Martha Redbone

December 8, 2012

Written by Kevin Scott Hall

Joe’s Pub  –  December 1

When Martha Redbone took the stage at Joe’s Pub to celebrate the birthday of William Blake, she had to live up to a couple of expectations: Her recent CD “The Garden of Love: The Songs of William Blake”—an artistic departure for the young, soul-funk singer—had already been appearing on several “Best Of” lists for 2012; what’s more, her songs would have to honor both the folk-type music of Appalachia (part of her Native American roots) and the great poet’s language. She rose to the challenge, and in the process, proved to be a daringly original musician. (Unless otherwise noted, all songs cited in this review have words by William Blake and music by Martha Redbone, Aaron Whitby, and John McEuen.)

It turns out that the appellation “Appalachian” covers a wide musical palette: Delta (“The Garden of Love”), ballad (“The Fly”), honky-tonk (“A Poison Tree”), bluegrass (“On Anothers Sorrow”), and gospel (“I Rose Up at the Dawn of Day”), among others not as easily classified, allowing Redbone to paint with many colors. Her vibrato-free, clarion voice is perfect for delivering Blake’s humanitarian verses, although she surprised the rapt audience with her airy soprano on “The Fly.” For the most part, the songs are rhythmic, and Redbone often played percussive shakers, rattles and other hand instruments as she sang, which is never as easy as it appears to be when it is done well. On “A Dream,” she was able to get the audience to engage in a call-and-response to her yodel-like calls; the driving bass and percussion on that one almost begs for a dance remix (for those who must have it).

For most of the evening, Redbone stood front and center in her knee-length red dress with Native American embellishments. She had an ingratiating, girlish appeal that made up for the tentativeness of her between-song patter during the early part of her set. “I’m the only black girl in Crown Heights, Brooklyn who knows who Conway Twitty is,” she said, demonstrating her smart sense of humor. But she is first and foremost a musician in her (red) bones, and that was quite enough in this case.

She deviated from the Blake canon a couple of times, to marvelous effect. One such detour was “Undone and Sorrow,” from folk songwriter Ola Belle Reed, who is receiving new appreciation ten years after her death. Redbone’s most powerful moment was “Drums” (Peter La Farge), in which she wailed, “There are drums beyond the mountain, Indian drums that you can’t hear/ There are drums beyond the mountain, and they’re getting mighty near… In our losing, we found proudness/ In your winning, you found shame.” This song will be on an upcoming recording; apparently, Redbone will be pushing forward with strong messages steeped in dramatic rhythms, and not going the easy-listening route. Bold artistry.

Redbone’s band is aces: musical director Aaron Whitby on keyboard and several other instruments; Teddy Kumpel on mandolin, banjo, guitar, and more; George C. Rush on upright bass; Matt Beck on guitars; and Craig Judelman on fiddle.

Redbone closed the show with the spiritual-sounding “I Heard an Angel Singing.” She left the stage with a humble “thank you” and didn’t return for an encore, despite a rare Joe’s Pub standing ovation. The evening demonstrated that if you offer intelligent lyrics and honest, heartfelt music, you will find an eager audience for it. That’s welcome news in these days of over-inflated American Idol-type vocals and lyrics corporately written by a team of a half-dozen writers to appeal to the least educated among us.

Avatar

About the Author

Kevin Scott Hall performed in cabaret clubs for many years and recorded three CDs, including “New Light Dawning” in 1998, which received national airplay. He also worked at the legendary piano bar, Rose’s Turn, and has taught cabaret workshops and directed shows since 1995. Kevin earned his MFA in Creative Writing at City College of New York. He is an adjunct professor in the Theatre and English departments at City College and Borough of Manhattan Community College. His novel, “Off the Charts!” was published in 2010, and his memoir, “A Quarter Inch from My Heart” (Wisdom Moon), in 2014. Kevin writes a monthly column and entertainment features for Edge Media Network, writes reviews for BistroAwards.com, and freelances for other publications.