From Deseret News archives:
Composer offers interesting mix
The man behind the music performs his own works
PARK CITY — Grammy, Emmy and Oscar-winning composer Randy Newman gave Utah audiences a chance Tuesday night to hear his voice and music live, rather than simply enjoying it along with their movie and popcorn.
The concert was originally scheduled to be held at Deer Valley, but it was delayed by an hour and moved to the Ellen Eccles Theater at Park City High School after the weather predicted hailstorms and lightning.
As it turned out, the move was fortuitous for several reasons.
First, as the concert was getting started, Park City Performing Arts Foundation director Terri Orr reported that there had, in fact, been a lightning strike at Deer Valley.
But from a musical standpoint, the intimate nature of having just Randy Newman and his piano onstage probably worked a lot better anyway. The words are important in his songs, and the between-song jokes and banter were equally entertaining. Trying to project that up a mountainside might have lost everybody beyond the first 20 rows.
The concert was an interesting mix of experiences.
As a one-man show, Newman wore a lot of hats — composer, storyteller, pianist, singer, comedian.
As a composer, it was a rare and wonderful treat to see the man behind the music presenting his own creations. Especially with songs that have been orchestrated, studio recorded and either used for a TV/movie soundtrack or have become independently popular, it was fun to imagine how it all began: Newman sitting at his piano at home, pounding out something while he sang along, much like he was doing in front of an audience Tuesday night.
Newman may "love L.A.," but his musical roots really sound Southern. Without the "studio magic" adding and emphasizing other styles, there was a pronounced New Orleans flavor in much of what he played.
As a singer, of course, he's pretty one-dimensional. His voice is raspy, harsh, off-key . . . and full of character.
It worked great with blues-style stuff, such as "You Can Leave Your Hat On." But Michael Buble he is not, and two hours-plus of it — without any softening by additional orchestration or the like — became pretty wearing.
That effect may have also been due to the way the second half was quite different than the first.
Before intermission, Newman told stories, cracked jokes, and played a lively mix of music that combined familiar tunes with off-beat, funny songs that showcased his dry, witty sense of humor. "I Love Money," "Short People," "You've Got a Friend in Me" all made an appearance, but such lesser-known tunes as "I'm Dead But I Don't Know It" and "Political Science" were at least as appreciated.
But the second half played more like a formal classical recital. Newman solemnly went from one song to the next, this time mixing more serious subjects with such hits as "I Love L.A." and "Mama Told Me Not To Come."
Die-hard fans seemed to recognize and appreciate some of the other tunes, but this time, Newman seemed to rely on the purely musical experience to carry the concert — but unfortunately, it didn't.
He did warm up more toward the end, and the audience seemed to appreciate what the composer had to offer — to the point that Newman played an encore. But had he been as consistent in the second half as in the first, the whole concert would have been an unqualified success.
E-mail: rcline@desnews.com
