The community blues show is just the tonic.
For the first time this autumn, Tom Roberts and Gladstone ‘G’ Wilson brought a night of the blues to The Hub at St Marys Acoustic Lounge. The full capacity crowd were seated around small tables, replicating the feel of traditional blues bars, perfectly positioned to enjoy an intimate and diverse programme.
Musical Director and pianist Gladstone led the core band comprising of guitarists Rich Bates and Sean Emery and percussionist Jay Haywood. This talented ensemble opened the show with a fine rendition of Sweet Home Chicago and the second half with Blues Jam… in which, they included brilliant periods of improvisation where each musician showcased their talent in turn.
Sean Emery made a very impressive debut with numbers by JB Lenoir, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King and a standout version of All your love (I Miss Loving) by Otis Rush. With his excellent guitar playing, he was the cherry on top of a fabulous band, it was uplifting to hear from him how blues is still relished by the younger generation.
Singer Rachel Matthews set the stage alight with her rendition of Wade in the Water, famously sung by Eva Cassidy. Her smooth vocals made your spine tingle in You Make me Feel like a Natural Woman, by Carole King and her Dolly Parton tribute, Jolene.
As Compere Tom Roberts brought a comedic warmth to the evening as well as singing Big Legged Woman by Freddie King plus a fine rendition of Hoochie Coochie Man which, like House of the Rising Sun, brought all singers and musicians together in a fabulous group number.
Nikki Evans has a knockout voice. She delivered stunning performances of I Never Loved a Man by Aretha Franklin and Take Another Little Piece of my Heart by Emma Franklin. Then her cheeky character and vocal power met in a hilarious version of I Just Wanna Make Love to You, as she milled through the crowd looking for a man to re-enact the famous advert with a can of diet coke that she had brought with her.
The evening of blues weaved a colourful and dynamic tapestry performed by brilliant musicians and singers where each instrument had a chance to shine and whose individual vocal personalities were perfectly showcased in their song choices. It was warm and engaging atmosphere and the audience clearly appreciated the programme and even Tom’s cheesy jokes, which added to the friendly fun in their collaboration.
One couldn’t summarise this fine uplifting evening better than BB King when he said: “Blues is a tonic for whatever ails you. I could play the blues and then not be blue anymore.”
The Acoustic Lounge returns on 8 November with a classic ‘Album Tracks’ theme.
Better get your tickets quickly!