The John O’Leary Band
Alexander’s Jazz Theatre
17th March 2005
Published in Blues in Britain May 2005
As it was St. Patrick’s Day, the
appearance of Irishman John O’Leary’s band at Alexander’s was
particularly apt. The band, which boasts a pool of musicians to
choose from, has a core trio of John on vocals and harp, Jules
Fothergill on guitar and Joachim Greve on drums. On this
occasion, the line-up was completed by bass guitarist Nick Townsend
and Parisian guitarist Marc Le Guerranic, both of whom maintained the
exceptionally high standard of musicianship of formerly witnessed
combinations.
After an introductory instrumental from
the band, John O’Leary joined the others on stage to set the tone
of the evening with a fine rendition of “Born In Chicago”. There
followed the customary litany of blues standards, including “19
Years Old”, “Who’s Been Talking” and “Little By Little”,
which provided a well-balanced variation of pace and
intensity. Finely executed harp solos were matched by
phenomenal, individual contributions from both guitarists. Jules
Fothergill’s hard edged aggression being nicely contrasted with the
gentler, legato style of the Frenchman.
The second set continued in similar
fashion, featuring more old favourites from the Chicago blues
songbook. Particularly splendid were a delivery of “Yonder
Wall” and a smouldering version of “Rock Me Baby”. There
was also a funky performance of “Black Cat Bone”, which allowed
Joachim Greve to demonstrate his incredible skills in an extended
drum solo.
While the two formations that John
O’Leary had previously brought to Chester were both excellent, this
line-up was even better. The friendly rivalry between the
two young guitar slingers generated a nerve-tingling energy that kept
the suitably responsive audiences on the edge of their seats
throughout the evening. This is undoubtedly a band that
deserves wider exposure and greater recognition…..Lionel Ross