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Warm up, part 3 of 3.

Suzanne Vega.


Suzanne tells when she was monitor of a group of children was singing to them "Story of Isaac" and it seemed that it was not a song that they liked much. She recorded it in the tribute "Tower of Song" (1995) and with John Cale "So long Marianne" in "Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village in the 60's" (1999). Will they sing it together?

Suzanne Vega Interviews Leonard Cohen 1992

Anjani Thomas.


In Sant Feliu she interpreted "Half the perfect world" and "Thanks for the music", in Dublin was different, she sang "Never got to love you" and "Blue Alert". In any case it will be an exquisite performance.

Adam Cohen.


I do not have idea. In his work there is no cover of his father. Nowadays, he sings more in French. We will see.

Jackson Browne.


He's other one of my idols. He was introduced in Sant Feliu as the very young one that was more than Nico's guitarist. These days in the Dom, a Chelsea Girl made madden a doctor, a saint and an Eskimo. (Nico released in 1967 the album "Chelsea Girls" with the beautiful song "These days" composed by her guitarist). In the last concert, Browne sang "A thousand kisses deep", fantastic.

John Cale.


Lou Reed was in Dublin, John Cale here and Nico in the memory. Cale, with a great power in the stage, interpreted "Alexandra leaving" and closed the concert with "Hallelujah".

Perla Batalla.


She was the alma mater of Sant Feliu. She opened the concert with Suzanne, was unforgettable. Lovely.

The Band.
Directed by Kevin McCormick and Javier Mas with Charlie Cepeda, Raúl Rodríguez, Jimmy Gonzalez, Alvaro Gandul, Alex Bublitchi, Jabier Muguruza, Mireia Otzerinjauregi and Perla Batalla.

Almost it is the same of Sant Feliu. I liked, they sounded marvellously in any of the very different styles.

Javier Mas has been for many years music of the songwriter Maria del Mar Bonet who has experimented with Mediterranean's fusion music. I believe this sound is part of Cohen's music. Mas can play the mandolin very similar as John Bilezikjian.

Raúl Rodríguez is a great guitarist and leader of the flamenco group "Son de la Frontera".

Thanks for this super coverage, FYS... it's great having all your comments and the photographs, including the one of Javier Colis with the cauliflower . John Cale looks older than I expected.


~ Lizzy

The photo of John Cale is not good, but the time goes by. Jackson Browne is not the boy with 19 years old who came to the Greewitch Village, but "Oh won't you stay just a little bit longer?"

Here, in Sant Feliu with Jorcx, other great:

These Days is one of my favourite songs, but I shall have to get the entire album if I can find it, I've got it on the Royal Tenembaums soundtrack - a fantastic compilation, I highly recommend it. Thanks for the info For Your Smile.

. . . but the time goes by

Yes, it surely does, FYS. Not a thing to be done about it. I'm glad Jorcx was able to meet him, too. Thanks, again, for posting all this.


~ Lizzy

I vaguely remember, from on eof the books or interviews, that Adam performed great cover of Tower of Song for his dad, on dishes and other "devices" from the kitchen. So maybe we will finally hear that version in public

Jackson recorded These Days in his second album (For Everyman 1973) six years later than Nico (1967). In 2005 he released Live Acoustic Vol.1 with an introduction talking about Nico and These Days, exceptional.

Tower of Song will be fine in Adam voice, thanks Tom.

One difference in the advertising posters, in the first, Hostalets & Lleida is Gerard Quintana, in the second he is changed for Aute.





The name of the concert is "Acords amb Leonard Cohen" in Catalan.

Constantino Romero to the left and the father of this, Alberto Manzano to the right side.

Thanks to Chema for this link:

http://www.osona.com/index.php?seccio=n ... re&id=1628

The day is coming, in the mass media are more news about Acords.

Today I have had the opportunity to listen in Catalunya Radio a magnificent interview with Jackson Browne, very funny and relaxed. The topic has been the concerts and Leonard Cohen.

Browne has said that just he will sing one song, the better that he has never sung: A Thousand Kisses Deep (He filled me with enthusiasm with his interpretation in Sant Feliu). The interviewer remembered that before writing this song, Cohen was for years in a Buddhist monastery and asked to Jackson how is the way to prepare for to sing this song .

He has said very beautiful things, as which any Leonard's sparkle is a preciousness for us.

He spoke about his love for Barcelona, he has an apartment in Gracia, a popular neighbourhood. Also of the USA policy, they remembered the song Casino Nation "In a weapons producing nation under Jesus... " I have a very happy days and do not wish a political discussion with any dinosaur that runs hereabouts, but I agree totally with Jackson.

Hey FYS and Jarkko --

REPORTS please! How are the concerts going? What songs did Adam sing? Perla and Anjani?

Anxious to hear the glowing reports.

Thanks

dick

Hi for alls! I'm a new member of this forum. My name is Chema and I'm living in Barcelona. Yesterday I was in the concert with Jarkko, FYS, Jorcx and my twin brother Tonyo. It was a great concert, a night magic. The set list was:

1- Suzanne (Perla Batalla); 2- Bird on the wire (Adam Cohen); 3- Al·leluia/Hallelujah (Gerard Quintana in Catalan); 4- Mi gitana/The gipsy's wife (Duquende in Spanish); 5- Imperneable azul/Famous blue raincoat (Cristina Rosenvinge in Spanish); 6- Hotel Chelsea/The Chelsea hotel (Jabier Muguruza in Spanish); 7- So long, Marianne (Jabier Muguruza in Basque); 8- Diamons in the mine (E. Murphy); 9- Half a perfect world (Anjani); 10- Thanks for the dance (Anjani); 11- Alexandra leaving (J. Cale); 12- A thousand kisses deep (Jackson Browne); 13- Take this waltz (Adam Cohen and Anjani in Spanish); 14- Ballad of the absent mare (Perla and Javier Colis in Spanish); 15- El Carnicero/The butcher (Javier Colis in Spanish); 16- Tu sabes quien soy/You know who I am (Santiago Auseron in Spanish); 17- Suzanne (Toti Soler in Catalan); 18- El futuro/The future (Aute in Spanish); 19- Baila Conmigo/Dance me to the end of love (Perla in Spanish); 20- Hallelujah (J. Cale).

Best regards
CHEMA

8- Diamons in the mine (E. Murphy);

Is that Mr. Ellliott Murphy ? I have seen several of his shows with Olivier Durand. I saw on his website that he is in Spain this weekend.

Thanks much for the report Chema.

Sounds like a fabulous show!

Many of us are envious.

Dick

Hi Chema, I'm glad than you write here, at last!!

A video of the concert:

http://www.noticies.cat/pnoticies/notIt ... int=167649

Click in "Vídeo: Homenantge a Cohen" and then "Qualitat baixa (gratuita)".

Yes, Henning, he was Elliott Murphy !!

The concert began with a delicates notes and a Cohen in off reciting "Poem" from "Let us Compare Mythologies" ("I heard of a man..."), Constantino Romero continued it in Spanish. He has a deep and clear voice, he does not recite, interprets as an actor. Among the diverse selection of poems we listen "God is alive, magic is afoot", "The Faith" (Dear Heather), "Gift" (in Catalan) and poems of "Book of Longing". The idea of including poems in Leonard Cohen's tribute remembers that his work is more than songs.



Perla Batalla appeared with his formidable Suzanne. A beauty.



Adam Cohen's was a pleasant and extrovert guy, he spoke in a very correct Spanish, he said an American Spanish of LA, he sang "Bird On The Wire". A very good cover with interesting musical variations.

Yes, Antonio my friend, not always we will be able to be ready to fly from the wire, it is necessary to be enough young, and for Adam it's better this song than Tower of Song. Certainly he has potential to be a good ladies'man, with another style, of course.



Gerard Quintana sang his recent cover Al·leluia.



Duquende with "Mi gitana" (My Gipsy Wife) in "cante jondo" (sing depth).



The beautiful Christina Rosenvinge sang an exquisite "Impermeable Azul" (Famous Blue Raincoat).



Next Javier Muguruza with "Chelsea Hotel" and "So Long, Marianne" (Euskeda).



Already we knew that Suzanne Vega would not be, she was not in the program, maybe for a change with Elliott Murphy appeared, a wonderful surprise. He interpreted a formidable "Diamonds In The Mine". Bob Dylan in his good times could not have does it better.



And it was the moment of Anjani Thomas, she was wonderful and happy, she sang "Half A Perfect World" and "Thanks For The Dance". Great.



John Cale also with piano and coloured hairs sang his powerful "Alexandra Leaving".



And Jackson Browne the great "Thousand Kisses Deep" with one magnificent prologue of Raúl Rodríguez's guitar.



Adam returned to the stage, he said to us that he was sharing the passion of his father for Lorca, remembered the name of his sister, for this song he needed the help of his friend; Anjani, together sang "Take This Waltz" in Spanish, memorable and familiar. Did Leonard see the rehearsal?



In Spanish and with a certain mariachi tune, Perla Batalla and Javier Colis sang "Ballad of the Absent Mare", ended up by dancing, very nicely.



Later Colis and Javier Mas performed "The Butcher", very hard style.



Santiago Auserón sang "You know who I am" with fragments in English and Spanish.



Toti played Susanna the mythical version Catalan of 1972, one special ovation.



For some reason Aute delayed a time to go out to interpret "The Future" version with a very hard lyrics, then he commented that the original one was tougher, I don't know.



Perla as master of ceremonies presented the band, congratulated Kevin on his birthday and announced the last song "Dance me to the End of Love" in Spanish and she invited to all to sing together, another nice moment.



After a long ovation, John Cale went out and sang Hallelujah with all the artists. A fantastic atmosphere.

The band sounded fantastically, the sound, the lighting, everything was perfect for me, the correct rhythm for the artists' changes and a very elegant hand's program. The problem, the serious problem of this concert has been the trouble of the mobile cameras on the stage. There were two teams handled two enormous utensils with two persons each one. They were going in and going out constant and were turning I half-close the musicians managing to intervene between the artist and the public. As Perla said, with this the concentration gets lost. In Sydney she did not see cameras. In a song there is a story and a communication that must not break. At least let's hope that they will release one DVD.

The personal sensation of my wife and me, is than we lived a magnificent and unforgettable day, from the morning until high hours of the night. An authentic dream. We were with our friends in Barcelona (and Lleida), the Cohen's fans, and also we have met personally others who were intimate, warm and not conceited, at all. We have their memory and keep it intimately with thankfully.

It will be a silly thing, but I wanted to send a message of admiration, I believe that this message already has gone to its destiny. I know that I am one more than a lot of similar people that yesterday in this tribute or that we come to this forum or that we have got excited with his music and his poetry and we think that he it's a piece of our lives. Every time it seems that we are more: anonymous as me or artists able of taking part in a concert as this one. Maybe demonstrate this gratefulness is superfluous, I known it, but yesterday I felt a great happiness and peace.

anToni - ForYourSmile

Photos from audience without flash.