Any show which opens with ‘Return of the Grievous Angel’ and ends nearly two and a half hours
later with ‘Sin City’ always has the
potential to be a special evening. When you throw into the mix the hosts being
two highly respected artists in the wider country music world who have just
produced a stellar duet album, then the fulfilling of that potential is never
in doubt.
They may have first been acquainted almost forty years ago
but the current collaboration between Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell has had
the critics drooling despite both performers being significantly past their
sixtieth year. The album OLD YELLOW MOON is set to receive enormous accolades
at this year’s AMAs and in an ideal world also the CMAs but we’ll leave that
debate for another day. Audiences in the UK have supported both performers for
a very long time and those fortunate to be present tonight witnessed a comprehensive
and very enjoyable evening.
Those who like their concerts structured were in luck at
Birmingham’s towering Symphony Hall as Emmylou and Rodney, supported by a five
piece band, neatly packaged the set into a series of themed parts. First up a
constant stream of unannounced classics, then two stools were brought on to make the acoustic section more intimate, an airing of OLD YELLOW MOON, before some more oldie favourites to send
everybody home happy.
Emmylou’s brief but influential liaison with Gram Parsons helped
spawn a whole genre and through the bookended songs, ‘Wheels’, ‘The Angels Rejoiced Last night’, and
the heavenly ‘Love Hurts’, memories
swirled around the auditorium throughout the evening. With his career forming Texas
upbringing and distinct vocal style, Crowell’s output over the years has
cemented his eminent standing, first in the mainstream country music field and
then, when that moved in alternative directions, the evolving Americana movement
that filled the void. Through songs like ‘Earthbound’,
‘The Rock of My Soul’ and, as part of a rocking finale, ‘I Ain’t Living Long Like This’, we were
all reminded of what a fine performer he is in his own right.
Emmylou, described by Rodney as having ‘the soul of a poet,
the voice of an angel and the heart of a cowgirl’ has probably made her name as
much as an interpreter of other songs as well as a writer herself. During the
set she celebrated Townes Van Zandt (‘Pancho
and Lefty’) and remembered two recently departed, close and highly revered
friends – Kate McGarrigle (‘Darlin' Kate’)
and Susannah Clarke (I’ll Be Your San
Antonio Rose’).
As celebrated as Emmylou and Rodney are, they had some
excellent support from a fine band and a hard working guitar techie. Leading the
band from the front was an exceptional guitarist from Australia named Jedd
Hughes who topped his exquisite performance throughout with a breathtaking solo
piece on 'Luxury Liner’ . Long term
Emmylou associate Steve Fishell added the continual Pedal Steel and Dobra sound
in an accomplished and essential manner warranted by a triple A rated country
music concert.
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| Image not from gig |
The sheer quality of the older material shared during the
evening was immense but even that had to take second best when Emmylou and
Rodney got around to showcasing nine songs from OLD YELLOW MOON. These fabulous
tunes headed by Emmylou at her country best on ‘Hanging Up My Heart’ were the show’s highlights as we were treated
to the sultry blues feel to ‘Black
Caffeine’. In this segment of the set there were also stunning versions of
Matraca Berg’s ‘Back When We Were Beautiful’,
Patty Scialfa’s (aka Mrs Springsteen) scintillating ‘Spanish Dancer’ and the country waltz sentimentality of title track
‘Old Yellow Moon’, although this came
a little later to close the main set.
Rarely has such a lengthy-no interval gig gone by so quickly
and this is to the credit of all seven performers adorning the Symphony Hall
stage. The first standing ovation preceded the encore launching-Crowell led ‘Stars on the Water’ which was suitably
followed by Emmylou enthralling everybody with a closing of the Gram Parsons
circle.
Time has been very kind to these two performers but it is also wise to treasure these events as the inevitably of life will ultimately dictate
progress. It may have taken them forty years to finally formalise their
recording collaboration but on the evidence of this evening’s show, there is definitely
a lifetime of synergy.
