Nu Civilisation Orchestra featuring ESKA

The promise of an evening of music written by Joni Mitchell was too much to resist and in particular two of her later and definitely more interesting albums, Hejira and Mingus. At that point in an ever changing musical career Mitchell was exploring modern jazz forms, a time when she was creating music that was challenging for sure but seemed to we hardcore fans a natural progression from The Hissing Of The Summer Lawns.

Nu Civilisation Orchestra is a hefty band of some 18 musicians and a conductor and they opened the first set with a cacophonous instrumental that had some of us rather worried, it was scarily freeform to be sure if not a little shambolic. ESKA then joined the band and from that point on that worry disappeared and the band proved their worth and talent with some very fine ensemble playing and blistering solos too. The sax and horn section comfortably balanced by a strong string section, rock solid drummer, guitar and a bass player who could give Jaco Pastorius a run for his money, really impressive playing from him throughout and a sound that was truly reminiscent of that period of Mitchell’s work. I did however have serious misgivings about the percussionist who was constantly there shaking and hitting his wide array of instruments, so much so that it became almost like tinnitus, I prayed for him to get cross and throw his rattles out of his pram! Three backing singers were too good to be used so little and someone might advise them to smile when not involved or at least look like they were enjoying being there.
The set included many of the songs I wanted to hear and ESKA has a great voice to be sure, but I hesitate here as I have some doubts. In the first half there were moments when I felt she was struggling to cram Mitchell’s often complex lyrics into place and as a consequence there was a lack of clarity at times and more importantly a lack of poetry. Mitchell was never a slave to meter or rhyme but somehow always made it work in a magical way. I would much rather have heard ESKA make the songs her own and this she did later in the set with an excellent version of Black Crow and God Must Be A Boogie Man. She also spent quite a lot of time fiddling with a voice modifying device at her side which, when you have as good a voice as she has, was intrusive and in my view unnecessary. Highlight of the evening for me was Amelia, a very impressive performance for sure, low point The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey with an intro that went on far too long and at moments felt like a spaghetti western, not good but bad and ugly.
All this said there were some great moments, some very fine solos and I could listen to that bass player all night long.
Andrew Kay
19 November
Brighton Dome Concert Hall
[rating: 2.5/5]