Michael Woods @ The Lit & Phil. September 18

Michael Woods (guitar & vocals) + Charlie Woods (guitar)

(Review by Russell)

Another Friday lunchtime concert at the Lit & Phil. This one wasn’t jazz, this was folk-blues guitar from Tyneside’s Michael Woods. A return engagement at the Lit & Phil for the finger-picking left hander, his concert schedule sees him perform too infrequently in the region.

A set of classic early country blues and original material drawn from his three-CD back catalogue saw Woods standing throughout, picking his way on a Taylor acoustic and his new pride and joy, a custom made resonator by John Alderson of Leicestershire’s Delta Resonators. 

Blind Blake, Blind Willie McTell, Sleepy John Estes’ Brownsville Blues, an original in homage to Blake Excuse Me, Mr Phelps? (Blake was known by several names throughout his life) particularly effective, the full-to-overflowing Loftus Room audience hanging on each and every note. Woods’ most recent CD East Coast Fret yielded Blink of an Eye, his opening tune of the set, and similarly, Broken Wing Mirrors.

Woods slipped in a ‘non blues’ – When You Wore a Tulip – acknowledging it as more of a popular song of the day with a jazz lineage. The affable Woods clearly relished playing his Delta Resonator. This Lit & Phil concert marked its debut public performance and he stuck with it for several tunes, picks and bottleneck working in sync. As the concert drew to a close Woods returned to his Taylor six-string to play (and sing) Deep Ellum and Call Me the Breeze. The audience wanted another one. Woods invited another left hander – his son Charlie – to join him (on resonator) to go out on Nobody Knows You (When You’re Down and Out). Michael Woods’ new CD is imminent. Bebop Spoken Here will keep you up to date about its release.           

Russell.