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mr_dja
Review from The Guardian

Link above to the whole thing. The headline & part about Keith below:

A Great Night In Harlem review – ramshackle Keith Richards tops jazz benefit bill

The third dedicated part of the show was a tribute to the courage of New Orleans soul singer Merry Clayton, in the aftermath of her injuries following a serious car crash in 2014. Her most significant performance was on Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, and Keith Richards was on hand to lead his X-Pensive Winos in a climactic salute by playing that very song.

He makes ragged ruggedness into a fine art, engagingly ramshackle as his riffs didn’t quite mesh with those of fellow axeman Waddy Wachtel, tunings slipping, his vocals an earthy contrast to the pristine soul cutting of Lisa Fischer. Yet Richards is so magnetic that he can shrug off any problems, including the disintegrating drumkit behind him, clanging riffs with his guitar held up in cello position. His vocals on Happy were roughshod, but supported by one of the best grinding soul-rock songs ever penned. His struck poses remain supremely casual, skeletal and perfectly judged. “I’m all for improvisation, you know me,” he drawled, in support of the jazz way, closing the show with its genuine high point, projecting right up to both levels of the Apollo’s steep balconies.


Peace,
Mr DJA

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Beast

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with sssoul
Who spoke about her before that? What did they say?
What was the medal Keith got at the end of the show?
And other trenchant questions :E

They say at the end of the Happy audio on youtube that it's a Keith Richards/Robert Johnson medal for saving jazz and blues.

And judging by that audio, the crowd were indeed extremely HaPpy...

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with sssoul

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crawdaddy
[youtu.be]

THanks crawdaddy! [peering hard] CloudCat, is that you dancing in the lower left, before the man with a phone steps in?

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35love
and has anybody helped sssoul? She seen it yet? Help a sister out there.

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Naturalust

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keefriffhards

I think you may be a bit biased when it comes to the Stones NL and i admire you for your loyalty towards them. But its misguided loyalty, they have become a circus act, if you watch Mick Live like i have done since 89' i know exactly every move he will make, where he will walk and turn and skip, go over this way and that way lift his hands and clap then down this side and that side yawn yawn, i'm just done with it. Why cant he just stand there and sing properly with the band instead of showing every one his aerobic workout. I found Keith's 2 songs last night more thrilling than a whole Stones show. Sorry but someone has to say it ..

Perhaps I am a bit biased when it comes to the Stones. One of the reasons is that no matter how predictable the set lists have become each time I have seen them live it still gives me a genuine thrill and I end up renewing my bias all over again, often for different reasons. As a band they are still producing some kick ass live rock and roll, the very essence of which it present in spades every time they take the stage. I wasn't watching, only listening last night and maybe I'm just a product of my own expectations but the music didn't really stand up for me. Yes, a few moments of good mixed with more of just wondering what was wrong. To use the train analogy several people have here, it spent more time off the tracks than on them, something that doesn't ever happen at a Stones show.

As MonkeyMan2000 says, it's highly probably that Keith's group could have pulled it together better with more rehearsals, it was a quick pick up band after all. But contrarily, how much rehearsal does Keith really need to play GS and Happy? I also understand the excitement of seeing Keith in another setting for people who are bored with the Stones or "done with" Mick Jagger as you have said. I too would welcome another Keith tour but he's going to have to do better than last night to get me to actually pay to go see him. To be honest, I've seen local bar bands recently who's performance put last nights to shame. So yes it was exciting and entertaining, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

Finally, I think it was truly too bad Keith didn't play a song from his new record! No only was Happy not a good fit for the essence of the Jazz Foundation and the Merry Clayton tribute, we have all been very anxious to see him play one live and considering we are still celebrating the release, it was quite a missed opportunity, imo. I can't help thinking they choose Happy just to make it easier and more comfortable for Keith, since it is one of a couple songs he has played live so often recently.

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DEmerson
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Keith's 'lead' at about the 4:45 mark on the RS footage during G?

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DEmerson
I've watched both songs a couple times now and I'm sure it was a blast if you were there - and overall they're pretty good, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned Keith's 'lead' at about the 4:45 mark on the RS footage during G? OMG - I don't think I've ever heard anyone, ever, totally blow a solo as badly. Just totally the wrong key. Ouch! Like I said -other than that, pretty fun stuff.

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DEmerson
I've watched both songs a couple times now and I'm sure it was a blast if you were there - and overall they're pretty good, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned Keith's 'lead' at about the 4:45 mark on the RS footage during G? OMG - I don't think I've ever heard anyone, ever, totally blow a solo as badly. Just totally the wrong key. Ouch! Like I said -other than that, pretty fun stuff.

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with sssoul

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35love
and has anybody helped sssoul? She seen it yet? Help a sister out there.

Why thank you darlin - very sweet of you to care! I have looked at several youtube clips of the performance -
I even think I spotted Cloudcat in one of them! - but I can't figure out why the RS page is frozen for me.
It'll be okay - but I am truly touched that you care.

Edit: Eek - see above: I did! I did! I did spot a CloudCat! How fun :E
I'm glad you had a wonderful time

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KatieGirl
Am I the only one who thinks Keith's comment" I'm all for improvisation, you know me"
is his tongue in cheek way of commenting on his frequent near disasters? Keith making fun of himself.
You gotta love the man.

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KatieGirl
Am I the only one who thinks Keith's comment" I'm all for improvisation, you know me"
is his tongue in cheek way of commenting on his frequent near disasters? Keith making fun of himself.
You gotta love the man.

Nope, you're not alone KatieGirl!

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with sssoul

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KatieGirl
Am I the only one who thinks Keith's comment" I'm all for improvisation, you know me"
is his tongue in cheek way of commenting on his frequent near disasters? Keith making fun of himself.
You gotta love the man.

Nope, you're not alone KatieGirl!

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Naturalust

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keefriffhards
Don't get me wrong the Stones are still the best band in the world, i don't doubt that for a second. The energy when they perform is still there, and they clearly still love what they do. But, and its a big but, they could easily be so much better. They could switch 5 songs every night and start a tour with 10 new songs from the back catalogue that they have not performed in a long long time.

Yes of course they could, there have been mounds of discussion about it here over the years, but the die seems to be set for the Stones. Keith on the other hand could have played Just a Gift or perhaps Lover's Plea or Nothing On Me last night and instead choose two Stones songs which he has played hundreds of times before. Perhaps Keith is the one unwilling to take set list chances.

That guardian review was interesting: Ramshackle, ragged, riffs not meshing, tunings slipping, roughshod vocals...but concluding it's all good because it was Keith. I think that's the bottom line, we are willing to give Keith a whole lots of latitude because of who he is and what he has already given us over the years. I love the guy dearly and am just grateful he's still around to talk about actually. Don't mean to be so negative about last night, truly sorry if that offends some people.

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CloudCat

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crawdaddy
[youtu.be]

THanks crawdaddy! [peering hard] CloudCat, is that you dancing in the lower left, before the man with a phone steps in?

yes that is me ( )

a gentleman came down to my row to video and i asked if was periscoping he said that indeed he was.

i thought it was a beautiful set --
first of all, to see mr. keith richards in a theatre
second, to hear him sing on gimmie shelter
third, to wonder what all those folks who say that he cannot sing and play guitar at the same time will say now
fourth, laughing like crazy that happy was the second tune
fifth, to see his joy
sixth, to save one of the parisians who also came to sit in my row from tumbling over the balcony in his ecstatic excitement to be a part of the experience,
seventh, to really love watching happy,
eighth, to see him subtly acknowledge his family in the audience
ninth, that he said "and all that jazz" when talking about the show
tenth, that it was at the apollo theatre!

interesting that there was not a scarf or a headband in sight!

in a part of the sonny rollins tribute, there was alex bass on stand-up bass and he was playing like a crazy man! amazing!! and it was lovely to hear what Sonny Rollins had to say.

Ivan Neville was wonderful as always There was an interesting pre-show blues singer

my eyes are open today under severe protest

it was a swell show!

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Green Lady
Offended, no. But disappointed that you always feel the need to play devil's advocate and shine the spotlight
on all the reasons why people shouldn't have liked something that many clearly did
(just in case they hadn't noticed and had accidentally enjoyed it - that can't be allowed).
But I guess that's the job of a critic - and you do it so eloquently and so often that you almost have me persuaded
that things were indeed as dreadful as you say they were - until I listen again and my blessed cloth ears
tell me that I'm happy hearing this.

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DandelionPowderman
Keith fired away a little solo a fret off, but that's only rock'n'roll.

Lovely version. Majestic

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alexander paul
Can anyone download and/or place the pro-shot videos of Keith at You Tube?

[www.rollingstone.com]

Alex.