Albert Hall Bluesfest 2014, tales from a daytime stroller.
I arrived at the Hall late afternoon on Wednesday, for a quick recce, it being my first visit to this iconic venue. I managed a quick word with Mike Sanchez as he cleared his set, he was ‘boogieing’ those keys all week long, and was looking in need of a long drink. Falling straight off the tree and onto the vacant Verdi stage, fell The Bad Apples, and it was an absolute blast. The core of the band is extracted from the Manfreds, serious musicians who had formed to play the music they love.
Paul Rogers like vocals from Robert Hart, the twin guitars of Mick Moody and Mick Rogers, some funky bass from Ian Jennings and some primeval drumming from Jimmy Copley, tore into ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’, Robert’s voice ripping through the room. A bit of fun with Mick Moody’s ‘Get Off My Back’, and a bit of guitar ‘chatter’, as Mick Roger’s leads into a blues must, ‘A Taste For Bourbon’. All good stuff, but then an excellent soulful Robert, in Cockeresque mode, sang a brilliant, ‘Someone To Watch Over Me’. A well appreciated set, enjoyed by an enthusiastic crowd, definitely a band to look out for.
http://questmusicrecording.com/the-bad-apples
Thursday, took me to the Elgar room, and Dr Feelgood, Marcus Bonfanti, and Mud Morganfield, it was going to be a good day.
Another Robert up front, with serious in your face attitude, he is the real deal. The room was packed as Rob Kane sound checked in a’capela, ‘My Babe’, before the band fired in. The set is energetic, the room alive, barely room to breath. Steve Walwyn squeezing out the riffs, Kevin and Phil setting out the bottom line. With an enviable play list to draw from, the boys blast through many old favourites, ‘Who Do You Love’, the fabulous ‘Milk And Alcohol’. Some serious slide on Steve’s ‘scrap iron’ guitar with ‘Rollin & Tumblin’, Phil sets up the bass for Roxette, Rob is having some serious fun as he accosts the enthusiastic mob of fans. We could not miss out on ‘Down At The Doctors’, and all waited to ‘Gimme One More Shot’, but the clock does not allow for overrun for daytime strollers. Times are tight, and Marcus Bonfanti was waiting in the wings.
I have not seen Marcus for a couple of years, and never with his band, so I was keen to catch up with this talented, award winning, performer. Marcus is another energy infused guitarist, he never stands still, only hovering at the microphone for the lyrics, before rocking and sliding, hair flying, using the space. Great blues voice and superb guitar skills are his hallmark, he opened with ‘Alley Cats’, the slide coming straight into play on his resonator guitar. Some great thumping drums from Craig Conett, bring ‘Honey’ to our ears, but a total contrast to the more country tilt to ‘Blind Alley’. Stepping back to his earlier album for the glorious ‘Devil Girl’, punched out to us all, ‘Cheap Whiskey’ not far behind. Also on stage with Marcus and Craig, was Matt Waer on bass, who brought to stage a little glam rock that would have fitted just as well in the early Bowie years. Marcus, ended with another song from Shake The Walls, looking suitably drained after his efforts, closing his session with ‘My Baby Wont Dance’. I look forward to seeing him on his solo tour just a few months away when he comes to Ledbury and The Prince Of Wales.
Last Daytime session was going to be Mud Morganfield, another first for me, he was here with a great band around him. Ian Jennings, this time on double bass, Steve Weston a humdinger of a harp player, Ronnie Boysen on a mean guitar, Mike Hellier on drums and guest pianist Eric Ranzoni.
What can I say, Mud glorious Mud, the man has pedigree and it oozes out of every pore, he delivered ‘Blow Wind’ with passionate ease, and there is no doubt at all that he has ‘Blues In My Shoes’. All that requires a good band with you and in these boys, he certainly had that in spades, all at the top of their game. There were superb solos on harp and guitar, Eric’s piano coming in as well, but they all had a chance to take lead before the set ended, brilliant. Those show boating solos came as an extended Mud having his ‘Mojo Working’. The man has blues blood, and his band, are his courtiers!
Friday, and I could not resist another session of Mud wallowing, Thursday his jacket and shoes glistened in the lights, with colours of rainbow trout. Today was the Halloween collection, a bright orange suit complete with hat that would not have disgraced a dodge city gambling den. Another dazzling show, Chicago blues at its finest.
The Excitement took stage, a slick suited soul band from Barcelona, fronted by a diminutive girl, Koko-Jean Davis, with endless, explosive energy, almost matched by the bass player Daniel Segura. Two sax, two guitars and drums, in attendance, they poured out soul in the style of James Brown. Dare I say, it almost became too tiring to watch, but there were plenty of people grooving along, and being mesmerised by Koko-Jean, who certainly knew how to capture her audience. Resplendent in a little pink flapper dress, she strutted and posed, teasing the onlookers.
The final session of the week went to someone I consider to be one of the finest, yet underrated female vocalists around, she plays a pretty good guitar too. That lady is Nell Bryden, she sits nearer to folk and country music, but sings with an absolute passion and surprising power, maybe not on the lines of Beth Hart, but I believe, she has a more melodic, and wider range. I have seen her performing solo with just her aged acoustic guitar, with a total grasp of her audience, she is a joy to watch and hear. Here she had her band, Al on keys, James beating the drum and Ash on a dayglo guitar, leaping around, not so much ants in his pants as termites maybe, he was entertaining, and more than equal to his task. ‘What Does It Take’, a lovely song to open with, using the full range of her strong emotive voice, it also happened to be the song that found the airwaves on BBC Radio 2 some 7 years ago. A grittier ‘Mercy On Me’ was taken from her second album Shake The Tree. Outstanding were Nell’s beautiful solo’s, first accompanied by Al on keyboards, ‘All You Had’ and not long after, Nell unaccompanied, sang the hauntingly lovely ‘Wolves’, from her latest Wayfarer album. She finished in full rip roaring style (despite being very expectant) with ‘Second Time Around’. Maybe not blues, but a fantastic performance from a genuinely talented lady.
Words & Photos Graham Munn