Forty-one years ago Joe Cocker made his international breakthrough at Woodstock - that performance 'With a little help from my friends', has passed into legend (along with Carlos Santana's set and Jimi Hendrix's 'Star Spangled banner'). All these years later and with so much history now behind him, Cocker, at heart is still basically the same singer he was then - gutsy, bluesy with his trademark gravelly voice more or less intact.
Drawing on some new, but largely older material the set built nicely to it's inevitable climax - along the way 'Unchain My Heart, 'When the Night Comes', 'You are So Beautiful', 'Summer in the City', 'Leave your hat on', 'Bathroom Window' ending the set with 'A little Help' and then encoring with 'Cry me a River' with an up-tempo version almost gospel in its approach.
With a great band, all seasoned musicians, two bouncy and very watch-able backing singers this was a class show from start to finish.
8000 people left very happy and gave the man from Sheffield a long standing ovation, nothing less than he deserved.
Opening the evening in the Theatre Antique was the lovely Esperenza Spalding. Her career has blossomed over the past few years - last year she played in the Midnight Theatre before 100 people, tonight on the main stage in front of almost 8000. Her smoochy, quirky music with both upright and electric bass verging almost at times into funk, always interesting and her pure voice always interesting, definitely a talent on the way up.
Tonights show features Chucho Valdedes and Monty Alexander
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