Manchester Apollo 13 July 2007

It’s rare to be able to witness live performances by two very different and special female American singer/songwriters in a single show. Stephanie Dosen is one of the new breed of female singer/songwriters whose debut album (A LILY FOR THE SPECTRE) in our book is one of the very best released in 2007, with a good chance of topping our best-of-year list. As a modern folk artist there are few better around at the moment. Nanci Griffith on the other hand is arguably the best of the vintage generation of country folk singer/songwriters with a string of classic songs to her credit. How could I pass up the opportunity to see the best of the new, and the best of the old?

The venue for the night’s great show was Manchester’s Apollo, in my view a strange choice for these artists (although a brilliant venue for rock acts), and especially with the more appropriate and stunning Bridgewater Hall just a couple of miles away. Looking around the foyer before the show it was obvious that most, if not all, of the generally more mature audience where there to see their hero Griffith, and that Dosen would therefore be a very special bonus for them. On entering the auditorium I found the array of instruments grouped together in the centre of the stage and dwarfed by scale of it. It wasn’t long before Dosen, accompanied by Fiona Brice (violin) and Vicky Matthews (cello), wandered onto the stage and strapped on her huge guitar. This was the fourth time we had seen a Dosen performance (within the last couple of months), and it appeared to me that she has improved with each show.

And this was her finest performance. Dosen is a natural both vocally and in her ability to communicate with an audience. In fact it seems so effortless for her to captivate and enthral, even in a scenario such as this where few really knew her or her music. During a moving, short set the audience responded positively and genuinely to each song taken from her album. In fact I’m pretty sure that if the album had been sold in the foyer a few hundred would have been sold on the night. What made the performance so perfect was the addition of some of the additional instruments that appear on the album. The songs played included ‘This Joy,’ ‘Vinalhaven Harbor,’ ‘Like A Dream,’ ‘Way Out,’ ‘By And By’ and my personal favourite, the incredibly beautiful ‘A Lily For The Spectre.’

In the acoustically-sound and very large auditorium with capacity of over 2,000, Dosen’s sweet and fluid voice triumphed in a way not heard by me before. The audience loved her music and also responded to the funny stories that punctuated the set. When it was over I was convinced that I had witnessed greatness in the making; it was a faultless and inspired performance of melodic songs full of depth and meaning. I was blown away by the immensity of what I saw and heard.

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We all have musical heroes and Nanci Griffith is definitely one of mine. The love affair began when I was given a compilation CD with her best MCA songs, including live performances in front of adoring audiences. It never left my CD player for months, and I was desperate to see the lady perform for myself. Well, it had taken nine years for my aspiration to come true, and I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was standing in front of one of folk music’s true greats. Supporting by piano (and backing vocal), drummer, bass and guitar (and backing vocal) players, she immediately launched into one of her best and newest songs, ‘Simple Life,’ which generated huge applause at the very first note. The first of her older classics arrived with ‘Speed Of Sound Of Loneliness’ and soon after another, ‘From A Distance’ again to a huge acclaim from the crowd. It was wonderful to hear that distinctive, soaring, expressive voice during the verses and choruses of the latter – a truly uplifting and spine-tingling experience.

Then came an extended explanation to the next song, ‘Beautiful’, when she explained that the song was written about he step-father. She talked about her childhood and the loving discipline imposed by her parents. I’ve never heard the song before but as in all of Griffith’s songs the lyrics are simple and very powerful, although I wasn’t too sure about the song’s jazzy arrangement. Then Griffith lovingly introduced two songs by Tom Waits called ‘Ruby’s Arms’ and ‘Grapefruit Moon’ which was performed with deep sensitivity and to more genuine audience acclaim. Then it was back to old favourites starting with ‘Gulf Coast Highway’ (and a quite beautiful duet with keyboard player James), ‘Listen To The Radio’ and ‘Love At The 5 & Dime.’

My first live Griffith experience revealed a performer so at ease it almost seemed like she was performing in far more intimate surroundings. It was like one long conversation in words and song, covering everything from old friends who have passed on, cheating and hard-drinking husbands and boy friends, to preparing salads in a deli, to the more serious topics of the Iraq War, 9/11 and The Vietnam war – the theme of her next song ‘Heart Of Indochine.’ At one point she angrily shouted, with fists raised in defiance, her dislike for W. George Bush which had the audience screaming in agreement. Each song was judiciously sung to echo its heart-beat; its message; that encompassed everything from love, death, nostalgia, war, injustice, optimism.

Two more songs ’Wing And The Wheel’, ‘Hard Life’ arrived before she talked about the men in her life to which the next song, ‘Last Train Home’ had strong relevance, and drew widespread laughter. Finally it was ‘Across The Great Divide’ at which point the actors left the stage to predictable shouts for more. There was a just a single song encore which was rather appropriately entitled ‘Well Alright’ before the stage emptied again and the auditorium lights were switched on to signal it was all over.

It had been an incredible night and if you have any doubts as whether this mid 50’s Texan superstar can still cut the mustard, forget it. The voice is as strong as ever, while the experience of love, loss and war has widened her vocabulary even further. Few singers in my long experience of live reviewing possess such acute phrasing, and the ability to raise octave levels, effortlessly and within an instant. It was remarkable to witness. But a special mention must also be given to her musicians including the superb guitar work and backing vocals of Thomm and James on keyboard and backing vocals. Stephanie Dosen also proved to be a star in the ascendant and made this show one of them most memorable I’ve attended.

Set List

Simple Life

Speed Of Sound

Love Conquers All

From A Distance

Beautiful

Drops From A Faucet

Grapefruit Moon

Ruby’s Arms

Gulf Coast Highway

Flyer

Listen To The Radio

Love At The 5 & Dime

Heart Of Indochine

Wing And The Wheel

Hard Life

Last Train Home

Across The Great Divide

Well Alright