My good friend and fellow blogger Phil Holden often posts about music and occasionally I do too. In recent times I have really begun to appreciate that the only way you can tell really great musicians is by how they perform live, so here are my 10 best live performances, in no particular order:-
Bobby Womack – I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NXqi2xBBo
Candy Dulfer – Don’t Go
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_5ccXi2RCs
Isaac Hayes & Soul II Soul – Papa was a Rollin’ Stone
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppleGn1LppM
Cris Rea – Josephine
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaXbs6nN8OY
Joan Osborne & The Funk Brothers – What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA0GcXV2njY
Snake Davis Band – Going home – Theme from Local Hero
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJM5w9utmt4
Isaac Hayes – ‘Your love is so doggone good’ from Wattstax 1972
I can’t track down a live video of this song so here’s the album version which, whilst being good, does not have the raw energy of the live performance at Wattstax in 1972 that’s available on CD
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-oHYHVbRHk
Keiko Matsui – Forever, Forever
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzqsWxau_gI
The Rippingtons – She likes to watch
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7en3HLWcq3w
Bob James – Mind Games
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP52BVOlbtM
For a bit on context I’ve seen Issac Hayes, The Rippingtons, Chris Rea, The Funk Brothers, Bob James and The Snake Davis Band live over the years.