Ronnie Baker Brooks. Click to enlarge.
photo by Jay Mouton
I've had the pleasure of attending the Riverbend Festival for the last three years as one of the surrogate musical ears for Chattanoogan.com. I can’t express how much pure joy I experience attending so many musical shows with so many styles at such a heart-racing pace. What I can do to express my appreciation and pleasure for being allowed to attend the Riverbend concerts is to do my best to give the most honest assessments that I can on the bands that hit me hard enough to review. I decided long ago that I would do my best to point out the most positive aspects of an artist’s show, and try to lay low on the negative. Sometimes, I can’t gloss over a flaw and feel compelled to point it out—remember folks, it’s not an attack on your “star,” it’s simply an observation. That point reiterated let me tell you about some of the offerings at the Bessie Smith Strut.
For whatever reason, the “Strut” is my favorite day of the Riverbend Festival every year. Maybe it’s simply the music — yes, I’m a closet blues fan, it’s my favorite style of music and has been since I was in my early 20s. It’s the electric blues that hits that zone in my being that really floors me. I can listen to virtually any style, on any given night of the week, for any given length — I like the stuff. So, please forgive my exuberance over the Ronnie Baker Brooks show at the Strut Monday evening.
Ronnie Baker Brooks has been at this music thing for a long, long time — a lifetime. His father. famed Chicago blues man Lonnie Baker, invited Ronnie to play on stage with him at when Ronnie had reached the tender age of 9. As far as I can tell, Ronnie hasn’t looked back at all. His show encapsulated virtually everything I’ve always felt positive and right about performance and playing. Ronnie Brooks has spent years honing not only his talent as a virtuoso blues guitarist, but his talent for showmanship.
Ronnie’s band consists of Daryl Coutts on keyboards, Carlton Armstrong on bass, and Maurice Taylor on drums. You’ve heard me use the term “tight band” a few times over the last few years, and hearing this band gave me the impression that the term had been invented for them. Let me clarify that the are “tight” in the sense of how concisely the various elements each musician provides is layered so purely and smoothly that were each song a quilt one would be incapable of finding the seams. While the band’s interplay is extremely intertwined, somehow the band manages to still sound like they are simply laid back, and their music creates itself and they’re all along for the ride — and what a ride it is.
Through the duration of Brooks' show he kept constant track of his audience and their response to his performance. His years of working with his father may have turned Ronnie’s seemingly natural affection for the people that enjoy his music into a level of crowd pleasing that few performers can reach. In some physical sense, Ronnie’s stage presence so personable that individuals in the audience are able to connect with him on every song. One almost gets the feeling that they are Ronnie’s personal guests and Mr. Brooks is catering to their every need.
I’m hard pressed to nail the highlight of the show down. Ronnie and his band have such a subtle smoothness of delivery that one is almost unaware of the power of their music, until it hits the senses unrelentingly. The momentary lulls, are not really lulls at all — they are subdued notes awaiting release. Ronnie’s playing might best be compared to riding in a musical roller coaster. The music flows up and down, and weaves in and out of the senses so kinetically that you can feel it right after it sneaks up inside you. And then you want more.
Like all good things that come to an end, as it was with Ronnie’s show. At least that’s what we all thought. I was walking away from the back stage area when Ronnie’s band tore into a rockin’ version of ZZ Top’s La Grange. But, there’s more. One of the best show stoppers I’ve ever seen occurred when Ronnie walked off the stage, guitar in hand, fingers still flying and strolled into the crowd. He was quickly surrounded by a dancing, excited group of thankful and appreciative fans. Ronnie timed his foray into the mass of bodies and back on stage just into to wrap up one more measure of music and the show came to an end with a well deserved standing ovation.
Let me join the line that will be inviting you back to Chattanooga as soon as possible, Mr. Brooks. Thank you.
Jay Mouton
wholerest@comcast.net