Blues from Wheeling, plus Tad Robinson

Well, BlueNotes made it to the opening night of the Heritage Music BluesFest in Wheeling on Friday, and got to enjoy Eden Brent's rollicking piano and persona for the first time, and John Nemeth's soaring soul music yet again. Both were delicious. 

Then, because I wanted to see soul singer Tad Robinson at the Thunderbird in Lawrenceville more that I wanted to see The Soul of John Black and Elvin Bishop, I headed back to the Burgh.

Here are a few images and opening thoughts about a Friday night full of blues. I'll be back with more the first of the week on the Saturday and Sunday in Wheeling. BlueNotes has to eat, drink and sleep, and drink, too, you know.

That's Eden Brent, above, or Little Boogaloo, out of Greenville, Miss., with enough piano passion to fill a festival. She's an amazing bundle of energy, music, wisecracks and blues. If she can avoid running out of energy in the next few years, she should be an exciting national performer. She had her way with all kinds of great songs, from blues to soul to R&B and back.

And that's John Nemeth, the blues kid from Boise, Idaho, who's been tearing it up with fierce harp and even fiercer soul singing that swoops and soars and bends notes in shapes not previously thought possible. He's added an organ player to his band, and it really puts some punch to his soul-stirring arrangements. His band looks sharp, too, with John nicely suited and cool blacks vests on the guys.

This is Tad Robinson, like Nemeth, one of those blue-eyed soul guys, and also a mean harp player. And like Nemeth, he's one of the best I've ever heard. He just takes over great songs, including soulful ballads, and fill with his own pure passion.

This is a few of the guys from the Burgh blues band Mahajibee, which performed a couple of times on the second stage at Wheeling on Friday night.  That's bass player Lonnie Holbdy, left, laying down some licks for vocals by Patrick Tevis. I love his big black hat. In fact, all the guys looked cool in black. Makes them look a little dangerous, like a good blues band should. And this is a fine local blues band.