Perth Blues Club saw a diverse set of performances on Tuesday night, ranging from two people on stage at the start of the night to seven at the end.

Rose Carleo 

Rose Carleo started off the night with her soft, vocals-focused style of blues. But despite the feminine themes of some of her songs, her voice was strong and throaty and carried the tunes well.

She was backed up by Russell Prior on guitar and backup vocals, and the two confidently went through some originals and covers.

Rose invited Rick Steele to the stage for the song Some Kind of Miracle, where he played fluid harmonica behind Rose’s strong vocals. It was a nice effect when the guitars cut out for a few bars towards the end of the song, though it would have sounded more striking if the guitar hiatus had gone on for a few more lines, to showcase her vocal style.

Next, came the brand new song You can't tell me the same, and although it may have still needed a few of the kinks worked out, the sound was quite edgy and moody.

The next song, Whisper, was beautiful. Rose’s high, soft vocals blended together with the haunting tune to produce a touching, melodic song, strengthened by Russell’s harmonies.

Richie Pavledis 

Richie Pavledis was next on stage. I saw Pavledis perform a few weeks ago as a solo act, so it was interesting to see what his music sounded like when accompanied by violin player Dave Clarke and bass player Gandharva.

Although Pavledis can certainly hold his own when he's playing solo, the other musicians added a full, strong dimension to his vocals, especially with the backing vocals provided by the bass player.

Like Pavledis's song about Geraldton that he played when he was last at the PBC, the songs from his new CD Moving On had a unique WA feel, such as the one about going up North to the mines – especially the bit about working in 45 degree heat.

The versatile Clarke swapped his violin for an electric mandolin for a few songs during the set, then opted for a harmonica at another point.

Pavledis has an upbeat, cheerful brand of blues that runs through most of his songs. A few dancers took to the floor, with quite a few jumping up for crowd favourite Black Betty.

The Rick Steele Band 

Rick Steele and his band rounded off the night, with Steele on guitar, vocals and harmonica, Wayne Freer on tuba, Simon Cox on keyboards, Russell Smith on guitar, Peter Slatter on bass, drummer Ace Follington and fiddle player Dave Clarke squeezing onto the stage with him. The stage may have been a little crowded, but the sound was great.

The tuba played a starring role, with Wayne playing strong bass notes behind Steele's vocals. Keyboard player Simon Cox's solos were a highlight, with his quick fingers speeding through the blues scale.

Wayne Freer switched to trombone for a song or three, while a small crowd took to the dance floor.

The Rick Steele Band was a great way to round off the night, reminding the audience of what a great sound such a range of instruments can make when blended together.