It should come as no surprise that the District of Rock Island has secured terrifically talented bands for its eighth annual Hornucopia festival, taking place on Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15. If you've attended Hornucopia in the past, you know the drill: two stages showcasing the finest in R&B, funk, soul, jazz, rock ... basically, any genre that incorporates a little brass. As the festival's motto states, "If it has horns, you'll find it at Hornucopia."
No surprises there. But while researching the first group to perform this weekend - local favorites The Gray Wolf Band, whose set begins at 5 p.m. on Friday - I was floored to discover that drummer Tom Drabek not only served as Alpine Race chairperson for several U.S. Ski Association events, but is a former Special Forces Green Beret, to boot. And he's not the only Gray Wolf performer with an interesting history. According to the group's Web site (http://www.graywolfband.com), Kenny Carleton began his musical career at age 18, playing bass on riverboat cruises with his brother; Jim Ryan, employing the Isabel Bloom technique, has spent two decades years making original concrete sculptures; and Larry Burns has been described as "the biggest rock star that no one has ever heard of."
So much I didn't know about these classic-rock performers! What other gems could I unearth if I did a little Web-site digging on the Hornucopia bands?
Jazz
saxophonist, pianist, and educator Ari Brown - part of the
avant-garde scene in Chicago - will perform with his quartet at the
Redstone Room of the River Music Experience in downtown Davenport on
July 16. Brown will conduct a workshop at 3 p.m. and perform a
two-set concert starting at 6 p.m. Admission to the workshop is $10,
while concert tickets are $15.
He's been described as "a bit rough and tons of fun"; he's been hammering out the blues for more than 30 years; he's been getting more and more recognition for his talent; and he's going to be in the tent on Sunday.
Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd calls Andy Linderman "one of the most dynamic electric harmonica players of our generation."
Joe Krown made his way to New Orleans in the early 1990s. Soon, he hooked up with Gatemouth Brown and became his keyboardist for the next 10 years. Along the way, Joe has put together various side bands and has performed with musicians from Chuck Berry to John Lee Hooker to Vassar Clements.
Rockin' Jake has been hailed by many as one of the premier harmonica players in the country. His original sound is a hybrid of second-line swamp funk, blues, and zydeco, with influences from Paul Butterfield, Big Walter Horton, James Cotton, Muddy Waters, the J. Geils Band, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
James
"Super Chikan" Johnson is not your typical blues musician, or
really your typical anything.
