"When Madeleine Peyroux was busking in Paris as a teenager, she was "discovered," suddenly became famous, and word spread that she sounded like Billie Holiday. That was some 35 years ago, and the musician we heard March 6 at Revolution Hall during the second night of the festival was a far different artist from that American-born teen phenom."
"In middle age, she is more Nina Simone than Billie Holiday. At 51, she dominated the stage in a colorful filmy flowing robe, playing acoustic guitar, joking with her trio and the audience. The chanteuse quality of her singing was only part of her repertoire."
"Her fierce protest songs and story-telling tunes from Randy Newman and Paul Simon were bigger parts of the show. As were some hilarious and nonsensical I Ching quotes that Peyroux read, tongue-in-cheek, to give her artistry a rest, such as "All greatness is improbable. What is probable is tedious and petty.""
The Biamp PDX Jazz Festival moved to March to avoid February weather, presenting more than 50 concerts across the city from March 5-14, with many free performances featuring local artists. The festival included 10 nights showcasing internationally recognized performers, several in double-bill arrangements, resulting in 10 sellouts among 19 ticketed concerts. Madeleine Peyroux headlined on March 6 at Revolution Hall, preceded by Portland vocalist Shelly Rudolph and guitarist Dan Gildea. At 51, Peyroux demonstrated artistic maturity and confidence, performing a diverse repertoire including ballads, protest songs, and storytelling pieces from artists like Randy Newman and Paul Simon, while maintaining engaging stage presence and humor throughout her performance.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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