Rickie Lee Jones
Live at Red Rocks

THE REVIEW

From the covers of her first two albums.

The sensual, savvy girl with a beret and a cigar clenched between her lips. A beatnik air. Long blond and amber-colored hair, smooth, ivory skin, slender features, elusive eyes.

Two mature lovers in the shadows, at the corner of a street, facing each other, complementary: an essential black and white. Slivers of light. The movement of her arms outlines a strong, infinite bond, to be reinvented. Their breath rises against the cold of the night. They smile.

Los Angeles, 1977. Rickie Lee Jones was the twenty-year-old girl who made Tom Waits, a well-established urban storyteller, lose his mind. In short, the aspiring folksinger became his muse and companion. The back cover of "Blue Valentines" in 1978 was unmistakable. A year later came her scorching self-titled debut (Jazz, Blues, Folk). The subsequent, equally extraordinary "Pirates" (Soul, Jazz-Rock), 1981, already marked the end of that relationship, particularly with the poignant dedication of "We Belong Together".

Rickie Lee is a singer and songwriter, native of Chicago, Californian by adoption: a clear and captivating voice, damnably velvety. She sings stories that share the moods and urban landscapes of Waits, raw and urban, but she differs sharply from him, from his shadowy and sardonic poetry. She initially presented herself as a stern, charming, wandering nymph, disoriented, ostentatiously licentious, moody. But over the years, she has revealed itself to be more and more shy and reserved, maintaining only the non-ephemeral mischief of a clear, bright, unique voice. A bit of a coquettish angel. A bit of a wounded nightingale.

She writes visionary lyrics inspired by the Beat Generation, mostly tied to the imagery of Kerouac, but with a romantic inclination and increasingly austere spirituality. A "student" of Joni Mitchell, she moves between Folk, Jazz, Rhythm'n'Blues, Rock and, over time, into sophisticated Pop ("'Flying Cowboys', 1989), in a growing repertoire of covers (starting with "Pop Pop", 1991), in some curious experiments ("Ghostyhead", 1997) and updates ("The Sermon On Exposition Boulevard", a concept on the life and message of Jesus Christ, 2005). At ease with refined structures and arrangements, in her main works she has been accompanied by excellent producers (Russ Titelman, Lenny Waronker, Walter Baker) and excellent musicians (Randy Newman, Dr. John, Donald Fagen, Leo Kottke). Always capable of delving into emotions: direct, but not immediate, her charm grows hopelessly with listening, even starting with the softer pieces. And it never fails to move.

Live at the Red Rocks.

The location of this Live, dated November 20, 2001, is the arena of the suggestive Red Rocks, Colorado, already the setting for the recordings of U2's "Rattle And Hum". It's the second Live released by her, following the unplugged "Naked Songs". Almost all the tracks are her originals, except for "Gloria", a tribute to Them, and "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", originally by the English band Gerry And The Peacemakers. Sweet and bitter ballads, Folk Rock passing through Swing and Jazz, features of R'n'B. Evidence of an intricate, seemingly contradictory melting pot, yet personal, intimate, and disciplined. A product of dreamy and melancholy spirituality, of a seemingly disillusioned, yet heated passion. Accompanied by a group of very capable musicians who are attentive to enhancing her expressive potential, Jones, on guitar and keyboards, delivers generally expanded versions, with modest warmth and sincere empathy toward the audience.

On the setlist: the heartfelt elegy of "Rodeo Girl", struck by extended, atmospheric sounds; a decidedly Blues version of "Weasel and the White Boys Cool", between whispers, melismas, strident high notes, and trumpet solos; an engaging and slippery "Satellites". "Love Is Gonna Bring Us Back Alive" is a Caribbean duet with the guest of honor, Country singer Lyle Lovett. "Chuck E's In Love", the tribute to street poet and friend Chuck E. Weiss, playful and syncopated, betrays the Swing and Blues soul, originally inspired by Van Morrison's "Moondance". Then, "We Belong Together" remains an unparalleled ode, timeless:

"…/…
Will we still consider these streets
We, young lions on the run?
What you have hidden at the bottom of your heart
Will it come under the spotlight for them?
Who are the foolish
Who are the victims
Among the sailors and the perfect boys
Who would want to move in your eyes
And on your lips
For whom are all the tears
That are falling now in this wretched neighborhood
I told you, 'Little bird, we just have to tell them'
But meanwhile, they turned away and ignored us
And the only heroes we left behind
Lie still, right here with us
And the only angel watching us at this moment
Sees us reflected in each other's eyes
And I can even hear it
Sighing with every step
Going mad during these nights
Listening to our hearts alternating
And whispering
That we belong to each other
that we belong to each other."

The music sharpens the beauty of a voice untouched by the years: immature tint, venomous flickers, intriguing, clear, decisive spoken word that sometimes hides a black heart, torn between suspicion and desire. More often, it reveals an achieved sense of peace, shining with inspiration and awareness.

The flaws of the album? It lacks her greatest road song "Last Chance Texaco". The live dimension, then, captured the performance as best it could. That is, imperfectly.

A classy, eclectic songwriter with an unorthodox style. "Live at the Red Rocks" is paradigmatic. We no longer see what appeared through the covers of the first two splendid albums. Already inducing a transition: from the fascinating, transgressive, and sensual icon, but individualistic, to the more veiled and sensitive, open to others. In this LP, the opening is addressed to everyone, as a stage of constant personal maturation, no longer escaping from the world nor hiding one's weaknesses.