Ian Shaw & the Theory of Joy Trio @ Sage Gateshead. June 15

Ian Shaw (vocals), Barry Green (piano), Mick Hutton (double bass) & Dave Ohm (drums)

(Review by Russell)

Ian Shaw likes Joni Mitchell. Assuming they’ve never met, it’s a fair bet Mitchell would like Shaw. In Sage Two, Ian Shaw entertained as vocalist, as storyteller. Opening his set with Mitchell’s In France They Kiss on Main Street, Shaw and the Theory of Joy – a trio worthy of a gig in its own right – delivered an intimate performance, singing and talking to an adoring audience.

Shaw – composer, vocalist, pianist and stand-up comedian – returned to Sage Gateshead a matter of weeks after starring at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival. This time he left the piano playing to Barry Green. Singing a selection of songs from his new CD The Theory of Joy, the man from north Wales reaffirmed his status as a vocal superstar. Kurt Elling, Tony Bennett, they exude a nonchalant command of their art, so too Ian Shaw. A swinging All This and Betty Too showcased the trio’s jazz credentials as Shaw paid dues to Ms Betty Carter. Between times Shaw’s storytelling threatened epic proportions. The one about the cheese pasty, the micro wave and hiding in a Nuneaton cupboard (all true, ask him about it sometime) had our man strolling the stage, the timing, that of a natural, then turning to his band mates in self-admonishment, suggesting he’d talked too long and they would, perhaps, have to cut a number from the set but not before singing Leonard Cohen’s Dance Me to the End of Love.

Shaw the campaigner: fundraiser and friend to the many displaced persons abandoned to their fate on the high seas of xenophobia, spoke eloquently, an informed voice. There is zero chance of Shaw’s words appearing front page on the red tops. He does what he can. My Brother is a song for our times.

Second set: You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two. See it as a show tune if you will, hear it as a commentary on our ‘all in it together’ times. Shaw mentioned the double vinyl (and digital download) release of The Theory of Joy contained three bonus tracks (he admitted he didn’t have a vinyl copy of his own record). He sang one of them – Last Man Alive. A vocal range to die for (several singers were in the audience…what were they thinking?), the main man sang Michel Legrand’s How Do You Keep the Music Playing? The trio did get the opportunity to stretch out on a couple of numbers as Shaw confided he can find it difficult to work with bass players other than Mick Hutton, so highly does he regard his musicianship, and drummer Dave Ohm is similarly in the ‘first call’ category.       

For an encore Ian Shaw sang Somewhere Towards Love. Passionate, perhaps sentimental, but so effective. 

Russell.