Blues guitarist makes an `Amazing' appearance

FRAMINGHAM -- What a difference a day makes for Eric Bibb .

On Saturday, the blues guitarist opened for Etta James at the Montreal Jazz Festival, singing for a sold-out crowd of 3,000 inside one of Canada's most coveted venues, the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.

Less than 24 hours earlier, on Friday, Bibb found himself here in a deserted shopping center off Nicholas Road, in a tiny room next to Famous Dino's Pizza. The air conditioning was shut off because it was making too much noise. So the 40 or so people who showed up at the Amazing Things Arts Center sweated through Bibb's 90-minute set, which felt like a brisk education in blues past and present.

For Michael Moran , director of Amazing Things, a nonprofit community arts organization, nabbing Bibb was a coup.

``He's a nationally recognized blues singer who's got a great resumé . I was happy to get him."

While famous in blues circles, Bibb, 54, hasn't received much mainstream success, a reality he acknowledged in an interview after the show -- and said might be changing. Bibb , who now calls England home, has been touring lately in the United States, promoting two albums.

``I think I'm destined for somewhat more airtime," he said. ``I'm kind of ready for it."

Everyone who talks about Bibb notes his rich musical pedigree. His father, Leon Bibb, was a folk singer. His godfather, Paul Robeson, was an actor and bass-baritone concert singer.

Bibb grew up in New York City, amid the folk music boom of the 1960s. Joan Baez and Bob Dylan attended parties at his childhood home.

Bibb seemed to balance out his own material Friday night with old tunes of some special significance. Old ditties about a young B.B. King or a prison farm in Texas were contrasted with Bibb's own creations, which include nods to contemporary culture: Bibb's blues mention green tea and even the Internet.

``Blues is not just a dusty old thing," he said. ``It's vibrant -- and I like to keep it current."