For 15 years, American musician Norda Mullen toured the world with the Moody Blues as a flute player and multi-instrumentalist after Ray Thomas’ retirement. Though she guested with John Lodge on his solo tour earlier this year, she leads a rather quieter existence these days in Richmond upon Thames, the nicest part of London in my biased opinion. However these gigs at the nearby Half Moon have become a tradition and the all-seated show was sold out.

As at last year’s show, support came from Quinny and Company, led by her neighbour Jim Bernard. Full disclosure – I know Jim from the American ex-pat community that my partner belongs to in this part of London and even helped with his press release. But don’t just take it from me- their recent ‘Along the Way’ EP was favourably reviewed in these pages by Jason Ritchie.

Opening with the Christian messages of ‘Worth More’, his band included daughter Sarah who had flown in all the way from Colorado. As well as singing the likes of her composition ‘Drifting’, and ‘Dreams’, she even strummed a ukulele at one point. Father and daughter harmonised well and duetted on a fun cover of Bryan Adams’ ‘When You’re Gone’.

Songs like ‘Hold On Tight’ also benefited from the addition of some delicate lead guitar work from Alan Wishart who was an early member of Big Country. They ended with the folky, America-sounding ‘Under the Willow’ and a rocker in ‘Suzy and Alexander’, Jim throwing everything into his delivery and former Suzi Quatro drummer Colin Woolway a real force, making light of recent ill-health. It all made for a very pleasing warm up.

Introduced by husband Kelvin- who also wrote some of the songs and made a few cameos on acoustic guitar- Norda Mullen opened initially with an intro on the melodica before switching to her more familiar flute on ‘Steal My Thunder’. It was probably the most prog sounding song of the night though gradually developed a lighter and funkier feel. In contrast ‘I Like It’ was gentle folk-pop and led nicely into the first of the night’s covers, a very authentic ‘California Dreaming’, appropriately so as after being raised in the South she spent much of her professional life there. After ‘Live This Way’, ‘Down By the River’, penned with Kelvin about the queuing crowds paying their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth, boasted another lovely flute solo.

Mentioning that a theme of the night would be paying respect to favourite female artists, The Pretenders’ ‘Back On the Chain Gang’ was another one faithfully rendered before her ‘flutified’ instrumental version of ‘Nights in White Satin’. It was hauntingly beautiful but to her credit, and despite the presence of Ray Thomas’ widow in the audience, this was not a night otherwise to trade on the Moody Blues connection, but rather establish her own musical pedigree.

On a Michelle Shocked cover, ‘If Love Was a Train’, the band were let off the leash with a bluesy jam, Norda switching to bass and allowing both guitarists and the keyboard player to play solo slots. ‘Strange Imagination’ was a real grower, sung by tousle-haired guitarist Noris Schenk and with Norda playing penny whistle while ‘Give It Up’ which she described as the nearest to a protest song was again enlivened by flute and melodica, before she took to piano for a Bonnie Raitt ballad, ‘Ain’t Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again’.

‘Live For Today’, once again lifted by some lilting flute melodies and ‘Its OK’ were a little gentle for my own liking but in contrast (after wrongly introducing it as a sixties song) a cover of Focus’ ‘Hocus Pocus’ was a major shock. Noris seemed to enjoy rocking out on the riffs while Norda’s flute playing took the place not only of Thijs Van Leer’s original equivalents but also his yodelling, probably for the best!

In contrast a Fairground Attraction cover ‘The Wind Knows My Name’ was beautifully delivered with Norda again switching to piano and harmonising sweetly with sister Christie. The latter was also playing that most un rock and roll of instruments, the xylophone, as Norda switched back to bass for ‘Home’ which was the set closer, after a fashion.

The band stayed on stage for a couple more numbers, starting with another Fairground Attraction cover in ‘Find My Love’ before ‘Going Up the Country’, the old Canned Heat classic though I didn’t realise that itself was a cover of an original 1920’s song. It was another perfect showcase for a flute solo, and yet this was an evening of surprises to prove that Norda Mullen has a broader musical palette to offer.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

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