Platinum-selling and GRAMMY-nominated singer and actor Chris Isaak returned briefly to our shores to appear as special guest to Billy Joel on his only date in the UK this year and headline three shows of his own of which tonight`s Birmingham event was the final one. Chris and his band now head off to Denmark and Sweden for a couple of shows before returning to the United States.
Opening up for Chris tonight is young British Americana singer-songwriter Isabella Coulstock who shared a well-received thirty-minute set.
There was a number co-written with Blockhead Chaz Jankel called `Broken`, a melancholic ode to her black Labrador with a wider contemplation on life and our short time on this earth in `Borderline`. Isabella had the crowd singing along on `Honkytonk Beer` before closing out with `Crazy Cowboy`. A well-structured and delivered set which had audience engagement and participation, and I can see why Isabella has been chosen to support The Who and Jools Holland on previous tours.
I`m sure it was the theme tune `The Man With The Golden Arm` that was piped through the pa as Mr Isaak, festooned in a black sequined suit and his band arrived on stage. `American Boy` and one of my favourite songs, the heartbreaking `Somebody’s Crying` prove that this artist still retains a rich and varied vocal range. The singer shares a brief story about meeting the Godfather of Soul James Brown and offers a soulful version of `I`ll Go Crazy`.
Thirty years on and the haunting `Wicked Game` still sends shivers down the spine after which the singer encourages us to stand for the `rock n roll` part of the show which includes `Go Walking Down There` and a cover of Roy Orbison`s `Oh, Pretty Woman` an artist who Chris opened for a number of times when he was starting out.
The kind of acoustic segment has Chris, and the band seated for `Forever Blue` where the loneliness in the singer`s voice is almost tangible before a similar number `Blue Spanish Sky` has the audience mesmerised.
Rowland Salley, the band`s bass player sings `Killing the Blues` which he wrote and has been covered by John Prine and Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. We enter a rockier phase with the enticing `Dancin“, a spellbinding version of the Elvis classic `Can’t Help Falling in Love` and his own evocative hit `Blue Hotel`.
The show closes out with the dreamy `San Francisco Days`, and `Big Wide Wonderful World`.
The encore was a merger of `Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing, the James Bond Theme and Bye, Bye Baby` before closing this ninety-minute show with the ruminative `The Way Things Really Are`.
I saw Chris last June and tonight once again was a really uplifting night of entertainment where the singer allows his self-deprecating humour to shine through as much as his beautifully sung songs.
I was really blown away when I last saw Chris and his band but have to say that tonight he took it to another level, and I can only hope that he returns once again next year.
