SWAN THEATRE , WORCESTER (2009)
'WORCESTER NEWS' (August, 2009)
Back in those far-off days of Vinegar Joe, she was the queen of sass. An astonishing near half-century later, the unassuming northern lass with a penchant for the Deep South has now become the empress of class.
Sass, class. The two don’t necessarily go together but Britain’s rhythm and blues royalty effortlessly combines the two qualities to devastating effect. One moment, she’s taken us back to Muddy Waters’ home town in Mississippi, the next she’s behaving like an ordinary mill girl, wooing and flattering the audience with that legendary and infectious unmistakable charm. A sort of Jimmy Reed meets Gracie Fields, if you like. I mean, her trademark thumbs-up sign after nearly every number is almost Second World War and ‘Britain can take it.’
And talking of Jimmy Reed, you wouldn’t think that it was possible to breathe new life into his classic Baby What You Want Me To Do, but sure enough, she manages it.
The major factor that makes this all possible is a rock-steady backing band, spearheaded by the sterling work of keyboard ace Andrew Murray and saxophonist Steve Jones.
These guys have perfected all the soul licks – their entire persona oozes Stax Studios and if you shut your eyes, it seems as if the Memphis Horns have just dropped by.
The sensuous Love Potion Number Nine seems a million miles from the Searchers’ jittery version from all those years ago, but these musical aperitifs merely get us in the mood for the hits – Pearl’s A Singer and Lilac Wine – which inevitably arrive spot on cue.
Looking around the auditorium and studying the sea of faces, it’s evident that many of us will be following Elkie Brooks into our dotage. In fact, old rockers never die… they just keep going to concerts as fantastic as this phenomenal woman’s Worcester Festival opener.
(John Phillpott)
