Lucky Peterson Band
with special guest Gregg Smith
Waterfront Blues Festival
Portland, OR.
July 4, 2004

The other Lucky Peterson show from the next night. Tis one had some reception problems during track 3 so there is a fade added to track 3. It still sounds good but you can tell there are problems.
All in all a great show by Lucky and band. If anyone has a better copy, please upload.
Enjoy the tunes, twofthrs

"Up-to-date, raw-edged blues … unassailable musicianship, passion and conviction." —Chicago Reader

"Jumping, rocking blues … Peterson is a triple-threat player, excelling on guitar, piano and especially Hammond organ."—Washington Post

Lucky Peterson played his first gig at age three. By the age of five, he had already recorded and charted an R&B hit, “1-2-3-4,” produced by the legendary Willie Dixon. Before he'd turned six, Lucky had been propelled into the national spotlight with television appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and even "What’s My Line?"

Child-prodigy status can be a difficult cross to bear into adulthood. Not so for Lucky Peterson. The former child prodigy is today, at 40, the most formidable triple threat in the blues world — a searing guitarist, compelling vocalist and fabulous organist, whose electrifying live performances are the stuff of legend.

Born in 1963, Lucky was raised on music in Buffalo, N.Y. His father, James Peterson, noted blues singer and guitarist, owned the Governor’s Inn, a Northern version of a Deep South "chitlin’ circuit" roadhouse. The Governor Inn's bandstand regularly hosted touring blues artists such as Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor. (James Peterson will be joining his son, Lucky, at the Waterfront).

Virtually growing up on stage, Lucky began playing almost before he began talking. He started on drums. But after hearing the famed organist Bill Doggett one night, he became fascinated by the huge Hammond B-3 organ. After some lessons from Doggett and some pointers from jazz organist Jimmy Smith, Lucky was on his way.
"At first, people wouldn’t believe he could play so well," says James Peterson. "They would think the organ was rigged."

Lucky also mastered bass, guitar and piano, becoming good enough to sit in with his father’s band and back-touring artists such as Lightnin’ Hopkins and Jimmy Reed.

By the time he was a teenager, Lucky’s reputation in the blues world was already spreading. At 17, he hit the road for three years as organist and musical director for Little Milton, followed by another three year-stint as featured soloist with Bobby Blue Bland.

Peterson's solo career took off with the 1989 Alligator release "Lucky Strikes!," on which he co-wrote three songs and played the keyboard and all but one of the guitar solos. Lucky was also busy doing session work, backing everyone from Etta James and Kenny Neal to Otis Rush, Rufus Thomas and Lazy Lester. His 1996 collaboration with the gospel-blues powerhouse Mavis Staples, featured Lucky’s gospel keyboard chops and influences.

In the intervening years, a string of critically-acclaimed releases on Verve and Blue Thumb have made Lucky, now based in Dallas, Texas, highly in demand on the U.S. and European festival circuit.

Joining Peterson on this set is Dallas, Texas' deep-soul singer Gregg Smith. Smith spent the early '80s playing in the Portland area and still has family here. Since moving to Texas, Smith has put out a steady string of strong, well-received recordings on several Southern soul labels. Like Peterson, he has earned a strong following in Europe.

Set List:
1. unknown
2. lucky in love
3. do what you gatta do ??
4. unknown
5. voodoo child>baby what you want me to do
6. 24 hours a day
7. stuck on you
8. trust in the lord