Van Morrison is all business in soulful performance
Van Morrison loves OAKLAND » to work.
How else can you explain the staggering number of recordings he’s released in the 21st century? It’s certainly not because he needs the money or is compelled to add to his legacy or, really, that the public is clamoring for new material from Van the Man.
He could just coast along like most of his contemporaries — which would be other Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who also got their start in the 1960s — and, maybe, put out a new album about once every four years or so, content to just collect the royalties from their greatest hits packages in the interim.
Morrison, however, has put out more than a dozen albums in the 2000s. And pretty much all of them have been worth hearing/owning.
He brings that same work ethic onto the concert stage, where he is known for delivering no- nonsense and straightforward performances that start on time and end at a reasonable hour. He doesn’t talk much or interact with the crowd. And, really, why would he? After all, there’s work to be done.
The famed Belfast Cowboy, now 73, was the consummate professional as he opened a two-night stand Wednesday at the Fox Theater in Oakland. He strolled onstage without any real fanfare, joining his superb six-piece band for a well-paced set that stretched some 90 minutes.
Morrison drew from the pop, rock and R& B worlds throughout the set, but the overall feel and sound of the music was definitely jazz. I know Morrison is a classic rock legend, but, really, at this point in his career, he’s more of a jazz singer than anything else. His phrasing and scatting, in particular, wouldn’t sound out of place next to the best- of-the-best at, say, the Monterey Jazz Festival.
One of the early highlights was the title track to 1995’s “Days Like This,” delivered with tasteful restraint yet ample soul. He also scored when he reached back to his days with the band Them for a driving rendition of the blues staple “Baby, Please Don’t Go” and then ricocheted through the Lester Young number “Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid.”
Not everything worked so well, however. In particular, his upbeat and jazzy makeover of “Have I Told You Lately” was ordinary at the best. This version lacked the heart and soul that went into the original recording of the beloved ballad, which has been used for countless first dances at weddings.
Morrison was all business for much of the night, moving through the songs like there was a schedule to keep and someplace to go. Yet, the sellout crowd still witnessed some evidence that he was having a good time onstage. He even laughed — for about half a second. But, for Morrison, who has a reputa- tion for being a bit of a grump, a half- second of laughter is a lot.
Morrison has taken excellent care of his voice over the years, and his vocals are still warm and strong after a half- century-plus of performing. He also did some fine work on the saxophone, complemented so wonderfully by the versatile backing group. “Moon- dance,” in particular, featured some wonderful exchanges between Morrison’s saxophone and his sideman’s muted trumpet.
The approximately 90-minute main set drew to a close with such cuts as “Wild Nights” and “Brown Eyed Girl,” punctuating a special night with a few true fan favorites.