Blues treat

BY BARBARA STOWE

The Blues Party, Woollaston Estates, Sunday January 3.

Woollaston Estates' cellar hosted a blues party on Sunday January 3. The combined bands of world-class blues artists played for four hours, impressing the audience on a night that was a sure treat for any Nelson lover of the blues.

The sold-out show, the first concert of Woollaston Jazz & Blues festival, was reflected in the packed and pumping dance floor.

The sultry, soulful, sexy voice of Los Angeles singer Diana Harris started the evening in style. She captured the audience straight away, and entertained us with stories of first jamming with New Zealand blues guitarist Billy TK Jr at a Playboy bunny party in Los Angeles.

Fool in Love got the crowd up dancing with its rockabilly-style beat. Billy TK's jazzy blues guitar sang out on I Idolize You, with sweet guitar licks reminiscent of Robben Ford.

Harris jumped down off the stage for a song about drunk dialling (calling people you shouldn't at 3am), passionately belting it out on her hands and knees on the concrete floor of the cellar to get the point across.

Next on stage was San Francisco's soul blues mama Edna Love, with San Francisco guitarist Robbie McGregor.
Soul blues is a sub-genre of blues music developed in the United States in the late 1960s and early 70s.

It combines elements of soul music (Ray Charles) and traditional electric blues (Muddy Waters), and was popularised by artists such as BB King and Etta James.

Love's vibrant presence just filled the stage as she belted out classics such as Take Me to the River and Heard It through the Grapevine. Love can really shake it, and she showed us exactly how as she directed her band with her shimmying body during Chain of Fools.

Billy TK Jr, with his talented three-piece blues band of David Thomas on keyboards, Jeremy Hoenig on drums and Peter Hoera on bass, ripped through classic blues numbers of his obvious guitar influences Stevie Ray Vaughan (Empty Arms), JJ Cale (Cocaine) and Robert Cray (Phone Booth).

Love was greeted warmly back on stage for the final numbers that kept the house rocking with a searing Fender guitar duel between Billy and Robbie on Superstition. I couldn't find evidence that any of the soul blues legends have graced the stage in Nelson, but Love fills those shoes now.

- © Fairfax NZ News