The Daily Gamecock

Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: The Mix

Media Credit: Special to The Daily Gamecock Lead guitarist Mark Johnson, left, and vocalist Tom Gray formed Delta Moon in Atlanta in the mid-'90s.

Those who have any doubts about the future of blues in America were not witnesses to the power and vivacity of its true spirit alive at Doc's Gumbo Grille on Friday night.

Donning glasses and an air of professionalism, the members of Atlanta-based blues group Delta Moon served up a rollicking set of southern blues classics and interesting original numbers. Through their combination of Kenny Wayne Sheppard-style new age blues and a sense of southern musical mentality, Delta Moon revives the long lost soul of the delta rhythm.

Bandleader and former member of The Brains Tom Gray kicked off the performance with the smooth and soulful original "Tiltawhirl." While the group methodically kept in perfect unison, lead guitarist Mark Johnson danced all over the number with a rootsy, emotional solo on his classic Fender Stratocaster, displaying his level of skill.

Delta Moon formed in Atlanta around the mid-'90s, coalescing around Gray, Johnson and former member Gina Leigh. Since forming, the band has garnered a number of awards including first prize at the International Blues Challenge in 2003.

The handful of awards the group has garnered comes as no surprise to even a first-time listener. Johnson displays himself as a skillful guitarist and mandolin player while Gray works the crowd through his songwriting and searing ability on slide guitar.

The group flawlessly transferred into the next original song, "Nightclubbing."

This slow-tempo track offered a lighter taste of the group as they worked on typical eight-bar blues licks. Gray ran up and down his lap slide guitar with a calm satisfaction and left the crowd content with the clearness in the song's sound.

While listening, it could be noted that the group was in desperate need of a larger venue and a vast crowd. Delta Moon feeds off of the energy of the crowd, and their body language showed a longing for a dancing atmosphere where people can feel the true energy of the band.

A tribute to ailing bluesman Bo Diddley brought the set to a powerful head. The band drove the music headfirst into a conglomeration of Diddley songs including "Who Do You Love?" and "You Gotta Give Your Love To Me."

Continued...

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