Joan Baez: 75th Birthday Celebration

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The legendary Joan Baez hosts her own birthday celebration and what a celebration it is, filled with a who’s who of guests who stop by to harmonize. Opening on guitar with the one, two punch of Steve Earle’s “God is God” from her last solo album “Day After Tomorrow” and the splendid Phil Och’s composition which she has been singing since the ’60’s, “There But For Fortune”, Baez sets the mood for an entrancing evening of acoustic folk music.

Her first guest, guitarist David Bromberg, joins Baez for the lively Elizabeth Cotten song “Freight Train”. Then David Crosby trades vocals with the birthday girl on the Lennon and McCartney gem “Blackbird”. Irishman Damien Rice joins Joan for the traditional Irish ballad “She Moved Through the Fair”, with its sublime imagery of the swan in the evening moving over the lake.

In what is a highlight of the first CD, Mary Chapin Carpenter duets with Baez on Donovan’s “Catch The Wind”, a song that Joan and her late sister Mimi Farina performed for years in concert. Emmylou Harris then takes the stage to perform Stephen Foster’s “Hard Times Come Again No More”. a staple of Emmylou’s which benefits from the addition of harmonies from Baez. The amazing Jackson Browne joins Joan and Emmylou for Woody Guthrie’s “Deportee”, a haunting and true song about immigrant workers killed in a plane crash. This is a staple of Baez’s repertoire and one that she did solo on her last live CD “Bowery Songs”.

Next Baez solos on Bob Dylan’s “Seven Curses”, while joking that the song probably originated in England or Ireland, and doing a wicked Bob Dylan impression. She follows with “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, another concert favorite. Mavis Staples then joins her for a medley of “Oh Freedom” (before I’ll be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave, and go home to my Lord and be free) and the strident, defiant “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.” The latter was the opener of Joan’s acclaimed A&M records live release “From Every Stage”.

Disc 2 opens with Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Indigo Girls harmonizing on the beautiful “The Water is Wide”, a classic folk tune if ever there was one. The Indigo Girls hang around to join Joan on the next song, Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”, an audience favorite. Richard Thompson and David Bromberg provide extra guitar work for the chilling “House of the Rising Sun”. Joan then introduces the next song by indicating that she is getting ready to record a new album and that the next song, Richard Thompson’s “She Never Could Resist A Winding Road” would most likely be on the new studio record. The song, a paen to wanderlust, fits perfectly into Baez’s life as a traveling troubadour, having toured the world many times over.

Then Jackson Browne takes the stage again for a duet with Baez on Browne’s “Before the Deluge”, a song that Baez first covered on her “Honest Lullaby” album. The lovely soprano of Judy Collins blends with Joan’s dusky mezzo soprano on Joan’s iconic song about Bob Dylan, the always lovely “Diamonds and Rust”. Baez sings the line, “50 years ago I bought you some cuff links”, joking about “back then they actually sold them”. Collins and Baez perform “Diamonds and Rust” on Judy’s 2010 CD “Paradise”, for anyone looking for a studio version.

Chilean singer Nano Stern joins Joan on another Baez concert staple “Gracias a la Vida” (“Thanks to Life”), after first acknowledging Baez for her performances and activism on behalf of his country. One of the most moving moments of the show for me was Paul Simon and Joan Baez harmonizing on Simon’s masterpiece “The Boxer”. The lyrics “after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same”, seemed apt on the occasion of Baez’s 75th birthday party. She may be older and grayer, but she is as lively, gracious and vibrant as ever. Her voice has changed from the high soprano of her early years but to me it sounds regal, authoritative, and sure.

The show ends with arguably the two songs most associated with Joan Baez, her radio hit of Robbie Robertson’s “The Night They Drove Old DIxie Down” and Dylan’s “Forever Young”, both songs done as encores on the accompanying DVD. She finished to wild applause and before launching into the encores the audience at New York City’s Beacon Theater sang happy birthday to the birthday girl. It seemed appropriate that Baez get a gift from the audience after so generously sharing the gift of song with her musical friends. It was definitely an evening to remember. Highly recommended.

– Bruce A. Potts

Have followed this woman all my life! It was a highlight of my life to see her in concert one July HOT Kansas city night where the cooling system went south,but she still remained to perform surrounded by ice stacks and fans,in a small performing club.she never disappointed her fans.this dvd/cd combo is a joy! Her once high tones might be gone but replayed with rich lower register of tone that actually is so rich.all but a few of the songs here are duets with other singers .but the blending of harmonies with other artist is so mellow and right-on that I wished it were longer.was somewhat disappointed that some of her own written songs are not performed.and as much as the divide between her and Dylan remains it is his songs that have been her best recordings and still remain is this concert,albeit the casual humor about their relationship is mocked(she does Dylan better than Dylan)in some concerts this is not a part of this evening event.but I miss that.get this collection ,you will not be disappointed.

– buckie

What can I say other than when I hear her voice and lyrics I want to cry! I have seen her in concert and I am so overwhelmed by the beauty of her voice. Love, Love, Love her. I would love to meet her in this life time. The first album I bought of hers’ was Blessed Are…..in 1971 and I was forever hooked. This CD is wonderful, her voice is still great, still has the same feeling and the meaning to her lyrics still comes through just as long ago.When I hear her voice, I am transported back in fime. I haven’t had time to watch the DVD but I am sure I will be watching it with tears of joy. I know it will only be a glimpse of a wonderful preformance and great moments to remember forever. Happy Birthday Joan! Thank you for the gift.

-A Constant Gardner

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Audio CD (June 10, 2016)
Number of Discs: 3
Label: Joan Baez
ASIN: B01E6B1F0W