Otis Grand & the Gamblers - Macallè Blues

August 4th, 2015: Novi Ligure (Italy): on the stage placed in the beautiful frame of Dellepiane Square, Otis Grand has played backed by his long date sodalis Guitar Ray & the Gamblers. In this area it's such a rare thing to be able to assist to concerts of international artists so, well gladly, we take the occasion on the fly. Otis Grand is an artist firmly tied up to the blues world: guitarist of merit, great expert of the genre, interpreter of the good oversea's tradition as well as leader of one of the best European R&B big band (Grand, in fact, has been living for years in London) just as the evergreen Roomful of Blues are in the States. Guitar Ray & the Gamblers are absolutely one of the best italian, if not european, contemporary blues bands: led by Renato "Guitar Ray" Scognamiglio, they have backed Grand for this gig, just as in other situations yet, really not by chance; in fact, Grand has been the producer of their first two cds, New Sensation and Poor Man Blues as well as their long time musical partner. This concert, which was part of a brief and extemporaneous summer tour, has been the occasion to run through the electric blues tradition and also to dust numbers taken from the last Grand's cd Blues '65 just like the classic Pretend and the country-gospel I Washed My Hands In Muddy Waters. Otis Grand is such an intense guitarist: he knows how to drag and fascinate every audience. He entertains the crowd and, during a torrid, long slow minor blues, he climbs down the stage and passes in review good part of the bystanders dedicating, to each woman first, portions of his torrential solo. Guitar Ray and partners are no less; consumed professionals as they are, they know how to excellently favor their well known guest, how to contribute to involve the audience and also how to face the possible surprises and all of a sudden changes of program. The band present on stage was in its, so to say, "full optional" version (with horn section too) including, besides the always present Gabriele "Gab D" Dellepiane on bass, the new entry Marcello Borsano on drums, the outstanding J.P. Lo Bello and Paul J. Maffi respectively on trumpet and tenor sax. In addition to them, the other guest was Pippo Guarnera, Hammond organ master, here on keyboards. They all left us wanting for more so, the only hope left is that in the next future, from the same stage, events like these could be soon repeated. G.R.