Reviews

Jumpin' Hot Club

Rob Heron Tea Pad Orc Live - Supporting Sweetback Sisters @ Studio In Live Theatre

THE SWEETBACK SISTERS + Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orc - JHot Club @ LIVE THEATRE STUDIO 26/01/12

What a gig this turned out to be. First off we had the Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra producing a rousing mix of swing, folk, gypsy jazz, Cajun, hokum blues and a little Spanish music. The material ranged from The Inkspots to American singer-songwriter Darrell Scott, Nathan Abshire and Professor Longhair augmented by their own lament of a Byker Scrap yard. The audience roared on the six-piece of Tom Cronin, Dav Shiel, Rob Blazey, Colin Nicholson, Ben Fitzgerald and Rob who the Sweetback girl’s thought was so talented and ‘cute’.

After such as dynamic opening act New York’s Sweetback Sisters had their work cut out if they were to live up to the Tea Pads. Despite having not long been in the country and a not so easy drive up from London on the wrong side of the road, they were more than up for it as lead vocalists Emily Miller (fiddle) and Zara Bode (guitar) and a band consisting of fiddle, lead guitar, upright bass and percussion raced out of the blocks to firmly nail their hearts to the mast.

Producing fantastic vocal harmonies the girls were also aided by songwriter and fiddler Jesse Milnes in that department. On occasions they sounded like a cranked-up version of The Secret Sisters as country and bluegrass (what a killer, twin-fiddle version of Laurie Lewis’ ‘Texas Blue Bonnets’ they performed) classics were reinvented. Alongside the above we had Milnes’ ‘Looking For A Fight’ and fabulous electric lead guitarist Ross Bellnoit’s ‘The Heart Of My Mind’ and ‘Mystery of You’ that had the composer pick his Telecaster superbly. Bellnoit’s ability to play when needed, at a level that complimented the song was impeccably, and when called to play he just played the dickens out of it! I can’t imagine a band where an electric guitar was required he wouldn’t slot in, like he was born to it. Yes, he was that good, and that is not to take it away from upright bass act Peter Bitenc, Milnes who was magical on fiddle or drummer Stefan Amidon. For if it wasn’t for Bitenc and Amidon the others wouldn’t have enjoyed the freedom to strike out as they did and sparkle.

The joy in their heart as they performed was transferred to the audience to produce one of those magical evenings. For special moments the list is near endless, but I must give special mention to their version of the Dwight Yoakam hit ‘It Won’t Hurt’, Milnes ‘Lookin’ For A Fight’ and another of his, a new song ‘King Of Killin’ Time’. Plus the likewise yet to be recorded ‘Cry’ that they called their recessional song and a trucking song ‘Be Home Tonight’ (done Dave Dudley style), and they were more too as wonderful twin-fiddles, lead guitar and sibling-like harmonies filled the room.

This was Live Music at its entertaining best. Take a bow The Sweetback Sisters for the show was a cracker and a better advertisement I could not think of. They will be back mark my words and JHot Club will already be thinking a bigger venue too!

Maurice Hope - pics CJ Holley

MADISON VIOLET + Rebecca Pronsky – J'Hot Club @ Cluny II Theatre, Jan 28th

I shouldn’t have been too surprised to find a queue stretching down three flights of stairs to the basement of Cluny II following Madison Violet’s fantastic performance last year at the tiny Central Bar.
All of the seats were full and people were still filing in when Rebecca Pronsky and her guitarist Rich Bennett took to the stage, with the New Yorker chatting non-stop as she tuned her guitar.
The duo filled the 45 minute support slot very well with a quaint mix of folk and Country-Noir that was missing ‘something;’ possibly the rest of her band. Bennett’s slick guitar playing lifted most of the songs, but a few still felt as if they needed padding out a little bit. Perhaps that was just me.
Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac aka Madison Violet made their North East debut last year as part of the Jumpin’ Hot Clubs Vintage Bus escapade and ‘stole the show’ when they performed before 100 or so people in a room designed for 50!
Looking around the room everyone who had been there that night appeared to have had brought along two friends tonight.
The set opened with a gorgeous version of If I Could Love You from the recent album THE GOOD IN GOODBYE which was followed by The Ransom from 2009’s NO FOOL FOR TRYING.
As the evening progressed I soon became engrossed with the girl’s skills with their instruments as I was already in love with the songs anyway. Lisa’s fiddle and mandolin playing could easily win her awards at Folk Festivals and Brenley’s guitar skills would be shouted from the rooftops if she was a man; but she isn’t so Ill not mention it again.
Already impressed I was open mouthed when Lisa managed to swap her mandolin for the fiddle without missing a beat during Never Saw The Ending. Come on – that’s impressive!
It always amuses me when ‘pretty young things’ write ‘heartbreakers’ but McEachan’s story leading up to Stuck in a Love made it actually sound believable; but I still think she was using some artistic license in there too.
Madviolet then managed to delight me with a pretty radical version of one of my favourite songs – Come as You Are which, with Brenley’s slightly gravelly voice and raspy harmonica had a bit of a Neil Young vibe to it tonight which is no bad thing in my book.
By this stage in the show Mrs H would playfully nudge me whenever the girls implemented their very own Shadows step-over/dance during the quiet bits in songs.
It took a while and I was even starting to think that they might be going to keep it for the encore as it’s so good; but when Lisa started telling a story about a Grandmother who used to be a lighthouse keeper I began grinning like a ninny.
On first hearing Christy Ellen Francis last year it instantly went into my Top 10 songs of all time and after tonight’s magical version it will stay there until my memory finally gives up.

For some reason I’m a sucker for a love song and this ode to a 100 year old Grandmother makes me come out in goosebumps every time I hear it; so seeing and hearing Madison Violet perform it only feet away from me was a delight I’ll never forget.
The girls performed another couple of songs but they paled into insignificance compared to that opus; until the final song of the evening – The Good in Goodbye which was the perfect finish to a wonderful performance.
Following a noisy standing ovation Madviolet returned to sing a delicate song about another tragic relationship; No Fool For Trying then turned the gas right up for the Bluegrass foot stomper Cindy-Cindy that had the crowd clapping along with delight.
Brenley and Lisa left the stage and were immediately swamped at the merch table by happy fans congratulating them in the best North Eastern fashion – buying stuff!

Alan Harrison

TOM RUSSELL @ Gateshead Town Hall 20/1/12

Once again it was the turn of Americana singer-songwriter Tom Russell to serve up the entertainment and he wasn’t for disappointing a full house crowd. On stage he had Portland, Oregon acoustic guitarist and vocalist Thad Beckman in support and what a plus he was. Not only did he lay the foundation of the sound obtained but provided the cream topping and never put a foot wrong though out! From start to finish his contribution was a delight, his subtle well thought out entries repeatedly gaining the attention of the observer.

One of the most prolific and consistent Americana singer-songwriters of the last twenty odd years Russell as expected featured Mesabi heavily. A quality affair it ensured the link in the chain wasn’t broken or suggest a chink in Tom’s armour.

Immediately he walked on stage the banter with the audience started. Though mainly from his side, the audience were both involved and entertained as he hit them with tales of Peter Pan, Elizabeth Taylor, Sterling Hayden, Bob Dylan and Cliff ‘Ukelele Ike’ Edwards and arguably the best piece from the record his story that spoke of Mexican and South American immigrants (legal and otherwise) and how the trade and cultures meet. Russell’s burning passion for the Borderland in and around Juarez that he calls home is matched by few singer-songwriters, plus with Beckman producing neat instrumental breaks as vivid as Tom’s innovative paintings.

Moving through the swath of songs, Russell after a mid-concert break came back to add to such new favourites as ‘Goodnight, Juarez’ and ‘Guadalupe’ with a classic audience aided version of ‘Muhammad Ali’. One that came by way of a request from one of his biggest fans, Shipcote Tom wasn’t about to disappoint. His rich vein in form continued, unabated, as arguably his biggest song ‘Blue Wing’ –performed as a vocal duet with Beckman reached the heart of old and new fans alike. By now he was flying, near as high as Bobby Driscoll’s character from the world of Walt Disney and though time was running out he found room for ‘East Of Woodstock, West Of Viet Nam’ by way of an encore after he had boisterously stated ‘Tonight I Ride’. From Gateshead and not Newcastle that often confuses those visiting the area, but not Russell since he such a keen observer and student of the places he plays and he is always on the lookout for new angles and heroes.

Have we anyone as shrewd coming through on the scene as adept at converting recollections and folklore tales into song. As for Beckman he not only lent his rustic folk country tones to a few pieces but also, picked a beautiful version of Scott Joplin’s ‘The Entertainer’, the fact he was allowed to show off his prowess was a credit to his multi-faceted boss. A man who, despite his bravado and tale tales is still well capable to serve up the most sensitive of ballads as in ‘Heart Within A Heart’ —that coincidently contained one of the evening’s most flowing melody.

While Tom as ever sent home his fans uttering endless praise I must confess he has performed much longer shows and perhaps relied less on the humorous chit -chat. Still it was indeed another fine performance.

Maurice Hope

Alan Harrison (pic)