Tantramarsh Blues Society to host award-winning Boston blues band
Friday evenings are almost mythically perceived as a holy grail of respite from the working week. As such, this Friday, March 11 will provide a fitting context for the next blues group scheduled to play at George’s Roadhouse by the Tantramarsh Blues Society.
Riding on the cusp of their upcoming fourth album, the Delta Generators and their energetic temperament are poised to shake dust from floorboards and moods alike. Formed in 2008, the Delta Generators have since established three records that demonstrate the group’s commitment to music that reflects their passion for the blues.
The real beauty of the Delta Generators’ music is their special attention to lyricism that permeates each track and immerses the listener in the band’s truly narrative compositions.
“Something that’s happened in the blues is that the writing has not always been as fresh and as good as you would like it to be,” said Roopen Majithia, co-founder of the Tantramarsh Blues Society. “What’s great about these guys is they have really strong writing.”
The band gained immediate recognition after their formation – they won the Boston Blues Society’s Blues Challenge in 2008 – the Delta Generators went on to be a Top 10 contender in the International Blues Challenge, held by the Blues Foundation in Memphis. The Delta Generators’ creative streak did not end there: their third album, Get on the Horse, was nominated for 2014 Blues Album of the Year at the Independent Music Awards.
“Whenever we get a band from Boston, it’s just unbelievable the level of musicianship that we get,” said Majithia. Boston’s rich musical history and a competitive scene to reckon with have given the city a nasty habit of churning out musical legends, of which the Delta Generators are primed to join. Versatility is a hallmark of the bands’ work; Get on the Horse features foot-stomping ballads like “Diablo Rock” and the elegantly crafted “The More I Find Out (The Less I Want to Know).”
Rick O’Neal’s bass performances and Jeff Armstrong’s drums offer an emotional template for each of the Delta Generators’ tracks, while Charlie O’Neal’s roundly dynamic guitar dances with Craig Rawding’s powerful, raw vocals to produce staggeringly tight performances.
One could say that the Maritimes and the blues have an affinity that binds their histories together. Whether it’s receiving the short end of the stick on the national stage or the continuing inequalities that define the Atlantic provinces, the blues will be here to stay.
“The blues are about hard times,” said Majithia. “I think the Maritimes have always had a fair share of the blues.”
