Boston Fusion Exchange 2011

I’ve taken some time to think about how to describe the fusion exchange this year and I can’t seem to find the right words. It was more than amazing, more than phenomenal. How do you describe an indescribable event?

The venue, SpringStep, was made for an event like this. 3 different rooms, 1 being the main large room, a medium-sized room, and a room perfect for what a friend calls “kitchen blues.” There was so much variety that you were sure to find something that made you happy. With an eclectic collection of different DJs and a schedule that gave people great dancing, great performances, and time to celebrate the amazing-ness of the weekend, you couldn’t help but feel the energy in the entire building. If you didn’t like one room, you had 2 others to try out. If you wanted to just relax, there was a comfortable mezzanine with comfy chairs and food at almost all times, day and night. Like I said, the perfect venue!

A learning experience for me: Ivy hired me on as the DJ coordinator, originally as the assistant, than getting promoted when the main coordinator had life priorities to attend to. I loved it and I learned so much. I enjoyed being a part of the event enough that I’m going to do it again next year and I couldn’t be more excited!

Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to attend the workshops, so I have no opinion about them. I had family responsibilities to attend to during the day time. But I will say that the class that seemed to get the most buss was Orville and Kelly’s acro class, regardless of if you can apply those moves to dancing or not J

I had 3 sets, but one was at the very beginning of the last night. Since attendance was so low, I am not posting that set list. But, here is my set list for the other 2 sets, both blues:

Friday evening in the main room:

Rising Appalachia – Nobody’s Fault

Mavis Staples – Down in Mississippi

Steve Guyger – Walkin’ Blues

Christ Thomas King – Cheatin’ Women Blues

ZZ Top – A Fool For Your Stockings

Robben Ford – Good to Love

John Lee Hooker – I’m in the Mood

The Insomniacs – Hoodoo Man Blues

Sonny boy Williamson – Unseen Eye

Betty LaVette – Joy

Louis Hoffsten – Komposten

Mikel Lander and Merideth Moore – Ramblin’ Man

Janiva Magness – I Don’t Want you on my Mind

Koko Taylor and Willie Dixon – Insane Asylum

James Cotton Blues Band – The Blues Keep Falling

B.B. King – My Own Fault

Kim Massie – Good to me as I am to You

Little Walter – Mean Old World

Deborah Coleman – Roll With Me

Tom Waits – Chocolate Jesus

Taj Mahal – Leaving Thrunk

Saturday late night set in the middle room:

Robert Lockwood, Jr. – Take a Little Walk With Me

Junior Parker – Drivin’ Wheel

Lady Bianca – Ooh, His Love is So Good

Nathan James & Ben Hernandez – Run Me Ragged

Bonnie Raitt – I Feel the Same

Set Walker – Since I Fell for You

Janiva Magness – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

Scrapomatic – Louisiana Anna

Muddy Waters – Rollin’ Stone

Blue Harlem – Drown in My Own Tears

Lowell Fulson – Sleeper

Taj Mahal – Cakewalk Into Town

Nick Moss & the Flip tops – Night Has Fallen

Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy (live)

Rufus and Carla Thomas – Sixty Minute Man

Norah Jones – All Your Love

Atlantic Jazz – Evenin’

Hank Ballard & theMidnighters – Dr. Lover

Shuggie Otis – Gospel Groove

Nina Simone – In the Dark

Peggy Lee – You Don’t Know

Louise Hoffsten – The Seduction of Sweet Louise

Roy Rogers – Swamp Dream

Gordon Webster – Mo’ Better Blues

Elvis Presley - Relax

Gem songs I took away from this event? It was hard to keep track of all the new, amazing songs I heard, but there were a couple that stood out. Allyson Rice (LA) played a song by Yuri Lane called harmonica beatbox that was really fun to dance to! It's only misfortune is that the song was played while most people were upstairs in the main room watching the instructor performances. Kayce Spear (Portland) played 2 amazing songs in a row whose title I didn't get, but the artists were Beth Rowley and Dana Parish. The 2 songs were fusion-y, not blues but had a great, slow, bluesy beat. I loved it!

What'd we do with Evelyn? Well, that's essentially why I missed the workshops. On Saturday night we left her with Micahel's brother, who, conveniently, lives in Boston. Unfortunately, when we walked in the door at 6am, she woke up and was ready for the day, while we wanted to go to bed. We made it work though, trading off hours. On Sunday, we brought her to Springstep to run around the big room and get some dancing in for her :) It was fun!