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My gig on Wednesday at Kelly Brothers with the Blues Over Easy Jam is cancelled due to Hurricane Milton being in town too. It seems that Fort Lauderdale ain't BIG enough for the two of us. So we got cancelled. Too bad we can't cancel the DAMN. hurricane!! My gig with them will be rescheduled for another time but the band is there with a different featured performer every single Wednesday night along with a couple dozen local musicians sitting in for the jam part of the evening. Everyone stay safe and get prepared for Milton especially if you live anywhere near the Tampa, Fort Meyers, Okeechobee, or Orlando area.
Hving won the Treasure Coast Blues Challenge in late September, I have been gearing up for the IBC in Memphis in early January. I'm trying to figure out what original tunes to play and which ones not to play. I'm thinking is this particular song too traditional sounding? I'm thinking is this other song too not traditional enough? Blues content is the most important factor in the score you're going to get from the judges. Of course, what is the blues? Would Robert Johnson think Cream's version of Crossroads was a blues tune or something from Hell. Maybe. What about W.C. Handy, the Father Of The Blues or Bessie Smith the Empress Of The Blues? What would they think of Hendrix's Red House or Little Richard's Good Golly Miss Molley?
And of course you have to be prepared to play different set lengths in Memphis and you are penalized if you play too short or too long, so you have to time everything. The set lengths do have a range, a window of 3 mintues so you don't have to play right to the second. Here are the set times in case you're interested:
Quarter-Finals: 22 - 25 mins (there are 2 days for the quarter-finals)
Semi-Finals: 27 - 30 mins
Finals: 17 to 20 mins
You also have to introduce the songs so there's talking in between and that has to be figured into the set lengths. Getting penalized for playing too long or too short can be the difference between making it to the next round or not. The other acts have all won a blues challenge regionally somewhere else so there are some very very good players. Vocal abilitiy, instrumental ability, originality, and stage presence are the other factors in the scoring.
And of course, judging art is very different from say judging a sporting event. In baseball, football, basketball, hockey and soccer the team with the most points or runs wins. Easy peasy. Nobody cares whether you have the best player, the best offense, the best defense, or the best uniforms. In track, the guy who jumps the highest or farthest wins. The gal who crosses the finish line first wins the race. How do you judge art, music, dance, visual art? Is it which artist makes me feel, think, or remember the most interesting thing? Or is it a technical or academic question, like who hits the highest note, or plays the fastest? You probably have thoughts of your own. Share them. I'd be happy to hear them and react to them.
I'm going to be doing a couple of private parties over the next couple weeks. Then I'm taking 4 days off. After that I will be playing at Rudy's At Bamboo on October 27 in a tribute to a music fan named Ron Johnson along with other artists including my old friend from Greenwich Village, singer songwriter Rod MacDonald. So unless a gig comes up between now and the end of the month, Oct 27 is the only public gig I will have. Come on out and party.
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OCTOBER 2024 SCHEDULE
Robert Ross @ Rudy’s At Bamboo Lounge
When: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Address: 25 S. J St, Lake Worth, FL 33460
(561) 602-5307
Robert's Website: https://www.RobertRossBand.com
A tribute to Ron Johnson who recently passed away. Ron was a great music fan and was a very good friend of Rod MacDonald who decided to put together a tribute. Featuring singer songwriter Rod MacDonald (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and two time NY Music Award winner & International Blues Challenge Semi-Finalist Robert Ross (vocals, guitar, harmonica, & percussion) from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. More info to come including the other acts that will be performing. Thank you Rod MacDonald.
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PLEASE NOTE
It is always a good idea to call a venue to confirm that we will in fact be appearing, to check on admission or cover charges, and to find out whether it is necessary to make a reservation. Thank you.
HAVING A PRIVATE PARTY OR WEDDING? HIRE THE ROBERT ROSS BAND!
Having a birthday or anniversary bash? Maybe a small dinner party? A large corporate party? Whatever event you are planning consider The Robert Ross Band, Robert Ross & The Jazz-Manian Devils. Or maybe you want something a little more “showbizzy” like Jiggles Giggles & Blues. We can put a package together to suit your entertainment needs. Let's talk. Send us an email reply with “PARTY” in the subject line. We'll get back to you.
GUITAR / BASS / HARMONICA LESSONS
From award winning recording artist & seasoned educator Robert Ross
EMAIL: Bluesman@PROTECTED
I will be taking on a limited number of dedicated guitar, bass, and harmonica students regardless of age or current level of expertise.
Robert is a two time New York Music Award winner and a New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee. Robert is known for a wide variety of blues, jazz, soul, country, rock ‘n’ roll, folk, and other roots music. Robert worked and recorded with Big Joe Turner and also worked with Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Otis Rush, Big Mama Thornton, Brownie McGhee, Memphis Slim, and other legends. One of Robert’s songs was recorded by Johnny Winter, and two other songs appeared on the soap opera “All My Children”. The Robert Ross Band has released 7 internationally distributed CDs and toured two continents. Robert has been teaching guitar for more then 25 years privately, and 13 years in NYC public schools. Robert’s work in the schools has been cited by the NY State Council of the Arts (NYSCA) for “best practices in arts in education programming”.
Lessons are $40 per half hour, and $60 per hour.
http://www.robertrossband.com/guitar-lessons
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