Jenna and Her Cool Friends: From KMA to Memphis

Jenna and Her Cool Friends, Knoxville Museum of Arts, January 2012

You don't have to take my word for how good Jenna and Her Cool Friends are. Of course, if you've heard them, you know. If you haven't, consider this: the won the Smoky Mountain Blues Challenge and have the honor of representing Knoxville in Memphis starting today at the International Blues Challenge. It is set up like a battle of the bands and the winner gets a large boost towards a career on the national stage.

The pictures accompanying this post are from their most recent appearance at KMA's excellent Alive After Five series. On this particular night the group had added Ben Maney on keyboards and included a drummer new to the group. They sounded as if they had played together for years.

Jenna and Her Cool Friends, Knoxville Museum of Arts, January 2012

Jenna Jefferson, KMA, January 2012

Both sets were excellent. In the first, the death of Etta James was noted with a fitting tribute version of "I'd Rather Go Blind," and Jenna never sounded better. The difference in her and other singers who may have sung a tribute to Etta that day is that Jenna has always incorporated her music. She also tipped the hat to various other female blues singers and continued her excellent tradition of teaching a little about the history of the singers and songs as the set moved along. Always interesting and never disruptive to the flow of the show, I look forward to what I might learn almost as much as I do to the music whenever I see them. Almost.

Jenna and Her Cool Friends, Knoxville, 2012

Jenna and Her Cool Friends, Knoxville, 2012

The music is just too good. Keith Ford keeps the rhythm steady along with an excellent bassist and drummer whose names have thus far evaded me. Ben Maney is, of course, one of the finest keyboard players in our city and is a much sought after side-man by musicians from all genres. He joins a band which already prominently features Michael Crawley who is, without question, one of the finest harmonica players in the city. Jenna is, obviously for anyone with ears, an amazing blues singer. So, how could you beat a band like that?

Ben Maney with Jenna and Her Cool Friends

Michael Crawley with Jenna and Her Cool Friends

Detroit Dave Meer with Jenna and Her Cool Friends

I'll tell you how: Add Detroit Dave Meer on guitar. I've always enjoyed his playing, but for some reason it seemed to me he launched into a whole different level that night. He may not be the fastest or the loudest guitar player. He doesn't strut about on the stage and sneer like a rock star. All he does is lay down one tasty lick after another. Tasty and tasteful, with just enough nastiness to hit you below the belt, but enough style to be served in the finest venues. The guy is just crazy good.

While both sets were excellent, Jenna told me later she felt the second set really stood out and I agree, though admittedly, who am I to disagree? Sometimes in a concert something takes over that is just bigger than the music and the band. It's similar to a basketball player who has a night when they can't miss or a writer who simply serves as a conduit for some other force. It was that kind of night.

Jenna and Her Cool Friends, Knoxville Museum of Art, January 2012

Jenna and Her Cool Friends, Knoxville Museum of Art, January 2012

I've listened to them practice in the days since the show and they simply get tighter and tighter, working on every small component of what makes for great blues songs. It is some of the most soulful music you'll ever hear, but each song has also been worked hard to find the jewel beneath its surface. So you have great art, stunning talent and hard, hard work. They practiced so long last weekend I just knew Dave's fingers must be bleeding.

Detroit Dave Meer with Jenna and Her Cool Friends

So now they are on the road and I'm hoping they win the competition in Memphis. I told Jenna they would win unless the judges simply got it wrong. I also told her I felt they really need to record this band right now and she assured me they are heading into the studio in February. My Ipod can't wait. Welcome them home like the great band that they are whether they win, lose or draw in Memphis. Find them when they play at a venue near you and look out for that CD. You'll be very glad you did.

For now, I'll leave you with a video from last year of Jenna performing "I'd Rather Go Blind," which I mentioned above. The first time I heard this song was in the Bijou sometime back in the 1980's performed by the great KoKo Taylor. Here Jenna shows why it's one of her signature songs.

 

Alive After Five: Tribute to Phil Pollard

Knoxville Museum of Art, November 2011

This past Friday night was set to be a night one might enjoy the talent and personality of Phil Pollard at the Knoxville Museum of Art's Alive After Five show. His "Band of Humans" was set to play the show and it promised to be a special event. As it turned out, it was to be a night of tributes, memories, collecting money for his children's education and saying goodbye to a larger-than-life and much loved figure within the local arts community.

Michael Gill hosts Alive After Five, November 2011



Lydia Sainikova at KMA, November 2011

 Phil died unexpectedly earlier this month and the music community reacted strongly (see Wayne Bledsoe's article). When news of his illness first broke, Facebook was filled with pleas for prayer, hopeful updates and ultimately word that he had passed at an early age leaving a family shocked and without a father and husband. Bernadette and Scott West chartered a bus to take anyone who wanted to go to the funeral, which seemed to me to be about as thoughtful a gesture as I've seen in a long time.



Collection Hat in front of Stage

 The tribute at the KMA was billed as featuring "Jack Rentfro and the Apocalypso Quartet with Lydia Sainikova, Black Atticus and Ben Maney." Michael Gill emceed and, appropriately, a stove-pipe hat was turned upside down in front of the stage for donations to an education fund for Phil's girls.



Ben Maney performs at KMA Phil Pollard Tribute

 The opening set by Lydia Sainikova who, contrary to promotional materials, was not joined by Black Atticus, which was disappointing, highlighted her range as a performer from a pop standard (the name of which evades me) to a Russian folk song and several others which I assumed must be personal compositions. She is a very talented musician and singer from Russia, who now calls Knoxville her home.

Beautiful version of  "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

Next on the stage was Knoxville keyboard stalwart, Ben Maney. He performed several songs including several solo and several with various musicians. The highlight of his set was a heart-felt rendition of a great song by Tom Waits, "The House Where Nobody Lives," one of my all-time favorites.

Assembled musicians perform "Empire" at KMA Phil Pollard Tribute

I wish I knew the names of the musicians who joined him on stage, some of whom are pictured here. The young lady who played cello added a beautiful touch to the music. I was able to thank her when I saw her at the Market Square Farmer's Market the next morning. The woman who fronted the group and performed vocals on "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and brought the house down. Next various members of the ensemble traded verses on R.B. Morris' "Empire," which has to simply be one of the best songs ever written by a Knoxville artist. It's one of my favorite songs by anybody.

I had other places I needed to be on a First Friday night, so I headed out into the night with thoughts of a very special person who is no longer with us, but who made everyone around him a little better with his wit and humor. I'll leave you with a recording of the Tom Waits song mentioned above. Take time to listen to it, look at the photographs and to ponder things missing.