Mariza: Reviving Fado

Mariza

SF Jazz Center, Miner Auditorium

San Francisco

March 15, 2013

Senior Correspondent: Jana L.

Mariza has swept the world with her revival of fado, the Portuguese blues style of music, with a voice as impressive as the range of an opera singer.  Mariza blends the traditional fado with African and samba rhythms inspired from her travels to the former Portuguese colonies such as Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde.

Mariza's astonishing voice travels right to the core of my soul. Her art expresses longing with such passion and playfulness that it is impossible to turn away from her music.  I can imagine tourists walking by a tavern on the narrow streets of Mariza's home quarters of Mouraria in Lisbon, Portugal hearing her voice and wanting to linger in a mesmerized state.  Many of her fans probably recall the first time they heard Mariza sing. I remember exactly when it happened to me.  My brother played her music while we were closing down my parents’ home.  And I needed to know immediately who was singing.

Mariza treated San Francisco to sold out performances four nights in a row last week at the Miner Auditorium, the new SF Jazz Center.  She appeared through dark purple lighting and entered the stage at first with a slow sway, standing exceptionally tall in a long sparkling gown, then just looking out at us all with amazement.  It was as if she had met us before and wanted to reconnect. It seemed that this was not just another tour stop for her.  She said how much she loves San Francisco as it reminds her of home, the bay, the hills. Her graceful beauty did not strike until the Portuguese guitar started playing and she began to shape the poetry of fado with her stunning voice and lively expressions from her hands and face. 

 

She is able to strike a romantic and tender chord with such caring focus that it evokes emotions filled with both despair and relief.  I was moved to tears by her performance. Even though, I don’t understand Portuguese, it is possible to find solace in the longing lyrics. How does her heart hold that much passion in performance after performance?  In between the songs she was teasing and joking with her band members and the audience and told stories of her new marriage and motherhood.  Her own life appeared more joyful than the sorrow of the fado she sang.  She also said that she wanted to sing fado before she could read and fully understand it. Her father drew cartoons of the poetic fado songs to help her sing at only five years old. 

Her talented band consisted only of: 12-string Portuguese guitar player, classical guitar, bass guitar and a percussionist yet were able to create a multicolorful world in the music.  Their generous encores continued into the late night.  She is simply remarkable, the most popular modern fado singer in the world!  She gave us all a fantastic evening and for a little while took me away to Lisbon.

Songs to check out:  Primavera (which she called her favorite of song of the late Amalia Rodrigues, Queen of Fado and one of Mariza's idols), Beijo de Saudade ("Kiss of Longing," a song recorded with Tito Paris of Cabo Verde which she performed without him), Barco Negro.

ABBA the Concert: Meta-ABBA

ABBA the Concert

Regency Ballroom

San Francisco, CA

March 10, 2013

ABBA the Concert: Meta-ABBA

It’s a dilemma.  When reviewing a tribute act, do you review the source material or the tribute?  How can I review ABBA the Concert without discussing the relative merits (or lack thereof) of ABBA?  Certainly, both ABBA and A-the-C were in turn cheesy, catchy, fun, compelling, touching, ridiculous, sublime, trite, earnest.  It’s amazing that a band, that has been essentially defunct for over 30 years, can inspire enough devotion for several hundred people to show up to see essentially an historical re-enactment.  However, ABBA’s songs are so well-crafted and catchy, I could see ABBA the Concert continuing to be performed for new generations to come.  Of course, most of the members of ABBA the C were, at best, in diapers at the time of ABBA’s heyday- with the exception of the bass player who had actually been a member of ABBA and, though often in the background, was very clearly a high caliber player.  Still the remaining members of A-the-C were not slouches.  They are definite fans and their re-creation was certainly enthusiastic.

Of course, most people are aware that ABBA is one of Sweden's most proud exports and going to ABBA the C with your Swedish girlfriend is a unique experience.  Not many know that Waterloo was originally performed in Swedish nor can sing along with gusto nor do many know that Dancing Queen was first performed for the royal couple in Sweden.  If you think that ABBA was popular world-wide that is a drop in the ocean compared to the Swedish hysteria for ABBA in the 1970s where every little girl fancied themselves an Anni-Frid or Agnetha.  Appropriately enough, ABBA the C is also fronted by four Swedes.  However, if you think the audience at ABBA the C was just Swedes and their reluctant boyfriends or gay men, not quite.  ABBA may have been from Sweden but they have long been claimed by the rest of the world as their own and the audience was very diverse.  

ABBA the Concert broke no new ground but that was entirely the point.  From the outfits to the songs to the wigs, this was strictly a nostalgic show.  But ABBA the Concert definitely showed great respect for the source material and performed fairly faithful renditions of most of the biggest hits.  They performed particularly energetic versions of Mama Mia, Take a Chance On Me, and Does Your Mother Know?  There were plenty of opportunities for sing-alongs and the crowd was quite excited to participate in this celebration of ABBAtasticness.

The original ABBA

ABBA songs can sound dated at times but listening to them live brought them to life so that they almost sounded current.  One thing that struck me was how many of their songs have sad lyrics which belies the stereotype of the band’s upbeat, light-hearted melodies.  Songs like Name of the Game, Fernando, and Chiquitita are all filled with poignant longing and uncertainty in relationships.  These songs were mostly featured early in the first set.  The second set resembled the light-hearted rom/com musical hit Mama Mia much more.  Then, Sunday’s show became a party, maybe in part due to it being the final night of the tour, the band seemed determined to just have fun.  And of course, that’s what you want when going to an ABBA tribute.  Nothing deep or meaningful just a good time, and that’s what the concert was.

Side Note:  On the way home, JL and I checked out the new art installation- the Bay Bridge Lights and (no pun intended), it is spectacular.  I'm envious of people with a Bay Bridge view.  If you haven't already, go see the light!

Alabama Shakes: Riding the Wave

Alabama Shakes

Michael Kiwanuka

Fox Theater

Oakland, CA

March 5, 2013

Alabama Shakes: Riding the Wave

Sometimes you are sitting there minding your own business, doing your thing when a big wave comes along picks you up and drags you out to sea whether you are ready or not.  This was my impression after seeing Alabama Shakes at the Fox Theater last night.  AS is a talented group with a charismatic singer who does a fairly good Janis Joplin impression.  However, I got the sense that they are not yet ready for the very large amount of acclaim that has already come their way after just one album.  They are still finding their feet and yet the wave has already pulled them into the ocean.  Now, they just need to learn to surf with several thousand people looking on each night at sold-out shows across the country.

AS at times sounds like Janis Joplin singing Marvin Gaye songs and at other times like Janis Joplin singing Bonnie Raitt or just like Janis Joplin.  They are clearly fans of JJ (though no one can really match the once in a generation talent of JJ).  Still, the band has a very fun Americana-roots sound that is reminiscent of many old school soul and R&B luminaries.  It’s not difficult to understand where the enthusiasm for the band comes from.  They sound fresh and familiar at the same time.  They also have some really good musical chops.  The songs are well-crafted and place singer Brittany Howard’s unique voice at the center of the music- which has resulted in many awards, three Grammy nominations, and slots at the largest music festivals including Bonnaroo, Isle of Wight, Outside Lands etc.  It is no exaggeration to say that they have been on top of a large wave that grew very quickly.

 

Their performance last night at the Fox seemed oddly perfunctory as if they have been on the road for a bit too long and need a break.  Still, it was quite a bit better than their studio recordings- which always gives me hope for a new band.  I felt that I was hearing a lot of unrealized potential.  Brittany does need to work on her stage delivery to better connect with her adoring fans.  She has a big and warm voice but seemed almost nervous on stage.  And though the band can jam, they largely stuck to the studio score rather too closely.  Nevertheless, the show was quite a lot of fun and I will be happy to watch the band grow and will be looking for new albums in the future.  But, as the cliché goes, only time will tell whether AS rises above the early adulation and rides the wave or whether they will get sucked under.

Opening for A-Shakes was Michael Kiwanuka, a British soul singer, who was limited to an acoustic set which made him sound more of a folk artist than a soul artist.  Kiwanuka is another major rising star with plenty of acclaim having won the BBC Sound of 2012 award and having been nominated for the Mercury Prize.  His acoustic set was a bit washed out by a crowd that was far more interested in waiting for AS than enjoying MK’s offerings.  But he is definitely an artist to keep an eye on, like AS, he is going places fast and I hope that he gets there.

Alabama Shakes highlights: Always Alright, You Ain't Alone, Hang Loose

Michaeul Kiwanuka songs to check out: Tell Me a Tale, Home Again

Kelly McFarling: Worth Checking Out

Kelly McFarling

Subterranean Arthouse

Berkelely, CA

March 16, 2012

First, let me state that there is nothing subterranean about the Subterranean Arthouse in Berkeley, CA.  It is more of a fairly small sized art gallery with mismatched chairs and a sink in the back to make yourself some tea.  I was rather expecting a dimly-lit basement bar with unfinished walls and a low ceiling, PBR on tap and an audience of anachronistic beatniks snapping their fingers, rather than applauding, the polite folk music stylings of Kelly McFarling.

KM made a previous appearance on MV&R when she did a very nice (indeed) cover of Joni Mitchell’s Little Green at Uncovered: Joni Mitchell’s Blue.  Many were taken with her Zoe Deschanel voice and banjo accompaniment.  Her banjo playing is not a-mighty-fine-picking a la old-timey, foot-stomping bluegrass but, rather, is used more like a strumming folk guitar or rolling chord plucking a la Shawn Colvin, Joni Mitchell etc.  But she is a mighty fine singer which made the short performance at the Arthouse very enjoyable despite the violated expectations.  Her songs are well-crafted and thoughtful and she is a performer with real potential although the performance sounded more complete when she was accompanied by a full band rather than on her own.  Still, if you like the folkie singer-songwriter thing, Kelly is worth checking out.

Local Natives: Exceeding Expectations

Local Natives

The Fox

Berkeley, CA

January 30, 2013

Local Natives: Exceeding Expectations

Heading to the Fox Theater to hear Local Natives, my attitude was lacking.  Another night, another indie band.  I should have had far more enthusiasm, particularly considering that the last two shows I attended (at the Freight & Salvage, see below) were both winners.  And when you’re on a streak, you have to respect the streak.  But I was lukewarm about the proceedings.  Even the excellent company and good grub at Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café wasn’t enough for me to achieve normal preshow levels of excitement.  In retrospect, I think it may have been my low expectations that allowed me to better appreciate Local Native’s limited offerings - because the offerings were limited, but I still enjoyed the show.

Local Natives has been around now for about 5 years. Their first album, ‘Gorilla Manor,’ was released in 2009 and garnered a fair amount of attention and spawned several minor hits: ‘Sun Hands’ and ‘Who Knows, Who Cares’ being the biggest and best.  The complexity and confidence of the musicianship in these songs belied their youth and inexperience and kick-started an expectations game.  There was a consensus that the band was destined for even brighter times.  Their sophomore album, ‘Hummingbird,’ was released the day before the show and is a surprisingly mature effort that avoids much of the sophomore jinx where bands try to over-elaborate and end up with bombastic noise that they think is art.  LN’s sound is often compared to Fleet Foxes, because of the over-indulgence in three-part harmonies, and Talking Heads, because of the complex structure of songs that is nevertheless accessible. 

 

Their performance at the Fox was also a fairly mature and accomplished effort.  For a young band, this is impressive.  Yet, my own impression is that the band may have reached their limits.  I just don’t see them drawing any bigger crowds then they did last night.  But there are plenty of bands that make a career out of playing midsize theaters.  One negative: the show was short, just over an hour.  But the band genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves.  The bottom line: exceeding expectations, even if they’re low, still makes for a fun night.

Songs to check out: Sun Hands, Who Knows

David Grisman Sextet: Top Drawer

David Grisman Sextet

Freight & Salvage

Berkeley, CA

January 27, 2013

David Grisman Sextet: Top Drawer

Last weekend, the Freight & Salavage in Berkeley hosted a weekend tribute to famed jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, including concerts, workshops, panel discussions and an open house for all things string jazz.  The weekend extravaganza ended on Sunday with a performance by the David Grisman sextet, which was appropriate enough since DG had actually performed on many occasions with Stephane Grappelli and even recorded an album with the legendary violinist.  Of course, DGrisman has achieved virtual living-legend status himself.  He is the Yo Yo Ma of the mandolin.  His name is virtually synonymous with the instrument.  And for good reason.  You will simply not be able to find a better, more accomplished mandolinist.

Django Reinhardt is oft times cited by jazz aficionados as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.  He is certainly one of the most influential jazz guitarists of the last generation.  Together with Stephane, he virtually invented acoustic string jazz.  Their style of music is sometimes called ‘hot jazz’ though it at times gives a mis-impression of being rather laidback or languid.  I love it for all the space in the music.  It certainly evocative and reminds me of Parisian cafe life.  It is definitely not a wall of sound like so much pop and rock music.  Django’s style of jazz guitar briefly bubbled into popular consciousness after Sean Penn played a Django-obsessed character in the movie “Sweet and Low Down.”

On Sunday, the David Grisman sextet played a generous set of some of Django and Stephane’s most well known tunes.  For being 68 years old, David Grisman has a lot of energy.  He is also a very generous musician frequently allowing the other members of his sextet to shine.  One annoying thing about listening to a jazz performances today is the incessant insistence of the audience to applaud after every solo which I’m sure the musicians appreciate but also interrupts the song and means that I'm applauding six or seven times for each song.  This is a ridiculous tradition that should die off but probably won't.  Nevertheless, as the night went on, the set got better and better.  It started as a top-drawer performance and, by the end of the night, I was hoping to find a live recording.  That’s a good concert.

Check out the original: Django and Stephane playing here and here.  

Blue: One Song At A Time

Undercover: Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Freight & Salvage

Berkeley, CA

January 21, 2013

Blue: One Song At A Time

Undercover presents a classic album one song at a time, each song performed by a different artist.  It is like 10 one-song concerts in one evening.  Initially, I feared that ping-ponging between different musical styles would lead to a disjointed evening with uncomfortably long breaks as each performer set up.  Last night’s presentation of Joni Mitchell’s Blue included versions of her songs by an Indian singer, an electronic looper, Brazilian tropicalia band, jazz artists and more.   Despite this disparate group, each performance stood on its own and, united by Joni Mitchell’s poetry and lyricism, made for a wonderful evening of inspiring and engaging music- even if each performance was a bit of a band teaser leaving you wanting more.

Blue helped to establish Joni Mitchell as one of the most preeminent and influential singer-songwriters of the 1970s.  Despite her warbling soprano, I think it was always the honest poetry of her lyrics that drew in listeners.  And Blue is no exception.  The songs are filled with poignant longing and beautiful descriptions of Joni’s emotional entanglements, from All I Want to The Last Time I Saw Richard.  Her paean to California perfectly captures the laid back beauty of California and concludes with her painfully bare question, “Will you accept me as I am?”  The album also contains River which is perhaps one of her most popular songs and has been rerecorded by many artists and featured in many movies and TV shows.

The night of Joni opened with KillBossa doing an excellent Brazilian Tropicalia version of All I Want.   This was followed by two of the evening’s highlights.  A stunning version of My Old Man by Bharathi, an Indian singer with an outrageous voice, and Daniel, a jazz bassist, whose spare accompaniment was perfect.  And then Kelly McFarling played Little Green in an Americana Folk style.  Her voice is reminiscent of Zoe Deschanel and was certainly unexpected.  I also loved her use of the banjo as an accompaniment.   The Beth Custer Ensemble played a jazzy version of Carey and Kitka, a caped women’s choir, performed Blue a cappella.

In between the songs, a rather ineffective juggling team performed pranks and were rather annoying.

The second set began with Amy X Neuberg performing an engrossing looped version of California.  The tempo picked up with a couple of funky, jazzy versions of This Flight Tonight and A Case of You sandwiched around a old-timey River.  The show ended with a lovely version of The Last Time I Saw Richard by Katy Stephan and Classical Revolution.

Listening to accomplished musicians reimagine an classic album of touching poetry was inspirational.  A great night.  I will definitely look for more Undercover performances in the future.  

Click here to listen to a sampler.

Trombone Shorty: Knows How to Partay

Trombone Shorty

The Fillmore

San Francisco, CA

December 31, 2012

Trombone Shorty:  Knows How to Partay

It’s been a while since I partayed hot and heavy on a New Year’s Eve.  When you’re a little rusty, it’s good to surround yourself with professionals.  And the crew that journeyed to the Fillmore with me last night were veterans.  They know how to get the job done, glowsticks and all. And the Master of Ceremonies, Trombone Shorty, made sure the job was done well.   Of course, the audience was more than ready to celebrate but TS brought the goods.  A very impressive performance for someone who is still only 26 years old.

Much of the NYE prelims involved discussions regarding transportation logistics - which eventually consisted of two trains and a bus - to get to the Lower Haight where the evening started with some tasty but greasy naan and curry at Indian Oven before a mad scramble to the magic bus that would take us to the show.  When we arrived, Papa Mali was midway through a set of psychedelic hardrock blues, a la Iron Butterfly or Deep Purple.  I felt transported back to the 1960s Fillmore though just about 4 decades after the wave had crashed.  But it was good enough to keep the night on track.

TS took the stage for an hour long set of high energy jams before an intermission.  It was all great fun but I was not anticipating the break.  In retrospect, it seems obvious that they needed time to prepare for the midnight hour.  About 5 minutes before midnight, a small mardi gras parade with TS blowing on his trombone passed though the middle of the crowd to the stage where they counted down to midnight and dropped hundreds of balloons on the excited crowd.  The pros and myself were directly under the drop and were drenched with a downpour of rainbow colored balloons.  TS played  a medley of James Brown licks during “Feel Like Funkin it Up” which followed Auld Lang Syne after midnight.  And also included a fun cover of the Isley Brother’s “Shout” which completed the party.

Trombone Shorty has appeared before on MV&R when I characterized him as kind of a New Orleans jazzy rocking jam band.  That still holds true except he was even more fun last night.  The evening had all the makings of a Good Time and TS delivered.    

Other highlights:  Hurricane Season, Something Beautiful, Shout.

Photo #3 by award-winning JSantel.  Vids from the evening below.

Final Vid tipped from Youtube rb1229.

Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates: Secret Talent

Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates

The Catacombs

December 8, 2012

San Francisco, CA

Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates:  Secret Talent      

        

Sometimes, in San Francisco, I get to feel cooler and hipper than I am.  The city is full of secrets: hidden stairways, alleyway restaurants with unbelievable food, quirky Victorian homes with Shangri-la backyard gardens, there are unexpected vistas around every street corner.  And there are hidden, basement clubs where the cool bands play for 30-40 hipsters in the know.  Last night’s ME&TU show was one of those nights where I happily stumbled across a hidden den of some of the city’s secret musical talent.

Approaching the Catacombs on Capp Street in the Mission makes you wonder if you are in the right place.  It looks like a regular Mission home.  Last night, a piece of paper that said “Unfortunates” was thankfully taped to the door to let me know that I was not lost.  Inside, the Combs feels very much like a converted garage space and there is also an upstairs apartment where people live.  I was told that it was once a recording studio for gospel music in the '60s and '70s and only opens for performances on rare occasions, like last night.

I’ve seen Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates perform almost half a dozen times in San Francisco but have not included them in a review because each performance has been completely different.  They seemed to be a work in progress, experimenting with new version of songs and playing with different musicians.  Previous shows tended to feature blues-flavored British folk music.  However, last night’s Unfortunates show was much more rocking and was probably their best performance yet.  The Unfortunates played a fantastic upbeat set of intelligent and literate songs.  In barroom banter, Matthew Edwards is frequently compared to Elvis Costello though this comparison was perhaps truer of his previous band, The Music Lovers.  The Music Lovers played some sharply written, fun songs that could easily fit into a set by the Attractions.  However, the rock version of the Unfortunates last night recalled one of my favorite 1970s post-punk bands, The Feelies and, to a lesser extent, the Velvet Underground – both bands that were ahead of their time. 

Opening for The Unfortunates was Sasha Bell, a Brooklyn transplant and former member of Essex Green.  Essex Green released some adventurous, atmospheric but well crafted pop albums from 1999 – 2006 in the Elliot Smith vein.  Sasha is a talented songwriter and played an enjoyable opening set of melodic, midtempo pop music.  She also did double-duty last night playing keyboards with the Unfortunates.  I also can’t neglect to mention another Unfortunates band-member Jefferson Marshall who is a supremely talented bass player.  His recruitment to the band was a sharp move by Edwards.  Jefferson helps take the band to another level.

This blog tends to limit reviews to more established acts at large venues but last night’s show by Matthew Edwards & The Unfortunates, as well as Sasha Bell, demonstrate that the local music scene in SF is populated by exceptionally talented artists and musicians.  Although a larger audience would deprive me of the fun of going to hidden places like the Catacombs, there’s no doubt that their secret talents deserve wider attention.  

Photos by MT.

Angelique Kidjo: Class Act

Angelique Kidjo
Zellerbach Theater

Berkeley, CA

November 17, 2012

Angelique Kidjo: Class Act

There are few better ways to spend a rainy Saturday evening in Berkeley than to see Angelique Kidjo at Zellerbach Theater on the UC campus.  I have lived in Berkeley, CA for almost three years and have failed to properly take advantage of the Cal Performance series at Zellerbach.  Their acts are always of the highest quality and Angelique Kidjo was no exception.  Kidjo has won dozens and dozens of awards; she has been honored in every way by, well, basically, everyone.  She has performed with every major artist and been involved in advocating for many international relief organizations.  And in addition to having a fantastic, powerful voice that was warm and reassuring, AK is also a great performer.

A.Kidjo is a Benin born musician now located in New York and also announced that she is a recent US citizen!  While her music falls squarely in the world music category, blending elements of pop, reggae, blues and jazz with African beats, I think it is much more accessible to American audiences than many world artists that are often little more than tinny pop music in a non-English language.  Of course, the category of world music, inexplicably excludes American music, which is certainly a part of the world.  In any case, AK sings in French, English, Yoruba, Swahili and, at the Zellerbach, also in Hindi. 

 

What surprised me most about her performance was her determination for everyone in the audience to have a good time.   Almost midway through the performance, she jumped off stage and walked through the audience dancing and singing with everyone she came across.  Then, for the last three songs, she invited the audience on to the stage.  The downside to this invitation was that Angelique got buried in a sea of audience members and was no longer visible for the rest of the show until the encore.  I’m sure for the 60-70 people on stage, it was a thrilling experience, for those remaining in their seat, it was less so. 

Nevertheless, Kidjo’s stories of her African childhood and the life lessons she learned while on her way to becoming a world-recognized artist were still relatable for everyone’s daily struggles.  At times, she did talk for, perhaps, too long in between songs but when she was singing and the band was playing, everything was right.  Angelique is a force of nature and her performance is not one that will be forgotten easily or quickly.

Highlighted songs to check out (courtesy JL):  Malaika (Angel) (a Miriam Makeba song); Afirika (the song she sang while touring the audience); and Agolo.