THE SUNDAY SESSION ARTISTS – in brief

• Pablo & The Bluestones – play an eclectic selection of self-penned and covers. The music is quirky and constantly varied, although it is always accessible. The influences include blues, folk, jazz and classical and has often been described as ‘Celtic Blues’. Proud of their Welsh roots and culture, the band include Welsh language lyrics in some of their pieces. The core trio consists of multi-instrumentalists Steve ‘Pablo’ Jones, Dave Stephen and Gareth ‘Jos’ Jones. They have played together in a number of guises and line-ups for over eight years. All three have many years of experience in writing, recording and performing music, both live and in session work and all three have successful other artistic interests in painting, sculpture, writing and education.
• Guy Tortora – Guy was born and raised in Pasadena, California where he soaked up the rich influences of the incredible music scene there in the 60’s and 70’s. Guy is a guitar player of some accomplishment and a talented songwriter. On both acoustic and electric guitars he plays finger style, and is a fine bottleneck and slide player. His playing is not the flashy guitar-slinger style but understated and leaves room for the songs to make an impact, whether those written from his own unique point of view or the “covers” he performs which include old standards and traditional tunes. The Guy Tortora Band features Janos Bajtala on keys, Pete Hedley on Drums, Costa Tancredi on bass. All feature on Guy’s latest album, Anywhere But Here which is scheduled for a 2023 release. As ever it is work of the highest quality; superb songs and beautiful playing from the aforementioned members of the excellent band.

• Dom Martin – Dom rise has been meteoric in terms of today’s music industry, his jaw dropping, entirely natural sounding and unforced/unschooled skill on acoustic guitar, matched with an authentic ‘Belfast Blues’ voice have brought the inevitable comparisons to the likes of John Martyn and Rory Gallagher. Dom Martin is the name which has dominated the UK Blues Awards for the last few years with him carrying off multiple awards and a place in the UK Blues Hall of Fame. Dom is equally adept on electric with his power trio, having won the UK Blues Awards Best Instrumentalist Award 2022 & 2023. The trio is always an extremely popular addition to any blues/rock festival. “Dom Martin is the next rising star in the global roots scene. Jump aboard now before he passes you by.” – Rock and Blues Muse
• Layla Zoe CAN – Layla’s once-in-a-generation voice and livewire stagecraft might be the chief focal point for the fans, journalists and critics in the audience these days but give Layla Zoe a stage and she’ll show you magic. In a world of choreography and autotune, this is one performer who does it the old-fashioned way, digging deep, summoning a smoke-and-whisky vocal, leaving it all on the stage and sending breathless fans out into the night to spread the word. “For me,” says Layla, “there is nothing as satisfying as being on stage with my band, giving my heart to the fans, through music. I like to write songs, I enjoy being in the studio, but the live shows are the reason I love my job so much.”
• Verity/Bromham Band – Anyone who experienced the VBB set last year will know why they’ve been invited to return. The atmosphere and love in the room while, pretty much, everyone sang along with the band was a wonderful, uplifting experience – the feel-good factor was palpable. The John Verity/Del Bromham Band features these two road warriors performing a broad selection of their favourite rock classics, carefully chosen to utilise their individual vocal and guitar-playing skills to the full. There is no attempt to slavishly copy the originals – these are respectful interpretations of each song done in way that comes naturally to the band – delivered with a smile!

‘With over a Century of recording and touring between them, John Verity (Argent) and Del Bromham (Stray) have decided come together to bring something a little different to the table’

 ‘A faultless, tongue in cheek performance’

‘The audience were spellbound’

‘Just a memorable set’

‘Awesome set’

‘Bonafide Rock Legends’

‘One of the best nights ever’