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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.
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Just great fun to watch and hear Rhiannon and her family and friends playing some great music on their “front porch.” While acknowledging the difficult times the evening wasn’t held hostage to them but celebrated the history and the joy behind the tunes played. I’ve heard Rhiannon perform a number of times in a number of venues. She and what she brings to her art never gets old.
Rhiannon set the stage and brings wonderful artists with her! Extraordinary talent with banjos and guitars and violin and accordion. Song and rap and storytelling and musical performances that wrap the audience’s hearts and souls. Did not want the night to end, and so much gratitude and respect for the artist’s devotion to their talents and able to express themselves beyond words together and individually.
I waited until this concert came to town to move out of state. My son flew in from Portland, Oregon and we went together to this show. It was worth everything, the money, the move delay, the parking, the time. Wonderful, feel good, learn something show. So glad we got to be there!
The concert was absolutely FANTASTIC!! So much talent together and Rhiannon Giddens voice was like BUTTER!!!! So very beautiful.🎶
Rhiannon and her band members were absolutely fantastic! We are relatively new fans and were blown away by this incredibly talented and energetic musician. Her voice is unbelievable and her banjo and viola playing were the best we've seen. We also loved her brief stories which make the selections even more meaningful.
This was a joyful evening of music that managed to feel intimate despite being in a bigger venue. It was the kind of cultural education the Kennedy Center was supposed to showcase, but their loss was The Anthem's gain. Rhiannon Giddens is a national treasure.
The performance by Rhiannon & Co was superb and immersed us completely in the music and story of resistance and endurance in history relevant for now. The audience of about 3,000 people was fully engaged by the performance, expressing their and gratitude throughout the show. Everyone wanted more, especially more of the reunion of the Chocoate Drops experience.
This woman is a force of nature and a national treasure.
We really enjoyed the concert! The music was great, the venue was great and the energy was awesome! I would go to see Rhiannon again!
I took my wife out to see her on mother's day and we were not disappointed. Rhiannon Giddens herself was amazing, with a powerful voice that seemed to fill up the hall. Her banjo playing was inspiring and her viola harmony playing was inspired. The 'Old Time Review' band was up also great. I especially enjoyed the playing of fellow Carolina Chocolate Drops alum Justin Robinson and a break out performance on banjo and rap lyrics by Demeanor. I especially enjoyed how she situated the tunes she played within the history of American roots music and her own personal history. I would definitely see her again.
It was so good! Past my bedtime...but definitely worth it The Anthem. My first time attending. I'd heard GA on the floor was standing room only, but they had seats. The acoustics were great!
Rhiannon Giddens is so multi-talented I wasn't sure what to expect but what I got was amazing. A bit of rock, a bit Cajun, a bit of Jazz, a bit of blues and a lot of Rhiannon. The energy she brought to the show was incredible. Best show I've attended in years.
Rhiannon is a consummate performer.The musicianship was fantastic. Downside was the VIP portion was cancelled.
This artist is talented and inspiring. It ranks among the best concerts I have ever attended. Eclectic music with heartfelt spirit.
Very tight band every one is a great musician and was able to show their talent. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen due to their skills as musicians. Only thing bad is the seats got to be a little uncomfortable after a while. Very tight but I also need a knee replacement.
A friend transferred the tickets to me BUT something came up so was unable to attend. HOWEVER, I seen Ms. Giddens before and lover her music. So sorry I had to miss her this time.
Great show; Rhiannon is an amazing talent with an amazing heart.
Rhiannon Giddens performance was amazing but because of security issues private meets were suddenly canceled because of security issues. That's the only negative.
Seeing Rhiannon Giddens live has been on our bucket list for a long time. When we saw she was coming to Tucson, we immediately ordered 2 tickets. The show was phenomenal! Even better than we expected. What a talent with a voice powerful and rich! Her stories and songs were at times emotional, pointing out the racism and struggles of the south. Families being sold and separated. Others being imprisoned just for being black. Those stories struck a chord with us. The music was a mixture of traditional, bluegrass to rock n roll. The rhythms were addicting. Her talent not only as a singer/songwriter but a musician made the show spectacular, along with her amazingly professional band of players who can play multiple instruments. It was the cherry on top. It was so good. The audience here in Tucson was so responsive to her. She picked up on that right away. I hope that means she and her band will come back again! We loved every moment of it, even though our seats were cramped and uncomfortable at this venue.
Rhiannon and her musicians are extraordinarily talented, as is Charly Lowry who opened for Giddens. There was a lot of energy emanating from the stage, and the response from the audience was just as lively.
