Lucinda Williams rocked at Celtic Connections 2016!

Sassy straight talking rock on lady! This lady takes no prisoners and she seems grounded.

I came new to Lucinda, while I had read good reviews of her work. Looking at her Wikipedia page I noticed that at 62 she has unusually been having more success as she gets older.

As we waited in the packed Glasgow concert hall an enthusiastic man appeared at the side of the stage waving a set list. I got a photo - was this Mr Overby her manger and now husband? I wondered was the extra time before the gig to ground us to be ready to listen? 

She sang several tracks from her new 2016 album, Ghost of Highway 20, in which she sings of her memories of the deep south and of those lost to her. 'Places you can't let go of - they won't let go of you' and 'I found myself on Highway 20' 

On any given night there would likely be certain songs on her set list such as Drunken Angel, Lake Charles and Cold Day in Hell. 'Each time I look at the world there's a different story.' Another song was entitle Protection. 'Protection from the enemy of love, the enemy of rock n roll' And on Find My Joy she sang, 'You took my joy don't mess with me.' 

Her father was the poet, Miller Williams (who read at Bill Clinton's inauguration). He once took her to hear the preacher and street singer guitarist Blind Pearly Brown. She may have found setting his words to music a challenge but she managed on his poem Compassion and on Dust. 'You couldn't cry if you wanted to.' Her mother, Lucy Morgan was a musician.

The rocking high quality band Buick 6 performed with her. Guitarist Stuart Mathis took up mournful and joyous melodies along side dynamic drummer Butch Norton in his white cowboy hat and their bassist David Sutton racked up the energy. Often she turned her back to conduct the band so they are all in sync. Lucinda with her shock of blond hair and leather jacket is not your average softly dressed country gal! On a couple of songs there was just Lucinda on guitar.

For her encore songs Lucinda sang Robert Johnston's Stop Breaking Down Blues and JJ Cale's song Magnolia. She smiled as she searched for the last song among her pages of songs when her roadie came to assist. 

Her spiritual songs cover pathos, regret, searching. Lucinda's voice packs a punch with a rasp, unforgettable direct earthiness. At times with her head titled back slightly her voice soars and meanders those blues songs.  

She is a three times Grammy award winner and considered one of America's top songwriters. I can understand why, I was new to these songs and they registered and struck home right away.

Harmony, peaceful, rocking! 

She is a defiant lady who has travelled many roads. There were loads of stand outs and textured, layered songs with an artist of this calibre and there is nothing subtle about Lucinda. http://lucindawilliams.com/

Williams was well supported by Canadian singer songwriter Jenny Ritter.

Celtic Connections 2016!

This year Celtic will welcome again any international artists from – Inner Mongolia to Armagh, Senegal to Italy, and Brittany to the Outer Hebrides to Southern Manitoba will perform at the festival in 2016 Celtic Connections remains a hotbed of musical talent from cultures and countries from across the globe. 

One of the main focuses of Celtic Connections festival is bringing different voices together form across continents and oceans as well as exploring our roots and identity  Celtic also brings together the different generations through music - with older and contemporary sounds and how today's most innovative and experimental bands draw on traditional roots.  .

This year's opening concerts celebrates the TSMA's 50th anniversary which encourages Scottish traditional song with musical director Siobhan Miller - and with a star line up that includes - Arthur Johnstone, Sheena Wellington, Jimmy Hutchison, Barbara Dickson, Shepheard, Spiers & Watson, Kris Drever, Adam McNaughton, Mischa Macpherson and Malinky.   

TSMA mission was to support authenticity in Scotland's song smiths, musianship and tradition  - in opposition to the twee commercialism of a simplistic tartan shortbread music hall sound. To celebrate the ancient muckle songs to the 21st century originals.

The Chieftains, along with other Irish musicians will celebrate the100 year anniversary of Irelands Easter Rising which included (as in Scotland) a cultural re-wakening by poets, writers composers and artists - an artistic renaissance in song, literature, theatre and journalism. 15th Jan Concert hall.  

Dick Gaughan and Karine Polwart

Topics of Migration - is a concert of Joni Mitchell songs - the Pilgrimer - which will re-imagines Joni's classic 1976 album Hegira with singers Dick Gaughan, Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis and more. The album tells of migration while Joni drove solo from Miami to LA - expressing both the freedom and loneliness of the road.  Pilgrimer by author James Robertson adapts the album to a Scottish setting.  16th Jan Concert hall.

Ballads of Child Migration concert with Barbara Dickson, Eddi Reader, Kris Drever, Boo Hewerdine. Between 1850 and 1970 more than 1000,000 children were shipped under government schemes to colonies and were exploited. 19th Jan Concert hall

Highlights this year include - the Chieftians, Lau, John Grant, Lucinda Williams, Robert Plant, Karine Polwart, Rickie Lee Jones, Boys of the Lough. 

I have been taking photos at Celtic Connections since 2008. When I look at my Celtic Connections photos - one thing stands out – the fun and joy of music and the collaborations of those taking part during the 18 day festival.

Opening concert for Martyn Bennett

The main venue is the Glasgow Concert hall - other venues include, the Old Fruitmarket, 02 ABC, Oran Mor, Tron, City Hall, St Andrews, Piping centre,

  

From Thursday 14 to Sunday 31 January, 2,500 musicians from around the world will gather in Glasgow for 18 days of concerts, ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops, free events, late night sessions and a host of special one-off musical collaborations. 

Stars of world, folk and roots music, who will perform on 26 stages at venues across the city,

 http://www.celticconnections.com/Pages/default.aspx