Janis Jan captivates

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 6

Janis Jan captivates

B-

NEVIN TOPP

Can a 4ft 10m woman with a powerful voice, wielding an occasional acoustic or electric guitar, or playing an electrc piano, captivate a “hardhearted” Christchurch audience? The answer, after nearly two hours of solid playing and two encores later for Janis lan at the Christchurch Town Hall last evening, was an outright "yes.” Not since Suzi Quatro played here two years ago has a female artist pushed with such dynamic power. But there were drawbacks as well. The bass drum and bass guitar were too heavy on the second song in • Would You Like To Dance.” but this was thankfully rectified. . Later, however, particularly when Janis lan strapped on an electric lead guitar, the total electric sound tended to overshadow the vocals — an integral part of her act This was disappointing, because it is the type of prob-

|lem 'hat should have been) solved with a sound check ' 1! before the show. i Those who have heard; : i Janis lan’s latest album; “Miracle Row” would not! - have been surprised at her -’use of an electric guitar, and ishe proved on “Take To The /’Sky” and “Let Me Be J Lonely” that it was not worn r’for decoration. t; A second criticism is that s I some of the songs were un- : necessarily drawn out. This Di applied to the amalgam of ojtwo songs "Miracle d'Row/Maria” which had the same complicated changes of s mood and rhythm as on recti ord. But somehow it did not y! seem to fit into a live show, n Janis lan came across best ” 1 when her piercing vocals ■ searched the comers of the Town Hall, or alternatively y when she played the quiet, n sensitive. vulnerable soul, e Naturally, this was expecd ted from “At Seventeen” - which got the applause it deserved, in spite of a few i- initial mishaps, and on the >•' rocking “Dance With Me.” :

11 But it was in “Jesse” that, :'she was triumphant . Starting I ;off quietly, she managed toi I]evoke the atmosphere of a; ijJesse that everyone had hid-; : den somewhere, before build-j Hing up into powerful use of I I,her voice at the end of the! ([song — beating the version| iithat Roberta Flack did of| i!Janis lan’s song in the Town'. ; Hall earlier this year. Her show was not depress- • ing as some had predicted. ’! Janis lan commented on this, Hand set out to prove the !| critics wrong by playing thel ri humorous “I Like New; f; York" with a funky doo-wop; - * mixture. ti The backing group, con-' jsisting of Claire Bay on sec-j tjond vocals, Dave' Walford i si (lead guitar), Stu Woods! ?' (bass), and Barry Lazarowitz! H (drums), played loosely at; J times, and as already men-| riioned. occassionally too loud! -i for the vocals. i However, Walford stood! . out with some fine guitar; > i riffs on "Let Me Down Easy,”; !and “Slow Dance Romance.”!