Frazey Ford 16/7/2016

Before I get to the impeccable Frazey Ford set I have to mention the support - aged stoner Howe Gelb. He managed to get the whole show delayed due to late arrival and in his 50 minute set also dragged a drummer from the audience much to the dismay of Frazey Ford's crew as the drummer used their kit, started disassembling the piano he was playing, and played with a camera he found recording his gig ending up putting it inside the piano distorting some strings to give a wierd sound to his last song. But fair play to him he was very funny with it. As to his music I was unimpressed with the first few jazzy standards where he was doing a sort of Tom Waits impression but enjoyed the last few songs especially 'Terribly So' (on piano) and something like 'Lost Love Found' on guitar. Frazey Ford came on with a four piece backing band, guitar, drums, bass and backing vocalist. From start to finish the set was perfect. With just two solo albums released she played a fair proportion of those two records with an additional three songs I hadn't heard from her. On the albums she has a definite 'country soul' sound with some superb horns so this was a pared down version of the band and it was great to hear those pared down versions. Through it all she kept the rhythmic nature of the music going through her singing but Craig MacCaul on guitar was also rhythm-and-note perfect all set so you didn't miss the horn section at all. It's difficult to pick out songs because everything was great but of the album tracks, 'Done' was superb as the venom in it was great live and raw; 'Weather Pattern' was absolutely stand out and the encore was perfection with 'Blue Streak Mama', 'Firecracker' and of course 'Indian Ocean' to finish. The 'new' songs were also brilliant to hear for the first time. She did a great cover of the Jimmy Cliff classic 'The Harder They Come', she did an old song called 'Separating' about inequality and a excellent song possibly called 'Can you Get to That'. Her singing is unique; the words coalesce so you cannot make them out and it is just pure emotion. It reminds me of the way Otis Redding conveys emotion and I can't say fairer than that. great singing, great band - it's between Neil Young and Frazey for gig of the year.