Boz Scaggs said he was going to move his show around the musical map at Jazz Fest, and he did just that.
He started off in a groovy blues, and soon swept through a set that included elements of jazz, folk, country, soul, and funk before swinging back into the blues to finish off the night.
The first couple songs oozed greasy blues, complete with a wailing hammond organ, and slide guitar backing. This included their own version of Mink DeVille’s “Mixed Up Shook Up Girl.”
Next, he brought out “Sierra,” a lonely country and folk influenced song. A twangy acoustic guitar and Scaggs’ singing conjured beautiful images of the Sierra mountains in California.
Scaggs kept with the calm music in the warm evening as he brought out acoustic guitar-led renditions of “Rainy Night in Georgia” and “Corrine, Corrina.” They captured the calm self-reflection that one may do on the perfect summer evening, just as the sun is falling behind the horizon.
The audience was brought to a calm as Scaggs sang a chilling falsetto on the chorus of “Miss Sun.” He was backed by singer Ms. Monét’s powerful vocals, and capped the song off with a wah-filled guitar solo.
The sky darkened as the band’s energy picked up. Scaggs took a step back and let Monét take the forefront on Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself Again.”
Monét sang in a deep, soulful voice and got the entire crowd standing and clapping.
“You’ve got me thinking I’m James Brown up here,” she said to the enthusiastic crowd.
Scaggs joined Monét for more energetic, funky vocals on “Lowdown.” Behind the two of them, a slapped bass line drove the song, and Michael Logan shredded a funky solo on the organ.
Next up was “Lido Shuffle,” which got the crowd moving and singing excitedly.
They followed up with another crowd pleaser in “What Can I Say,” where Monét’s backup vocals once again complemented Scaggs’ unique, smooth voice perfectly.
To close out the show, they brought the musical journey back where it started, with another blues tune. This one started out with an ominous organ solo, before breaking into a slower, passionate blues. The instrument-heavy tune featured solos by Scaggs, Logan, and a particularly intense guitar solo by Drew Zingg.
Under the dark sky, Scaggs perfectly wrapped up his night’s musical journey in the same way it began.
