Rodney Strong Vineyards
October 1, 2006
It was a cool day as the clouds parted to make way for the sun. Mother Nature teased us with her faint yet visible signs of autumn surrounding the lovely Rodney Strong Vineyards. This was a day that marked the closing of Rodney Strong Vineyard’s smooth jazz concert series. You know the old saying, “save the best for last.” Well, in this case it was true for it would be none other that the incredible Joyce Cooling to entertain a restless crowd.
As the audience settled in, Joyce Cooling was introduced. Joyce opened with a crowd favorite, “Camelback” from This Girl’s Got To Play. Right from the start the crowd rewarded Joyce and the band with an enormous round of applause. This irresistible, foot-tapping, blues-tinted song had us all swaying to the beat. Joyce continued to captivate the audience with an unusual hand-held Brazilian whistle called the Juriti. The way the whistle works is as Joyce blows into the whistle it produces a single note and Joyce has to sing the rest of the notes to create the lovely melodies. That was truly a unique and inspiring experience for all.
Joyce continued with the upbeat tempo on “Daddy-O,” from Third Wish. Here we got the first opportunity to hear a bit of Joyce’s artistic scatting which more than compliments her distinctive guitar playing. Jay Wagner’s artistic flair on the keyboard was perfectly entwined with Joyce’s playing and the results where simply wonderful. It was obvious that these two musicians were destined to become musical partners. Lucky for us!
“Come And Get It” from Joyce’s latest CD, Revolving Door is smooth and mellow in a laid-back kind of way and yet having its share of complexity. Joyce’s demeanor was the same – relaxed, self-confident and poised, yet she made playing the guitar look like child’s play. She’s a woman with a good sense of humor. After announcing the title of the song she said, “Remember this is a winery with wonderful wine, so please drink up because the more you drink the better we sound.” Laughter erupted from all around. While Joyce prepared to play “In Case Of Rain,” another song from her new CD, she shared a personal note about how a portion of the proceeds from the CD sales were going directly to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Joyce took a minute to show off her two new high-tech guitars and even went as far as to show us how they came apart to make traveling a breeze…pretty amazing. It was unfortunate that Joyce ran into a glitch with one of the guitars and was unable to play “In Case Of Rain.” She made light of the situation, joking with the audience, switched guitars and jumped right into “Callie,” her number one hit from Keeping It Cool. Talk about keeping it cool, she is one cool lady that doesn’t seem to let little mishaps like this rattle her. Another thing I noticed about Joyce is that she made a point to give recognition to all the band members by calling out their names to highlight their contributions and each and everyone was deserving of it as they are top-notch musicians.
Joyce made her way to a stool seated center stage as the band members made their way off stage. There we were, one-on-one with Joyce for a song she dedicated to the audience called “I’ll Always Love You” (“Ode To The Audience”), from Revolving Door. Joyce has a voice that’s both engaging and powerful. Her finger-picking style is beyond impressive and is what sets her apart. The audience was moved by the words and the sincerity in her voice and shared their deep appreciation with applause and whistles.
Joyce formally introduced the band members: Nelson Braxton of the Braxton Brothers on bass; Billy Johnson on drums; and Jay Wagner on keyboards, who also happens to be Joyce’s musical partner in crime. This may be a small band, but let me assure you they produce nothing less than a big sound in a very big way and they hold nothing back.
After the introductions, Joyce asked if Patrick Lamb, saxophonist for Bobby Caldwell, was around and if he’d like to play a song with her. Patrick didn’t need to be asked twice and he emerged from out of nowhere. The song of choice was the top-ten hit “Expression” from This Girl’s Got To Play. This was a bit different from the CD version where there is no saxophone accompaniment. This additional layer of texture to the song was a pleasing touch and Patrick played with an appreciable amount of energy and enthusiasm. Joyce’s smile gave way to broad grins as she and Patrick played off each other, truly feeling the moment. There was no doubt that the audience was absorbing all that energy Joyce and Patrick were emitting as they clapped and swayed to the rhythm. Joyce and Patrick wasted no time as they made a smooth transition into “South Of The Market,” a San Francisco-inspired and number one hit from Playing It Cool. To the audience’s surprise, Joyce and Patrick took a stroll through the crowd pausing to allow fans to capture a photo or two. As Joyce played, Patrick clapped along with the audience. Joyce did likewise as they maneuvered their way back to the stage never missing a beat. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn that they had rehearsed this prior to the show, it was that smooth.
If you have never seen Joyce Cooling perform live you might be taken aback by her petite stature but the minute you hear her play there is no doubt that this girl was meant to play. She is a refreshing positive influence on the smooth jazz genre and delivers a sound so unique, refined with depth and richness. Joyce is one to be watched; the smooth jazz genre has finally awakened to the talent and artistry this amazing woman has to offer. She has by far left an everlasting imprint on me and I’m counting the days till Joyce, Jay and the band return to Rodney Strong Vineyards.
- Rochell Letasi |
