Company
Last night, Marty got two tickets to see Rickie Lee Jones at Jazz Alley. I thought it would be fun to see her after all these years. Before the show last night, I called Arthur Pinchev to thank him for introducing me to Rickie Lee’s music when I was still in high school. I remember watching her on Saturday Night Live and feeling like I was “in the know” because I loved her music so much. Through the years, I would try to catch her in concert, but she was often pretty drunk on stage and not so nice to her audience. I was curious to see how things changed.
Before departing last night, I YouTubed a couple of songs to get in the mood. I got very excited because there is NOTHING like Rickie Lee Jones’ voice on this planet. I hoped it would be a good show but went in with no real expectations.
Her show was more than amazing. She did not disappoint in any way. She sang a whole bunch of songs from Pirates including We Belong Together, Living It Up, Pirates, Lucky Guy, Traces of the Western Slope. SHe played Gravity from the Magazine which I have always loved. She sang Horses from Flying Cowboy. That song has really evolved. It was beautiful. She opened with Weasel and the White Boys and one of my forever favorites, On Saturday Afternoons in 1963. When she sang that — lyrics here: The most as you’ll ever go
Is back where you used to know
If grown-ups could laugh this slow
Where as you watch the hour snow
Years may go by
So hold on to your special friend
Here, you’ll need something to keep her in :
“Now you stay inside this foolish grin … “
Though any day your secrets end
Then again
Years may go by
You saved your own special friend
‘Cuz here you need something to hide her in
And you stay inside that foolish grin
When everyday now secrets end
Oh and then again
Years may go by.
I looked at the intimate and totally enraptured audience and nearly everyone had tears in their eyes. It was a very beautiful shared moment. She sang other beautiful songs — a couple newer, an extremely beautiful version of The Autumn Leaves. Her band of three, including Reggie McBride, who is back in her band after all these years.
Her fans have watched her go from unknown to very famous with her first album. We watched her when she was full of vinegar and piss on stage (her words, not mine). She is still pretty particular but she has really mellowed out. She apologized to the audience for starting late but explained she didn’t want to start singing when people were still eating dinner. And she’s right. Who would EVER want to pollute her perfect pitch unique voice with a clank of a fork to a plate? Who would even CHEW anything while listening to her pristine poetic lyrics. The cellist reminded me of Big John Wallace who used to play for Harry Chapin. He was in perfect sync with her.
She told her musician what she wanted even in the middle of a song — she is still her Rickie Lee Jones self but she’s gone through life as we all have and taken her bumps and made her way. It was a joy to watch her and an incredible treat to her that voice which was still perfect. It was her birthday the day before — she is 57 now. She looks, well, she looks like she’s in her fifties and she is real and gritty and I would love to just hang out with her sometime even though she’d be kind of intimidating.
I encourage you to go see the people you loved and still love if they come through town. It is an extremely satisfying experience. It is very grounding. It reminds you that we are all going through this journey of life together.
