Burt Bacharach in Seattle

When I saw the announcement for this show, I was astounded to learn that Burt is still touring at 89. So my wife & I decided to get tickets to see him at Jazz Alley.

His 11-piece band (dressed all in black) crowded onto the stage, played an instrumental opening, and then Burt made his way to the stage. He's far from the tall, handsome man he once was; he appears to have shrunk quite a bit with age. But he didn't need a cane or anyone's arm to get to the stage. (At this venue, artists make their way from the back down the aisle to get to the stage.) His piano playing skills are intact, and when he addressed the crowd, it was clear that his mind's all there too.

The band stuck to the "classic" arrangements of these songs -- not a nod to Naked Eyes' version of "Always Something There to Remind Me," much less The Stranglers' rendition of "Walk On By." The group included three vocalists who traded off the lead role, all very capable. (The bass player took the vocal on a couple of songs too.) Everyone in the band was young enough either to be Burt's son, or his grandkid. (His son Oliver was one of the keyboardists.)

Burt himself never has been renowned as a singer. He took a few lines here and there, which drew a few nervous chuckles from the audience ... as if he was so cute, trying to perform a magic trick or something. But when he took the whole lead on "Alfie" and "A House Is Not a Home," those rusty hinges and creaky floorboards added surprising poignancy to the lyrics, as if he was sharing deep truths that you have to reach his age to really understand.

He played quite a few songs (some as part of a medley here and there) that I wasn't aware he'd written, as well as a few unfamiliar ones. There was no "encore," as such; Burt told the crowd the stage simply was too crowded for that routine. "I think I've got just one clear shot to get off this stage safely," he said. So he introduced the musicians, played a few more songs, led the crowd in a singalong of "Raindrops," and they called it a night.

SETLIST:
What the World Needs Now [instrumental]
Don't Make Me Over/Walk On By
This Guy's in Love with You
I Say a Little Prayer
Trains and Boats and Planes/Wishin' and Hopin'
Always Something There to Remind Me
Do You Know the Way to San José
Anyone Who Had a Heart
I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
Mexican Divorce
Something Big
24 Hours from Tulsa
Baby It's You/Message to Michael
Make It Easy on Yourself
On My Own
Windows of the World
Close to You
The Look of Love
Between the Moon and New York City
What's New Pussycat/The World Is a Circle/The April Fools
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance/Making Love
Wives and Lovers
Alfie
A House Is Not a Home
[band intros]
Hush
Any Day Now
That's What Friends Are For
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head [reprise]

What a staggering oeuvre of songs.

I did not know he wrote "Make It Easy On Yourself," though it occurs to me that I should've recognized the style of melody.

I presume "Between the Moon and New York City" is what's more commonly known as "Arthur's Theme"?

Still touring at his age, that is amazing.

I'd have a long list of fave Bacharach recordings, but the Walker Bros' "Make It Easy on Yourself" would deffo be right near the top. Followed by Isaac Hayes' "Walk On By" and Love's version of a hit I see that he did not perform, "Little Red Book."
Also: Aretha's "Say A Little Prayer," Dusty Springfield's "Wishin and Hopein." And of course, The Five Blobs "Beware of the Blob." How great would it have been if he had played that one?!

Told my wife about this event, then she said "Is he touring? That would make a good anniversary present for my parents....I would like to go see Burt Bacharach!"

Indeed. We should, alas, he's only playing Vegas on the 4th of August.



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> I presume "Between the Moon and New York City" is what's more commonly known as
> "Arthur's Theme"?

Yep, that's the one.

I didn't realize he'd written "On My Own" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."

I also didn't realize he'd written "Trains and Boats and Planes." When they started that song, my wife and I looked at each other and both said, "Fountains of Wayne!"



Post Edited (07-18-17 15:26)

No, I'll Never Fall In Love Again?

Rip off!!

Kidding, kidding

Quote

No, I'll Never Fall In Love Again?

Rip off!!

I certainly would have preferred that one to, say, "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" or "Between the Moon and New York City." Not that I would presume to tell The Maestro what to do.

Remember he did that album a decade or so ago with Dr Dre, Rufus Wainwright and Elvis Costello? I bought a copy, and can't remember a thing about it.

> No, I'll Never Fall In Love Again?

Yeah, that omission surprised us. Surely he could've skipped the sing-along reprise of "Raindrops" to make room for that.

My mother-in-law was scheduled to be here for a visit, until health concerns compelled her to cancel the trip. Before she did that, my wife was considering giving her ticket to her mom.

In retrospect, my wife said she's kinda glad it didn't work out that way ... partly because she enjoyed Burt's show so much herself, but also because she figures her mom would've spent the whole show in tears. Those songs were the soundtrack to her young newlywed days.