2008.11.20
Darrell Scott live at Jefferson Center
See the full print review here.
First, a little something I wrote for the print bit, but had to cut for space. For context, this was almost immediately after the show was over, and people were leaving the recital hall:
> And there was Scott, waiting outside the room to shake hands with the departing audience. He seemed very quiet, almost slight. I guess that’s what happens after about an hour and a half of playing like a giant.
And yeah, he played like a giant. This guy's guitar skills are phenomenal, whether he's playing an electric or an acoustic. His piano playing is very nice, too -- not as deep as his fretwork, but strong. And his sense of time is impeccable.
Still, he's no machine. Every once in a while, you'd think he was making a little mistake, but he would respond to it in a totally musical way, which to me gave the music even more warmth and authenticity.
He told me during our interview a couple weeks back that he is always improvising, never sure till he takes the stage what he's going to play -- even what key he'll play. I did not know that when I saw him in February. So, hearing him on Wednesday night brought home even stronger what a remarkable player he is.
Quick note about my boy Corey Hunley, because the copy desk cut this from my story. The context, which made the paper, is that quite a few of his tunes were about friends and family. I wrote:
> That was clear, because he name-checked them before playing the songs they inspired.
Hunley obviously had quite a few of his own fans there to see the show. And I guarantee you that if they know him, they knew about Darrell Scott, because Hunley is a huge fan and loves to talk about his musical heroes. Show promoter Dylan Locke's decision to have Hunley open the show was a good one, musically and synergistically.
