Cincinatti Blues Festival 2009 by Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms

Spectacular vistas, the Ohio River, and the Cincinnati Blues Festival


(Memphis, Tennessee) My recent trip to Cincinnati and Denver with the Memphis-based Reba Russell Band was a great introduction to two explosive blues festivals. What a rollicking good time! After a quick Delta flight (the seats keep shrinking on these planes...I can't feel my knees) and renting a car in Cincinnati, we rolled into the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, a national historic register treasure replete with art deco and lavish decorations from floor to ceiling.


It's look reflects its 1931 origin. Built during the Depression, the hotel came to life as workers toiled on it's construction 24 hours a day until the vast edifice was completed in only 13 months.

Deco obelisk downstairs at the Hilton

Rolling down Pete Rose Way, we arrived at the festival to be greeted by our most kind artist liaisons, Tammy and Diana, who loaded us up with food, drink and credentials and took us to our dressing room.

Doug McMinn, drummer, Reba Russell, songstress, and artist liaison Diana in the background

The stage was ready, bristling with Fender amps, an Ampeg SVT with six honking 6550 pentodes, a huge PA system and a vintage Hammond organ and Leslie cabinet for me.

The festival grounds are a sprawling, beautiful outdoor setting at Sawyer Point Park on the Ohio River. Four big stages blast out good music all day and night Friday and Saturday.

Luckily, before we played we heard Ricky Nye's great boogie-woogie piano set on the main stage. I had already met Ricky during a boogie-woogie piano show at Wet Willie's on Beale Street a few months earlier.


That show, hosted by my dear friends, Victor Wainright and Rev. Billy Wirtz, was a near endless two day parade of accomplished piano players and I felt lucky to be included. Ricky Nye is also the producer of the annual toe-tapping Blues and Boogie-Woogie Piano Summit and he appears at festivals around the world. He's damn good.

Reba Russell before the show

Josh Roberts plays slide guitar

It was female vocalist night at the Main Stage of the Cincy Blues Fest as my band, the Reba Russell Band, performed at 8, followed by the blues award-winning Janeva Magness and her band, featuring bassist Gary "Scruff" Davenport. Afterwards was another fine show by Carolyn Wonderland and her band.

Carolyn Wonderland works a little magic at the blender before the show
Steve Hecht, Carolyn Wonderland, Michael "Lefty" Lefkowitz, Cole el-Saleh, Shelly Cox

I dropped back into the dressing room to greet our friends Carolyn and band and they were busy whipping up a few tasty beverages to tune up for the performance. It was a recipe for success as their show was superb. They are accomplished musicians performing many original tunes penned by Carolyn, who is sporting some groovy red hair these days.

It was a memorable night of blues under perfect skies and the Little Kings light cream ale, proudly manufactured in Cincinnati, was flowing in the VIP tent all night long.

Doug McMinn goes back for MORE mac and cheese at the VIP tent

A very appreciate crowd of blues fans cheered and encouraged the musicians to put out some inspiring blues hour after hour. The scores of volunteers involved in this effort are to be thanked for their service in presenting this cavalcade of musical excellence and artistic joy. It was swell.

After the gig:
Reba Russell and author hang on the back of a golf cart headed back to the parking lot

After a long day of travel and a full night of blues we retreated back to the Hilton to finish off a perfect day in the magnificent Palm Court bar where we dined on crab cakes and drank Stella Artois while admiring the cool jazz strains of the tuxedo-clad Jim Hart Trio.

Beautiful illustrated ceiling panels, Palm Court, Hilton

Jim was not with the group on this evening but the banner was held high by Jim Anderson on stand up bass, Wayne Yeager on piano, and the amazing Marc Wolfley on drums. Our drummer, Doug McMinn, was thoroughly impressed with Marc and we had a chance to speak with him and have a drink during a break. The band was accompanied by the beautiful, clear, sonorous voice of singer Lynn Scott, who I also got a chance to meet. She is a classy lady as well as a great jazz singer.

A feast for the eyes, soulful solace to the weary traveler, the Palm Court at the Hilton

I can imagine no better way to cap off the night than to be surrounded by rich wood paneling, huge illustrated panels on the ceiling, massive gilded Doric columns, deco sconces and magnificent Rookwood pottery depicting a giant ram turned into a bubbling fountain...all that and some really great jazz too.

Coming on Saturday, Part 2
Cincinnati to Denver and the Mile High Blues Festival

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©2009, all photographs and text, Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms