Blues Collective

Formed in June 2015, this band plays its own arrangements of Swamp and Chicago Blues. The writers behind the material include several blues greats: Elmore James and Robert Johnson through to Jimmy Reed, Etta James, Solomon Burke, BB King, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Taj Mahal, JJ Cale and Tony Joe White. The line-up covers vocals, guitar and harmonica, bass guitar, saxophone and drums, with several members recognised as finalists or nominees in recent Sydney Blues Society awards for their playing. Rather than straight covers, the band reworks this repertoire into arrangements of its own, keeping the blues tradition at the centre of a set built for a live room.