http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site ... ns_Own.htm
The LookOut music
Newman’s Own: An All-Star Tribute to America’s Favorite Songsmith
By Tomm Carroll
Music Critic
Jan 27 -- “Feels Like Home” indeed. That song and over 40 others from the vast repertoire of singer-songwriter-pianist-composer Randy Newman were performed by a plethora of artists on Saturday night at UCLA’s Royce Hall, which for all practical purposes could have been re-christened “Newman Hall” last weekend.
Following his solo, sold-out show at the venerable venue Friday evening, Newman was feted the next night. Well, feted isn’t exactly the right word; Willner-ized is more like it.
A veritable auteur of star-studded musical and spoken word tributes, producer Hal Willner, who also happened to be this season’s Artist in Residence at UCLA, presented the eclectic, three-hour-plus “Shock and Awe: The Songs of Randy Newman,” an all-Randy, all-the-time concert of contemporary Americana that recalled in depth and breadth “The Harry Smith Project,” the now legendary tribute to the great folklorist’s music collection that Willner staged at Royce a few years ago.
Backed by an orchestra of horns and strings, led by guitar great Bill Frisell and pedal steel master Greg Leisz, a well as the country rock trio Jack Shit (featuring Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher of Elvis Costello’s band), a bevy of musicians and even some actors took center stage to sing praises to Newman with his own material.
Virtually every number was a winner, even the composer’s more esoteric songs; well-known chart-topping tunes like “Short People” and “I Love L.A.” were wisely missing in action. This was a salute to Newman’s oeuvre, not his “greatest hits.” All of which means there were many notable performances.
Among the highlights were Stan Ridgway’s renditions of “Bad News from Home” and especially “Rider in the Rain,” both of which were almost transformed into Ridgway’s own sardonic road-trip style of songs; Irish singer Gavin Friday’s theatrical readings of “Germany Before the War” (as a Kurt Weilly whisper vocal) and “You Can Leave Your Hat On”(as a playful sexual braggadocio that reclaimed the song from Joe Cocker); Victoria Williams getting weepy with “Texas Girl at the Funeral of her Father” and at her usual quirky on “Davey the Fat Boy”; and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo’s gorgeous, gospel-like version of “Sail Away” and his tender take on “Going Home.”
Also deserving special mention were Jack Shit’s romp through “My Old Kentucky Home” (sung by guitarist Val McCallum); the sparse blues of Jennifer Charles’ “Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield”; pianist Van Dyke Parks joining Frisell and Leisz for an amazing recreation of the main title of the film “Ragtime”; E (of the Eels) turning “Living Without You” into one of his own lonely laments; actor Rip Torn at his most snarly Newmanesque (but unfortunately forgetting a few of the words) on the very timely “Political Science”; pianist/singer Robin Holcomb’s avant-garding of “Shining”; the all-soul-and-strings arrangement of “Louisiana 1927” featuring Howard Tate; Ed Harcourt’s beautifully lethargic “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” and a folksy minstrel version of “Dayton, Ohio” by Jon Brion.
The only overt political statement was made by wheelchair-bound alt-country icon Vic Chestnutt, who sported a knit cap in which was sewn “Bush is a Lying Cracker.” The artist, who performed several tunes, including a stunning “I Want You to Hurt Like I Do,” also sang the last song, for which all of the singers emerged to sing back-up.
Dedicating the finale to “our lovely Mr. President,” Chestnutt led the ensemble through a Depression-era jazz-style “Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man).” And yes, he left his hat on.
Copyright ©1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 surfsantamonica.com.
All Rights Reserved.
