Midlake 16/2/10

The support was a singer/songwriter, Sarah Jaffe whose band included a confident rhythm guitarist, Robert Gomez and a drummer and keyboards player. Her voice was mixed too loud so there was some distortion notably at the start but aside from this they were a good act. Her songs had some attitude - one was called "Black Hoax Lie" - and the band suited them well. Robert Gomez was particulalry good on guitar and accordian. Tony Pulido from Midlake came on and sang a Wainwright song "One Man Guy" with Sarah which provided a change of mood near the end.

Midlake came on stage during the interval and sorted out their instruments - no roadie rubbish for them. I like that and there was a lot to like about the band and the gig. Four guitarists plus a bassist is always good. I liked the way they played most of their new album which will not have been heard by much of the audience and also their hit album "Van Occupanther" but didn't play any older stuff or covers. The new stuff I particularly liked - they seem to be regressing from the 70's feel of Van Occupanther to a 60's English Folk vibe and these are beautifully melodic and crafted songs. But having said that there wasn't a huge amount to love or get excited about. The singing was a bit uninspired and the songs were precisely delivered rather than extemporised. One of the exceptions to that and one of best moments was "Roscoe" which began with an extended instrumental intro that included the two lead guitars playing off each other and at that point the band was doing something exciting and different. The intro broke into Roscoe proper and the energy continued with this classy song. The other exciting element was the auxiliary touring guitarist Max Townsley. He was mainly in the background until he had an extended solo on "Rulers, Ruling All Things" from the new album and whilst he wasn't prominent (Roscoe excepted) for most of the show he got three more extended solos near the end. He had a free-flowing style that had hints of Dickie Betts. I need to check out any other stuff he has done.
Midlake mixed up the songs from the two albums. Although the older songs got the audience recognition I think I prefer the new ones better. I particularly liked "Acts of Man", "The Courage of Others" and "Bring Down". They finished with an encore of "Branches" from Occupanther and left that "It's hard for me but I'm trying" repetitive refrain hanging in the air. Nice show but I think they could be better if they let themselves go a bit.

Toy Hearts 14/2/10

I found that this Birmingham-based bluegrass band who had been recommended to me were playing just a few miles away in a 50's American Diner. I was not even aware of this diner prior to the gig. It came from Massachusetts and it was a good venue holding an audience of around fifty people. The band was family based, a father who played banjo and dobro, a daughter who sang and played mandolin and a daughter who played guitar and did back up vocals. There was also a bassist. For their first set they did mainly covers starting with an obscure Elvis song and including Bill Monroe, Patsy Cline and Gillian Welch along the way as well as some traditional bluegrass tunes.

They were all good musicians, the father played an assured banjo or dobro with some sweet flourishes, the song-writing guitar playing daughter played a lively and driving guitar and the singer had a good ol' country voice (despite being from Brum) that had echoes of Patsy Cline.

The second set was mainly stuff from their recently recorded album and features some excellent original songs, bluegrass-based but original and sometimes quirky. Towards the end they covered another Bill Monroe song and finished with another obscure Elvis track "When it Rains it Really Pours". Definitely worth another visit sometime and I think I'll get the new album when it comes out later this year.

Mariza 8/2/2010

Mariza is rooted in the Fado tradition and one of the highlights for me was the traditional Fado song "Prima Vera" but she also covers a wide range of Portuguese songs including poems that have been set to music and some songs with African influences (she was born in Mozambique). She even provided what she called a gift to the audience near the end, singing one song in English, the Roy Orbison classic "Crying". It is not usually wise to cover songs that Roy Orbison has recorded for fear of exposing the limitations of your voice but Mariza showed her astonishing power and range in doing so. A very early track "Mi Fado Mio" (My Destiny) demonstrated the high levels of emotion in her singing and she kept an amazing level of intensity throughout.

The band were superb. There was a guitarist and a guy playing the Portuguese guitar and an acoustic "spanish style" bass guitar, a drummer and a pianist/trumpet player. The three guitarists were the mainstay with the others coming on from time to time. They really showed their stuff during an instrumental about half way through but they were great all of the gig. The Portuguese guitarist was playing fast and high most of the time and provided a lot of the "lead". The drummer had an amazing solo nearer the end just to show how good he was.

This was powerful stuff - all heightened by being centre of the front row with Mariza on the edge of the stage right next to us. During the encore she discarded all the technology for one track and got the two guitarists to play acoustically while she sang without the mike. That came across pretty well from two feet away but I am sure she also managed to hit the back of the hall as well.

Transatlantic Sessions - 5/2/2010

The idea of this gig, as with the BBC programmes, is to put together the music of Celtic origin with Americana and enjoy the similarities and differences of these related strands. This show had seventeen outstanding musicians which adds up to less than £1.50 per musician. The joint musical directors were Aly Bain - one of my favourite fiddle players and Jerry Douglas - definitely my favourite dobro player. In fact I reckon we had seen around half the musicians on show previously including John Doyle who was musical director for Joan Baez when we saw her last September and Donald Shaw (from Capercaille) who is a master of gaelic wind instruments like whistles and pipes. The format was that the basic band of around ten musicans were joined by vocalists or vocalist/musicians singly or in combination often to deliver classic country or folk tracks. There was in fact a lot of variety. At one point a Gaelic lament for a dead child achingly sung by Karen Matheson was followed by a bluegrass version of "Hey Joe". It all worked beautifully flowing from one crafted song to another.

The featured vocalists included Karen Matheson, Dan Tyminski, Eddi Reader, Cara Dillon,Tim O'Brien, Mollie O'Brien, Sally Watkins and Bruce Molsky. Sally and Bruce also featured on fiddle whilst Tim played mandolin and banjo and Dan of course plays guitar.
Mollie O'Brien certainly leaned towards soul. Cara Dillon had the gentle Irish feel to her voice but plenty of emotion and power as well. Karen sings gaelic tunes like no one else. All in all it was an everchanging delight of music and singing.

At the heart of the band Aly Bain played the most instinctive solid fiddle anchoring everything together helped by the unfussy rhythm section whilst Jerry Douglas decorated the tunes with his astonishing dobro picking. Jerry also opened the second half of the show with a virtuoso solo effort on Dobro eliding several tunes into a flurry of dobro picking that is a joy to behold. Other highlights were Cara's first song "Garden Valley", the Aly Bain tunes right near the end of the gig and the aformentioned section of a gaelic lament and "Hey Joe" as well as "Sign Your Name" from Mollie O'Brien. Not to forget a traditional song by Bruce Molsky early on in the set. And those tunes when all three fiddles were playing. And of course Dant Tyminskis tunes which included "Man of Constant Sorrow" with some great Dobro playing. The encore finished with a Bob Dylan classic "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" with the band led by Tim O'Brien. It was a great tune to finish on.

Nanci Griffith 31/1/10

Nanci Griffith opened her European tour at Leamington Spa and it was a welcome dose of understated class and oozed quality throughout.

First up was the British singer/songwriter Edwina Hayes who has supported Nanci before. If anything her voice which was always pure and powerful seemed to have got better and she delivered a short set that mixed covers and her own songs. Covers included "I can't escape from you"(Hank Williams) and "Feels Like Home"(Randy Newman). I think I'll take in one of her gigs when she's in the Midlands.

Nanci came on with three band members, bass, drums and guitar and whilst the drummer was with her last time the other two were new to me. The tour was billed at "The Loving Kind" tour which is her latest album and a return to form - Nanci was too depressed to write songs whilst Dubya was pres. However there weren't that many songs from the new album, maybe five in total so the majority of the gig was back catalogue.
She kicked off with "Speed of Loneliness" followed by "From a Distance" two classics delivered with feeling. A few tracks later we had two further classics in "Listen to the Radio" which evokes Loretta Lynn and "Love at the Five and Dime". "Ford Econoline" was followed by my particular favourite that makes the gig worthwhile just to hear that one track, "Across the Great Divide". The band was perfect for this track - relaxed bass and great harmonies from J T Brown and sweet twang from Thomm Jutz on guitar and that is one track that she sings just to perfection.
"Well Alright" kicked off the encore - paying homage to the local Texas boys that wrote and played that particular tune.
I loved the intimate sound of the band and whilst Nanci's voice may be starting to feel the strain she paces herself between tracks and gets through the gig without any problems. I can't wait for the next tour.

The Wailers 13/1/10

It would have been rude not to go to this gig as it was 10 minutes away by convenient bus from where we were staying on holiday in Vail, Colorado. It also featured an original Wailer - Aston 'Family Man' Barrett - who is one of the finest bass players I have seen. The gig was a free 'street' gig with the bandstand set up at the end of a fairly narrow street in Vail. The bass was superb so relaxed and so late. The main guitarist was also not bad at all. He reminded me very much of Junior Marvin who whilst not an original Wailer was a part of the band for some time. Once the band had done a few instrumental tracks they brought on a lead singer and two backing singers and turned into a Marley tribute band. Having seen the original this was not a good idea in my view but nonetheless there were enjoyable versions of "One Drop", "Lively Up Yourself" and "Jammin'" and "One Love". However the gig gradually became untenable as the crowd had come for a party rather than a gig. At first we were near the front and surrounded on all sides by people shouting over their mobiles to one friend after another. Moving back we found ourselves in the middle of basic party conversations - again involving shouting because the music made it difficult to hear........
However it was good to be reminded again of what a great bassist Aston Barrett is. I was also a huge fan of his late brother Carlton who played one of the best drum solos I have heard at a Marley gig in 1980 - so minimalist, the very essence of a drum solo.