I can scarcely believe it, but the T-shirts don’t lie. Ruf Records’ Blues Caravan has been travelling round the globe since 2005. Tonight it was the turn once again of Bonn Harmonie to host Thomas Ruf and his stars for the evening: Laura Chavez, Elise Frank and Matthew Curry.

I think the first Blues Caravan in 2005 was actually my first ever visit to the Harmonie in Bonn. I’ve been a regular visitor ever since to both the Caravan shows and the venue, and very rarely has either disappointed. Mathematicians out there will have noted that 2005 – 2026 is 21 years, but for whatever reason, there was no tour last year so 20 years it is. Some amazing musicians have represented Ruf Records in that time: Candye Kane, Samantha Fish, Laurence Jones, Ana Popovic, Sue Foley, Deborah Coleman… which means this evening’s acts have big footsteps to fill indeed.

I love the Caravan shows for two main reasons. First and foremost the great music. Secondly for the chance to maybe catch a star in the making. Ana Popovic went on from that 2005 opener to now be a resident American playing the likes of Buddy Guy’s Legends venue in Chicago. Samantha Fish too has established herself as a top Blues player since the 2012 Caravan and will be heading to the Grammy Awards this very Sunday where her latest release has been nominated Best Contemporary Blues Album. So, who knows? is there a new star in the making here tonight?

French Blueser Elise Frank isn’t a complete newcomer, having fronted her own band since 2021. The Covid pandemic put her initial rise to fame on hold but the late Rory Gallagher came to her aid. She got great reviews for her set at the 2024 Rory Gallagher Festival in Ireland and now here she is, one to watch for that ‘new star’ rating.

Of course, Rory’s ‘Bullfrog Blues’ had to be in the set. No one plays it like Rory of course, but it’s still a belter when played from the heart onstage as it is tonight. What I enjoy the most from her set though is it’s diversity and it’s songs (mostly written by Frank herself). She showcased a good voice to go with the lyrics too, and the extra guitar power from Laura Chavez meant she had soloing of the highest order on tap when required. New single ‘She’s a Bird’ has a great bass underpinning it courtesy of Tomek Gehrmann, and the extra breadth created by Lea Worms on keys completed a band that seemed perfect to show off the material. Well, not quite completed – Add Denis Palatin on drums who has the experience and skill to underpin every song this evening perfectly – something that must have been particularly challenging during the later terrific instrumental set by Laura Chavez (more on that later!) To paraphrase her whiskey soaked vocal from the slow-blueser of that name – ‘I’m Smoking’. Elise Frank certainly was on fire tonight. The slogan on her acoustic guitar was also spot on: “All in this together” it said, and a terrific opening performance all round from both Elise Frank and the Blues Caravan Band.

We were off to a cracking start then. Next up was a guy described by Steve Miller as “A wonderful guitar player and songwriter. In the Stevie Ray Vaughan area of virtuosity and originality”. Peter Frampton had this to say: when talking to 96.5 The Fox: “… someone asked me in an interview today if I thought there could be anymore guitar heroes. Well, hell yes of course and Matthew is one who will prove that to be true.”

A lot to live up to then, but Matthew Curry is from Illinois and has a charachteristically laid-back presence that shows no sign of pressure. Maybe because Europe is relatively new ‘turf’ to him aside from festival appearances here. That could all be about to change though. First you notice he’s a leftie on guitar, then he starts to sing and his voice is a notch higher than you are expecting, then the sheer quality of his music takes over. I especially enjoyed the jaunty riff- laden ‘Whiskey Rock-a-Roller’; and ‘Born behind the wheel’ too had a strong southern-style riff, but he delivered the performance of the evening with rock ballad ‘Shine On’. This one would have had a thousand cigarette lighters waving in the air in stadiums gone by. Fantastic!

“I love vocalists… my true joy as a player has always been standing beside them… to support them and bring out their best”. So says Laura Chavez on the inner sleeve of her debut CD, ‘My Voice’ The lady herself had doubts about making an instrumental album. The rest of us, those who know what a phenomenal player she is, knew better. Thankfully, Thomas Ruf has not only put out the long-overdue debut release from Laura Chavez, but also given her a starring role this year onstage. The result is a wonderfully diverse set of songs on disc and a wonderfully powerful half hour onstage.

‘The Blasters ‘So Long Baby Goodbye’ is an obvious rocker to get the audience on its toes and ‘Chinese Checkers’ sees Laura effortlessly take on the piano parts of the Booker T track on her guitar. Other numbers are surprise choices but nonetheless also delight. None more so than ‘El Cascabel’. This is a Mariarchi standard that typically utilizes traditional Mexican stringed instruments. “My version is with electric guitar. I hope it sounds alright”. She says,smiling from under her ever-present cap that threatens regularly to fall completely over her eyes. Of course it sounds great, and the swirling keys provided by Lea Worms make it even greater. Early on in the piece I hear shades even of Hank Marvin and the likes of ‘Apache’ in Laura’s phrasing – where the horns would be in the original is instead a powerful blast of Rock music. Should Mariarchi hit you between the ears like this? Who cares, it’s great.

“Thomas Ruf insisted on having a slow blues on the disc” says Laura. But again she dared to be different, by taking her slow blues not from a Rock song but instead from a traditional Mexican legend – La Llorona (The Weeping Woman). In Laura’s hands and electric guitar the normally gently picked acoustic tune takes on a Peter Green dimension. It’s a brave one to tackle on a Fender, but of course Laura pulls it off wonderfully.

Twenty years on and the Blues Caravan format remains the same with everyone onstage for the closing set that included a lively version of ‘Under My Thumb’. Like the Stones, Ruf’s Blues Caravan keeps on rolling, and that’s a good thing, for the fans and for the Blues.

and finally – They also serve: The backing band who manage to find a groove for three different musicians every night… I salute you all!