Show Review: Lucky Peterson Captivates Jazz Alley Crowd
Lucky Peterson
Jazz Alley
March 4, 2015
On Wednesday March 4, blues great Lucky Peterson rolled into Seattle’s premier blues and jazz joint Jazz Alley. The night started off nervously as the crowd eagerly awaited for Lucky Peterson’s stage entrance they began to “Go Hawks” but Canadian guitarist Shawn Kellerman wasn’t having any of that. He was clearly a bit frustrated and not aware how important the Hawks are around here. Luckily he quit talking about sports, deciding instead to plug in his guitar and let the blues do the talking instead. The crowd quickly forgot the Seahawks comment and was pumped up by the time Peterson’s backing band flew through the opening warm up song. After Kellerman hit the final lick it was time for the main event and Lucky Peterson meandered through the crowd. Dressed in a flashy red dinner jacket he high-fived the eager show-goers as he made his way to the stage.
Blues legend Willie Dixon discovered Lucky Peterson when he was just 3 years old. He was a child prodigy on the keyboards and by the time he was of kindergarten age he’d recorded his first single “1-2-3-4”. That led to trips to The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and also The Ed Sullivan Show. Fame may have came too quickly for this talented young performer however. As he performed with all the blues greats such as Bobby “Blue” Bland, Kenny Neal and Little Milton, Peterson was sinking into the dark side, gripped by drug addiction and all that goes with that life. His mother’s passing in 1997 hit him exceptionally hard and he hit rock bottom. So did his career. But now he’s a new man, he looks good and plays better. It appears that old life is behind him now. With a new album called ‘The Son of a Bluesman’ to promote he began the show behind the piano and keyboard not wasting wasting any time giving the blues fans what they came for. The band mixed the old with the new as they steam-rolled through the set.
After a half hour of deliciously crafted blues on the keys, the multi-talented Peterson decided to grab the guitar and play some blues licks. His guitar was candy apple red to match the jacket and he played with a spunk and an energy that drew the crowd in. The show was going well and he knew he had them where he wanted them so he decided to move in for the kill. With a quick hop, he was off the stage and wandering through the audience, playing his guitar for people along the way. The cell-phones were snapping away as he delighted the dinner patrons to a tasty main course. Near the middle of the packed venue he found an inviting table to sit at and the people there couldn’t have been more pleased to have this blues legend wailing away at their table.
He then motioned for the sound guy to come over and bring him a chair. The sound guy obliged and Lucky took a seat in the middle of the crowd in one of the packed aisles. Peterson sat on the chair and ripped filthy blues guitar riffs, one after another for a good 10-15 minutes. He was having a great time as were the people seated nearby. By the time he was near the end of his display from inside the crowd at the supper club he had a dozen people up and dancing in the aisles. He told the story about his mother-in-law really becoming his mother when his own mother passed away. He then gave a great shout out to his father in law who was in the crowd and on tour with The Lucky Peterson Band. He dedicated one of the songs from his new CD to his mom and his mother in law. This is a man with a lot of love in his heart for the family in his life and also for the warm reception that the crowd showed him. He talked of his life, mistakes that were made along the way and finally, redemption. He seems truly grateful for the life he has and the crowd REALLY connected with the personal side of him. Lucky also brought his extremely talented and beautiful wife Tamara up on stage for a few numbers. As they ribbed each other about the topic for her original songs the crowd was clearly very entertained. The Peterson’s play off each other well and she was a great addition to the band. The band has a new CD out that has done well and although they played some of the songs from it the night was really about jamming and giving the audience a memorable experience. With a checkered past now in the rear-view mirror Lucky Peterson proved that he is here to stay and on top of his game.
