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.
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