I passed on the Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Edgar Winter concert at the Jones Beach Theater last night to attend a different sort of show on the north end of the Wantagh Parkway in Westbury.
Singer- songwriter Kenny White opened the sold out NYCB Theatre at Westbury in the ” “half round”. Mr. White seems like a really nice guy and a working musician who I remembered seeing with Peter Wolf at City Winery. You find yourself rooting for the talented Kenny White whose somewhat meandering songs solo on keyboards had the mature crowd primed for what was to come.
Stephen Stills and Judy Collins have known each other since the early 1960’s and Stills said he met Ms. Collins at the Whisky A Go Go while Eric Clapton was on stage. You had the immediate feeling that the night was going to be something special when the two performers unexpectedly opened with the Traveling Wilbury’s “Hanfle With Care”. Collins and Stills played mostly together, and solo, backed by bass, drums and keyboards with both playing guitar throughout. Collins’ harmonies and angelic voice were perfect counterparts to the seemingly invigorated Still’s time worn vocals. The two chatted (and flirted) between songs trading off on stories about Leonard Cohen, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Collins’ Joni Mitchell like inspiring of her male admires to artistic heights. “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” was famously about Judy and Stills intimated that two other songs played last night, including the Buffalo Springfield’s “Bluebird”, were written about her also.
The 78 year old Collins sounded and looked incredible in a white outfit and her long grey hair pulled up. Her voice sounded extraordinary and she recovered well after tripping over a monitor and falling on her back after the last song of the evening (she’ll undoubtedly be sore this morning).
It is for night’s like this one that I find myself going to so many shows. Sometimes musical legends let you down and continue touring well past their time but Judy Collins and Stephen Stills provided a special night making all who took their musical journey this night feel glad that they came.
The two icons are releasing a new collection of musict soon that should be well with purchasing in any format (including the promised vinyl) and this tour continues into October.
Treetop Flyer
Both Sides Now
Rock on!
GQ