JOAN ARMATRADING (as you’ll see on Wikipedia). is “a three-time Grammy Award – nominee and has been nominated twice for Brit Awards as Best Female Artist. She also received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996. In a recording career spanning 40 years she has released a total of 18 studio albums, as well as several live albums and compilations”.
Though I’ve never seen her live, her music has always been on or near the top of my vinyl, then CD, now I Tunes favourites list. The next generation, my daughters, leapt at the offer of the family trip to see Joan, because they love her too. To say primal, emotive, vulnerable, smoky, dusky, edgy, animal, mineral, physical, spiritual… you could fill a page and still not describe her music adequately.
The last time I went to the Enmore with such high expectations was to see Joe Cocker. I enjoyed a miraculous result for such a small Concert venue. Could I be so fortunate again?!
Oh YES, YES! From the minute this legend wandered onto the stage you felt the magic. The audience stood and cheered as she swung effortlessly into classics like SHOW SOME EMOTION then literally gasped with their own emotions during her masterful ballads. (In the moment’s silence that followed THE WEAKNESS IN ME, I heard a woman two rows back murmur quietly in wonderment, as I wiped away my own years).
The Armatrading backing band (only three needed) were inspired. We were nicely teased as we approached the sax solo in LOVE AND AFFECTION, as the drummer left it to the last moment to produce a sax that topped even the feel of the original! (another stand and cheer moment).
We were treated to new songs from her latest album STARLIGHT, like CALL ME, and the final number of the show and of her album, SUMMER KISSES. That’s what she bestowed and we celebrated our luck being in the presence of a true virtuoso. This morning on the Today show she took time to thank the audience again for the reception we gave her. Our pleasure Joan!
Like a treasured port that you save for a special occasion; “…shel -ter in a storm, .. Mm, mm, mm, mm”.