Name: Up Close With The Blues At The Portland Arms, Cambridge
Start: 2026-03-31T19:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-03-31T23:00:00+01:00
Location: The Portland Arms

Up Close With The Blues  At The Portland Arms,  Cambridge

Wonderfully intimate blues shows in beautiful boutique venues

Giles Robson

A Super-Intimate Smash Hit Show, Giving  An Unforgettable Soul-Filled & Fun Night Out. Stars a World Leading  Singer, Musician & Entertainer

The Portland Arms

Witnessing celebrated international blues star Giles Robson and his show “Up Close With The Blues” live is a dazzling, soul-filled and emotionally unforgettable experience as audiences from around the world constantly discover. He expertly and creatively intreperts blues classics by the likes of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Howlin Wolf, Memphis Slim, Little Walter, BB King, Albert King, Sonny Boy Williamson and also performs powerful original material. We are proud to present the show in the perfect venue; the incredibly intimate and atmospheric Venue At The Portland Arms, Cambridge after June's sold out show there. "You sound GREAT" Sir Mick Jagger"Inspired harmonica... a master of his instrument" Living Blues Magazine (USA)"Worth his place in blues history. A Genius" American Blues Scene (USA)"A Blues giant. Absolute Master Of The Form" Alligator Records, Chicago, USA"Had emerged as perhaps the finest harmonica player to come out of Great Britain" Jefferson Magazine Sweden"One of the finest blues harmonica virtuosos in the world, an acclaimed master showman and singer " Hohner Harmonicas"Europes top traditional blues harmonica man" Chicago Blues Guide (USA) Doors 7:00pm, Show 8:00pm - 10:30pm2 x 45 minute Sets + EncoresGiles Robson: Vocals &amp; HarmonicaAdam Sweet: Guitar The well-earned rave 5-STAR REVIEW from Arts Reviews Edinburgh perhaps best describes the experience of watching the show:“The blues is full of warmth and humour, and it is this same personal warmth and humour that Giles Robson so effortlessly brings to the stage with him to put his audience at ease and connect with them immediately. A virtuoso display of just what a range and depth of music and emotion the blues-harmonica is capable of in the right hands. Giles also is a fine blues vocalist, and for me it is always the human voice that is ultimately the defining sound of The Blues”.5 Stars*****Blues Music Award Winner Giles Robson scored a significant victory in the live entertainment world when his intimate &amp; acoustic “Up Close With The Blues” show sold out 10 nights at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This was no small feat. The festival is the third most competitive ticket selling environment in the world after the Olympics and the World Cup, featuring over fifty one thousand performances of over three and a half thousand shows. The show became the most successful blues show in Fringe Festival history.But then the blues artistry of Giles Robson has always stood out, and decades long commitment, respect and focus towards the art of blues music has seen him build a dreamlike career. He is considered across the world by legendary musicians, influential critics and adoring audiences as a rare master artist of the blues genre, able to powerfully convey the true essence, emotion and feeling of blues music. His entertaining and engaging acoustic live show “Up Close With The Blues” gives him the perfect framework to explore the deep and nuanced beauty of the blues, with a mixture of the genre’s most iconic classic songs and Robson’s own original compositions. Accompanied by a selection of world leading acoustic guitarists, the duo format perfectly showcases the fact that the blues is an evergreen music that has always transcended fickle fashions, fads and passing trends due to its profound connection to the human soul. The show is the culmination of years of study and international touring (Robson tours up to 18 countries a year) which has given Robson a richly seasoned edge when it comes to the performance of his art, and it’s not gone unnoticed. Given the blessing of Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger who raved about Robson’s live incendiary performance and harmonica playing at the Mustique Blues Festival as “sounding GREAT!”, Hohner Harmonicas calls Giles Robson “One of the finest blues harmonica virtuosos in the world, an acclaimed master showman and singer”. Muddy Waters' last lead guitar player and triple Grammy Award Nominee John Primer says “When me and Giles Play the blues we put hot sauce on it so you can feel it. I Love to hear him play”. Terry Abrahamson, the Grammy winning songwriter to Muddy Waters,John Lee Hooker and Prince states “Giles Robson is the sweetest, most honest and glistening advertisement the Blues may ever have of what feelin’ it down to the marrow sounds like”. Emmy award winning Chicago blues harmonica king Billy Branch states “Giles Robson is agreat harmonica player in his own right”. The USA’s legendary and prestigious jazz and blues bible DownBeat Magazine praises him as “World-Class”. The only UK or European artist to appear on Chicago’s legendary Alligator Records who described him as “A blues giant, absolute master of the form”. He is only one of three UK blues artists alongside Eric Clapton and Peter Green to win one of the highest honours in blues - a coveted Blues Music Award in Memphis (The Grammys of the Blues). His albums are in the top of the world’s most prestigious music magazines critics polls – Mojo Magazine, Living Blues and DownBeat. Listen To “Up Close With The Blues” The best way to hear what an “Up Close With The Blues” show sounds like, is to listen to his 2024 all acoustic album “Seven Blues Classics” recorded at one of Robson’s subsequent sold out “Up Close With The Blues” shows in the UK. It is available on all streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. The album topped the UK blues radio charts at No1. for the whole month of July. It went on to win a coveted 4 star review in the USA’s legendary Downbeat magazine and then became a DownBeat Album Of The Year, considered one of the highest achievements in Jazz and Blues. In a rave review from France, Fred Delforge the president of the French Blues Federation wrote and Keeping The Blues Alive Award Winner wrote: “An exceptional work! An artist who, in addition to harmonica playing with technique, power and delicacy, possesses a voice tailor-made for the blues. In forty minutes, Giles Robson rewrites the history of the blues with only a small piece of metal that fits in your pocket, a phenomenal respect for the work of his glorious elders, a lot of hard work and practice, and most of all, a tremendous dose of feeling, love and passion!” The album is a great preview of what to expect at an Up Close With The Blues show. The songs boil over with powerful, nuanced and emotional vocals and just listen to the audience cheer his virtuosic and imaginative harmonica solos. The man has truly triumphed in creating a highly original style that is still deeply rooted and respectful of the blues tradition. Seven Blues Classics Reviews: “Giles Robson, a name synonymous with harmonica mastery, brings us with 'Seven Blues Classics' an album that harkens back to the essence of the blues…. His playing is subtle and steeped in emotion, but never overdone. He knows exactly when to let the melody breathe and when to give his instrument room to shine. 'Seven Blues Classics' is an album that the true blues lover will appreciate. It is a tribute to a genre that Robson has mastered to perfection, and it shows how powerful the blues can be, even (or especially) in its simplest form. This album is a must not only for fans of Giles Robson, but also for anyone who wants to experience the true essence of the blues.(8,5/10) Concertmonkey.be Belgium “There’s no doubt that Giles Robson is one of the finest blues harmonica players in the world….. this will surely feature as one of the best live sets of the year…. a brilliant album of blues. Giles Robson takes his harp playing to new heights without losing touch with his heart for the music as it should be played”.Blues In Britain Magazine “These joyous readings prove there’s still gold in those hills.... Robson reminds us that he’s the man with the golden lungs, blowing the mothballs off staples such as Key To The Highway.”Classic Rock Magazine Robson, with the London-based Italian guitarist Manny Fizzotti who accompanies Robson excellently on the national steel and acoustic guitars, takes you along in the emotion and effortlessly touches that emotion as it was intended at the time. Take ‘Hoodoo Man Blues’, vocals by Giles to perfection and then the outburst with the harp, where the audience has to express themselves, just because it is right. Giles’ singing is a thing. Blues with a sob, sometimes, a blues style that only he can interpret, powerful, modest when necessary, but with full conviction. On ‘Death Letter Blues’ Fizzotti strums along nicely in the Son House rhythm. “I get a letter this morning”. How do you want to experience your blues? I haven't described a few songs, but I promise the true blues lovers a record that you can buy blindly and unheard. This blues, with a good forty minutes of 'Real Deal Blues' of the highest order, is more than worth it, not to say a gem. I have held Giles in high regard for years, but this record takes the cake.Bluesbreeker Netherlands It is always a real pleasure to see this sympathetic and hardworking man at work and a pleasure to listen to this in sincere tribute. Straight From The Heart!Real Roots Cafe - The Netherlands Oldest Roots Music Blog Harmonica ace Giles Robson knows how to interpret blues classics. Giles Robson is a great, gifted Harper and shows on this record how you manage to give songs that have written history an individual perspective with many emotions and sensitivity. The goosebumps are, continuous because the virtuosity of Giles Robson finds its way further than just under the skin. The language of the protagonist's blues soul reaches our hearts.Giles Robson is a master of diversity and a real blues harp ambassador who knows how to captivate you. From minimalist sound magics of pain to large-format lamenting, the almost unimaginable range of one of the hottest harp players in Europe. Giles Robson's "Seven Blues Classics" is a masterwork of interpretation.Rocktimes Germany “It takes outrageous talent and a deep, deep feeling for the music, it’sorigins and its characters, to turn these numbers into something fresh and alive. Giles Robson is one of the world’s finest harmonica players, has a fine voice and a great feel for the Blues. A stunning album and quite possibly in my best of the year list”Music News UK 5 Stars ***** “It’s essential listening for anyone who craves music that’s deep, heartfelt, and overflowing with feeling. Robson’s deep connection to the blues tradition is evident in every note. Robson has once again proven himself a true champion of the genre, ensuring the blues legacy not only survives but thrives. He infuses every note with emotion, passion, and pure love straight from his heart and soul”Blues Matters (UK) “An exceptional work! An artist who, in addition to harmonica playing with technique, power and delicacy, possesses a voice tailor-made for the blues. In forty minutes, Giles Robson rewrites the history of the blues with only a small piece of metal that fits in your pocket, aphenomenal respect for the work of his glorious elders, a lot of hard work and practice, and most of all, a tremendous dose of feeling,love and passion!”Fred Delforge (Zicazic magazine) President France Blues &amp; Blues FoundationKeeping The Blues Alive Award Recipient “It can only be assumed that Giles Robson also sold his soul to thedevil but it must have been worthwhile to become the harmonicagenius he is today. A remarkable tribute”American Blues Scene (USA) “Delicious Delta Blues”Keys and Chords Belgium 5 Stars ***** “A very atmospheric recording of an outstanding blues concert”Bluestownmusic.nl Eight virtuoso harp-based pieces, recorded live at Temperance and stunningly good they are too. Giles has selected seven pieces by blues masters and added one of his own, to the mix. Titles associated with Son House, Junior Wells, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Boy Williamson No. 2, and Robert Johnson are all given superlative treatments. Without exception they are stunning in both their structure and delivery. Giles has seen fit to add to the seven blues classics of the title one tune of his own, quite properly a ‘train’ tune, delivered solo, with fire, panache and exemplary skill it is a stunner - a classic on its own. Outstanding. Masterclasses never sound so good...Blues in The South (UK) Giles Robson is the sweetest, most honest and glistening advertisement the Blues may ever have of what feelin it down to the marrow sounds like, down to every contortion of a uvula turned inside out and upside down by a love that would not be denied. Sure, someone else might come along and lift you with the joy that drives Giles Robson’s spiritually alchemic masterpiece. It could happen. But don’t hold your breath.Terry Abrahamson, Grammy winning songwriter to Muddy Waters, Prince, John Lee Hooker

Up Close With The Blues At The Portland Arms, Cambridge

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