The Cambridge Junction is one of those venues that feels like a throwback to a bygone era. Decently sized, painted the ubiquitous black, and with good lines of sight from almost anywhere, it’s one of those venues that feels just right for medium-sized artists passing through the town, and it benefits greatly from the friendly staff who work there. The only downside is that it’s rectangular rather than square, with the bar and toilets off in the wings. This does mean quite a lot of lateral movement as gig goers make their way from one to the other, while the merch stand – tucked away somewhat precariously in a corner – doesn’t help either, as the queue cuts right across the path people need to take. Otherwise, it’s always a pleasure to return to The Junction, and tonight is no exception.
This fine evening, we’re here to see blues legend Robin Trower, who is out in support of forthcoming album Shine. As we arrive, at the early hour of 7:40, support artist Jack J. Hutchinson is already on stage. Tonight, it’s just Jack and bassist Greg Smith. They’re delivering a stripped-back set that captivates some, although the quieter-than-usual format does mean that the annoying, persistent, and frequently loud talking from the bar area is clearly audible. Such behaviour seems to be increasingly common post-COVID, but it is something of a surprise to hear a predominantly older blues crowd behaving in such a way, as you’d think they’d know better. However, the bulk of the audience up front are respectful throughout.
In all honesty, I’m not sure that this is the best format for Jack. While he proves to be an engaging, self-effacing artist, the lack of firepower occasionally casts an unforgiving spotlight on the lyrics (most notably Call of the Wild), while the absence of blazing lead runs, admittedly a sensible choice for a set that’s part acoustic, just feels a little wrong-headed considering the crowd. Nevertheless, there is much to enjoy.
As we arrive, he’s running through Burn. A co-write with Josiah Manning of Kris Barras fame, it’s a pop-infused blues rocker that showcases Jack’s strong vocal. It’s followed by I Will Follow You, which is the absolute highlight of the set. For all of the humour Jack exudes, the song details his awful experience dealing with his father’s descent into the twilight of Alzheimer’s. Beautifully written, the lyric addresses the subject with rare compassion and empathy, and the restrained delivery only adds to its power.
Less effective is the aforementioned Call of the Wild. A track that wears its hard-rock antecedents on its sleeves, it just feels a tad too polite in this rendering. However, it’s followed by set closer Soul Believer, which clearly has a number of fans in the audience, and it brings it all together nicely.
Overall, Jack J. Hutchinson is clearly talented, and he delivers a decent set, but you can’t help but miss the firepower of a full-band performance.
And so, to Robin Trower. The Intro tape causes the venue to hush before erupting into applause as Robin arrives to the gritty, Hendrix-powered blues of Too Rolling Stoned – the well-worn side two opener from Bridge of Sighs. A surprisingly heavy piece from which to start, it finds Robin sporting a huge grin as he gives his wah-pedal some serious stick. That’s only half the story, however, and the lengthy song boasts a powerful second act which sees the band slowing things right down to a dirty blues trawl, Trower’s guitar lost in a maze of sound effects as he delivers his dense lead over the swampy, mid-tempo backdrop.
It’s followed by the slinky Live Your Time, the first of two tracks from the new album, which finds Robin weaving his guitar work around a throbbing bass line that probes the recesses of the venue. With a lighter touch, it recalls the likes of Robert Cray, and it has the whole venue nodding along. With the stage still drenched in red, we get an early highlight in the form of It’s Not Time. Co-written with Jack Bruce, this enigmatic song takes on a much heavier aspect in the live environment, its Eastern-tinged riff and heavily overdriven amp tones evoking latter-day Soundgarden. This is seriously heavy blues delivered by a master and it holds the majority of the venue in thrall.
Robin dims the lights and lowers the pace next with the lovely Somebody Calling, a slow, soulful blues with the feel of a smoky Parisian cafe. There’s so much feel and so much tone here that it’s almost too much to take in, reminding us once again that Robin Trower is a consummate artist whose ability to sublimate his emotions through the medium of guitar is nigh-on unsurpassed.
In contrast, One Go Round takes a deconstructed Voodoo Chile as its starting point before the band head back into the slinkier territory of Live Your Time. The second new cut offered up tonight, it’s another impressive offering with creamy vocals which, at times, recall Kenny Wayne Shepherd. As it progresses, Robin breaks out a lead run that combines the best of Hendrix and Clapton into a thrilling segment that has the audience roaring their approval. That roar carries over to the oh-so-familiar opening notes of Bridge of Sighs. A slower, deeply soulful number, it gives way to one of the night’s longest and most sublime solos, leaving the familiar and the uninitiated alike with their jaws on the floor.
Another set highlight is No More Worlds to Conquer, a mid-tempo number that lyrically references Alexander the Great. Still soulful, it offers amazing lead work through an overloaded Marshall that fuzzes with untamed power. In contrast, the slow burning Daydream is a much slower track that offers interesting chord changes and a touch of Chris Cornell, before a massively extended solo brings it all home. It leaves hard-rocking finale, A Little Bit of Sympathy, to wrap up the main set in a blaze of Hendrix fire.
After just a few moments, the band return to the stage, even before the applause has fully abated, for a two-song encore. The first of these, The Razor’s Edge is a storming track, which finds super blistering lead runs and that oh-so-familiar Strat tone blazing from the speakers.
The final track, Birdsong, is as slow and sweet as its name implies, Robin and his band gently easing us back to reality, having taken us on a remarkable musical journey over the course of 90 incredibly short minutes.
Overall, Robin Trower delivered an absolute masterclass in heavy blues. Drawing on the likes of Clapton and Hendrix, he has created his own uniquely evocative sound over the years and tonight his imagination and his dexterity is given full rein. While there are a handful of people in the crowd who think that the show is an opportunity to catch up on chatting – behaviour that really should be called out more often than it is – for most, it is a genuine privilege to see Robin and his excellent band in action and the time absolutely races past.
