This evening, RUF’s Blues Caravan celebrated its 20th anniversary with Elisa Frank, Laura Chavez, and Matthew Curry, along with a rock-solid rhythm section.
Varied sets, ranging from soulful blues to rock and Latin grooves, culminated in an energetic collective jam for a rapturous crowd.
Tonight, the Blues Caravan is at the beautiful PIANO venue in Dortmund. This tour marks the 20th anniversary of RUF’s BluesCaravan, and RUFrecords itself is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Founded by owner Thomas Ruf, the concept has remained the same since its inception in 2005: three front musicians accompanied by a permanent rhythm section. They open the show together, after which each front musician plays a set, and the band ends with a jam session.
Tonight, they are Elise Frank, Matthew Curry, and Laura Chavez, accompanied by drummer Denis Palatin, bassist Tomek Germann, and keyboardist Léa Worms.
Thomas Ruf introduces the band and briefly commemorates the 20th anniversary of Blues Caravan.
They open together with a wonderful up-tempo blues “Lazy Poker Blues” by Fleetwood Mac, featuring vocals by Elise Frank and a punchy solo by Laura Chavez. Then Matthew Curry joins in on vocals and guitar, and a guitar duel between Matthew and Laura ensues.
Tomek’s fantastically deep bass playing and Denis’s tight drums provide a wonderful foundation for the entire show. Top-notch rhythm section!
A fantastic, explosive opener.
Then Matthew, Laura, and Léa leave the stage and continue as a trio. Elise FRANK is a young French artist who has also had her own band since 2021.
She begins with a beautiful ballad, “I’m Smoking,” and possesses a clear voice with beautiful, powerful flourishes. During the soft passages, the room is truly silent. Then Laura Chavez joins in “How Did I,” with beautiful breaks and a ripping guitar solo.
Eline also plays guitar but is more of a rhythm guitarist tonight. Her vocals take center stage. The next song, “Double Lovin,” is rocky and up-tempo with a drum intro. A wonderful rock groove with a deep bass intro is “She’s a Bird,” where the tight drums carry the song and a blistering guitar solo. Laura leaves the stage, and a short love song, “Didn’t Pay For It,” follows, sung with beautiful sensitivity.
“Your Kind” is an angular song, powerfully sung, and with a fiery solo. She ends her set with “Bullfrong Blues,” by William Harris, best known through Rory Gallagher, in a superb, rocking rendition. A wonderful performance by a musician we’ll be hearing a lot more from.
Then it’s time for American singer/guitarist Matthew Curry. Keyboardist Léa joins, providing the second vocals for this set, and the band is complete again. He starts off rocking with “Rum Stumblin'” and, like Elise FRANK, has a beautiful, clear voice and plays a dazzling solo on this song.
The funky blues continue with a blissful groove in “Rather Float a River.” A steamy number is “Born Behind The Wheel” with a killer solo. Things calm down in the slow blues “Dancing In The Kitchen,” featuring great organ and sensitive drums with brushes.
Great blues. “Ballad of Jesse Ed Davis” is another powerful track, as is the hard-hitting Southern rocker “Whiskey Rock A Roller,” which is strongly reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Beautiful song. The set ends with the ballad “Shine On,” beautifully sung with fantastic bass playing and a subdued, sensitive guitar solo that culminates in a dazzling climax. Top song. An excellent, more rock-oriented set.
Lastly, Laura Chavez takes the stage. Her set, just like her new album, is instrumental, and if you think that’s boring, you’re mistaken. It’s a very varied set in which she proves to be an excellent guitarist.
She starts with a powerful rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born On The Bayou” with a nice, fierce guitar sound and catchy organ. “Mind Your Step” is a delightful song with brilliant guitar work and fine piano playing by Léa. Then suddenly a Latin, Caribbean song comes along, like Santana’s “Mamba Negra.”
Dark, grooving bass and heavenly drumming! And then a wonderful transition to a rocking finale. Classy! “Shot-Zee” is also groovy, allowing the rhythm section to truly let loose. “Wanderer” becomes very jazzy and calm. A subdued beginning, drums with brushes and sonorous organ playing.
“Chinese Checkers” sounds a bit Peter Green-esque. It’s funky, Caribbean, a wonderfully flowing song. In “El Casabel,” the Mexican rhythms return. The organ solo has a melodic, psychedelic soundscape—beautiful! Then follows an old Mexican folk song, “La Llorona,” a captivating, sensitive number where emotion bursts from the guitar with understated, atmospheric guitar playing.
They close in rock and roll style with “So Long Baby Goodbye.” A cheerful, uplifting song that allows for a swinging organ solo. A very strong, diverse set that features many musical styles.
Then all the musicians take the stage for a jam. Naturally, they play familiar covers: “Green River,” “Walk In My Shadow,” “Under My Thump,” “Have Love,” and “Blue Jeans Blues,” bringing a wonderful evening of music to a close. The jam offers a spot for every musician to take center stage for the wildly enthusiastic crowd.
It was incredibly diverse, as the three lead musicians have completely different musical styles. Elise FRANK, the calmest, her magnificent voice more prominent, Matthew Curry rocking hard, and Laura Chavez, whose styles include salsa, Mexican, and all things instrumental! A wonderful evening!
Elisa Frank
Matthew Curry
Elisa en Laura
Denis Palatin
Tomek Germann
Lea worms
