Review by Eric Hobson

WHAT do you expect to see at a Brewery Blues Night in the cellar bar at the Kings Head Hotel in Cirencester? A Blues Band and we were treated to great one on Friday night, Red River Blues.

Tess Wilson Band were the supporting act and it was a bit of a surprise to find they were a band of two, however what they lacked in number they more than made up for by filling the vaulted cellar with some great country and western music.

The band featured Tess Wilson on vocals and Leon Hewis on guitar and chorus vocals. The pair met a couple of years ago writing country and western music, deciding the best ways to showcase their work was to perform it.

Tess has a velvet voice made for country and western music singing, supported by Leon’s solid guitar playing.

If Tess Wilson band grew in size with their excellent song writing they could become a real force in country and western music.

My favourite songs were Counting Cars and Texas which featured clever lyrics and were sung with a passion, however the whole set was good and they are definitely a band to watch.

Red River Blues’ line-up sees Giles on harmonica, Jody on drums, Clyde on guitar and vocals, Andy on bass and Chris on sax and an EWI wind synthesizer.

The band comes from Ross Wye and the current line-up have been performing together for the last two years, although as musicians they played more years than there were notes in one of their guitar solos.

By night they play blues but their day jobs range from pilot to a teacher, while one of them couldn’t say but mentioned something about reporting to ‘M’!

They began their set with standard blues songs Hoochie Coochie and Walking the Dog which raised the audiences expectations and as they evening progressed they didn’t disappoint.

Clyde played an unusual slide guitar made from a ‘knicker’ drawer that reminded me of Seasick Steve’s homemade guitars, but despite its looks, Clyde’s playing was outstanding.

Talking of strange instruments, alongside the alto and tenor saxes, Chris played a wind synthesizer that was played a bit like a clarinet but sounded like pan flute but with more complex sounds.

As well as the standard songs, Red River Blues also played their own original pieces and ‘Sunshine’ was, in my opinion, the best. With great vocals, it allowed the entire band the opportunity to showcase their accomplished musical skills.

It is rare to hear a harmonica played as a lead instrument and Giles is one of the best I have heard in a long time.

Red River Blues play great blues alongside some distinctive funk and groove music providing fabulous musical entertainment.

It was another outstanding Brewery Blues night at the Kings Head Hotel and I look forward to seeing both bands back in the future.

On November 20, local favourites Michaela Mott and Bernie Poulton, known as Ethemia are headlining Acoustic Night, with a sparkling show of great music and stories.