Prior to Jeff joining them on "rhythm" guitar (NOT!), Coldsweat (Rob Tarticchio on lead guitar, Anthony Salvatore on lead vocals, Gary Boudreau on bass and Rob Randazzo on drums) played an appropriate (weather-wise) "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Hoochie Coochie Man" (with Rob replacing the original harmonica instrumentation with some excellent slide guitar), and "Master Charge".
Jeff then played (for the most part) lead guitar for Freddie King's "Hideaway" and ""Big-Legged Woman", "Checkin' Out My Baby", Eric Clapton's "Torn Down", Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man", as well as on an appealing Coldsweat original called "3 a.m.". Jeff also sang lead vocals on several songs including Hound Dog Taylor's "Dust My Broom", on which Rob Tarticchio played slide guitar, in the key of "D for:duh" [or "deep-down dirty"], "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" and an uptempo shuffle version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll". Anthony took over on lead vocals on Buddy Guy's "Midnight Train", "You Don't Love Me", and a couple of other smashing originals, called "Every Time You Go" and "Tell Me Why". On the latter tune as well as on Buddy Guy's "Heavy Love", the boys were joined on harmonica by Ji Sun Lee, an ex-Korean via Halifax, who formerly played in a Korean band called "Blue Daze". Speaking with him afterwards, Ji informed me that he loves the music scene in Toronto and, in fact, hosts a Thursday jam at Amsterdam's (near Bloor and Ossington).
If you get to Healey's early enough, you can secure seats in the actual 'band area', as opposed to being around the corner from it, which could certainly be more comfortable if you're "allergic" to volume or just like to chat with friends during the evening. Not having had the opportunity to drop in since the club's opening night, I found it much more pleasant that evening without a wall-to-wall crowd, and the service, provided by Stuart at the bar and Shannon serving tables, was excellent and very personable.
By D.D. Rocker
[Also published in to-nite, Issue #228]
