Jammin' on the High C's by Mitch Woods

Jammin’ On The High C’s On B ard th e Legendary Rh yth m & B ues Cruise

A glimpse of the LRBC piano bar. Photo by Ÿ Joseph A. Rosen

By Mitch Woods

In 2002, I was invited as a special guest on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise (LRBC). Cruise promoter Roger Naber asked me aboard and said, “Just do what you want, sit in, wherever.” I noticed there was a piano bar on the ship, so I went in late one night and started playing. Pretty soon, I had a crowd – everyone gathered around the piano, having a great time.

After many drinks and a lively crowd with some musicians sitting in, the place was rockin’. At about 4 a.m., I decided it was time to go to bed and bid everyone a good night. About a half hour later, I got a call from Tracy, one of the LRBC staff, who said, “get your ass down here to the piano bar, you got a full house!” So I came ambling back from my room in my pajamas, and I noticed a handwritten sign on the door that said, “Mitch Woods’ Club 88!” I proceeded to pound the ivories ‘til dawn, and that was the beginning of Mitch Woods’ Club 88 and the piano bar on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.

What you have to understand is that it is a blues piano bar... no Elton John or Billy Joel! When I first started the piano bar, I was the only piano player, but now we have six or seven players who all take shifts. Of course, they usually leave the late-night shift to me and I still come in my pajamas. Now there are two pianos as well, so some nights are dueling piano shows. We pair up, and it’s always a ball with some of my fellow pounders who each has his or her own style of blues.

Some of the pianists include Rob Rio, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne and Scotty Miller, who plays with Ruthie Foster and writes his own tunes. Reverend Billy C. Wirtz is always hilarious with his own crazy tunes, like “Mennonite Surf Party”... you have to hear and see him to understand. Eden Brent is another wonderful vocalist and pianist, and has had legendary sessions in the piano bar.

As far as tunes go, I have a big repertoire of blues, New Orleans classics and my own tunes. I enjoy getting the crowd involved and singing along (Sing Along With Mitch!). “Rockin’ Pneumonia,” “How Blue Can You Get” and “Boom Boom” all go over well. As people loosen up and the alcohol takes effect, things can get crazy. I have had times when drunk cruisers have taken over. One night, I had a blitzed harmonica player reach over the ledge of the piano bar to adjust his mic and he fell in, under the piano! That’s when I left and went to bed!

The piano bar has become one of the most fun venues on the cruise. You never know what will happen or who will show up. I invite everyone – cruisers and pro musicians alike – to come and sit in. I have had Tab Benoit playing buckets and spoons along with me, James Cotton on harp, Taj Mahal on guitar, Tommy Castro, Roomful of Blues' horns and the California Honeydrops,

Reverend Billy C. Wirtz. Photo by Bob Sekinger

as well as many greats who have left us, like Johnnie Johnson, Matt Murphy, Pinetop Perkins and many more.

I’ve had didgeridoo, tuba and, of course, countless harmonica players, some who could play, and others I had to get the hook for! I have seen everything in there... one night a guy came in with an Alphorn! I couldn’t believe it – it was about 10 feet long and stretched over the piano!

Of course, there is a copious amount of drinking and partying going on into the wee hours, and the piano bar attracts the diehard blues cruisers who refuse to go to bed. And why not? There is music 24/7 on the ship, and it all started at the piano bar.

One of the funniest things to happen had to be a night I was playing ‘til dawn. The sun started coming up and we had to close the curtains to keep the mood going. The crowd was totally blitzed, literally a-rockin’ and a-rollin’! Suddenly the door opens, and in walks a very straight-laced crowd. They looked at us and were shocked. We looked at them... whaaa?? Turns out it was the “Friends Of Bill W.”... the AA group had scheduled their meeting in the piano bar! I’m sure that with one look at us, they realized why they had stopped drinking!

It has been 18 years that I’ve played the piano bar, and most cruisers don’t even realize that I usually play with my band, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s. But I enjoy the hell out of it and love to entertain in such an intimate and informal environment, and that is what makes the piano bar so special. I look forward to seeing all my friends there, and invite everyone to sing, play, clap or just smile along while I am “Jamming on the High C’s,” which happens to be the title of one of my CDs recorded live at Mitch Woods' Club 88, the LRBC piano bar. I did create a bit of a monster though, as now I have to be dressed in my PJs and fez, or nobody recognizes me. I always tell the crowd, remember, “What happens on the Blues Cruise, stays on the Blues Cruise.”

The piano bar is just one of many exciting offerings you can find on board the LRBC. In addition to 100-plus scheduled shows, the pro jams, artist workshops, autograph signings, industry panels, culinary demos, theme nights, land excursions and amenities of a five-star full ship charter will leave you testifying, like many blues cruisers, that the Bluesin’ Experience is life changing! For information on upcoming cruises, visit BluesCruise.com.

Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s take inspiration from the great classic jump n’ boogie outfits and add a healthy dose of New Orleans rhythm and blues, piledrivin’ piano and some of Woods’ own contemporary playful lyrics to forge their own brand of music they call “rock-a-boogie.” Woods tours worldwide with his band, and performs solo as well. He is popular on the festival circuit, playing festivals around the world including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Edmonton Blues Festival, Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night’s Swing and more. Woods has 13 albums to date; his latest, A Tip of the Hat To Fats, was recorded live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. All are available on mitchwoods.com, and for booking information, contact: info@mitchwoods.com

Left to right: Mick Kilgos, Leon Blue and Taylor Streiff. Photo by Bob Sekinger Jump-swing piano torchbearer, and author of this feature, Mitch Woods. Photo by Michael McGrath