Music Preview: Eric returns to Sheffield with his smooth and soulful voice

While the venue may be long gone (but not the memories), the American has only grown in musical stature, now with 40-plus albums and two Grammy award nominations to his name along with a reputation for joyous and uplifting live performances.

In Sheffield, he went on to win over bigger audiences in the more salubrious environment of the Memorial Hall with his innovative fusion of blues with folk, gospel and world music.

And he returns to the back of the City Hall on Sunday, August 6 – one of three UK dates to follow an extensive UK and Ireland band tour last May that he reflects on as “full of groovy shows, wild, wonderful fans and palpable love”.

It’s a chance to hear songs from a new album, Ridin’, alongside those that have become part of his canon since the first album in 1977 – from the slow and yearning to the all-out foot stomping.

Bibb’s voice is smooth and soulful, his playing of guitar and banjo captivating and his intense performances can verge on the spiritual - permeated with reflections of the experiences behind his songs and his commitment to social justice and activism.

As a songwriter, he says studying African American history “has always been a deep well of inspiration. The true stories of my ancestors and their communities are at the heart of many of the songs on my new album.”

He has a capacity to connect with an audience, not surprising, perhaps, given his growing up in a musical family and exposed to strong musical influences.

His father, Leon Bibb, was a folk singer, his uncle, John Lewis, was a jazz pianist and his godfather was Paul Robeson.

Remarkably, visitors to Bibb’s boyhood home in New York included Robeson, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez – an ideal schooling to take him through the sixties folk music revolution and on to the civil rights movements.

Bibb moved to Europe in the 1970s and started performing in clubs and festivals. Recently he has been living in Sweden.

The recent tour featured a band with Canadian singer-guitarist Michael Jerome Browne, whose solo set opened the shows, drummer Paul Robinson, bassist Neville Malcolm and keyboard player Glen Scott.

Eric Bibb has been hailed as one of America’s finest acoustic blues performers. He may be singing and playing the blues, but there’s often a smile on his face to underline the charm and warmth with which he engages so readily with his audience.