2nd Douro International Blues Festival, Porto, Portugal

by Tom Watson.

On July 20 and 21, 2007, the 2nd Douro International Blues Festival was held in the northern Portugal city of Gaia, which lies across the Douro river from its better known neighbor, Porto. Blues-rock Renaissance man Ray Minhinnett (an occasional contributor to Modern Guitars) from the United Kingdom served as Friday night's headliner, and North American blues recording artist Coco Montoya (interview) and his touring band appeared as the main attraction on Saturday. An electric blues guitar mini-fest comes to town.

While a summer blues fest may not be unusual in places like the United States, the United Kingdom, or a few other countries in Europe, it's certainly not business as usual for Portugal. Likewise, what follows is not a typical festival review.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

A message from Ray

I receive an email from singer, songwriter, guitarist, author, journalist, and friend, Ray Minhinnett. He and his group, Rayband, will be in town tomorrow to headline the first night of the Douro Blues Fest in Gaia, which is across the Douro river from my adopted hometown of Porto. Ray says Coco Montoya will also be here.

My Porto's having a blues festival? Ray, with whom I've exchanged countless emails over the years but never met in person, is flying in from the UK with his band? Coco Montoya's flying in from the US (I check Coco's website to see if he's touring in Europe - he isn't) to headline the second night of this fest? Read email several times, pinch self and read again. Google douro blues fest. It's for real.

Call Ray's cell phone. He's at the airport with wife (Jackie), band, guitar tech, and Gordon Wride, about whom I'll speak later. They're headed my way. We're excited to finally meet. Gives me the hotel phone number and says he'll arrange passes for tomorrow's show.

It's news to me

Back to Google. Can't find an official Douro International Blues Festival website, but do find a couple of references to the event. Portugal is no stranger to summer music festivals by any means, and some of them are huge international events such as Rock 'N' Lisboa. But, the Googled sites tell me the Douro Fest takes place in the small indoor Auditório Municipal de Gaia and features a total of five acts - a blues band from Porto, one from Spain, Gordon Wride (Wales), Ray, and Coco. It doesn't add up. I figure the venue has a capacity of less than 500 seats. Don't know what the fire code is in Gaia, so maybe they could pack in another 50 or so SROs, but even at total capacity, with a ticket price of 15€ per show, or 25€ for both nights, the math doesn't make sense if the promoter's trying to break even.

I wonder too about the choice of headliners. I'm thrilled to meet Ray, and Coco if that can be arranged, and to hear them both, but I'm skeptical about their draw factor in Porto. Ray Minhinnett, the performer, is well known in the UK from his work with such acts as Frankie Miller's Full House / The Blues Busters, The Diesel Band, and Ray's Cream tribute band, Cream'd; and is known internationally by electric guitar players for having authored Story of the Fender Stratocaster, and for having written and produced the television documentary, Curves, Contours and Bodyhorns - The History of the Fender Stratocaster, and having produced The Strat Pack documentary dedicated to the Stratocaster's 50th anniversary. But, I've never heard Ray's name mentioned in Porto, or in Portugal.

Maybe Coco Montoya has a little more name recognition here. Some of his Alligator Records releases are available at the large music outlet chain, FNAC, so it's possible that Portuguese print has carried reviews of his latest album, Dirty Deal. Emphasis on possible.

A little background

The plight of the promoter is interesting, but not my business. I want to meet Ray and Coco and see their shows. I'm very familiar with Coco's career and his discography and considering where I live, this is a rare opportunity to speak to him face to face, not necessarily on the record since we did the in-depth thing already, but at least to say hello and see if he's the Coco in person he is over the phone.

I spoke to Coco late last year for an interview. After a few seconds of hi-how-ya-doin' ice breaking, my first on-the-record statement/question was, "Let's start with how you met Albert Collins." I already know the story in detail. He's told it in numerous published interviews. I ask about Albert Collins because I want to know how Coco feels about re-telling the tale. I'd like to hear about Collins from Coco's mouth and think maybe there are some elements of the story that haven't seen the light of day, but I'm ready for, "Watson, do your homework, that's been told a thousand times. Let's get to my new album." While I'm prepared for some annoyance in Montoya's answer, I'm not prepared for what I get: sincere love and reverance. Doesn't matter that he's told the story a million times before, mention the name Albert Collins to Coco Montoya and the man's heart melts. It's no wonder the Collins-Montoya story gets re-told. Hearing it directly from Coco makes it feel fresh and important no matter how often it's repeated.

Meanwhile, my wife, Maria Leonor, senses something's on the burner. She's a journalist with Portugal's largest daily circulation national newspaper, Jornal de Noticias. I lay out the Douro Blues Fest, Ray, and Coco story. Actually, I pitch it to her. I think a blues fest in sleepy little Porto is amazing, and the fact that I know the two headliners has to mean something. She catches my fever and calls her paper to see if they're interested (she doesn't work in the culture section - her usual beat is heavy social issues). At first, the paper thinks it's a non-story (the size of the venue is no secret), but Maria's persuasive and they green light a brief festival critique plus a Montoya interview.

Friday, July 20, 2007. Day 1 of the Douro International Blues Festival

Maria and I meet Ray

Ray has a sound check at 3 p.m. The opening act goes on at 10 p.m. Figure Ray will take the stage around 11. Would be nice to get together at the hotel before the show, but Maria and I are crunched for time and babysitter. I call Ray at the hotel. He's in the shower. I talk to Jackie. Ray joins the conversation by yelling from the stall. Jackie says they'll be at the venue around 10, so we'll meet then. Passes for Maria and me have been arranged, and I'm given two names to ask for in case there's a problem at the door. There often is.

Maria and I meet Ray, Jackie, and Ray's band at the venue as planned. We go backstage and chat in the small dressing room. Guitar tech sets up Ray's instruments. When Ray steps out to check the stage, I give his guitars a look. Can't believe my eyes. Leaning against the wall are an '80s Stratocaster, Ray's main guitar, and a newer Epiphone SG, but it's the Les Paul that gets my attention. It's a '58 Les Paul Burst. The real deal. The first time I've held one. It's heavy.

Ray walks in..."Ray, you left me alone with a '58 Burst?" Ray laughs and says, "Ain't trust grand?" He's owned the guitar for over 30 years. Of course, he's aware of its value, but to Ray it's still a working instrument. Later, I ask Jackie how he's been able to fight the temptation to sell it and cash in on its incredible appeciation. Jackie laughs and says, "Sell it? He'll be buried with that guitar."

The festival begins

The opening act, The Daniela Galbin¹ Blues Band from Porto, is on stage and the Douro Fest surprises continue. I didn't know there was a working blues band in Porto, but what catches me more off guard is that Galbin and band really deliver the goods. This group would be equally at home performing anywhere in the US or UK. The 29-year-old Galbin, who though a singer for quite some time only came to the genre a year ago, can belt out the blues with the best of them, as she proves with stirring renditions of classics like "Stormy Monday" and Koko Taylor's "Old Woman". Also noteworthy was the group's guitarist, 31-year-old António "Mão de Ferro" (Ironhand) who, after the show, says he learned the several blues guitar stylings in his arsenal from his father and from listening to records. Especially enjoyed Ironhand's use of the Talk Box effect on a couple of numbers. Added much to the heartfelt quality of his solos.

Next on stage was Welsh singer and guitarist Gordon Wride, well known in Wales as the founder of the Revelators, a performance project dedicated to Delta blues. In addition to presenting the True Blues Show on BBC Radio Wales, Wride is also the force behind the roots music international management company Slim's Blues. It should have been no suprise then to see Wride take the stage armed only with his resonator guitar and slide, but it was certainly the first time I'd seen a resonator in Porto or seen someone give a live performance of classic Delta blues numbers from the likes of Muddy Waters. This being a blues festival, the addition of Wride helped round out the bill by giving the audience a taste of the genre's roots.

Ray Minhinnett at the 2nd Douro International Blues Festival

Friday night headliner, Ray Minhinnett and Rayband, took the audience down a different path, opening their set with a high energy, electrified version of "Crossroads". Quite a contrast from the sultry Galbin and acoustic Wride. Though the audience was sparse at between 100 and 130 concert goers, they caught the vibe from Ray and responded with shouts, whistles and cheers, ready for some foot stompin' classic electric blues. Ray and the band didn't disappoint. Though the house mix was less than perfect, Ray's choice of electric greats that ranged from the venerable "Killing Floor" to Frankie Miller's "Ain't Got No Money" hit home with the well dressed, previously somewhat sedate audience thanks to his fiery vocals and guitar playing.

It was a pleasure to hear Ray and his gold-colored Strat, but, I have to admit, I kept waiting for the Burst, which was nowhere to be seen. About three quarters of the way through the show though he experienced some problem with the Strat and the tech brought it out. What a delight. With its deep, woody tone, no wonder Ray keeps it in his arsenal. Ray's a Stratmaster, but it was good to hear the Burst dish up tones that reflect another electric blues tradition.

The next Douro Fest surprise took place when Ray and Rayband, consisting of Malcolm Mortimore on drums (another Frankie Miller alumnus), Ian Ellis (Savoy Brown) on bass, and Roger Cotton (Peter Green) on keyboards, were joined by Coco Montoya for a few numbers on which Coco and Ray traded soaring solos.

It was a pleasure to meet Ray and see him perform. My hope is he continues to tour and record and receives more of the exposure he deserves outside of the UK.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Maria and I meet Coco

It's 1 p.m. Maria and I are in a taxi crossing the Douro river on our way to a Japanese restaurant in downtown Porto. She's on the phone with her newspaper speaking in Portuguese about Coco Montoya, trying to get a character count for the interview piece she'll file this afternoon. Maria hangs up the mobile. Cab driver says, "Excuse me. I didn't mean to listen to your conversation, but were you talking about the guitar player Coco Montoya?" Yes. The middle-aged driver perks up. "He's great. I used to see him when he was with John Mayall," and tells us about going to the UK to see Mayall and The Bluesbreakers. The man knows his blues. I don't know my Porto.

Maria and I had just spent almost two hours with Coco on comfortable, secluded couches in the lobby of the four-star Melia Gaia Hotel. Coco and I shook hands and greeted last night at Ray's show, but the Melia lobby is the first time we're face to face to talk in earnest.

Coco's concerned about the potentially small size of tonight's audience. I ask what got him to fly over here for a one night stand at such a limited venue, it couldn't be only economics. "The promoter, Ori [Oriol Carbonell, Sonde 3 Productions], is a great guy to work with, really a straight shooter. I've done shows with him before in Spain and have a lot of respect for him. When he called and said he had this thing in Porto, of course I said yes." Last night, Ray had said something similar about Carbonell.

Coco and I don't chat long. We're here for my wife to interview him for her newspaper. The three of us sit down, the digital recorder's turned on, and the interview starts. She's read my interview of Coco and knows the Albert Collins story, so I'm guessing she'll focus on topics like why Coco's in Portugal, what he thinks of Porto, and what makes the blues an international language. But, a few minutes into the interview she asks Coco to name two people that have greatly influenced his career. Of course, he answers John Mayall and...Albert Collins. When he says the name Albert Collins, Coco's voice and eyes soften and Maria can't resist. "Tell me about Albert Collins."

Coco Montoya at the 2nd Douro International Blues Festival

The second and final night of the mini-fest starts with the Victor Aneiros Blues Band from Spain. Victor is a vocalist and guitarist (Stratocaster) who enjoys getting as close to the audience as possible. There's a good deal of the Texas influence in his playing and his energetic blues-rock style and audience banter (in Spanish) leave the crowd eager for more.

Saturday night's audience comes closer to a crowd than the sparse turnout on Friday. Not only are the numbers better, the folks on Saturday night seem ready to party and Aneiros has set the mood.

Coco opens his set with back-to-back tracks from Dirty Deal [2007, Alligator Records], "It Takes Time" and "Last Dirty Deal". As the band tears into the second song, folks fill the wing aisles and start to dance. I'm not talking about couples. These were men and women from the age of 20 to 60 standing by the walls making solo moves to the music. It wasn't long before the dancing spread to the seats, an amazing difference from the audience behavior on Friday night.

If you've never seen him play live, you do not know Coco Montoya. I was very familiar with his CDs, but have to say there is so much more to his playing than what you'll hear on his albums. I had sensed this. Coco's recorded solos often seem to end just as he's warming up to the subject, and I had heard something similar from several others who've seen him perform. Live, he plays extended solos that develop a motif from a number of interesting, and often surprising, angles. And his guitar tone, or I should say tones, is incredible. Montoya should be the poster boy for Bill Lawrence pickups.

Two of the performance elements that impressed the audience and led to several standing ovations were the incredible articulation and use of dynamics by both Coco and the band. Whether his tone was set for biting overdrive or pure clean, each note rang clear and true, and Montoya makes more and better use of clean than many of today's blues players. The dynamics from Coco and the band on "Good Days, Bad Days" from Suspicion [2000, Alligator Records], in which the band backs off to the point where you could hear a pin drop while Coco coaxes whimpers, whispers, moans and wails from his guitar using the volume control, had a good part of the audience in tears and resulted in another standing ovation. I was glad to be sitting in an intimate venue instead of standing shoulder to shoulder at a crowded outdoor concert.

The band was tight. They've been touring together extensively since January, and each is an accomplished musician in his own right: Steve Evans on bass, who's backed up R&B greats such as Etta James, Bo Didley, and Charlie Musslewhite, toured and recorded with the Roy Rogers Band, and been involved in projects with guitarists such as Pat Travers, Eric Gales, and Elvin Bishop (Steve also appears on Dirty Deal and 2002's Can't Look Back [Alligator Records]); Dover Weinberg on keyboards, who's been quoted saying, "They call me the Blues Slut because I've played with everybody," which isn't far from the truth considering he's worked with the likes of Robert Cray, Albert Collins (at the same time as Coco), and Otis Rush; and, drummer Randy Hayes who's appeared on Coco's last three albums and whose drum solo toward the end of the show received its own standing ovation.

Coco Montoya is a must-see artist for any fan of the blues, and especially for lovers of electric guitar blues. Montoya's a master of self-expression with much to say and the means to say it.

Coco doesn't use a set list. He plays it by ear, so to speak, and often cues the band by working in a sly reference to the next song while talking to the audience. The following set list was recreated by Coco and Dover Weinberg after the show.

Set List (song/album)
It Takes Time (Dirty Deal)
Last Dirty Deal (Dirty Deal)
Can't Get My Ass in Gear (Ya Think I'd Know Better [1996, Blind Pig])
Wish I Could Be That Strong (Can't Look Back)
Have You Heard (John Mayall classic)
Coin Operated Love (Dirty Deal)
You Didn't Think About That (Suspicion)
Good Days, Bad Days (Suspicion)
Put The Shoe On The Other Foot (Dirty Deal)
I Need Your Love In My Life (Suspicion)
Drum Solo
Encore: Gotta Mind To Travel (Gotta Mind To Travel [1995, Blind Pig])

[¹ Note: Although all the festival literature referred to Daniela Galbin as Galvin, the correct spelling of her last name is Galbin.]

Related Links
Ray Minhinnett's Official Website
Ray Minhinnett on MySpace
Coco Montoya's Official Website
Coco Montoya Band on MySpace
Alligator Records
Coco Montoya Interview on Modern Guitars
Coco Montoya Interview in Jornal de Noticias (Portuguese)
Gordon Wride - Slim's Blues

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