by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
Our vivacious veteran staff member, Joan Gallagher, told me that the Gypsy Cab Co. in St. Augustine was featuring blues and barbecue every Sunday from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm and asked if I would be interested in going down to cover this event. Yes, blues and barbecue go together like peanut butter and jelly, beer and nuts, or Paris Hilton and incarceration. So, I blitzed down there to catch JW wail on harmonica with his band of experienced players showcasing Coop Cooper on bass, Keith Blake on lead guitar, and Phil Reed on drums. It’s a natural lure to enjoy Gypsy Cab Co.’s delicious barbecue and blues on a day trip to St. Augustine on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
JW and the Blues Authority are an authentic Mississippi Delta blues band that delivers its blues straight up with no chaser. JW and the band members live in St. Augustine but play around the North Florida region. As his day-job, JW has been a master baker for Publix for the last thirty years. For about the same number of years, JW has played harp and sung the blues. He’s passionate about playing old dirty blues that is not fused with modern influences.
For blues aficionados, JW can be heard on Blue Beat’s CD Blues from the Swamp by Tabby Thomas. JW has a gritty blues voice that captures the blues mood perfectly. His presentation is reminiscent of Muddy Waters, in that he jokes with the audience and is charismatic on stage. JW’s brand of blues is unvarnished by rock influences, staying close to the blues of yesteryear. Keith Blake doesn’t use effects pedals and plays with a clean sound with his large semi-hollow body guitar. Coop on bass and Phil Reed on guitar lay down an infectious groove that sets the scene with toe-tapping rhythm.
Since JW started playing in St. Augustine, he’s been backed by a variety of musicians. In the early days, when he was struggling to get the band together, members would come and go. He joked, “the marquee should read, ‘JW Gilmore and to be announced’ or as commonly abbreviated, TBA”. As JW found the players who would stick around, the name JW Gilmore and the Blues Authority stuck, which, coincidently, is also abbreviated “TBA.”
Now, JW’s band is a stable entity and they play regularly. Keith Black is an advanced guitarist who adds the authentic orchestration to the band with his original jazz influenced style. His comping fits well with JW’s soulful and bluesy harmonica style.
Veteran bassist Coop has been playing since he plugged in his first bass and learned licks off the first ZZ Top album. Since then, Coop has performed many diverse styles including jazz, rock, soul, world music and traditional American roots music. When Coop had hair, he was the original bassist for Jacksonville’s seminal 1980s experimental new wave bands The Reacterz and The Great Invisibles, which featured Arvid Smith on guitar and effects. Arvid is now with Tammerlin with his wife Lee Hunter. Coop doubles as a sound engineer and manager for the group.
Drummer Phil Reed brings his own brand of West Coast blues/funk to the Blues Authority. Phil spent 20 years in San Francisco Bay Area as a first-call session drummer and as an on-demand live player. Phil is one of the most respected drummers playing on the East Coast.
As a unit, JW & TBA kick butt. The Blues & Barbecue Sunday afternoon is going strong at the Gypsy Cab Co. It’s worth the trip down to the oldest city for JW and barbecue bash from 2:30 to 5:30 pm.
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