Rhyme for Summertime
G. Love and Special Sauce to play Three Kings
Philadelphia native Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, fondly remembers the first time he combined the worlds of blues music and hip-hop rhymes. “I was a street musician sitting on the corner of 2nd and Lombard in Philly,” Love recalls. “It was kind of late and I had a good day. I made like 60 bucks, a joint, two cigarettes and a beer. I was chuckin’ on this grove and I started rapping the lyrics to Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full” over my blues groove. That was the first time I mashed up hip-hop and blues and I knew right then I had found what I was looking for.”
G. Love and Special Sauce will bring their jam friendly rappin’ blues show to Three Kings in Mayfield (formerly Eleanor Rigby’s) Tuesday, June 26. Tickets for the show can be purchased at www.threekingspa.com.
Highly influenced by blues legend John Hammond Jr. and Bob Dylan, G. Love was exposed to the sounds of early hip-hop as a young boy growing up in center city Philadelphia as well. He credits the culture of South St. as making a lasting impression on him while he was still very young.
“My music was created in Philly, about Philly and growing up right around South St. and all the experiences of being in center city in the ‘80s,” G. Love said. “I was growing up with the birth of hip-hop and all of this creativity on the streets; street musicians, puppeteers, jugglers or the guy who played Mozart on wine glasses. I grew up watching these performers and my dad would give me a quarter to put it in their cup while they were playing. It was so soulful. I was the kid just soaking it all up. My music is about Philly, about the basketball courts, the homeless people, the pretty girls.”
G. Love and Special Sauce have been touring as a trio for the past year with Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemons on the drums, Timo Shanko on the upright bass and G. Love on guitar, harmonica and vocals. “We’re keeping it kind of lean and mean right now,” G. Love stated. “It’s a more intense show because of the fact that it’s just three of us up there. The show really hinges upon raw energy and the chemistry within the band. It trims off all of the fat and everyone has to pull their weight.”
After his summer tour comes to an end, G. Love will enter the studio in the fall to begin working on a new record scheduled for an early 2013 release.
“Right now, we’ll play anything,” G. Love said. “We have no agenda of what songs to play. We’ll play the hits; the crème de la crème. Wherever we play, we’re going to give them a good show.”
— tom graham
If you go:
What: G. Love and Special Sauce
When: Tuesday, June 26; doors at 7 p.m.
Where: Three Kings, 608 Scranton/Carbondale Highway, Mayfield
Tickets: 876-3660, $20 advance
Information: www.threekingspa.com
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