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It was toward the end of the T Bone Burnett–curated September 2013 Another Day, Another Time concert at New York City’s Town Hall—a celebration of the early ’60s folk revival that had inspired the Joel and Ethan Coen film Inside Llewyn Davis—when singer Rhiannon Giddens indisputably stole the show. Performing Odetta’s “Water Boy” with, as the New York Times put it, “the fervor of a spiritual, the yips of a folk holler, and the sultry insinuation of the blues,” Giddens brought the star-studded audience to its feet. She was the talk of the lobby during intermission as those attendees unfamiliar with her Grammy Award–winning work as a member of African-American folk interpreters Carolina Chocolate Drops wondered who exactly Rhiannon Giddens was, with her elegant bearing, prodigious voice, and fierce spirit.
On her Nonesuch solo debut Tomorrow Is My Turn, Giddens and Burnett revisit “Water Boy,” its Odetta-arranged work-song rhythm serving as both provocation and a statement of power. Giddens delivers an equally thunderous rendition, one made all the more striking when placed between a gentle, ruminative interpretation of Dolly Parton’s “Don’t Let It Trouble Your Mind” and a version of Hank Cochran’s “She’s Got You,” popularized by Patsy Cline, that Giddens imbues with “an old-timey R&B vibe,” abetted by Carolina Chocolate Drops band-mate Hubby Jenkins. The breadth of musical vision on Tomorrow Is My Turn fulfills the promise of that brief but stunning star turn at Town Hall. The album incorporates gospel, jazz, blues, and country, plus a hint of proto-rock and roll, and Giddens displays an emotional range to match her dazzling vocal prowess throughout.
The life that Giddens explores at the climax of Tomorrow Is My Turn is her own creative one, on the lilting, self-penned ballad “Angel City.” Though she regards herself far more as singer than songwriter, “Angel City,” composed in the course of a single night during the recording of the Burnett-helmed The New Basement Tapes project, fits perfectly at the close of the set, gently paying homage to the elder artists whose work comprise the rest of the album. “It was these women, these artists, who had helped me, who had come with me on this journey, and here are lyrics that represented that.”
Tomorrow Is My Turn was recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville, with a multi-generational group of players whom Burnett assembled. Among them are fiddle player Gabe Witcher and double bassist Paul Kowert of label-mates Punch Brothers; percussionist Jack Ashford of Motown’s renowned Funk Brothers; inventive drummer and Burnett stalwart Jay Bellerose; veteran folk-blues guitarist Colin Linden; legendary backup singer Tata Vega; and Nashville session great, bassist Dennis Crouch. Giddens enthuses, “We had Dennis and Paul on stand-up bass at the same time on some of these tracks. They are all ‘musicians’ musicians’ and they did cool stuff they don’t always get the opportunity to play. It was a bit of a challenge for them too, all these different kinds of music; every day was something new. We’d start the day by watching the original inspiration for the song on YouTube, and then we would go cut it. They were a diverse group of people, but it felt like a real band.”
The songs here, says Giddens, “are all facets of the human condition.” Taken together, they answer the question Twyla Tharp posed at the beginning of Giddens’ solo adventure. Tomorrow Is My Turn is a composite portrait of “Ruby,” of America, and of Giddens herself, whose turn is clearly right now.
Rhiannon's voice, songs, fiddling, banjo playing - it's all stunning! The talented musicians she surrounds herself with helped send the music vibration across the audience at the Beacon Theater. I was thoroughly uplifted - and, in these weird and hard times, being uplifted is necessary and healing. It was all just plain, amazing fun!
All of the musicians were wonderful, and Giddens is an incredible singer and musician. It was a wonderful show. I hope she comes back to the Beacon soon.
My wife and I, along with our music-loving 12 and 14-year-old children, attended the concert in NYC at The Beacon. All of the band members were super talented and amazing, bringing so much joy to the performance. The featured artist, Charly Lowry, was truly amazing, and, of course, Rhiannon was incredible, making it one of the best performances we have ever experienced.
This was not a Rhiannon Giddens concert. This was a Silkroad Ensemble concert. It was excellent but not at all what was billed by Ticketmaster.
I’m a fan of Rhiannon singing and banjo expertise there very little of either in the performance it was all about Silk Road. It was pricey I’ve $100 a ticket. I used the park wiz to arrange parking and ended up in a homeless camp with no working lighting. Very disappointed with the whole experience.
I’m sure Rhiannon was wonderful but sadly had to leave before she came on. Show and tickets advertised for 7:00 pm. Not clear if there were seats. Learned the hard way they were standing only. Opening act started at 8, Rhiannon didn’t come on until 9. By 8:30 I was feeling faint from the warm atmosphere on the second floor and had to leave. Advertising needs to be clearer and more explicit for the House of Blues.
I was unable to attend this show because after searching for over an hour I was unable to find parking. I was unfamiliar with the area as the venue is a 2 hour drive from home, so I did not know it was aroudn the corner from Fenway Park. There was something going on at Fenway, many streets were blocked off for party-ers and while I was willing to pay the $40-80 every lot was charging, there were no spaces available within a 2 mile radius. I have comtacted the venue to request a partial refund but have not heard back.
She and her band put on an amazing show! So much musical talent on the stage. Highly recommend seeing this band. You won't regret it!
Rhiannon is a triple threat: voice like an angel; virtuoso fiddler; and great taste in choosing/ writing music with meaning. It was wonderful to see her with a large and talented band behind her ( saw her once years ago without full band). She is a girdle of nature!
The concert was great. The venue has some nice touches, but people were standing so I couldn’t see from my seat. It was unclear that there were ground level seats when I purchased my tickets. I would have gotten those.
Even though Rhiannon was having some vocal trouble she really gave it her all and sounded great. The band played great instrumentals too. Thanks to Rhiannon and her band for. A meaningful, moving concert.
Rhiannon and her band are national treasures. One of America's greatest singer and song-writers of all time. Great variety, passion, insight. Powerful, moving beyond words. The entire band is genius, but this is a super-star. Extraordinary. One of the best concerts I've ever seen – even though she was recovering from a throat illness. She gave it everything. She has a stunning, unforgettable voice and is a master musician on several instruments. Her writing about slavery and injustice is PROFOUND and as powerful and moving as music gets. She is the best of the best.
The venue was great as always. Not a bad seat in the house. We were excited to be able to see Rhiannon again as we saw her several time before. We always found her very entertaining. This concert, however, was far from entertaining. Both Rhiannon and her opener used their captive audience to expound on their personal history and their critical views of society all the while asking for support for their projects of choice. We are kind humans with our own problems and were looking to be entertained. This was not entertaining and we most likely will not attend a Rhiannon concert again.
For years I have enjoyed the music of Rhiannon Giddens, her delightful eclectic choice of songs showcases her vocal and musical talents. We had the pleasure of seeing one of her performances this week, our first time to see her in person. Her powerful and nuanced voice is truly phenomenal, a pleasure to hear. I can’t wait to see her perform again.
Amazing show - great performances by all involved. Interesting and diverse original songs. Highly recommended!
I was really looking forward to this concert but was disappointed. I wasn't aware there would be a very lengthy opening act, followed by a long period of inactivity between acts. I didn't like the opener at all ("Charlie"?) so just waited impatiently through that hour. The opener had a powerful voice but her musicality was weak. Rhiannon is very talented and her band was made up of gifted musicians. I enjoyed their performance though truthfully ended up wishing for a more intimate experience of Rhiannon's music. That was diluted by the impact of the opener and the need to showcase so many talented band members (an embarrassment of riches in that regard). I felt like I got a Rhiannon sampler. A little of this, a little of that. In fairness to her, she was struggling with a developing case of laryngitis that I'm sure was very challenging to manage. I would have been happier just to have Rhiannon and her banjo and perhaps one other musician, but the days may be over for that opportunity. I'm giving her a very critical review because I have very high expectations of her.
I love it when a live performance sounds exactly like the recorded song. Rhiannon and her band are fantastic musicians and Rhiannon's voice is one of the best ever. The concert was awesome!
This was a unique and powerful musical experience. Rhiannon is an extremely talented singer and performer. She is a graduate of Oberlin and was trained in classical opera. During the performance she said that she was coming down with laryngitis. The audience was understanding and supportive. She continued to sing powerfully. Her 5 piece band was excellent and enthralled the audience. She got 2 standing ovations! The instruments played and the genre of music spanned the spectrum.
Rhiannon Giddens has a voice and presence that shake the room. More, she is a thoughtful and articulate person with the ability to communicate important thoughts and emotions. And she has humor. Her soul shines through. Her education, research, and study make her songs meaningful and moving.
I hope she plays again at the Bijou Theater soon so i can plan another trip to Knoxville, TN from Norco, Louisiana.
