Marc Brown And The Blues Crew

JACK ABRAHAM
Daily News correspondent
Freelance

There has been a lot of talk about what is causing global warming as of late and I think I may have accidentally come across at least one of the reasons why this might be happening. Now, I had heard of Marc Brown and the Blues Crew before, but am just a little ashamed to say I hadn't made it to any of their performances until Friday night. But, still this was very special for me because, when I am not making art, I play the blues on my guitar and know something about the hard work and dedication it takes to learn even a few chords.
I looked over the band's Web site beforehand and was quite impressed with what young Brown had managed to achieve so far. So, when I arrived at Blues Central with a good friend, it was with some anticipation. But I noticed immediately from the beginning that the saxophone player, Jason Slats, was not in attendance. I found out later that he had left the band soon after the band's last tour in the Lower 48. Whatever the reason was, I have to say I was a little disappointed. Nevertheless, the show started promptly around 9:30 to a small, subdued crowd. Some basic blues jams warmed up the evening, with an adept Noel Campbell on bass guitar and Curtis James on drums.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but James looked like he just joined the band, but he did a great job nonetheless beating on those skins. Meanwhile, Brown, quite at ease, showed what he had been doing so well since he was but a child. I have to say I could run out of adverbs and adjectives in a hurry. He sizzled with skill, carrying the bare-bones, three-man show with professionalism not found in many bands. Before long, an appreciative crowd grew and the dance floor filled to capacity. Whoops and hollers followed every number.
Brown moved his crew with ease from one jam to the next, many of which seemed clearly influenced by none other than Eric Clapton. Brown does a nice job of emulating him, whether he realizes it or not. This young man is quite talented, hot, to say the least. He burns up the fret board when he plays and makes it look easy to make those beautiful sounds. He may well be contributing to global warming with the heat being generated from those magic fingers.
Some of the songs sounded repetitive -- but that is hard to escape playing the blues. The very basics of blues is simplicity. But, it is the heart, sincerity and creativity of a performer that allows him to transcend that simplicity and give it life. Brown does this well. While his vocals are sometimes not up to par with his guitar skills on some songs, I am still quite impressed. It takes a lot more work than most can imagine to do what he has done so far. He just makes it look easy, and his passion for playing is apparent.
Brown's new CD, "Keep On Smiling," is due out in three weeks, which follows his previous six releases. You can check out the band's Web site at www.marcbrownandthebluescrew.com .
Jack Abraham is an Anchorage artist.
Review
- Anchorage Daily News, Sept 19, 2005