The Boneshakers – The Tuesday Night Music Club – 30 September.

This review is written by Nigel Foster and shared with his kind permission.

Images by Ken Jackson

The Boneshakers are a proper blues band and they are a modern blues band that are very much in the here and now as they add soul, R&B and funk to their sound. Tonight on their return to the club across two sets they were simply sensational and delighted the always attentive crowd. The Boneshakers blues music is very cool and that cool is matched by the image of the band. Fronting the band is the very sassy confident Jenny Langer an absolute curve ball of energy with a radiant smile permanently etched on her face. Randy Jacobs the guitarist is way too cool with his crimson jacket, sharp boots and wide brimmed hat. Arthur Thompson has a confident cool with the dark shades and muscled arms.

Then Holly Montgomery adopting the pose at the back with knowing cool. Randy, Arthur and Holly took to the stage and immediately dived into a heavy pulsing blues instrumental with pounding drum and bass pumps and hard driving echo and fazed hot licks from Randy on the guitar. Bring ‘Em On maintained the hot vibe and brought vocalist Jenny to the stage and immediately she appeared to us we were captivated by her presence. The quartet then joined together to create seriously funky grooves from the rhythm section that were picked up with Randy’s flash blade slashes across the strings and an early flooring of the Wah Wah pedal. Jenny latched onto the groove and her voice moved powerfully from a soul riven cadence to an almost banshee wail.

Fabulous vibrant and energetic opening to the gig that showed the quartet were immediately dialled in together. When Randy first spoke he described how this iteration of the band came together and he said this is the best the band has been and nobody here was going to argue that point. He said the band were tight and smokin,’ nuff said really. Tight and smokin’ is a perfect description of the band’s delivery of One Foot In The Groove and it was built on a dirty deep groove carved out by Arthur’s assault on the snare and cymbals and Holly powerfully pumped out a metronomic series of bass lines. Randy latched on to the rhythm and jumped from a searing riff to a manic and furious solo.

Catfish Blues allowed the band to show their true blues credentials and their ability to drop from head knock blues rock to slow emotive blues as a low groove sat beside a low hook and Jenny poured out a honey dense vocal. I Kick A Brick provided Jenny a chance to impress with a siren wail of a vocal as the quartet planted themselves in slow blues territory as drums and bass locked tight together to set the template. Randy was in the middle of it and he carved out a jagged tumult of notes that splintered the melody. Arthur and Randy appeared first for the opening song of the second set and the duo weaved rich patterns of notes and rhythms.

Randy brought a smile to my face as he picked up a Cigar Box and donned a slide bottle. Arthur meanwhile demonstrated he is a pro level percussionist and not just a drummer. The result more dirty blues. Strong percussive beats from Arthur and Holly throbbed away to open the way for the powerful Fire On The Bayou where the strongest feature was the fabulous 4 part harmony vocals that rang out. From here the quartet stirred up a giant melting pot of Louisiana based blues with Randy’s searing slide bottle runs a strong feature rupturing the groove while Jenny danced over the sonics with a soul fusion of a vocal.

Big Legged Man brought the gig to an end in riotous style as its coda was that of a hot throbbing blues rocker with a power drive drum and bass groove, chopped shards of guitar riffs from Randy and a lascivious dangerous vocal from Jenny. Immediately we rose to acclaim The Boneshakers and their deserved encore took the form of Cold Sweat with its blues shuffle stylings. A throbbing groove pulsed via Arthur’s stirring drum fills and Holly’s thrumming bass . Arthur poured out a deep sole of the boots voice that Jenny took on to a higher plane and Randy splintered the sounds with a shredding furious solo. A second more sustained ovation ensued as the band took their bows.

Fabulous exciting gig that in some ways could be summed up by casting an eye at Jenny when she was not singing. It was clear to me from my vantage point that the music had taken control of her as she swayed from side to side really feeling the music. Thank you and thank you to Richard and Rosalind for making this happen. Thank you to The Boneshakers for your skill and sense of fun all of which made for a memorable gig.

Towards the end of the gig Jenny said some lovely words to Richard about what he does for live music and how much the band love the club and she asked if they could come back next year. Richard’s brilliant reply was; ‘you had better and if you don’t I will come out and get you.’ Richard I think I speak for all that were there and some regulars that could not be there when I say; ‘if it looks like you might need to do that we will club together to pay your return air fare.’ The Tuesday Night Music Club loves The Boneshakers and there will always be a warm Club welcome for them.