If you're unfamiliar with T-Model Ford, shame on you! T-Model is one of the last great Mississippi hill country bluesmen. If you enjoy the likes of R.L. Burnside or Junior Kimbrough, you'll dig T-Model Ford. The man has seen a lot in his 91 (yes! 91 years!) years. Married 5 times, in jail a bunch more and even spent time on a chain gang. He KNOWS the blues! He didn't even start playing guitar until he was 58. His then wife gave him a guitar and amp as a 'parting gift'. (someone obviously watched too many game shows!)
On to the show!
It was an oppressively hot night in Pittsburgh and the A/C at the Thunderbird did it's best to battle the heat. It was a losing battle. I think T-Model Ford made the room even hotter with his authentic Mississippi blues! And believe it or not, there were even a few black folks at the show! Not many but mind you, the Pittsburgh blues crowd seems to be made up mostly of aging white folks these days.
John & Rick from the Pawnbrokers (local blues band) opened up with some electric country blues...guitar, vocals, harmonica and did a nice job. But the crowd was there for one reason and one reason only; to see T-Model Ford!
T-Model was accompanied by an odd twosome. Drummer Martin Reinsel (of the band Gravel Road) & singer/guitarist Margaret Light. The best reason I can guess why these two were allowed onstage was because they drove. The soundman finally buried Ms. Light's guitar so deep down in the mix as to be barely audible...the only thing he did right (in my opinion) the entire night. Mr. Reinsel's drums were unbearably loud...and that was also the opinion of my good friend and top notch drummer, Jim Bleyer! The other phrase I heard bandied about regarding the duo of Reinsel & Light was "disrespectful". They didn't seem to realize that they were backing someone else. Ms. Light just noodled on the guitar and Mr. Reinsel just flailed at his drums...attempting to copy the style of Cedric Burnside...but failing miserably. This white kid with the hipster beard just was not getting the groove. Alas, heat affected T-Model's tuning for the 1st half of the show. Any guitarist out there knows the story: Hot, humid night = stretchy guitar strings. Lots of onstage tuning...which may also have been affected by the "backing band's" lack of skills. But in the 2nd set, T-Model really came to life!
After a brief break (spent onstage), T-Model and Co. treated us to a lively set of deep groove, Mississippi blues. Now THIS was what I came to see! Songs like Sally Mae, Big Boss Man, My Babe, a different version of Chicken Head Man than I'm used to...man, it was awesome! Like I said, the sound man relegated Ms. Light's guitar to the quietest part of the mix and Mr. Reinsel appeared to restrain himself a bit and actually on a few occasions found the groove! Personally, I would have been happier had T-Model asked the young white hipster kids 'backing' him to just go sit down somewhere and let him just play solo...but as I found post-show, T-Model is far too friendly and polite (in a blunt, rural way) to do such a thing.
Speaking of post show, I got to talk briefly with T-Model after the show. Man is he cool! Thanks to my friend Daisy Holzapfel for snapping a few pics. All the ones I took turned out like crap (Note to self: buy new digital camera).
T-Model was a genuine, outgoing kinda guy. Really easy to talk to. You could tell he is really enjoying his later-in-life fame. He and I talked about guitar playing and he has invited me to Mississippi to come visit and play some! He even gave me directions to his house! I'm going to attempt to clear some time next month for a trip down south! I can also say that I got to share a drink with the man. T-Model still, at age 91, likes his whiskey (although he doesn't allow himself the pleasure often)and I was honored to buy him a double shot of Jack Daniels.
Big thanks to Danny Auerbach (of The Black Keys) for introducing me to T-Model Ford's music years ago. Danny used to open for me in Akron with his former band The Barn Burners. I think we all know just how well he's done since!
Don't let this review keep you from going to see T-Model. As a musician I can tell you, there are a lot of factors that go on to decide how good a show is. Like I stated, the heat and humidity were oppressive and it can be difficult to drive all day in that heat and then go onstage and play a show. Luckily, the crowd at the Thunderbird knows this and were all stoked for the show! And like I said, even though the start of the show was a tad rough, T-Model Ford came through like a pro! It's not often that one gets the privilege of seeing a legend perform. This show was one of those few. Thank you Mr. Ford for a great performance! I hope to see at least a few more from you!
The show was similar at the Velvet Lounge in Washington DC on Friday, July 22. The accompanying guitarist was barely audible--a good thing. The drummer was over the top in enthusiasm and volume, but he did encourage "T" to play songs from the playlist. T-Model was outstanding and performed for just over 2 hours straight, although the last 15 minutes degenerated into tuning problems.
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