Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women make stop at Wolf Trap on farewell tour

Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women make stop at Wolf Trap on farewell tour
October 25, 2009
By: Emily Cary
The Examiner

A quarter-century after hitting the road in midlife, Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women have boogied into the hearts of kindred souls with spot-on songs about life's comedies, tragedies and tales of love and loss that touch everyone. The smart and sassy trio from Virginia have resonated from the outset with women worldwide who can relate to their musical laments about hot flashes and growing older.

Now they are "Havin' The Last Word" at the Barns of Wolf Trap, the final D.C.-area stop before their Fredericksburg farewell. As pianist/guitarist/vocalist Ann Rabson points out, this tour is not an occasion for gloom, but a promise that she and her cohorts, vocalist Gaye Adegbalola and multi-instrumentalist Andra Faye, will be three times as accessible in their future ventures as solo artists and in numerous configurations.

"Lots of things led to this decision," she says. "We're all looking at other horizons and projects we've wanted to do for a long time. For instance, I'm working on an instructional video about the barrelhouse piano, a blues in the schools programs, a few solo dates and a blues workshop at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia. I love working with students, especially kids in the eighth grade. They're always the ones who shuffle in complaining they won't like it and end up shouting, 'Hey, this is my kind of music.' "

Rabson is still amused by the naysayers who clucked their tongues and wondered why a woman would undertake an arduous career after midlife. In the beginning, Saffire carried their own equipment, scheduled their gigs and drove from one to another. Today they have a road manager and plenty of perks to make their job easy. They also have indelible memories of fans they have met and artists with whom they've collaborated.

"One of the high points happened years ago at the Chicago Blues Festival when Willie Dixon asked us to perform his 'Wang Dang Doodle,' " she says. "During this farewell tour, the most poignant moment came in St. Joseph, Mo., when a friend whose husband has been ill was able to come out to hear us. The final concert in Fredericksburg is bound to be filled with laughter and tears between every song."

The nine Saffire recordings have been gobbled up by avid fans who adore their swinging uppity style and passionate lyrics about such diverse topics as civil rights, homosexuality, lying preachers, stepparents and thunder thighs. Although they sing covers of songs that match their moods, each member contributes originals to the repertoire. Those who despair of never again enjoying the Saffire chemistry live can relive the memories watching "Hot Flash," the documentary film just out featuring TV appearances and favorite songs performed live at Rams Head and Wolf Trap.

"Wolf Trap is one of our favorite places," Rabson says. "Some of the songs we'll sing this time that will mean the most to our fans are 'Bald Headed Blues' about breast cancer, 'Bad Times' and 'Blue Lullaby,' the last because many people have miscarriages. On a lighter note, they won't be able to resist 'Kitchen Man.' Looking back at all the folks we've touched with our songs, we want them to remember us as proof that age, gender and race don't make a difference in music."