Terra Fermata
Stuart, Florida
by Michelle Wilson of Rock Legends Photographers
Sean Chambers is one of today's most talented bluesmen on the music scene, and he is the real deal. Co-mingling his original compositions with covers from classic blues icons, Chambers' deep, gravelly tones and smooth, tasteful guitar licks offer one hell of a killer live show. The Florida native has been influenced by and compared to everyone from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Gary Moore, and he lives up to those comparisons. Chambers and the band took the stage at 7:10pm on a sweltering night in South Florida, and the only thing hotter than the weather was the music. Backed by an incredibly tight band of seasoned pros including bassist Todd Cook, keys/Hammond B3 player Michael "The Professor" Hensley and former drummer Paul Broderick sitting in for current drummer Kris Schnebelen, the house was indeed a-rockin' at Terra Fermata for two blistering sets of bad-ass blues. See the end of this article for links to the full set of photos from Rock Legends Photographers and live footage from this show, as well as a link to my Ink 19 review of Chambers' latest release, Trouble & Whiskey, which is currently #7 on the Living Blues charts and a must-have for every blues fan.
Opening the show with Muddy Waters' "Chicken Shack," Freddie King's "Me and My Guitar," "Full Moon on Main Street" (famously recorded by Kinsey Report) and "Cut Off My Right Arm," a Johnny "Clyde" Copeland song included on Chambers' newest record, the first set offered a healthy mix of covers and originals including "World on Fire" and "Healing Ground" (live footage in the youtube link at the end of this article) from Chambers' 2013 release, The Rock House Sessions and "In the Wintertime" off his 2009 album, Ten Til Midnight. Rounding out the set with the Muddy Waters/Howlin' Wolf collaboration, "Killing Floor" and the instrumental version of "Litttle Wing" from Jimi Hendrix, the 55 minutes were over in the blink of an eye, and the crowd was pumped for set number two.
Kicking off the second set with four of his smokin' originals, Chambers and his band held nothing back and gave it all they had. "Ten Til Midnight," the title cut off that album, started things off, followed by "I Need Your Lovin," "Trouble & Whiskey" (live footage in the youtube link at the end of this article) and "Bottle Keeps Staring At Me," all featured on the newest collection. Chambers switched from his Fender Stratocaster to his Les Paul Epiphone for just the one song, "Bottle Keeps Staring At Me," and delivered more searing slide as he had done all night long. During Hubert Sumlin's "Chunky" (Chambers toured with Sumlin from 1998 to 2003), each band member had a featured solo, and then the band was joined on stage by Jay Stollman, a real favorite of mine who has one of the most amazing blues voices out there. Stollman belted out the old blues standard, "Don't Want No Woman," famously recorded by Bobby Blue Bland, and then segued into "Devil In Disguise," a song he co-wrote with Scott Spray from the late Johnny Winter's band.
Next up, Chambers dedicated "You Don't Love Me" to the late Gregg Allman, and the band did some serious justice to the Allman Brothers Band classic written by Willie Cobbs. Chambers' vocals were spot-on, and Cook's bass was intense. I remarked to Chambers after the show how thrilled I was that they chose this song over more "popular" ones. Finishing it off with Freddie King's "Goin' Down" (written by Don Nix), "Help Me," the old blues standard famously recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Alvin Lee's "Choo Choo Mama," a Ten Years After classic, Chambers closed out the evening at 10pm sharp with an absolutely off-the-chain "Red House" from Jimi Hendrix, with more stellar bass work from Cook. If Sean Chambers comes through your area, run, don't walk, to get to the show!
https://rocklegendsphotographers.smugmug.com/BLUES-CONCERT-PHOTOS/SEAN-CHAMBERS-TERRA-FERMATTA-6-17-17/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4DV71OkxbM
http://ink19.com/2017/06/magazine/music-reviews/sean-chambers
2 comments:
Awesome article! You really captured the essence of the show.
This place is absolutely gorgeous, beautiful and stunning. Even though a few Los Angeles event venues are equally appealing and fascinating in their decor, food and aesthetics, I'm tempted to still give this place a slight edge.
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