SCRANTON — The Winter Blues Guitarmageddon, a collaboration of the Scranton Cultural Center (SCC) at the Masonic Temple and The Soul Shakers, will return for its second year, featuring some of NEPA’s most talented blues musicians, some of whom hail from the Abington area.
The show will begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17 in the SCC’s Grand Ballroom. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Fidelity Bank Box Office at the SCC in person or by calling 570-344-1111 or via Ticketmaster. A cash bar and light fare will be available for purchase.
The event, which premiered in February 2016, is a fundraiser for the SCC, with proceeds benefiting its ongoing operations, restoration and programming.
From straight ahead blues to ripping funk to R&B, the Soul Shakers Rhythm Section has served as back up for many players in NEPA. Sharon O’Connell (drums) and Bill Coleman (bass) have blended their individual styles with Eric Brody (keyboard) and evolved into one of the region’s best rhythm sections. The group will serve as rhythm section to a lineup of Guitarmageddon performers, including Dana Gaynor, Paul Lyon and Joe Doherty, Chris London, Dave Maciak and Dave Anderson with Mojomo and the Mojomo Horns.
Lyon devoted to the blues
Lyon, a South Abington Township resident, plays all styles of blues, from the acoustic Delta blues of the 1920s and 30s to electric Chicago-style blues.
He was performing as a solo acoustic classic rock act in 1987, when he heard NEPA blues guitarist Bobby Kyle playing Robert Johnson tunes on a National steel guitar, and dedicated himself exclusively to studying and playing the blues.
Residing in Stroudsburg at the time, Lyon’s first blues gig was fronting a Pocono-based band called Nothin’ But the Blues. In 1989, he formed The Merchants of Groove and soon recruited a 15-year-old Teddy Young to join the band, starting a musical collaboration and friendship that has lasted to this day. After The Merchants disbanded, Lyon formed The Boogiemen, but eventually took a break from performing to focus on family and career. In 2012, after a lengthy hiatus, Lyon started performing again with The Merchants.
As primary influences, he cites Robert Johnson; the “three Kings” – Albert, B.B. and Freddie; Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Albert Collins and Guitar Slim.
Over the years, he had the honor of meeting, sitting in with and opening for many of his heroes, including B.B King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Copeland, Jerry Portnoy, Eddie Kirkland, The Legendary Blues Band (formerly Muddy Waters’ band), Buddy Guy, Ronnie Earl and others.
‘Mace’ has versatile style
Maciak, who is more widely known by his nickname “Mace,” is the singer, guitarist, and namesake of the Mace in Dickson Band, a southern/classic/blues rock band that has been a staple in NEPA music since 1990. He is also a member of the Old Friends band, a regional bluegrass/country outfit.
Mace started playing guitar at 17 years old and after some help from local guitar legends like Paul Moran, Wade Rose, and Frank Pullo, He began playing clubs by age 19. Some 25 years later he is still at it. He is known for his ability to play different styles whether it is rock, blues or country and an ability to fit in with any just about any band.
Mace in Dickson was selected as Best Band by Abington Journal readers six times in recent years.
Doherty revives blues society
Vocalist Joe Doherty has been a mainstay of the Lackawanna Valley blues scene for more than fifty years. He and his brother, guitarist Tom Doherty, formed the Bell Mountain Blues Band in 1968. The band performed throughout the region until 1981. In 1982, Joe’s musical career was on hiatus as he moved to Georgia for work. He returned in 1992 and sang with various bands, including Whiskey Creek, until 1997, when the Bell Mountain Blues Band was reincarnated.
Doherty helped form the Front Porch Rockers in 2002, a band that continued until 2016, when he decided to retire from performing. He was instrumental in creating the NEPA Blues Society and was its vice president until it disbanded in 2007. He and others are currently involved in reviving the society.
Anderson seasoned nationally
Anderson is a seasoned and proficient guitarist who has performed with and accompanied many artists over the years, both regionally and nationally.
He is influenced by a broad spectrum of artists, drawn mostly from jazz, fusion, avant-garde, blues and rock, including John Mclaughlin, Chick Corea, Jack Wilkens, Robben Ford, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrixand others. He performed in various jazz, progressive fusion, funk, rock and pop bands for more than 40 years.
While with New Orleans style funk bands Funk N’ Gumbo and MOJOMO!, Anderson performed at festivals throughout Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
MOJOMO! remembers friend
Soul Shakers Bassist Bill Coleman was a member of the New Orleans style funk bands Funk N’ Gumbo and MOJOMO! with his friend, keyboardist Rick Belza, who died in 2016. As a special tribute to Belza, MOJOMO! will perform at Guitarmageddon II as part of Anderson’s set.
While the group hailed from the Poconos area, the roots of most of the members are in New Jersey and New York City. The band was formed in late 2009 with former members of the New Orleans-style funk band, Funk ‘N Gumbo and a number of New York jazz/soul/R&B musicians who relocated to the Poconos.
The members of MOJOMO! have backed NYC and World Music acts throughout the country and the world. They performed three times at Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Festival. As a member of the nationally known group “The Drifters,” lead vocalist and percussionist Ron Richardson has toured the world and was one of the first Americans to perform in Red China.
MOJOMO! will be joined by The Mojomo Horns: Chuck Smith, Dan Coyle and Mike Pryor.
Gaynor brings experience
Gaynor is an award winning guitarist, producer and singer/songwriter from the Lehigh Valley, born and raised in New York.
She has appeared on the same bill with The Allman Brothers, Average White Band, Kingfish, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen; Norton Buffalo, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Dr. John, Roy Rogers, Vassar Clements, Link Wray, Bad Finger, The Dinosaurs, Terry and the Pirates, Poppa Chubby, Debbie Davies, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and others.
She can currently be seen with The Dana Gaynor Band, Dana Gaynor and Friends and as guest guitarist/singer with The Soul Shakers.
London delivers classic originals
Chris London has maintained a consistent reputation as one of NEPA’s finest blues/rock guitarists for more than 40 years. As a band leader, solo artist and session guitarist, London is continually on demand delivering his style of classic originals, essential blues and vintage rock and roll.
Influenced by Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, London’s contemporaries describe his originals as new classics, with a guitar style that continues the great tradition of guitar rock in a song format.
London has been working with the Lehigh Valley based blues/rock band Friars Point since 2007. He gave the band its name and lead the lead it to represent the Lehigh Valley to three international blues challenges in Memphis, Tenn.
Soul Shakers Winter Blues Guitarmageddon is presented by Toyota of Scranton and sponsored by Peoples Security Bank and Trust, Community Bank N.A., LT Verrastro, Inc. and Giant Floor.
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit SCCMT.org.
