Elvis and the Imposters, Ottawa Jazz Fest June 24, 2011

[FAVEHOUR]

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Jazz+ ... story.html

[bobfrombob]

Ottawa - very good!!! Outside - meh.

[bobfrombob]

OK, this is much better now. The Jazz Fest is selling something called Platinum Seating. The first 4 rows in front of the stage are reserved for these premum seats. I called the office and said this was new to me at an event where the rest of the venue would be general admission standing but I was assured that nobody would be able to get in front of these seats. $75 each rather than $50-something. A bit of a risk but I'm in for that.


Cheers

[verbal gymnastics]

These platinum seats/golden circle type things are big business.

Still it seems worth it for what is a fairly decent price.

[scielle]

@lailabiali: Listening to @ElvisCostello. Brilliant! We're opening for Elvis and the Imposters at @OttawaJazz on June 24th. Yeah! #thingstolookforwardto

For those who don't know Laila, she's a fabulous Vancouver jazz pianist and vocalist, and probably one of the finest jazz composers in Canada at the moment. (I think she was the youngest to win Composer and Keyboardist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards a few years ago).
She's opened for Diana in the past, and I'd argue she's probably a finer jazz piano player than DK, at least from a technical standpoint. Very talented young woman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laila_Biali

[Man out of Time]

I was interested to read this on the website of the Ottawa Jazz Festival:

http://ottawajazzfestival.com/index.php ... imposters/

Legendary rocker Elvis Costello returns to the road with his latest project with the Imposters. Costello’s comfort level with his regular crew is evident on his latest record, “The Future Lies Ahead”. That same level of familiarity is sure to translate into a stunning live show. Known as much for his antagonistic streak as he is for his brilliant songwriting, Costello has managed to transcend the many genres — from punk rock to chamber music — he visits and which try to claim him for their own. “The Future Lies Ahead” is Costello’s 33rd album.

I guess whoever wrote that piece of nonsense had been looking at this :

http://www.elviscostello.com/news/spect ... lo-with/88

Nothing like a live concert to promote your latest album, except when the promoter doesn't know what it is called...

MOOT

[And No Coffee Table]

Remember this is a non-Revolver show.

Twitter:

Though It's wet and sloppy out here, @ElvisCostello is far from sloppy. Crisp and snappy. Great showman!

CLOWN STRIKE! Love that Elvis Costello pulled this song out tonight. Love Brutal Youth.

Elvis C follows up Everyday I write the Books with Almost Blue. Fans = Happy.

EC @ Jazzfest... New Lace Sleeves…

EC... Beyond Belief

EC... Changes guitar and right into Clubland!!!

#ElvisCostello mellowing out in #confedpark #Ottawa right now

EC is sublime.... Josephine acoustic..... Croud in raptures.... (Not the Blondie variety)…

JOSEPHINE! http://yfrog.com/klax0vj

EC... Encore... I DON'T WANT TO GO TO CHELSEA!!!

Oh thank you ELVIS....... WATCHING THE DETECTIVES.... Under the stars..... http://yfrog.com/kh73byj

Hypothesis: if you are in a band w/Elvis Costello long enough, you begin to look like him.

His bass player defies everything Kids in the Hall taught me about bass players.

Awwwwwwww...... ALISON.... In all its langorous glory……..

They are on to the set that will appease the Loud Talkers in the crowd

Elvis is doing some interesting mashups tonight

EC.... ANGELS wanna wear my red shoes

EC... I can't stand up for falling down…

EC... High Fidelity!!!

EC... Out of Time...

EC............... WHAT'S. SO. FUNNY. BOUT. PEACE. LOVE. AND. UNDERSTANDING???? I ASK YOU? Pass it on http://yfrog.com/h8f0mqgj

[And No Coffee Table]

The show seems to have ended only a few minutes ago, so this review must have been written midway.

Follow the link for photos.


Review: Costello provides his own thunder at rain-soaked Jazzfest

By Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen June 24, 2011 10:22 PM

OTTAWA — Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello bounded on to the stage of the TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival and lit into what was probably the most rocking concert ever witnessed at the venerable festival.

Instead of relying on a wheel-driven game of chance to determine the song selection, a gimmick he's been using in other cities on his current tour, Costello played whatever the heck he wanted, and seemed to take the opportunity to let loose. There was a setlist, but he didn't follow it very closely.

Looking trim in a dapper suit and sporting his trademark fedora and thick-rimmed glasses, the 56-year-old Brit kicked things off with a high-octane version of Pump It Up, which immediately commanded the attention of the small but enthusiastic crowd. A torrential downpour earlier in the evening kept many fans away, although the weather cleared in time for Costello's headlining performance, and he started right on time.

"Lovely weather we're having," he commented at one point, "(but) having spent the last six years living in British Columbia, this is a sunny day to us."

The former Declan MacManus was a ball of energy tduring the first part of the show, putting his band through their paces on a taut and speedy Heart of the City before careening back to the mid-70s nugget, Mystery Dance. His band, the Imposters, which consisted of keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher, was fantastic, effortlessly keeping up with the pace set by their boss.

Costello handled the guitar work, both electric and acoustic, on his own, turning in the sharp, tasty licks that add so much to his music, while keyboardist Nieve was responsible for filling in the spaces with inventive passages that roamed from straightforward piano to outer space and back.

They charged through Strict Time and Clown Strike before slowing the tempo for a nice, torchy version of Almost Blue, the title track from Costello's 1981 album with the Attractions. Costello hammed it up for the on-stage video camera, planting a big kiss on the lens and crooning like he was trying to seduce the crowd. Another highlight was the old-timey A Slow Drag With Josephine. It was a terrific concert that spanned almost 40 years of songwriting, and showed that Costello is still a vital force in pop music.

[bobfrombob]

Pump It Up
Heart Of The City
Mystery Dance
Every Day I Write The Book
Strict Time
Clown Strike
Almost Blue
New Lace Sleeves
Beyond Belief
Clubland
Stations Of The Cross
This Wheel's On Fire/River In Reverse/On Your Way Down/I`ll Take Care Of You

Slow Drag With Josephine (solo)
Jimmy Standing In The Rain (solo)
IDWTGT Chelsea
Watching The Detectives
Alison

Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind
Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes
I Can`t Stand Up
High Fidelity
Out Of Time
WSFA Peace, Love and Understanding (little The Kids Are Alright)

[johnfoyle]

'.... Almost Blue, title track of 1981 album' - tsk,tsk! John , on the bumpy road to Pecs, Hungary

[And No Coffee Table]

Vintage Elvis at Jazzfest

BY DENIS ARMSTRONG, OTTAWA SUN

FIRST POSTED: FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 10:28:04 EDT PM

It was an evening of surprising firsts at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival Friday night.

First of all, there was a show, albeit a very soggy one. Then, the evening’s opener Juno and National Jazz Award winning singer Laila Biali missed her gig after getting stuck in a plane on the tarmac at Ottawa International Airport when officials decided the ferocious storm south of the city made deplaning too dangerous.

Nevertheless, the two-thirds of Biali’s trio that made it to Confederation Park — George Koller on bass and Brian Lewis on drums — carried on without her with a thoroughly enjoyable, if self-consciously abbreviated set for about 100.

But the biggest surprise of the night was Elvis Costello.

Lately, the 57-year-old Costello — Canadian jazz siren Diana Krall’s husband — has been touring with his “Spectacular Spinning Songbook” show with his current band The Imposters. One half game show, one half concert, listeners spin the wheel to decide Costello’s next song. It’s an inspired bit of staged lunacy that only a cheeky Costello could pull off. But for whatever reason, Costello decided to forego the Wheel of Fortune charade and all those free trips to Hawaii, and play it straight.

Unencumbered, Costello tore the Concerts Under the Stars stage to shreds with a rip-roaring set of favourite hits. Some of them, like Almost Blue sounded almost jazzy. Imagine that!

Elder wit?

Throughout the misty night, the question many of the 2,500 fans were collectively wondering was, which Elvis Costello will we get? The young punk, the elder wit, the lounge singer? Which?

What we got was a free-flowing survey of Costello’s remarkable career beginning with Pump It Up, Heart of the City, Everyday I Write the Book, Strict Time before cruising through some of his lesser-known titles. With 33 albums including his latest The Future Lies Ahead to choose from, nobody really knew what to expect next from a delightfully playful Costello.

“I’m the intermission act,” he joked at one point before playing A Slow Drag with Josephine and Jimmy Standing in the Rain by himself before he was rejoined by the Imposters for Chelsea, Watching the Detectives and a lovely croon on Alison before an encore of The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes.

Performance-wise, Costello, wearing a pork pie hat offset by his black glasses, sang off-key and slightly behind the beat for most of the show and it was entirely excellent to see Costello so alive and out-of control and still capable of feeling the music after all these years.

That’s the Elvis Costello we got: Unpredictable, vintage Costello.

[Lester Burnham]

I did some digging and saw that the reporter thought that "National Ransom" was called "The Future Lies Ahead", based on a posting in the Yellow Press section of EC's site. How's that for research??

[johnfoyle]

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainm ... story.html




Elvis Costello performs License to Kill in a Bob Dylan tribute due for release Jan. 24.
Photograph by: Jean Levac, The Ottawa Citizen

[Man out of Time]

Another review (in French) here:

Publié le 25 juin 2011
Le Festival de jazz d'Ottawa résiste à la pluie

Costello, le remède à la grisaille

MARC-ANDRÉ JOANISSE

Elvis Costello s'est avéré le remède idéal à cette journée particulièrement lassante où une pluie torrentielle s'est abattue sur nos têtes.

Dès les premiers coups de plectre sur sa Fender Telecaster, le public, trempé jusqu'aux os, s'est soudainement senti soulagé. Réconforté même. Bravo à ce public pour avoir bravé les intempéries, pour avoir été patient. Et sa patience a été grandement récompensée.

On ne sait jamais lequel des Costello, alias Declan MacManus, se pointera, le très intéressant ou le très peu intéressant. Hier soir, au Festival international de jazz d'Ottawa, on a eu droit au plus intéressant. Mettons plus qu'intéressant.

L'artiste fête sa 30e année de carrière. Et il n'entend pas laisser passer l'événement sous silence. Il s'offre d'ailleurs la totale. Le grand gagnant dans tout cela a été cette foule réunie au parc de la Confédération.

Elvis Costello et ses Imposteurs ont répété une cinquantaine de chansons pour cette grande tournée. Les quatre choisissent comme bon leur semble et leurs choix, il y a quelques heures, ont été particulièrement pertinents.

Elvis Costello a touché à tout depuis le début de sa carrière. Il a toujours fait et continue de faire un rock dandy. Il a aussi frayé avec le classique et le jazz en compagnie de sa conjointe, Diana Krall.

Tous ces genres et toutes ces influences ont été admirablement bien déployés. Costello rock c'est Pump It Up, entonnée dès le début du spectacle, Heart of the City, Everyday I Write the Book et Strict Time pour ne nommer que ces chansons-là. Costello jazz c'est Almost Blues avec des allures de coroner. En rappel, on l'a même vu et entendu seul à la guitare avec une charmante chanson, A Slow Drag for Josephine et une autre, Jimmie Standing in the Rain. Rain, pluie, on l'a trouvé drôle, celle-là avant de rappeler ses musiciens et interpréter Chelsea et Watching the Detectives.

Les aléas de la météo

Et le fichu temps ?

Il a gâché le premier concert en carrière de Laila Biali à Ottawa. La pianiste-chanteuse a bel et bien rejoint la capitale fédérale, mais son avion a été cloué au sol à l'aéroport MacDonald-Cartier. Tout ça en raison du mauvais temps et des menaces d'éclairs dans le ciel orageux. Ses musiciens, le contrebassiste George Keller et le batteur Larnell Lewis ont tout de même offert une prestation d'une quarantaine de minutes devant une foule d'intrépides.

Il fallait vraiment vouloir écouter de la musique en plein air pour s'aventurer au parc de la Confédération, hier soir. Une pluie incessante et froide s'est installée en début de soirée. Elle a tout bonnement quitté une vingtaine de minutes avant l'arrivée d'Elvis Costello. Pour ne jamais récidiver.

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/arts-et ... saille.php

and in English, via Google Translate:

"The Ottawa Jazz Festival resists rain

Costello, the cure for gray
MARC-ANDRÉ JOANISSE

Elvis Costello proved the perfect remedy for this particularly boring day when torrential rain fell on our heads.

From the first shots plectrum on his Fender Telecaster, the public soaked through, suddenly felt relieved. Comforted himself. Congratulations to the public for braving the weather for being patient. And his patience was rewarded greatly.

You never know which Costello, aka Declan MacManus, shows up, very interesting or very unattractive. Last night at the International Jazz Festival in Ottawa, we were treated to more interesting. Let more interesting.

The artist celebrates his 30th year career. And he does not intend to pass the event in silence. It also provides the total. The big winner in all this was the crowd at Confederation Park.

Elvis Costello and the Imposters repeated fifty songs for this great tour. The four choose as they see fit and their choices, a few hours ago, were particularly relevant.

Elvis Costello has touched everything from the beginning of his career. It has always been and continues to be a dandy rock. He also pioneered the classical and jazz with his wife, Diana Krall.

All these genres and all these influences were beautifully made. Costello rock is Pump It Up, sung at the beginning of the show, Heart of the City, Everyday I Write the Book and Strict Time to name those songs. Costello's Almost Blue is jazz with the appearance of a coroner. As a reminder, we have even seen and heard only the guitar with a lovely song, A Slow Drag with Josephine and Jimmie Standing in the Rain. Rain, rain, we found it funny that one before bringing back his musicians and playing Chelsea and Watching the Detectives.

The vagaries of the weather

And the damn time?

He ruined the first concert career Laila Biali in Ottawa. Pianist-singer has indeed joined the federal capital, but his plane was grounded at the MacDonald-Cartier Airport. All this because of the bad weather and lightning threats in the stormy sky. Musicians, bassist George Keller and drummer Larnell Lewis still offer a service of forty minutes before a crowd of intrepid.

It was really wanting to listen to music outdoors to venture Confederation Park last night. Incessant rain and cold settled in the early evening. She simply left twenty minutes before the arrival of Elvis Costello. Never to offend."

MOOT