 HEALING WITH A HARP & SINGING THE BLUES! |
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REVIEWS |
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HEALING WITH A HARP & SINGING THE BLUES! |
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REVIEWS |
| "Tommy's a Harp (Harmonica) player and vocalist, who on and off has been around forever, and can still play the blues like a man possessed. Tommy can hold his own with anyone in the land." Bob Claypool 9/87 HOUSTON CHRONICLE |
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"Dan Electro's
Blues Jam guest hosted by Tommy "Big Daddy Gumbo" Dardar was a real
treat, because once a musician, entertainer, athlete, writer, etc.,
reached a certain plateau, they are there! There are harp players
that sing, and singer that play harp. Tommy Dardar is both. That night the crowd was rewarded with a rousing set, with Big Daddy
Gumbo wailing out standards, originals, and some of those hard to find
gems that he has learned over the years." |
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"Dan Electro's
was packed, The Sheetrockers were doing a reunion tour. The music
was swinging, "Big Daddy Gumbo" Dardar sang and played harp with the
kind of soul that kids study in school but never truly understand, until
they actually hear it live and for real.' |
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Tommy
Dardar at |
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Approaching Tommy Dardar during one of the breaks, a young man testified. Reverentially, he told Dardar how his approach to music had been changed as a result of his and Dardar's recent jam together. It was one of those symbolic moments in which the young student acknowledged the master.
And blues master is indeed the status of Tommy Dardar. Once sitting at the feet of Lightnin' Hopkins, Dardar began his musical journey 40 years ago. Since the early 1960s Dardar has been playing his brand of blues and swamp rock all over town, cutting his teeth on the sounds of Bobby Bland and Jimmy Reed. During one magic evening in 1968 at the Music Hall, legendary Chicago harmonica player James Cotton threw one of his harps from the stage into Dardar's hands. Dardar still has it.
Cosmo's was packed with older folk and local musicians, all of whom seemed to know Dardar personally. The date was billed as a CD release party for Dardar's latest, Fool for Love, cut live over two days in Los Angeles, produced by Tony Braunagel and featuring most of Bonnie Raitt's backup band.
But tonight was vintage Tommy Dardar. Sax player Gerald Gray took lead on the same classic Bill Doggett song "Honky Tonk" and played two instruments at the same time. Guitarist Sam Dunlap delivered tasty solos on "Going Back to Louisiana" and successfully, but Dardar did it compellingly on the latter. His vocals were lush with a distinct gritty bottom. Dardar both pleaded and threatened his way through the song. And his harp playing was peerless, particularly on the "Let the Good Times Roll." Dardar even performed a blues version of "Happy Birthday" for two ladies in the audience.
The evening can be summed up in the words of Dardar's "Louisiana Country Blues": "Turn it up all night long/Gonna dance until the break of dawn/Wear a hole right out of my shoes/With those Louisiana country blues."
Aaron Howard, Houston Press
Copyright © 2008 SKP Media
