Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Joan Osborne at the Aladdin


Joan Osborne is in her late forties, but I suspect there will always be something about her presence that will always be as timeless and hard to categorize. This has been the case since she was a breakthrough artist as a part of that post-post-post hippie and punk scene at New York's Wetlands Preserve of the early nineties to to her latest album, Little Wild One, a solid collection of songs that was released this fall. She is singer-songwriter, Anchorage Kentucky country siren, rock chick and soul diva who is always sounds like she brings notes up from somewhere below the diaphragm regardless if her note is packaged sweetly and angelic. Or rough and kind of nasty.

Her songs are easy to relate to because although they have heartbreak in them, they often have a kind of perspective of a earthy princess who is determined to make the object of affection or protection feel a little better in the cold world. Such as in the case of Breakfast in Bed:

She's hurt you again
I can tell
Oh, I know that look so well
Don't be shy
You've been here before
Pull your shoes off, lie down
And I will lock the door

What's not to love here?

Her albums can sometimes have a little too much gloss and production to them. But in concert and her new album Little Wild One it is obvious that she is at her best with her solid band collaborating with her as equal peers. Andrew Carillo knows how to put just the right amount of aquarium undersea in his guitar and the rock funk drumming of Aaron Comes always seems to have this very well determined connecting sensibility to it. The other band members bassist Richard Hammond and Keith Cotton are rarely call attention to themselves, but are a solid presence especially when a foundation of background vocals are needed from time to time.

And as far as accompanying vocals are concerned, opening act Matt Morris' duet on Cathedrals, one of the strongest songs on the new album, was truly exceptional. Morris' opening set was a bit of a sensation of its own. I didn't really get it but the boomer KINK crowd that really dug the son of country singer Gary Morris. To me he sounded more like the musical love child of two Kennys (Loggins and Rankin) and that isn't really my cup of Starbucks. But you got to give credit anytime an opener can put a crowd in a place where the room is real lively by the time the headliner comes out and his work with Joan on Cathedrals was very stunning.

Cathedrals probably comes closer to any of her tunes to One of Us, the god on the bus song that most of the world will only know her for. I'm reminded of John Hartford who gave music many contributions, especially his breakthrough bluegrass work, but was always associated with Gentle on My Mind. At least One of Us wasn't covered by the likes of Glen Campbell and Johnny Mathis. One shudders at the thought. But the point is it will always be her one big song and cultural phenomena, and this time she pulled it out a couple tunes before the end of the set and it still has a fine life. Although I think it was strengthened by her not tagging that Pope in Rome on the phone couplet at the end. That part always felt a little too Dr Seuss for me.

Her set was heavy with songs from the new album and the one before it. She kept the Deadheads at bay with Brokedown Palace and the long time fans acknowledged with the Ray Charles Spiderweb and St Theresea, but there was a derth of the soul diva covers I love, no Midnight Train, Smiling Faces or What Became of the Broken Hearted. But I'm not complaining, her set closer of Only You Know and I Know was the evening's great cover moment.

And then there was that bit of ecstacy in here performance of Ladder. Joan was kicking it, shredding it up on rhythm guitar while exclaiming she "is going to love you anyway...Today and Everyday."

Like I say, what's not to love?

Link: Awesome Streamed Concert from last September
posted by well-executed buffet at 11:39 PM
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