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photo
by Jan Schneider
A blues cruiser sports musical eyewear.
Blue Sky, Blue Water, and a Ship Full of The Blues
(continued)
By Linda Oatman High
It's so cold up north, that a bird can hardly fly
Well it's so cold up north, that a bird can hardly fly
Now you know I'm goin' back down south,
let this winter pass on by . . .
-1972,
Muddy Waters
We're in the Crow's Nest, where a bearded guy named Pirate is the sound
man. "Arrrrr," he says. "Wait until you see the Homemade
Jamz Band. They are amazing. Everybody's raving about these kids. They're
stealing the whole show."
Indeed they are. The vocalist/lead guitarist Ryan Perry is 15. His
brother Kyle is the bassist, and he's 13. Little sister Taya is the
drummer, and the girl is waist-high to the usual Blues Cruiser. At the
tender age of 9, Taya commands the skins with a stamina and steadiness
worthy of envy from pro drummers who've had drumsticks longer than she's
been alive. Wearing pigtails and pink, Miss Taya is right on time, never
missing a beat as her big bros take control of guitars so remarkable
that jaws drop when they hit the stage. With bodies made of mufflers
(Auto Zone), these are two uber-cool metallic axes with sounds that
smoke and rumble like vintage Thunderbirds on a drag strip. Patent is
pending and trademark paperwork is in process by the kids' dad Renaud
Perry, whose brainstorm of an idea will soon be exploding across the
music industry.
"I just made the guitars two weeks ago," he says. "I've
already had some orders from big names."
The Muffler Guitars are a big hit with the Blues Cruise crowd, and
these three kids are surely channeling long-gone masters of the art.
Ryan's voice growls with a gravely intensity equal to singers five times
his age. Kyle and Taya are tight on rhythm, and the admiring audience
goes crazy when Ryan holds the guitar behind his neck and whips out
a perfect lightning-speed blues riff.
"Eric Clapton, eat your heart out, baby," says a dancer in
front of the stage.
The family is sometimes joined by Dad on blues harp, as their mother
snaps photos from the back of the room.
"I actually sometimes forget that they're my kids, and I just
enjoy it along with everyone else," says Tricia Perry.
Sitting offstage, the Tupelo trio's father never takes his eyes off
his children, and neither does anybody else. Seeing the Homemade Jamz
Band is one of those experiences where you just know that one day you'll
brag of seeing them before they were a household name. The kids captured
second place in the band category of the International Blues Challenge,
competing against 93 adult bands from all over the world. Since their
coup at the Challenge, the kids have been picking up gigs all over the
place, yet remain unaffected, polite, and respectful.
"It's been a whirlwind," says Tricia Perry. "I don't
know why it's happening, but we're just going to go with it."
The youngest blues band to ever perform on Blues Cruise, Homemade Jamz
is obviously committed to keeping the blues brilliantly alive. I close
my eyes while they play, riding the waves of music, and it's hard to
believe that the total combined years of these gifted musicians is less
than my age.
"It's like they're old blues souls inside kids' bodies,"
raves one listener. "It's absolutely unbelievable."
Two other youngsters from the new generation of the blues are also
onboard, performing in jam sessions in the Crow's Nest. Jumpin' Josh,
11, from the Seattle/Tacoma area, is the quintessential blues dude:
sunglasses, harmonica, guitar slung across his back. Little Lisa Cayo,
also of Tacoma, invokes shades of Janis Joplin and Tina Turner with
deep and powerful vocals that are stunning to hear coming from the lungs
of an 11-year-old. Brought on the boat by the encouragement of trombonist
Randy Oxford, Little Lisa and Jumpin' Josh join the Homemade Jamz Band
in ensuring that the tradition continues.
"I'm so excited about these youngsters," says Cookie Taylor,
daughter of blues queen Koko Taylor. "I am so thrilled."
So are we.
Everybody starts to jumpin',
when the clock is strikin' nine
Yes the house starts rockin',
when the clock is strikin' nine . . .
-1962,
Lonnie Johnson
We're on the Lido Pool Deck, and John Lee Hooker Jr. is bringing down
the house with his band, plus a few friends pulled from the audience.
A row of tangoing Holland America crew members are off the clock, and
they're rocking along with the cruisers, still decked out in their white
uniforms.
"We children of the legends are carrying on," Hooker says,
tipping back his bowler hat. "My Daddy used to hold me up on stage
and say, 'Sing it, boy'."
John Lee is still singing it. Joining him on an electrifying jam session
are other sons of legends, Bernard Allison and Ronnie Baker Brooks.
The water stretches endlessly to the horizon, and the music of the blues
lives on.
I looked down the ocean
As far as I could see -
in the fog I saw a ship
It headed this way
Comin' out the foam
It must be my baby . . .
-1966, John Lee Hooker
Upcoming Blues Cruises:
Oct. 5-12, 2008 Pacific sailing from San Diego
Jan. 24-31, 2009 Eastern Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale
www.bluescruise.com
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