Loudon Wainwright III, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Judd Apatow, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Joe Henry, John Scofield, und Van Dyke Parks

Loudon Wainwright III is a character. His personality is definitely unique and uncanny, and this can clearly be conveyed through his songwriting. Wainwright is not ashamed to talk about his flaws, and his willingness to admit this in his lyrics allows him to present these topics in a sincere and humorous way. The first time I saw Loudon Wainwright III he was playing at a very small, intimate venue. I was just a teenager, and was the youngest person in the room, and the table I was sitting at was in the front row with a distinguished lawyer sitting there. I have to say I felt a little bit out of place, but I was so excited that I was about to be serenaded by Loudon while sitting in the front row. Loudon Wainwright’s music really is relatable to any age group, he performs wacky comedic songs like, “Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road)” and “Drinking Song”, as well as more sincere songs that have aspects that one can relate to on a universal level.
Loudon Wainwright III has great musical abilities and craftsmanship having been compared to one of his heroes, Bob Dylan, although he would go onto satirize this comparison in one of his later songs. He has a talented musical family with all of his children being respected musicians, and often joining Loudon on some of his performances. Loudon is always witty with his stage banter, as would be expected from someone who has played roles in many hilarious television shows such as M.A.S.H, Parks & Recreation, and Judd Apatow’s Undeclared. His music has also been critically acclaimed, having been nominated for three Grammy awards and winning one of them for his traditional folk album, High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project.
Loudon’s performance is usually very minimum consisting of him playing either just his acoustic guitar and sometimes a piano, but this bare bones style of performing allows one to focus on the cleverly, poignantly written songs, which allows for the audience to form such a deep connection and appreciation towards his music.

Oh dear Rufus, have you made my life complete. Not only because your first gig in Paris back in 1999 was where I fell in love with my dear wife. But ever since then none of your gigs has been disappointing.

Be it the last minute solo piano gigs, or the extremely theatrical appearances with costumes, never-ending bands with horns and flutes, you have it all. In Berlin you already rocked: - the Passionskirche, with Joan as a Police Woman as Guest, and a final a la Passions Christi - the Akademie des Künste with a more American and electrified show - newly another church, the Apostel Kirche, with your half sister as guest.

Always pitch perfect, always witty and bonding with each city's crowd (though it might be easier with Berlin having your husband from here). But it's your songs and repertoire that make it possible, within a decade you've delivered albums that make you one of the most respected living songwriters by your peers, and many of the collaboration you've picked up also enrich the songs: Antony, Mark Ronson, to name a few. Please come back (and stay for good this time).

It is no secret that Martha Wainwright comes from a musically rich background (her father is folk singer Loudon Wainwright III, her mother is the talented folk singer Kate McGarrigle and her brother is renowned pianist and songwriter Rufus Wainwright); however her career goes so much further than those relations. She is an artist in her own rights and a damn good one at that. Her lyrics are weathered and perplexing transcending the complacency and generic traits drowning the radio waves today. Her music is comprehensive and her ability to adapt to stylistic changes is extraordinary.
Her career has been consistently exceptional and varied. Each album she releases brings something interesting, different and often deeply personal. The great thing about hearing her perform live is that you have a chance to witness the many sides of her musically eclectic catalogue unfold. Songs early on in her career such as "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole" really show off the extremity of Martha's writing style as well as its underlying vulnerability. The lyrics are bold and incredibly dramatic, but they are delivered in a hurt tone that sounds as if Martha's vocals were cracking under an insurmountable pain. The song also features intense dynamic changes but the transitions are written in such away that the variations flow into each other with absolute ease. Tension runs throughout the song and resolves only for a slight second here and there.
Martha can captivate an entire audience strapped solely with an acoustic guitar; or can blow them away with a massive backing orchestra. She has released an entire album of Edith Piaf songs featuring incredibly rich instrumentation (piano, strings, accordion, horns etc…) and has performed unforgettable covers such as Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song" and "I'll Be Seeing You" for which she contributed to the Aviator soundtrack. Martha's concerts will also consist of material from her latest solo endeavor "Come Home To Martha". This is perhaps Martha's most multi-faceted record yet. Produced by Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda and featuring guest spots by Sean Lennon and Nels Cline the album embraces an experimental rock theme atmosphere featuring otherworldly electronic noises, fuzzed out guitars and funky synth leads. Whether she is delivering a fabulous annual Wainwright Christmas show with her brother or performing in an intimate cafe setting with her acoustic guitar you can expect not to be disapointed.

What a delightful show! Lucy's voice is heavenly. She and Suzzy shared some very entertaining stories of family and life on the road. I can't wait to see Lucy again.

Monday 14th November. G Live. Billy Bragg and Joe Henry. It’s a two for one tonight with Messrs Bragg and Henry at what’s probably our local venue. It’s my first time at G Live since it was the Civic Hall. No great changes from what I can remember and the floor space is large with plenty of legroom tonight in the seats.

Touring in support of their railroad covers album inspired and recorded over 65 hours on trains travelling from Chicago down to Texas and up to LA its straight into a mini set with the two of them. One thing that’s clear tonight is both of their voices haven’t sounded better. Whilst being a relatively newcomer to Bragg, first seeing him the day after Brexit in Glastonbury, I first saw Joe Henry back in 96 at The Borderline.

After a few songs it’s into a short set with Henry solo and it was nice to hear some oldies especially ‘Trampoline’. An interval ensues and it’s back with Bragg with a short set that encompasses the general feeling in the world today. With two high profile voting shocks and the multitude of musician deaths there’s a good case to confine 2016 into the dustbin of time. But as The Hold Steady once said ‘you gotta stay positive’

The show wraps up with the two of them together again where they cover everything from Hank, Guthrie, Dylan John Hartford and Lead Belly with ‘Rock Island Line’ and ‘Midnight Special’ my highlights

A thoroughly entertaining night with two fine singer songwriters.

Keep on rockin y’all.

It is surely a treat to see John Scofield grasp the attention of his audience with his unique blend of jazz-rock.
John Scofield is a well-trained guitarist having attended Berklee College of Music, and having performed with other highly regarded jazz musicians such as, Mile Davis, Herbie Hancock, Bill Frisell, and many others. He has an incredible backing band that takes the form of a traditional jazz group consisting of upright bass, drums, and keyboards. His band plays as a tight-knit group laying down the grounds for a perfect rhythm as John Scofield plays the most intricate and complex jazz scales on his Ibanez guitar. His pianist often plays on a synthesizer that allows him to emulate the smooth sounds of the Fender Rhodes and the funky sounds of the Hammond organ. John Scofield is also known to play in dissonant and ominous sounding scales that are reminiscent of hard bop jazz songs to the likes of Thelonious Monk. Scofield also uses slight distortion on some of his songs to give more of an edge to the blues and rock influenced songs he plays.
John Scofield’s shows are always engaging because you never know what style of music he will play next. At one moment he will be playing a traditional sounding jazz song, and the next moment he will be shredding away some funky riffs on the guitar. He and his band members have great communication on stage, knowing exactly when to jump into the performance to play a solo on their instrument. John Scofield’s setlist is very interesting and diverse. He will be sure to include some of his best originals such as “Green Tea”, but he might also incorporate some old traditional songs like “Motherless Child” or he might play the R&B, rock and roll song “Let the Good Times Roll”.
Whatever style of jazz music John Scofield ends up playing, he will be sure to play it with perfect precision and deep inspiration.