Eric Bibb is one of the finest black American exponents of acoustic blues, an engaging performer and rousing guitarist who is blessed with a quite remarkable deep, warm voice. He has long been established as a cult hero, but has never progressed further, partly because much of his work is so easy-going, and he has never been as musically adventurous as fellow blues act Taj Mahal . It was encouraging, then, that his new album Deeper in the Well should mark a change of direction, with Bibb backed by a band playing fiddle, accordion and banjo, and mixing creole and country music with blues.

And yet, mysteriously, there was no such instrumentation here, and he only performed one song from the new album, in a quite different style. Stranger still, it wasn't even available among his merchandising in the foyer. Instead, he concentrated on earlier songs, mixing an upbeat revival of American classics with his own often pleasantly soft-centred material. Dressed in pink shirt and usual wide-brimmed hat, he started solo, showing off his distinctive voice and rhythmic guitar work on a fluid, easy-going treatment of Goin' Down Slow, the song made famous by Howlin' Wolf.

Then he brought on an impressive three-piece band that included the veteran drummer Larry Crockett, and a Swedish electric guitarist and bass-player (he spent much of his life in Scandinavia), for a blues set that was cheerful and uplifting rather than pained. Even when he switched to the Woody Guthrie favourite Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad, it sounded like a celebration.

Such a naturally cheerful performer is better suited to gospel, and the best songs of the evening included an exquisite treatment of Wayfaring Stranger, a stirring guitar treatment of Sinner Man, and a rousing singalong on the Lightnin' Hopkins gospel blues, Needed Time. An entertaining set, but Bibb was playing safe.