Big Thrills at Mahindra Blues

Billy Gibbons steals the limelight; Quinn Sullivan charms despite lukewarm show; Janiva Magness’s Grammy that wasn’t to be.

- Sunil Sampat

We all certainly had the blues in Mumbai on February 11th and 12th at the Mahindra Blues Festival (MBF) at Mehboob Studio. It was a saturation of the blues sound for the seventh edition of this festival. It has now become an event keenly awaited and followed by people interested not just in the blues but also as a social occasion. In years gone by, Mumbai would gather similarly for the Jazz Yatra, multiple-day jazz festivals held regularly at Rang Bhavan from 1978 to about the turn of the century. International bands have been the feature of both these festivals. Clearly, both have filled a void in this city’s live performance panorama.