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.

Kris Drever and his band, Union Chapel, London

 If you can discount the deep set pain in your bum caused by those slab hard wooden pews, the Union Chapel really is a magnificent venue for music. Especially at this time of year when the high stained glass windows flood the place with the light of a summer sunset. A cloud free sky saw that light slowly diminish, but retain surprising power, well into the evening, so that the lighting within the building, and specifically on the stage, changed with great subtlety as song came upon song. Until, as encore approached, only the artists remained clearly visible, the centre of audience attention throughout, but now with added emphasis form the elements of the world.

Such a sublime setting deserves a performance of equal power and sophistication, and Kris Drever is the man for the job.  While his voice might not be in the top flight technically, it's warm, smooth, comforting, emotional and immediately identifiable.  A firm favourite in this household.  Add in a dry, funny stage presence (including the frequent self deprecation of his constant need to retune his guitars!) and Drever has become a live act to savour.

The material was all familiar to long time Drever fans, mostly drawn from his five excellent solo albums, and including some of his work with the incredible Lau, and superband Drever McCusker  Woomble.  But there was pelnty of novelty in the arrangements, with the backing vocals of Rachel Lightbody (including a wonderful solo on Scapa Flow 1919), and the percussion of John Lowrie, bringing freshness to these old songs.  Kris also showed off his guitar virtuosity with a few pipe tunes.  Add in the solid bass and vocals of long-time collaborator Euan Burton, and it's the perfect wee band to showcase Drever's musical and songwriting abilities.

There was a special surprise at the end when the quartet returned to do their encore accompanied by a weel kent redhead.  Eddi Reader, direct from appearing in a West End musical, added her voice and vibrant persona to the closiong numbers and that felt like full circle for us - we first saw Drever as the support act for Eddi, about seventeen years ago.  Both remain as special as ever.

Anna Karenina, Lyceum

 A fast paced and cleverly constructed retelling of the essentials of Tolstoy's classic. Love, passion and existential angst in a crushingly patriarchal society.  The story concentrates on the central relationships - Ann and Vronsky, Levin and Kitty, Stiva and Dolly, and Karenin the outsider, plus the powerful tug of Anna's love for her son Seryozha.  To the fore are the three women, all trying to work within the fine boundaries that society places them within, and frustrated to be so confined by the double standards im posed on them.  

What is better?  To play it safe, even if unhappiness results, or to take risks that can lead to joy or disaster?  How to interpret  the meanings of others, or to get your own point across without being direct?  Love and passion, hate and loathing all mixed into a swirl of well choreographed activity.

Strong performances, notably from Angus Miller as Stiva, who least serious of the characters who flies by the seat of his pants and struggles on from scrape to scrape.  And a set that provides a slow build up in a sense of doom, as Anna's life collapses around her.

It's a clever production, perhaps too clever at times, but the interest never flags and there's no confusion, evben when conversations interlink.  Initially the more modern language, especially the swearing, jars a littrle with the historical context, but soon blends into the action, a reflection of the timelessness of Tolstoy's creations.  Their concerns are still very much our concerns, and that is the most fascinating aspect of an entertaining two hours.