by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
Debra Rider is a remarkable woman who has and does it all. She writes award-winning songs, she’s in five bands, she attends classes at UNF, and she’s a super-mom and loving wife whose husband owns a restaurant. I admire her boundless energy and talent. Indeed, I’ve been friends with Debra for over twenty years, including her tenure with Lynyrd Skynyrd as a backup singer. Today, Debra plays out with various ensembles including her roots music duo Mumz The Word with her duo partner Torrey.
Again, I crossed paths with Debra at an exciting new club, Island Girl Cigar Bar near the corner of the Gate Parkway and 9A, off the UNF exit. She had put together a blues trio for this gig with Mark Gibson on guitar and Dave Smith on bass from Baystreet. In fact, Debra has been singing with Baystreet and subbing for John Miller as one of her projects.
Because Mark and Dave are such accomplished musicians, Debra was able to pull off an evening of blues despite the fact that the group has just recently formed. Guitarist Mark Gibson is a UNF graduate and versatile player. He can literally play any style on demand, including Johnny Cash’s trademark sound. Debra adopted the body language and sultry voice of a blues singer in the plush environs of Island Girl. Man, Saturday night at Island Girl, Debra was the blues. And I was ecstatic.
“In Jacksonville clubs, people like a variety of music from blues to country to rock. So I have to be ready for anything and fortunately Mark and Dave can play any style. For this gig, the club owners wanted blues, so I stuck to blues and took a few requests in different genres,” Debra said during a break.
Yes, Debra’s long-esteemed career has had many milestones. From 1990 to 1993 she sang backup with Skynyrd, touring the globe. In 1998 she was awarded a scholarship to UNF and studied with Professor William Brown. Debra was an American Traditions Competition quarterfinalist in 1997 and 1999 at the Savannah Music Festival. Her songwriting talents gleaned her an award in 1996 from Unison International for her song Charlotte. In the summer of 1998 Debra sang with Sam Andrew of Big Brother and the Holding Company, Janis Joplin’s original band, covering Joplin tunes with local musicians. Debra was featured with the Jim McKaba Quintet in 1996 and 2000.
In 2005, Debra opened the Marcia Ball show at Freebird. Debra and Torrey, as the Mumz the Word duo, are involved with community service playing nursing homes and hospitals. Ah yes, Debra’s resume is that of a major artist, who has always put her family first, staying in Jacksonville and touring intermittently. Her voice has many colorful nuances and covers a wide range of octaves. Her blues persona and voice were perfect for a Saturday evening of sipping wine and smoking cigars at Island Girl.
This cigar bar is my new hangout for my occasional night off. Since I’m a long-time cigar smoker and wine drinker, Island Girl is Mecca, baby. It’s such a hoot to light up a cigar inside a club without receiving death threats. Normally, I do not smoke cigars in public because of the angry complaints. This leaves me my car and home as the only place for this guilty pleasure. Now, I also have discovered the Island Girl.
This cigar bar is roomy with plush easy chairs and tables. It features a huge walk in humidor (the biggest I’ve ever seen) with a wide variety of fine cigars for sale. Owners, Joyce and Rick Lay are hands-on operators. They are cordial to all customers and they make sure everyone is comfortable and has been served. They have three smoke eaters in the ceiling to keep the room clear of smoke. There is a fully equipped bar from which they serve fine wines and have exotic beers on tap. The Lays also have a well supplied package store connected to the club.
Of all the cigar bars around town (and yes I’ve been inside most of them), this is the largest and most comfortable. I love the tropical fans and lighted palm trees out front. The Lays are 24 fans and feature the popular series on Monday night (9:00 pm on Fox) on their three large plasma screens that can be seen from any spot in the room. Join the 24 club and there are prizes for guessing how many people Jack Bauer kills per episode. Hey, sign me up if I’m not viewing a film on Monday night. Island Girl is throwing a big party for the Superbowl. Call 854-6060 for more information or log-onto www.islandgirljax.com.
|
