Photo by Ann W. Latner
Updated 29 Mar 2010
Pssssst, Ben! I know you said you'd do the write-up of the show last night and that's fine. Just don't forget to include what a "best-kept-secret" kinda venue that was--terrific sound, a packed house, what a lovely and picturesque little town Port Washington is and how the show was two parts: an acoustic solo set and an electric set. Mention that Jody was there which was a terrific surprise and, for pete's sake, don't forget about the ukelele! (Who would dream a ukelele would have any place other than on a Hawaiian beach--sort of like how, until seeing Blue Weaver at Twickenham, I never thought an accordian had any place outside of table serenades at Italian restaurants.) But, jeez, "Midnight Special" on the ukelele was a stunner, not to mention my beloved "Well Respected Man" and even "P.S. I Love You". Oh! And remember to comment on John's new drummer who did an incredible job, especially with "New World"...wonder if he's a Strawbs fan...and how it seemed nobody missed the absence of the bass and how John, John Jr, the keyboardist [CB aka Barry], and the new drummer [Doug] did an incredible job in the electric set and how thrilled the library people were with the whole thing.
Good seeing you last night and glad you caught such a terrific show!
Ok now, because of "popular request"....ahem, I have decided to review the John Ford show at the Port Washington Library on Long Island.
Some people are born to perform, to create and to interpret other's art. They do it because they love it and their enthusiasm radiates to audiences who appreciate that kind of joy,vibrancy and talent. John Ford fits this description. Last night I sat with tapping feet, synching lips and lot's of clapping as John lead off with a solo acoustic rendering of the the old English tune "The Wind And The Willows" (he had played bass on a version of this on the second Blackmore's Night album, Under a Violet Moon.).
From there he proceeded with highlight after highlight. There were solo career tunes like "Together Apart" and "Love Is A Highway" and of course "Big Hit In India". Strawb songs written by old stalwart Dave Cousins such as "Stormy Down", "Witchwood" and "Grave New World " were mixed with Ford's Strawb era contributions "Heavy Disguise" and ultimately "Part Of The Union". It was great to hear Hudson & Ford's "Burn Baby Burn" as well as The Monks' "Nice Legs, Shame about the Face" (now that was a Ramones moment).
The covers were quite eclectic including the now legendary Uke set that included "Midnight Special","P.S. I Love You" and "Well Respected Man" among others. The band took on Oasis' "Wonderwall" and John Ford Jr. captured the essence of Greenday's "The Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance)" quite well in spite of the energizer bunny blinking out in his Taylor guitar. The young offspring backed his father quite well indeed on guitar and vocals with plenty of energy. The band as a whole was tight and able in spite of the lack of a bassist. CB Wilson rallied his Korg synth to replicate the huge orchestrations or mellatronations of the more progressive older material like "Grave New World" and "Heavy Disguise". The new drummer [Doug],was right on the money and provided all the proper muscle and subtleties for the finely crafted set. Daddy Ford is a seasoned showman who is quick with quips and stories that easily charm his audience.
I was very happy to meet John's right hand gal Jill who was selling t-shirts and CD at the rear of the auditorium. She, not surprisingly, was equally charming.
As a venue the sound was excellent at the filled up Library. I work at a library in Queens myself so I know. I spent the whole day working at a library only to dash out and drive a few miles to another. For John Ford and band it was very much worth it.
Photo by Ann W. Latner
I thought that I knew every long-haired musician in town, all two of them, but apparently I was wrong. I was unaware that living in our midst is John Ford — singer, songwriter, musician, and long-haired Port Washington resident. Ford was part of the British folk/progressive rock band the Strawbs, who achieved success in the 1960s and 70s. In addition to his work with the Strawbs, Ford had several bands of his own as well solo work, and projects with other musicians, such as Ritchie Blackmore (of Deep Purple and Rainbow).
Before I talk about Ford's performance, I feel compelled to offer kudos to the Port Washington Public Library for launching a new series (Live @ PWPL) designed to reach a different demographic. This was, without a doubt, the most exciting concert I have seen at the library in a long time. I left the library feeling very fortunate that we have such an excellent resource in our midst. And the price of the concert cannot be beat (it's free).
Ford, a tall, leggy man with a shock of hair and an English accent, was absolutely charming. He was humorous, self-deprecating, and entertaining – and this was all before he started playing. He's the sort of a guy that makes you feel that you want to be friends with him.
The first half of the show was a solo acoustic set, featuring Ford on guitar and ukulele. He played songs from his years with the Strawbs ("Stormy Down"), solo work ("Together Apart"), and with the band he formed with former Strawbs drummer Richard Hudson called Hudson Ford ("Burn Baby Burn" and "I Don't Understand"). The songs were all well done, but some, such as "Kissed By The Sun," the song penned for his daughter, were heartbreakingly beautiful.
Interestingly, Ford really shined on some of the work by other artists that he decided to cover. His ukulele rendition of the Beatles' "P.S. I Love You" showcased the clarity of his voice and was particularly delicious, as was his version (also on the ukulele) of The Kinks' song "Well Respected Man." He was the bass player in the Strawbs, but he is clearly a competent and versatile guitarist. The ukulele was an interesting touch, but I didn't feel it worked as well with the old prison song "Midnight Special."
The second set was with his band, which included a keyboard player, drummer and Ford's son (named John Ford as well) also on guitar. The younger Ford, tall and leggy like his dad, also provided back-up vocals. When the band started playing, I was almost blown off my seat! I didn't know they allowed music that loud at the library. The full band played Strawbs songs, Ford's solo work and some covers, most notably an absolutely incredible version of Oasis' "Wonderwall" (better than the original). It was all I could do to stay in my seat. The band was tight, well-rehearsed and able to handle the occasional minor technical difficulties (guitar problems, cable issues) that arose.
There were a few strange moments: I had a flashback to the movie "Spinal Tap" during the performance of the Strawbs hit "Witchwood." I kept imagining a mock Stonehenge being lowered onto the stage as the band played on with great sincerity and seriousness. At one point, Ford turned over the microphone to his son, who did a cover of Green Day's "Time of Your Life." The younger Ford had the vocals dead on, but I'm just a little tired of that song.
A highlight of the second set was a song that Ford had done as part of punk rock band, The Monks, in the 1980s. The raucous and entertaining song had the dubious title, "Nice Legs, Shame About The Face." Another highlight was the sardonic "Big Hit In India" in which Ford basically mocks his own career. You have to like a guy who can do that.
Ford closed with "Part Of The Union," a song which was voted by the New Statesman (Britain's political magazine) as one of the 52 best political songs. All in all, it was an evening very well spent. The library's auditorium was close to full with people of all ages, from children to seniors, but most were baby-boomers getting another taste of the music they grew up on. I, for one, will definitely go to the next Live @ PWPL event, and I'll be hoping that the library is considering bringing John Ford back for another show.
Review reproduced by permission of the reviewer - see PortWashingtonPatch.com .
Photo by Ann W. Latner
This past Saturday evening I attended John Ford's concert at the Pisces Cafe in Babylon, NY. Upon walking into the cafe, my first thought was this place is tiny AND packed. There were several familiar faces there including Lisa and Ken, John's official T-shirt model! Most of the seats were taken, but luckily for my friend Amanda and myself a black leather sofa beside (and practically on) the stage became available before it was time for John to go on.
John went on and did a solo set first, performing four Christmas songs which included covers and originals which can be found on his new album "Whatever Happened to Christmas" He was later joined by his son John Jr. on bass. Together, father and son performed John's original songs from previous albums, some more Christmas songs, and even a few covers which included Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale," which ALWAYS goes over well with the crowd. They also shared some very comical on stage banter which was even more evident being as close as I was.
Later on in the evening, John and John Jr. were joined on stage by singer/songwriter/guitarist Kevin McLeod, who opened for John, as well as John Hawken, keyboard wizard of the Strawbs on piano. Together they did an outstanding job on "Run Rudolph Run," as well as "Happy Christmas (War is Over)," and "Part of The Union" which got the entire coffee house singing along. (We were singing so loud that the Transit Workers heard us all the way from New York City, chanting "Out, Brothers Out!" and took us seriously!)
As Ken mentioned in his review, it was evident that no one wanted to leave, even after the show came to an end. The friendly atmosphere left everyone chatting away and when it was clear that nobody would be leaving anytime soon, Jill persuaded John to perform a few more songs with John Jr. and they were later rejoined by John Hawken, Kevin McLeod and a tambourine player, who I believe is John's regular drummer.
Although the venue was small, the entertainment was huge! The staff and the food at Pisces were wonderful, and the Christmas Spirit born out of the wonderful music and warm friendship on a cold New York night will be long remembered.
We made it to the Pisces Cafe in Babylon, Long Island, NY.. a sweet oasis of friendly people, great comestibles and great music.
Opening was singer/guitarist Kevin Macleod performing a number of his own compositions. Kevin is a master guitarist with a wide knowledge of chord voicings and finger style guitar. This guy plays! His overall style to me is a mix of Peter Yarrow, Kenny Rankin, and Dave Mathews. He did a very enjoyable hour set.
The little Pisces Cafe was getting packed. Amanda and her very cool dad, Dave arrived with none other than JOHN HAWKEN in tow. WOW!! John Ford up next. He opened with several numbers from his new seasonal "Whatever Happened To Christmas" release, putting everyone in great Christmas spirit. He was then joined by his son John Ford Jr. on bass. John went through a rousing set of his standards including "Kissed By The Sun", "Nice Legs, Shame About The Face" and many others. There was lots of humourous banter from John including his now famous Elvis "My Way" take. John launched into one of my fave's " A Whiter Shade of Pale"
Well, with Hawken in attendence and a piano available "Part of The Union" was given a great delivery with audience clapping and singing loudly along. It was great! Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolf Run" was done with Hawken doing a boogie woogie piano. A word about the piano. It is an old old upright which I thought was a prop! It fit perfectly ! It had the slightly detuned ragtime sound. John commented: "Slightly detuned"? "It's all detuned" !! The piano looked a bit rough but John "Iron Fingers" Hawken was masterful. I had the great thrill of sitting beside John Hawken all night. It was so wonderful for me to chat about Illusion and Mellotrons. John Hawken is the coolest guy on the planet. There was a lot of love in The Pisces. No one wanted to leave.
After John's last song, about an hour passed by and Jill convinced John to take the stage again. Well earlier in the evening Kevin Macleod had joined John for several numbers - this time it was John Hawken, John Jr., Kevin Macleod and John's drummer who showed up with a tambourine. They all played sort of highlights set with again "Part Of The Union" and several Christmas classics. Kevin took the lead guitar spot on "Run Rudolf Run" and we all sang along to Lennon's "So This is Christmas"
A great gig, a great time, we all left happy with more great memories and a cheerful sense of anticipation for new things to come and that we can't wait to do it again with the same great artists and even greater friends!
It's Friday night and the after-work crowd is at the bar, and milling about the restaurant. On stage sits a couple of acoustic guitars, bass and drums. A small but rather enthusiastic crowd is waiting to see who's going to play. It's none other than our own John Ford, who I must say looks and sounds great these days.
The set(s) were typical pub fare, all the while showing John's love for Beatle 'B' sides. Great versions of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", and "Imagine" were the high points. John's guitar was work was crisp and rather impeccable throughout. Solid backing by the bass and drums just added to the crispness and professionalism evidenced throughout the set, and the selections from John's two solo CDs were extremely well received by the crowd. All were delivered with punch and enthusiasm, and John and Co. appeared to be having a jolly good time. For us Strawbs fans, we were treated to wonderful versions of "New World", and John's all time classic, "Heavy Disguise". Ah, how we all sang along on those...
Then, suddenly, John is at the mike talking about this wonderful band he was with in the early seventies, and how he co-wrote this little ditty that "was the reason all those Rolls-Royces are outside waiting to take me back to Huntington". That line got a chuckle from everyone present. Then, the familiar chords of "Part Of The Union" rang out, and those of us who knew the song provided the rowdy group vocals that make the song what it is.
What a wonderful time was had by all! Much between set conversation with John occurred, and lots of reminiscing about the Strawbs and how things were then, and how they are now. There is much anticipation of the upcoming Strawbs tour. Indeed, John commented that this being his last gig before the tour begins, he now had to go back and get into 'Strawbs mode' to prepare.
All in all a great evening, and I'm looking forward to seeing John again during the tour, and again in the acoustic setting at Delaneys on 19 May, after we all return from the UK.
Eager anticipation was obvious as fans, many of whom had purchased their tickets in advance, began queuing up outside in the frosty 22-degree air at 6:00 PM, waiting for the doors to open at 6:30. Nearly all the choice seating locations were filled long before John Ford took the stage at 8:30.
The warm applause that greeted his introduction made it plain that there were a great many John Ford/Strawbs fans in attendance; for them he was no mere "opening act" but a major attraction in his own right. John opened up by briefly recalling his days with the Strawbs (more applause) and introducing the show's first two songs, "Heavy Disguise" and "New World" (much more applause). "Heavy Disguise" was done by John with only light backing provided by Vin Fabiano, John's bassman of long standing, with the full band (consisting of the above plus Steve Ward on drums, and Joe Caesar on lead guitar) coming on board as he segued into "New World".
With the connection to his past thus solidly established, he launched into a sampling of his solo material, drawing from all three of his solo CDs: "Love is a Highway", followed by "Strange Universe", and then "Don't Blame Me". He then reached back into the Monks collection with the band doing a spirited rendition of "Suspended Animation".
Next came "Ready to Roll", John's 9/11 commemorative, then "Chameleon". A quick switch to his Telecaster and John was equipped to deliver "I'm a Man, You're a Woman" and "We've Got'em Running". Back in acoustic mode, John and Co. pulled all the stops out for the Monks hit "Nice Legs, Shame About the Face" (which never fails to provoke outbursts of laughter when the lyric reaches the 'punch line'). At this point the show was already running over its allotted time ("Together Apart" was in the original plan but fell victim to time constraints) and the venue staff was giving a 'time's up' signal, but John had already introduced his finale number: "Part of the Union". The enthusiastic audience response led to a reprieve and John was able to close the show with a rousing version of his trademark tune.
Thus ended a splendid performance that could not fail to satisfy a John Ford fan, regardless of which point in his career one was a devotee. For the audience that came drawn by Dave Mason, they were treated to a first act that was far and away more than they were expecting.
