Davey Graham Live Review @ LIPA (Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts) (Liverpool) - 21 Oct 2007
Photo By:Elly Roberts
Live Review
For the uninitiated, David Michael Gordon aka Davy Graham, born in Hinckley Leicestershire (22 November 1940), is credited with inspiring some of the greatest guitarists in the world. He is credited with sparking the the folk-rock revolution in the 1960s, and introducing a the DADGAD or or D modal tuning ( instead of the standard EADGBE ) to British gutarists.
Giving dazzling performances at the famous Howff folk club in Edinburgh, he went on to influence legends such as Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Martin Carthy, Paul Simon and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. Eventually his music would embrace all nations as he dipped into indigenious repertoires, thus promoting world music.The 66 year-old guitar maestro gave what can be called a rare appearence in the intiamte setting of Sennheiser Studio Theatre at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts on Sunday night. About 70 fans turned up. Looking dapper in pinstriped suit, fancy shirt, short hair and moustache, he sat on the neat but simple set : stool, mics, and two guitars in their boxes. After the applause, he said " Thank you very much. I've never played here before.I'd like to do some pices in D, a favourite key with guitar players..two pieces by Sans and two by Milan ( Luis Milan a 16 century Spanish musician from Valencia ) From the off , Graham showed intense concentration, almost gurning as he focused on two pieces by Francisco Bartolome Sanz aka Gaspar Sanz, a Spanish 17 century maestro, himself displaying all the hallmarks of his technical ability with some complex and intricate fingerwork. This was followed by what he thought was an Irish song, Careless Love,a delighful love ballad, which I believe to be from an annonymous American composer. Delving into tradition Irish music, he gave a masterclass on the famous Kitty's Rambles, a fingers on fire excercise, and two others. Then things seemed to get a bit confusing. A quick glance at his watch, followed by a setlist check on the back of his guitar, he announced he'd be playing The Blackbird, but instead he went for Ask My Father. Graham played for some years with the Balkan Orchestra. Even more confusin we were to get an Armenian piece, but ended up playing a Romanian composition, then the Armenian, followed by a Turkish march, all done with the finesse associated with Graham. After the Northumbian's classic, Flower Mountain on which he sang, he made a sharp exit to warm applause.
As a showcase, this was a disappointing gig, because it lasted barely 35 minutes. Considering his reputation, I expected a lot more.
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