A change of pace on night three this week and this time it’s the turn of the blues with Robert Finley. Its fair to say that success has come late to the great man after being picked up by Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye record label on which he has released several albums over the past few years.
Tonight’s show is in support of his excellent new album ‘Black Bayou’ and as you would expect it’s this that dominates the set. He is backed by a great band and also, we find out later, his eldest daughter on backing vocals.
Where do I start with this gig? It was an absolute pleasure and masterclass of the blues. For a man of sixty nine which I know is often young in blues years his voice is perfect, strong and carries a range of a man belying his years. I have to say that after spending two nights in a row at the Jazz Café the sound quality there is perfect.
He’s full of stories and life lessons and while some of what he says would be picked up by the PC police and berated for, it’s all delivered with warmth and sincerity.
It’s a superb set taking in all three of his albums along with the stand-alone single the singalong ‘Tell Somebody’. After about an hour he takes a well-earned rest and hands over the vocal reins to his daughter Christy. Well she nearly blew the roof off of the Jazz Café, what a voice as she belts out the classics ‘I’d rather go blind’ and ‘Clean up Woman’.
There was a danger that she would steal the show but we needn’t of worried as Finley continues where he left off and delivers a tour de force performance including some special highlights such as ‘Get it While you can’ and the extended jam of ‘Alligator Bait’
One of the shows of the year for me
Keep on swampy, gospel, blues rockin’ y’all.