Concerts Review—

From Symphonic To Sublime: Sarah McLachlan, Ben Taylor

Thrilled Fans On Both Ends Of The State

By John Voket

Two very talented songwriter/performers dazzled audiences at opposite ends of Connecticut last weekend as Sarah McLachlan brought her memorable symphonic tour to the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods on July 7 and Ben Taylor presented his own witty brand of material to a small but enthusiastic group of fans at The Ridgefield Playhouse the following evening.

Devoted followers who attended McLachlan’s show certainly had to be driven to the peak of ecstasy as the more delicate aspects of her material were lifted on clouds of swirling strings, while her more powerful passages exploded with the thunder of pounding kettle drums and the clarion call of a massive brass section.

Instead of just bringing her regular band to back her on this summer’s tour, McLachlan hand-picked a foursome from among her capable backing ensemble to join her. Then, with the assistance of conductor/arranger Sean O’Loughlin, she assembled a massive orchestra to deliver an incomparable showcase of her most popular songs.

Just one verse into her opener, “Building A Mystery,” the orchestra kicked in and one could feel the energy level of both the performers and the audience soar. McLachlan appeared and sounded completely confident throughout, and her vocal delivery exhibited a quality seldom heard in previous performances, whether it was with her own band or being backed by various musicians and peers during her Lilith Fair outings.

Up to now, the waifish soprano tended to be more tentative and breathy in her delivery. And while she was singing the very same songs last Saturday night, there was obviously something about having dozens of musicians at her back that brought forth a new level of maturity, even sophistication to her vocals.

Or maybe it was just having survived some of the more challenging personal experiences she has weathered in recent years, including her divorce and the rigors of being a single mom to a pair of precocious young daughters.

McLachlan did not shy away from those subjects that evening, however, introducing the second number of the set, “U Want Me 2,” as a song she penned about the demise of her marriage. Similar themes followed, with each successive song providing an opportunity for McLachlan to convey the pain or exhilaration she experienced as those songs first took shape.

She did not apologize for the many sad selections during her 22-song set. Instead, she joked about them, choosing to warn the audience ahead of the few upbeat numbers she included, like “Loving You Is Easy,” with its Beatlesque orchestration and pumping piano.

“I Will Remember You” gave guitarist Luke Doucet a few moments to shine with a trademark playing style combining complex riffs and the understated manipulation of atmospheric effects, while “Hold On” was one of just a few songs during the show that brought all the elements together in perfect balance, with McLachlan, her bandmates, and the orchestra all pouring it on at full capacity, but never teetering over the edge into overkill.

This same controlled intensity was evident during “World On Fire,” as well as near the end of the second set, as the double-punch of “Fear” and “Possession” produced several climactic moments that brought most of the packed MGM Grand audience to its feet howling in approval.

But that is not to say the quieter moments of the show were lacking. “Good Enough,” which opened the second set, featured only McLachlan and the core band lending sweet, perfect harmonies to the plaintive tune. A lengthy new introduction tagged on to “Sweet Surrender” helped spotlight the talent of the orchestra’s massive string section, while it was the horns that brought a new dimension to the formerly sparse “Adia.”

Perhaps the only clunker of the evening — if it can be described as such — was McLachlan’s choice of “Bring On The Wonder” as her encore opener. While performed capably, it seemed to fall flat with the otherwise enthusiastic crowd.

But the remainder of the set, “Angel” and “Ice Cream,” were redeeming, leaving the audience either satisfied or hungering for more.

Intimate Drumming

The next evening about 80 miles southwest of Foxwoods, Ben Tayor — the progeny of James Taylor and Carly Simon — gave the small but boisterous audience at The Ridgefield Playhouse a show worthy of Radio City or the Hollywood Bowl.

After seeing Taylor perform his last few shows in Connecticut as a solo act, it was refreshing to hear what great potential he offers when accompanied by his longtime friends and bandmates David Saw, Larry Ciancia and Benjamin Thomas. While Taylor performed several numbers on his own including the show opener, the best of his new material shined with Ciancia’s simple hand drumming, Thomas’ rootsy bass, and Saw’s stellar guitar and complimentary vocals.

Kicking things off with a fan favorite, “Your Boyfriend is A Really Nice Guy,” Taylor immediately hooked the couple hundred folks in the audience with his easygoing style and articulate delivery. Then as the band assembled Taylor launched into a story about how he and his sister used to spy on their parents, pulling off a deadpan imitation of his father before launching into “I See You and You See Me.”

Despite the fact that he brought along his drum kit, Ciancia was pressed into playing most of the set on a single hand drum because Taylor thought it was much more conducive to the atmosphere of the intimate Playhouse. It also served to enhance the instrumentation and vocals — particularly with Saw who sang along with Taylor note-for-note on many of the arrangements.

“Dirty” and “Worlds Are made of Paper” were two highlights of the set representing material from Taylor’s soon-to-be-released album, Listening. But as he explained to the crowd, since completing the sessions for his upcoming release, Taylor already produced another raft of new songs.

Since the audience seemed receptive, he decided, he said, to “test drive” a number of them Sunday evening much to the delight of his followers, many who were hearing the tunes for the first time. Taylor was more than willing to work through these works in progress, seeming equally thrilled that the crowd was so receptive.

One of those numbers, “Footprints In The Sand,” turned out to be one of the highpoints of the show, even though the song was momentarily interrupted by Thomas and Ciancia clowning around in the wings.

“Turn Out the Lights,” a song to his unborn nephew, was another exceptionally well played selection with its oddly syncopated beat. And “Nothing I Can Do,” a tribute to Carly Simon, featured a complex chord pattern that Taylor and Saw delivered with precision.

Keeping the family-oriented material coming, Taylor also performed the heartfelt, “Brother,” another selection from his upcoming release Listening, that he dedicated to his twin step-brothers, Henry and Rufus.

While audiences may not see the spectacle of a Sarah McLachlan symphonic tour again anytime soon, Taylor is highly accessible in the region because he bounces between residences in New York, Martha’s Vineyard and western Massachusetts. He will be at the Iron Horse in Northampton, Mass., on Saturday, July 14, and at the Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington on August 19.