Blues Afternoon (Michael Roach, Andrew Eustace Band, Marcus Bonfanti Band), Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 MICHAEL ROACH

Cool. In his cream suit and beige homburg he came on stage looking like the epitome of the Mississippi blues man. Which he was. And funny, from the off. Played a good variety of blues songs, mostly from 20s, 30s and 40s. Simple melodies, which allowed him not to tax his voice. He might not be the greatest singer technically, but he sings well within himself, almost conversationally, and the phrasing is often clever. And, as he says himself, he specialises in a bit of smut, so even the lyrics could be amusing at times. But the guitar playing is another matter. An unusual style that makes him a bit special, with sharp, clipped notes and a very clear sound. A great, and relaxed, warm up act.

ANDREW EUSTACE BAND

A pretty typical RnB band. Drums, bass, and Eustace himself on guitar and vocals, playing a mix of original material and blues standards. Musically solid, and certainly well above pub band standard. But lacking the spark of originality that sorts out the good from the great. Eustace's solos were more than competent, but always felt predictable, very much in keeping with the genre without adding anything to it. The exception was the bass player, on 5 string bass, who constantly drew the eye (and not just because he was slightly reminiscent of comedian Greg Davies!). Adding a layer of complexity to the underlying soundscape, and provided a wonderful bass solo, to suggest that he was the best thing about this trio. All good enough, but not exciting.

However...

MARCUS BONFANTI BAND

Another trio of drums bass (this time of the upright variety) and guitarist/vocalist, but these Blues Afternoons always try to save the best for last, and this was very much the case here. Defining charisma is never easy, but it was immediately clear that Bonfanti has it. Full of character, humour, with the talent in both vocals and string playing to back it up. There was plenty of variety in the material, including originals, blues classics, jazz and even a bit of ragtime. Lots of variety in tempo and style.

Bonfanti has a strong singing voice, deep and powerful, although his phrasing and intonation is American, despite the clear London origins of his speaking tones. The guitar playing brought everything that Eustace lacked, with frequent forays into the unexpected and a constant demonstration of a vibrant musical imagination. And the same could be said for the very characterful bassman. I don't think I've ever sat through a seventy minute gig with so many bass solos (and quite a few contributions from the man at the back too), reflecting Bonfanti's lack of selfishness, and just how accomplished the man on the big wooden box was. There was clearly a great relationship and empathy within the trio, and that flowed into their performance, both accomplished and joyful.

But there was no doubting who the star of the entire show was, and I hope I get to see more of Marcus in the future.