By Jim Harrington [email protected]
Van Morrison seemed intent on proving a point.
It began when he first took the stage on Monday night at the Fox Theater, promptly — as is his wont — at the scheduled set time of 8 p.m. His first notes of the evening weren’t sung, but rather blown thrown an alto saxophone.
He followed that brief instrumental with a vibrant take on “Close Enough for Jazz,” from his 22nd studio album, 1993’s “Too Long in Exile.” Morrison was in full-on jazz singer mode, running his lines in ways that both complemented and contrasted with the virtuoso music being made by his four accompanying instrumentalists.
The point — which Morrison has been making for decades now — is that this is one rock legend who isn’t content with simply rehashing the glory years and then counting the cash. He’s not banking on nostalgia, although that’s certainly a big reason why people go see Van the Man in concert, but rather continuing to grow and develop as an artist.
Monday’s 90-minute show — the first of three sold-out nights at the downtown Oakland venue — was an entirely satisfying evening of jazz and rock. And it was heavier on the former than the latter, to an even greater degree than I’ve seen from him in the past.
Yes, those looking for faithful renditions of Morrison’s classic hits may have gone home disappointed. Those open to adventurous, jazz-directed reinterpretations — which made the compositions sound fresher and more urgent than they have in decades — probably were in pure bliss.
There was so much to like about the show, from a set list that nicely balanced the hits with deep cuts, to the jazzy rearrangements, to the stellar side musicians and backing vocalist.
Most importantly, the Belfast Cowboy himself, who certainly has his off nights, delivered an absolutely inspired performance. Morrison’s vocals were big, bold and versatile as they bounced through the thick blues of Ray Charles’ “I Believe to My Soul,” then rose triumphantly on the title track to 1999’s “Back on Top” and the glorious gospel of “By His Grace,” which Morrison performed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Half way through the 20-song set, the 70-year-old singer began sprinkling in some of his best-known cuts. But he’d do it in his own uncompromising way, starting with a jazzy version of the 1967 hit “Brown Eyed Girl” that bore little resemblance to what we’ve been hearing on the radio all these decades. He followed the same path with “Wild Night,” before calling daughter Shana Morrison — who opened the show — to duet on a pair of songs, including a sensational “Sometimes We Cry.”
It just kept getting better, as Morrison delivered a muscular version of “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” the blues standard that the singer recorded with the band Them in 1964, and then soared on “Northern Muse (Solid Ground).”
Morrison closed the main set with his own classic “Moondance” and a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson II’s “Help Me,” then returned to rock the house one more time with an encore of — what else? — “Gloria.”
(review source = Contra Costa Times) (video source = youtube) (feature image source = Mercury News)