Nashville Blues Society

In 2009, Steve Dawson of Black Hen Records put together an all-star tribute CD of the music of the Mississippi Sheiks, entitled "Things About Comin' My Way," which garnered a Blues Award nomination. In conjunction with that CD, two concerts were held on March 12-13, 2010, in Vancouver, as the culmination of the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, which ran during the Winter Olympics in that city. These shows were released as a DVD companion piece to the original CD, entitled "The Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Concert: Live In Vancouver." Steve Dawson again spearheaded this project, and assembled the same backing band as from the CD, featuring different guest artists for the concert.

The band consists of Steve Dawson on guitar and other things stringed, Matt Chamberlain on drums, Wayne Horvitz on keys, Keith Lowe on bass and Daniel Lapp on fiddle and trumpet. This amazing crew kept the spirit of the Sheiks intact, with their ability to bring the raw, gritty authenticity to this music.

The DVD begins with Steve Dawson's account of the logistics involved in an undertaking of this magnitude, and is interspersed with interviews of the musicians and rehearsal outtakes. After a brief introduction by Jim Byrnes, who gives a short reading on the history of the Chatmon family, who make up the original Sheiks, Oh Susanna takes the stage for a female interpretation of better times ahead, "Things About Comin' My Way." Geoff Muldaur accompanies himself on banjo and Daniel Lapp adds mandolin on "Poor Boy," while Robin Holcomb's piano adds a haunting, dirge-like feel to "I've Got Blood In My Eyes For You." Bob Brozman shows off some virtuoso licks on the National steel during "Church Bell Blues," while Dave Alvin and Christy McWilson share a cool call-and-response take on a Bo Carter song, (a member of the Sheik's "extended" family), "Who's Been Here?"

We had three favorites, too. Jim Byrnes enlists John Hammond to back him on harp for "Tell Me What The Cats Are Fighting About," while Van Dyke Parks takes to the piano for a ragtimey version of "It's Backfirin' Now." And, the set closes with the entire ensemble returning to the stage for a rousing "Sittin' On Top Of The World," perhaps the Sheiks' most popular number.

A tip of the hat goes to Steve Dawson and all involved in bringing this concert to fruition. They did an incredible job of recreating and re-energizing the music of arguably the best of the "string bands" during the era of the Great Depression, the Mississippi Sheiks. Until next time.....Sheryl and Don Crow.
NASHVILLE BLUES SOCIETY – SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

VARIOUS ARTISTS
THE MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS TRIBUTE CONCERT - LIVE IN VANCOUVER
BLACK HEN DVD 0006

INTRODUCTION--THINGS ABOUT COMIN' MY WAY--OH SUSANNA SWEET MAGGIE--THE SOJOURNERS POOR BOY--GEOFF MULDAUR GULF COAST BAY--STEVE DAWSON KEEP ON TRYIN'--COLIN JAMES CHURCH BELL BLUES--BOB BROZMAN IT'S BACKFIRIN' NOW--VAN DYKE PARKS I'VE GOT BLOOD IN MY EYES FOR YOU--ROBIN HOLCOMB TELL ME WHAT THE CATS ARE FIGHTING ABOUT--JIM BYRNES LIVIN' IN A STRAIN--ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART KIND TREATMENT--JOHN HAMMOND WHO'S BEEN HERE--DAVE ALVIN AND CHRISTY MCWILSON SITTIN' ON TOP OF THE WORLD--ENTIRE CAST

In 2009, Steve Dawson of Black Hen Records put together an all-star tribute CD of the music of the Mississippi Sheiks, entitled "Things About Comin' My Way," which garnered a Blues Award nomination. In conjunction with that CD, two concerts were held on March 12-13, 2010, in Vancouver, as the culmination of the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, which ran during the Winter Olympics in that city. These shows were released as a DVD companion piece to the original CD, entitled "The Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Concert: Live In Vancouver." Steve Dawson again spearheaded this project, and assembled the same backing band as from the CD, featuring different guest artists for the concert.

The band consists of Steve Dawson on guitar and other things stringed, Matt Chamberlain on drums, Wayne Horvitz on keys, Keith Lowe on bass and Daniel Lapp on fiddle and trumpet. This amazing crew kept the spirit of the Sheiks intact, with their ability to bring the raw, gritty authenticity to this music.

The DVD begins with Steve Dawson's account of the logistics involved in an undertaking of this magnitude, and is interspersed with interviews of the musicians and rehearsal outtakes. After a brief introduction by Jim Byrnes, who gives a short reading on the history of the Chatmon family, who make up the original Sheiks, Oh Susanna takes the stage for a female interpretation of better times ahead, "Things About Comin' My Way." Geoff Muldaur accompanies himself on banjo and Daniel Lapp adds mandolin on "Poor Boy," while Robin Holcomb's piano adds a haunting, dirge-like feel to "I've Got Blood In My Eyes For You." Bob Brozman shows off some virtuoso licks on the National steel during "Church Bell Blues," while Dave Alvin and Christy McWilson share a cool call-and-response take on a Bo Carter song, (a member of the Sheik's "extended" family), "Who's Been Here?"

We had three favorites, too. Jim Byrnes enlists John Hammond to back him on harp for "Tell Me What The Cats Are Fighting About," while Van Dyke Parks takes to the piano for a ragtimey version of "It's Backfirin' Now." And, the set closes with the entire ensemble returning to the stage for a rousing "Sittin' On Top Of The World," perhaps the Sheiks' most popular number.

A tip of the hat goes to Steve Dawson and all involved in bringing this concert to fruition. They did an incredible job of recreating and re-energizing the music of arguably the best of the "string bands" during the era of the Great Depression, the Mississippi Sheiks. Until next time.....Sheryl and Don Crow.

In 2009, Steve Dawson of Black Hen Records put together an all-star tribute CD of the music of the Mississippi Sheiks, entitled "Things About Comin' My Way," which garnered a Blues Award nomination. In conjunction with that CD, two concerts were held on March 12-13, 2010, in Vancouver, as the culmination of the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, which ran during the Winter Olympics in that city. These shows were released as a DVD companion piece to the original CD, entitled "The Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Concert: Live In Vancouver." Steve Dawson again spearheaded this project, and assembled the same backing band as from the CD, featuring different guest artists for the concert.

The band consists of Steve Dawson on guitar and other things stringed, Matt Chamberlain on drums, Wayne Horvitz on keys, Keith Lowe on bass and Daniel Lapp on fiddle and trumpet. This amazing crew kept the spirit of the Sheiks intact, with their ability to bring the raw, gritty authenticity to this music.

The DVD begins with Steve Dawson's account of the logistics involved in an undertaking of this magnitude, and is interspersed with interviews of the musicians and rehearsal outtakes. After a brief introduction by Jim Byrnes, who gives a short reading on the history of the Chatmon family, who make up the original Sheiks, Oh Susanna takes the stage for a female interpretation of better times ahead, "Things About Comin' My Way." Geoff Muldaur accompanies himself on banjo and Daniel Lapp adds mandolin on "Poor Boy," while Robin Holcomb's piano adds a haunting, dirge-like feel to "I've Got Blood In My Eyes For You." Bob Brozman shows off some virtuoso licks on the National steel during "Church Bell Blues," while Dave Alvin and Christy McWilson share a cool call-and-response take on a Bo Carter song, (a member of the Sheik's "extended" family), "Who's Been Here?"

We had three favorites, too. Jim Byrnes enlists John Hammond to back him on harp for "Tell Me What The Cats Are Fighting About," while Van Dyke Parks takes to the piano for a ragtimey version of "It's Backfirin' Now." And, the set closes with the entire ensemble returning to the stage for a rousing "Sittin' On Top Of The World," perhaps the Sheiks' most popular number.

A tip of the hat goes to Steve Dawson and all involved in bringing this concert to fruition. They did an incredible job of recreating and re-energizing the music of arguably the best of the "string bands" during the era of the Great Depression, the Mississippi Sheiks. Until next time.....Sheryl and Don Crow.