Blues Afternoon (Conor Selby Band, Troublemakers with Maggie Bell), Spiegeltent, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 CONOR SELBY BAND

Selby is a young singer/songwriter from England, with his (mostly) youngish band in support. Drums, bass, rhythm guitar and keys back up the leader who sings and plays lead guitar. Despite their age, and playing mostly Selby's own material, it soon becomes apparent that what we're listening to is a classic 60s R&B band. And a good one at that.

Much of the 60s feel comes from the organ of Stevie Watts, who shares the solos with Selby's strings, and is a strong presence within the lineup. The 60s vibe is enhanced by the rhythm guitarist, with his floral short and Lennon shades.

There was a '64 Ray Charles song, and a Selby composition relating to his own lifelong love for the blues and what it meant to him. But much of the time the band went straight from one song to another, with no introduction. Which was a shame, as Selby speaks well when the mood takes him. His singing voice is competent, albeit unremarkable, but oh why do UK singers so often adopt US intonations? Be yourselves guys.

A good opening set that got the audience in the mood for what was to follow.

TIM ELLIOTT AND THE TROUBLEMAKERS

It was Scotland all the way from now on. From deepest Livingston came Tim Elliott, veteran front man of Blues 'n Trouble, now well into his seventies. But still a blues man to his core. Accompanied by one one the country's finest guitarists, Sandy Tweedale, and Chris Agnew of the Rezillos on upright bass. With such a strong and experienced line up the quality was no surprise.

They mixed classic 20s and 30s blues with R&B from the 60s (a Yardbirds number stood out), plus some of the Elliott's own songs from his band, into a melange that gave variety and a strong urge to move the body. Tim's voice remains passionate and colourful, while his harmonica playing has real feeling for the genre. Agnew is as solid as they come, while much of Tweedale's playing is mesmerising. Fifty minutes flew by.

MAGGIE BELL

A short break and Tweedale and Agnew returned, this time with another septuagenarian of even greater legend. Maggie Bell has been belting out the blues since the sixties and has a huge variety of material on call. And any set that begins with Free's Wishing Well promises much. Bell delivers. And how.

Rough as a badger's arse, and all the better for it, her vocals remain powerfully distinctive, with constant improvisation and such a strong musical sensibility. An instrument of power and subtlety, best described, as she said herself, as pure gallus.

The voice is backed up by a great stage presence, enhanced by an audience that wasn't shy in showing exactly where their loyalties lay. Bell is a fan favourite, and not just for her voice. An entertainer supreme, she can be hilariously funny, has a deep river of anecdotes, and knows how to get a crowd involved. Even if it meant signing along to a Kylie song!

Long my the Legend of Maryhill keep on rocking.

Sister Cookie, Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 Cookie emerged, in the dark, and sat at the grand piano. With her back to the audience. Sang three songs, without ever showing her face. On came the band, a four piece outfit of drums, bass, guitar and sax. And still she sat at the piano for the next number. Only then when more than twenty minutes had passed, did she come to the mic centre stage and show herself. Maybe it's just me, but I found this an odd way to start a show and get an audience on your side. So it took me a while to get into the swing of the music.

And swing it does. Cookie's voice is deep, resonant and expressive, although the quality drops holding longer notes. The songs are mostly self penned, sometimes touch on depression, often dealing with how difficult she is to have a relationship with. She laughs loudly and frequently and has a great time up there, a big presence in all senses. Her band a solid appendance, with good solos from sax and guitar, and an excellent bass player.

It was slow getting going, but ended up being an enjoyable show and a fun time.

Rachel Lightbody, St Brides, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 Backed by a four piece band (drums, upright bass, piano and sax), Lightbody sang a wide range of her favourite songs, from Jerome Kern to The Beatles. Her music is very much of the free jazz persuasion, and there are plenty of solo opportunities for all the band members. Rachel is an engaging personality, and her enthusiasm and warmth bubbles over into her introductions. She was clearly enjoying every minute of the evening.

I'm probably not the right person to be reviewing this gig. While I loved, and was greatly impressed by, the quality of her voice, the freeform nature of the music did little for me. I have to admit that a bit of melody and rhythm are a necessity to me. In her intro to here Comes the Sun, probably the best known of the songs in her set, she encouraged the audience to sing along. Nobody did, because how can you join in when only fragments of the original tune are left to recognise?

In the end I think I enjoyed the introductions, and the pleasure on Lightbody's face, more than I did the actual music!

The James Oliver Band, St Brides, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 

Let the clichés commence.

Appearances can be deceptive

or

You can't judge a book by it's cover.

The band is announced and on walk a couple of obvious rockers, to take their places with drums and pace. Followed by a shambling giant who looks like he's dressed at the last minute. Grabbing the first things of the rail in a charity shop. In the dark. The bottle top glasses and sing-song Welsh accent further dispel any resemblance to every guitar hero stereotype you've ever come across. But let none of that fool you. Oliver is the real thing.

Oliver is high energy, hilarious, and a virtuoso of blues rock guitar.  Plus being a competent enough singer.  His material skips across genres, covering rockabilly, blues, country and pure rock.  Tunes from his wide range of guitar and musical heroes, and slef pennd songs too.  A few instrumentals.  There was a beautiful rendition of Peter Green's soulful Albatross that carried the listener back in time.

But Oliver has his own style, and injects imagination into everything he plays.  There's nothing predictable about the solos, which take the rules of each genre and bend them to his own wishes.  But, alongside the musical output, an Oliver gig is a lot of fun.  Unless you simply found it all a bit loud then it's hard to imagine anyone not getting some genuine enjoyment from the show, even if only from watching the man move about the stage.  

He brought a few local guests on towards the end.  Richard O'Donnell and John Bruce, both well respected blues guitarists, delivered fine solos, and tired to 'duel' with the main man.  While O'Donnell just about kept up, Bruce laughed and admitted defeat to the talent of the younger man.  The final guest was vocalist Liz Jones, the only one of the three who could say she did a better job than Oliver!  A rocking finale from the basic trio closed the show, to a standing ovation.

James Oliver has a new fan.

Jed Potts and Hillman Hunters, St Brides, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

A rocking blues set from Potts (guitar and vocals), Charlie Wild (bass) and Jonny Christie (drums), playing a very varied mix of established Hunters songs (and tunes), covers (a Johnny Winter number stood out), and new material commissioned by the EJBF. Potts keeps the chat to a minimum, and has his humourous moments, but the focus is very much on the music.

The trio form a tight outfit, Potts has a decent singing voice without being especially memorable, a diverse range of riffs, and the odd spark of imagination in his solos. The melodies are often simple, but the arrangements smart and embrace a range of tempos and influences. Christie's percussive contribution draws the eye. A solid beat enhanced with constant variations, some good solos, and and impressive intro to a couple of numbers.

You'll see better bands at the Festival, but Potts and co lay on a good show and you'd never feel short changed from seeing them.

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.