Live! at the Morley with Blue Lunch

Blog Author: Ellie Rafoth, Community Engagement Intern

This week on Wednesday, July 9, Blue Lunch is playing at the Judge Morley Pavilion at the Wick Recreation Area as a part of Mill Creek MetroParks’ summer concert series Live! at the Morley!

Looking forward to tomorrow’s performance is Bob Frank, Blue Lunch’s guitarist, with an inside look at this blues-swing band!

ER: What is Blue Lunch’s history?

BF: The band started up in 1984 as a spinoff of the Cruise Masters; another local band that is still playing. Around 1995, the band began taking a new direction, which is when I joined. We began replacing members, and Pete London is the only member left from the original band. By 1997-98, all of the group’s members were in place, and we have been together for sixteen years. As of now, all of Blue Lunch’s members reside on the Eastside of Cleveland.

ER: How many members are there of Blue Lunch and who are they?

BF: There are eight members of Blue Lunch. I am the guitarist and one of the vocalists. I also contribute as the primary songwriter and producer for the band’s recordings. Also a member of Blue Lunch is Bob Michael, an accomplished trombone player who brings a wealth of musical experience to Blue Lunch. Our saxophone player is Chris Burge who began his music career at The Ohio State University and now plays with many groups including Blue Lunch. Pete London is our front man of the group as he is our harmonica player and vocalist. Pete is the unofficial leader of Blue Lunch and the only original member of the band. Mike Rubin is our trumpet player who brings a lifetime of professionalism to the Blue Lunch band as a much in demand session player. Holding the drum position in Blue Lunch is Scott Flowers who played on the first Blue Lunch recording and now plays again on our fifth and newest cd, Sideswiped. Expert on both electric and upright basses in Blue Lunch is Ray DeForest and lastly, Mike Sands brings his traditionally based piano playing to Blue Lunch on the keyboard.

ER: What type of music does Blue Lunch play?

BF: That is the hardest question to answer! We play every facet of blues, from low down delta blues to jazz and everything in between. We put a lot of emphasis on Memphis and New Orleans soul.

ER: Besides Live! at the Morley, where else can we expect to see Blue Lunch?

BF: After Live! at the Morley, we will be playing at John Carroll University in University Heights, OH on Thursday, July 10. You can also see us at Shaker Square in Cleveland, OH on Saturday, July 19. On August 29, we will perform in the Legacy Village Concert Series in Legacy Village in Lyndhurst, OH.

For a complete list of live show dates for Blue Lunch, please visit http://www.bluelunch.com to see all of the places you can find Blue Lunch this summer!

ER: Any big news or closing thoughts about the band?

BF: Our biggest news is that we signed with a west coast record company called Ripcat Records. This was unexpected, and the cd contains material from all six previous Blue Lunch CDs as well as new material. Blue Lunch Special, is out to commemorate our 30th anniversary as a band which takes place in 2014. This will be our first significant release in a while!

Thanks Bob and Blue Lunch for sharing your musical talents with us this summer during Live! at the Morley!

For more information about Blue Lunch, please visit http://www.bluelunch.com. Check out millcreekmetroparks.org to view a complete schedule of other bands playing Live! at the Morley in the MetroParks’ summer concert series! Hope to see you at the Morley enjoying the bluesy sounds of Blue Lunch tomorrow!