Text and photos by Herman Keverling Buisman. More photos
BluesMagazine (Follow this link for the original Dutch text.)
It is near the end of the concert year in Café de Amer, and it seems that the programmers have saved the finest for last. At a quarter past one on this memorable afternoon the Achterhoeker Serge Epskamp got on the small stage to do his act. Beautiful voice with ditto acoustic accompaniment. He was nominated by Ruud Fieten, who appeared a few weeks ago in the program with Meena. The set ended with a song with a Achterhoekse text.
There followed a break of fifteen minutes and then it was time for the main act: Delta Moon. Delta Moon? I had never heard of them, but they were praised by the manager of the program. It would be an afternoon of Blues Southern Swamp. The band was from Georgia and consisted of four members: the basis was formed by drummer Darren Stanley, who held all tightly in his hand and bassist Franher Joseph, an African-American who had a beautiful deep voice a la Barry White. Just for this the band was already worth it: he had so much to offer! And the front was formed by two slide guitarists: Mark Johnson (from whom I got goose bumps, delicious!), and another slide guitarist/singer, Tom Gray: beautiful slightly hoarse, raspy voice and excellent (again) slide work. He kept his guitar a la Dave Hole, Australian slide specialist: flat to his stomach and the left hand on the neck. They started with spherical, floating light music which the combination between the two slide guitars made very full. Later came more swinging songs.
For three sets I was greatly amazed at the beauty of their music, and the interaction between the musicians and the audience was wonderful to experience. People clapped along, and during the last encore song, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Willie Dixon, known to us from Livin' Blues, the instruments were left behind and the band grabbed other tools to create rhythm and walked the hall together with the audience to sing the chorus for several minutes. Judging by their reaction they had not often experienced such an audience.
And the audience? They fully enjoyed this fantastic band. All tribute to the perseverance of Harry Young to get this band to the Netherlands!
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