Meschiya Lake and The Wiyos

The Old Fruitmarket 4th February

Gill Davies reports

If you closed your eyes at this gig, you could almost have been in a Speakeasy somewhere in the states in the 1930s. Both bands on the bill have resurrected the music from Depression-era America but with their own contemporary twist. First up, The Wiyos, were Bob Dylan's band of choice as support on his 2009 tour of baseball stadiums. This was a second appearance for them at Celtic Connections having made an impression the first time they played in 2010. Named after a 19th century New York Street gang, the three-piece describe their music as 'vaudevillian ragtime jug-band blues and hillbillyswing'. But that only covers a fraction of the styles they pulled out the bag tonight. It was disappointing that the Old Fruitmarket had been laid out in cabaret-style seating as it meant the atmosphere was more subdued that it should have been for this type of music.

Like The Wiyos, Meschiya (pronounced Ma-shee-ya) Lake began her career busking on the streets of New Orleans. Last year, she won Best Female Performer in her adopted city's Big Easy Awards and if tonight's performance was anything to go by, it's an accolade well-deserved. A former professional mud wrestler, Lake sports an impressive selection of tattoos – even on her face. She performed tracks from her critically-acclaimed debut album, 'Lucky Devil'. Backed up by her Little Big Horns, a Dixieland combo of trumpet, trombone and sousaphone, she sang covers by Bessie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington and a few of her own compositions. But what made this show really special was the spectacular swing-dancing couple who appeared on stage with the band. Their energetic lindy-hopping and jiving brought a touch of glamour to the proceedings and it was definitely '10s' all round from me. This music is made for dancing to, after all, and by the final song, Lake's own, 'I Believe In Music,' folk who'd been rooted to their chairs all night were up on their feet at the front of the Old Fruitmarket.