When Joan Baez made her breakthrough, and became one of the important people in music, I wasn’t even born yet. As a matter of fact, by the time I was 10, There was already a 2nd autobiography. Yep, I’m just a 41 year old kiddo. Off course, over the years you learn about her, what she stands for, and how important she is, and so there I sat Monday evening in Brussels BOZAR to see her perform. Unlike the most of the audience, I didn’t have a long history with her Music, or some kind of nostalgia. But if there is 1 thing the evening has proven, it is that you don’t need that history to enjoy her show.
At 77 (you read that correctly) she can sing beautifully, her guitar playing is so clear and she stands on that stage with strength, integrity and grace. A lot of today’s and tomorrow’s popular acts can only humbly bow in respect for that. If you see her perform, you understand why she is the legend, why she is that statue she became.
Joan entered the stage on her own for a few songs in a ‘Woman and guitar’ style. After a few songs she got backed up by, what she called, her Big Band consisting of Dirk Powell on strings and Piano and her son Gabriel on Percussion. She embraced her audience with warmth, and even put herself in a more difficult situation by trying to address the audience regularly in French. She sometimes had to think and search for her words, but it showed us how comfortable she is on stage. Most artists wouldn’t dare to do that, I’m sure. The audience appreciated this big time, and the first time they heard here speak French, it was welcomed with a big applause. It even got better when a music stand was brought on stage, and she asked us to wish her luck. And then she gave us a wonderful version of George Brassens’s 'Chanson pour L’Auvergnat’. A song dedicated to people who help out those who are treated as outcasts.
But it wasn’t over with baffling us in understanding our culture of French Chansons. As a matter of fact, it seems it baffled her as well. Near the end of show, during a 1th (of 3) encores, she started singing ‘Le temps des cerises’, a song dating back to 1866 written by Jean Baptiste Clément. She didn’t say what she was going to sing, she simply asked us to help her out. When she sang the first few words, she literally had to step back 2 steps to take in the overwhelming sound of a sold-out Bozar singing along immediately. It was no surprise to me that something like that would happen. If I want my mother to sing a long with something, I just have to put on this song, and she’ll start singing it from th heart. This is part of our cultural Heritage. The song was inspired by a trip of Clément in Flanders and coming across a house surrounded by cherry trees. It was a controversial song at the time, since it was also interpreted as a metaphor for the ongoing Revolution happening in Paris at the time.
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
Et gai rossignol et merle moqueur
Seront tous en fête
(When we sing of cherry time and the happy nightingale and the mockingbird/mocking blackbird all be celebrating)
Monday evening was an evening full of old songs and new songs from her latest album. We received a wonderful ‘The President sang Amazing Grace’, and an impressive ‘Whistle down the wind’. I say impressive, because since I heard Joan Baez do this, I identify this song completely with her. As if T. Waits wrote it for her, before he even knew it. Those who know me personally, understand this is a big thing for me to say.
From the latest album, the song ‘Another World’ originally from ANOHI, proved how songs still can grow after they have been recorded. In resemblance with the album version, this was a much stronger performance. The soundman put a reverb on the microphone, so you’d litteraly could hear the words disappearing. (Or where that reflections coming from the acoustics of the room ? I was sitting under a balcony.) Anyway, it fits perfectly with this song. “I need another world, this one’s nearly gone" she sings. It’s a song originally about taking care of this earth, because we are destroying it. But when someone sings it at this moment in a life, it easily becomes a song about mortality.
‘Diamonds and Rust’, a song about her relationship with Bob Dylan was performed as a duet with a fantastic strong voice by Grace Stumberg. The lighting was set, so that we could see 2 huge shadows in the back. It was like the song was sung by 2 ghosts from the past. It only strengthened the already strong version of this song. At a moment Joan started laughing out loud, and explained the need to change the lyrics from ‘10 years ago’ to ‘50 years ago’.
The entire show was build up with strong performances of the songs, very early on we received 'Deportee (Planewreck at Los Gatos)' (Guthrie) A song about deported Mexicans, who’s plane never made it to Mexico. They had no names, they where just called Deportees. It got the house quiet, and I must admit, when it was done I kept myself from standing up to applaud for it. It’s a song from 70 years ago, but still so relevant. Especially over here, where we live in a hardened atmosphere against refugees. A couple of days ago a van full of refugees, was shot by the police. A 2 year old child died…..
“They where only refugees”
This is an atmosphere that hangs in the air with a big part of the population around here, and it angers and frightens me. I guess it also did with a lot of others in the audience. Only for that song already I thank you Joan Baez.
'Imagine' from John Lennon, was the first encore and became a sing a long. A few more songs to go and then she came back a last time and signalled us she needed to go to sleep and so did we.
Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people living in peace
There are so man reasons to thank her for this concert. Everyone will have their reason. It is clear now, that no matter if you’re old or young, this is a must see concert. So go out and enjoy her music live while you can. Because this is her :
Fare thee well tour.
Greetings,
Stefan.
Setlist :
There but Fortune / God is God / Farewell, Angelina / Whistle Down the Wind / Silver blade / It’s all over now, Baby Blue / Deportee (Planewreck at Los Gatos) / The things that we are made of / Diamonds & Rust / Me and Bobby McGee / Another World / Chanson pour l’Auvergnat / The President sang Amazing Grace / Joe Hill / Seven Curses / Silver Dagger / The House of the Rising Sun // Imagine / Le Temps des cerises // The Boxer // Swing Low Chariot
On March 2nd Joan Baez's new album, produced by Joe, will be released.
NPR has 'Whistle down the wind' as a pre-listen. So make sure to go over there.
I'll offer you Joan in the studio of France Inter, bringing us 'The President sang Amazing Grace' and 'Last Leaf'.
He played some songs from his latest album Thrum live. Besides talking about that album he, also spoke about producing the Steep Canyon Rangers, Harry Belafonte,... about meeting Joan Baez, and hearing her perform on of his songs for the upcoming album Whistle down the wind. On that album you will find Joan Baez bring Joe's 'Civil War'.
Has Tom Waits ever specifically written a song for you?No,
I've just found his music and I know that if I scratch the surface, I'll
come up with something. I wish he would write something for me, but he
didn't have to write "Last Leaf" for me; it was just there. It's a song
about the timing in my life and it makes me laugh. But also, I am the
last leaf on the tree for lots of folks.(rollingstone)
(Make sure to read that entire interview.)
The Steep Canyon rangers released 'Let me out of this town' from their album 'Out in the open', which will be released in 2 weeks.
At tasteofcountry.com they say about it :
"Recording 'Let Me Out of This Town' required patience, keeping the
horse on a tight rein until, by the end, you can’t hold back any longer
and hell has broken loose!" vocalist and banjo player Graham Sharp says.
Full tracklist :
1. "Farmers and Pharaohs"
2. "Let Me Out of This Town" (listen)
3. "Out in the Open"
4. "Can’t Get Home"
5. "Going Midwest" (listen)
6. "When She Was Mine"
7. "Love Harder"
8. "Shenandoah Valley"
9. "Best of Me"
10. "Roadside Anthems"
11. "Let Me Die in My Footsteps"
12. "The Speed We’re Traveling" (listen)
The songs featured on Joan Baez's upcoming album have been released. The title of the album will be 'Whistle down the wind'. (Earlier it was announced that it would be : 'Fare thee well'.)
Whistle Down The Wind (Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan)
Be of Good Heart (Josh Ritter)
Another World (Antony)
Civil War (Joe Henry)
The Things That We Are Made Of (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
The President Sang Amazing Grace (Zoe Mulford)
Last Leaf (Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan)
Silver Blade (Josh Ritter)
The Great Correction (Eliza Gilkyson)
I Wish The Wars Were All Over (Tim Eriksen) source
'Another World' by Anthony is a song I always feel verry strongly about. What a strong and amazing song that is. I offer you here these songs, sung by their creators. Have a wonderful listen !
Variety has an interview with Joan Baez. Joe is producer of her upcoming album, which will also be her last album.
CREDIT: AGF s.r.l./REX/Shutterstock
She speaks about the songs she has picked for this album, and doing a last bit of touring next year.
“I’ve done something from Antony & The Johnsons, two from Tom Waits
– ‘Last Leaf’ and ‘Whistle Down The Wind’ – Josh Ritter, one from an
unknown, Zoe Mulford, brilliant. Twelve songs and they’re done. There’s
one I might redo, Steve [Earle’s], because it has too much
instrumentation and you need to hear the words.”
“Next year is my last year of formal touring,” said Baez. “There will be
four different tours, one month each, and then that’s it."
Now, at the age of 76, she will be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame, and she has a new album in the works produced by Joe.
With Donald Trump in the White House, rock is entering a new protest
era, and Baez is helping lead the way. Last fall, she performed at
Standing Rock in North Dakota as part of the protest against the Dakota
Pipeline. In January, she participated in two Women's Marches on the
same day, one in Redwood City and another in San Francisco, and she's
helping to plan a show to benefit illegal immigrants (her father was
born in Mexico and came to the U.S. at age two). "So many people have
said to me, out of the blue, 'We need Joan Baez right now,' " says Joe
Henry, who's producing Baez's next LP. "She's been fiercely standing
where she is her whole life." When Henry told his sister-in-law Madonna
he was working with Baez, he says, she texted him: "She's a fucking
warrior hero."
She's planning one last worldwide tour, next year, right after she
finishes her in-progress album, for which she's already cut covers of
songs by Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Josh Ritter and Anohni. "There's a
feeling that things are winding down, and I wanted to do one more
studio effort," she says. She's even recording with the same acoustic
guitar she used on her first album (it has been refurbished several
times). "She's at peace with it," says Joe Henry. "She has other things
she'd like to focus on, like her painting. I didn't feel like it was
with any regret."
