what would soon unfold.
Linden has long been considered a powerhouse, not only in Canada, but on the international blues music scene. He has produced albums for Bruce Cockburn, Sue Foley, Colin James and others, and written hit songs for Michelle Wright and The Band. He also had his cover of Skip James’ classic tune, “Hard Time Killing Floor,” included in the George Clooney film O Brother Where Art Thou.
Linden unleashed a new tune, “Big Mouth,” from his new album, From The Water, and it featured some awe-inspiring note bending, as he made liberal use of his finger slide, while playing the traditional and sassy blues tune.
He again made use of his finger slide as he switched to playing a roundneck dobro for the pretty song, “Mon Couer Est Dans Tes Mains,” a song that he wrote to his wife for their twentieth anniversary, and whose title when translated into English is, “My Heart Is In Your Hands.”
When Whitey Johnson joined Linden on stage, he was dressed completely in white, including his hat and goatee, and he sported a red tie. He sat down on the chair with his electric guitar and the duo worked their way through, “Lie No Better,” (co-written with Delbert McClinton), “Leap Of Faith,” (co-written with Glen Clark), and Johnson told a humorous story about looking for something good to eat, as he was introducing his tune, “Memphis Women And Chicken.” Although Whitey Johnson under the name of Gary Nicholson has been a prolific songwriter, one wonders why we have not heard more of him as a guitarist and singer, because his smooth vocals are effortless and his playing is elegant. As an aside if you ever get the chance to see Colin Linden and Whitey Johnson in concert, you will have received your money’s worth, by just listening to Linden tell the story of how the two first met.
Early in the second set, Linden nodded to “Sleepy” John Estes, with Linden’s original tune, “Easin’ Back To Tennessee,” from the album with the same name, before he moved into the beautiful, “Sugar Mine,” from the CD Southern Jumbo. The melody line for, “Sugar Mine,” as well as the lyrics plays to Linden’s rich vocals.
One of the most beautiful songs you will ever hear is Colin Linden’s “I Have Seen A Miracle,” and this song alone, makes the case for purchasing a copy of his new CD From The Water.
Early in the second set, Linden talked about what a great experience it was to share the stage with Whitey Johnson, and then in a very casual way he invited the audience to think what it might be like if Colin James, who happened to be in the house were to join him for a few songs. James accepted the invitation and the two improvised, and at times just got down and jammed. It was not long before Linden went back stage looking for Whitey Johnson, and the three artists took turns singing the lead on songs and soloing, using electric and acoustic guitars, as well as Linden’s dobro.
At the close of some concerts the audience routinely does a few whistles, stomps a few feet and the artists rush back on stage before their fans have a chance to change their minds and leave, but as this three hour extravaganza came to an end, the audience was loud and relentless, as they demanded to hear more, realizing that they may never again find themselves in a moment like this, let alone in an intimate setting such as St. James Hall, which by the way has excellent acoustics. As Linden, James and Johnson performed Sam Cooke’s, “Somebody Have Mercy,” the first of two encore songs, you had the sense that history was being written.
To listen to Colin Linden's music from his new CD From The Water click here.
January 30, 2009
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Riveting Riffs wishes to thank The Rogue Folk Club for making it possible for us to review this Gig
