Cross Creek Blues Club

Some more shots from Wednesday 3rd

Krissy K

Kemp Turirangi

Pat Bleakley

This might be a good time to mention that our A.G.M. is coming up on Monday 19th April. More details later.

The Greytown Arts Festival will present an evening of Blues music at Cafe Trends on Sunday 24th January. Festival convenor, Kate McWiggins, writes that it will focus “on the history of the Blues in America from its origins in the plantation fields through Gospel and the country Blues of the Mississippi Delta to the electric Blues of today. You can expect three strong sets progressing through the evolution of the music genre.”

The show will feature “some of our best Wairarapa Blues musicians, including Bob Cooper-Grundy, Kate Marshall and Pat McKenna. Peter Icke of Cafe Trends will be providing food and drink from 5 p.m. onwards.” Music starts at 7.

Tickets cost $15 and are available from undertheradar, Greytown Library, and the Martinborough and Masterton i-sites.

Cafe Trends is on Main Street North, SH2, just outside Greytown.

Another club member-turned-promoter is Rob Maunsell, a.k.a. Doctor Rob, who’s Grafia show will blast the cobwebs out of the Masterton Club again this Thursday night (17th).

Grafia began as a Blues/Arts concept – Get Right Away From It All -  rather than a band with a fixed lineup but the name has now stuck to Rob’s ever-changing pool of Blues enthusiasts. Some combinations, lets be honest, were more successful than others, until last month’s gig when the new,  improved, six-piece Grafia rocked the house! Those of us lucky enough to be there were still buzzing the next day. Lets hope they stick together and don’t break up a winning team.

This month Mojo Mama from Wellington (see the gallery page) will feature as guest artists. Get there for the 7.30p.m. start.

Doctor Rob and Grafia

Club member Stefan Brown wears his promoter hat tomorrow night with the second Shades of Chez Paree show at Taste Cafe, 80 Queen Street, Masterton starting at 7p.m.

For those of you too young to remember, Chez Paree was a popular Wellington venue during the contemporary folk music boom of the ’60s and ’70s where many fine musicians got their first experience of playing before an audience.  Stefan and Taste owner, Dean, want to offer the same opportunities to today’s Wairarapa musicians, and audiences who appreciate Blues and folk. They hope this will become a regular fixture, given enough public support. So drop in for a coffee, or one of Dean’s special $20 meal deals, and enjoy the music. Phone (06) 370 1431 to book. Entry by gold coin donation.

Cross Creek Blues Club members Stefan and Sheldon at the first Shades of Chez Paree last month. Not sure if that’s Stefan’s actual “promoter hat”!

Tomorrow’s programme will include Anthony and Dianna (guitar and flute), Masterhuna (unplugged), Stefan and Fran (acoustic Blues and Jazz).

Recent publicity – two newspaper features in two weeks – paid off for the club last night when we had our biggest crowd for many months.

Of course it helps to have a top-line Blues exponent like Darren Watson as your guest, supported by Alan Norman from the Windy City Strugglers. Darren was kind enough to tell the audience the Cross Creek Blues Club is one of the coolest gigs around – “…but you know that. It’s why you’re here, right?” He can come back anytime!

There were several new faces, and some we haven’t seen for a while, and with Darren’s powerful mix of Blues and Soul – traditional and original compositions – they got more than their money’s worth.

Lets not forget the support acts from the club who were on top form last night. Darren has said he always appreciates the local talent and the fact he isn’t expected to go on “cold”. (Must be one of the things that makes “the Creek” so cool!)

You may have seen the half-page feature about the club, under this headline, in Monday night’s Wairarapa Times-Age. While we’re always grateful for any positive exposure for the club, there are a few points in this piece that need clarification in the interests of accuracy.

Eric Manson

Our Club Captain is Eric Manson, not Mason as published throughout the article. Our next meeting on December 2 will feature well-known Blues artist Darren Watson, not Warren. The “proprietor” of the Tin Hut who “has been a tower of strength for us” has a name. It’s Marcus Darley. Thanks Marcus.

The club’s co-founder (and past President) is Matt Ginnane, not Gianne. The two “Guitar men” pictured are Stefan Brown and Pat McKenna, not Makenna. The Sunday sessions will start on November 29 (this Sunday), not December 29 (a Tuesday).

Finally, on a personal note, I contributed the three photographs to illustrate the article free of charge in exchange for the standard photographer’s credit line – which I didn’t get.

The events page on Destination Wairarapa’s web site will tell you that “one of Australia’s top-billing musicians, Nick Charles” will play at the Tin Hut tomorrow night – 21st November. Unfortunately this information has made its way into the entertainment page of the Wairarapa News too.

Sorry folks, that was 21st November last year when Nick was hosted by the Cross Creek Blues Club. Ooops!

This might be a good time to tell you that Nick will be back at the club next year – 10th February 2010. More details will follow closer to that date. It would be a good idea to check this site first.

Wellington Blues man Al Witham, who has appeared at the CCBC several times, will launch his new CD – Faultlines – at the Ruby Lounge, Bond Street, in the capital, this Friday (13th). Not superstitious then.

Al has been described as “a brilliant guitarist, with an expressive voice lying somewhere between [Johnny] Cash, Tom Waits, and a bag of gravelly cement”. (Dave Burgess, Capital Times).

Al Witham

Backing musicians on the CD included Dave Murphy, George Barris on bass and Terry Casey on harmonica and they will play at the launch on Friday. Sounds like it’s going to be a great party!

Hear song clips at www.myspace.com/alwitham