THE FLAME STILL BURNS
  • The Flame Still Burns
  • Just Saying....
  • Rippling Waters
  • Playing With Fire
    • The Listening Room...
    • The Pod
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Gallery

Andy Poxon  kicks off a spirited double Bill at the Birchmere

6/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Andy Poxon and his band set the bar high, as the first act of a double bill at The Birchmere. In a packed hour and fifteen minute set, Poxon displayed an uncanny knack for channeling blues and early rock ‘n’ roll. The Annapolis-based guitarist with the smooth voice and baby-faced charm emanated a fifties vibe from the jump and was confident and comfortable on stage.

Looking very much like a seasoned band leader, Andy Poxon demonstrated a finely-tuned sense of balance between blues and ballads. The four-piece band consisting of Robert Frahm on bass and vocals, Andrew Gutterman on drums, and Jerry Queene on sax, was perfectly in step with their leader. Dressed in suits and ties, they looked as though they could be playing the sock hop at the local high school gymnasium. 


Picture
The twenty-year-old Poxon clearly enjoyed his moment, wowing the audience with his technically precise guitar solos. Even more impressive than his fretwork is his maturity as a young showman. When Poxon sings, he really sings. He can croon, he can shout. But most of all he, he knows how to work within the structure of the song, the way singers used to do a in the fifties and the sixties. He showed the same impeccable instincts with his guitar playing, knowing when to cut loose, and when to hold back. Poxon avoided the mistake many young guitar-slingers make; he was able to showcase his formidable skills without veering into self-indulgence.

The band was tight and economical, keeping the spotlight on the songs. Gutterman’s drumming laid down the groove everyone built on. Frahm’s bass playing was nimble and lively and Jerry Queene was the epitome of cool on sax. Halfway through the set Poxon handed the vocal chores over to Frahm who did a fine job in the lead role for two numbers.

The set list was first-rate. “What Am I Gonna Do with All This Love” was an appropriately mournful blues ballad, while “You Must Be Crazy,” was a jump blues number with a decidedly fifties feel. “Is There Anything I Can Do” featured an emotional guitar solo and showcased Poxon’s skill as a songwriter.

After the show Poxon was soft spoken and humble, expressing his love for the music that turned him into a musician. “B.B. King, that’s the music that I identified with.” Andy Poxon is one to watch, his talent and his potential deserve a chance to shine. If you doubt this reviewer, ask Duke Robillard, who produced Poxon’s latest album, Tomorrow. “To say Andy has a bright future is an understatement. This album represents a young roots musician already developed past his years, and ready to lead us all into the future of pure American blues and roots music.''


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    J.M. McSpadden III is a writer and a roots music enthusiast who believes that every life needs to find its own soundtrack, and every road trip is an opportunity to full tilt boogie. Let's face it, people, a car ain't nothin' but a stereo on wheels. 
    ​
    ​He currently writes for The Flame, and has contributed some fifty articles to Nodepression.com. He also freelances for Richmond's premiere weekly paper, Style Weekly.He is also a contributing editor for Okra Magazine, a great new mag about southern culture.Also look for his contributions to deeprootsmag.org.
    ​He is currently at work on a short story. Death in the desert, the Devil's highway, and all that.

    Picture

    Archives

    November 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Buffalo Springfield
    Chicago Blues
    John Mayall
    Kim Wilson
    Muddy Waters
    Mud Morganfield
    Neil Young
    Poco
    Richie Furay
    Stephen Stills

    RSS Feed

This site proudly powered by Delta Blues, Micro Brews, Blue Suede Shoes and Suzi Q.