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Growing Up
With Hunger

Fan Fare:
Randy Rossilli

Fan Fare:
SpoonWalk

Tulane, Too Soon

Journal Provides Eye Into
Food Banks’ Efforts in
Katrina’s Wake

Chapin Christmas CD
Is a Hit Throughout
The Seasons

“Doing Something”

Goat Tales

Chapin Family Marks
WHY’s 30th Anniversary
With Benefit Concerts
in New York City

Harry Chapin Celebration
Concert Review

Time to Remember

Letter to the Editor:
Elizabeth Paquette

Letter to the Editor:
Greg McCaig

Circle! Calendar

Review

Harry Chapin Celebration Concert

Hard Rock Café, New York City, USA.
Sunday Dec 11, 2005

by Graeme Scott
Classic VRN1287 and Blues Matters Magazine

For those of us in Scotland you know what it is like when you wait ages on a bus then many come all at once. Well on Sunday it was kind of similar except this time it was not buses but a gaggle (is that a reasonable collective noun?) of Chapin’s that appeared.

In a remarkable day and evening of entertainment the great and the good of the extended family and friends of the late, and very much sadly missed singer songwriter Harry Chapin, gathered to celebrate his music. If I have got this right there were a total of 15 singers and musicians on stage.

We had Harry’s brothers Tom (vocals & guitar) and Steve (vocals, keyboards & piano). Harry’s daughter Jen (vocals) with husband Stephan Crump (stand-up bass) and her guitarist Jamie Fox. Tom’s daughters Lily, Abigail and Jessica on vocals. From Tom’s band Michael Mark (bass and vocals) and Jon Cobert (piano and vocals). The rhythm section consisted of Harry’s band stalwarts Howard Fields (drums and keyboards) and the mighty Big John Wallace (vocals & bass). Finally filling out the sound was Clark Wallace (John’s son on lead guitar) and Steve’s son Jonathan on guitar. A further guest, in the shape of Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC, also performed a blistering rap using Cat's In The Cradle as the foundation, which is soon to be a single.

Now most of you are aware that Harry Chapin was very unique in the style of songs he wrote. His story songs were little, or perhaps not so little, vignettes on life and the peoples that populated his lyrics. His concerts were remarkable in respect of the very intimate way he had of making you feel that he was singing directly for you. At some point during his sets some of the songs would also have a certain resonance to your own life.

Precious few other artists have ever connected with an audience the way Harry Chapin did. He gently cajoled you into letting yourself go and become, in a sense, part of the show. Audience participation was fully expected and freely given.

Even though many of the songs reflected sadness, disappointment, love lost and temporarily found, dreams also lost and found, plus the realisation that our families can all too easily slip through our fingers with the passage of time, somehow you came away from the concert filled with hope and happiness. How can this be? Well Harry and his band always delivered the shows with passion and above all else humour and an obvious joy of just being on stage performing.

So it was at this celebration concert. We were treated to all the signature songs of his life along with the stories and, again, it is the humour that keeps the songs on the correct upside.

This ensemble cast, taking turns on vocals, made both the shows lasting three hours, or more, just fly past. It would be wrong of me, and extremely difficult, to extract highlights performance wise. Suffice it to say that I was very much impressed with the way that all handled the complex songs and full credit to Steve for the arrangements.

There were two sets in each show which comprised variations on: Sunday Morning Sunshine, Story Of A Life, W.O.L.D., Remember When The Music, Miracle In The Rain, Landmark, Mr Tanner, Tangled Up Puppet, Don’t Love You, Manchild, Little Hours, Let Time Go Lightly, Saturday Morning, and Cat's In The Cradle.

Set 2: Pass The Music On, Flowers Are Red, Walk The World Now Children, Birdsong, Girlfriend, They Named an Engine After Me, Dance With You, Goodbye, I Wonder What Would Happen To This World, Taxi, 30,000 Pounds Of Bananas, Last Stand, Jubilation and of course Circle.

The astute amongst you will have noticed a few non-Harry Chapin songs. However all were straight out of the very talented Chapin clan and I hope I have not left any out.

So there you have it, very entertaining shows. Harry Chapin left us with a fine legacy of songs however, as a broadcaster, he does leave me with a problem. Now I am faced with the prospect of my programmes, not only sounding like W.O.L.D, but also with so much extended talent and recordings more like W.C.H.A.P.I.N.

Watch for the Next Issue of Circle! on March 7