My night out begins at the Voodoo Rooms, a gem of a place in the heart of Edinburgh and not far from Waverley Station. The Voodoo Rooms boast wonderful interiors and its own glittering ballroom set up for all kinds of live music and performance. On this night it's hosting a rhythm and blues jam organised by Ash Gupta. I’ll admit I’ve not been to many ‘jam nights’ to date as my preference is for the eclectic and wide ranging open mic, but there’s always a first time and besides, there were no open mics to be found in Edinburgh on this particular evening.
A solo guitarist called Roger kicks off the proceedings with songs he has penned himself, adding that the riffs are mostly stolen as there’s not much more you can do that hasn’t already been done with 12 bar blues. And this is one of the reasons why I’ve avoided these kinds of nights to date, because the few jam nights I've attended have always taken the easy route into what I can only describe as formula blues. But Roger’s second song is a strongly emotional piece called Photograph, recalling various pictures of friends, relatives and loved ones in each verse. It’s a powerful bit of song writing and nicely supported by some harmonica playing. I’m working on my harmonica playing at this time so I listen intently to how he handles the 'diatonic scale'.
The house band are on after Roger and I miss a good deal of their set as I’m waiting to get served at the bar for what seems like forever. There aren’t many people waiting with me, but the bar staff are making fiddly cocktails that take ages to prepare - half alcohol half biscuit beverages (with carefully placed coffee beans on top) that cost a small fortune. I never knew there was so much in it and felt quite boring when I asked for a pint of Guinness. By the time I got back to the house band they had worked their way through the 50’s and 60’s, to arrive at some 70s rock, overlayed with some highly skilled and enjoyable lead saxophone.
But it’s a friendly spot and a relaxed atmosphere, as two more musicians turn back the hands of time once again with a Rolling Stones version of Route 66. You can tell these guys love what they’re doing so it rubs off on you whether you’re a (Rolling) Stones fan or not. A blues band from Glasgow follow the house band and they include another excellent saxophonist. If you love your rhythm and blues you’ll love it here.
I enjoyed my few hours at The Voodoo Rooms, but as the night was still young (for Edinburgh nights are always young) I also had time to go back to one of the venues featured in Chapter Seven of my book, and listen to another genre of music that comes with its own set of rules and candid expectations - folk music.
http://www.thevoodoorooms.com/
http://www.thevoodoorooms.com/
I like the idea of having a particular night assigned to a particular type of music, such as that rythmn and blues night at the Voodoo. In other locations such as the Ghillie Dhu or Wighams were many of the same people who go to the Voodoo rooms hook up you could expect a similar experience. However in all of those venues including the Voodoo, don't be surprised if from time to time you hear a bit, Funk, Jazz, Soul, Country or hybrid thrown in.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Da. I like all those kinds of music, and more besides. And my reservations about 'jam nights', and the tendency to slip into formula blues, was certainly challenged at the Voodoo Rooms.
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