Chico y Rita (and The Manolettes), Teviot Row, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

An unusual double bill, but one which worked surprisingly well.  Cinemaattic provides a platform for Spanish language film across Scotland, and this free showing, under the auspices of the J&B Festival, was an interesting way to end off my JazzFest week.

Opening the show was blues band The Manolettes.  Despite the name this is a one man band, the one nam being named Manolo.  Guitar, basic drum kit, harmonica and voice.  Playing a set of blues classics he displayed an impressive level of physical coordination, and a real feel for the music.  His talent might not be on the level of the more 'official' festival acts, but he's a enjoyable performer, gets the feet tapping and provide some amusement in his between song patter.  You can see some of his act - and hear his explanation of the band's curious nomenclature - in this YouTube video, posted by the man himself.

The main event was the screening of 2010 animated film Chico y Rita.  A love story based around the latin jazz style of music made famous in recent years by The Buena Vista Social Club.  In 2010 Chico is a shoe-shiner in Havana, living a solitary life.  When the radio plays a song he remembers he once played his memory is taken back to when he first met Rita, the love of his life, back in the late 40s, and the tempestuous on-off romance that fires up between two complementary musical talents,  singer and pianist.  The moves through New York, Los Angeles and Paris, with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker drawn in.  But when the 2010 version of Chico gets his chance of a 'Buena Vista' revival, will it lead him back to Rita?

The animation paints sweeping pictures, light on details, but with a strong sense of music that matches the excellent soundtrack.  And the storyline does bring in some historical context, showing the racism faced by latin artists in the US, and the negative affect the incoming Castro regime had on Cuban music.

Unashamedly romantic, Chico y Rita  is an engaging story, visually enjoyable and musically superb.  Well worth seeking out.

Melisa Kelly and the Smokin' Crows, Jazz Bar, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

It might be the Jazz and Blues festival, but this was an evening of soul and R&B music from a young Glasgow band that are on their way up.  Songs made famous by Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Etta James and others were mixed in with their own compositions in sets that were well balanced and full of energy.

Drums, bass, keyboards and guitar, a couple of backing singers, and Kelly fronting it all on vocals.  They're a solid, competent outfit, and when each got a chance to solo they showed a decent range of talent.  Good bass solo.  The backing singers
 got their shot in the spotlight, and both have voices that would make them strong lead vocalists in their own right.  But there was one good reason why they were in a subsidiary role tonight....

Melisa Kelly has a truly great voice.  Tone, range, power, feel, phrasing, imagination, the ability to hold a long note and the confidence to use her voice as an instrument - they're all there.  She can belt out the rocky numbers and raise the spirits, reach into your heart with the soulfulness of her renditions on slower numbers.  This is a voice that deserves to heard (and the YouTube videos of her I've looked at come nowhere close to demonstrating what a fabulous live artist she is).

Charmingly gauche, self deprecating, yet sweetly engaging, her introductions to songs are brief, but sometimes funny.  Her own songs have reasonably interesting melodies and lyrics ("It's Not Me, It's You" stood out as one of the best), but she's at her strongest interpreting classic soul numbers.  It's all about the voice.

Kelly said she spends a lot of her time wishing she could be Chaka or Aretha.  She shouldn't.  She's Melisa Kelly.

Doug McLeod, Piccolo George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Only seven songs in an hour long performance.  Not long songs either.  But that was no reason to feel short changed when in the hands of a charismatic performer.

McLeod is a long established blues singer/songwriter from New York and Los Angeles, who picked up his love of the blues in St Louis.   A friendly drawl, a slow delivery and a natural ability as a raconteur gave us a man who knows exactly how to handle an audience.  The songs are mostly drawn from events in his life, reaching into love, death, philosophy, some politics and much wry humour.  Now in his seventies, his voice is not quite what it once was, so he frequently uses a conversational style of singing that's well suited to the storytelling nature of his lyrics.  And the guitar playing would still do credit to a musician of any age, especially his slide technique.

There are plenty of comedians who could learn from McLeod's delivery and timing, and his ability to tell a tale which sounds relevant to everyone.  He has a lot of stories from his time in the industry, particularly in the early days of his career when it was hard for a young white man to get acceptance from the established black musicians who had built up the genre.

Good music, funny stories, thoughts on life.  An hour of Doug McLeod is a life enhancing experience.

Blues Afternoon, Spiegeltent George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Three hours, three contrasting Blues acts.  Well, they were supposed to be blues acts....

MAX & VERONICA

Maybe I've led a sheltered life, but who knew a washboard could be played in a sexually provocative manner?!

A duo playing acoustic blues, with ragtime and gospel thrown into the set mix, keeping alive the traditions of the 20s and 30s - in Italy.  The couple from Milan look a bit shambolic to begin with, like they're just pretending to be serious musicians.  That facade soon melts away when they play.  Max is a decent blues guitarist and a respectable singer.  Veronica is the one to bring things to life though.  Playing the aforementioned washboard, plus ukulele and kazoo, she's frequently hilarious, a natural entertainer and possessed of an excellent blues voice.  A fun and musically sound start to the afternoon's show.

BRANDON SANTINI

A big man with big energy, big personality and a big voice.  Santini is a blues singer and harmonica player from Memphis, here backed by a strong four man Scots band of drums, bass and two guitars.  His rapport with the audience was immediate, a communicator who quickly gets a room on his side.  A set of full-on blues rock had many up dancing, everyone clapping along and a buzzing and very sweaty Spiegeltent.  Santini's rich vocals and virtuoso harp playing are hugely impressive, but the band all played their part, especially young local guitarist Jed Potts whose solos soared and ignited into existence.

Santini has genuine star quality and charisma backed up by a obvious love for, and knowledge of, the history of blues music.  But mostly he just wants everyone to have a good time and join in the fun that he and his confederates were clearly having.  In that he certainly succeeded.... and left the final act with the hard task of following a master.

GERRY JABLONSKI BAND

There's line lying somewhere between showmanship and parody, and the GJB gallop over it with brio.  I'm showing my age here, but it felt like the stage had been populated with Fast Show characters.  Jablonski himself is what Ozzy Osbourne would be if he turned into a Dulux dog with John Lennon glasses.  The bass player made you think that Ed Byrne wasn't ageing well.  And the harmonica player seemed to be fuelled up with a potent mix of testosterone and ballet steps.  At least the drummer just looked like a drummer.

The overall effect was hilarious, a pantomime from the rock hall of cliches, and I couldn't stop laughing.  All of which obscures the fact that this is a pretty good rock band, but with less emphasis on the blues aspect than the previous acts. The drummer is excellent, the bass player solid, and Jablonski's guitar work is both exciting and, at times, surprisingly sophisticated.   While the harmonica player certainly adds something to give a more bluesy flavour, he isn't as good as he appears to think he is...

Life's not fair, so making comparisons with what had gone before was inevitable, and the final act of the afternoon, who'd have done well as the second act, fell short as a result.  Santini's musical talents, and ability to relate to people, should have made him a shoe-in as the headline act, a fact reflected in the number of seats that emptied in the final hour.  Festival programme organisers please take note....

Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band, Piccolo George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Real New Orleans jazz from a New Orleans band.  Trumpet, trombone, clarinet, guitar, double bass and washboard.  A familiar enough set up, but, done well, it's still a foot tapping and entertaining form of music.  This band do it really well.

In the first half they were joined by well know Scots jazz singer Alison Affleck, and most numbers featured her vocals.  They looked relaxed and confident in one another, with a great deal of mutual respect for their abilities, but there was always a sense that this relationship was holding the band back from expressing themselves fully.  They provided some excellent solos, were amusing at times, but allowed Affleck to run the show.  She's an ever-reliable vocalist, but a bit staid in this youthful company, and for me the highlight of the set was an outstanding and ever so casual washboard solo from Defne Incitlioglu performed with inspired simplicity.

For the second set we were down to the six band members, and it felt like a totally different gig as they seemed more themselves, with greater freedom to express their talents, and a chance for us to hear their own singing voices.  They're fun, funny and play their music with verve, talent and imagination.  The set list is fluid, made up they go along, an evolving process shared with the audience.  And they have some strong singers in the line up.  Trombonist Haruka Kikuchi has a limited range, but an engaging earthiness to her voice.  Guitarist Molly Reeves has a sweeter tone, a perfect ballad sound.  Chloe Feoranzo gave a wonderful Bessie Smith rendition, and impressed me more than Affleck.  But top place goes to trumpeter Marla Dixon, full of power and expression and sass and a really great jazz vocalist.  Her trumpet solos stay longest in the memory too, clever, sometimes teasing, often unpredictable.

If you like this genre of music, the SEUJB will get you laughing, moving and into the night with a big grin.

Jerron 'Blind Boy' Paxton, Teviot Row, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

The voice doesn't have great range, but radiates character, and he can surely hold a note.  His playing has it's own personal style, such as his highly percussive banjo technique, that makes you wonder what's coming next.  And Paxton is one of the great entertainers, funny, laid back, always laughing.

One of the leading young exponents of the acoustic blues tradition, Jerron Paxton plays guitar, banjoes, piano, fiddle and harmonica with equal dexterity, and sings the blues between downright tragic and comically hilarious.  He has a way with words too, his description of the kind of people who use the term 'PC' as being 'paranoid caucasians' hits the bull on the nose.  Interacting with his audience, reacting to the sounds and sights in the room, he's a restless presence, quick witted and sharp.  He ended the show with a long piano number, combining "I Ain't Got No Body" with "When an Ugly Woman Tells You No", which was funny, heartfelt and featured some great keyboard work.

At only an hour this gig felt way too short.  I hope to see a lot more of 'Blind Boy' in the future.

The Dance Band Days : Bratislava Hot Serenaders, Teviot Row, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Another band that I saw a couple of years ago, and nothing has changed from the review I wrote then.  It's still a 15 piece band - a 4 man rhythm section, 3 violinists, 4 on brass, 3 playing reads, and a pianist.  With a singing group of 5.  There's introductions in halting English from the band leader, giving some background to the songs and tunes being played.  With most of the material they faithfully recreate the 1930s arrangements, complete with solos from several members of the band.  Their dress, hair and even spectacles fit in with the fashions and ethos of the period which adds to the charm of the event.

They're certainly competent, frequently amusing, and the music is enjoyable without being in any way challenging.  Two years ago the show was an hour long, this year there was a further thirty minutes.  That felt about ten minutes too long, with the lack of variety in musical style becoming a bit tedious (although the 2 Slovakian dance numbers, complete with audience participation, did liven things up).  But still a pleasant way to spend your time, and a very different overall experience from most other offerings in the festival.