AN old friend came to Huntingdon Hall in Worcester at the weekend - bringing a whole load of memories.
Student record collections, that have survived the late 70s and early 80s, are bound to have copies chronicling the work of Joan Armatrading.
The long players Joan Armatrading (1976) and Me, Myself, I (1980) were seminal.
And Joan breathed new life into old favourites when she played to a sellout audience last Saturday (with another concert planned for Monday).
From the opening bars of Drop the Pilot, when the crowd made its acknowledgement, Joan knew she was among friends.
That led to an intimate, informal set in which she showed undiminished musicianship and enduring vocal power.
When you consider the strength of her repertoire - standards like Love and Affection and All the Way From America - you get an idea of the depth of this woman's talents. Her songs have withstood the test of time and so, according to the audience's reception, has her attraction.
Her set not only focussed on her "classics" but included three reggae arrangements; the audience responding with a moving participation in Willow, her final number.
Singer-songwriters are a lone breed; they write in isolation giving them a unique place in music history. Joan is assured of hers...
JOHN MURPHY
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