Maryport Bitter and Blues Festival 2006
Friday 28th July 2006 - Main Marquee Stage
Reviews by Courtland Bresner    Photos by Alan White

Friday night opened with A Lesser Concern. A local four piece band that performed a very non-blues set of covers of British pop music interspersed with a few original numbers. The covers included Video Killed the Radio Star, I Predict a Riot and I’m a Believer. Their only attempt at a blues was Shake Your Money Maker.
 

Next up was the female Australian singer-song writer Kitto, occasionally accompanied by Pete on guitar. This husky voiced blonde performed a set of original energetic songs including For the Fury, Death of Yesterday, Blues Cafe and Desperate Housewife. The only covers performed were Like a Rolling Stone and the encore Me and Bobby McGee. When Kitto plays the guitar she really hits the strings with force resulting in a number of broken strings during her set.
 

Tony Joe White, the main event of the evening, followed with an impeccable set of original down home swamp blues songs from his vast catalogue. Tony accompanied himself on guitar supported by a drummer. Songs performed included Undercover Agent for the Blues, Old Black Crow, As the Crow Flies, Polk Salad Annie and the encore Steamy Windows. Tony’s deep and rich voice seemed to engulf and caress the audience which was typified during Rainy Night In Georgia as only Tony can perform. It was amazing to hear the sound he got from an overdriven Fender Bassman amp and a wah-wah pedal.
 

Closing the show on the Friday night was Geno Washington and the Purple Aces. Geno and his band, which included two sax players, provided an entertaining set which included covers of a number of blues standards with a number of guitar and sax solos highlighting the performances. The band opened with Pick Up the Pieces before being joined on stage by Geno. Between numbers Geno recalled some of his experiences from his long career. Song performed included Kansas City, Dust My Broom, Little Red Rooster, with Wolfman Williams on slide guitar and I Put a Spell on You. The high energy blues/soul set was completed by the encore Everybody Needs Somebody to Love/Jumping Jack Flash.