Bob Payne
The musical talent of just a few of the 100-125 music events I attend each year really blows me away. Here Come The Mummies, Trombone Shorty, Christabel and the Jons all rank in my top ten events for 2008. Well, I just added another: The Tim Hughes Quartet. I knew when we walked in the door of Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant on Amnicola Highway that this was going to be a special one.
The Tim Hughes Quartet is made up, interestingly, of four band members. It seems that all of the bands I have seen lately with the name quartet in them have had four, so it must be something about the name. These guys all play with the stellar big band Mesa Rio. Tim Hughes plays the trumpet, David Payne on drums, Robert Grier plays the standup bass, and Mark Merritt plays keyboards. I really suppose play isn’t the correct word here – I should add an adjective such as masterfully or beautifully.
They played John Coltrane, Miles Davis and many more big time hits from the jazz/blues/swing world, but my favorites were “All Of Me” and “What A Wonderful World”. They may have been the best versions of those classic songs I have ever heard. I am not even going to write any more about them, because this is one you have to see and hear for yourself to appreciate. I can only suggest that you go to the Tim Hughes Myspace page and check his upcoming schedule to catch them at their next play date. You can find it at click here.
Beth Meyer operates the Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant and she has live music on Friday nights. If this past week is an indication as to the quality of live music being played at Blue Orleans, Chattanooga is in for a treat. Good food and good dinner music is hard combination to beat. They take reservations, which I suggest. Their menu and directions can be found at click here.
We switched gears on Saturday night with a trip to Riverfront Nights at Ross’s Landing to hear The Red Hot Poker Dots and Brandy Robinson. Fantastic shows! The band RSS, a group of high school youngsters also played and they impressed everyone with their music, as well. People were talking! Then we headed across the river to Deadwood Station to catch Tiffany Lynn and the Eleventh Hour Band. Tiffany even performed a song dedicated to me – Hey Bobby, a KT Oslin tune. Great show! We stopped in at T-Bones and caught one set of Bud Lightning later, too. Sunday, we went to the Chattanooga Market and caught a couple of acts, then back to Deadwood to hear the Shani Hedden Band with her incredible renditions of Patsy Cline. Maybe another top 10? Perhaps. Monday, we went to Loose Cannon and caught Roger Alan Wade and Col. Bruce Hampton.
This coming weekend, things really heat up with Robben Ford at Nightfall on Friday night, and the Southern Brewers Festival on Saturday. The festival is open to all ages and has music from Chattanooga’s Stratoblasters, Pat McGlaughlin, and The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. On top of that, The Lovell Sisters are at the Barking Legs on Saturday night, so it looks like I will have to use my magical neutronmorphalizer machine to be in several places at once. I will probably relax at the Chattanooga Market on Sunday.
To sum it up, Chattanooga is becoming a hotbed of music activity with a quality and diversity that is second to none. The best way to enjoy the town and all it has to offer is to get out there and listen to these wonderful artists.
Live! In Chattanooga – See You There!
Thursday, August 21
JJ’S Bohemia – Cristabel and The Jons
Midtown Music Hall – Channing Wilson
The Palms at Hamilton – Gentlemen’s Jazz Quartet
T-Bones – Pee Wee Moore
Rhythm & Brews – Taxicab Racers, Land Camera, Mermaid Police, Canon Blue
WAWL 91.5 Radio – Chattanooga Live, with host Bob Payne (or wawl.org)
Hear music from the bands you read about here each week!
Friday, August 22
Rhythm & Noon – Ogya
Nightfall – Robben Ford, Nu Mac Blues Band
Blue Orleans Creole Rest on Amnicola – Joe Evans Trio
Table 2 – Live Jazz by the Ben Friberg Trio
Midtown Music Hall- Vertigo
Buds – Mudville Mafia
Rhythm & Brews – Matt Stephens Project, Five 2 One Doors Tribute
Blue Orleans Downtown – David Anthony Blues
Blues Train Dalton – Frankie Moates
T-Bones – Greg and Wendell
Saturday, August 23
Barking Legs Theater – The Lovell Sisters Band
Southern Brewers Festival – Stratoblasters, Cherrie Poppin’ Daddies, Pat McLaughlin
Midtown Music Hall – ElScorcho (Weezer tribute band)
Rhythm & Brews – Milele Roots
T-Bones – Big Frog Mountain Symphony
Charles & Myrtles – Wild Blue Yonder
Blues Train Dalton – Buckner Brothers
Hot Spot Dalton – Crossfire Band
Sunday, August 24
Chattanooga Market – Tiffany Curtis, Tin Cup Gypsy, True Story
Monday, August 25
Rhythm & Brews – Monday Night Big Band
Tuesday, August 26
Table 2 – Live Jazz by the Ben Friberg Trio
Blue Orleans Downtown – Roddy Noll Jazz Trio
Wednesday, August 27
Market Street Tavern – Live Jazz by the Ben Friberg Trio
Rhythm & Brews – Leticia Wolf and Brad Passons
Buds – Chris Gomez (Bud Thunder?)
Tickets to the Southern Brewers Festival are on sale at click here.
Info on the upcoming Chattahippie Music Festival can be found at click here.
Tickets to The John Hiatt Concert at the Tivoli are on sale at click here.
To have your venue’s live event listed, just email us at davrik@aol.com