Willy Porter
Studio Concert Series: Willy Porter
Thursday, September 13, 2007
We are still shaking our heads! Willy Porter’s Blue Rock show defies our ability to give it language. What fun. What a complete talent. Willy’s exquisite guitar playing might have been enough for a great evening but, it turns out, was hardly the point. His soulful vocal lines, stories, and song writing were carried on a bed of sure-handed six-string (and occasionally nine-string) expertise. The technique was so good it simply became invisible and what we heard seemed the pure heart of an artist. And if that wasn’t plenty, his tales of the neighborhood and tightly-wound hitchhikers were as unforgettably comic as the music was rich.
Along for the evening was Croatian keyboard/ accordion specialist, Radoslav Lorkovic.
This added wonderful colors to the mix and an element of improvisational chemistry, which was beautifully executed. A few highlights of the evening were Willy’s songs, “Mystery,” “Paper Airplane,” “Unconditional,” and a new gem he calls “A Hard Place.” He brought his signature Guild acoustic as well as a custom baritone guitar that filled the house. An amazing turn in the show was his spontaneous composition using phrases from the audience. Spaghetti O’s and Afterglow are now inextricably bound!
An hour and a half of music went by in a heartbeat and soon he was hanging out with everybody around the kitchen with cakes and coffee et al. One added bit of fairy dust was that our famous (in music production circles) neighbor, Rupert Neve, and his wife Evelyn paid us a visit, to the delight of Willy and every musician present.
Enjoy the photos by Nathan Brown and Rodney Bursiel. Leave your own remarks below. And don’t be a stranger!
Billy and Dodee
For more information on this artist, visit http://www.willyporter.com
Comments
Richard says:
Yee-haw! Willy got down!
Belinda says:
Amazing show! I’m breathless.
Ben says:
I was lucky enough to grab a front-row seat. Watching Willy’s fingers blur across his instrument is just as amazing as hearing the sound they produce. Thanks for a great show. Can’t wait for the next one.
linda says:
Get ‘A Hard Place’ recorded fast! Please?!