Big crowd at Bumbershoot treated to sweet sounds of rhythm, blues

It was a great day for rhythm and blues at Bumbershoot.

It all started with Solomon Burke at Memorial Stadium. The red cape he entered and exited in was cool, but his red roses were even better. Seated in a thronelike chair on the stage, this imposing soul-music survivor tossed the crimson flowers, one by one, to the audience as he whipped up the crowd with his classic, husky R&B vocalizing and coiled-tight, brass-blessed band.

The set reached a crescendo in a medley tribute to Burke's soul-man peers: Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Ben E. King. And when he got to the Ike & Tina Turner hit "Proud Mary," the entertainer pressed the security guys to let some energetic female patrons on the stage to dance, and he hailed boomer blues ace Bonnie Raitt, who was reportedly grooving along in the crowd.

Afterward came Macy Gray, a true lady of funk. While her most distinctive mark is her voice, at once raspy and soulful, it was Gray's ability to connect with the audience that made her Bumbershoot appearance special. She pulled people out of their shells, got them shaking their rumps and rolling their hips to nearly every song — including the lesser-known cuts from her latest, "The Trouble With Being Myself."

As a warm day cooled into evening, festivalgoers were treated to a multigenerational bouquet of blues, again at Memorial Stadium and overseen by Raitt.

Northwest blues favorite Duffy Bishop (formerly of Seattle) kicked things off with a witchy, prowling version of the Screaming Jay Hawkins ode "I Put a Spell on You."

Next up was older R&B queen Ruth Brown, whose 1950s hits helped put Atlantic Records on the map. Decked out in a shimmering gold coat, Brown shared her age (75) and said, "There was a time when I'd run out on the stage and just slide from one end to the other." Even seated, however, Brown's songs stylings were full of sass and snap.

With a sharp assertiveness that she shared with the late Dinah Washington, Brown sang several wise-gal numbers, including "That Train Don't Stop Here No More." And after telling the throng, "This old lady's gonna sing a love song," she did right by the '40s blues ballad, "I Sold My Heart to the Junk Man."

A younger blues generation was represented with vigor by Shemekia Copeland, a blues shouter still in her early 20s. Also on the program: soul singer Maxi Priest, Philly R&B master Howard Tate and Raitt herself, a frequent Bumbershoot headliner and fond caretaker of the blues.

Yesterday's crowds at Bumbershoot easily surpassed opening day's in number, and they appear likely to be strong through the festival, because of the weather and the popularity of the acts set to appear today and tomorrow. (Remember, R.E.M. headlines at Memorial Stadium on Labor Day.) — M.B. and T.P.

Highlights from the day:

Ibrahima Camara & Safal, Bumbrella Stage: Seattle's burgeoning West African music scene recently gained a vivacious new face in Ibrahima Camara. Directing his band of Seattleites through some standard Senegalese sounds, Camara jumps, dances, sings and beats a drum with enough vigor to keep an ever-growing crowd of dancers shaking their hips.

The grooves themselves are a bit bland, with the overmiked acoustic guitarist chucka-chucking some steady backup chords, the electric guitarist repeating the same Highlife riff over and over, and the drummer banging out a few basic jams. But Camara's charismatic and contagious enthusiasm combined with an eclectic, salsa-tinged take on classic West African sounds make for an ideal sunny summer day soundtrack. — R.D.

Street performers, near Center House: A group of young street musicians nimbly banging raucous polyrhythms out of a set of Guinean drums draws a crowd. One of the musicians, who identifies himself as Tyler, says they all learned the tradition by making pilgrimages to Guinea's capital city. When asked why they chose this musical style to learn, Tyler replies, "It's more like these instruments chose us."

Lest we think these traditional West African drums made an odd choice in a bunch of young, white Seattleites, Tyler and company do a proficient enough job of proving themselves worthy of being selected. — R.D.

Ian Moore, Backyard Stage: Singer-songwriter Ian Moore's stripped-down performance style and clean, tender voice makes you yearn for more. Think of Ryan Adams without the attitude.

Moore is casual, wearing cool khakis and a white T-shirt, and delivers a comfortable, no-flash show that lingers long after the final song of the set. Even though Moore's music is moody, swinging from the depressing to the optimistic, its subtlety is truly brilliant. While some may position themselves at the Backyard Stage just to bask in the cool breeze, the music that emanates from here — as Moore proves — is a true breath of fresh air on a stifling hot day. — T. P.

Flatstock 3, Center House: Ever wonder who designs those nifty concert posters? The best ones are artful and inspiring — prized keepsakes for true music buffs.

More than 60 poster artists and illustrators from throughout the country are set up at Center House through tomorrow to exhibit some of their finest creations and talk with their fans as part of Flatstock 3.

In addition to the meet-and-greet, patrons can purchase their favorite posters from artists such as Andy Stern of Diesel Fuel Print, Casey Burns, Jay Ryan of The Bird Machine and Jermaine Rogers. Flatstock 3 features posters from most genres and to suit most tastes, from Lucinda Williams and No Doubt to Northwest favorites the Melvins and Built to Spill. — T.P.

Rhythm Equator: What fun it is to thrash around on a bongo drum, ring a cowbell and shake a homemade maraca. The Rhythm Equator is a dream for wannabe percussionists of any age and musical experience who want to create some rhythmic magic of their own.

Walking through the bamboo trellis, participants grab a percussion instrument from a box or slide up to one of several drums under a tent and wait for instructions.

While the idea is to be free and loose, a rhythm pattern is given to participants from a teacher and then off they go.

Yesterday afternoon, rich, exotic beats and passionate rhythms bleed from the Rhythm Equator, as a few dozen nascent musicians do a fine job of carrying off an uplifting urban number. — T.P.

The Derek Trucks Band, Blues Stage: The Derek Trucks Band is a jam band in the true, good sense of the word jam. They do not plow through 45-minute guitar jams for the sake of being the band that does 45-minute guitar jams. They do, however, flat-out rock.

Trucks, the nephew of Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks, skillfully crafts a subtle, scratchy, buzzy, "I could go on forever" roar out of some of the most mind-blowing electric-guitar licks on the musical map today.

A phenomenal group of musicians — Yonrico Scott on bass, Todd Smallie on bass and the extraordinary Kofi Burbridge on keys and vocals — provide an equally majestic soundscape. And Mike Mattison, the sexiest singer this side of, well, anywhere, croons, moans and snarls his way through intricate, I-could-die-happy-right-now vocal lines.

This is a band that reminds us to jam is a verb, meaning to dig into and out of the fattest, baddest, deepest grooves imaginable. — R.D.

Blind Boys of Alabama, McCaw Hall. Seattle Center's new opera house already has been officially inaugurated. But now it's truly sanctified, thanks to the musical ministrations of the legendary gospel ensemble Blind Boys of Alabama.

Only two of the original Blind Boys, Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter, appear here with the group. But that is plenty, people.

Cracking jokes, introducing every number as "one of my favorite songs," and doing a little in-place dancing, Fountain reigns supreme as a shouting sanctifier with a rumbling bass.

And Carter may look a bit frail, but he wanders the aisles to do some musical testifying, and holds one high, raging note so long you think he'll be knocking on heaven's gate any minute.

Fountain tells the crowd the Blind Boys have been going strong for 60 years. If you weren't a believer in their music when you walked in, their spine-tingling rendition of "People Get Ready" is enough to convert you. — M.B.

Seattle Center grounds. Informal survey of the most popular fair entree: pad thai. Most popular side dish: curly fries. Number of people who have registered to vote by midafternoon at a League of Women Voters table by the Center House: 100. Sneakiest T-shirt: FBI (Foreign Born Irish). — M.B.