NDR Radiophilharmonie /Bachchor Hannover - 10/6/2017

It's not often I go to classical gigs but a combo of Vaughn Williams and Bach works in the Marktkirche in Hannover whilst on holiday there was a no-brainer. The whole event was delightful - a choir of 91 'backing singers' for the Bach and five lead singers backed by a large orchestra in a big church with good acoustics. What's not to like. The Vaughn Williams piece 'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis' swirled and eddied to great effect. The orchestra swapped around and then the Bach 'Magnificat D-Dur BWV 243' followed. The conductor Andrew Mainze was English as were some of the lead singers.

Jackson Browne - 27/6/2017

I do love a Jackson Browne gig and this one was exceptionally good. There are artists who stick rigidly to a set list and a performance plan (Alison Krauss comes to mind but a lot of artists are this way). Others such as Richard Thompson seem to enjoy some spontaneity and let audience interaction influence the set. Jackson Browne seems more inclined to the former way but last night he allowed himself to get distracted 'off the highway' and play a stack of audience requests. The band looked a bit confused at times but responded brilliantly and the positive feedback from the audience just worked to deliver some great songs and a seriously good atmosphere. I think he pretty much delivered a complete list of my favourite JB songs in the set and added to that the band were superb. The interplay between the two brilliant guitarists (Greg Leisz on Pedal Steel and Lap Steel guitars and Val Macullum on lead) was a highlight. They were good last time we saw JB in 2014 but they have got better and they would often just pick up from each other line by line. Val somehow managed staccato and fluid at the same time and Greg had soaring and precise simutaneously down pat. Also contributing was the amazing vocals of Alethea Mills who had just a couple of solo bits each of which was received rapturously by the audience. The first was a verse of 'Lives in the Balance' and the second was a short piece in 'Taking it easy'. She was in the style of Clare Torry who sings on ' The Great Gig in the Sky' from Pink Floyd. The band was completed by Jeff Young on Hammond Organ, Bob Glaub on Bass and Mauricio Lewak on Drums. JB also plays a mean guitar himself, mainly rhythm. The gig started late presumably because of the long queues at the security desks on entrance. He just delivered the full gig anyway as he finished an equivalent amount later than scheduled. He kicked off with 'Just Say Yeah' and 'The Long Way Round'and then moved to the piano to sing 'Before The Deluge' which is on my all-time favourites list. Not long after he took a shouted request and sang a mesmerising version of 'For a Dancer'. I would happily have gone home then but there was much more to come as he worked through a mixture of various requests and planned songs before getting back on track well into the second half. 'For Everyman' and 'Late for the Sky' were of course great but my personal favourite song (except maybe 'For a Dancer') is 'The Road and the Sky'. A brilliant moment. All the while the guitar licks were getting hotter and hotter, both guys on top form. Other highlights near the end were 'Barricades of Heaven', 'Running on Empty' and then an encore of 'Taking it Easy' and 'Our Lady of the Well'. The former featured an unbidden audience accompaniment which was quite impressive in its volume and accuracy. A great night out and JB can still hack it even as he approaches 70.