“Slutty” Pete Zona may have earned his nickname from playing with everyone. But playing around made certain he became popular with a lot of musicians. Last night’s Wantu Blues Jam at the Village Trestle in Goffstown, New Hampshire was also Zona’s ninth annual birthday party at the jam he has been hosting for about a decade. The turn out of musicians throughout the day was voluminous. And as it is on the last Sunday of every month at the Wantu Blues Jam, keyboardist Travis Colby was the featured musician.
While Zona seems to keep getting younger with each passing birthday, he has become an old hand at hosting the Wantu Blues Jams. Yesterday’s romp went as smoothly as ever, despite the fact that a number of players in the room caused the jam to last an hour longer than usual.
The jam started out strong with Colby, guitarist Chris Noyes, guitarist Jerry Basnar, and drummer Bob Pratte performing some traditional blues number about being left alone and wondering why. Hearty drumming and bass playing(Dave Guilmette) augmented some serious guitar work by Noyes and Basnar. That house band lineup was soon joined by a gentle giant of a singer named Steve Clark from The Installers out of Central Massachusetts. Clark sang with his huge voice to make his songs feel real while also making you feel the song. Meanwhile, Chris Noyes played some slide guitar to shade a tune with vintage, emotive colors and tone.
June Vaillancourt came up next to play her country roots favorites on a 12 string guitar. “Money Honey” was one that benefited from her 12 strings, allowing her to play nice rich chords. On “Folsom Prison Blues” her sweet chirp vocal brought a new warmth to this tune. Her chords and Jerry Basnar’s chicken picking style on lead guitar were two great sounds that sounded great together. Bob Pratte’s stomping take on the two step shuffle also made a lasting impression. Even more country licks jumped out of Basnar’s guitar on “Honky Tonk Blues.”
Eventually Jen and Jay Sperberg and Earl Rinker from Ten Miles Long joined the house band for a rocking take on Georgia Satellites‘ “Keep Your Hands To Yourself.” Her gutsy vocal rode well and the first of two saxophone players who showed up yesterday did a good job with a smooth line.
The whole event was, by then, beginning to feel like something special. Yesterday’s particular Wantu Blues Jam was like Hee Haw meets Soul Train filmed before a live studio audience at Chess Records. Commonly known songs got turned into something different. A saxophonist played with the band during Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.“ Even when the bands were in transition, at least one person would get up, impromptu, to play something. A drummer sat down at the house set to play a mean solo, and it was a solo in the greater sense of the word, as he didn’t have a band around him. That kind of loosey goosey vibe is part of what makes people feel comfortable and welcome at the Trestle.
Chris Noyes returned to the band to play some more blues guitar on “Politician.” A thumpy groove, frantic drum rolls, and David Moore on piano and organ turned it into something real. Noyes whipped out an incisive phrase. It cut its way through the chunk of groove like a smoldering knife. These boys welcomed Brian Ducharme up to sing some of his favorites from the jams, “Tiger Man” being one they had some fun with.
Local chanteuse Rose Kula showed up. Kula came out of nowhere and was suddenly singing acca pella. Her voice was clear and strong in that silent space around her as she belted out Sam Cooke‘s “Bring It On Home To Me.” Kula also performed Neil Young’s “Rocking In The Free World” and she should have added an extra “rocking” to the title because she was extra forceful there.
Reid Tre came on board with his shiny red electric guitar sans tuning pegs. With support from Mr. Nick on harmonica, Gardner Berry on keyboards, Tre performed with his axe on “Hurry Up Little Girl,” a tune they turned into deeply felt, 1950s era barroom blues. Tre’s busy, frantic guitar phrase on “Snatch It Back And Hold It” was a blast. Mr. Nick blew aggressively here and Colby assumed lead guitar duties half way through, his spiraling lead guitar notes cutting into the groove with surefootedness.
Colby lead the band on “In The Evening(When The Sun Goes Down),” slowing things down to play a slow boiler, singing of heartache and dull surprise. Tre took over the guitar spot and he just let a bunch of ringing, tuneful notes comes pouring out. Later on, Gardner Berry applied himself to blues piano idioms to much success, and he found a good home in between the harmonica and the rhythm section. “Change My Way Of Living” gave the boys even more serious blues music to chew on.
Steve Clark, from the Central Massachusetts band The Installers, rejoined the band to belt out “Let’s Have a Natural Ball.” Clark’s loud baritone vocal was held aloft by the dual guitar fire power from Colby and Tre with tufts of harmonica phrasing from Mr. Nick. “Cold Shot” was another song Clark wrapped his huge, husky voice around. It also helped that he had those highly paid professionals around him to make the music sound as fulsome as his voice.
Just when you might have thought the jam might start running out of special guests, Bobby Livingston, Kim Riley, and Scot Gibbs from Napoleon In Rags walked into the venue. They performed their rangy, roots drenched rock and roll. Livingston sang in a similar guttural, swaggering tone as Tom Waits while the others moved mounds of notes around a towering groove. Gardner Berry jumped in on electric piano to put some classy ivory underneath Livingston on “You Came Alive.” Next, “Dead Flowers,” as sung by Kim Riley, rang out with honky tonk earnestness. It’s just something Riley has in her voice, probably coming from a life of hard work. Riley served up even more vocal power on the Allman Brothers 1970s hit “Midnight Rider.” The lady also meant business on her acoustic guitar, slapping out plenty of rhythmic grist. Scot Gibbs, here, pulled out a raw rock and roll guitar line.
Soon after, the house band boys brought it back to vintage blues songs. Tales of Satan and losing one’s lover were played out with plenty of smoky piano from Berry and thumpy bass from Guilmette and seductive saxophone from the day’s second saxophone player, Tim Hooker. Bass player and Trestle regular Bill Ingalls sang lead vocal on a rugged “Southbound.” Over its deep groove from Ingalls and Pratte, Noyes ripped out some soulful notes that glided over all. Dave Glannon was the harmonica man at that point, and he blew some lonesome whistling notes out of his harp. Noyes regained control, moments later, of that wide, rangy excursion with more tasteful playing that become incendiary as he went along.
Jerry Ray Basnar sang and played lead guitar on Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Pride And Joy,” a staple of Basnar’s live repertoire that he never fails to rock right out on. A gentleman, Basnar stepped aside to let Chris Noyes play the lead guitar magic in the second part of the song. All those blues guitar techniques between them, flying around, created a flavorful mesh for the crowd.
Colby, near the end of the jam, started playing some real fine organ. He was augmented by the dynamic Dave Glannon who sang from his repertoire a song of heartbreak and desperation and of second guessing one’s fate. “Come Back, Baby” also had a primitive jungle groove going on underneath Glannon who then unleashed his axe and made it sing out the song’s desperate pain.
The Village Trestle’s co-owner, Amberly Gibbs, went up to sing the blues too. She soon turned things over to Colby who played Bob Segar’s “Old Time Rock And Roll” which gave him plenty to do with his piano as Noyes had fun with the honky tonk guitar phrase. “You Can Leave Your Hat On” got the Travis Colby treatment, hefty piano chords and a personality filled voice. “Let The Good Times Roll” injected a party vibe back into the day with a heavy dose of blues medicine. Thick, zesty organ chords marked the tune with their floating, emotive joy. “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” closed out the jam with a heavier funk element emanating from those keyboards with Tim Hooker, back on stage by then, adding some saxophone color.
“Slutty” Pete’s Ninth Annual Birthday Jam with Travis Colby was a big success for the Village Trestle. There was a variety of music offered and the kitchen and bar kept busy all day.