John O’Leary’s Sugarkane comprises
one of the very best ensembles of blues musicians in the UK. In
addition to the man himself on warm-toned harp, the band boasts the
superlative keyboard skills of Jools Grudgings, the spell-binding
magic of Roger Inniss on bass guitar, the newly returned prodigious
drumming of Joachim Greve and the sublime guitarmanship of local
favourite, Steve Wright. It was no surprise therefore that the Marina
was crammed full with an eager crowd of fans.
The programme opened with a splendid
delivery of “Born In Chicago” and Junior Wells’s funky “Snatch
It Back And Hold It”, which afforded Roger Inniss his first
opportunity to display his prowess with a terrific bass solo. “Early
In The Morning” featured phenomenal dexterity from Jools Grudgings
and Steve Wright and a drumming masterclass from Joachim Greve. Steve
Wright then assumed the vocal mantle for “Help The Poor” and
added some tasty guitar licks for good measure. John O’Leary then
returned to the fray to close the first set with a fine rendition of
“Little By Little”.
The second set leaped into action with
Kenny Burrell’s upbeat instrumental “Chitlins Con Carne” before
“She’s 19 Years Old” was considerably embellished with some
beautifully mellow harp work. Nat Adderley’s jazzy “Worksong”
led into the vibrant finale of the show, starting with a marvellous
version of “Black Cat Bone”, which ably showcased the
instrumental talents of all five band members, and culminating in a
fabulous amalgamation of “Help Me” and “Look On Yonder’s
Wall” that transfixed the delighted audience with a mesmerising
wall of sound.
This is a group of musicians who never
resort to simply going through the motions and their obvious
enjoyment of performing is guaranteed to evoke an appreciative
response from their audience. Great entertainment.
LIONEL ROSS