Music - Smokin' guitar and steamin' gumbo

By Anna Marie D'Addarie - February 21, 2008

It's taken almost a year and a half for the folks at Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs to bring the Sauce Boss, Bill Wharton, and his band, the Ingredients, back to the Island for what is sure to be a great night of blues music. If you missed the show in September 2006 you probably heard that you missed quite a night. Many of the people who packed the house that night left asking the management, "When are they coming back?"

As the audience cheered for more, the Sauce Boss, Bill Wharton, added a full bottle of his own hot sauce to the gumbo pot during his Sept. 2006 show at Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs.Photo by Ralph Stewart. Click photo for larger version.

His show may be the perfect anecdote for the winter blues. This man knows how to perform. To top off the evening, everyone gets to eat a delicious bowl of gumbo that will be made right on stage during the show. Ingredients are added with much fanfare in between the numbers. The music and the aroma of gumbo deliver a one-two sensory punch.

Planet Gumbo

Mr. Wharton has been cooking up his gumbo and playing the blues for many years, but it wasn't until Nov. 13, 2002, that his music found a mission. He was asked to bring his act to the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen in Orlando, Fla., and that one performance changed his life. He founded Planet Gumbo, a non-profit organization whose goals are simple: feed the needy, provide hope and sustenance through music and food, raise community awareness, provide a clearing house for information to benefit the homeless, and assist local organizations in their efforts to help those in need.

Since its inception, Planet Gumbo has helped thousands of people all across the country. Mr. Wharton and his band have played free concerts, donating both their time and money to help the hungry and homeless.

Find out what's cookin' at the Offshore this coming Tuesday night when the Sauce Boss and his band light a fire under the kettle.

The Sauce Boss concert, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 9 pm, Offshore Ale, Kennebec Ave., Oak Bluffs. Tickets: $10 include the show and gumbo. Limited number of reservations available for stage-side seating. Call 508-693-2626, ext. 13. For more information on the Sauce Boss, visit planetgumbo.org.