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Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The Heritage Blues Orchestra are touring the U.K as a quintet, Chaney Sims bringing her warm vocals to the band that are full of tones and inflections a little bit gospel, a whole lot of soul and buckets full of glorious musical shapes. The two guitarists play with perfect understanding they are not duelling with each other, never do they try to out compete because they know they are both class, Bill Sims and Junior Mack, any band with two guitarists should watch, learn and emulate. The quintet is completed by Parisian harp player Vincent Boucher and topped off in all his glorious drummer technique and style Chicago drummer Kenny ‘Beedy Eyes’ Smith.
Into the mix we had W.C. Handy’s St Louis Blues, invoking Bessie Smith’s sung by Chaney Sims, who bought the spirit of Bessie into the room and on this steamy July night this slow number suited the atmosphere. Then there is the drumming throughout which flashes at a speed that catches your ears like a flying fish catching your eye when leaping out of the water full of glistening silver gone in a flash but lingering on your senses. The drumming is clean fresh and interactive and keeps the beat deep within the soul of the music. Muddy Water’s Catfish Blues sees the drumming pushing the beat along.
We were treated to some acoustic guitar from Junior Mac as the other members took a well deserved breather, the members joined them once again on the tiny stage and they continued to deliver and delight as the night rolled on and the audience were asked to help out, you never have to ask twice in Cardiff. C-Line Women with some lovely harmonies delivered courtesy of the crowd was a special moment and the stage and the club morphed into one harmonious body all singing in the moment and full of harmonious cohesion.
Vincent on the blues-harp playing is at times frenetic in the style of Little Walter was at a very special level with the flair of someone who plays with verve and style, loving the music he is playing and added another layer of sound and tonal quality filling in the gaps when vocals faded away and the guitars were in the background.
The two tracks that for me that had that spine-tingling live music moment was their version of St James’ Infirmary, this American folk-song shows the depth and scope of the combined talents of the quintet with a long slow rendition of this number I have never heard it sung or articulated so well, and the wonderful original take on the classic Hard Times with Chaney leading the vocals and then the gospel harmonies as they all join in.
The whole set was wall-to-wall music, full of energy, emotion, charm that fizzled with talent and vitality , you just have to smile, dance and join in the singing this is a quality act that know how to perform and keep you engaged and entertained. Come back to the U.K. very soon and bring the whole Heritage Blues Orchestra next time; at least those who didn’t already have their Grammy-nominated dĂ©but album, And Still I Rise could take a little bit of the magic home with them.
to which I’d only add that even with people packed in front of the stage and filling the adjacent bar area, the whole joint went silent during St James Infirmary.
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