Editor

Review Date August 17, 2013 Review By Andrew Heaps Location The Rock at Maltby Surely anyone who sees (and hears) Lisa Mills for the first time will be blown away by that voice, and although this was by no means my first time, that voice is reason enough to drive an hour and a half over the Woodhead pass in the rain to Maltby. Having spoken to Ian Jennings a few weeks earlier at The Sage in Gateshead when he played in Mud Morganfield’s backing band at this year’s SummerTyne Festival I learned that Lisa would be playing only two UK dates on her way over to mainland Europe from her base in Mobile, Alabama. Following excellent support from locals, Roy Machin & Mick Miller, Mississippi raised Lisa Mills took to the stage with her usual UK ‘backing band,’ Ian Jennings on double bass. And trust me, that’s all the band she needs. You really wouldn’t think there were only two instruments on stage. Opening with a couple of self-penned songs, “Eyes So Blue” and “Rain In The Summertime” (‘written about my first ex-husband’!) Lisa then dipped into 2005’s I’M CHANGING album for “I Need A Little Sunshine” (written in Kidderminster whilst missing the weather back home in Mobile). Followed by the opener from 2010’s TEMPERED IN FIRE, “Tennessee Tears” then one of several songs she’s recorded written by the urban legend that is Macclesfield’s ‘Guitar’ George Borowski, a good friend of Lisa’s and an excellent British songwriter. Check him out! George’s “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” led to another cover, Barbara Lynn’s “You’ll Lose A Good Thing.” Lisa Mills knows her Southern soul, and certainly has the voice to suit. Comparisons with Janis Joplin wouldn’t be far off the mark either, given that she spent three years touring with Big Brother & the Holding Company. Wanda Jackson’s “Mean Mean Mama” morphed onto “Kansas City” giving Ian Jennings every opportunity to display his rockabilly slap bass prowess, and Lisa is no slouch on guitar either. Opening the second set with two covers from Southern Rock band, Wet Willie, firstly their 1974 top ten single, “Keep On Smiling” and then “Countryside Of Life” (both from TEMPERED IN FIRE which features the guitar of Andy Fairweather Low) we were then treated to a couple of Jimmy Reed influenced covers in “Bright Lights, Big City” and an acapella “Honest I Do” before Lisa’s own song tribute to Freddie King. Bringing the set to a close with Lazy Lester’s “Sugar Coated Love” (learnt from playing with Austin’s Lou Ann Barton) and an encore featuring a personal medley of ‘songs my Daddy taught me.’ One of my favourite discoveries of recent years, it’s always a joy to watch the faces of audience members who haven’t seen Lisa Mills before. What a voice, and enhanced by superb microphone technique. If you like your Americana with some southern soul and blues, and a big, big voice, then this is the singer for you. Find out more at www.lisamills.com

Review Date July 13-15, 2012 Review By David Knowles Location Cambridgeshire This was the first year that things had worked out right for me. I could finally go to the whole three days of this wonderful festival that is only a 20-minute walk from my home. One thing I did not bank on though was the British weather, as it had been raining since the start of June. As the festival weekend got closer I feared that it might well be cancelled, as others like it had already fallen by the wayside. However, massive credit to the organisers and a very big well-done to all involved as they never gave up and managed to defeat both the rain and the mud to put on the best Ely Folk Festival that I had been to. Friday evening, I made my way to the site and what I was faced with wasn’t what I was expecting. As I went through the gate the usual grass entrance was now a muddy, boggy, puddle-laden mess. The box office was situated along this path and I managed to get to it without getting too muddy, but that didn’t last very long, and I knew that wellington boots would have to be called upon for the rest of the weekend. 2011 BBC2 Horizon Award winner, Ewan McLennan was my first act of the festival and he put on a fine show. Next up was a trio by the name of Lady Maisery, comprised of Hanna James (vocals, accordion)-who delighted the wet crowd with a wonderful clog dance near the end of the set-Hazel Askew (vocals, harp, concertina)-who played such heavenly harp solos-and Rowan Rheingans (vocals, fiddle, banjo), who at one point took up a strange looking instrument that looked like a banjo with two music horns extending from it. It was in fact a ban-sitar and gave out a lovely sound, as was demonstrated on the tune, “Nottamun Fair”-the three brightening up the dull weather with some excellent musicianship and sweet harmonies. I thoroughly enjoyed this talented trio and for me the festival was now well and truly underway! It was then the turn of one of my favourite comics, Richard Digance. I hadn’t seen him in concert for quite a few years, so was really looking forward to his show at the festival. He set the tone straight away with the brilliant “Saga Lout” that had the whole audience singing along to the chorus. “Sod’s Law” kept the laughter going with many tongue-twisting lines, proving how good a guitarist he is with a wonderful blues guitar instrumental. A Richard Digance show wouldn’t be the same without him having a dig at someone or something and “Jobs” is a fantastic song, having a pop at would-be celebrities and talentless people who always seem to be in the news. I agreed with the ones he mentioned. “The Ballad Of Johnny Puller” is a young soldier’s perspective of the war and his involvement in the famous story of the football match between the British and German soldiers on Christmas Day in 1914. Richard also spoke about Leyton Orient Football Club who lost 3 players in the Battle of the Somme. Orient supporters have made pilgrimages to the Somme and on July 10, 2011 an O’s memorial was unveiled in the French village of Flers. Richard also performed my favourite number, “Remembers” in which he lists 200 sweets, toys, adverts etc. from the past. Richard Digance is a comic genius! Thank-you Ely Folk Festival for booking him. Friday was brought to a close by Jez Lowe and The Bad Pennies, getting people dancing with the lively polka tune “Barnstorming,” amongst others, plus band member Kate Bramley took the occasional lead vocals on songs such as “Jesse Owens’ Shoes,” inspired by the legendary American sprinter who dominated the 1936 Olympic Games. More rain followed on Saturday as I wandered into Marquee 1 to see Jez Lowe again, this time as a duo with Kate to do songs from the RADIO BALLADS. I then decided to stay in the main tent-especially as I had a front row seat-to see out the rest of the afternoon session. Monroe’s Revenge were next up, a British group consisting of Dave Plane (guitar, vocals), Roger Blackbourn (banjo, vocals), Richard Partridge (fiddle, vocals), Dick Embery (double bass) and Joe Hymas (mandolin, vocals) that played some scintillating bluegrass, comparable with many of the American bands. Great music and very entertaining, although I would’ve preferred Joe to have ceased talking in a fake American accent; it wasn’t needed, with music of this quality. Elvis Fontenot & The Sugar Bees was an infectious and supercharged Zydeco and Cajun band from Staffordshire, having played in festivals all over Europe and America. They were hugely popular with the audience, playing dance tunes such as “Dirty Old Dog,” “Hot Tamale Baby” as well as a cover of the Otis Gibbs song, “Caroline.” With washboard and accordion solos a-plenty, this was entertaining stuff but the vocals were a bit weak. The afternoon was brought to a close by the incredible guitar playing of Blues Band member, Dave Kelly. I was lucky enough to catch one of Dave’s rare solo, acoustic gigs once before and it was nothing short of amazing. Picture this: Big stage at a music festival with one guy sitting on a chair with a microphone and a guitar. He starts to play “Cross Road Blues” by Delta blues man, Robert Johnson. You could hear a pin drop; the whole audience mesmerised by his phenomenal slide guitar playing. This set was like an anthology of blues legends as Dave played Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues,” followed by John Lee Hooker’s “No More Doggin’”. The chap sitting next to me commented on what a great voice Dave Kelly has and I had to agree with him, as a fan, but also as he’s one of the greatest British guitarists around. I was in absolute heaven when he played a brilliant slide solo

Review Date November 4, 2012 Review By Keith Clark Location Thekla, Bristol The last time that Julia Stone played in Bristol it was as one half of a duo with her younger brother Angus but this year the Australians have put the family business on hold for a while to concentrate on their own individual projects. For Julia Stone that includes releasing a new album under her own name and embarking on the current lengthy solo European tour. Well, not quite solo for she’d brought along a band and a support act. Opening the gig was Ryan Keen from South Devon who headlined his own gig at this same venue only a week ago. It was an impressive performance by a singer-songwriter who has been attracting a lot of media attention of late. His guitar playing was percussive and while there were instrumental tricks he didn’t overdo them. Indeed on his standout song “Focus,” he kept his playing relatively simple. His songs were well-crafted, he had an interesting breathy voice and the harmonies, with his percussionist and backing vocalist Lee Levant, were well thought out and tightly executed. On his closing song, “Trouble,” he had no trouble at all in getting the appreciative audience singing along. He has already been dubbed “the next big thing’ by some music writers and Radio 1 DJs, which might be over-hyping things, but you never know; they may be right. Angus and Julia Stone have always attracted such exaggerated praise from the music press and on the basis of this gig Julia Stone could easily find herself on many of those New Year “One’s to watch’ lists as a performer in her own right. Accompanied by Russ Owen from Cat Empire, bassist Josh Kaufman and Ray Rizzo on drums she stepped on stage clutching her trumpet and opened with “The Shit That They’re Feeding You” which she released on an EP earlier this year. Most of the songs however were taken from the new record, BY THE HORNS, although there was at least one nod to the duo’s back catalogue with a version of “And The Boys” that she reminded us was usually the point during their duo gigs when Angus left the stage and left her to it. In many ways she has taken a new direction, the new songs being more indie rock with the 1960s flower power folksiness, replaced by a new heaviness, particularly on the new album’s title track “By The Horns,” the dramatic “Somehow” and “Let’s Forget All The Things That We Say.” One of the biggest reactions was to her version of “Better Shape Up” from Grease, and surprisingly the only too familiar song worked extremely well in this slowed and stripped down form. It wasn’t the only cover, for there was a very different version of the rather surreal “Bloodbuzz Ohio” by Brooklyn band The National and a jolly jazzy reworking of “Just Blew In From The Windy City” that sounded a world away from the Doris Day original. Her voice is quirky, breathy, undisciplined but has a surprising range, her performance was full of drama and the songs were loaded with even more anguish, heartbreak, betrayal, vulnerability and pain than you’d find on a Joni Mitchell CD. She sang from the heart with such honest emotion that you couldn’t help but empathise and wish that someone close to her would give her a big hug. It was not however a downbeat performance and between songs she was very funny; her stories were mostly self-deprecating and the closing number, a close-harmony version of the old Temptation’s classic “My Girl,” was full of giggles. The brother and sister duo have stated that this is only a temporary hiatus and that they will be back and recording together but whatever the future holds for the family duo, Julia Stone has more than enough class to make it as a performer in her own right. Find out more at 

Review Date November 16, 2011 Review By Jela Webb Location The Roundhouse, London You know you’re at a Low Anthem show when the stage is set with an array of instruments (including amongst others, guitars, drums, clarinet, pump organ, double bass, glockenspiel, bowed saw, trumpets) and when the four-piece appear it remains in semi-darkness and continues so throughout the evening. And so it was at the Roundhouse; the largest venue the Low Anthem has played (except of course, festival shows) and to judge by the sizeable attendance for this single date in the UK on the European tour, it was a smart move as it allowed their many fans the opportunity to experience their particular brand of folk-rock in an apt setting. The standing space was pretty much full and the seated balconies nicely populated too. The Low Anthem’s songs range from the most delicate whispered harmonies of “To Ohio” to the most muscular of sounds of “Boeing 737″ and they seem to move effortlessly between one and the other just as they do in swapping instruments between nearly every song. Tonight’s set list leaned heavily towards the latest album SMART FLESH opening with the title track. Not much of a surprise there but the choice of songs, for the just shy of two hours performance, was nicely complemented by a few surprises along the way. They performed three songs from 2007’s WHAT THE CROW BRINGS-“This God Damn House”, “Bless Your Tombstone Heart” and “Yellowed By The Sun.” The former appears regularly in a set list, but the other two rarely make an outing. It was a treat therefore to hear them play less familiar material. Additionally, they gave us a new song whose title I’d guess at being “Her Little Cosmos.” Inspired by a kidnapping which took place in the street where Ben Knox Miller grew up, it is one of “a bunch of songs’ written about the incident. Their big breakthrough came with 2009’s OH MY GOD, CHARLIE DARWIN yet they performed only four tracks from that collection with the lead “Charlie Darwin” garnering the loudest applause of the night. A three-part harmony around one microphone (newest member Mike Irwin wasn’t in view for this one) was preceded by a shout from the crowd: “what a band! What a f****** band’ to which Miller responded quick as a flash” “what happened to English modesty?’ Modesty was in evidence though as between each song the stage was completely blacked out, yet no one took this as an opportunity to chat; the audience was so respectful, almost reverent in its behaviour, quietly anticipating what might come next. Rewarded with a 16-song main set, the audience clamoured for more so the Rhode Islanders returned for a three-song encore. The first was Blind Willie McTell’s “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around” followed by “To Ohio” and then Leonard Cohen’s “Bird On A Wire” for which they were joined by tonight’s opening acts Simon Felice and William Elliott Whitmore. Initially a six-part harmony, Felice then moved quietly to the drum kit and that was a signal for the audience to join in by clapping to the beat. Miller finished by turning the microphone to wave it in front of the audience as he’d introduced the song by asking people to: “sing along, if you know the song’-they obliged, gladly. There’s a sense of gentleness about the Low Anthem but they then surprise you by belting out a real “stomper’ like their version of Jack Kerouac’s “Home I’ll Never Be” that somehow doesn’t seem at all incongruous. It is very different from Tom Waits’ recording of the song. Their idiosyncrasies have a certain appeal and I love the contrast between styles. After three years on the road the group was anticipating taking a break from touring but has accepted an invitation to tour in Canada during the first two months of 2012. After that, in their words they are “cocooning’ to concentrate on new material and projects. I look forward to seeing and hearing what the future brings. Find out more at 

Review Date January 28, 2012 Review By Alan Harrison Location Cluny II, Newcastle I shouldn’t have been too surprised to find a queue stretching down three flights of stairs to the basement of Cluny II following Madison Violet’s fantastic performance last year at the tiny Central Bar. All of the seats were full and people were still filing in when Rebecca Pronsky and her guitarist Rich Bennett took to the stage, with the New Yorker chatting non-stop as she tuned her guitar. The duo filled the 45 minute support slot very well with a quaint mix of folk and country-noir that was missing “something;’ possibly the rest of her band. Bennett’s slick guitar playing lifted most of the songs, but a few still felt as if they needed padding out a little bit. Perhaps that was just me. Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac aka Madison Violet made their North East debut last year as part of the Jumpin’ Hot Clubs 25th Anniversary Celebrations and “stole the show’ when they performed before 150 or so people in a room designed for 80! Looking around the room everyone who had been there that night appeared to have brought along two friends tonight. The set opened with a gorgeous version of “If I Could Love You” from the recent THE GOOD IN GOODBYE album which was followed by “The Ransom” from 2009’s NO FOOL FOR TRYING. As the evening progressed I soon became engrossed with the girls’ skills with their instruments as I was already in love with the songs anyway. Lisa’s fiddle and mandolin playing could easily win her awards at folk festivals and Brenley’s guitar skills would be shouted from the rooftops if she was a man; but she isn’t so I’ll not mention it again. Already impressed I was open-mouthed when Lisa managed to swap her mandolin for the fiddle without missing a beat during “Never Saw The Ending.” Come on-that’s impressive! It always amuses me when “pretty young things’ write “heartbreakers’ but McEachan’s story leading up to “Stuck In A Love” made it actually sound believable; but I still think she was using some artistic license in there too. Madviolet then managed to delight me with a pretty radical version of one of my favourite songs-“Come As You Are” which, with Brenley’s slightly gravelly voice and raspy harmonica had a bit of a Neil Young vibe to it tonight which is no bad thing in my book. By this stage in the show Mrs H would playfully nudge me whenever the girls implemented their very own Shadows step-over/dance during the quiet bits in songs. It took a while and I was even starting to think that they might be going to keep it for the encore as it’s so good; but when Lisa started telling a story about a grandmother who used to be a lighthouse keeper I began grinning like a ninny. On first hearing “Christy Ellen Francis” last year it instantly went into my Top 10 songs of all time and after tonight’s magical version it will stay there until my memory finally gives up. For some reason I’m a sucker for a love song and this ode to a 100-year-old grandmother makes me come out in goosebumps every time I hear it; so seeing and hearing Madison Violet perform it only feet away from me was a delight I’ll never forget. The girls performed another couple of songs but they paled into insignificance compared to that opus; until the final song of the evening-“The Good In Goodbye” which was the perfect finish to a wonderful performance. Following a noisy standing ovation Madviolet returned to sing a delicate song about another tragic relationship; “No Fool For Trying” then turned the gas right up for the bluegrass foot stomper “Cindy-Cindy” that had the crowd clapping along with delight. Brenley and Lisa left the stage and were immediately swamped at the merch table by happy fans congratulating them in the best North Eastern fashion-buying stuff! Find out more at 

Review Date September 15, 2015 Review By Johnny Tiat Location Leicester Square Theatre I have never been a fan of country music, although there are the odd one or two tunes that appeal to me, so when I was invited to ‘The Country Superstars Experience’ At The Leicester Square Theatre in the heart of London’s West End, I was apprehensive. Would I enjoy the show? The answer to that question, is a big fat YES. The amazing writing/directing and performance of Sarah Jayne Crust and Andy Crust gave myself and every other person that packed the auditorium a most enjoyable evening. The show was opened by none other than Dolly Parton herself (If I did not know otherwise I would have thought it was Dolly). Dolly immediately had the audience warming to her and we were putty in her hands, then she introduced the legend himself Johnny Cash the audience whooped with joy as he played with such precision and expertise some of Cash’s well known classics including Folsom Prison Blues and Walk The Line. The first half was like a whirlwind, as Billie Jo Spears, John Denver, and Tammy Wynette took to the stage and entertained us faultlessly. When Andy came on as Garth Brooks, I felt his performance was breath taking and to close the first half he was joined on stage by Dolly who joined in with Friends In Low Places. During the interval I headed for the bar and wanted to speak with as many people as I possibly could. Among the comments made when I asked the question ‘What do you think of the show?’ were ‘absolutely loving it, they look and sound like every one of the characters.’ When I asked a man whom by the way he was dressed looked like a fan of country music. ‘Are you enjoying the show?’ He replied ‘What do you think? This is Country music at its best.’ I was thinking. How are they going to follow that? The second half was opened by Dolly, the perfect host. (I am going to resist the temptation of describing her as the hostess with the mostest). It is no wonder that I.T.V and S.T.V described Sarah as ‘The world’s foremost Dolly Parton Tribute act.’ Throughout the show we were given the background of the artists and the meaning behind some of the songs. With the second half introducing Willie Nelson and Patsy cline, closing with Kenny Rogers being joined on stage by Dolly receiving a well-deserved standing ovation. I looked on Kenny Rogers website this morning and he says: ‘Andy Crust and Sarah Jayne are Europe’s leading Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers tribute act.’ I would recommend this west end hit to anyone, whether you are a fan of country music or not. www.countrysuperstarsuk.com

Review Date May 6, 2015 Review By Nick Dalton Location What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone The sad, reflective lyrics of (They Used To Say) Train Time hark back through the years and this show reflects the glory days of roots and county in the capital when, 30-odd years ago you could pop out to the pub and see the likes of Guy Clark, Butch Hancock, even Dwight Yoakam. And, above all, Wes. This comeback gig after years of ill health is an eye-opener, the Brit guitarist, singer and songwriter showing to both those in the know as well as a new generation just why he’s long been part of the musical cognoscenti in Texas. Everything that this cool venue (including dazzling Swedish, finger-picking support act Benjamin Folke Thomas) stands for is summed up in the country and borderlands music, effortlessly breathtaking guitar work, aided by a coterie of top musicians. There’s sax player Al Stewart, Simon Webb on keyboards and bassist John Gordon, all part of the original band (and now working with hitmaker and actor Mike Berry as Rumpus) and Patti Vetta, another original on percussion and vocals. The only new boy is Howard Tibble, veteran of the original Hank Wangford Band and who’s played with the liked of Phil Everly. He’s on a kit so small that it takes one back to Jonathan Richman’s Modern Lovers. It reflects the new-found subtlety of what used to be a wild party. Amongst the potted plants, lamps and chilli lights on the tiny stage they weave through eye-wateringly beautiful songs and music – How Do We Get There From Here, Devil From Del Rio, Whiskey Is My Driver, all featured on his new 3-CD anthology BORDERS. It’s not simply old stuff; he’s working on a new album and the lilting, flamenco-led Blue Cajun Angel and Spanish jazz of Cocktail Conversations fit seamlessly into an awesome canon of material. And then, of course, there’s Monterrey, a majestic, Spanish guitar-picked epic. If the music leaves you misty-eyed, the venue does too; a pint of cider and glass of wine for £5.95. Those really were the days… Find out more at www.wesmcghee.com

Review Date May 5, 2015 Review By Nick Dalton Location Union Chapel, Islington “It’s irony,” says Parker, greyer but no less wiry or pithy than he was 35 years ago. He’s talking about the billing. His label, Universal, apparently said it sounded like a working men’s club act with a performing dog. He points to Schwarz, wearing a black polo neck, and you can see the humour, raunchy roots rockers reinventing themselves as a not-really-acoustic duo. And he chuckles at how the label banned a competition to win a home concert in case they, well, went wild and broke something. This packed gig is part of a tour supporting the new album, MYSTERY GLUE, with the reformed and reunited Rumour before the full band heads out in the autumn. Parker plays acoustic for a bit then turns to electric, Schwarz is electric throughout, so this is far from a genteel acoustic event. And they’re certainly not sitting down. Parker’s music swings (as he tells us) and the evening does too. Whether it’s Flying Into London from the new album or Silly Thing from the 1976 debut HOWLIN’ WIND there’s a delicious warm and contented feel to it. Parker’s music in the punky 70s and glossy 80s occasionally tried to be something it wasn’t; here (and on the new album) there’s a relaxed yet still edgy groove. The gig is a happy trawl through the years. It’s gripping when Parker spits out Hey Lord Don’t Ask Me Questions (which becomes a singalong, but not so much as to make anyone unduly embarrassed) and his hit cover of Hold Back The Night, but it’s just as uplifting when he encores with the rip-roaring Railroad Spikes from the new album. Parker has always brought together rock, country and soul, the cornerstones of American music, infused with a Brit energy – and he does it just as well with a duo as a band. Nick Dalton Find out more at www.grahamparker.net

Review Date May 5, 2014 Review By Simon Redley Location Birmingham Town Hall Robert Cray is one of the most successful blues artists of the last four decades. Selling in excess of 20 million albums, a five time Grammy winner and 15 time nominee, he has no trouble getting bums on seats when he tours. The Robert Cray Band were back here for a 13 date 40th anniversary tour in May, and I caught their Birmingham Town Hall gig. All images credited to Simon Redley Robert’s childhood friend Richard Cousins alongside him on bass, Hammond and keyboard player Dover Weinberg and drummer Les Falconer are in his corner too. They are out there promoting his new record IN MY SOUL which dropped just over a month ago. The band played six of the 11 tracks from the CD, his 17th studio album, at the Birmingham show. The 15-song set list for the third date on their UK tour, gave the close to sell-out crowd everything they wanted to hear, apart from notable missing in action track, “Smoking Gun.”But we did get the classic “Right Next Door,” four songs in. His vocal chops are sounding as strong as back in the day, after 40 years of doing his thing, and always putting 110% emotion and passion into his singing and his playing on every performance. His playing still spine tingling, and like BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and a handful of other legendary guitarists, when he plays, you always know it is him. That cutting tone, those sweet soul licks, that biting attack. It’s all intact. No smoke, no mirrors, no fireworks, a plain black backdrop, a couple of pretty lights shone on top. The Robert Cray Band need no gimmicks. It is all about the music, and above all else; the feel. The star of the show for me tonight was Robert’s flippin’ amazing voice. His is a sweet soul marvel, a gift. His phrasing is so innate and natural. He also knows how to write or choose material that gives him a perfect vehicle for that voice to shine. Wearing a baggy white shirt outside a pair of black trousers, and his trade-mark sandals and bare feet. Richard Cousins by his side, stage right. They kick off with “Won’t Be Coming Home,” from the 2012 album “Nothin But Love,” and then “Poor Johnny,” from 2008’s “Twenty.”Another taken from the 21012 release is “I’ll Always Remember You,” and he is in fine voice. €œRight Next Door,” from the hit 1991 album “Strong Persuader,” sounds superb on the Sunburst Strat’ he changes to, and there’s a neat trick at the end of the song when he and the band fade themselves out, like on a record. For me, the inventive bass line on the original record from Richard makes this track, and tonight it is exactly as on the recording. He introduces us to his comrades, Cousins getting the loudest applause, before swapping back to the silver guitar for the 2008 track “It Doesn’t Show.” We wait until song six for anything from the new album, and it starts with the opening track, “You Move Me,” before the superb soul tune “Fine Yesterday,” also a new one. His vocal phrasing on the 1993 cut from “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark,” the excellent “Don’t You Even Care,” is sizzling. He gets the first applause of the night for a guitar solo on that song. He squeezes every last ounce of emotion out of the neck of the guitar and from his vocal. They launch into the excellent “In My Soul,” album track “I Guess I’ll Never Know,” with Les singing harmony backing vocals. €œI Shiver,” taken from the 1996 release, “Shame + A Sin,” features some lovely brush strokes on piano and Hammond B3. An instrumental co-written by Robert and his pal of 45 years Richard Cousins, “Hip Tight Onions,” is a cheeky tribute to Booker T & The MGs, and their tracks “Hip Hug Her,” “Time Is Tight,” and “Green Onions.” “What Would You Say,” is also taken from the current album, on which he replicates a sitar sound on guitar. The final song is “Forecast Calls For Pain,” from the 1993 album “Midnight Stroll.,” Then the four join arms and take a bow to a standing ovation. The set list offers two more songs as an encore. We get another track from the current album, “Deep In My Soul,” a staple in the set list of the late great soul and blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland, and then “Blues Get Off My Shoulder,” a tune from his 2012 album. I personally would have liked a couple of incendiary up-tempo numbers to be sent off into the driving rain to. For every second of that 90 minute set, it was pure class from a timeless artist who just gets better. A real quadruple “threat,” as a guitarist and a singer to die for, a versatile songwriter and a performer who digs deep into his soul every time. Find out more at www.robertcray.com