Friday, April 1, 2011

Glen David Andrews at Sullivan Hall

Glen David Andrews abolutely torched the audience at Sullivan Hall in New York Tuesday night. The performance was more of a revival meeting than a concert, and by the time it was over GDA had a personal relationship with everyone who'd walked in the door. It was a dramatically different show from his regular Monday night gigs at d.b.a. in New Orleans. At Sullivan Hall GDA performed with his three-piece rhythm section (piano, bass and drums) and made up the front line himself, singing, playing trombone, whistling, leading a second line etc. He opened and closed with the John Boutte's "Treme" theme. After a lengthy introduction he played "Autumn Leaves," walked off the stage and improvised a gospel vocal solo as he walked through the audience, gesturing with his trombone (most of his vocals were off the microphone). He ended up in front of the stage, softly whistling the melody. The audience, which had been jumping and screaming moments before, fell into a dead silence, hanging onto his every move. He went into his Armstrong vocal flourish, finishing by singing "My name is Glen David Andrews and I plan to have a good time tonight." A version of "Feel Like Funkin' It Up" became a sing-along, with GDA urging the crowd on: "Sing it for Trombone Shorty!" "Sing it for John Boutte!" From that moment on the show was an extended series of encores as he took the crowd through "Saints," formed another second line, gave his goodbyes but always switching up. At one point he stood in front of the bar and the crowd pressed around him as he sang a softer chorus of "Saints." With Jamal Watson framing his vocals on drums GDA organized the show like a hip-hop concert, frenetically shifting to the next thing and prompting the audience to respond. At the end he delivered an advertisement for his Jazz Fest appearances. New Orleans couldn't get a better promotion for the fest.

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