Allison's Blues Bar, St. Augustine, FL, 6 December 2003 ~ Armond Blackwater
What a great bar! That was my initial impression of Allison's Blues Bar upon entry, a very cool, low-key place. A great start to a night that just kept getting better and better. Allison's is just over the Lions Bridge, thankfully away from the main touron traps of downtown St. Auggie.

Allison's is a wine and beer club has a simple, warm, luxurious interior with tasteful art hanging on the walls for sale by local artists, tall tables around the room, a dance area and great stage area.

I came to Allison's to check out The Force as they played their third gig together, a progress check on the dynamite lineup of players that has come together over the past two months.

First let me explain about the strange and blurry photography. This was my first night out with my new Nikon 35mm. I got fed up with digital cameras mainly because they don't shoot well in low light situations, which is most of what I shoot, bands in dark clubs. Thus, I decided to return to good old reliable film and also that it was time to break my 30 year association with Canon and step up to a Nikon, the pros choice. It is clear (or blurry) to see that I have a lot to learn about shooting with a Nikon.

The two newest additions to the group are keyboardist Stan Morson and drummer Billy Box. The difference that these two cats make is amazing. On the first song of the first set it was clear that The Force had joined forces with two exceptional new players.

Billy Box has dead-on meter, which was clearly a relief to bass man Tim "Pork Chop" Hilyer. These two were in the pocket, man, smooth and in the groove, ya dig? Billy has a relaxed style, you might almost call it reserved. He has very quick hands, measured strokes and, unlike most drummers I've met in my 50 years, he is an actual musician. There were a couple of softer tunes where brushes would have fit better than sticks, my preference anyway.

Stan Morson sat behind his 1941 Hammond Model D running through a 1967 Leslie 147 that flat screamed. Stan is a superb, seasoned keyboardist with great chops, touch, and feel for dynamics.

Keyboard playing isn't just about playing snazzy solos. The mark of a great keys-man is in his ability to back his fellow band mates, building drama, and accentuating the emotions of a vocal or the stinging bite of a guitar riff. Stan brings that added dimension of emotional depth to the mix. Don't get me wrong, Stan plays some mean solos too, but I was more impressed with his choices of chord voicing's, drawbar shifts, innate sense of when to kick the Leslie into high speed rotation mode, when to explode and when to get humble.

The enhanced background has opened the playing field for singer McKenna and guitarist Jerry "Whitey Douglas" Ancion.

McKenna gets more comfortable with each practice session and gig. With that comfort she is feeling free to experiment, to go beyond merely singing the song and reach deep within expressing and exposing her innermost feelings. She's not there yet, but is clearly well on her way with this group. On her way to making every song she performs her own.

I recommended a tune to McKenna that I think is perfect for her. It was written by Percy Mayfield way back in the year of my birth (1953) and is titled Please Send Me Someone To Love. Many great blues ladies have done it, Etta James for one. It's time for McKenna to add her rendition to this great song.

"Heaven please send to all mankind, Understanding and peace and mind
But if it's not asking too much Please send me someone to love
Someone to love." (complete lyrics)

Playing behind Jerry Ancion (pictured left) is blues harpist Kenny Holmes who has sat in frequently with Jerry and krewe. Kenny has developed a great feel for what "Whitey" is going to play and is starting to punctuate intuitively. Reserve him a guest slot on the album The Force is destined to record.

What more can I say about Jerry Ancion that I haven't already said. The cat is one of the best blues guitar players you are ever likely to see, if you are fortunate enough to see him.

Jerry ascends to another dimension when he plays, the notes he picks are fruits from a beautiful tree that he describes with the melodies. Catch a note, hang on, and you can trip with Jerry to that dimension where pain and misery are relinquished in favor of a lightness of the soul. A lightness that can illuminate your soul, if you possess the courage to travel with him.

The great surprise of the evening came, however, when I met Allison, the proprietor of Allison's Blues Bar. I could see immediately why I felt so comfortable in this club, which reminded me of many of the the Chicago blues clubs I used to play except a lot cleaner (you don't stick to the floor.)

Allison is a very pretty lady with a beautiful soul. She explained to me that her sincere desire was to create a club with a "living room" atmosphere that featured great live music. That part is done, the jernt has that feel. She spoke with great love of the efforts of her friends who joined her in the makeover of the gaudy establishment that previously occupied the building briefly.

I sat in awe as Allison perfectly described her philosophy, which eloquently matches the soul of The Cafe' Be At organization.

What Allison's bar needs now is more cool patrons to discover this wonderful hideaway. So, check this hip dig out. Great atmosphere, tasty red wine, a gracious host in Allison, and the lovely Savannah who get my glass full of the tasty red wine.