19th March 2013 || Concorde2 || Review by Dara Yazdani || Photos by Mike Burnell
Cody ChesnuTT
could be described as the Jason Bourne of soul music. Having been "off grid" for the best part of a decade his initial promise was sidetracked by
the typical rock star excesses that consumed his being and left him
"exhausted". The need to patch things up with his long suffering wife
and the desire to bring up his young children ensured his music career took a
back seat and led to an extended spell in the musical wilderness.
A decades worth of
water as gone under the bridge since the release of his lo-fi debut, The
Headphone Masterpiece, and his subsequent exposure with The Roots on The Seed
2.0. ChesnuTT could easily have been just another minor footnote in the annals
of rock history had the intervening years not seen him undergo a spiritual and
musical awakening.
In creating new
album Landing on a Hundred, he has
ditched the home made scuzziness of his sprawling debut to channel the ghosts
of Marvin, Al and Curtis to recall the golden age of soul music. It is a
fabulous redemptive collection awash with horns, harmonies and social
commentary. Recorded on analogue at Royal Studios in Memphis it has a strong, organic early 70's
vibe befitting a studio used by Al Green for the majority of his classic
material. In the flesh Landing
On A Hundred sounds raw and visceral, its symphonic edges roughed up by a
band that is bang on point. Following the best gospel tradition, at times
ChestnuTT is so impassioned it feels like we are in church and he is delivering
a sermon. Admittedly, I have yet to see a pastor who takes to the pulpit in a
red cardigan and a Belgian army helmet.
The set starts
with a bang. That's Still Mama has an urgent blaxsploitation vibe that
scores tales of misguided youths valuing money over family relationships. ChestnuTT may well be describing his youthful
self. My favourite track on the album is the soaring 'Til I Met Thee,
an ode to Cody's wife whose worship seems to border on religious devotion.
Live it is shorn of its harmonies but thumps along with its chicken scratch
guitar and insistent rhythm.
Everybody's
Brother showcases guitarist and Forrestt Whitaker look-a-like Joel Johnson who
takes the song in a bluesier direction then on record. The stories of crack,
womanising and a life wasted are partly autobiographical but as Cody gets the
crowd to repeatedly sing the refrain:
"No turning
back"
like a mantra to positivity, you can sense the
relief he has achieved in redemption.
If Brighton ever decides to adopt a theme song What Kind
of Cool (Will We Think Of Next) would be very apt dealing as it does with
the changing tastes of fashionistas and fame seekers. I'd bet Cody has
never been to Brighton before but he knows a
hip place when he see it
"I mean London is cool...but Brighton
is COOL"
We are treated to
an old school jazz break down with the band changing up the tempo and
showing their versatility. Kudos to Jeff Gaines on bass and Alvin Giles on keys
for their musical chops.
There is a lot of
audience interaction during the show with ChestnuTT getting down to eye level
and pressing flesh with the audience. He starts asking the crowd about how long
they have been married for.
"Too bloody
long".
is a common answer
but Cody's regales us with the sort of open-hearted confession you might hear
from your best friend after seven pints. His says he has been married for 17yrs
and there were times when his wife felt like a stranger to his wife until they
managed to reconcile their differences. He shows a remarkable candour and you
can't help but warm to him.
These confessionals lead up to Love is More Than A Wedding Day an
old school love song whose cheery bounce is Cody's favourite track on the
album. His improvised breakdown reminds me of Isaac Hayes rumbling spoken word
deliveries mid way through his songs.
Despite protests
that his voice is cracking and that "he sounds
like a 13yr old".
When he hits the
high notes, Cody comes back out for the encore and delivers a funky I've
Been Life with its afrobeat rhythms complimenting the song's ode to Africa and black emancipation.
ChestnuTT might
now be a well travelled veteran of the music scene but he hasn't forgotten
where he comes from. Gunpowder On The Letter showcases his Georgian
roots with its southern flavour and triple time hoe down that gets the audience
into a frenzy.
That would be the
end of the show for most performers but before disappearing from the stage he
takes the time to apologise for not performing any of the old libidinous
material that veteran fans may have expected. He explains that this is a new
phase in his life and he feels a responsibility not to slip back into his old
ways.
"I have two
kids now. I can't sing those songs anymore"
Such artistic
risks would normally be the death knell for any live performer but you can't
help rooting for the guy. When the new material
is this good and executed to such a high standard it would be churlish to
expect to cherry pick his set list. A performance of such a magnitude should
warrant universal praise and a sell out show. It is a scandal the room is only
half full.
ChetnuTT has the
stagecraft and ability to connect with an audience that 99% of performers would
kill for, yet his time away from the business has probably meant he has had to
start building his fan base from scratch. For many artists that would be soul
destroying but you feel Cody relishes the challenge. The old ChesnuTT is dead.
What you see is ChesnuTT 2.0
As a grizzled gig
goer of many years standing it is rare that I come out of a venue on such a
high (one that lasts well into the following day). They say behind every great
man there is a great woman. Judging by Cody's resurrection Mrs ChesnuTT must be
one hell of a lady.
Review by Dara Yazdani || Photos by Mike Burnell (Copyright: Mike Burnell - All use to be agreed in writing first)
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