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August
28,1974 Wollman
Rink, New York
Blood,
Sweat & Tears/Tim Buckley By
Barry Taylor Since
augmenting their lineup with second lead vocalist and saxophonist Jerry LaCroix,
Blood, Sweat & Tears have undergone a spirited revitalization. Jerry Fisher,
the group's other front man, now handles the low-keyed or jazzier numbers in their
repertoire but his voice lacks the color and his presence fails to kindle the
spark of LaCroix's. Most disappointing about their July 27 performance was his
feeble delivery on God Bless The Child.The
quality of musicianship in this incarnation of the group is better than it has
been for some time. Bassist Ron McClure, who joined the band earlier in the year
along with Bill Tillman, complements Bobby Colomby's drumming to provide the group
with a crisp rhythm section, while Tillman blew a couple of excellent solos on
saxophone and flute. An
impromptu reunion with Al Kooper, the founder of the group, was a pleasant surprise
for the audience when he sat in on organ for a nostalgic version of I Love
You More Than You'll Ever Know from the Columbia group's debut album released
five years ago. LaCroix provided the soul drenching vocal while Fisher wisely
remained in the shadows. DiscReet
recording artist Tim Buckley squared off with the audience and fought them to
a draw after a little more than an hour of battle. For the uninitiated, Buckley's
bittersweet style can be considered a bit bizarre and often overwhelming. Without
notice, he may stop strumming his 12-string guitar in the middle of a song and
carry on by using his voice as an instrument--howling, growling or hooting with
wild abandon. While
sections of the audience used every opportunity granted them to show their disapproval
of Buckley's vocal pyrotechnics, but backed by a quartet that included bassist
Jim Fielder (an original member of BS&T), and guitarist Art Johnson, he soldiered
on indignantly through numbers like Sally Go 'Round The Roses, Honey Man"
and Quicksand, winding up with an exhaustive Gypsy Woman. |
