A POWERHOUSE TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN WHO BUILT THE BLUES

By Katherine Gannon | @If_she_likes_it_she_writes_it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Ronnie Scott’s Blues Explosion doesn’t do things by halves, and their “Ladies Sing the Blues” run proved exactly why the club’s reputation for raw, unfiltered musicianship precedes it.

From the first note, the eight piece Ronnie Scott’s Blues Explosion set the tone: tight, soulful and unmistakably alive. Drummer Ian Matthews was a standout from the opening bars, driving the room with a precision that had the crowd warmed up before a single vocalist had even taken the stage. For anyone chasing that classic “Ronnie’s” experience, especially first timers, this was the perfect welcome. Intimate, electric and utterly unpretentious.

Louise Marshall opened the vocal sets and did so with total command. Her entrance was smooth, almost understated, but the Blues Explosion gave her all the room she needed to build, and build she did. By the time she returned to the mic mid song, her voice had shifted the entire atmosphere of the room. The band matched her beat for beat, never missing a cue. Her second number saw her step further into her own skin, letting her personality take over the stage. It was here that trombonist Winston Rollins, doubling as a vocalist, showed off talent that felt almost unfair for one musician to have.

Then came Acantha Lang, and the energy in the room shifted gears entirely. There was a confidence in her from the very first phrase that matched her talent note for note, the kind of superstar presence that instantly reads as crowd pleaser, all while she kept turning attention back to the band. A trumpet solo mid set, likely from George Hogg or Andrew Ross on the horn line, drew genuine gasps from the room. Lang, New Orleans born and clearly steeped in the tradition, surprised the crowd even three songs deep with the notes she was still finding. Between songs she offered a line that stuck: blues, she said, is really about the stories connected to the lyrics. Watching her dig into a Solomon Burke number moments later, that idea felt fully earned. Every horn player got their own moment to shine, with guitarists Marcus Bonfanti and Tony Remy locking in behind her throughout.

Marshall returned for a second set in a more relaxed, loose limbed blues mood, cracking jokes between songs before delivering what might have been her best performance of the night on “You Don’t Know Me.” She was generous to her band at every turn, name checking them between verses, but never lost her own grip on the room. Her ability to pivot styles so effortlessly was remarkable to watch live, and bassist Nick Cohen and the rhythm section deserve real credit for how easily they moved with her.

Lang followed with sharp song selection, including a sultry take on Millie Jackson’s “If You’re Not in Love by Monday,” before performing her own track, “Ride This Train.” It was here she seemed to fully ignite, commanding the stage with total ownership, the Blues Explosion rising to meet her at every turn.

The two women closed out the night together, joining forces for a duet that brought the whole room to its feet. It was the perfect ending: two distinct voices and styles meeting in one moment, with the Blues Explosion driving them home. This was a night that honoured the women of the blues not through nostalgia, but through sheer, present tense talent, band included.

Ronnie Scott’s Blues Explosion Present Ladies Sing The Blues was performed on Tuesday 22 September.

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Photo Credit: Ronnie Scotts