Southern Fried

Rock ‘n’ Roll Music: The Songs of Chuck Berry

Perth Concert Hall

Rob Adams

four stars

THERE was more to Chuck Berry than rock ‘n’ roll music, as this excellent tribute and generous survey of one of popular music’s greatest poets proved. Rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm ‘n’ blues were naturally at the evening’s heart and the title song took pride of place in the massed finale but some of the most impressive contributions took Berry beyond the sound of teenage rebellion and into the whole gamut of American vernacular music.

Can Cornish bluegrassers do Reelin’ and Rockin’? If they’re Penzance’s Flats and Sharps, they can. And should a Welsh pianist-accordionist, as our host, Andy Fairweather Low, announced, rewrite the Bible? Nobody here seemed to object and Geraint Watkins’ re-route-ing of Johnny B Goode through the streets of New Orleans worked a sassy, brassy treat.

Fairweather Low, as musical director, put in quite a shift, emceeing like a rock ‘n’ roll redcoat, keeping everyone, including himself, on cue and in key and generally overseeing around three dozen performances by participants ranging in years from country songstress Angaleena Presley’s primary school-age son, helping mum on School Day, to dapper septuagenarian Steve Gibbons, still singing Tulane like he just witnessed its “novelty shop” bust.

Amythyst Kiah’s acoustic blues and gospel-infused renditions introduced a winning gear change and gave hard working house band, The Hi Riders a breather. Doug Seegers’ Carol rocked with a country twang and three other gems – Hamish Stuart’s beautifully rounded Havana Moon, Cyndi Cain burning up I Really Do Love You with Southern soul and Fairweather Low making It Hurts Me Too shiver and shake with bluesy heartbreak – deserve special mention.