In a recent Open Mic Wednesday night at Martini Blues, musicians who signed up were invited on stage to play with members of the house band.

Opening the show with a half a dozen blues tunes to get the house rockin', the professional musicians making up the house band were established performers from the Los Angeles/Southern California area.

When professional harp player Joe Blue greeted guests in hospitable fashion, you wouldn't know that such a low-key, friendly guy had so much energy—till you saw him perform. His harmonica was never visible as his hands cradled it at the microphone. But the tunes and his body language projected the heart and soul of the blues in rhythmic fashion.

We attended this concert to listen to a singer we'd heard about— she, indeed, was on the play list. Once popular in Europe, Janice Gerard is an attractive blonde with the All-American girl appeal. Like Joe Blue, you wouldn't pick her out of a crowd as the strongest candidate to belt the blues. But she did!

When Gerard took the mic, it was pure surprise and delight. Not known for her strength in the blues genre, the fair-haired lady had mouths dropping as an enthusiastic audience became mesmerized by each deep, delicious phrase served up as hot as the food at Martini Blues Supper Club.