We Are Thinking Of You, Mick!

All Your Friends Are Thinking About You And Are With You!!!!!

Get well, soon!
-Van Fans

19-May-07 Santiago, Spain

Reviews from the Spanish papers were pretty thin on the actual concert itself (see below). Most focus seem to be on Van's pre-show "requests":

The artist has requested for him and his equipment a suite of hotel and 30 rooms. For its stay, the “lion of Belfast” asked for water, drunk low in calories and natural juices of orange, to the time that needs that “it does not want anything with alcohol”. Also it requested much English tea, fresh fruit and the bread and the paste it must be in wheat germ.
In addition, the Irish artist, who left the tobacco does little months, does not tolerate that those that are to his around smoke, reason why demanded to be in spaces smoke books. Thus, in Multipurpose the Fontes do Sar is prohibited to smoke. Also, of express desire of the singer, in the dressing room he will be in favor fisioterapeuta to its complete disposition. (Translated via Google)

El Correo Gallego Review
Van Morrison saldó, y con creces, su deuda con Santiago. Cuatro años después de tener que cancelarse su concierto previsto en julio de 2003 debido a la lluvia, ayer no defraudó y abarrotó el Multiusos del Sar. Miles de fieles al rugido del León de Belfast vibraron durante todo el concierto, en el que no faltaron fans que vinieron a Santiago, ex profeso, desde toda España, principalmente desde Baleares, Cataluña y Madrid.

Como gran estrella que es, Morrison vio, llegó y venció, y nunca mejor dicho. Y es que el mítico artista irlandés aterrizó en el aeropuerto de Lavacolla en su jet privado a las dos y diez de la tarde de ayer. Tras descansar un rato en el hotel, se dirigió con su séquito al Multiusos del Sar, actuó y, tras terminar el concierto, aún con los aplausos encendidos de sus fans pisándole los talones se marchó de las tierras gallegas, eso sí, dejando ganas de más.


Para mayor gozo de sus fieles, Van Morrison no sólo hizo un recorrido por su amplia trayectoria musical, sino que deleitó a los más de cinco mil espectadores que abarrotaron el Multiusos con temas inéditos que no se oirán en ninguna emisora y no se podrán comprar en ninguna tienda de discos hasta el próximo mes de junio, en que salga publicado su nuevo trabajo, donde no faltan duetos con otros grandes de la música como Ray Charles, John Lee Hoocker o Tom Jones, de los que el León de Belfast es un gran admirador.
Aunque el Multiusos de Sar tiene capacidad para siete mil espectadores sentados, el gerente del recinto y promotor del concierto, Santi Cuadrado, aseguró ayer a este periódico que "la organización decidió elevar las tribunas C y D algo más de treinta centímetros para dar una mayor visibilidad a los miles de fans de Morrison.
Dos horas antes del concierto prácticamente las entradas estaban agotadas, a pesar de que los precios oscilaron entre los 23 y los 38 euros, un dinero que muchos fans no dudaron en gastar.

Y es que el León de Belfast gustó. Santiago se convirtió ayer en el centro de peregrinación de muchos fieles, aunque no precisamente al Santo Patrón, en plenas fiestas de la ciudad, sino al León de Belfast, que continúa teniendo un gran tirón.
Ahora toca esperar a una nueva cita del artista con sus fieles de la ciudad del Apóstol.

11-May-07 London Concert Review

TimesOnline: Roundhouse, London Review

As he reaches pensionable age, it might be too late to expect Van Morrison to start displaying tangible signs of happiness. At his peak though, Belfast’s questing blues emissary has been peerless when it came to playing out his internal conflicts on a stage, repeating phrases until they turned into redemptive mini-mantras; using a harmonica to pull away from the rhythm of his band, then suddenly locking back into a groove you thought had come
apart.

At this Roundhouse show just a couple of those moments would have probably been enough to appease the diehards. Instead, Morrison played the parodically grumpy old man with a volley of songs about tabloid intrusion ( Talk is Cheap) and the solitude of fame ( Back on Top). Wearing his customary hat and shades, he seemed uninterested
and uncommunicative. In the case of these songs and selections from Pay the Devil, his recent country album, it was tempting to blame the choice of material.

That was something you couldn’t very well do in the case of Moondance. Across the decades Morrison has reinvented the song countless times, but this version – in which his three backing vocalists handled the entirety of the second verse – was tantamount to a decommissioning.

Finding new ways into old material is a problem for many a venerable singer. Recent shows by another great white 1960s blues singer, Terry Reid, demonstrated how vital a younger group can be when helping an artist to rediscover himself. If we presume that Van Morrison assembled his own band, what did this gang of middle-aged session musicians, going about their business with deferential precision, say about him? That old age has made him value virtuosity over spirit?

You could drop the needle on an album by Them – the R&B urchins fronted by Morrison in the early 1960s – and remember how the opposite used to be true. When he played two songs from that era – Baby Please Don’t Go and Gloria – you might have expected the touchpaper of memory to spark just in time to rescue them from the hotel-lobby R&B arrangements of their current incarnations. But no.

Amid all this listless professionalism, only Brown-Eyed Girl lifted the torpor. That was less to do with the singer and more to do with the “sha-na-nas” of an audience that had paid for the chance to sing them.
-Pete Paphides

Setlist:
The Train Kept A-Rollin’ [*, NE]
Talk Is Cheap
Back On Top
Cleaning Windows > Boppin’The Blues > Be Bop A Lula
Days Like This
Stop Drinking
Moondance
Don’t Worry About A Thing
There Stands The Glass
Playhouse
My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It
Don’t Start Crying Now > Custard Pie
Real Real Gone > You Send Me
Bright Side Of The Road
Baby Please Don’t Go
Precious Time [scat ending]
All Work And No Play
Jackie Wilson Said
Wild Night
Domino
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

07-May-07 Ronnie Scott Awards In London

Van Wins International Male Singer
Some of the biggest names on the jazz scene have been honoured at the inaugural Ronnie Scott Awards.

The international male singer award went to Van Morrison, while the female prize was given to Jane Monheit.


Ronnie Scott's is not the cutting-edge jazz club it used to be



In the arts, awards have the same dubious appeal as star ratings: everyone pretends to despise them while privately acknowledging their irresistibility. And while the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Awards, whose first winners were announced in London this week, should be welcomed as evidence of an interest in promoting an idiom engaged in a perennial struggle for existence in the world of show business, the choice of winners will have many fans clutching their heads in despair.


Reading through the list, there can be only one response: it's like John Coltrane never happened. According to the awards, Van Morrison and Jane Monheit are the world's greatest jazz singers, Scott Hamilton is the world's greatest saxophonist, the Yellowjackets are the world's greatest small group and Kyle Eastwood, son of Clint, is the world's greatest bassist. Oh, and Jeff Beck, once of the Yardbirds, is the blues artist of the year. To be blunt, this is a list that could have been compiled by the booker for a mainstream TV show rather than by someone concerned with the continuing evolution of an artform defined for almost a century by its lust for growth and change.

When new owners took over Ronnie Scott's Club last year, the music policy became noticeably more conservative. Fair enough. In order attract a large enough audience to sustain an establishment in Soho, with rents in central London the way they are, no doubt compromises have to be made and non-specialist listeners must not be actively repelled. So the Scott Club, where Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman once held forth, will never again be at the music's cutting edge. But if the place is to be more than just a stage for smoothly marketed revivals of past glories, it needs to acknowledge some of the many currents that are carrying jazz into a fascinating future. The awards would have been a good place to start.
-Richard Williams


The week according to Piers Morgan
Monday, May 7 To the inaugural Jazz Awards at the beautifully restored Ronnie Scott’s tonight.

Just 200 of us watched stunning solo performances from artists such as Van Morrison, Jamie Cullum, Jeff Beck, Mica Paris and Courtney Pine.


Most had played to huge audiences before, but playing to a tiny crowd of their peers was very different.

As Jeff Beck admitted to me, "That was the most nervous I’ve ever been."

When one astonishing young pianist played out of his skin to rapturous applause, I leant down, tapped Jamie Cullum on the shoulder (quite a reach, because he’s about 5ft 2in) and said, "No pressure there, then."

He looked at me with genuine wide-eyed apprehension, "No s***, mate… Christ!"

At 2am, they all clambered up together and jammed for an hour. It was one of the great musical experiences of my life.

Van Joins Rolling Stones European Tour

Van Morrison To Open For The Rolling Stones

Van Morrison has been announced as the opener for The Rolling Stones on two of their upcoming European dates.

The veteran rocker (that’s Van Morrison) will support The Rolling Stones on June 5th at Werchter Park, Belgium and June 8th at Goffret Park, Holland.

The dates will not be the first time Van Morrison has opened for the band. He played two North American dates with the band last year.

The Rolling Stones dates featuring Van Morrison:

Werchter Park, Belgium – June 5
Goffret Park, Holland - 8

30-April-07 Boston Concert Review

For fans, Van Morrison's magic is worth the wait
(Boston Globe)

No one in the sold-out Opera House Monday night seemed to expect a greatest-hits show from Van Morrison. There were no boors howling for "Gloria" or "Brown Eyed Girl" from the cheap seats at every quiet moment, behavior that regularly annoys at shows by Morrison contemporaries like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Good thing, because he didn't play them. And the rapturous reception of his typically diverse set list seemed to buoy Morrison to the point where he showered a little of the old magic
on us. Article Tools

Hard-faced and sleepy-lidded behind his glasses, wearing a suit and fedora, Morrison looks more like late-period Robert Mitchum now than the dreamy
Belfast Cowboy of 1967. His show is a sort of country/R&B supper club revue, in which he sings and plays guitar, sax, and harmonica in front of a
polished 10-piece band that includes steel guitar, fiddle, and organ. They're fine, but the magic is all in Morrison's unique, growly voice.

Things began at 7:30 sharp with a dreary middle-of-the-road intro from the band alone. They didn't really pick up until the sixth number of the
set, a chipper "Magic Time," on which Morrison and the band seemed to finally feel each other.

Audience favorite "Cleaning Windows" found a little of the old Zen, and "Back on Top" gave fans lines to cheer. There were versions of "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" and "I Can't Stop Loving
You," plus a Sonny Boy Williamson blues and a duet with his daughter, singer-songwriter Shana Morrison. Her proud dad's voice overshadows her
less-distinctive instrument, though how could it not?

Morrison's best singing may have been on the boozy weeper "There Stands the Glass," a Webb Pierce hit he covered on his 2006 country album, "Pay the
Devil." He seemed to notice that the audience responded, and drew out the "it's my . . ." tagline for a long moment, complete with a drum roll before
finishing: ". . . first one today!"

"Moondance" may be mandatory, but Morrison sang less on it than any number all night, preferring to play sax. His two swaying backup singers took the
entire "I want to make love to you tonight" verse. Not awful, but not exactly transcendent either.

The show ended just after 9 with "And the Healing Has Begun." Morrison played guitar on this song, but he also sang with the rolling and tumbling
semi-improvised phrases that are his version of speaking in tongues, when the music is "ringing in your soul, and the heart, and the soul, and the
swing, and the healing has begun. . ."

That was what we all came for.
-Joel Brown

Van's short shrift

May 6, 2007

Joel Brown was generous in his review of Van Morrison ("For fans, Van Morrison's magic is worth the wait," Living/Arts, May 2 ). If only Morrison was a bit more generous in the length of his concert. He wasn't onstage for the first two numbers and was off and on the stage for the final song. I figure he was singing for maybe one hour and 15 minutes, not what I expect for a pricey night out. Brown may have called the crowd "rapturous," but I saw some jaws drop when the lights went up.
Article Tools

I did get a laugh after reading the review, because on the same page was a nice juxtaposition in the Names column. Morrison was seen eating dinner after the concert with a couple of friends for two hours . If only he could have managed to spend a couple of hours earlier with a full house of his fans. Hope you were full, Van. I left with an empty stomach.

-THOMAS FENNELL Medfield

Despite obscure tunes, it’s a marvelous night for Van fans
(Boston Herald)

None of Van Morrison’s peers have his autonomy.
From Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett, fans have come to expect hits when they shell out $50-plus for an icon’s show
(Lord save us from the resulting riot if Buffett were to skip “Fins,” “Volcano” or “Margaritaville”). The performers may callously rearrange fan favorites, as Dylan often does, but they all deliver them.
But Morrison didn’t need to pad his set with greatest hits to satiate a sold-out Opera House on Monday. And he boldly flaunted that fact with a
show full of obscure tunes.


The night started anemically with a Van-less band running through “Train Kept A-Rollin.’ ” Any wedding reception would have been thrilled, but for those waiting for The Man, it was anticlimactic, not to mention a poor cover choice as hometown boys Aerosmith do it far better. The disappointment continued with the appearance of Van’s daughter
Shana Morrison to sing a version of her dad’s “Naked in the Jungle” fit for cake cutting and toast making. When Morrison finally showed up, the crowd greeted him with an instant standing ovation.
Morrison’s transformation to tasteful blues-jazzman has long been complete. His uniform remains a fedora, tinted glasses and sophisticated
suit - and he didn’t look back for this show. As he ran through album cut after album cut from his post-’70s catalog, including “Talk Is Cheap,”
“Magic Time” and “Have I Told You Lately,” he sounded more like idol Mose Allison than the man who recorded 1974’s “It’s Too Late to Stop Now,”
maybe the best live album since James Brown’s “Live at the Apollo.”
Morrison played to his strengths and his pre-rock tastes. While he was vocally buttoned-down - the lion’s roars were few and far between -
Morrison’s instrumental talents now almost match his vocal and compositional skills. All night long he blew tasteful sax and harp solos and even added one of the set’s best guitar solos to “The Healing Game.”
What was missing from the show were his biggest radio staples. Only “Moondance,” which fit perfectly, came from the storied first eight albums
that make up his classic 1968-1974 period.
But Van’s devotees didn’t seem to care. Lesser hits “Cleaning Windows” and “Bright Side of the Road” and cult number “Foreign Window” got ovations
usually reserved for warhorses such as “Gloria” and “Domino.”
But such is Morrison’s appeal. He does what he wants, how he wants, and you like it.

-Jed Gottlieb

After his show at the Opera House,Van Morrison huddled for two hours at Henrietta's Table with pal Peter Wolf and Phoenix Media exec David Bieber.

Setlist:

Train Kept a Rollin' (Ned Opener)
Naked in the Jungle - Shana with band
Talk is Cheap
Stranded
HITYL
Magic Time
Don't Worry About A Thing
Bright Side of the Road
Foreign Window
Cleaning Windows
There Stands the Glass
Playhouse
Back on Top
Sometimes We Cry - with Shana
Moondance
I Can't Stop Loving You
Precious Time
Help Me
And The Healing Has Begun
(Thanks Shannon)

29-Apr-07 New York City

Concert Review: Van Morrison at the Theater at Madison Square Garden - Still Into The Mystique
Van Morrison and his 10 piece, country honk band 'doe- si- doe'd' into New York fresh from stints stateside at the venerable Fairgrounds in New Orleans on Friday (as a National Headliner for this year's JazzFest) and a unique, once off show Saturday night at the Chastain Amphitheater outside Atlanta, Georgia.

Van had already toured Europe and the States last year highlighting his newest album Pay the Devil and this evening 's fans were quite familiar with most, if not all of his songs on tonight's setlist. Not that Van gave much heed to whether his fans get a greatest hits show, nevertheless, to truly enjoy Mr. Morrison live one must sit back and be open to whatever the muse will deliver on that particular evening. Tonight Van was very good indeed, good enough to justify selling out the Theater at $175 per ticket.

His shows invariably last 90 minutes, but tonight he played an hour and forty five, making light of the situation by claiming in the middle of the show he was grateful we fans could stay out this late on a Sunday night. Twenty plus song show is alot by Van Morrison's standards, usually one could set their watch to his concerts - but New York City is a favorite venue for Van and this evening it showed. He opened the concert with "Talk is Cheap" a bluesy, rhythmic number from his album Down the Road. He then segued into a heartfelt "I'm Not Feeling It Anymore", a bouncy, horn driven song given a new look and feel live, borrowed from his emotional, double album Hymns to the Silence.

Van plays the sax, guitar and harmonica liberally throughout his shows, but tonight he also played the piano, something I have rarely, if ever, seen this quixotic performer do during a performance. He is a rare musical genius, who also had a lot of notable fans in the audience, one being Vincent Pastore - Sal 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero from The Sopranos. Those at this evening's show know this, because Van played "The Philosopher's Stone" at his backstage guests' special request! A long beautiful song, included on his Back on Top collection released in 1999.

Van does know how to pace a show, and his crowd favorites always get a standing ovation. "Moondance" was performed, fiddle and all, with a dark, luminous backdrop invoking an evening's starry night - an incandescent mood enhancer perfectly situated halfway through the show. The Country Western appeal was revisited when Van lit into a tune made famous by Maria Muldaur in the '70's. The salacious "Don't You Make Me High" was given a boogie woogie twist by Van and it seemed to inspire not only the band behind him but the singer himself. A number of other tunes from his most recent effort Pay the Devil were spotlighted, even the Ray Charles nugget "I Can't Stop Loving You" was performed with panache and soul. The real showstopper, however, was the evening's first encore, "The Healing Has Begun" a transcendental melody, with Van on the guitar, dating back to his '79 Into the Music album. A song which has now taken on even greater significance, at least to this listener, especially in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy.

The ubiquitous "Gloria" followed by "Brown Eyed Girl" closed the show and we all felt like grabbing our partner, and sashaying out to Seventh Avenue with the rest of the Midnight Cowboys, quite content that we'd just experienced one of the great, soulful, rhythm and blues performers of Twentieth Century.
-Dave Alper


WFUV Blog Review
Great Van show at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. I was there with my pal DJ Wilbur who has this to say about the show. I pretty much concur

I saw a killer Van Morrison show last night at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Whenever you see Van and the tickets say 7:30 sharp….be there on time. His “orchestra” came on stage at 7:30 and vamped to “Train Kept a Rolling” and then at 7:35 out came the man in the hat in mighty fine voice hitting us with “Talk Is Cheap” and I’m thinking, strange choice for an opener, he must be in a grumpy mood and its not gonna be a phenomenal show…so he turns his back to the stage and he starts pointing to musicians to take solos during this and he’s liking what he hears cause as I’m a bit on the side, I see him with a big ole grin on his face and I know this is gonna now be a great show…

A really great show. The only thing was he was barking at some of the musicians and publicly humiliating them for “not keeping time”. He was like a really strict school teacher, waving his arms and pointing at them and speaking to them on mike during I believe it was And The Healing Has Begun. I’d heard he’s done this in the past, but I’ve never seen this behaviour before and it was most un-satisfying. Lets face it, he doesn’t rehearse and he does nothing but throw the band curveballs with set list changes every night. They did an outstanding job the whole show and I’m sure that drummer will not soon forget his public humiliation any time soon.
-DJ Wilbur



Here's a review from Dan the Man (Thanks for the lift!):
The voice is in fine supple shape. Beautiful phrasing on the ballads, of
which there were way too few to make this a balanced gig.
Thorough workout on Not Feeling It, lovely Stranded, both sung with heart.
Van dedicated a quality version of Philosopher's Stone to Vincent Pastore,
who sleeps with the fishes as Big Pussy Bompensiero.
Otherwise not much to elaborate on. Van was animated during the gig, more
so in the first half than the second. He did namecheck Janeen Daly and
Karen Hamill for the first time that I can recall.

Despite the pedestrian, predictable setlist, there were swaths of pure
vocal beauty in the ballads.
Easy to fault the song selection, but extremely difficult to fault the
singing.

Unfortunately, And the Healing was Begun was under rehearsed, failed to
cohere and build, and Van snapped at the bass player or drummer both
because he was not happy with their timekeeping on the piece, and even an
underused John Platania was ordered to play rhythm.
The encores were disorganized and Gloria and Brown Eyed Girl were flicked
off like lint.
On the other hand, I had tears in my eyes during Stranded, P. Stone and
Not Feeling It, and the couple next to me thought the evening was fabulous
in its entirety.
Great preshow, always great to see everybody, will follow the caravan and
the Voice and the constant promise to Boston.
-Dan Murray

Setlist:
Train Kept A Rollin' (Ned)
Talk is Cheap
Not Feeling It
Stranded
Have I Told You (Vegas)
Glass
Playhouse
Philosopher's Stone
Don't You Make Me High
Can't Stop Loving
Moondance
Wild Night
Real Real Gone/You Send Me
Don't Start Crying Now/Custard Pie/Shake Your Moneymaker
Precious Time
Help Me
And the Healing Has Begun
Gloria
Brown Eyed Girl

28-April-07 Atlanta Concert Review

Van Morrison. Chastain Park. Saturday night.

As the moon rose over the roof of Chastain Park’s amphitheater Saturday night, Van Morrison gave the sold-out crowd a little hometown homage. He’s been singing “Georgia On My Mind” at previous stops on his on-and-off tour in recent months, including Oxford, England, a couple of weeks ago. So it
wasn’t like he was trying to curry favor with the audience. As if - he’s Van Morrison.

He took the old sweet song slow and stately at first, then let his exquisite 10-piece back-up band take a few solo breaks, and then escalated to a full-throated roar to bring it home. He sang “Georgia” like he wanted to swallow it whole, so that no one else could ever sing it; for just a
couple of transcendent minutes, it was Van’s song only; not the state’s, not Hoagy’s, not even Ray’s.

A couple transcendent minutes here, a few more there, and pretty soon they add up to an amazing evening. Morrison, a singer who’s seemed
disconnected from his live audiences lately according to many reports (even as his connection to the music has stayed strong), seemed to relax
about a half-hour into his 90 minute set, his first in Atlanta in many moons.


He started slowly, just saying “Thank you,” for the applause. Then he might mention what the next song was going to be. At one point, he seemed to crack a small joke. For most performers, this is just
business. For the frequently sullen Morrison, who’s been known to sing for stretches with his back turned to the audience, it was like inviting
everyone onstage for hugs.

But even Van Morrison has his limits. No matter how loose he got, he never unbuttoned either button on his two-button suit coat.

At age 61, Morrison exudes vigor and passion onstage; his voice was as strong as anyone could wish, and he seemed to relish that, playing with
his vocals, slurring, scatting, belting, caressing. He tossed off a bouncy “Real, Real Gone” and folded in a few bars of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” at the end; re-fashioned “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” into a jaunty swing number that stripped it of its schmaltz; channeled that Satchmo gravel-voice thing he does on “Bright Side of the Road.”

There were enough hits to please those who only know him from the radio (“Moondance,” “Brown Eyed Girl”) and some bones tossed to those who like to
be surprised, like Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me.”

Even the notoriously chatty Chastain audience seemed more attentive than usual. It was a fantabulous night to make music, and to listen to it. Maybe it was the moon.

-By Phil Kloer

27-April-07 New Orleans

From The Times-Picayune
Van Morrison is a noted curmudgeon. But a relatively warm and fuzzy Van showed up this year. Instead of hiding out in his backstage trailer, he reportedly sat on the steps outside, posing for pictures. On the Acura Stage, as his fiddle- and pedal steel guitar-laden band laced "Moondance" with a Western swing, he looked interested, not like he was working an assembly line. And he welcomed Dr. John to sit in.




At the nearby Acura Stage, Irish singer Van Morrison easily bridged the
distance between soul music and Nashville, especially in that classic
country weeper, “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” A cooing trio of backup singers
and dreamy steel guitar plus Morrison’s own sax solos ensured the special
mood.







Astral Days
Between the soft-shell crab and cochon du lait po-boys, rosemint ice tea, popcorn shrimp, and beignets today we heard jamming’ string-band music from Jeff and Vida and caught snippets of Zachary Richard, Trombone Shorty, Soulive, and Percy Sledge. We ended the day by shoving our way to near the front of the Acura stage (where they’ve finally outlawed those obnoxious frat/sorority style easy-chair encampments, to watch Van Morrison prove he’s still got it with a country-ish (dobro and fiddle included) band offering five-party backing harmonies. Dr. John came out to sit in on a Fats Domino tune but it looked like they had woken him up from a nap or a nod, because he tootled on the piano just a little bit and interspersed a little response to Van’s call in his inimitable “Y’at” drawl. Van opened with Moondance and took his time with “Cleaning Windows” and country classics like “There Stands the Glass” before my arthritic knee threatened to kill me if I didn’t hobble off the green and find some place to rest.



Van-L Lister checks in:
Van was awesome - A mind blowing Healing has Begun - people were weeping with joy - Dr. John sat in for Hello Josephine w/ Fats Domino's sax player - Can't stop loving you was very emotional - Van really into it - most active I've seen - playing harp, sax, guitar and keyboards - band very tight, great interplay - nice set list with many highlights - last song Help Me, Van blowing harp and walking off - 90 minutes which was the allotted time - one of Jazz Fest highlights - truly great performance, crowd 20000+ at the Acura stage at least - dancing, waving hands, tremendous response - could not be better.
-Thank to Duke for review

The Band's New Compilation, "The Best of A Musical History", Features Van Duet From 1971

The Best of A Musical History

April 2007 release with highlights from Capitol's 2005 5-CD+DVD The Band box set A Musical History. Available both as audio CD and CD+DVD set.

Tracks
CD
Who Do You Love? - Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks
He Don't Love You (And He'll Break Your Heart) - Levon & The Hawks
Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? [single version] - Bob Dylan (with The Hawks)
Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos
The Weight
Orange Juice Blues (Blues For Breakfast)
King Harvest (Has Surely Come)
All La Glory [early version]
Stage Fright
I Shall Be Released
4% Pantomime (Van Morrison & Richard Manual)
Don't Do It
Life Is A Carnival
Slippin'& Slidin'[live]
Endless Highway
Share Your Love With Me
Forever Young - Bob Dylan (with The Band)
Twilight [song sketch]
Home Cookin'

DVD
Jam/King Harvest (Has Surely Come) [rec. 1970, Robbie's Studio, Woodstock, NY]
Long Black Veil [live 7/5/70, the Festival Express Train Tour, Calgary, Canada]
Rockin'Chair [live 7/5/70, the Festival Express Train Tour, Calgary, Canada]
Don't Do It [live 12/28-12/31/71, the Academy of Music NYC]
Hard Times (The Slop)/Just Another Whistle Stop [live 9/14/74, Wembley Stadium, London]
The Band - The Best of A Musical History - 2007 - Capitol Records 88713

Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3 to Be Released June 19

Van Morrison's The Best of Van Morrison, Volume 3 to Be Released June 19 by Manhattan/EMI

2-CD Collection Features 31 Tracks, Including Previously Unreleased Collaborations With Tom Jones and Bobby Bland

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Manhattan/EMI Music Catalog Marketing will release The Best of Van Morrison, Volume 3 on June 19. The new 2-CD collection, compiled by Morrison himself, offers a comprehensive overview of his later material. The set's 31 tracks include previously unreleased collaborations with Tom Jones and Bobby Bland, as well as duets with John Lee Hooker, B.B. King and Ray Charles.

THE BEST OF VAN MORRISON, VOLUME 3 (2-CD and Digital Album)
Disc 1
1. Cry For Home (with Tom Jones) (previously unreleased)
2. Too Long In Exile
3. Gloria (with John Lee Hooker)
4. Help Me with Junior Wells (live)
5. Lonely Avenue / 4 O' Clock In The Morning (with Jimmy Witherspoon,
Candy Dulfer & Jim Hunter) (live)
6. Days Like This
7. Ancient Highway
8. Raincheck
9. Moondance
10. Centerpiece (with Georgie Fame & Annie Ross)
11. That's Life (live)
12. Benediction (remix) (with Georgie Fame & Ben Sidran)
13. The Healing Game (re-mix)
14. I Don't Want To Go On Without You (with Jim Hunter)

Disc 2
1. Shenandoah (with The Chieftains)
2. Precious Time
3. Back On Top (remix)
4. When The Leaves Come Falling Down
5. Lost John (with Lonnie Donegan) (live)
6. Tupelo Honey (with Bobby Bland) (previously unreleased)
7. Meet Me In The Indian Summer (orchestral version) (remix)
8. Georgia On My Mind
9. Hey Mr. DJ
10. Steal My Heart Away
11. Crazy Love (with Ray Charles)
12. Once In A Blue Moon
13. Little Village
14. Blue and Green
15. Sitting On Top Of The World (with Carl Perkins)
16. Early In The Morning (with B.B. King)
17. Stranded

From THE BEST OF VAN MORRISON, VOLUME 3 liner notes
-By Michael Heatley

It's now been more than four decades since Van Morrison left his native Belfast to embark on a career as a professional musician. And while there will be a number of people buying this third volume of highlights from that career who remember the days of Them, and others who picked up the story with legendary late 1960s/early 1970s albums like 'Astral Weeks' and 'Moondance,' there is yet another generation that tuned in during the 1980s.

The first 'Best Of Van Morrison' made the UK Top 5, proof that his fan base was still expanding after a quarter of a century at the cutting edge of music. And the reason is clear. Live shows are no 'greatest hits' parades but have always incorporated healthy amounts of new music, and the public has responded by buying tickets and albums in ever-increasing numbers. The 1990s would prove to be a fruitful and prolific period in Morrison's history, with a release round about every year taking his original recordings total past the 30 mark by the middle of the following decade.

All of which means the people who purchase this double album will differ widely in their knowledge of the man's back catalogue. Some of the songs here will be familiar -- even if not in these exact versions -- while others will have escaped all but the most ardent Van-ologist. What's certain is that it's a hand-picked selection with something for everyone whose life has been touched by Morrison's music.

Source: Manhattan/EMI

Manchester 06-Apr-07 Concert Review

Van Morrison @ Bridgewater Hall

I have a list of musical icons to see before either of us shed this mortal coil.

I've done ok - Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page; although my all-time number one Neil Young still evades me.

And routed up there in that top 20, more out of respect and curiosity than anything, is Van Morrison.

My first experience of Morrison was as a 13-year-old at a cousin's wedding hearing Brown-eyed Girl. It's a song that encapsulates everything a song should: dreamy lyrics, a memorable melody, and a sudden urgency to make you
want to dance. Since then the tune has been engraved on my memory thanks to countless nights at my old student union.

Before tonight's gig I doubted Morrison would perform the classics. My understanding is that he's not a nostalgia performer; he's an ever-evolving
artist. Just take a look at his back catalogue, almost 40 studio albums to date, and no sign of fading into obscurity.

The 62-year-old Belfast boy is still three years off retirement, which, for him, is nowhere in sight. He appears on the stage of Bridgewater Hall
dressed in his characteristic sharp suit, hat and dark glasses, packed snugly amongst his broad band of musicians.

Growl

He ploughs through a mound of songs recreating not only blues, jazz and soul but Celtic folk, scat, rock 'n' roll with his unmistakable growl. Bright Side of the Road is bliss; Saint James Infirmary, more so; Brown-Eyed Girl, efolescdnt. Gloria, epic.

But for me this collection is about Precious Time, where Morrison sings "Precious time is slipping away, but you're only king for a day, it doesn't
matter to which God you pray."

This rings true for this treasured veteran; king for a day; coronated here tonight.

Morrison has been unfairly ciriticised about his disconnected and arrogant style of performance, but for me tonight he has been faultless. To say that
Morrison doesn't have an integral passion about his music would be a terrible inaccuracy. Morrison loves singing his songs. And he loves watching his songs played by the brilliant musicians around him
turning a 40-year-old idea into an unfurling orchestral soundscape.

It must feel amazing; and humbling at the same time.

My only issue tonight is that all-seater venues like Bridgewater Hall encourage a static audience. What I saw tonight was a 'mature' audience dying to break out and bust some moves, but were constrained by politeness and were made to 'feel their age'.

My advice to Morrison: ditch the seats, I promise it’ll turn back the clocks and change everything.

Setlist:
Opening song (Ned Edwards)
Enlightenment
All Work
Can't Stop Loving You
Don't Start Crying/Custard Pie
Playhouse
There Stands The Glass
Cleaning Windows
When the Leaves Come Falling Down
That's Life
Wild Night
Northern Muse
Goin' Down Geneva/Cadillac
Georgia
Jackie Wilson
Bright Side Of The Road
Days Like This
St. James Infirmary
Precious Time
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

-Thanks To Dan For Setlist

Van Morrison's Jukebox

A new cd called Van Morrison's Jukebox - The Songs That Inspired The Man features artists that influenced Van.

Van Morrison’s early influences are typical of the post-war generation of British artists who found their inspiration in the hotbed of musical creativity which was the USA in the late 1940s and 1950s.

The sentimentality of the Swing era was over, and the sounds of the Trad Jazz revival, Bebop, Blues, Country, R&B, and, of course, Rock ‘n’ Roll were sweeping over a country which was seeking a release from years of austerity.

From influential recordings by giants of jazz such as Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker via great bluesmen such as Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters through to Gene Vincent’s iconic ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’, this new collection presents a selection of seminal recordings made by some of the artists whose musical language gives the listener an invaluable insight into the eclectic and improvisational nature of Van Morrison’s own work.

New Message From Sarah Jory

Sarah Jory has posted a new message at her website.

'Hello everyone'

'We had an amazing time in The States with some great shows including one at the Gibson Amphitheatre right in the middle of Universal Studios in LA, and then off to Canada in temperatures as low as -12 at times - more snow than I had ever seen ! The stadium gigs that we played were amazing - it is the first time I have ever been to Canada and I met some wonderful people. We got back from Canada and The States and then it was off to Copenhagen and on to a tour bus to play Paris and Amsterdam. It was great to see some of our special Dutch fans in Amsterdam (Henk and Desiree and family - thanks a million for coming to see the show).'

'Next, we head off on some dates in the UK before going Stateside again to play the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Canada and then Norway, France and then a week at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, which I am really excited about playing (it has been a long time ambition of mine to go to that Festival). I will also be getting out to play some shows with Alan West and his new band later this year and you just might recognize some of the band members !!!!! Well that is all for now. Have a great Easter and I will see you somewhere down the road soon.'

New Exclusive Interview On Van's Website

New Interview in the "Exclusives" section of Van's website. You have to register first in order to view. There are two parts running 20 minutes in total.

Exclusive to Van's website and never seen before in it's entirety, this interview was given by Van in August 2006.


The interviewer is Jeremy Marre and short clips were used in the UK
TV documentary Soul Brittania

Van Interviewed For 'So Hard To Beat' On BBC TV

Van breaks seven-year telly silence for Beeb

You may have thought there would never be Days Like This - but notoriously publicity shy Ulster music legend Van Morrison is set to put the record
straight - on telly!

In a major coup, BBC Northern Ireland has persuaded 'Van The Man' to give his first telly interview in years, in the new two-part documentary, So Hard To Beat.

Van, currently in the charts with his At The Movies album, reminisces about a wide range of subjects, including his early years playing in Belfast's
Maritime Hotel, making it big in the USA and his career today.

The 61-year-old east Belfast born singer agreed to break a seven-year telly silence - thanks to his friendship with BBC Northern Ireland's Head of
Programme Production Mike Edgar.

During the documentaries, written and narrated by noted broadcaster and journalist Stuart Bailie, Van admits that Northern Ireland still shapes his music and provides a constant inspiration for his work.

Said Van: "Any writers or poets that are from here, they do keep coming back in their imagination because it's like a source. They still have a sense of place."

Although Morrison remains a significant force on the music stage, he revealed that making music isgetting more difficult.

"The longer you do it, the harder it becomes to make it fresh. It's just simply the way things are. You can't do something a long time and expect it to be all the way it was when you started. You have to work harder at it," he said.

Other artists who talk about their part in the history of Northern Ireland rock over the past five decades include Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody, Ash's
Tim Wheeler, Thin Lizzy's Gary Moore and Eric Bell and DJ/movie soundtrack composer David Holmes.

So Hard To Beat - produced by Tony Curry - will be shown on BBC ONE NI this Tuesday at 10.35pm and Wednesday, March 28, at 10.40pm.

Listen to the BEAT

Northern Ireland may be a small place, but over the years it has made a big noise in the world of music.

Over the decades, songs such as Have I Told You Lately?, Teenage Kicks and Chasing Cars have seeped into the consciousness of music lovers the world over and as a result Northern Ireland musicians as diverse as Van Morrison, The Undertones and Snow Patrol have become household names on a global scale.

So Hard To Beat, a new fast-paced, two-part documentary on BBC ONE NI, takes an in depth look at the exciting range of music to come from Northern Ireland which has made its mark on the musical map over the past five decades.

Written and narrated by broadcaster, music journalist and long-time supporter of local music Stuart Bailie, So Hard To Beat celebrates the musicians and figures who first started making a noise in the music industry in the 1960s, through to the exciting new up-and-coming artists who are only starting to make a name for themselves.

This two-part documentary covers the swinging sixties, the backdrop of the Troubles, the punk period, peace time Northern Ireland and the current music scene and features exclusive interviews with many of our musical legends and current superstars, including Van Morrison, Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, Ash’s Tim Wheeler, Gary Moore, Eric Bell and Henry McCullough.

These world renowned artists talk about their careers, how being from Northern Ireland has impacted on their music and careers and what they think of their fellow Irish musicians.

Stuart Bailie says: “The story really hurtles along, from Baby Please Don’t Go to Chasing Cars. It was a joy to work on this and an honour to talk to so many of our musical legends. Most of them share a deal of pride to have come from here and most of them are happy to be part of a musical chain letter – passing on ideas, experience and inspiration. This is where we’re from, and documenting this history has been really great for the heart.”

The documentary also features plenty of unmissable archive footage from many of Northern Ireland’s biggest names.

The first So Hard To Beat programme, on BBC ONE NI on Tuesday March 27 at 10.35pm, starts in Northern Ireland in the 1960s when The Beatles and a new revolution in music were inspiring musicians here to pick up their guitars and start finding their own musical identities.

The documentary charts the buzz of Belfast’s The Maritime Hotel, where Van Morrison and his band Them, among others, would play their own brand of rhythm and blues and follows Van Morrison’s venture into a solo career with the acclaimed Astral Weeks and beyond.

Belfast music legend Terri Hooley fondly recalls one of the cities most famous music venues of the sixties: “The Maritime [Hotel] was a fantastic place, filled with sweaty bodies and bands that were very exciting and bands that were playing their own music, too.”

“The first time that I saw Them I thought the band were fantastic and Van was wearing an old army jacket and he came to the fore to play the saxophone. They really did blow my mind.”

Also in the first programme, Portstewart’s Henry McCullough talks his career as a world class guitarist, joining Joe Cocker at Woodstock and being part of Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles group The Wings.

Henry says: “I was nervous. I grew up with the Beatles, you know? When I was playing in showbands we were playing Beatles songs. I had about three pints of Guinness before meeting Paul just top settle myself. And we talked and stuff and jammed around for about three days and at the end of it he just said ‘Do you want to join a band?’ And that’s just how he said it, and who wouldn’t? I know about 12 players that would give more than one finger to play with Paul McCartney, and better men than me they would be as well.

“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime but once you get into it, you adapt to the lifestyle of the way it has to be, because you’re part of that team, you’re part of Paul McCartney’s group. You can get on a Lear jet and end up in bloody Morocco.”

We hear of the resilience of musicians from here playing during the dark days of the Troubles and the tragic killing of members of the Miami Showband in 1975;

Derry’s Phil Coulter tells of the hits he penned for the likes of Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Sandy Shaw and the Bay City Rollers; we are reminded of the brilliance of Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott; the Horseslips talk of their experiences touring Northern Ireland; and we are taken back to the days of punk rock with The Undertones, the Stiff Little Fingers and Terry Hooley, among others.

Among the highlights in the second So Hard To Beat programme, on BBC ONE NI on Wednesday March 28 at 10.40pm are; following Van Morrison’s career further, from his collaborations with The Chieftans and Brian Kennedy to present day; hearing from the young acts making it big in music today, from Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody and Ash’s Tim Wheeler to the Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon and Brian Kennedy; hearing from David Holmes, who, as well has making a name for himself as a musician, DJ and producer is now a stalwart in making Hollywood soundtracks; and getting a sneak peak into the acts making their mark on the current music scene, from Duke Special to Iain Archer.

So Hard to Beat captures the complete rich and exciting history of Northern Ireland music in two fast-paced, programmes jam-packed with exclusive interviews and archive footage which are essential viewing for music lovers from these shores.

Amsterdam 17-Mar-07

Comments on Van's Patrick's Day show in Amsterdam:

Van seemed to be in good spirits all night, with lots of theatrics, like
showing what the sound of one hand clapping is, and giving the secret sign.
He was moving a lot and seemed to be very slim and fit. During a great bass-solo on Real Real Gone, Van played a bit of piano, and
during Domino he played some organ.
-Hans



It was a good show with Van singing with a lot of emotion. I had the
impression that he was not only "singing" the songs but trying to
transport the emotions that the songs express. Van doing a lot of sax
playing and once or twice he went to the piano during soli of other
musicians - just to play some notes (couldn't be heard though), I think
he injoyed it listening to the others. Don't know who the bass player
was, I liked his playing, good groove. Wonderful versions of Raglan
Road, St. James Infirmary and Star of the County Down and the best
version of Baby, please don't go I ever heard live were my highlights
-Andrea


Setlist:
1. Band Intro
2. Bright Side Of The Road
3. Enlightenment
4. Days Like This
5. Wining Boy Moan
6. Stranded
7. Cleaning Windows
8. Real Real Gone
9. Foggy Mountain Top
10. Domino
11. Raglan Road
12. Have I Told You Lately
13. Playhouse
14. Moondance
15. Saint James Infirmary
16. Wild Night
17. Please Don't Go
18. Star of The County Down
19. Brown Eyed Girl
20. Gloria

Thanks to Jain for photos.

Paris 16-Mar-07

An an American in Paris comments on show:
Moondance started things off. van looking bored, muttered his way through a perfunctory rendering. why even bother? at least he got it out of the way early. at first, the show was a discordant abomination, the andrews sisters a little loud in the mix. somewhere in there was a song about crying in your beer. the sisters offered oooh and aaah non-stop. later a happy banjo during bright side of the road perked things up. van remembered that it was st. patty's day eve. by the end the audience was satisfied. the band never missed a hand signal and van said he "enjoyed this gig very much". for me, "when the leaves come falling down" made it all worthwhile.
-Pat

Setlist:
Moondance
Stranded
Bright Side Of The Road
There stands the glass
Cleaning windows
Beauty of the days
Playhouse
When the leaves Come Falling Down
Going down Geneva
Precious Time
Days like this
Real Real gone
I can't stop lovin' you
Stop drinkin', SB
St. James Infirmary
Wild night
One Irish rover
Help Me
Star Of The County Down
Gloria
Brown eyed girl

The Definitive 200 Albums Of All Time: #72 Moondance

The Definitive 200: Top Albums Of All Time

The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) in Marlton, N.J., and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, released a list of what they term the definitive 200 albums of all time. Topped by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin, the list is a virtual who's who of the artists who we all love and rock out to.

72. Van Morrison – Moondance – 1970

I Shall Be Released - Van With Joni Mitchell & Dylan

Gorge Amphitheatre In George, Washington May 16, 1998