Blues. Pure and simple. That's what Paul Jones does best. Together he and Dave Kelly riffed their way through some classic blues tunes along with their own material last Wednesday night.
They went without a set list, instead choosing what to play as they went along. Although they admitted they leant heavily on songs from the Wireless album, some other gems turned up along the way, as Dave decided to play Steel Guitar Rag on a whim. There was also a Muddy Waters tune and a couple of Memphis Minnie songs alongside Paul's own songs, such as Room and Board.
The latter was carried purely by Paul's singing and harmonica playing, and really showed his voice. The audience watched his harmonica playing keenly.
Anyone who has heard Paul's Radio 2 Blues show will know that he is practically a walking encyclopedia of the Blues, and sure enough, throughout the course of the evening both himself and Dave enlightened us on certain bluesy matters, including Jug Bands, Alexis Korner and Free's links with Memphis Minnie, the origins of New Stranger Blues, and much more.
Although it was possible to get a bit lost in the bluesy-ness of it all, it was still great to watch such accomplished musicians on stage. The second half brought along something a little more seasonal, as Paul played a groovy version of Tidings of Comfort and Joy on the harmonica, much to the amusement of the audience.
The audience was keen not to let them leave too soon, and despite the '10.30pm curfew' there were a couple more numbers, including When the Levee Breaks and I Just Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes.
Copyright Kate Steaggles, December 2008
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