Van Morrison Live At Kew The Music Festival.

Van Morrison
Kew The Music Festival
05/07/22

By Paul Davies

Appearing onstage resplendent in a sky-blue suit, Panama straw hat and
polarised aviator sunglasses, Irish music legend Van Morrison genially interpreted his set of blues and r'n'b songs to a sizeable and appreciative festival audience. Opening with the bluesy swing of Dangerous, from his recent album What's It Gonna Take? - surely a creative riposte to Northern Ireland Minister Robin Swann who he clashed with during the pandemic - Van worked his musicians hard, signalling when and who takes a solo like an old school bandleader. Occasionally acknowledging the crowd with an end of song ‘thank you’, the band provided the music the audience the party on a cloudless blue-sky evening. Highlights included definitive versions of Baby Please Don’t Go incorporating Think Twice Before You Go and Got My Mojo Working, Days Like These, Full Force Gale, and a jazz tight version of Jackie Wilson Said. A jazzed up Moondance, with Van taking sax solos as he did intermittently during his ninety minute set and Brown Eyed Girl exemplified the genre bending flexibility of these classics. With Van on form and his assembly of musicians gelling on Cleaning Windows/ Be-Bop-A -Lula, Sonny Boy Williamson's Help Me, and a revisit to his Them days with a pulsating Gloria, Morrison left the stage with little fanfare leaving his band to close out an engaging set as they joyously jammed through a medley of r'n'b standards as the audience partied long into the balmy night.

Credit: Kew The Music