It was hot blues for a hot spring night when Bernard Allison returned to the Skipperdome on May 12. Allison's last appearance at Skipper's Smokehouse, in January 1998, brought the house down, and marked the debut performance on his triumphant first major American tour.

Allison, now an established headliner and mainstay on the U.S. blues circuit, roared his way through two long, steamy sets, with the help of his stripped down-band. No horns this time - just the sweet sound of Mike Vlahakis on Hammond B-3, plus bassist Willie 'Vamp' Samuels and drummer Joel Richman.

The first set was very much like his show at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival in March. The crowd loved it, and joined in as Bernard ripped through "Bad Love," popularized by his father, the late Luther Allison. The second set brought the dancers out, as Allison worked over many of the songs from his 1999 CD, "Times Are Changing".

Several of the tunes from Allison's forthcoming Tone-Cool release were showcased during the second set, which left the crowd begging for more. Both sets were punctuated by Allison's fiery guitar work and his famous "audience strolls."

Up-close and personal is the rule of the day at Skipper's, and no one was disappointed by this night's performance.

I've seen Allison about a dozen times over the last couple of years and he never lets me down, me, but I miss the horns. While the band always delivers, the sound seems a little thin.