Port Credit Blues
Toronto is a treasure house of talented blues harmonica players and you will often find them gathered together in the back room of the Silver Dollar whenever one of the acknowledged masters of the instrument makes his way to Toronto. Such was the case when Rod Piazza made his long awaited Toronto debut last year. Raoul Bhaneja is one of this new generation of blues harmonica players making a buzz on the local scene (see listing section for his upcoming gigs) with his band "Raoul and The Big Time." We invited him to explain the background and influence of Rod Piazza.
Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers headline the Southside Shuffle, the 2nd Annual Port Credit Blues and Jazz
Festival September 8, 9 & 10. Over 50 blues artists will be appearing including
Downchild, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Tyler
Yarema and his Rhythm, Michael Pickett, Jack de Keyzer, Fathead, Danny Brooks
and the Rockin' Highliners.
I owe a lot to Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers. Most of today's harmonica players do as well. Since he began his musical career with The Dirty Dozen Blues Band in1965, Piazza has developed one of the most interesting and original sounds in modern blues. 1999 W.C. Handy Award Winners for Best Band of The Year, The Mighty Flyers, a high powered five-piece, delivered one of the most intense evenings of blues in Toronto last year. At age 53, Piazza has assembled yet another exceptional band. The present incarnation includes not only long time members Honey Piazza (his wife) on piano and Bill Stuve on upright bass but he has also added the steady hand of Steve Mugalian on drums and West Coast guitar wizard Rick "L.A. Holmes" Holmstrom on guitar. Past members of The Mighty Flyers include the late Hollywood Fats, Junior Watson, Alex Schultz (who appeared last year in Toronto with Tad Robinson) and Jimi Bott to name a few.
Strongly influenced by friend and mentor the late George "Harmonica" Smith, Piazza's recordings are available on Black Top and Tone Cool Records. Some of his finest early work was done on the Murray Brothers Label which is available through Blind Pig Records. His double harmonica band Bacon Fat that he formed with Smith in 1969 is a little harder to find but worth the effort. He has also produced and performed excellent albums with Jimmy Rodgers, Shakey Jake, George Smith and Johnny Dyer. His most recent CD, Here And Now (Tone Cool) has received strong reviews as well.
Since I formed Raoul And The Big Time, two years ago, Piazza has been a huge influence on my playing. His jaw dropping performance at The Silver Dollar took even his fans by surprise. In July, while in California, I was fortunate enough to sit in with Rick Holmstrom and Steve Mugalian at Café Bugaloo in Hermosa Beach. It was a great night with guest appearances by Junior Watson, Johnny Dyer, Kirk "Eli" Fletcher and Enrico Crivellaro (two of the up and coming guitar players on the West Coast). If you enjoy the music of Kim Wilson, the late William Clarke, Mark Hummel, R.J. Mischo, Lynwood Slim, Rick Estrin or James Harman, you'll love Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers. You can find them on the web at www.themightflyers.com
Sunday will feature a Gospel show with Danny Brooks and The Rockin' Revellers, followed by Jack De Keyzer, Tyler Yarema and finally Rod Piazza And The Mighty Flyers. It proves to be an exhilarating day of music at The Southside Shuffle in Port Credit. Be there. For more info visit www.southsideshuffle.com.
- Raoul