Rabbit Foot - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
The Hat gets strangely confused when watching Rabbit Foot. They are totally impossible to pin down - and this, of course is their great, great strength and They are unique in style and taking the blues world by storm - and yet - when you listen, one minute you are suddenly drumming in a Columbian village hearing Ella and George Thorogood partying like crazy and the next moment you are taken with this overpowering urge to throw shapes while Jamie Morgan and Carla Viegas whoop and swoop around each other like crazed shamen.
What is truly attractive about this duo is not that they are both superb musicians but that they enjoy it and they insist, no, make you enjoy it too. They do dirty blues. They do ecstasy blues. They do jumping blues. Class act. Hebden loves ' em.
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
14 Dec 2015
L.R. Phoenix - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
L.R. Phoenix - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
L.R. Phoenix could not be invented. Lives in Finland, can be very scary but is really quite unreasonably nice, sings blues, plays bottleneck, sings country, has a voice like Waits meets Howlin' and is hugely, hugely entertaining. The blues underground love him and you can see why. He brings with him not just an obvious guitar talent but there is a touch of something subversive lurking and he likes to make you feel you are in on the plot. This was a cracking set by the sharp-suited and booted L.R and there was great delight in the audience (but no real surprise!) when he announced that he was fed up with lifting his guitar - and sang his last number, majestically, acapella! A true festival star.
L.R. Phoenix could not be invented. Lives in Finland, can be very scary but is really quite unreasonably nice, sings blues, plays bottleneck, sings country, has a voice like Waits meets Howlin' and is hugely, hugely entertaining. The blues underground love him and you can see why. He brings with him not just an obvious guitar talent but there is a touch of something subversive lurking and he likes to make you feel you are in on the plot. This was a cracking set by the sharp-suited and booted L.R and there was great delight in the audience (but no real surprise!) when he announced that he was fed up with lifting his guitar - and sang his last number, majestically, acapella! A true festival star.
Northsyde - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Northsyde - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
A squillion years ago, before The Hat needed help to lift an amplifier, there was a regularly used band expression "Watch Out For The Windows". It came back to him with a bang when blues rock band Northsyde kicked off on the Electric stage. Fortunately, Yorkshire mills are made of stern stuff and held on whilst Lorna Fothergill and band threw some of the best heavy blues and blues rock at them that the Hebden Festival has ever seen....plus a little noisy soul funk goes in the mix as well. This was the real deal and the rammed room moved as one to shout/greet and punch air at every number. Singer Lorna has a raw and powerful voice and she seems to channel every rock and heavy blues singer straight from her spectacular heels to the top of her head. Dynamic doesn't really do it justice - it would be daft to reference Zep and Janis because her voice is nobody else's but hers - but her range and power would match anyone you can name. Somehow she effortlessly lifts it above her classy driving band of Jules Fothergill, Ian Mauricio and Hayden Doyle - which in itself is some achievement when they are running at full tilt. Yes, they do a bit of slow and a bit of quiet - but I'm not going to mention that. Go see for yourself. Soon. This band is moving fast.
A squillion years ago, before The Hat needed help to lift an amplifier, there was a regularly used band expression "Watch Out For The Windows". It came back to him with a bang when blues rock band Northsyde kicked off on the Electric stage. Fortunately, Yorkshire mills are made of stern stuff and held on whilst Lorna Fothergill and band threw some of the best heavy blues and blues rock at them that the Hebden Festival has ever seen....plus a little noisy soul funk goes in the mix as well. This was the real deal and the rammed room moved as one to shout/greet and punch air at every number. Singer Lorna has a raw and powerful voice and she seems to channel every rock and heavy blues singer straight from her spectacular heels to the top of her head. Dynamic doesn't really do it justice - it would be daft to reference Zep and Janis because her voice is nobody else's but hers - but her range and power would match anyone you can name. Somehow she effortlessly lifts it above her classy driving band of Jules Fothergill, Ian Mauricio and Hayden Doyle - which in itself is some achievement when they are running at full tilt. Yes, they do a bit of slow and a bit of quiet - but I'm not going to mention that. Go see for yourself. Soon. This band is moving fast.
Mississippi MacDonald - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Mississippi MacDonald - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
When you are six feet something tall, wear a red suit and a big hat and you and your colleague walk into a blues bar and announce yourselves as Mississippi MacDonald and Rosco Blues then there is a fair chance that you are either completely mad and looking for a fight, or you are a talented authentic blues duo looking to spread a little happiness.
Fortunately for the Blues Festival these two bluesmen were the real Thing. Quickly settling into a cool acoustic groove they took the hugely appreciative audience on a knowledgeable journey South,
stopping at all those traditional musical halts and raising their hats to their heroes on the way. (There was even a delightful story of Mississippi and his dad trekking to see Robert Johnson's recording studio only to find that it had been bulldozed down the day before!) The absolute purity and controlled power of MacDonald's voice is beautifully counterbalanced by Rosco's fine and delicate Sonny Terry influenced soaring harp lines. They are a perfect fit. How often do you go to a gig and hear a Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a stack of traditional numbers, the referencing of Little Lizzy Jane and, of course, the classic line that just has to be somewhere in any brilliantly played traditional set “You're so mean to me'. A great set by some serious musicians....and unsurprisingly they took two well-deserved encores.
When you are six feet something tall, wear a red suit and a big hat and you and your colleague walk into a blues bar and announce yourselves as Mississippi MacDonald and Rosco Blues then there is a fair chance that you are either completely mad and looking for a fight, or you are a talented authentic blues duo looking to spread a little happiness.
Fortunately for the Blues Festival these two bluesmen were the real Thing. Quickly settling into a cool acoustic groove they took the hugely appreciative audience on a knowledgeable journey South,
stopping at all those traditional musical halts and raising their hats to their heroes on the way. (There was even a delightful story of Mississippi and his dad trekking to see Robert Johnson's recording studio only to find that it had been bulldozed down the day before!) The absolute purity and controlled power of MacDonald's voice is beautifully counterbalanced by Rosco's fine and delicate Sonny Terry influenced soaring harp lines. They are a perfect fit. How often do you go to a gig and hear a Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a stack of traditional numbers, the referencing of Little Lizzy Jane and, of course, the classic line that just has to be somewhere in any brilliantly played traditional set “You're so mean to me'. A great set by some serious musicians....and unsurprisingly they took two well-deserved encores.
Paddy Milner & Marcus Bonfanti - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Paddy Milner & Marcus Bonfanti - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
The Hat has written a good few words about Marcus Bonfanti and Paddy Milner - although not as many as the notes they hammer into a lot of their
numbers - so they'll forgive him for this short paragraph. These two with their fantastic symbiotic musical relationship have played every Hebden Festival. They sit at the high table which is where you sit the big boys and girls. They play 'Take Five' for fun, 'Cheap Whisky' to thrill and everything for huge pleasure. You get picked up, carried along, get involved, open your mouth, gulp, dance the bad boogie and they'll never let you go once they've got you.They dedicated 'Grits ain't Groceries' to head honcho Jason for his graft in the kitchen. Proper nice blokes. Fabulous musicians. If you took them away The Hat worries that the building might fall down.
The Hat has written a good few words about Marcus Bonfanti and Paddy Milner - although not as many as the notes they hammer into a lot of their
numbers - so they'll forgive him for this short paragraph. These two with their fantastic symbiotic musical relationship have played every Hebden Festival. They sit at the high table which is where you sit the big boys and girls. They play 'Take Five' for fun, 'Cheap Whisky' to thrill and everything for huge pleasure. You get picked up, carried along, get involved, open your mouth, gulp, dance the bad boogie and they'll never let you go once they've got you.They dedicated 'Grits ain't Groceries' to head honcho Jason for his graft in the kitchen. Proper nice blokes. Fabulous musicians. If you took them away The Hat worries that the building might fall down.
Alex McKown - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Alex McKown - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Alex McKown, second time nominee for a British Blues Young Artist award has been lauded by The Hat before and I last saw him at the great Newark Blues Festival. Crikey - what a difference a few more months on the road can make. Here was a cracking mature performance from an old pro. Having had not one, but two car calamities on the way to Hebden, Alex got the black cloud's
Seriously Silver Lining with stand-in back line of Layla and Joey from Detroit Breakdown. Standing solidly on his right side was the Sheffield stellar saxophonist Simon Peat who has accompanied Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner in the past when he is not fronting his own group. Far from being phased in such company, Alex fronted a fantastic energy pumped set with a new found voice and frequently swapped frenetic exchanges with all of his bandsmen that got the lively crowd hollering in appreciation. Exciting, breathless, uplifting, jaw dropping – and no, I'm not going to harp on about his age...suffice to say that, if this is the future then it's in pretty safe hands.
Alex McKown, second time nominee for a British Blues Young Artist award has been lauded by The Hat before and I last saw him at the great Newark Blues Festival. Crikey - what a difference a few more months on the road can make. Here was a cracking mature performance from an old pro. Having had not one, but two car calamities on the way to Hebden, Alex got the black cloud's
Seriously Silver Lining with stand-in back line of Layla and Joey from Detroit Breakdown. Standing solidly on his right side was the Sheffield stellar saxophonist Simon Peat who has accompanied Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner in the past when he is not fronting his own group. Far from being phased in such company, Alex fronted a fantastic energy pumped set with a new found voice and frequently swapped frenetic exchanges with all of his bandsmen that got the lively crowd hollering in appreciation. Exciting, breathless, uplifting, jaw dropping – and no, I'm not going to harp on about his age...suffice to say that, if this is the future then it's in pretty safe hands.
Aynsley Lister - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Aynsley Lister - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Aynsley Lister is one of those guitarists that real die-hards with fixed views about their blues have terrible trouble with. Not so The Hat, who loves the rule breakers. Anyone who can start a set at a hundred miles an hour, stop off briefly for a slow blues, divert for a short self-penned tribute to the TV series 'Life on Mars' and finish up with a standing ovation whilst playing a stunning 'Purple Rain' gets The Hat's vote every time.This was proper headlining at a grown-up Blues Festival. Clearly we were in the company of an accomplished musician but also one who could both get the audience involved with numbers like the shouty chorused 'Straight Talking Woman' and then get the place quietened down with a beautiful self-penned tribute to a Friend.
Many of the numbers were from his soon to be released album 'Home' which is clearly going to be an essential purchase for fans. Aynsley has also surrounded himself with a top flight close-knit band and in particular his keyboard man shone when they played a delicate extended version of 'Feelin' Good'.
Aynsley is the classic blues crossover artist and is clearly as much at home on a rock based stage as he is on a pure blues based one - indeed, in the past, he has toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd and played Glastonbury with huge success. At Hebden he managed to bring that complete range of styles to the stage and deliver them brilliantly with elan and style to an ecstatic audience.
Aynsley Lister is one of those guitarists that real die-hards with fixed views about their blues have terrible trouble with. Not so The Hat, who loves the rule breakers. Anyone who can start a set at a hundred miles an hour, stop off briefly for a slow blues, divert for a short self-penned tribute to the TV series 'Life on Mars' and finish up with a standing ovation whilst playing a stunning 'Purple Rain' gets The Hat's vote every time.This was proper headlining at a grown-up Blues Festival. Clearly we were in the company of an accomplished musician but also one who could both get the audience involved with numbers like the shouty chorused 'Straight Talking Woman' and then get the place quietened down with a beautiful self-penned tribute to a Friend.
Many of the numbers were from his soon to be released album 'Home' which is clearly going to be an essential purchase for fans. Aynsley has also surrounded himself with a top flight close-knit band and in particular his keyboard man shone when they played a delicate extended version of 'Feelin' Good'.
Aynsley is the classic blues crossover artist and is clearly as much at home on a rock based stage as he is on a pure blues based one - indeed, in the past, he has toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd and played Glastonbury with huge success. At Hebden he managed to bring that complete range of styles to the stage and deliver them brilliantly with elan and style to an ecstatic audience.
Paul Lamb and The Detroit Breakdown - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Paul Lamb and The Detroit Breakdown - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Paul Lamb and The Detroit Breakdown don't take prisoners. You just get what is written all over the tin and from the first note there is no messing about as they take you straight into a ten minute roaring blues rock number complete with Yabbadabbadoo shout out. Paul is backed by the astonishing powerhouse of Layla and Joey and tight together they drove their mix of savage seventies blues rock and modern downtown Detroit blues straight deep into the heart of the evening. This is a brilliant, thrilling and roaring trio who lifted the roof off the venerable old Hebden Chapel and it will surely never be the same again. As they said in one of their self-penned numbers "There Goes The Neighbourhood"...and didn't we just love it...
Paul Lamb and The Detroit Breakdown don't take prisoners. You just get what is written all over the tin and from the first note there is no messing about as they take you straight into a ten minute roaring blues rock number complete with Yabbadabbadoo shout out. Paul is backed by the astonishing powerhouse of Layla and Joey and tight together they drove their mix of savage seventies blues rock and modern downtown Detroit blues straight deep into the heart of the evening. This is a brilliant, thrilling and roaring trio who lifted the roof off the venerable old Hebden Chapel and it will surely never be the same again. As they said in one of their self-penned numbers "There Goes The Neighbourhood"...and didn't we just love it...
Jo Harman - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Jo Harman - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
The Hebden Chapel was the perfect venue for headliner Jo Harman. Bestriding the stage, in front of the pulpit, she took ownership of the place and her Congregation just lapped it up.
The exciting thing about this singer is not just the sheer power and quality of her voice but the manner in which she uses it. Whatever the number - and the set contained a vast range of material - she brought to it all the subtleties and nuances that only a fine and accomplished artist can. Deep and heart-felt soul with drawn-out and movingly sustained power, stomping bluesy up-beat, the sparse and tender phrasing and even swinging jazz phrase elision were all perfectly pitched for the evening. The audience jumped from whooping and hollering to leaning forward and hanging on every word - and back again.
Although Jo is apparently lining up big audience venues, it seems to The Hat at least that this kind of gig - where she could almost touch the audience vocally - shows all her strengths and talents at their very best. Her involvement with her songs, as she is singing them, is tangible and her knowledgeable audience knew and understood that. Surrounded by a band of superbly professional and understated musicians who complemented her perfectly, Jo delivered a true Headliner's set.
The Hebden Chapel was the perfect venue for headliner Jo Harman. Bestriding the stage, in front of the pulpit, she took ownership of the place and her Congregation just lapped it up.
The exciting thing about this singer is not just the sheer power and quality of her voice but the manner in which she uses it. Whatever the number - and the set contained a vast range of material - she brought to it all the subtleties and nuances that only a fine and accomplished artist can. Deep and heart-felt soul with drawn-out and movingly sustained power, stomping bluesy up-beat, the sparse and tender phrasing and even swinging jazz phrase elision were all perfectly pitched for the evening. The audience jumped from whooping and hollering to leaning forward and hanging on every word - and back again.
Although Jo is apparently lining up big audience venues, it seems to The Hat at least that this kind of gig - where she could almost touch the audience vocally - shows all her strengths and talents at their very best. Her involvement with her songs, as she is singing them, is tangible and her knowledgeable audience knew and understood that. Surrounded by a band of superbly professional and understated musicians who complemented her perfectly, Jo delivered a true Headliner's set.
Steve Fulsham Band - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Steve Fulsham Band - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
A short sentence to point you in the direction of the terrific Steve Fulsham Band playing at one of the free gigs to much acclaim. To walk in to a bar off the street and find a tight trio playing two Buddy Guys back to back with style and skill is always a thrill. Go look for them.
A short sentence to point you in the direction of the terrific Steve Fulsham Band playing at one of the free gigs to much acclaim. To walk in to a bar off the street and find a tight trio playing two Buddy Guys back to back with style and skill is always a thrill. Go look for them.
John Crampton - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
John Crampton - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
John Crampton just about brought the whole building down.
This was a quite breath-taking performance by a phenomenal musician who brought the clamouring audience to its feet on more than one occasion and had everyone shouting for more.
John is a complete orchestra of sound. Voice, acoustic, national steel, pick, slide, banjo, harp...he picks you up, shakes you warmly by the throat and throws you around the room while you try and hang on to your seat. This was exciting blues and blue grass of the very top quality. John's intensity and furious attack is totally compelling and his skills totally beyond question. When a single artist sitting on a small chair on a big stage can get hundreds of blues fans off their heads with mad loud pleasure then he is pretty damn good. If you were at this gig you knew you were in the presence of a mighty talent. If you weren't? Rush to the next one.
John Crampton just about brought the whole building down.
This was a quite breath-taking performance by a phenomenal musician who brought the clamouring audience to its feet on more than one occasion and had everyone shouting for more.
John is a complete orchestra of sound. Voice, acoustic, national steel, pick, slide, banjo, harp...he picks you up, shakes you warmly by the throat and throws you around the room while you try and hang on to your seat. This was exciting blues and blue grass of the very top quality. John's intensity and furious attack is totally compelling and his skills totally beyond question. When a single artist sitting on a small chair on a big stage can get hundreds of blues fans off their heads with mad loud pleasure then he is pretty damn good. If you were at this gig you knew you were in the presence of a mighty talent. If you weren't? Rush to the next one.
Kyla Brox - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Kyla Brox - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Kyla Brox hails from not far from Hebden - her reputation got there a long time before she did and she was welcomed to the Hebden Bridge Festival Family with wide and rapturous open arms. Oh Lord, did she give back in plenty! This was a spell-binding set. Surrounded by a group of faultless musicians who were totally immersed, committed and involved in every number; absolutely top-rate arrangements with beautiful spacy solos - it's called 'leaning-in' - as if you didn't know - Kyla's vocals became the glittering diamond dead centre stage. She Put A Spell On You from the moment that first Blue Note emerged. Kyla is an authentic soul and blues singer with a tremendous pedigree, coming from a musical family and singing from a very early age. She also plays a number of instruments and her wistful and haunting flute played an important role in her set often during numbers where the brilliant Tony Marshall on sax rolled smooth Mulligan style riffs and solos around the perfect sound chamber of the chapel.
When Kyla moved into pure soul mode a Breathless Hush descended on the place. The way she moves her hands and her body when singing numbers like the famous Etta James 'At Last' and the Nina Simone sensual 'Do I Move You' is totally at one with the mood and 'yes' was the rapturous shout when she got to 'and the answer had better be Yes'. This set brought Fine Art to the Festival stage and it was right and proper that it finished with a bang...or rather a 'Wang Dang Doodle'....and a standing ovation. A Master Class.
Kyla Brox hails from not far from Hebden - her reputation got there a long time before she did and she was welcomed to the Hebden Bridge Festival Family with wide and rapturous open arms. Oh Lord, did she give back in plenty! This was a spell-binding set. Surrounded by a group of faultless musicians who were totally immersed, committed and involved in every number; absolutely top-rate arrangements with beautiful spacy solos - it's called 'leaning-in' - as if you didn't know - Kyla's vocals became the glittering diamond dead centre stage. She Put A Spell On You from the moment that first Blue Note emerged. Kyla is an authentic soul and blues singer with a tremendous pedigree, coming from a musical family and singing from a very early age. She also plays a number of instruments and her wistful and haunting flute played an important role in her set often during numbers where the brilliant Tony Marshall on sax rolled smooth Mulligan style riffs and solos around the perfect sound chamber of the chapel.
When Kyla moved into pure soul mode a Breathless Hush descended on the place. The way she moves her hands and her body when singing numbers like the famous Etta James 'At Last' and the Nina Simone sensual 'Do I Move You' is totally at one with the mood and 'yes' was the rapturous shout when she got to 'and the answer had better be Yes'. This set brought Fine Art to the Festival stage and it was right and proper that it finished with a bang...or rather a 'Wang Dang Doodle'....and a standing ovation. A Master Class.
Blues Boy Dan Owen - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Blues Boy Dan Owen - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Opening up for a Blues Festival is never an easy gig. Tonight that short straw was given to BluesBoy Dan Owen - and it could not have been in safer hands. Despite the fact that he is only just twenty one, Dan has the self-assurance and talent of a seasoned pro and he captured his packed audience as soon as he picked up his guitar.
Weirdly famous for appearing both on prime-time Croation television and the Andrew Marr Politics Show, Dan has quickly established an enviable reputation in the blues world. With a quite amazing rich voice that soars and swoops with huge power, he commanded from his first note when he opened up with a foot stomping and slide version of Walkin' Blues. He then produced a terrific set of both covers and original material which included a wonderful rendition of one of The Hat's favourite funeral songs – Willie Nelson's 'Roll Me up and smoke me when I die'. High point for The Hat though was when the guitar, voice and harp all came together for a pew-shaking Little Red Rooster where Howlin' Wolf almost came and joined us in the chapel. No wonder he is being mentored by Mick Fleetwood. Now here's an idea....that peak-time tele programme 'The Voice' should really be dedicated just to Bluesboy Dan – a proper amazing voice and a class act.
Opening up for a Blues Festival is never an easy gig. Tonight that short straw was given to BluesBoy Dan Owen - and it could not have been in safer hands. Despite the fact that he is only just twenty one, Dan has the self-assurance and talent of a seasoned pro and he captured his packed audience as soon as he picked up his guitar.
Weirdly famous for appearing both on prime-time Croation television and the Andrew Marr Politics Show, Dan has quickly established an enviable reputation in the blues world. With a quite amazing rich voice that soars and swoops with huge power, he commanded from his first note when he opened up with a foot stomping and slide version of Walkin' Blues. He then produced a terrific set of both covers and original material which included a wonderful rendition of one of The Hat's favourite funeral songs – Willie Nelson's 'Roll Me up and smoke me when I die'. High point for The Hat though was when the guitar, voice and harp all came together for a pew-shaking Little Red Rooster where Howlin' Wolf almost came and joined us in the chapel. No wonder he is being mentored by Mick Fleetwood. Now here's an idea....that peak-time tele programme 'The Voice' should really be dedicated just to Bluesboy Dan – a proper amazing voice and a class act.
Ron Sayer - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Some time ago, The Hat described Ron Sayer as one of the blues world's worst kept secrets. Even though he is well known to fans across the country, The Hat insists that he should be a household name both nationally and internationally. Here is a song-writer, a quite sublime and gifted blues man, a smooth operator who is able to throw some jazzy rock blues - even swing - into his set alongside crowd-pleasing modern blues - seemingly without effort - and he gave us the lot in this feelgood main stage performance. Intelligent and articulate music.With the talented Charlotte Joyce adding vocals and keyboard this was a tight smart set and it is no wonder that Ron is nominated in no less than four categories in this year's British Blues Awards.
Russ Tippins - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Russ Tippins - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Sprint upstairs to see Russ Tippins (Ok, The Hat doesn't do sprinting – more an elegant shuffle) playing to a full rocking room. I've said before that Russ should be playing big, if not huge venues (will some-one please book him!) as his playing totally commands the place and fills it from floor to ceiling. An extraordinary talented guitarist who seems to fit more notes into a number than most people can get into a gig and who makes well-bred ladies perspire, he can still confound his audiences by throwing in a perfectly pitched slow number, sung with grace and full of those beautiful spaces that only good musicians can leave. With John Dawson on bass and Ian Halford on drums, he is blessed with one of tightest and most talented back lines in the business and together they blew Hebden away – again – they did it last year.
To add even more thrill to the set, Russ invited the major talented Jenna Hooson up on stage to sing a two-hundred-mile-an-hour-blow-your-sox-off 'Mama Don't Allow'..(go check on Youtube). Quite rightly, his two CDs 'Elecktrickery' and 'Combustion' are making waves and the buzzing, stomping room at Hebden clearly showed that this ain't gonna stop.
Sprint upstairs to see Russ Tippins (Ok, The Hat doesn't do sprinting – more an elegant shuffle) playing to a full rocking room. I've said before that Russ should be playing big, if not huge venues (will some-one please book him!) as his playing totally commands the place and fills it from floor to ceiling. An extraordinary talented guitarist who seems to fit more notes into a number than most people can get into a gig and who makes well-bred ladies perspire, he can still confound his audiences by throwing in a perfectly pitched slow number, sung with grace and full of those beautiful spaces that only good musicians can leave. With John Dawson on bass and Ian Halford on drums, he is blessed with one of tightest and most talented back lines in the business and together they blew Hebden away – again – they did it last year.
To add even more thrill to the set, Russ invited the major talented Jenna Hooson up on stage to sing a two-hundred-mile-an-hour-blow-your-sox-off 'Mama Don't Allow'..(go check on Youtube). Quite rightly, his two CDs 'Elecktrickery' and 'Combustion' are making waves and the buzzing, stomping room at Hebden clearly showed that this ain't gonna stop.
Richard Townend - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Richard Townend - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Opening the door to the Acoustic stage found The Hat in the company of Richard Townend - and what great company he is. Affable and cheerful, Richard seems to chat away to himself whilst cleverly including the attentive audience in his sometime dry assessment of what he is up to....but he is actually up to a totally absorbing set. Using a mix of guitars and some beautifully executed loops, double loops, backing lines and over-lays, he conjures a magical kaleidoscopic mix of rhythms, riffs and top lines which moved smoothly from self-penned blues numbers to complex jazz influenced instrumentals – or as he put it on one occasion “I have to put some chords in this bit”...and on another as he changed guitars mid track “and now I need a bass to play with”. Neither these delightful throw-aways or the technical gizmos do anything to disguise his undoubted musical skill and dexterity or his relaxed mellow singing which flowed through the room and warmly embraced an appreciative audience in a packed house.
Although with his band The Mighty Boss Cats, as a soloist Richard was off the scene for a while and is now coming back with a vengeance. A Blues Award nomination and this set shows that there is clearly a lot more good stuff waiting for us...
Opening the door to the Acoustic stage found The Hat in the company of Richard Townend - and what great company he is. Affable and cheerful, Richard seems to chat away to himself whilst cleverly including the attentive audience in his sometime dry assessment of what he is up to....but he is actually up to a totally absorbing set. Using a mix of guitars and some beautifully executed loops, double loops, backing lines and over-lays, he conjures a magical kaleidoscopic mix of rhythms, riffs and top lines which moved smoothly from self-penned blues numbers to complex jazz influenced instrumentals – or as he put it on one occasion “I have to put some chords in this bit”...and on another as he changed guitars mid track “and now I need a bass to play with”. Neither these delightful throw-aways or the technical gizmos do anything to disguise his undoubted musical skill and dexterity or his relaxed mellow singing which flowed through the room and warmly embraced an appreciative audience in a packed house.
Although with his band The Mighty Boss Cats, as a soloist Richard was off the scene for a while and is now coming back with a vengeance. A Blues Award nomination and this set shows that there is clearly a lot more good stuff waiting for us...
Wooden Horse - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Wooden Horse - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Staying around for more acoustic, The Hat was totally captured by the duo that is Wooden Horse. Previously pretty low profile, these two fine musicians benefited from a slot on a recent Classic Blues cover disc and the serendipic release of a sublime CD and it is to be hoped that this appearance at the festival will get them further down the road. They made of lot of friends and fans.
Everything about the music of this pair is atmospheric. They are able to conjure sweet emotion out of thin air with the most spectacular of harmonies and carefully balanced thoughtful guitar playing. Crosby Stills and Nash came readily to mind but there is nothing imitative about Wooden Horse - their self-penned material, Robert Johnson numbers and a stomping 'Sweet Caroline' all had a distinctive touch. (Check out 'Simple Twist of Fate' on their CD.)There were points during this set where you could have heard a pin drop, such was the grip they took of their packed audience. An excellent set from a blues award nominated couple of guys from whom I guarantee we will hear a lot more.
Staying around for more acoustic, The Hat was totally captured by the duo that is Wooden Horse. Previously pretty low profile, these two fine musicians benefited from a slot on a recent Classic Blues cover disc and the serendipic release of a sublime CD and it is to be hoped that this appearance at the festival will get them further down the road. They made of lot of friends and fans.
Everything about the music of this pair is atmospheric. They are able to conjure sweet emotion out of thin air with the most spectacular of harmonies and carefully balanced thoughtful guitar playing. Crosby Stills and Nash came readily to mind but there is nothing imitative about Wooden Horse - their self-penned material, Robert Johnson numbers and a stomping 'Sweet Caroline' all had a distinctive touch. (Check out 'Simple Twist of Fate' on their CD.)There were points during this set where you could have heard a pin drop, such was the grip they took of their packed audience. An excellent set from a blues award nominated couple of guys from whom I guarantee we will hear a lot more.
Lucy Zirins - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
Lucy Zirins - Hebden Bridge Blues Festival 2013
If there was ever a need for a new edition of the “How to Make Friends” or “How to Work A Room” manuals then The Hat would go straight to the lovely Lucy Zirins. Within moments of picking up her guitar, her worshipping audience were entranced by the 'wee lass who likes to make out she doesn't really know what's going on'...but on the other hand...she might just be so smart that 'she's got you exactly where she wanted you and you didn't even notice'.
A Festival favourite, Lucy played a beautiful set where she ran through some well known numbers and a good few from her stunning new CD 'Chasing Clocks'. When The Hat reviewed Lucy at last year's festival, he came over a bit poetic and weepy about her song-writing and singing skills and that special magic she employs to make you laugh, smile, cry and beam with a warm glow. Nothing has changed there then. Lucy takes you into her world, where she has written about personal crises, happiness and fun and you dreamily go along with her as she sings beautifully to you, yes you, personally....and then....and then...just to let you know who is in charge here, she gets the whole audience barking like dogs and howling like wolves....what a star! Hebden loved her – again.
If there was ever a need for a new edition of the “How to Make Friends” or “How to Work A Room” manuals then The Hat would go straight to the lovely Lucy Zirins. Within moments of picking up her guitar, her worshipping audience were entranced by the 'wee lass who likes to make out she doesn't really know what's going on'...but on the other hand...she might just be so smart that 'she's got you exactly where she wanted you and you didn't even notice'.A Festival favourite, Lucy played a beautiful set where she ran through some well known numbers and a good few from her stunning new CD 'Chasing Clocks'. When The Hat reviewed Lucy at last year's festival, he came over a bit poetic and weepy about her song-writing and singing skills and that special magic she employs to make you laugh, smile, cry and beam with a warm glow. Nothing has changed there then. Lucy takes you into her world, where she has written about personal crises, happiness and fun and you dreamily go along with her as she sings beautifully to you, yes you, personally....and then....and then...just to let you know who is in charge here, she gets the whole audience barking like dogs and howling like wolves....what a star! Hebden loved her – again.
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