Undeterred by the heavy rains, Michael Hill's Blues Mob is still scheduled to perform in the last of the Baird's summer jazz concerts on Wednesday night, though the venue has been moved from Flood's Hill to Jubilee Hall at Seton Hall.

The group is comprised of guitarist Michael Hill and drummer Bill McClennan, both of Brooklyn, as well as bassist Michael Griot, who lives in South Orange and has been a full-time member of the group since 2003. They all provide vocals.

"Michael Hill has been a mainstay in the international blues/rock scene for the last 17 or 18 years," said Griot, who said that the group can tap into sounds ranging from Muddy Waters to B.B. King to contemporary grooves, and they're a power trio in the style of Jimi Hendrix. This is their fourth gig in South Orange, and they've previously played at Papillon and the now-closed Goat Cafe. "He treasures the storytelling aspect of the blues."

In addition to tonight's concert, Griot and co-organizers Joel Levin and Allison Brown will be officially announcing the formation of the non-profit North Jersey Blues Alliance, which is working to organize the South Orange International Blues Festival for 2010.

Though Griot, 47, frequently travels to play in international festivals, South Orange has been his home base for 16 years. "It's always been a good place to raise a family, and it has a great cultural arts community," said Griot, an Orange native.