Final summer concert a rousing success at BBR

The skyline wasn't the only thing on fire at Black Butte Ranch on Sunday.

The Ty Curtis Band hit the stage in the final Live at the Ranch concert at 6 p.m. sharp and was on fire from the first song. Curtis, only 23 and invariably compared to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, brought the chops that earn those comparisons. Harmonica player Hank Shreve, 22, added background harmonies and his own stunning virtuosity on harp. Bassist Willie Barber and drummer Jerry Jacques, both longtime veterans, round out a tight rhythm section that is the foundation of this band.

Curtis, who only started playing guitar at 13, talked about first learning the instrument from his dad. "I grew up listening to my dad teaching my brother. I kind of sat in the other room trying to learn what I was hearing, and my parents were like, 'well maybe we should get him a guitar.'"

Even though noted as a blues band, Curtis and band blend a mix of electric blues, funk, reggae, R&B, and soul.

"We really try to mix it up, I mean blues is where we started, but I like to do reggae and pop, and will be adding in some acoustic stuff as well," said Curtis. "I don't like to write the same kinds of things so I try to give it a different twist when possible."

The band played songs from across their entire catalog including "What Kind of Fool," "Down On My Luck," "Fools Game," and wrapped it up with a scintillating performance of "Do I Love You Too Much," which had the crowd on it's feet.

Scott Huntsman, general manager of Black Butte Ranch, said, "The concerts were a good success for us this year. Overall we were very pleased with the quality of the acts we were able to get, and the folks that were here really had a good time."

The opener for the evening was Soul Jelly, a nine-piece band out of Seattle that sounds like a '60s band from Philadelphia or Detroit. Paying homage to their heroes, co-lead singers KJ Jones and Laura Moreau threw down a gauntlet of classic hits from such diverse artists such as Albert King, The O'Jays, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Sly and the Family Stone.

The band, which has been together for just over a year, was making only it's second concert appearance outside of Seattle, having played in Portland just the night before.

Said KJ Jones, "Man, this is only our second gig outside of home and we're real excited to be here. Last night was great so we're hoping this will be just as good."

The series, while a huge success with the Ranch homeowners and all in attendance, does face some hurdles. The Sunday shows suffered a bit attendance-wise as it's a transition day for vacationers coming and going.

Huntsman explained, "We do suffer a bit, as Sunday is a crossover day and I think maybe moving the shows to midweek would be great."

The Ranch will do an evaluation in the coming weeks to then determine the number of concerts and on what days they'll be scheduled for next year.

"Everyone who came up to me tonight commented on the quality of the show, how much they enjoyed it, and looked forward to coming to the concerts again next year," said event coordinator Katie Williams. "We look forward to being back next year, better than ever."