Jazz Alley - Seattle WA

November 1, 2008

Our hotel was a block away from Jazz Alley; there was a heavy rain just before we left for Boz's 9:30 P.M. show but amazingly cleared just before we exited our hotel to walk the block to Jazz Alley. As we walked past the street side of Jazz Alley we could hear Boz and Monet singing "This Time The Dream's on Me." I told my husband that they sounded so close! Turns out that the stage was right on the other side of the windows where we were standing! We didn't stay for the whole song because we wanted to get in line for the next showing. But their voices blended so beautifully together. Hearing them just heightened my anticipation of the evening!

The entrance to Jazz Alley was actually on the alley side (of course!) and as we came closer to the entrance, a sign directed us to line up in the garage which we did. The line was to begin at 9 P.M. and we arrived ten minutes early. There were already about thirty people waiting in line. Within five minutes the line started snaking around the garage and finally we saw the audience from the first show letting out! Before we knew it, we were being ushered into the club! As we passed the entrance, I noticed people waiting outside the door hoping to get into the sold out show. It was an intimate club probably seating about 400 or so with a floor level and balcony. Actually it didn't appear that there was a bad seat in the house. We were ushered to the right of the door and down a set of stairs and finally to our seats. Our seats were on the ground level only feet from the stage!

Everyone around us was in a party mood as we all started to get acquainted with each other. Different from regular concerts I've attended. It must have been the table seating that encouraged everyone to feel more comfortable and encouraged conversation or maybe the drinks! Like us, we found out that most people in attendance flew in from another state! Oregon, California, Nevada and of course there were the locals from Washington. We all were having a great time in anticipation of Boz's performance...and finally it was time! An MC came out and introduced Boz and suddenly there he was! Boz was wearing gray slacks with a light blue long sleeve shirt which he left untucked. His sleeves were partially rolled up and the top buttons were undone.

Boz began by thanking the audience for their applause and started to intro the first song and suddenly his voice started getting hoarse and seemed to be going! The audience was stone silent collectively holding our breaths. Boz said he hoped he could get through the performance. Then he started singing Invitation and miraculously he sounded wonderful with no hint of a problem! We simultaneously looked around at all the friends we had made and smiled at each other with a sigh of relief that Boz had recovered his voice...we all exhaled simultaneously!

I "procured" Boz's setlist but I'm not sure that it was exactly followed. About the fourth song in Boz sat out the song and Monet was featured along with the individual musicians. I've never heard Some Other Time before and Monet may have sung this song but I'm not sure.

Invitation
Lowdown
Speak Low
Some Other Time
She Was Too Good To Me
I Wish I Knew
Harbor Lights
Save Your Love For Me
Dindi
LWYDTM
Baby's Calling Me Home/Call That Love
This Time The Dreams On Me
Thanks To You

In general, I will comment on the songs of Speak Low:

Invitation- You can hear that Boz has studied music of the era as the intonations in his voice echo recordings of that period.

Lowdown-what a beautiful jazzed up version of one of my favorites! It was nice to hear a familiar song that's been changed up a bit. Like a woman, we all need to change our accessories from time to time.

I Wish I Knew - Gil Goldstein started playing the intro and Boz had him stop. Boz jokingly looked over at Gil and asked if he could play it in a register he could reach! Everyone laughed a bit and he started the song over. You know Boz's voice just gets better and better. This song was really soft and dreamy.

Harbor Lights - Well just like everyone else has commented the new arrangement with the accordion intro evokes nights in Paris walking down the Champs Elysees, it's beautiful and unusual to include the accordion but it really works. It totally changes the song to a more romantic mood if that's possible.

Save Your Love For Me - My very favorite cut of the cd and Boz didn't disappoint! His vocals were steamy, hot and sexy! Those horns were hot too! It was great! The audience was into it too as it received the loudest applause of the night! Yummy! If he had closed his concert with that song I would have been satisfied but I'm so glad he didn't!!

Dindi - I've seen videos of this song performed by Ella Fitzgerald and Boz's version was equally good and I think I prefer Boz's version.

Boz announced that this next song would be his last and the audience collectively all yelled out Nooooo!!!

Baby's/Call That Love - With a sly smile Boz's intro to Baby's was "I kind of borrowed this song from someone"...and he started playing the intro. I'm thinking OMG this is a rare wonderful pleasure to hear this song dusted off and out of the vaults of Boz's time with the Steve Miller Band. It was as wonderful as when it was first sung!! I felt so honored and privileged to be able to hear this rarely performed song! Call That Love was a wonderful duo between Boz and Monet. I disagree with one of the reviewers of the Seattle shows that Monet was too loud for Boz's voice. As they both sang this song you could tell by Boz's facial features that he watched Monet and seemed to encourage her to take her voice as far as it could go. If you attend Boz's concerts you know that he's very generous with his musicians and seems to get pleasure in spotlighting each of their talents.

Boz may have been tired after the grueling two performances per night because he had announced previously that Baby's and Call That Love would be his last song for the night. So he said to the audience, "Normally, we would walk off stage and you would hopefully clap and want us to return for an encore. So in order to save time, we'll just play a couple more songs if that's ok with you. Of course that's ok with us! You can play all night! Everyone applauded and yelled their approval!!

This Time The Dreams On Me - This song brings back the memories of a 1940's musical. You kind of expect to see a couple dancing/gliding across the stage. Boz's and Monet's vocals were just perfect in creating this feeling. It was smooth, almost sweet sounding, very lovely!

Thanks To You - Dig...It was a fitting way to end his concert, sigh! One of my favorite songs and cd's but Boz's songs are like your children, how can you love one more than the other? You can't! Everyone gave Boz a long, loud standing ovation as he bowed so elegantly to the crowd. He made his plea for us to vote and then he was gone.

There was a distinct difference from Boz's "hits" shows and his "jazz" shows in that with the intimacy of the room you were able to really hear, feel and appreciate not only the individual musicians but Boz's beautiful voice. You experience the subtle changes in the register of Boz's voice, the beautiful deep notes that only Boz can hit that kind of curl your toes when you hear them for lack of a better description. It's odd but normally the only way I can hear these changes is by listening to Boz through my Bose headsets! I wish everyone could experience one of Boz's jazz concerts they're wonderful!

With Boz's amazing performance and the wonderful fans we met, I felt a real warmth in that cool Seattle evening. It was a wonderful, wonderful night and a crazy Sleepless in Seattle weekend!!!

Thank you Boz!

Joanne.