Saturday’ Lethbridge Folk and blues Festival Legacy park.
The Lethbridge Folk Club took over Legacy Park, Saturday, Aug. 20 with roots and blues music from Southern Alberta and beyond.
Several hundred people tricked in and out of three stages set all over the park. I caught part of Dr. Lar Bar’s set in the beer gardens first.
He was telling stories and singing folk songs accompanying himself on an acoustic guitar.
A short walk away on the main stages here most of this summer’s festivals are happening, local blues musician Papa King Cole, with bassist Dog Freeman and lead guitarist Eric Braun got warmed up for their upcoming B.C tour with a strong set of mostly original acoustic blues music, most of it from King’s CD “Gutted To The Studs.”
Papa King growled the vocals, stomped a bead and play rhythm guitar.
Freeman grooved on bass and Braun added perfect solos.
King announced they were beginning their tour in Lethbridge.
They played a lot of the audience’s favourites beginning with “Mellow Down Easy,” which he was playing on a. Cigar box guitar built by former Lethbridgian Darryl Düus, who he will be joining in B.C.
He followed it up with blues classic “Ain’t Got You.” Then they played one of my favourites “ Busy Boy Blues.”
They dug in to their tool box for “Box of Tools,” and followed that up with another one of my favourites “Beale Street Blues,” as King noted it was about a 12 year-old kid who moved to Memphis to avoid the life of a sharecropper.
I left for the refuge of the shady beer garden during King’s trucking song “ 500 Horses.”
In the beer gardens, rising Edmonton star Amanda Penner breathed heartfelt songs about mental health and relationships from her new CD “ Honey and Heartache.”
“Bleed” was a highlight.
The main act I wanted to see was Little Miss Higgins, but missed half of it. I rushed back over to the main stage to catch their set of jazz tinged blues.
She was playing as a duo with Calgary’s Kris Demeanour. She was playing tambourine and singing as I arrived, but traded that for a guitar to play some vintage 1920s jazz and blues music.
Their set focused in their new concept album “Fire Waltz” about her great grandmother Florence’s journey to Canada with her two kids and the ensuing challenges of settling in with husband, soon to be ex husband Henry.
They played jazz tinged blues. Kris Demeanor added tasteful solos.
And their stories and jazzy blues took the audience right back into the 1920s.
Ryland Moranz and his band were getting into their usual solid set of laid back, optimistic folk rock music as I was leaving the main stage.
John Wort Hannam was set to close off the afternoon festival.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
