Bluesfest: Charles Bradley

Back to Bluesfest for another act who could have trod the boards in the festival's early days: Charles Bradley & The Extraordinaires. Bradley had a tough upbringing and has travelled the states, working as a chef and weathering the vicissitudes of life. Howver, back when he was a wee lad he saw James Brown perform live and ever since has had a second career as a performer. He's yet another act in the Daptone circle of acts, and has lately released No Time For Dreaming, his debut LP on Tommy Brenneck (of Dap-Kings etc. fame) own Dunham label..

First up, some Extraordinaires.



Brass and beard action!



"Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for ..."



Charles Bradley, the screaming eagle of soul!



He's always dressed snazzy.



Some singalong action ... unfortunately I don't know the names of any of his backing band.



Stand-carrying action!



He's got more than one outfit in his repertoire ...



Thrusting action!



Dang there's a lot of stage clutter.



That was fun, though I could have done with having to hear the blather of LFMAO fans. Fortunately, Bradley had been booked for two nights, so the next day on the Black Sheep Stage ... brass action!



I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's amazing what a point-and-shoot will do these days.



Those Extraordinaires!



Once again, Mr. Charles Bradley!



Soulful action!



As the man admits, there's a lot of J.B. in his act.



And so on!



Think about it!



Screaming eagle action!



Extra horn!



And another outfit!



More black and white!



He knows his moves.



Well, you get the idea!



An excellent end to the night.

Ottawa Bluesfest 2012, Day 3

Thank goodness for cloud cover and low humidity, or else Friday at Bluesfest might have been unbearable. LeBreton Flats didn't seem very crowded when I arrived though -  I suspect the heat kept some folks away. The audience at the Freelance Whales show was certainly on the young side. The Whales sounded nice too, if a trifle precious.


Freelance Whales at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

Then it was off to catch a few local acts. First up, Winchester Warm in quartet form on the Black Sheep Stage.


Winchester Warm at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

And then Kalle Mattson on the River Stage. Really, I just stopped by to snap a few photos, but everyone sounded good.


Kalle Mattson at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

After that I just had time to zip back to the main stage to catch Conor Oberst. He has scads of fans, but I just found him to be a capable country rocker. His band was excellent though.


Conor Oberst at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

I was far more intrigued by Lake Street Dive over at the Black Sheep Stage. I'm not sure what you'd call them ... jazzabilly? Singer Rachael Price has certainly got a certain cachet in the jazz world, but the rest of the band seems to be more in a hillbilly swing sort of place. It all sounded good, even the cover of George Michael's Faith.


Lake Street Dive at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

I then walked over the hill to catch !!! (a.k.a. Chk Chk Chk).  Frontman Nic Offer was running around in his Rolling Stones Some Girls boxers and generally voguing up a storm to the band's dancepunk tuneage. The group's hot sounds are somewhat undermined by the overwhelming normalcy of its members, but you can't fault Offer's non-stop attempts to get the crowd moving (which he accomplished with some success).


!!! at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

Then it was off to the River Stage for a different bunch of dancepunks, Sleigh Bells, who were heavy on the punk side and kept their rhythm section in a can. I preferred !!!'s drums sounds which were on occasion powered by three different people. Unfortunately Sleigh Bells smoke-n-strobe stageshow is hard to snap a photo of.


Sleigh Bells at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

Finally I stopped by the Black Sheep Stage again for another helping of the Screaming Eagle of Soul, Mr. Charles Bradley (and, of course, His Extraordinaires). I enjoyed it much more with the play-by-play from LFMAO fans. The crowd was certainly digging it too.


Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires  at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 6, 2012

As I left I passed by Tommy Lee and DJ Aero on the Electro Stage. Big crowd for that as well. Sigh! Actually, it didn't sound half bad.

• Show reminder: Lynn Drury brings the blues to the Rainbow; Danny Brooks adds some grit to Irene's; the Elmdale hosts Big Moan, Stateless Mind and Red Hill. Rogey Dorey and the In-Young Jazz Band perform at the Avant-Garde Bar.

Ottawa Bluesfest 2012, Day 2

Off for another day of Bluesfesting, heavy on the indie rock and, surprisingly, the blues. I arrived a little later than expected, and cruised past the Claridge Stage, where I caught a bit of Carly Rae Jepsen show. The Call Me Maybe hitmaker had a sizeable crowd. Her pop is a bit lightweight for my tastes, but she seems pretty capable and I can see her making quite an impression as the years go by.


Carly Rae Jepsen at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 5, 2012

I made a beeline (okay, a very disoriented bee) for the River Stage to check out Fevers. They made a great impression when I saw them play at Babylon on St. Patrick's Day. They played another great set in the sweltering sun. The crowd was small but appreciative.


Fevers at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 5, 2012

After they wrapped up I popped over to see a bit of Dry River Caravan. Another small but enthusiastic crowd for their Balkan sound.


Dry River Caravan at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 5, 2012

Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires were a big draw for me, since I love that soul stuff. Bradley certainly serves up in the James Brown style. Unfortunately the experience was dampened a bit by the joshing of a nearby collection of LMFAO fans. Dude, if you're a fan of LFMAO, don't even think about making fun of other people's music - even if Bradley does give their band of choice a run for their money in the pelvic thrusting department. One thing I've got to note: The sound at this year's Bluesfest on the main stage is a huge improvement over last year. Bradley will be performing again tonight at 9 p.m. on the Black Sheep Stage.


Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 5, 2012

Then it was back to the River Stage to see Dirty Projectors. I saw them five years ago at Barrymore's, opening for Grizzly Bear. They sounded a bit less, shall we say, unconventional this time around, but still had some of that brittle energy that separates them from much of the indie-rock pack.


Dirty Projectors at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 5, 2012

Finally I went over to check out Super Chikan on the Black Sheep stage. He is indeed super. If you like your blues with fuzz, he is the man to see. It helps that he's supported by a swell band, most notably jukejoint pianist Lala Craig with who he has an excellent on-stage rapport. The crowd built up as he played, always a sign of a stellar performer.


Super Chikan at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 5, 2012

Then I walked past LMFAO. Apparently a key member couldn't make it, so they were only half as good as normal. I usually decline to criticize music I don't like on the grounds there's no accounting for taste, but it really did come across like a smorgasbord of stupidity. I went off to Babylon next, to see Pregnancy Scares and White Lung, but that'll have to wait for some photo uploading.

• Show reminder: The Cutmen release their new CD at the Elmdale with support from The Allrights. It's time for another Punk Rock Covers night at the Montgomery Legion; The Bart Walker Band brings the blues to the Rainbow; the Ross Neilsen band plays Irene's.