London Jazz News has hailed Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings performance at the Barbican in London as a stellar performance by the band, including a surprise guest appearance by Mick Hucknall.

Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings has been collecting a raft of positive reviews from fans and the media, with each gig proving a hit with fans and delivering a fantastic evening of music.

The latest in the line of media reports is from London Jazz News, which reckons Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings performance packed more entertainment into three hours than the previous week’s worth of events from the London Jazz Festival. High praise!

Alyn Shipton writes:

Strangely enough, despite the close links between jazz and blues, there hadn’t been a dedicated blues show on the LJF programme, but Wyman’s band more than made up for it, with songs by Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry and Etta James. Sadly after going down with pneumonia earlier in the tour, Georgie Fame was not well enough to appear, but a surprise appearance by Mick Hucknall, singing the old Lowell Fulson blues Reconsider Baby with power and passion, filled the gap admirably.

By the time the band reached the last number, Wyman himself was coaxed to the vocal mike and as they roared into Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell, the audience was on its feet, clapping, jumping up and down and even dancing in the aisles. As much good time fun had been packed into three hours as in most of the preceding week of concerts in the same venue.

Read the full London Jazz Review article.