A Warm Welcome Back…
Adam Ezra Group w/Marina Evans & Bernardo Baglioni

The Narrows, Fall River, MA

February 25 2017

by Tony Adams

Photo Credit to Michael Sparks Keegan Photography  (photo gallery here.)

 

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When you become accustomed to seeing one of your favorite “semi”-local bands perform a couple times each month throughout the majority of the calendar year, it is a treat to see them again after nearly two months of having gone without. Such was the case with the Adam Ezra Group on Saturday night. First, let me say that we in New England are spoiled in the fact that we get to see this amazing talent on a fairly regular basis. From “One Longfellow Square” in Portland, Maine to “Ocean Mist” on Matunuck Beach in Rhode Island…from “The Den” in Stowe, Vermont to “Infinity Hall” in Norfolk, Connecticut…the list of venues goes on and on, and continues to grow!
There are two great aspects of this that make every show a night to remember: One being the fact that, over the years, if you have been lucky enough to make it to some of their shows, then you have, most likely, been introduced to some other incredible talent by catching the supporting act. These musicians include Will Evans, Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Gretchen and the Pickpockets, Kali & Ancestors in Training, and Frank Viele, just to name a few.

 

This past Saturday night at The Narrows Center for the Arts was no exception. Warming up the stage….or should I say, HEATING it up immensely…was Marina Evans along with her husband, Bernardo Baglioni.

The pair started their set with “California” from her CD, “Unbound”. Her velvety smooth vocals resonate and compliment the mandolin that Bernardo strums so eloquently. This continued with a powerful tune titled “One Way or the Other” with the opening lyrics, “Mama says the winter’s coming heavy now, Feels it in her bones….” The duo finished up their night (Well, sort of….keep reading) with “Sunday Morning” from her upcoming CD. There was flawless whistling from Marina, slide guitar from Bernardo…and welcoming smiles from both of them onstage and off!

Getting back to my points about Adam Ezra Group – the second thing that stands out is realizing that every show is different. Not only do we, the fans, realize this, but Adam has always taken notice of this, as well. He “feels” the room…the energy…whether it be an unruly crowd or something a bit more toned down, Adam senses it and caters to it like so few in the music industry can accomplish.

Check out the preview of Sounds of the Sea boatcruise setting sail spring 2017 with Adam Ezra Group, Max Creek and Donna the Buffalo.

For the first six weeks of the year, Adam was darting around the country doing his traditional “Get Folked” acoustic solo tour, performing in the living rooms of his fans’ homes in Oregon, California, Colorado.  The list goes on and on until, after 40 shows, finally ending up in the home of Massachusetts locals, Sam & Christine Baldwin on Valentine’s Day for the final show of that tour.

But, FINALLY, the night had come for the forces to rejoin, and Adam Ezra Group was back, at last!

 

The sold out crowd cheered them on as they made their way to a quaintly lit stage, and, Adam being Adam, simply steps up the microphone, waves, and says, “Hi!” with a hint of a tone as if to ask, “Where the hell have you all been?” We all waited in anticipation as Francis Hickey on Bass Guitar, Alex Martin on Drums, Corinna Smith on Fiddle, “Cousin” Josh Gold on Keys, and, crowd favorite, Jeff “Turtle” Goulart on Percussion, all claimed their spots onstage.

 

With a literal trove of songs from which to choose, I couldn’t help but wonder how they would start this night off. After all, many of us had not seen them in weeks….perhaps MONTHS! To our delight, almost as if welcoming the crowd into their home for a glass of iced tea (read: Jameson), they opened up with “Come On Over”. We’re hooked. Strangers in the room suddenly feel like family. Before the applause can even end, Adam starts picking at the banjo, and many of us know what’s coming! Not letting us down, they dive into “Life of a Thief” which is a definite crowd pleaser! Now we’re PUMPED!!!
Throughout the evening, AEG kept us entertained with some old, some new, and a few words from Turtle.  As has become customary, we were treated to a few solo songs from Adam, one of which being a rarely played acoustic version of “Vision” from my personal favorite CD, “View From The Root”. He then called for Marina and Bernardo to come back up to the stage to join him for another version of “California”…and we couldn’t have been happier to witness the event!

As the night went on, the rest of the band had rejoined Adam, and the dancing had come into play on the right side of the stage.  Adam simply mesmerized us with the always powerful “Burn Brightly”, which drew a standing ovation from the room. This turned into the perfect segue for all of us to stand and sing along as the band unplugged to join us in sharing The Beatles – “Let It Be”.

And, with that, our evening ended just as it had begun….feeling a certain welcomeness from a group of amazingly talented individuals that take pride in every moment, every lyric, every note, and every beat that they perform. Here we go again…the beginning of another calendar year with so many opportunities to see this amazing band. Don’t miss your chance when they come to your area!

 

by Tony Adams

Photo Credit to Michael Sparks Keegan Photography  (photo gallery here.)

*You can learn more about these brilliant artists on adamezra.com and marinaevansmusic.com

To Submit a review or story for consideration hit us at [email protected]

Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements.