Legendary Robyn Archer completes her trilogy of performances at City Recital Hall with THE (OTHER) GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK, following on from Que Reste-t-il and Dancing on the Volcano .
Archer is in brilliant form – the show is an astonishing, bravura ,mesmerizing performance full of social comment , about poverty, politics, drunkenness and desire , ranging in time from the Civil War,then concentrating on the Great Depression of the 1930’s through to now.Styles range from protest songs to Stephen Foster, Rodgers and Hart, W. C. Fields ,Bob Dylan, P!nk and Broadway musicals . It also examines American character and how American song depicts romance .
Archer performs with two of her stirling friends, Michael Morley on piano and George Butrumlis on accordion), with Archer providing vocals and playing guitar.There was great rapport between them and a sense of mischief and fun at times.
The programme opened with Stephen Foster’s Hard Times almost a folk/rock ballad and establishing the theme of social comment.
from the diaries of Mrs Price Housewife’s Lament followed with its flowing melody and analysis of ordinary everyday lives.
Jimmie Rodgers In the Jailhouse Now with its energetic bopping dance rhythm was darkly ironic and included yodelling .
Woody Guthrie’s 1938 So Long It’s been Good to Know Ya song from the Depression is still extremely relevant today with its sense of loneliness and relevance to climate exiles.
The classic Jay Gorney and Yip Harburg somewhat darkly disturbing Brother Can You Spare a Dime? followed ,again from the Depresssion era with more social comment.
Then we heard from the musical Cabaret John Ebb and Fred Kandor’s Money Makes the World Go Around – with hints of Weil and Brecht .Another musical ( The Pajama Game ) was featured with the rollicking 7 1/2 cents by Adler Ross that superficially hides its criticism of society and economics.
Blues standard Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out by Jimmy Cox was next – a pensive , plaintive , melancholy reflection about the transitory nature of material wealth and the friendships that come and go with it with Archer on guitar and Butrumlis accompanying.
A most unusual version Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat by Frank Loesser from Guys and Dolls followed.
W C Fields 1933 satirical The Fatal Glass of Beer followed , from the film of the same name , and had the audience in fits of laughter.
Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered by Rodgers and Hart was next from their musical Pal Joey .Archer presented the original version – in this day and age of MeToo# and so on listen very carefully to the lyrics and how women and men are presented .
A very haunting and atmospheric rendition of Lonely House by Langston Hughes and Kurt Weill was next from their 1946 American opera Street Scene , a depiction of debilitating loneliness .
This was contrasted with the jaunty, catchy The Vatican Rag by Tom Lehrer , from his Tomfoolery ,with Archer on ukulele and Morley playing piano and singing that is full of ironic social comment and criticising the Catholic church. Still extremely relevant today.
Georg Kreisler’s (translated by Don White) Thank God for Hollywood was next, a breathless patter song mocking the American national anthem.
The last bracket was a semi medley of Joni Mitchell / Bob Dylan / Pete Seeger / Pink and Billy Mann – their Big Yellow Taxi ( a very sharp ,spiky , disputatious version) / Hard Rain / What did you Learn in School Today / Dear Mr. President .
The finale was a whirlwind trip from the West to the East coast ,taking us from California Here I Come , Viva Las Vegas , Deep in the Heart of Texas ( and the Yellow Rose ) , Oklahoma ! , The Windy City (from Calamity Jane) to Give my regards to Broadway .. and many others ( fifty three in total, apparently) leaving us breathless , exhausted and awed.
Cheers , screams and a partial standing ovation at the end for this magnificent performance. – combining superb music and musicianship with serious reflection on the past and current human condition.
Running time 90 minutes no interval
Robyn Archer in The Other Great American Songbook one performance only 21 November 2019
https://www.cityrecitalhall.com/whats-on/events/robyn-archer-the-other-great-american-songbook/