Steve Howe Bristol Colston Hall

Smile its Steve Howe on Guitar

Whenever I sit waiting for Steve to come on I do wonder how one man and his guitar can make for a special night.

He began with the Martin M38 which gives a bright sound and in that first phase played a couple of Trio pieces including the Holly's cover. The Trio album is apparently now finished.

"Diary of A Man Who Disappeared" and then he brought this section to a conclusion with "To Be Over" I thought a good deal about Malcolm during this piece. The music making was fantastic and being able to sit and listen to this timeless piece of music in its naked form works perfectly. He switches to the Kohno for my favourite part of the concert. The sound is so warm and musical and pieces from the Steve Howe Album and Grand Scheme of Things and the re imagined piece Corkscrew sounded superb. Intersection Blues with that constant return to the rotating central motife was proceeded by Little Gilliard. I do love all of his music in concert including his country picking pieces but I adore the more formal European pieces. This wonderful segment ended with "Mood For A Day".

The crowd were great, quiet always listening, and then full of applause when pieces ended and it was the biggest audience I have been in for a Steve Howe solo concert. Steve continues to build on his more open and relaxed manner and was full of fun and down to earth humour and genuinely appreciative of our attendence.

The second set flew by "Sketches In The Sun", "Dorothy" but it began with Charlie Chaplins "Smile" a brilliant reinterpretation eking out, through different tempos and finger work, every last little bit of reinvention of the main melody.

Cactus Boogie on Electric and then we moved to the four Yes pieces on the Portuguese Guitar, `"Hour of Need" and "Nine Voices" only remind you how silly it is not to throw a couple of deep cuts in to the band sets.

All The Good People of Bristol gave him a robust thank you at the end and he was back for "Clap"  

It truly is a Wondrous Story to return to the Colston Hall 40 years after my first ever Yes concert there for the Relayer Tour and sit down and experience a couple of hours of consummate music making from one of the architects of that amazing tour all those years ago. Thank you Malcolm for reminding me of the very real privilege it is.
     

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alan White - Lights Out

  Alan White When Chris Welch commented on Bill Bruford leaving Yes in the summer of 1972 he said it was like Rolls quitting Royce.    Over the years since then all the talk has been about how complex Yes's music was by then and what a mammoth task it was for Alan to come in and learn all that stuff in a few days which he did in time for Dallas. That was only a small part of the story the reality was the way Bill and Chris worked was entirely atypical.  To break into that required a complete rethink for the entire band. Chris towards the end, on the fortieth anniversary of the Yes Album acknowledged that. Rick in late '72 found the change unsettling. It was as if the foundations of a building had been completely remodelled and the upper floors didn't sit properly afterwards.  When you sat in the Wembley Arena in 1977 and listened to Alan count in Starship Trooper you knew the journey had been made. Trooper, Siberian, Good People, And You and I, were BETTER than the original
Read more

Rise and Fall - Making Deeper Connections

John Holden  "Capture Light" was one of those projects which were so complete so perfectly executed that like "Close To The Edge" when you played it, it deserved unadulterated attention. Each listen was an event I felt as if I needed to "dress up" to experience it. It was a summit moment. So how do you follow the perfectly executed, bring in an orchestra, jam more and write longer pieces? Fans of what was called progressive music in 1972 have experienced those choices from their bands down the years.  John has the advantage of not being a precocious mid-twenties artist under pressure; instead, he can call on a lifetime of reflection and experience for the answer. "Leap of Faith" begins with a nagging repeating piano figure evoking, mystery, questing all underpinned with a yearning emotionalism. You are drawn in immediately but to where? After this insistent beginning, there is no prog-rock transition instea
Read more

Levin Torn White

How do you end up with such a sense of corporate achievement when they did not even sit in the same room to make the music? Well the answer to that is clearly the director of operations Mr Schorr who piloted the three passengers so deftly and empathetically to the ultimate destination. However I suspect therein lays the key to why each player is able to deliver up such idiosyncratic and full performances. To continue the analogy Schoor flew them by an interesting route he even allowed them to choose the way there. Listening late at night to this pillow full of dark emphasises the music’s earthiness and sharp urban unsentimental feel but it is never miserable or dull. The sense of enquiry is positive and uplifting rather than panic stricken or over clever and I think Alan’s contribution which is warm and soulful is crucial in this area. He maybe pushing the envelope but the playing is routed in his natural modesty.  Tony is a one man bass orchestra and his contribution gives the mus
Read more