MORRISBURG – Talented blues artist Ndidi O took to the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage March 7 with a unique intensity that reflected her 20-year career as a blues artist.
Having interviewed Ndidi O in the weeks before the show, this reviewer had an idea of what the live performance might be like — but the concert exceeded all expectations. She prefaced the start of her show with a personal story, a theme of honest openness that she wove throughout the performance.
From her first number Hands High (These Days, 2018), the audience was immediately engaged with this charming performer. She performed 15 songs ranging across her career from Call Me Queen (single, 2020) to Under the Sky (The Escape, 2013). She debuted four songs off her new album It’s About Time — Old Crone, Young Ones, Down this Road, and Come on Home. That album was just released the day before her Morrisburg concert.
The audience was warm and welcoming, clearly enjoying every note and story as they settled into the performance. Throughout the concert, Ndidi O blurred the genre lines of contemporary blues into jazz and folk seamlessly.
Her interactions with the audience kept them engaged as she let them into her world of storytelling, her travels from Vancouver to Ireland, relationships, friendships, and the people (and a former cat) she made connections with throughout.
Ndidi O’s accompanying band (Paul Clark — drums, Brad Ferguson — bass, and Mike Kenney — guitar) provided the perfect complement for her vocal talents. Kenney’s slide guitar work stood out, capturing the essence of classic blues.
A special takeaway from the performance was her last song of the evening, This May Be The Last Time, an a capella song which featured on the show True Blood.
Her performance was powerful, engaging, and showcased why she is a unique blues performer. It is clear that this double-nominee for the year’s Canadian Blues Music Awards is well deserving of the honours. Those who were unfamiliar with Ndidi O before the concert quickly learned why she is one of Canada’s most compelling blues performers.
It was a musical treat to have Ndidi O perform in Morrisburg Saturday.
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