Two nights of Olson & Louris at the Jazz Cafe

Mark Olson & Gary Louris
Jazz Cafe, 11 & 12 May 2009

I was never lucky enough to see The Jayhawks back in Hollywood Town Hall/Tomorrow The Green Grass days, after discovering them in the mid 90s the first chance I got to see them live Mark Olson was long gone and Gary Louris was very much the frontman. Don't get me wrong, post-Olson the band took on a new life and were still great but I can't deny I missed that particular magic that happened when Olson's rootsy country vocals mixed with Louris' smoother, rock voice and those amazing harmonies were born. So of course I was particularly thrilled when the pair joined forces for the first time in 13 years for the album Ready For The Flood and, in support of that album, finally I got to hear them sing together live for the first time at the Union Chapel, one of the best venues in London for acoustic shows.

Tift Merritt at the Jazz Cafe

Tift Merritt
Jazz Cafe, 7 May 2009

Out of the new wave of alternative country girl singers that have arrived over the past decade (Neko, Kathleen Edwards, Allison Moorer), I always considered Tift Merritt to be hugely likeable and talented but the lesser of the four. Her albums, to me, recall Ryan Adams during his most pop country moments, warm and breezy like a summer day but without the edge that have helped the others make the transition to something a little more special. That said I was curious to see what she had to offer live and I was pleasantly surprised.