Well, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to see Peter Green, since all of my pals are away at school, which meant I'd have to drive to Cleveland alone (a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hour drive), but I decided that I absolutely had to see Peter Green in concert. Needless to say, it was a wise decision on my part.
Anyways, after a long drive (and getting lost several times) I got to Wilberts at around 6:30. I walk in the door, look up, and see Peter Green playing harmonica. I'm totally speechless at this point. Anyways, Peter Green and Nigel Watson were having a sound check. They were playing "Travelin' Riverside Blues" with Nigel on guitar and vocals. Not knowing what to say to Peter, I went up to Nigel and said "great job." He looked at me and said "Cheers," which was SOOO cool!!!
Okay, how was the show? I was blown away. Of course, I was right up in front, with a killer view of Peter Green. The Mac/Mayall tunes that he did include Black Magic Woman, Rattlesnake Shake, Homework, The Stumble, The Supernatural, The Green Manalishi, and Albatross. There were also a lot of other great tunes. Pete's playing was mixed. Some songs were much better than others. The Supernatural and The Stumble, for example, really lost their shine, but Rattlesnake Shake, Albatross, and Green Manalishi totally rocked. All in all, though, it was a great show. I HIGHLY recommend you see this show if you can.
Now, for me, the cool part. I finally thought of what to say to Peter, and I got that opportunity after the show. I simply thanked him for introducing me to the blues (as Fleetwood Mac In Chicago was my first blues recording). He was super humble. Some might mistake it as being rude, but those of us who've read Mick's book know how Peter Green really is. Incidentally, he signed his autograph as "Peter Greenbaum."
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Cleveland Concert
Written by Robert Ethington Jun 06, 2008 at 11:44 AM
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The Peter Green concert at Wilbert's in Cleveland, was one of the most remarkable shows I've ever seen. Kicking off his U.S. tour (the first in...30 years?), it was an auspicious occasion.
Seeing Green in concert is to experience something completely AUTHENTIC; This ain't show-biz, folks, this is a musician of great depth, virtuosity, and courage getting up and playing ON THE EDGE. His history is well known, but rather than detracting or inhibiting from his playing (or the enjoyment thereof), if enhances the experience. There is nothing exploitative going on - Rather, the Splinter Group supports and inspires Green throughout.
The biggest surprise was the regular dipping into the Fleetwood Mac songbook: "Albatross", "Rattlesnake Shake", even "The Green Manalishi" were featured. But it seemed that Green's most inspired playing occurred during the more straightforward blues numbers from the new Robert Johnson Songbook cd, and in the incandescent beauty of "The Super-Natural", the classic Green original from his days with John Mayall.
I had the honor of speaking with Peter Green for a moment before the show - But the greater honor was hearing him play live. If you have the change - Don't miss Peter Green!!
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Cleveland, OH Concert
Written by Vernon James Schubel Jun 06, 2008 at 11:34 AM
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It took me 25 years but I finally got to see Peter Green in concert at Wilbert's in Cleveland on Thursday, August 27. Among the 60s records in my collection that keep finding their way to the turntable (or CD player) the early Peter Green Fleetwood Mac records have found a prominent place of late. There is a maturity to Green's youthful playing that is remarkable even now. When I discovered that he would be playing at a venue 2 hours away in Cleveland I could not pass up the opportunity to see one of the great guitarists in an intimate atmosphere. The club was small and filled to capacity with appreciative fans who remained standing for the full two hours of the concert. The crowd ranged from people in the 40s and 50s (like myself) for whom Peter Green was an important musical influence and kids in their 20s. As I waited for the concert to begin, I really did not know what to expect--would his playing be a mere distant echo of past glory? Would this be an exercise in nostalgia rather than a profound musical experience? Any such fears were immediately dispelled in the first few minutes of his performance. From the moment Mr. Green took the stage--dressed in a bright green shirt and a vaguely Central Asian cap that made him appear almost dervish-like--his playing displayed the effortless skill of a true master. Throughout the performance Peter Green's guitar playing was both confident and nuanced--a perfect lesson in the power of truly economical guitar playing. Never playing three notes when two would do, eschewing effects boxes and "guitar treatments," never confusing speed with technique his playing was nothing short of phenomenal. Both on the Stratocaster and the Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion he coaxed some of the sweetest and fullest tones out of his Fender amp that I have ever heard. Highlights included a version of "The Supernatural" that was if anything more mature and subtle than the original and a slowed down version of the "The Stumble" that caught all of the playfulness and humor of the Freddy King original. There is something deeply spiritual about Peter Green's playing. Peter Green reveals elements of the blues that are often ignored by lesser players. Unlike many other blues musicians who focus on the angst and pain on the surface of blues songs he captures something of the joyful and controlled optimism that runs as an undercurrent in the blues . This was intelligent music performed by people who understood the power and depth of the music they were playing, but also the joy involved in its execution. Much credit is due to the new Splinter Group--not only to Nigel Watson who has become remarkably adept as a foil for Green's own playing in a way that reminded me of the earlier interplay between Danny Kirwan and Peter Green in Fleetwood Mac, but the entire band. On extended songs like "Rattlesnake shake" and "Black Magic Woman,"--which included elements of the Santana version-- the interplay between the musicians was superbly executed. They presented the crowd with music that was simultaneously serious and fun. The encore included a powerful version of "Look over Yonder's Wall" that built to a magnificent crescendo and a Hendrix cover. The opening act--a fine local band called Nobody's Fool-- also closed with a Hendrix cover. It featured the drummer's 14 year old son--"Kid Flash"--on a blisteringly aggressive version of "Red House." It takes away nothing from that young man's talent and performance to note that in a way Green's set provided the aesthetic alternative to that approach to the blues--a set that revealed the less aggressive more nuanced and mature side of the tradition, where ego and flash are subsumed in the music.
Peter Greens 98 Concert
Well, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to see Peter Green, since all of my pals are away at school, which meant I'd have to drive to Cleveland alone (a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hour drive), but I decided that I absolutely had to see Peter Green in concert. Needless to say, it was a wise decision on my part.
Anyways, after a long drive (and getting lost several times) I got to Wilberts at around 6:30. I walk in the door, look up, and see Peter Green playing harmonica. I'm totally speechless at this point. Anyways, Peter Green and Nigel Watson were having a sound check. They were playing "Travelin' Riverside Blues" with Nigel on guitar and vocals. Not knowing what to say to Peter, I went up to Nigel and said "great job." He looked at me and said "Cheers," which was SOOO cool!!!
Okay, how was the show? I was blown away. Of course, I was right up in front, with a killer view of Peter Green. The Mac/Mayall tunes that he did include Black Magic Woman, Rattlesnake Shake, Homework, The Stumble, The Supernatural, The Green Manalishi, and Albatross. There were also a lot of other great tunes. Pete's playing was mixed. Some songs were much better than others. The Supernatural and The Stumble, for example, really lost their shine, but Rattlesnake Shake, Albatross, and Green Manalishi totally rocked. All in all, though, it was a great show. I HIGHLY recommend you see this show if you can.
Now, for me, the cool part. I finally thought of what to say to Peter, and I got that opportunity after the show. I simply thanked him for introducing me to the blues (as Fleetwood Mac In Chicago was my first blues recording). He was super humble. Some might mistake it as being rude, but those of us who've read Mick's book know how Peter Green really is. Incidentally, he signed his autograph as "Peter Greenbaum."