I had a fantastic time at the monthly blues jam @ Einstein's in El Dorado, AR last night. Host band, Detox & The Shakes, of Camden, AR did a stellar job as they hosted this event for their third time.
The crowd was thin for a good part of the evening, but that certainly didn't put a damper on things at all. There were plenty of participants, and enough enthusiastic music lovers in the crowd to make the evening a total success.
Detox & The Shakes really impressed me with several original tunes. Their first was a slow-drag blues song with Derek MaCasland pounding out some powerful vocals. This young man can really wail! With a style very similiar to Jeff Healey, this vocalist captures your attention & holds it! They also performed a couple of blues-rockers that got everyone revved up & ready for the rest of the night's performances.
Though this band has only been performing publicly for a few months, they have certainly gotten up to speed very quickly.
Once again, I was reminded of just how fortunate we are in this little corner of south arkansas to have such a remarkable pool of musical talent. Each & every musician or vocalist that hit the stage did an excellent job. What amazes me is that a good portion of these talented performers are not currently in bands. I believe there are enough around to start up several new projects!
There were several individuals who hit the stage last night just for vocals, and even one free-style rapper who got down to a serious blues beat. I even got in on the action myself with some improvisational lyrics to an impromptu jam the guys threw together. I didn't see anyone leave, so I guess I didn't do too awful bad!
All in all, it was another successful jam and an awful lot of fun to boot! These events have been going on for just under two years now, and I certainly hope they continue. Some folks say the blues is dying...well, not in El Dorado, AR it's not!
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