concert_goer | Vasti Jackson @ Biscuits & Blues Club, San Francisco, CA, USA, 05/09/2025 (Reply)

Vasti (pronounced Vast-eye) Jackson was joined on stage by a tight rhythm section and a keyboard player. They opened the set with scorching Mississippi Burner, followed by the slower blues Hurricane Season. And then the covers started. I enjoyed the great soulful medley The Thrill Is Gone > Summertime > Ain't No Sunshine, but the greatest surprise for me was Bob Marley's hit Stir It Up, a real funky reggae party. All the songs performed were quite long, with extended jamming and great guitar work by Vasti. Instrumental theme Chicago by the British jazz-funk band Brother Strut featured solos from each member of the band. They wrapped the set with a slow take on the immortal Route 66 and B.B. King's Since I Met You Baby. Fun program, I liked the mix of genres and interactions with the audience!

Set list (6:32 PM — 8:09 PM): Mississippi Burner, Hurricane Season, The Thrill Is Gone > Summertime > Ain't No Sunshine, Stormy Monday, Stir It Up, Hoochie Coochie Man (with an excerpt from Mannish Boy) > Rock Me Baby, Chicago, Route 66, Since I Met You Baby