In the News
Tony D happy to raise the roof, or tickle with acoustic
tenderness
D, Gogo and band open for Buddy Guy at Jube
tonight
Peter North, Special to The
Journal (Freelance) Tuesday 26 June 2001
  |
| Candace Elliott, The Journal / Tony D's new acoustic CD will be titled The Size of Your Shoes. |
While Tony D will be plugged in and aiming to raise the roof of the Jubilee Auditorium with his touring partner David Gogo this evening, the Ottawa bluesman has also been focusing on the acoustic side of the musical form lately.
"An acoustic record is finally going to be released in September and it's going to be titled The Size of Your Shoes," Mr. D said last week on his first of two trips through town in the space of seven days. "I was able to get Ken Hamm to join me for one track in the studio when he was out east touring. Slide guitarist John Mooney who used to play with Son House was another guest," said D of the Blind Pig recording artist who married an Ottawa gal and thus hangs out frequently in our nation's capital.
On the live side of the ledger, the guitarist and singer who lit up the Sidetrack with Gogo last Wednesday night, is looking forward to at least one major acoustic gig in a few weeks.
"I'm hosting the Acoustic Stage at the Ottawa Blues Festival. The organizers have pretty much handed me the job as a regular thing.
"The other event within that festival that we're excited about is a Tribute To Dutch Mason that I'm also hosting. It allows us to finish shooting a documentary on Dutch that has been in the making for a while now. He's not in good health. We've been able to reunite the band he had during the height of his popularity in the late '70s and '80s for the tribute."
As for this evening's show that has D, Gogo and a rockin' backing band opening for Buddy Guy at The Jubilee Auditorium, one can't help but wonder if it won't be shades of last year's major Jazz City electric blues concert when Sue Foley snuck up on Jonny Lang and stole the show.
"I played with Buddy Guy when I was 19, when he'd use house bands for some dates. That's a cool memory," added D, who like all of us, is wondering whether Guy will dive into material from his terrific new album Sweet Tea, or just dish out one of his generic sets that includes another tedious ride with Mustang Sally.
It would be a treat if the 64-year-old legend produces the combination of guitar tones that make tunes on Sweet Tea crackle, sting and reverberate.
The album is named for the studio in Oxford, Mississippi where Guy and producer Dennis Herring got down to serious business.
Herring deserves credit for nudging the man, who may be best known for his work with the late Junior Wells, towards some gut-wrenching and swampy sounding material written by Junior Kimbrough and James "T-Model" Ford.
Tickets for Buddy Guy's show, which are $39 and $29, and will be available at the Jubilee box office before the show. The house lights dim at 8 p.m.