02-May-10 New Orleans Jazz Fest Concert Review
NOLA.com
Van Morrison holds New Orleans Jazz Fest in the palm of his hand
Van Morrison obviously believed what he was saying when he jumped into "Talk is Cheap" on Sunday afternoon at the New Orleans Jazz Fest presented by Shell..
Dressed in a black suit, black hat and dark sunglasses, Morrison rarely acknowledged the audience, evening turning his back while playing and singing, but he and his tight seven-piece band -- also all in solid black -- were completely invested in giving the Jazz Fest crowd a beautifully paced set of Morrison songs -- a mixture of 60s favorites and work from his later albums.
The famously moody musician opened his one-hour set a few minutes early to a large crowd standing in a light, but persistent rain, with a lilting "Northern Muse" from his 1980s "Beautiful Vision." But, he grabbed longtime fans by making his next tune the cover-band staple 1960s' hit "Brown Eyed Girl."
Morrison's voice sounds remarkably unchanged and he reminded the crowd of his skill as a musician: Seven minutes in he had already moved from piano, to guitar and to alto sax.
With no new material to promote, it was difficult to know what to expect from the Belfast, Ireland-born Morrison, who grabbed the spotlight in pop music when he fronted his Irish band Them, producing the 1964's hit "Gloria" -- covered by everyone from The Doors to Bruce Springteen to AC/DC.
On Sunday, he treated the crowd to a few of his '60s tunes, including the always-sexy "Moondance," giving it a jazz treatment that had the crowd moving and grooving in the mud.
The singer-songwriter's poetic slow tunes feel as though they were written to be heard while standing in the rain. When he and the band picked up the pace, the crowd responded by switching from swaying to jumping and bopping along.
Mid-set, he said leaned into his shiny gold microphone on a gold stand emblazoned with a gold VM and said his one comment to the crowd and it was something like: "We'd like to do an old New Orleans tune... We're here, why not." The band moved into a slow, sad "St. James Infirmary," with Morrison playing sax and mournfully singing the famous tune.
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He drew heavily from his latest albums including the bluesy "School of Hard Knocks" and "Keep it Simple" from the 2008 album of the same name. If any fans were disappointed by missing hits such as ''Into the Mystic," ''Domino" or "And It Stoned Me"... it didn't show.
He wrapped the one-hour show with "Ballerina" from his iconic album "Astral Weeks," picking up the microphone and singing the lyrics as he strolled off stage as the crowd clapped and hooted for more.
No last bow. No last words -- just his music.-Ann Maloney
[Thanks to Art for the photos!]
Setlist:
Nothern Muse (Solid Ground)
Brown Eyed Girl
Fair Play
The Mystery
Talk is Cheap
St James Infirmary
Moondance
Have I Told You Lately
Keep it Simple
School of Hard Knocks
Help Me
Healing Has Begun
Ballerina
Big Hand For The Band!
Jay Berliner-electric guitar
David Hayes-double bass
6 comments:
It was a terrific show! Van was in great, great voice and seemed to be enjoying himself. I thought the band was fantastic and for the most part they were really tight. Fair Play, The Mystery, St. James Infirmary,Help Me, The Healing Has Begun and Ballerina were all wonderful. After BEG, Van and the band really seemed to get into it. Great show for a short 1 hour outdoor set.
Attended this show in Houston-- his voice is great but still disappointed to pay so much for a ticket and get such a short show and not hear some of my favorites!
I attended Van Morrison's concert at CWMP in the Woodlands TX on May 1st. It was by far the best show I've ever seen there. Van was great, his band was great and the crowd was great. Van the Man is at the peak of his skills. He played four instruments at a professional level and his voice is better than ever. Despite his temperamental reputation he was mildly cordial and seemingly appreciative to the sellout crowd. (Van is NEVER condescending or gushing and doesn't do encores.) He even tipped his fedora to this East Texas venue with a fabulous rendition of a country song (Rodney Crowell's "Till I Gain Control Again") from Van's "Pay The Devil" album. I'm not sure the crowd got that one though, judging from the tepid response. Everything else was wildly applauded. For Van Morrison fans wanting to hear nothing but his hits that sound just like the way they do on his records, I recommend that they stick to the CDs. This was live music at its best, warts and all. I paid $250 face value for our seats and consider it a bargain.
i wish i were there. i have seen Van in many differnt venues... he is great in New Orleans.. he love the place... like many of us do....
you must let us know if he will be playing there next year. if so, it's a must!!!!! thanks for keeping me informed of my favorite artist.
REnee G.
The Houston CWM concert May 1st was a disappointment. While I admire leaving the music to speak for itself, for long periods the music performance had little to say, other than ranging from rare brilliance to much boredom, grumpiness and uncertainty. The band members, though talented, seemed to be hesitant or waiting for a cue from Van Morrison that it would be ok to put on a good performance. I agree with EDC about one song (Chopping Wood?) for which VM left the stage and the band couldn't get co-ordinated on the chord progressions. VM often seemed agitated, as if he didn't want to be there and several things were going wrong whether technically or with his band. But once in a while he forgot about all that but his passion for his music. For the most part the show lacked energy and tight musicianship. C-
Attended the May 1st Concert at CMWP in Houston. Delighted to finally see VM live. Where can I find that unforgettable finale song Healing Has Begun?
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