Big City Blues: April-May, 2002

Backstage Paz

By The Paz Man

Blues News:  Congratulations to Chef Chris & his Nairobi Trio.  Winners of my annual local Battle of the Blues Bands, they went on to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge, and drove home with top honors!  Out of 53 bands from around the world, Chef Chris & the boys were awarded top prize, which includes recording studio time in Memphis and a dozen major Festival gigs across North America.  Make sure you catch this band around town soon, ‘cuz I portend great things for this distinctive ensemble.  They do the impossible:  they are incredibly faithful to the past, but at the same time they are able to push the envelope and make it their own.  Chef Chris’ original growl and commanding stage presence are formidable.  Sir Tim Duvalier’s sparse and quirky finger picking guitar style is original and compelling.  The Nairobi Trio’s rhythm section is most delicious, featuring one of the finest Detroit musicians of any genre on any instrument or mic, Vinnie Dombroski, a.k.a. Vinnie D’Cobra on drums Vinnie is most well-known as front man for Sponge and the Orbitsons, but has been playing the skins for years.  The way Vinnie and bassist Bill lock into a groove, then build intensity, break it back down, build it back up, I tell you, it is pure musical magic!  Make sure you catch these guys in the act, they are an amazing ensemble