Blues on the Hill in Harlingen
Two of the biggest names in blues music will be in Harlingen Saturday for the Father's Day Weekend Blues on the Hill event.
Texas Johnny Brown is a legendary bluesman who began playing in the 1940s in Houston. Bryan Lee, who lost his sight at the age of eight, was inspired to play music when he heard Ray Charles in 1962.
Both artists feature songs they have written down through the years, many of which were covered by other artists looking for good original music.
Some of Brown's originals are There Goes the Blues, Bongo Boogie, Blues Rock, and Moanin' and Groanin'. Lee contributes Blues on my Mind, No Need to Worry, Rocket 88, Second Line Home, Don't Take my Blindness for Weakness, and dozens of others.
Brown somehow coaxes musical wails and moans from his instrument seldom heard from any guitar. Lying just underneath is a solid keyboard harmony punctuated by good steady percussion beats that you could set your clock by.
Lee, too, demonstrates just how versatile a guitar can be, his fingers sometimes flying the length of the neck and back half a dozen times within two bars of music. It's an incredible performance to see and hear.
The free concert will feature other blues groups, including Big Brucey and The Max-Tones, the Rudy Calera Blues Revue, and The Cliff Hanger Blues Group.
Brown toured with Bobby "Blue" Bland and Junior Parker in the 1950s and 1960s as the guitarist and bandleader, and was a studio musician for Duke/Peakcock Records in Houston. He also wrote Two Steps from the Blues, which became one of Bland's biggest hits.
Brown's career has led to awards too numerous to list. His album "Nothin' But the Truth" was nominated for a W.C. Handy Blues Award in 1999.
Lee played at the Old Absinthe Bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans for 15 years during the 1980s and 1990s. He was the guitarist and leader of the Jump Street Five Band at that time. Today he tours the U.S., Canada and Europe with his Blues Power Band.
But he never forgot his roots. People still ask him why he is working so hard in all these little bars. "Who cares?" they want to know.
"But, hey," Lee tells them, "there are people who care. I have to be sincere about it. In all walks of life you search for sincerity and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of it."
He says he brings sincerity and guts to his music. "I really feel the good Lord has blessed me with this gift, and if I can reach two or three people in an audience I feel I have done a good job. I believe that I have a gift that makes people smile and I want to share that."
Blues on the Hill will be open Saturday from 6:49 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. at McKelvey Park in Harlingen, across the highway from the Valley Morning News.
Chris Maley, who organized the concerts, suggested bringing folding chairs or blankets to sit on. There will be food and beverage vendors, a playground for the children, and the Hike and Bike Nature Trail to explore.
"After the concert," he added, "There will be a blues jam session at the Hop Shop at Seventh and Commerce Streets."
If you play an instrument, who knows? Maybe you'll get to sit in with one of the greats. But even if you don't play an instrument and can't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it, the jam session is sure to produce a late, late show to wind up the day.
