18-September-2015
Landsdowne Park
 Ottawa, Canada

Ottawa Sun (Source)

It was a marvelous night for a Moondance on the Great Lawn of Lansdowne Park Friday, with the legendary Van Morrison packing the park to capacity for CityFolk's marquee show.

It took a personal letter to Morrison, penned by festival director Mark Monahan, to convince the ever-elusive Belfast Cowboy to hop the pond for the exclusive date -- it's been a full five years since he set foot in Canada, last appearing in Ottawa at Monahan's Bluesfest in 2007.

And as with another legend of similar stature, Bob Dylan, who shared the Bluesfest bill that year, concertgoers know you're either in line for "Good Van" or "Bad Van" -- when he's on, it's a near-spiritual experience, when he's off, it can fall a little flat.

But on Friday, he wasn't just Good Van. He was vintage Van the Man.

The elder statesman of soul, now 70, needed no introduction as he and his crack five-piece band strode on stage -- a full ten minutes ahead of their scheduled start -- and with no fanfare at all, launched into the smooth-sailing jazz instrumental Celtic Swing, with Morrison looking dapper dressed in all-black, capped by fedora and shades, blowing soft sax lines on his alto while fans were still staking out their spot on the crowded lawn.

Even the camera operators were late on the draw, the video screens still projecting a stationary shot of the side of the stage while the main attraction was stepping up to take his first of many jazz-infused sax solos.

There was little time, or need for fanfare, however, as Morrison quickly counted off the cheeky Close Enough For Jazz, then eased into his signature tune, Moondance, while the estimated 15,000 fans took up the occasion to find a partner and sway along to the gently syncopated bounce.

He barely allowed a breath between songs for his bandmates, and wasted no time to take in the rapturous applause, quickly counting in each song on the heels of the last, with the gospel-tinged Days Like This and Higher Ground, followed quickly by the down and dirty r&b of the classic Them hit Baby Please Don't Go, the horn-driven Real, Real Gone and the funky bass jam of Wild Night.

Yes, it was just that easy for the venerable Morrison, whose trademark vocals seem to have defied Father Time, capturing every bit of the power and the grace of his prime.

The stage volume was kept noticeably quiet at the outset, but gained in decibels by the time the band really hit their stride on Cleaning Windows -- the band had already reeled off a dozen tunes by that point and it was barely 9 p.m.

The inspiring Jackie Wilson Said brought the entire crowd to their feet, as even the fans dotting the hillside at the far end of the park could be seen kicking up the turf to the driving horn lines, and even his most casual fan was singing along to every word of Brown-Eyed Girl, Domino and the rousing encore Gloria.

On Friday, he spoke only to his band, and did so only to quickly count in the next song, or spontaneously call out the key signature. His bandmates followed along with every cue, sometimes as subtle as a quick raised hand or catching a barked audible cue, and displayed supreme musical mastery throughout it all.
-AEDAN HELMER

Setlist (Thanks Ken D.)
Celtic Swing
Close Enough for Jazz
Moondance
Days Like This
Whenever God Shines His Light
Baby Please Don't Go/Parchment Farm/Don't Start Crying Now
Enlightenment
Real Real Gone
Wild Night
Can't Stop Loving You
Precious Time
Cleaning Windows
Jackie Wilson Said
In The Afternoon/Ancient Highway/Raincheck
Brown Eyed Girl
Domino
In The Garden
Think Twice Before You Go
Help Me
Gloria

Big Hand for The Band!
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards)
Bobby Ruggiero (Drums)
Dana Masters (Vocals)