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The last-minute booking that brought Jelly Roll to Bluesfest on Tuesday was not only a landmark concert for the Nashville star, but also a collective mood lifter for an estimated 25,000 fans packed on the front plaza of the Canadian War Museum.

For the artist born Jason DeFord, it was his first major concert outside the United States, and he was riding high on the number of people who turned out, clearly delighted and somewhat overwhelmed by the reception. There may have been a tear or two trailing past the tattoos on his face.

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Beaming in his black baggy clothes, the 39-year-old came prepared to rock, with a full band, explosive effects and a setlist that both paid tribute to his influences and included his hits. In a rare case of everything falling into place perfectly, the weather even cooperated, remaining hot and humid but no rain.

The first order of business was to connect with the crowd. Jelly’s trick with people is total honesty, talking openly on stage about his struggles, his family’s issues, his background as a teenage drug dealer and being in and out of jail for a decade. The audience listened to every word, and cheered him like a hero.

He said he turned his life around when he became a father, and discovered that writing music was good for his mental health. Today, the therapeutic power of music is one of his strongest messages.

The genial storyteller also talked about his efforts to “spread an encouraging word” at rehab centres or jails when he’s touring the States.

“I’m proud to say I kept those efforts alive in the beautiful city of Ottawa,” he said, referring to his visit to the Royal Ottawa earlier in the day.

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“I was so inspired and so encouraged because I know how much mental health matters and I know how much drug addiction affects this country just like it does my country. It was a beautiful moment to sing these songs.”

He didn’t stop there, building to evoke the fire-and-brimstone intensity of a sermon meant to inspire. “You can change,” he said. “Tomorrow you can be a better person than you were today. I want to tell you you can keep marching forward. Keep going. Keep believing. Keep pushing.”

Jelly’s biggest hits reflect his own journey, and he sang them with heartfelt passion. His soulful voice embraced Son of a Sinner, made I Am Not Okay into a soothing lullaby, and mined the gospel nuances of Need a Favor, the song he said is his most popular track in Canada.

In a series of segments devoted to his influences, Jelly spoke of his mother’s love of classic country music, his brother’s rap collection and his father’s taste for Southern rock. He played music from each genre and took the time to introduce his band members, who all looked to be having a blast as they played and made Jelly sound fantastic.

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Highlights of the show included Jelly’s earnest cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man, a gut-wrenching rendition of his ballad, Save Me, and a lively segment that gave props to the hip hop he grew up with. Also noteworthy was the positive spirit he radiated in the summer heat.

Before Jelly Roll performed, warm-up duties were divided between Ottawa rapper Dax, and another recently minted Nashville star, Collins Obinna Chibueze, better known as Shaboozey.

Shaboozey demonstrated his authentic country roots and rich voice in a string of ballads, but he also showed off his hip-hop chops on other party-starter numbers, including the current hit A Bar Song (Tipsy). He actually played that one twice, presumably because the big screens beside the stage didn’t work the first time. Or maybe it’s because folks can’t get enough of the heavy beat and distinctive  hook.

Because Tuesday was a late addition to the Bluesfest schedule, live music was featured on just one of the festival’s four stages. The only other area open was the Crazy Horse Saloon, which had a non-stop barrage of beats and a mechanical bull. New this year, it looks to be a huge success, with a near-constant lineup and a steady stream of patrons being flung off the bull.

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The festival also made use of the jumbo screen adjacent to the SiriusXM stage, but not for music that night. On it was a broadcast of the big soccer match between Canada and Argentina.

Bluesfest continues Wednesday with another country-leaning bill that features the Zac Brown Band, Charley Crockett, and Nicolette and the Nobodies on the main stage.

For the full schedule, go to ottawabluesfest.ca.

lsaxberg@postmedia.com

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