A thief, a reiver, a shiftin’ silhouette
Pilgrimer, 16 January 2016
My first Celtic Connections gig of the year last night began when the white lines imprisoning the freeway were the persistent powder snow on the M8. I huddled in my seat with only Jean Rhys and the Grateful Dead for comfort, fortified by the free Tunnock’s Teacakes and Caramel Wafers provided on the bus. There may be a deep metaphor there for what was to come.
Pilgrimer was billed as a “re-imagining” of Joni Mitchell’s Hejira with words by James Roberston and musical direction by Karine and Steven Polwart. The second half of the show comprised 10 (11 including encore) of Joni’s songs from her lengthy back catalogue.
Although I have some reservations about the show, I enjoyed it. I should also say that the reaction I have seen so far has been overwhelmingly positive so maybe my reservations are just me being me.
Robertson used Mitchell’s words as a point of departure for his own reflections and thoughts, inspired by his own journey across America and subsequent contemplation over twenty years. I hadn’t twigged beforehand just how much of a re-imagining the texts would be, thinking they would stick closer to Joni’s originals, and I was initially unsettled by the divergence. The programme for the evening printed the texts in full, and they are fine pieces of work.
At their considerable best, Robertson’s words sing for themselves:
Pound shoaps and shoaps sellin charity
By the auld grey Tay, they hunker doun thegither
When the east wind blaws
In this coorse cauld weather.
Wastit bairns and shilpit men,
Wabbit weemen tryin tae jyne up the rag ends,
Poverty thrives atween these pavey stanes,
Doun and oot in auld Dundee again.
I was reminded of what Tony Harrison did with the York and Wakefield Mystery Cycles, and wonder what Robertson could do with The Mysteries in Scots; fine things, I suspect.
Despite that, I remain uncertain about the re-imaginings as a whole, I think because of the divergence from the originals. For Tod, derived from Coyote, a song I love dearly, Robertson chooses not to pick up on the animal sexuality of the original at all (and sexuality is a theme that permeates Hejira), or the licentiousness of the titular Coyote:
Now he’s got a woman at home
He’s got another woman down the hall
He seems to want me anyway…
…
He picks up my scent on his fingers
While he’s watching the waitresses’ legs…
Karine Polwart performed Tod very well and with obvious enthusiasm, but I found myself wanting to hear what she could do with Coyote itself. Mind you, later in the set, Annie Grace‘s Pie Jock’s Visit Tae The Mune (Furry Sings the Blues relocated to Dundee, quoted above) hit the spot, as did Rod Paterson‘s Grey in Grez (Blue Motel Room).
Musically, the performances were great and occasionally sublime, particularly when Larry Carlton’s guitar and Fraser Fifield’s soprano sax. played off each other. I was in the front row so may not have got the best sound mix, but I think the performances could have been more expansive and relaxed if the band had the opportunity to perform the set for a few nights more with a live audience and cut loose. I also thought the show, at least in the early sections, could have given more thought to linking the songs rather than having performers come on and off stage without a lot of audience interaction.
If that sounds negative I don’t mean it to be: I reiterate that I enjoyed the show, and if it is revived or tours I would go again.
The second half was on safer ground–first class singers performing first class songs. I was too busy enjoying it to note down a set list but some things stick in my mind. Julie Fowlis instantly raised the bar on the night with a wonderous version of Cactus Tree. Olivia Chaney (see below) turned in a lovely Case of You on piano and followed it up with Woman of Heart and Mind on guitar. Rose Cousins came on for an intense Blue and Kathryn Joseph broke the mold with a version of Both Sides Now that had me scratching my head for 20 seconds but then made sudden, urgent sense.
A grand night out.
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