Everyday I Have The Blues ~ I Can't Lose ~ Hoochie Coochie Man ~ High Heeled Sneekers
Born With The Blues ~ When My Baby She Left Me ~ Dimples ~ T-Bone Shuffle
The Sky Is Crying ~ Can't Judge A Book ~ Why I Sing The Blues ~ Spider and the Fly
Honeybee ~ Hello World - Miss Ida B

(ENCORES) ~ Killing Floor ~ Got My Mojo Working ~ Don't Worry

Friends Of The Blues - March 6 - The Queen's Head, Aylesbury

Mark was still recovering on this date and so the "Friends of the Blues" lineup was completed by Gerald on bass.  Behind the scenes a recording unit was being supervised by an honorary "Friend", Vaughan.

Setting up this unit entailed some extra equipment being hastily set up and more than the usual amount of spaghetti laying underfoot.  The fruits of the recording are expected to be available on CD within a few days and to be distributed locally for cost price.  For any unlucky enough not to make it along to this gig the CD will offer a chance not to miss out entirely.

The audience was a capacity crowd, not uncommon for the Queen's Head who have a history of laying on the many quality musical acts from Aylesbury and the surrounding environs, indeed, the pub's "Open Mike Night", the last Sunday of every month, is a magnet for established local musicians and for emergent have-a-go singers, poets and players alike - all are welcome.

All blues devotees were treated to an atmospheric evening from the beginning of the first set to the end of the second, totaling some 80 minutes or more of blues standards such as, Floating Bridge, Sinners Prayer, Further On Up The Road, Rambling On My Mind and Double Trouble.

The diminutive 20 Watt Cornford produced its customary mammoth sound in response to some masterful leadwork from Derek "The Teleman" Durrant (AKA "NIDG" in some quarters) but the tone connoisseur will notice some judicious use of a Gibson 355 too!

The "Friends of the Blues" gave of their best and made their mark this night!  Hear some sound files from the Queen's Head by clicking HERE.  Broadband is recommended because of the size.

VeejayUU

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Re-Loaded - March 21 - The Grand Junction, Bulbourne

Again, we were lucky to receive this review at our spacious offices by another of our fictional correspondents in the field:

I had lost my way & the sky was looking bleak. In the middle distance I could make out the distinct shape of a hostelry that is known as, 'The Bluesgarden by the FarCanal'. It was like piercing the portals of a different age for it was well known, infamous in point of fact, highwaymen had gathered there, Nell Gwynn had lost her oranges there, squeezed by a blackguard known as Deggs 'Wunaye' Durrant, a shetland pony horsetrader that had fallen on hard times.

The cobbles were pounding my tyres, should I drive past & brave the approaching wraithlike clouds or sneak a peek at the now 'wailing guitars & saxophones' that had begun to overcome my 'Benny Tadman Orchestra' CD that was jumping to this 'den's' bestial beat. Stone me! The Re-Routed 41 Loaded Blues Band were playin' "Hideaway".

This I gotta hear!! A handbrake-turn moment descended like a brief red-mist & I was parked. I sprinted from the Rolls-Royce regal red gull-wing Reliant Robin & caught the band just at the point where Crusty Honeywind had 'turned up the volume'. Deggs Durrant, what was left of his hair was being tossed needlessly by merciless air turbulence from his Cornford. The 'beat' was like a steamhammer from Jarrow (courtesy of Ian & Ray on drums & bass). Then it was over to tumultuous applause!

Just love that toon. And when I thought it couldn't get any better, up strides Tom, Toots (sax duties & vox), Southpaw Joe on 'threef-Gibbo'(vox) and away wiv'ya. I was clapping so much I didn't notice the stiletto puncture marks on my Terry de Havilland Cowboy Boot originals. One thing's for certain, Blues maybe 'cool', but it's "red-hot' at the Grand Junction, Bulbourne nr Tring, Herts...................

Paul Raymond, Soho

Thanks, 'Paul' - the cheque is in the post, mate ...

VeejayUU

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Re-Loaded / ReRouted - April 11 - The Bell, Bierton

This night we had a slight change of personnel, namely Steve sitting in for Ian on drums and we were joined by Mark Anderson, who has made a brilliant recovery I am very pleased to say.  (Anyway, you don't get too many bassists like him to the pound, I'm sure he won't mind me saying that, I hope!)

Also joining us from Route 41 were Joe and Toots on guitar & vocals and sax and vocals respectively, two of the finest 'frontmen' around, I might add.  We called ourselves 'ReRouted' for this gig.

I would like to thank all at the Bell for inviting us to play for them on a pleasant Easter Sunday and for booking a return there and then for May 2nd.

Derek

This was a great night for the blues, with Bob Lang popping in to do vocals on Rambling, his misses thought that he had just gone out to post a letter, but we won't grass you up, mate!

'Storming Joe' and Toots add yet a new dimension to the band with soloing that would grace any stage.  The gutsy and humorous words, "I look like a farmer but really I'm a lover - you can't judge a book by it's cover.", still ring in my ears.

Professor 'Rusty' made a good showing on the Stumble, which is not a reference to the state of his legs but rather to a rather tasty shuffle number.

Can't wait for May 2nd!

VeejayUU

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