Barbara Payton “Rock My Soul” by Joe Montague
Barbara Payton Photo by Joe Montague
Some singers and musicians rely on gimmicks or prancing around the stage in a fashion that in no way connects with their music and they do so to cover up deficiencies in their performance. Detroit singer and songwriter Barbara Payton simply let her outstanding and soulful vocals tell the story when she performed at the Saline, Michigan SummerFest on August 10th. Backed by her band The Instigators, consisting of drummer Ron Pangborn and guitarists Bobby Murray, Roscoe and Dale Grisa (who played keys for this concert), Payton opened her concert with “Muddy Water Blues,” written by Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company). The intro has a swampy Blues flavor to it and featured an incredible solo by Bobby Murray, demonstrating that he was very deserving of the honor bestowed upon him in 2011 when the Detroit Blues Society granted him a Lifetime Achievement Award. Murray’s solo was followed by a riveting soulful vocal performance by Payton.