Janis Ian and Karla Bonoff At the Colonial
Reconnecting with Society's Child
By: David Wilson - Apr 19, 2010
Both Janis Ian and Karla Bonoff, began performing as teenagers on opposite coasts in the 60's. Simple calculations reveal that they have each been performing for nearly half a century. They are on tour with schedules that would have one begging for relief. It is hard to believe now that there was a time, lasting long into the 60's, when singer-songwriter was more of an epithet than an accolade. Both performers are survivors of that time and have come to be appropriately respected.
Bonoff, who took the stage first, was unknown to me before this week when I prepared for the concert. As a songwriter she has created a repertoire of work adopted by many artists including Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd and Lynn Anderson. She provided much of the material for the group Bryndle of which both she and sideman Kenny Edwards were members.
Karla is admired by much of the audience who responded with the applause of recognition. They cheered during the opening strains of many of her numbers. She accompanied herself alternately with guitar and the glorious Colonial Theatre Steinway. Her songs are relentlessly about the pitfalls of relationships and the courage to go on. They obviously resonated with the audience. While a competent vocalist, she displayed a limited range. I thought her articulation was often indistinct while phrasing tends to be quite conventional. It resulted in a style which comes across without many surprises. She ended the set with her best known song, "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me." It evoked a standing ovation which led to an encore. Her primary strength lay in the quality and craftsmanship demonstrated in the construction of her songs.
When Janis Ian appeared the contrast in performing styles was dramatic. While Karla had called for our attention, Janis simply included us in her presence. Although it has been several decades since I last witnessed her live, with many performances before that, I was familiar with what I thought were her strengths and weaknesses. Great changes had been wrought since last I was a part of her audience.
Ian's performance was a sharing of life and its lessons. The set was illustrated with songs she has written and recorded over the years. She started with standards "Through The Years" "When The Party's Over" and her signature first recording "Society's Child." Her rendition of this classic was stylistically exceptional and far more sophisticated than I recalled. That seemed true for all her numbers. The familiar songs continued, but "Bright Lights and Promises" was a show stopper. A spectacular guitar break evoked shades of Dave Van Ronk, and Gary Davis, with whom she hung out..
An hour passed too swiftly as Janis demonstrated how she has continued to extend her artistry. My memories of her, and I always held her in high esteem, paled in light of the mature artist performing for us this night. Where previously I had thought of her as a proficient guitar player, now she strikes me as a brilliant one. Always behaving more like an adult than most of her 60's peers, now she radiates a peace and acceptance of self that any of us might envy.
For her encore, leaving the mike and sitting at the edge of the stage she gave us a moving, intimate version of "Jesse."
She then invited Karla and crew back on stage, switched to piano and joined in on Bonoff's version of the traditional "The Water is Wide" bringing the evening to a satisfying conclusion.
Janis continues her extensive tour. If you get a chance to catch a performance you will not leave disappointed.
Links to web pages.
Janis Ian
http://www.janisian.com/discography.html
http://www.janisian.com/tourinfo.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_Ian
Karla Bonoff
http://www.karlabonoff.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karla_Bonoff