In the world of blues, The Evening Sons are a rare recipe: something new created from familiar ingredients.
Mojo Webb, Coojee Timms, and Greg Baker - all accomplished blues musicians in their own right - make up the band. A recent gig at the Brisbane Jazz Club (13 February) showcased their mastery of blues tunes old and new.
It was clear all three players felt at home with both the set list and the audience, as Webb declared the show would be like sitting in the band's lounge room, listening to them jam. For the most part, this was true, but Webb was selling the show short. Though the atmosphere was casual, the performance was more polished than any living room jam.
Starting with some classic songs featuring Baker's wailing blues harmonica, The Evening Sons took a tour through the history of blues. From the slightly censored 'Good Evening Schoolteacher' to the more direct 'I'm Gonna Murder My Baby', the band proved to be multi-talented tour guides.
Webb's gravelly vocals, along with Baker's powerful guitar work combined to make the latter song a bold and brassy number. One of the most instantly engaging attributes of blues music is its natural, walking rhythm and Timms, on drums, kept the pace perfectly.
It wasn't long before people had started to shuffle on the dancefloor indoors, while outside, a couple danced on the Club's deck beside the river. As if in response, the band began dialling up the tempo, with a raucous, risque piece by Webb called 'All Night'. The swing-style beat brought more than the audience up from their chairs. Unable to contain himself, Webb bounced up and down on his stool as he sang the chorus.
The show only got more energetic from there, with one song giving Timms the opportunity to use the window frame behind him as an extension of his drum kit. Later, as things settled down again, it was time for some Muddy Waters.
For anyone wondering what blues has been or what it can be now, a night with The Evening Sons is a must.
