A Ramble Round Cherry Hinton

I only manage to hear the first number from traditionalists, Boys Of The Lough, before heading off to another batch of interviews. Boys Of The Lough are very good at what they do, but for me they're a bit dated.

I was back in time to catch La Bottine Souriante. Traditional Quebec music is yet to be added to my listening experiences, here was an opportunity to put the record straight. I was expecting a style similar to Cajun seeing as this was one of the regions where protoCajun existed. I wasn't disappointed, there was a Cajun root to the music but it was heavily infused with jazz, salsa and cafe influences.

That effect was enhanced by the horn section that added their own dynamic to the overall sound. The band have toured quite extensively in the US of A and Europe, but until now have missed out a bit on this Sacred Isle. That is in the process of being put right.

The sound is big and expressive and despite the fact the songs are performed in French, you can get a sense of what's going on. This is good time music with a continental flavour and the crowd lapped it up. The size of the band added to the effect as it meant that individual musicians could go off on their own or bop around when not actually playing.

A number of the band had what could only be described as eccentricities in their dress and deportment all of which added character to the performance. La Bottine Souriante have released a cd over here recently and based on their live performance, it should be an absolute hoot.

That brought the afternoon session on Stage 1 to a halt. There was time to get something to eat and drink before getting back into the fray. As luck would have it my chosen food stall was in listening distance of the Folk Tent. The sounds emanating from which lured me in. The band who happened to be on stage were The Aqua Sisters. The quality of the sound and the depth of the lyric advertised that this was a band that were beyond most that appeared in the Folk Tent. That they had been given a double slot confirmed this.

The band have started performing regularly on the festival circuit as well as a number of good support slots, including Show Of Hands. It's easy to see where influences have come in, though they're quite wide and varied. Many of these influences have combined to produce a distinctive sound, particularly when performing the self penned material.

I managed to blag a copy of the band's latest tape, "Mud Wrestling" which although good seems to sell them short when compared to their live sound. They go into the studio with Phil Beer at the desk soon and hopefully from there should be able to reach a wider audience.

Eric Bibb started the Evening Session on Stage 1 bring back the blues. Eric lives in Scandinavia and that isolation has allowed him to develop a style of blues that at times borders on being unique. Classic blues licks and sounds proliferate, but there is an edge to the sound that says "not only has this man taken from blues rich heritage, he's adding to them and putting something back."

Mister Bibb appears not to be an artist that lies back on the work of others but rather moves forward on his own merits. By avoiding the traditional apprenticeship he has the luxury of being his own man.

The crowd seems to lap up his particular style of guitar and like Keb Mo who played here a few years ago he shows that blues is safe in the hands of the next generation.

Eric captured the spirit of the blues and with it the audience. His mastery of the guitar, combined with a good supporting cast of fellow musicians lead to a performance that captivated both blues aficionados and casual blues fans.

If blues can be this good it's hard to imagine why too many blues fans are happy to put up with second rate covers. Blues is alive and well and Eric Bibb is there to ensure that it stays healthy. This was definitely the best band driven blues of the festival.

Another change of stage gave me time to get another interview recorded before rushing back to catch former Barely Work's member, Sarah Allen in one of her new projects, Flook!

Sunday Continued...