The one show I really wanted to see was Edmonton acoustic bluesman Marshall Lawrence making his Lethbridge debut at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, May 15.
It was amazing, and while I was hoping to hear more originals, the self professed Doctor of the Blues filled out the prescription for a crash course in blues history.
While he has three Cds of outstanding originals, the spirit of the night moved him to play the classics.
He told an enraptured audience long and involved stories about his three guitars of “ladies” as he called them as well as stories about blues pioneers, then outlined a crash course in blues history which featured several songs by blues originators like Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton and a lot more.
He even snuck in one of my favourite Siegel-Schwall drinking songs “When I’ve Been Drinking.”
Throughout he played some massive slide guitar and grinned through an intense set of upbeat, mind bending blues, which left my jaw on the floor, especially as he played speedy, fleet fingered Albert King licks on the acoustic guitar.
To show how good he is, he also nailed tasteful BB King licks on the acoustic guitar as well on King’s “Sweet Little Angel.”
Here’s hoping Lawrence hurries back to Lethbridge, this time with originals.