Barry's Views

Review:

Colin Staples and Henri Herbert launched their new CD 'Something Boogie, Something Blue' in fine style tonight. Colin's passionate vocals, driving guitar and scorching harp breaks were well complemented by Henri's fluent and inventive keyboards on classic but not over-familiar numbers by Big Bill Broonzy, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters and others.
Variety came from smouldering slow blues, some nice little swingers - tunes, not fruity members of the smallish but appreciative audience! - and others taken at a breakneck speed that would surely have derailed lesser performers! Wednesday jams have been enhanced by Henri's barrelhouse and boogie piano for quite a while and tonight was a great reminder of that. Let's hope his productive partnership with Colin, captured perfectly on their lively Dave Stephenson produced CD, will bring him back before too much longer.

Dave Kingsbury