Friday, December 26, 2008
A Spectacle with Elvis and his Friends
Elvis Costello is more than a new wave icon. He has so much more music in his soul beyond Pump It Up and Alison. And for years it seemed he would surface wherever there was a rich tradition of music. He could show up on the Nashville Network, pulling out songs from memory that George Jones would forget. Or do Louvin Brothers or Gram Parsons tunes with Emmylou Harris.
His inquiring enthusiasm for music, mostly American roots and rock, but a wider swath to be sure, has now been made available in an ambitious talk and music program produced by Elton John and his asssociates called Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... This is kind of like a haven delivered by a television show, which is a very rare thing. Elvis, the world's greatest Swiss Army knife of pop music focusing on music with A list musicians and cultural figures. There is much music on this show Elvis covers and then performs with his guests between literate and even, sometimes, insightful interview sections.
The first five episodes with Elton John, Lou Reed, Bill Clinton, James Taylor, and Tony Bennett have been aired and all have memorable insights and performances. Sundance airs them on Weds. nights and they have been featured as On Demand offerings through Comcast.
The episode with series producer Elton John was one of the best. It was essentially a workshop covering his influences and poking at some depth why Leon Russell, Laura Nyro in particular were important influences on the early stages of his career. It also featured the piano man's stories of being a pick up band for 1970s UK tours of Billy Stewart and Patti La Belle. And Elvis and Elton chatted for a time about changing their British civilian identities Declan and Reginald into Elvis and Elton.
But one of the main order of business in the Elvis Elton episode was their mutual tribute to a very obscure American singer-songwriter, David Ackles. Ackles shared a bill with Elton during his introductory years in America. He recorded four albums and his style reminds me of Gordan Lightfoot, pre-full on pop star Neil Diamond converged with the early John Cale solo years with a Brecht/Weil art song sensiblity thrown in. Both Elvis and Elton have been on record in the past declaring their admiration for Ackles work, but in performing Ackles' Down River together as the climax of their Spectacle episode.
Elvis hosts Bill Clinton on another episode and he talks about his relationship with music the same way he did with movies when he was interviewed by Roger Ebert years ago. Ever since the 92 electon, I have kind of defended Clinton's musician sensibilities as an important component of his character (or some would say non-character) He doesn't play his saxophone here, but talks about his collection including a Adolphe Sax original with a sparkle and reverence that shows his passion for music.
There are indeed pleasures in every episode. Lou Reed and Elvis shread the stage with an exceptionally powerful performance of Twilight's Last Gleaming. And Lou shows the secret chord of Sweet Jane that is missing from most of the cover versions. Mrs. Elvis, Diana Krall, gets called out of the audience by Tony Bennett to do a very lively version of I've got the World on A String. In another episode, James Taylor and Elvis channel the Everly Brothers with Cryin' in the Rain.
The last seven episodes seem quite promising especially Herbie Hancock and Smokey Robinson. The series has some formatting issues that are annoying, the summary bumpers and Sundance infomercials, and cutaways to celebrity and quasi-celebrities in the audience. But Elvis' simultaneous role as uberfan, talkshow moderator and musical artist is pretty darned impressive and at its best, puts brings closer to the music and its artists with intimacy, intelligence and care. Here's hoping that Uncle Elton will find this to be a fine venture to continue and it will be around for years to come with the same vitality.
posted by well-executed buffet at 8:20 PM
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