Sometimes a festival poster can throw you off track, because of the prejudices you unconsciously develop about certain artists.
It happened to me, after I had previously seen AJ Plug and the Dawn Brothers live at a less than stellar moment. At the 4th Engel blues festival they proved me wrong and shook the Groene Engel in Oss to its foundations, a report.
The great thing about Engel blues is that it is a home game, after all, the editorial staff of BluesMagazine is also based in Oss, so you can go home for a bite to eat between performances.
The festival opened with La Ratte, the roots blues trio around guitarist Harm van Essen, who entered the stage very well groomed, something we are not used to from him, his hair neatly cut, his beard stylishly trimmed, it took some getting used to. Together with drummer Jochem Jorissen who guarantees a very varied drum style and the bass grooves of both Standing bass and electric from Nikolas Karolewicz they brought an energetic set with many new songs.
New songs that promise a change of style. The staccato hill country blues rhythms seem to have made way for more rock ‘n roll blues with references to Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. They were a hit with me, especially when they are performed with the standing bass it gives a lot of cachet. However, the hits from their debut album, Garden facing west and Trouble also went down well. A good start.
During the break there was an in-between program in the cafe with Ray Stepien band and brand new dutch blues challenge winners Five Dollar Shake, who would both perform twice. However, in the cafe it was so busy that I let this pass.
Ray Stepien
Five dollar shake
Second was AJ Plug, somewhat skeptical but still curious because her new album is very good, I was completely surprised by her show and performance.
With guitarist Sebas Fledderman who provided the songs with very beautiful and varied solo work, it turned out that my prejudices were unfounded. In a beautiful mix with five songs from her new album, and the beautiful “Let go” from her debut album and the ode “your love” to her partner Klaas, Alexandra amazed the audience with the flexibility in her voice, pure and sometimes full of emotions, emotions that suit her.
The closing “Tears run Dry” was perfected by the entire band into a mighty Epos by the musical accompaniment of guitarist Sebas Fledderman and pianist Nina van Beelen. Great performance.
The other band I had my doubts about were The Dawn Brothers, and that was mainly because of the album they had made with Dewolff, an album that I did not like at all.
However, what the Dawn Brothers turned out to be this evening in the Groene Engel did not match that album at all. The band that was playing here brought a Dutch version of Jam rock, which we know from Warren Haynes, Widespread Panic. Finely constructed songs carried by the inventive bass playing of Tammo Deuling, and the always spectacular drumming of Rafael Schwiddessen.
All that topped off with alternating solo playing by Bas van Holt on guitar and Rowan de Vos on the keys made this performance a party. Add to that the beautiful polyphonic singing and the picture is complete. The Dawm Brothers swung.
Compared to their studio albums, the songs sounded a bit better with more punch, it is the magic of live performances.
The 4th Engel blues was closed by Ellis Bailey. This English singer had her breakthrough during the Corona crisis, where she played many live performances on Facebook, which also made me a fan of her work.
During that period she had just released an album “Road I call home” that had remained under the radar due to that crisis, but of which she performed a number of songs this evening. The music that Ellis brings is a mixture of blues, some country and soul influences, but everything is designed in such a way that it is pleasant to listen to.
After the corona crisis, Ellis Bailey has been doing well in England, she has completed numerous tours and you could tell, here was a well-oiled machine.
A highlight, the beautiful “Let it Burn” where Ellis herself took a seat behind the piano. Another beautifully designed song was “Whats the matter with you” where Ellis sat on the edge of the stage and sang to a group of loyal fans, later it turned out that they were German fans who had come to Oss especially for Ellis Bailey.
The driving force in the band was mainly her longtime guitarist Joe Wilkins, who provided the songs with beautiful guitar playing, delicious slides, and rough intermezzos when desired. Who also stood out was Demi Marriner who supported Ellis vocally and added an extra dimension with the acoustic guitar.
Ellis was and remained the radiant center, who continuously kept moving and involved her audience in the performance, a beautiful end to the 4th Engel Blues Festival. On to the fifth I would like to say.
