The most impressive part of the band was the Washboard player, who had to play the washboard, the kazoo, traditional drum snare, kick and cymbals, the slide whistle, the triangle and the jug. Not including all the objects he plays in the song “a policeman’s tale” and tap-dancing. But that doesn’t mean the guitarist isn’t a slouch on his instrument, since he’s filling in the role of both a rhythm, lead guitarist, harmonica player and bassist, he is definitely a well-rounded musician in his own right.
The best part of the set was definitely the energy and sound of the duo was comparable to a full jazz ensemble or a four-piece blues band, with a meticulous precision when hitting the right rhythms and notes that’s also not too dissimilar to those jazz and blues greats of the 1910’s to the fifties. Their energy was so infectious, that audience participation happened with a song earlier in the set, which was required the audience to clap at very specific points in the song, which made gave the audience a challenge to clap at the right moments (which didn’t happen too often)
The overall vibe of the gig was pretty relaxed with the members of the group talking to the audience in a very casual manner about what the songs are about or facts about how the music came to be, giving the audience more context behind the song. They even play one completely unplugged, as a calm break from all fast-paced tunes they had been playing up until that point.
So, my final thoughts on this gig are if you want to see a duo effortlessly play the jazz and blues tunes of old whilst playing music that was originally played by 4-to-7-piece bands, then I can’t recommend this band enough, you’re gonna be impressed. 9.5/10
Sounds like a great night with an eclectic mix of instruments!