We love acoustic blues at the MWR&BC, and on Saturday at the Brecon Muse we were privileged to welcome some very fine exponents of the art.
Our old friend Aled Clifford is always a welcome return visitor to the Club, bringing with him an eclectic and memorable set of songs, some self-penned and some old familiar classics.
Aled started off with some delicate bluesy slide guitar playing, on a faithful rendition of Little Feat’s ‘Roll um Easy‘, and then his own composition ‘Gimme Back My Morphine‘. As he moved further into his self-written material, what impressed most was the wistful and often moving quality of his songwriting – with inspiration drawn from his own history, and in particular his family. So we had some wonderfully poignant and gentle songs about his kids, a moving tribute to his mother, and a fine acoustic rendition of ‘Heart on Fire‘ from his repertoire as one half of the band Henry’s Funeral Shoe.
He delved further into the traditional blues classics, with a great rendition of Taj Mahal’s ‘Fishing Blues‘, and some excellent slide playing on Blind Willie Johnson’s ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine‘. Then he briefly ramped up the volume for a psychedelic fuzz-box-laden rendition of the Henry’s Funeral Shoe favourite ‘Same Boat Different Sail‘.
Finishing off with the obligatory tribute to Rory Gallagher, Aled’s set was warmly welcomed by the appreciative audience.
At this point in the evening the brief interval turned into perhaps the longest and most entertaining raffle draw in the Club’s history, since nobody seemed able or inclined to win anything – but we got there in the end!
And then – it was time for a very welcome return visit from Jack J Hutchinson, accompanied by a new visitor to the Club, Greg Smith on bass. Both of them had driven half way across the country to be here – but you would never have known it, such was their warm, relaxed and accomplished performance.
We were familiar with the sonic powerhouse that is the full Jack J Hutchinson Band, but on this occasion it was a real treat to hear Jack’s songwriting in an entirely different context – the gentler acoustic treatment allowed the thoughtful and melodic aspects of his songwriting to shine through. Jack was keen to showcase some of his newest material, and from the outset his rendition of ‘The Healing‘ made it clear that his forthcoming album ‘Soul Believer‘ is going to be a scorcher.
What really impressed was the interplay between the two musicians: Greg Smith’s delicate and tasteful bass work blended perfectly with Jack’s melodic guitar work and soulful vocals, and you could see the sheer fun and enjoyment they were having performing together. As they moved on into ‘Bullets‘, the rapport between the two of them was a pleasure to witness, and again the fine quality of the songwriting was undeniable. Thoughtful, introspective and often a little nostalgic, songs such as ‘Love is the Law‘ really revealed their full qualities under the acoustic treatment.
Plenty of relaxed and amusing banter between songs put the audience further at ease, and as the set progressed they moved into a few cover versions that shed an unexpected light on Jack’s musical inspirations. Paul Weller’s ‘Out of the Sinking‘, Richard Ashcroft’s ‘Sonnet‘ and the Foo Fighters’ ‘Times Like These‘ – none of these would have been obvious choices for a gutsy band whose music is more usually presented with the volume turned up to 11… but in this acoustic context they made perfect sense. Jack’s music is underpinned by diverse, richly romantic and melodic influences.
We could have listened to them all night, but all too soon, inevitably, it was time to wrap things up. Their two final songs were perhaps the strongest and most memorable of the set: the intensely poignant ‘I Will Follow You‘, and the punchy funky new song ‘Soul Believer‘ were worth the price of entry in themselves, and left the audience in no doubt why they make the effort to turn out on a Saturday night to experience such fine live music. We wish Jack and Greg safe onward travels as they make their way via Putney to Plymouth, and beyond.
Many thanks as ever to all who made this evening possible – to all at the Muse for their hospitality, and to everyone who came along to support live music in this fine venue.
https://jackjhutchinsonmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/henrysfuneralshoe
Photos and review by Jim Kerslake
Group photo by Alex Lamb
