A Gretsch Master at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:15 pm
I got a great treat from my wife for celebrating my 49th. On Friday I got to see one of my guitar heroes live at Place Des Arts in Montreal, as part of the 30th Montreal International Jazz Festival, Brian Setzer. He was last in Montreal in 1995, also for the Jazz Festival. What an incredible guitar player and fabulous live performer. Seeing the usually reserved (think Montreal Symphony Orchestra) and beautiful venue transformed into Rockabilly Heaven was, frankly, a blast. Where folks are usually formally dressed, seated, and providing polite applause after a performance, a transformation to a polar opposite took place. There were bowling shirts, shifts and shorts, hair piled high and Lucille Ball make-up, and every version of swing, jive and jitterbug taking place in the aisles, on the seats, in the balcony boxes and on any clear floor spot. THIS was Rock and Roll, and it was let loose Daddy-O!
Brian played with his orchestra and also did a short trio set, a la Stray Cats, with Mark Winchester on slap bass and Bernie Dresel on a snare/cymbal set. What a performance! The orchestra brass were all in bowling shirts and hair, and had a synch/swing/play kind of groove happening, all at light speed, and all the while Brian the Guitar Pixie was lickin' and riffin' his way back and forth across the stage and even into the bandstand. They played a few new tunes, but really spent a lot of time on Stray Cats classics and well known Brian Setzer Orchestra hits. Brian played a couple of sharply finished (one a gorgeous Candy Apple Red Setzer model!) signature Gretschs at first, which actually sounded a bit thin and weak. But when he got the '59 out and turned up the Showman, the tone and feel were instantly there. The concert hall was hopping for almost 3 hours
A very pleasant surprise was his opening act, Irma Thomas - the Soul Queen of New Orleans. A fantastic show, celebrating her 50 years in show biz
She performed her 1964 version of Time Is On My Side, and later brought the house to their feet with Simply The Best.
Unfortunately, not a Rick in sight. However, after the show finished and we left the hall to venture into the very crowded downtown Montreal streets filled with thousands Jazz aficionados taking in the free shows, I could not stop bopping. We danced our way through the crowds until well after midnight, finally reaching the car and the short trip home. What a great evening.
Brian played with his orchestra and also did a short trio set, a la Stray Cats, with Mark Winchester on slap bass and Bernie Dresel on a snare/cymbal set. What a performance! The orchestra brass were all in bowling shirts and hair, and had a synch/swing/play kind of groove happening, all at light speed, and all the while Brian the Guitar Pixie was lickin' and riffin' his way back and forth across the stage and even into the bandstand. They played a few new tunes, but really spent a lot of time on Stray Cats classics and well known Brian Setzer Orchestra hits. Brian played a couple of sharply finished (one a gorgeous Candy Apple Red Setzer model!) signature Gretschs at first, which actually sounded a bit thin and weak. But when he got the '59 out and turned up the Showman, the tone and feel were instantly there. The concert hall was hopping for almost 3 hours
A very pleasant surprise was his opening act, Irma Thomas - the Soul Queen of New Orleans. A fantastic show, celebrating her 50 years in show biz
She performed her 1964 version of Time Is On My Side, and later brought the house to their feet with Simply The Best. Unfortunately, not a Rick in sight. However, after the show finished and we left the hall to venture into the very crowded downtown Montreal streets filled with thousands Jazz aficionados taking in the free shows, I could not stop bopping. We danced our way through the crowds until well after midnight, finally reaching the car and the short trip home. What a great evening.
