The inventive and innovative House Concert experience is
heaven sent for the intelligent, sincere and articulate singer-songwriter. In
this age of the music model rulebook being re-defined, the phenomena of taking live
music into the home of the consumer has been growing in the UK since being
re-invigorated by travelling artists from North America. The intimacy and
connectivity of such an event can never be created in conventional settings.
Maybe it will remain the domain of the commercially challenged artist, but
there is no less substance on offer and one those missing out will be
spiritually poorer for.
Stephen Simmons has been making the long journey from Nashville Tennessee to the venues in Europe for eight years now and epitomises the carefully crafted singer-songwriter meeting the high standards to succeed in Music City. This is obviously conditional that you buy into the ethos of success being defined by the quality of output and the fact that the artist continually survives in the cut throat unsympathetic world of the music industry. The evidence of Stephen’s recorded material and live shows plants him firmly in this camp and the lucky few present at this House Concert in Staffordshire had the best front row seats other venues couldn’t provide.
Apart from the ubiquitous refreshment break, the structure
and evolution of such an evening can be in a shared, flexible and
non-standardised format. Artists will feel more comfortable with experimenting
and the ultimate atmosphere of mutual performer-audience appreciation is
probably never stronger. Stephen has been busy since he last visited this area
almost exactly twelve months ago and several songs from his upcoming new album
were tested out, even in the context of which key to use. Inevitably there were
the usual requests alongside artist choice of back catalogue material and the
odd cover which needs to add value without coming across as a mere filler.
For this year’s UK dates, Stephen is being accompanied by
his colleague Molly Jewell whose pianist and beautiful vocal qualities proved
the perfect foil to the standard guitar and conventional southern male voice of
the senior performer. On his previous two visits to the Staffordshire area,
Stephen appeared solo, so this set up was a welcome adaption with perhaps the
eventual hope that the full band may materialise one day. Stephen invited
Molly, who also happened to be celebrating her birthday, the sole limelight of
three solo numbers at the start of each set and she duly showed the glistening
potential of a seriously influential singer-songwriter in the country folk
tradition of many performers attracted to the collaborative environment of the
wider Nashville music community. Think of an emerging Beth Nielsen Chapman,
Gretchen Peters and Mary Chapin Carpenter thirty years ago and you are
approaching the right territory.
Born and bred in Tennessee has played a significant part in
forming Stephen Simmons – The Artist. Country music is right at the core of his
art without defining the perception and aggregated exterior. His style is all
about the song, message and powerful artistic device of sharing your thoughts
via guitar tunes and heartfelt lyrics. Schooled in rural East Tennessee and
cutting it in the hardened surroundings of downtown Nashville has created a
toughened and strong edge to his onstage persona. When asked recently to choose
between country and folk, fellow US musician Carrie Elkin said ‘all the best
country songs are effectively folk songs’. This quip goes a long way to
defining the music of Stephen Simmons.
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| Stephen in Lichfield last year |
To put a little bit of song flesh on the evening’s bones,
two exceptional covers presented were Townes Van Zandt’s ‘If I Needed You’ and Neil Young’s ‘Helpless’. The latter was delivered in a duet format showcasing the
vocal and musical chemistry between Molly and Stephen. The pick of Stephen’s
new songs was ‘West’, while from his
back catalogue ‘Shirley’s Stables’, Emily’s
Eyes’, ‘I’ll Be Your Johnny Cash’, ‘Limavady
Blues’ and ‘Asheville Girl’ stuck
in the memory. ‘Yellow’ and ‘Tricky’ were examples of Molly’s super
contribution to the evening which was crowned by the serenading of happy
birthday from the audience and the surprise attendance of her parents flying in
from the States for the show.
The resounding success of the evening had a threefold sense
of satisfaction. First the discovery of Molly Jewell as an emerging talent,
followed by further confirmation of Stephen Simmons being an excellent
singer-songwriter equipped with the roots, outlook, skills and state of mind to
represent the best of his home State. However the cream of the evening was an
initial experience of the fulfilling House Concert movement and the joy of
appreciating fine music is such a unique setting.
www.stephensimmonsmusic.com