One two three. Un deux trois. Ein Zwei Drei. Whichever way you say it we were thrice blessed at Letham Nights #26. A simply stunning trio of acts from as far afield as Canada, Australia and Corby, Northants turned the Fife air tickled pink with merry melodies, happy harmonies and vivid virtuosity. The fact that our guests for the evening conjured forth two four piece bands and a solo support from a squad of five musicians should have alerted everyone that there was a bit of pixie dust in the air. And it wasn’t just the musicians who were cooking. Once again The Doorstep Bakery were on hand with amazing pizzas and garlic bread from their wood-fired oven.
Jez Hellard was the honorary local act for the evening travelling as he had a mere 351 miles from Corby, Northants and so it was he who started us off with some huffin’ and puffin’ and some mighty fine ‘moothie’ playing. The harmonica was then swapped for the acoustic guitar and Jez treated the hall to a beautiful arrangement of ‘Southwind’ which segued into a jaunty highland air. You’ll wait a long time to hear Greg Brown’s ‘Jesus and Elvis’ juxtaposed with a 200 year old ditty about a poor sailor lad whose just come home from sea. ‘Newry Highwayman’ was delivered with all the gallows attitude it deserves. Then it was the turn of the harp again and a moothie tango which had to be heard to be believed. Jez finished with a great rendition of Boo Hewerdine’s song of dustbowl migration ‘Harvest Gypsies’. Ace!
Picture The Ocean then took to the stage, the glimmering crackle of guitars, keyboards and cymbals gaining heat before
catching into the full flame of ‘Wake Me Up’. Second song ‘Sick With You’ showed off the beautiful harmonies and interplay of Jesse Dee and Jacquie B’s voices and the cute mirrored guitar and keyboard lines got heads nodding and toes tapping. Powerhouse Matt Blackie kept things rolling along on the drums and Aurora Jane provided some of the slinkiest laid back bass grooves our humble hall had ever seen. Jez was back on stage to lend some bluesy soul harp on ‘Anywhere’ in which the country flavours (Canadiana?) gave way to a dirty funk wig out. The quality didn’t let up throughout and the Letham Nights faithful gave a huge roar of approval at the set’s end.
Except what was this? A rather familiar set of faces was back on stage moments later. But something was different. Jesse Dee was now on bass (complete with the coolest bass face ever seen)and Aurora Jane was upfront to deliver some of her own offerings. Aurora Jane has taken her guitar to at least three of the four corners of the world and this can be detected in the range of influences brought to bear. African rhythms, gritty vocals (a product of a sore throat apparently but none the worse for all that) and searing guitar licks got everyone in the place swaying heaving and bouncing up and down until some (this correspondent at least) needed a rest. The Picture The Ocean configuration was restored for an encore featuring one last bout of disco-dancing and a gorgeous version of Tom Waits’ Picture in a Frame to leave everyone warm and fuzzy and heading for home.
