In the News
Tony D wows home crowd
By Lynn Saxberg (The Ottawa Citizen)
Monday, July 12, 1999
It was Tony D's moment of glory. In a last-minute schedule change caused by the cancellation of Gladys Knight, the Ottawa guitarist and his band stepped into the second-highest spot before Buckwheat Zydeco, on the Bluesfest main stage. He rose to the challenge, showing a home-town crowd of about 15,000 why he's considered headlining material in Europe.
With a core band made up of saxophone player Zeek Gross, keyboardist Cam Scott, drummer Miche Pouliot, bassist Sean Burke, and augmented by guitarist Scotty Doubt, the local boys became heroes of the festival as they tore through a set that was mostly D's own songs.
But gentleman that he is, D quickly offered condolences on the part of Ottawa to Knight's family. He also shared the spotlight with some other top players, most of whom happened to be from Ottawa. Guitarist Sue Foley joined the band for a passionate rendition of Angela Strehli's A Lost Cause, while singer songwriter Suzie Vinnick (D.'s former bass player) and New Orleans harmonica player Andy J. Forest lent their talents to create, a truly regal Queen Bee.
But the highlight was the sizzling set closer, an en masse version of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's Hot Little Mama , I featuring D at one point doing his best B.B. King impersonation.
A top-notch singer, crack songwriter and hot guitarist – with a style that's one part: B.B., one part Stevie and a good shot of the Alberts (Collins and King) – D's a talent that Ottawa can be proud of.
Judging by the spontaneous standing ovation after his set, last night's crowd certainly was.
No one could have predicted the circumstances over the next 24 hours. Knight cancelled, then Bluesfest organizers came up with a plan to shuffle the headlining gospel act onto the main stage. Then they came down with a case of food poisoning.
Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan said Knight's management offered one of its other acts, say, perhaps Martha Reeves, (Keep in mind this is all happening after the originally booked headliner, Aretha Franklin, cancelled weeks ago, before tickets were to go on sale.)
"In the end, our feeling was that Tony is an important part of the festival – he's been part of it, every year and it's great to be able to give him a premier spot on the main stage," Monahan said.
Scott Duncan, a founding editor of Britain's national blues magazine, Blueprint , said anything less than an evening main-stage spot would have been "ridiculous."
"He's a major guitarist who's played all the big stages in Europe," Duncan said, comparing D's profile to that of the late Luther Allison. "He's not quite a B.B. King or Buddy Guy, but he's certainly in the middle level."