17-July-2014
Stuttgart Jazz Festival
 Stuttgart, Germany

TAZ

Many years ago, Van Morrison was badly defamed by an English newspaper. A reporter had dared to give him the attribute "Rock Star". This could not be allowed to sit on Morrison. In an open letter he distanced himself vehemently from such defamation: "For the benefit of the unenlightened it is not my nature to be a rock star. What I am is a singer who does blues, soul, jazz, etc. etc. etc. "And who did not understand, was "taught again” on his reord “What's Wrong with this Picture”: “I'm singing jazz, blues and funk / Baby, that's not rock 'n' roll."

On a bright glowing summer evening at the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart, the visitors of the Jazzopen could see and hear for themselves that Van Morrison's wonderfully weightless music finds its sources rather in the back catalog of Blue Note or in the Mississippi delta than in the classic rock genre. In the first, glorious swinging instrumental "Celtic Swing" each of the six musicians introduced himself with a solo, and repeatedly Morrison himself was playing the saxophone while the beautifully meandering melodies continued.

What Morrison in a mafia-like outfit - black suit, black hat, dark sunglasses – did with his voice, can only be described in the words of Peter Handke: "He has a wonderful feeling," Handke said about Van Morrison, “and then the "what" "and the “how” will become one.": an immense longing, something unutterable transcendent. The "how", the gift to lend words through a fantastic sense for rhythm, modulation, articulation, the quality of an epiphany. Van Morrison is 68 years old and his lyrical, sometimes breathy sometimes shouting voice seems to still have gained force in recent years.

With so much genius there is of course always also something to complain about. Almost every article about Van Morrison concerts includes a small reference: How sullen, moody, rude the little old man behaves on stage! How he throws nasty looks on his fellow musicians and has no eyes and words at all for the audience. It’s true, he did not care a lot about the audience at the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart, although he probably once mumbled something like "Thank you". But who cares? Who says, someone who makes gorgeous music and is blessed by God with a heart-warming voice, should be everybody’s darling.

However, you seemed to have caught quite a good day on the only concert in Germany: Van Morrison had obvious pleasure, the set was perfectly arranged, all the songs grooved, as if the Schlossplatz were a small jazz or blues cellar. The harmonica shouted, the bass strolled, the Hammond organ roared. In short: the musicians played to the point.

Of course, there was no encore. Morrison offered for one and a half hour songs from all phases: "Back on Top”, "Days Like This", "The Philosopher's Stone", "Brown Eyed Girl," "Baby Please Don’t Go" and "Gloria" from Them to "Moondance" and "Whenever God Shines his Light", at times a veritable hit with Cliff Richard, this time presented as a duet with daughter Shana, who somehow fell off as a background singer. Not quite the daddy.
The fact that Morrison quite often conjures up the Lord connects him with the great Mavis Staples, who with her 75 years gave off more energy than the blazing Stuttgart evening sun: drums, guitar, bass, and three very fine accompanying singers - and songs from a time when the Staple Singers marched with Martin Luther King towards a better future: "I'm a living witness," the gospel-Goddess said and intoned Pops Staples' "Freedom Highway". Rough, soulful, enthusiastic. You cannot spend a Thursday evening more beautiful and uplifting.

Setlist
Celtic Swing
Open The Door (To Your Heart)
Back On Top
So Quiet In Here
Queen of The Slipstream
Days Like This
Choppin' Wood
Rough God Goes Riding
Baby Please Don't Go/Parchman Farm
John Henry
Philosopher's Stone
Lonesome Road
Whenever God Shines His Light
Enlightenment
Moondance
Brown Eyed Girl
In the Garden
Help Me
Gloria

Big Hand for The Band!
Chris White (Saxophone)
Alistair White (Trombone)
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards)
Bobby Ruggiero (Drums)
Special Gueust: Shana Morrison (Vocals)