Steve Cheseborough in Oysterville

     Our Oysterville House Concert “season” ended last evening with a return performance by blues musician Steve Cheseborough.  Steve, luckily for the Northwest, is now living in Portland.  However, no matter where he performs, his audience is immediately transported to the Mississippi Delta of the 1920s and ‘30s.  For several music and anecdote-filled hours, our house could have be a juke joint or a barrel house in the deep south of 80 years ago – well, almost!
     Steve plays both wood and metal (nickel-plated brass) guitars, the harmonica and tambourine.  And let’s not forget his feet.  He brings with him a wooden platform for his feet – in case of carpet, as in our house – so that his fabulous fancy shoes can be heard tapping as he plays.
     Along those lines, he loves our wooden porch and we are thinking of having a “porch concert” next time.  Steve says it would bring the feeling of authenticity even closer to those days of itinerant blues musicians who often place on front stoops and storefront walkways.
     A huge part of Steve’s appeal is the background information he provides to illuminate his musical selections.  He plays ‘in the style’ of blues masters such as Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Memphis Minnie and brings audiences up to speed with stories of their lives and the musical era in which they lived.
     Steve’s own background includes a Master’s degree from the University of Mississippi (his thesis on prominent ‘30s blues artist, Bo Carter).  He has appeared in films, on television, has written several books and many newspaper and magazine articles and is a recognized authority on the blues.
     Mostly, of course, he’s a personable and interesting guy and we feel lucky that he likes our Oysterville venue.  We are looking forward to trying his Porch Concert idea in 2012!