Gaye Adegbalola with Roddy Barnes (Monthly Program)

Neo-Classic BluesClassic Blues was the first blues - the first blues to be recorded for popular consumption. It was grounded in folk blues combined with vaudeville styling. It was almost exclusively performed by women who were unashamed to lay their souls bare; unafraid to give advice. Gaye Adegbalola & Roddy Barnes embrace and redefine this style as Neo-Classic Blues. Their performances feature songs from Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Sippie Wallace and others. They are also likely to include some of Gaye?s original songs.Award-winning singer/songwriter/vocalist Gaye Adegbalola?s musical roots run deep. As a founding (and current) member of Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women, Gaye not only rediscovered the blues she first met as a child, she put her stamp on them. In addition, to performing and recording with Saffire and releasing a solo CD, Gaye presents numerous lectures and workshops at colleges and blues society. Her presentation ?History of Women in Blues? led to development of her duet act with Roddy Barnes. Gaye says in an article on her website ?I decided that I would insert selected songs into the presentation and I would perform them live?with piano accompaniment pre-recorded.? She goes on to say ?I knew that an incredible piano player, Roddy Barnes, had moved to my area a few months earlier. He moved from Missouri to New Orleans to Austin pursuing his profession. Roddy, who is classically trained, can play any genre, but he really has that old-timey sound down. Turns out that he was influenced early on by Bessie Smith?s pianists.? At the recording session ??.we listened and listened, again and again. We had something that we truly loved.?Gaye and Roddy?s CD "Neo-Classic Blues", was released May, 2004 and was described by Mike Joyce in the Washington Post as ?primarily devoted to the ?classic blues? era of the ?20s and ?30s, the duet performances celebrate the seminal role women played in making the music popular, enduring and in some cases, indelible.?