The night before

There are just a few readers out there that may be interested in the inner world of the artists that create the blues. Not for that reason did I start filming Rick Bryant four years ago, but for another, completely different reason.

And that is a love of good art - art that is going to last the distance. Rick Bryant is famous, sure. Do you follow his music? You are probably part of a sort of musical who's who if you do.

He is one of a handful of artists writing original blues songs. He has worked with Gordon and top sound engineers to shake all the dust off in the studio. At first it was a few songs then a CD then it was a double then triple CD.

Does video make the live events less valuable? No, it makes them far more valuable. I have realised you can not film original experience. The being there is the vital part. Videos retrieve power from the essential experience of the event. My aim is the capture reminders of the experience of the performance in the shoot.

Ticket sales to this show have been better than usual. There are door sales (most unseated).

It is the vital performance of singer - the old music, but done new and very much of the now - like the members of the amazing Dap-Kings behind Amy Winehouse. Consider, there's hundreds of years of blues experience behind her sound. And this twelve piece, The Jive Bombers, has an extraordinary vintage to live up to.

First off the band - it is a very good one with players like Kingsley Melhuish on trumpets and Chris Watts on tenor sax, not to mention Neil Watson (Anika Moa) on guitar, Gordon Spittle and Ross Burge (Mutton Birds, Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashen) on drums and the very safe hands of Tony McMaster on bass. Is that everyone.

Certainly not. Check out the new BVs. Holly has a new song - the blues like it was in the twenties - plenty evil - if you get my drift.

The Jive Bombers is some of the best musicians doing music written by one of our most active musicians. He did two gigs last weekend - not just the Jubilation one - but a Windy City Strugglers one as well.

The Jive Bombers may be more relaxed but rehearsal schedules like this are extraordinarily demanding. Just remembering the words for three completely different shows (plus his other band, The Top Scientists) show a mental dexterity of musical creativity way off the scale).

You may not like all of his songs, but many of them grow on you. The band will concentrate on their recording project to Rick Bryant standards and release this stuff when it is ready. He is a bit of a Kiwi legend.

Hands up who would buy this CD


You can be The Boss


Perfect Woman


Rum Jungle


55


Me oh My


Cruel But Fair


Respect


Laid Low


Dog


Used to be friends


Good Woman


Daddy





I would.