Diz Watson An Beal Bocht
By Ray Comiskey
Fresh from the country blues festival in Clifden, Diz ‘Honey
Bear’ Watson brought his authentic yet distinctive rhythm and
blues piano style to the Beal Bocht last week. Accompanied by Tony Uter
on congas, he ran the gamut of his vocal and instrumental influences
before an appreciative audience, which was treated to some of the most
elegant blues piano heard here for some time. Elegance may seem an odd
word in the relatively raw context of blues, but Watson’s touch,
time and sense of idiom, as a pianist, combines control with no dilution
of emotional content. As a vocalist, he has a firm grasp of a variety
of styles which, allied to an exuberant personality, makes for immediate
rapport with the listener.
Stylistically, he comes from New Orleans: the influences, apart from
Fats Domino – recalled in the almost obligatory “Blueberry
Hill” – include Cousin Joe and Professor Longhair, both
of whom were mentioned in the evening’s programme. But there are
also touches of such boogie greats as Jimmy Yancey, Albert Ammons and
Meade Lux Lewis in his piano style: a fine “Honky Tonk Train Blues”
(or as he announced it “Tonky Honk”) epitomised his grasp
of boogie. And humour was evident in his send up of Stephen Foster with
“Swanee River”, which gravitated through “Around the
World” and “Salt Peanuts” inserts to “Margie”
done in Fats Domino’s vocal style.
Aided by the superb conga drumming by Tony Uter, he also gave some Mardi
Gras music à la Professor Longhair, a Caribbean “Rum and
Coca Cola”, a rocking medium tempo “On the Sunny Side of
the Street” and a variety of slow blues by such as Archibald,
Dr John and Champion Jack Dupree.
Irish Times 1991