Malabar, Jacksonville, FL, 26 September 2003 ~ Armond Blackwater
Debut night for The Force. I had been looking forward to this night for a month. I even showed up before the first set, which is something that I seldom do -- I prefer to drop in late in the second set or later to let the band settle down, get over the first night jitters.

Not this night. A force compelled me to arrive 15 minutes prior to show time, which afforded me time to speak with Jerry Ancion who introduced me to his wife, Linda whose spirit captured me immediately -- clearly one cool lady.

McKenna came and greeted me like an old friend, she has that genuine air about her, a smile that radiates from her heart.

Linda generously offered me a front-row seat. Cool view, man. I talked with Linda about kids -- her and Jerry have two ages 6 & 9 - while the band made their final preparations for the show. I was crowing that I was only hours away from being a grandfather for the first time.

The Force quickly diverted our attention with a strong first set, surprisingly good, one of those sets where you couldn't believe that the band was taking a break already. It was at that point that I realized that I was parched. I had just sat there writing and snapping pictures for an hour with taking a breath, or a damn drink.

The pressure was on for McKenna. In her debut gig with The Force she was assuming the position of former G-Force singer Tracy Graves in the eyes and ears of much of the crowd. Soulful & familiar shoes to fill, an impossible gig for the weak.

McKenna is a strong singer, performer, and entertainer. Comparisons quickly fell aside, "Yeah, I loved the way Tracy did this tune but McKenna does it like this.. and it's cool, man." McKenna is confident, she knows that she can entertain you and that undeniable vibe pulses through to your soul.

I was surprised by the number of new songs that had been incorporated into their repertoire, an amazing number for such a short time. As we say in New Orleans, "How'd dey do dat?"

Ain't No Sunshine, the old Bill Withers classic signaled the confidence of this group as McKenna navigated the a cappella "I know" section with power, ease and interest, mercifully shortening Bill's original seemingly endless chant.

Were they as tight as the old G-Force? Hell, no. That kind of tight doesn't come overnight. You can't order "tight" from Musician's Friend and expect Fed Ex to bring it. That kind of tight only comes from playing together on stage in front of a crowd where everything is on the line night after night. That is when the communication happens, when folks just know what their fellow players are apt to do in a given situation. Like great soccer.

In the second set I began to focus upon McKenna -- the voice, the entertainer, the spirit. The voice comes from deep within a very strong diaphragm, delivered by a musician who has seriously studied and rehearsed her instrument, her voice. Entertaining -- between songs she is very engaging, smiles a ton, and exudes warmth, but when she is in the song SHE IS IN THE SONG, man. I mean totally absorbed, her expressions emoting the joys and pains of life.

McKenna, the Spirit. A great lady of the blues. A great lady of song. A forceful human spirit; the spirit of a medicine woman with healing powers that my soul could feel. A lady whose heritage includes the Native People.

Throughout the night, stalwart bassist Tim "Pork Chop" Hilyer laid his typically solid chops that helped to drive fellow rhythm-sectioner Payson George on drums. (That is Payson on the drums behind Big Dog. Drummers are impossible to photograph because they are always behind tons of brass and uh.. other large objects, like Big Dog).

Tim Hilyer, as a musician, will be my reward in Heaven -- a bassist who is always on time wherever that timing may go. Tim's prowess was evidenced as he helped newest member, drummer Payson George, through numerous perilous timing and key changes.

Roger "Big Dog" McCoy sat in on harp at various points in the night with his laid back vamps and articulate solos. I was struck by how "Big Dog" settles into the background when he isn't soloing with subtle fills and punctuations, like a good Hammond B3 player.

Payson George had the hardest job of the night filling the vacancy left by the death of Mike "Jelly Roll" Rinelli. Think about it for a moment. It takes strong will and ballsy determination to tackle a mountain like that. Payson proved that he was up to this formidable challenge.

Payson is solid a drummer. But, (hard to not sound negative when you throw a "but" in somebody's paragraph) he obviously comes from a rock background despite the classic blues setup of his drums -- snare, single tom, kick, hi-hat, floor tom and 3 splash/crash cymbals. Though his timing was nearly impeccable, his hands struck heavy through the night. That's why I suspect the rock background where drummers have to hammer with all their might to be heard above the loud, distorted, guitars and voices. The passion is definitely there, a lighter touch will come as his comfort level with fellow players and the arrangements increases. Again, that just comes with playing together on stage.

"You're gonna be sorry, someday baby, after a while you'll be sorry," the beautiful lady sang. Clearly, McKenna has "her" songs.

I couldn't suppress my tears as she continued with a classic, wrenching tune, "You're gonna be sorry," and my tears welled up, "Someday, baby, after a while you'll be sorry," as I acknowledged all of my transgressions and failures at appreciating the women who have been in my life. Yes, yes I am sorry, now.

McKenna draws much of her strength from strong Native Peoples blood of her Cherokee grandmother. My Nakota Sioux grandmother quietly transmitted her life lessons and values upon her tribe, too.

Pulling it all together was journeyman blues guitarist Jerry Ancion. At one point in the evening McKenna voiced her opinion that Jerry is the best blues guitar player in Florida. We don't really embark into the American obsession with ranking every-damn-thing at the Cafe'. But, I, Armond Blackwater, will profess that Jerry is in The League of The Best Blues Guitarists on The Planet. What are you looking to hear?

I hear a man who is playing from the depths of his soul. I get chills every time Jerry starts playing a Hendrix song because Jerry captures so much of the soul, electricity, charm, love for music, and life that was Jimi Hendrix. The crowd at Malabar agreed and screamed their approval as Jerry slung his guitar over his head and behind his neck, never missing a note. How many times do you see an entire bar stop all activity, forget all else around, even interrupt pool, and come to their feet to cheer a guitarists performance? Again, I had tears.

I have titled the picture to the left as "Great Talent Attracts Great Talent".

The Force, good name for this group. I felt very blessed to be in that room, front row center, to witness that performance, to experience the love of music and total commitment to craft.

All in all, it was a great debut for a group that is just going to get better and tighter.

I had two missions that night, to observe and relate The Force's first official gig and to deliver a message of prayer and best wishes to Jerry, McKenna, Tim, and Payson on behalf of Ron Russell, Bertie Higgins, and the rest of the Band of Pirates.

Don't be surprised if you see The Force playing concerts with folks like Bertie in the very near future.