Blues magic at The Edge: The Classic Blues Show brings soul, stories and stunning musicianship to Much Wenlock
The Classic Blues Show lit up The Edge Arts Centre in Much Wenlock on Saturday night with a performance that was both authentic and musically electrifying.
With members hailing from both sides of the England–Wales border, this six-piece outfit opened with BB King’s Everyday I Have the Blues, immediately setting the tone for an evening steeped in groove, grit, and feeling. From John Mayall’s Steppin’ Out—a nod to the legendary Blues Breakers Beano album—to Ray Charles’s Lonely Avenue and Freddie King’s I’m Tore Down, the first half flowed with energy and heart. Guitar, trumpet and saxophone solos drew warm applause throughout, while stories between songs gave the music a lived-in warmth that connected band and audience alike.
Highlights came thick and fast: Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign, BB King’s Rock Me Baby, and a fiery Further on Up the Road before the break. After the interval, a mellow trumpet solo led into a haunting rendition of St. James Infirmary Blues, its seventeenth-century roots echoing through the room. Gary Moore’s Walking by Myself and Jimi Hendrix’s Red House saw the band’s powerful trio of guitar, bass, and drums unleash their full force. Charismatic vocalist Roger Keenan commanded the stage throughout, his voice rich and soulful, guiding the crowd through classics like The Thrill Has Gone, Talk to Your Daughter, and All Your Love (I Miss Loving).
By the time Crossroads, Sweet Home Chicago, and Peter Green’s Stop Messin’ Around rang out, the Edge audience was fully in the band’s spell. The encore—a rousing call-and-response gospel number John the Revelator followed by Let the Good Times Roll—had people singing along and smiling. With a tight, intuitive rhythm section and virtuoso players at every turn, The Classic Blues Show delivered a performance both powerful and deeply musical. As the audience spilled out into the night, people were buzzing with excitement—proof that the blues is very much alive and well.
Superb photos by Andy Brooks.
This is one of many events and cinema screenings planned at The Edge Arts Centre. For the latest information, subscribe to our newsletter at edgeartscentre.com
