Monday, June 25, 2007
Tuesday Bonus Concert Review
Went with eldest daughter to Joan Armatrading at Chautauqua in Boulder and was very pleasantly surprised. I haven't really listened to her since the early 80s and I've never seen her. Wow.
There was more soul (and testosterone, in the music) in two minutes of her singing than in all of the efforts of effete, deracinated Winwood and company. Joan, who in the late 70s was a sui generis feminist pop singer/songwriter, is now gravitating to the blues and with her great deep voice, it's a good mix. Her new CD is called Into the Blues, and she seemed pleased to report it debuted at #1 on the Billboard blues chart. She's also playing an OK to fair lead guitar. Double wow.
I liked her band as well--they all looked, at least, British. Three white, pushing forty guys backing up a semi-ageless black woman. I think I caught the symbolism. Actually she's 56 and from St. Kitts, although she's been in England since 1958. I think in the bad old days, they would have called her a West Indian (although she was born within sight of the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton over on Nevis and I don't think we called him that). Sorry, historical digression.
Highlights included the song with the refrain "give me love" and a socially conscious song I'd never heard with superb use of echo. She didn't sing I'm Lucky or Drop the Pilot and she didn't do an encore, but it was a fun, powerful show in which you heard and understood every word of the good lyrics and I'd see this woman again any time. My daughter liked her too and that indeed is high praise. It didn't hurt that we were, unlike Bob Uecker, actually on the front row.
There was more soul (and testosterone, in the music) in two minutes of her singing than in all of the efforts of effete, deracinated Winwood and company. Joan, who in the late 70s was a sui generis feminist pop singer/songwriter, is now gravitating to the blues and with her great deep voice, it's a good mix. Her new CD is called Into the Blues, and she seemed pleased to report it debuted at #1 on the Billboard blues chart. She's also playing an OK to fair lead guitar. Double wow.
I liked her band as well--they all looked, at least, British. Three white, pushing forty guys backing up a semi-ageless black woman. I think I caught the symbolism. Actually she's 56 and from St. Kitts, although she's been in England since 1958. I think in the bad old days, they would have called her a West Indian (although she was born within sight of the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton over on Nevis and I don't think we called him that). Sorry, historical digression.
Highlights included the song with the refrain "give me love" and a socially conscious song I'd never heard with superb use of echo. She didn't sing I'm Lucky or Drop the Pilot and she didn't do an encore, but it was a fun, powerful show in which you heard and understood every word of the good lyrics and I'd see this woman again any time. My daughter liked her too and that indeed is high praise. It didn't hurt that we were, unlike Bob Uecker, actually on the front row.
Labels: Joan Armatrading concert review
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 11:39 PM 
