| Vincent Nguini - Guitar Bakithi Kumalo - Bass Mark Stewart - Guitars, Cello, Saxophone, selfmade instruments Tony Cedras - Accordeon, Keyboard, Guitars Andy Snitzer - Saxophone, Synthesizer Jamey Haddad - Percussion Mick Rossi - Piano, Percussion Jim Oblon - Drums, Guitars
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Paul Simon sounded great at Mud Island Amphitheater in Memphis, Tennessee Saturday, October 29, 2011. He´s changed the setlist a bit since I last saw him in May. The band remains absolutely astonishing. Here are some random memories from Memphis:
1. Paul doing a little dance step - pretty nimble, too - during ´That Was Your Mother.´ This got a big roar from the crowd.
2. My Little Town - first time I´ve heard Paul perform this solo. The arrangement is similar to the 2003-2004 S&G tour version, although Mick Rossi´s piano solo at the end of the song is totally different.
3. Someone yelled out ´I got a Nikon camera´ right at the beginning of ´Slip, Sliding Away´ and Paul yelled back ´it ain´t gonna happen! (It did, of course.)
4. Paul coming back for the encore to tell the crowd how much he admired them for braving the 46 degree temperature in the outdoor amphitheater. Yes, it was really cold by the end of the show.
5. Paul hadn´t played ´Graceland´ at any of the spring shows I had seen so it was a real treat to hear him play what may be his best song in the town that features so prominently in his lyric.
6. It was a couple of days before Halloween and some people dressed in costume, including one guy in an Art Garfunkel wig.
7. Every time I hear Paul play ´Love Is Eternal Sacred Light´ the song seems to get better and better.
8. The Bo Diddley cover, ´Pretty Thing,´ was fantastic. Paul´s band really had the groove down. Paul seemed to have a blast playing harmonica on this (he´s pretty good, too) and the entire band appeared to have a great time.
9. ´Here Comes The Sun´ always gets a huge roar of recognition from the crowd no matter where Paul goes. Tony Cedras´ playing on this is just outstanding.
10. Paul´s solo acoustic ´Sounds Of Silence´ is a true highlight. His acoustic playing on this is remarkable and his vocal is both powerful and nuanced. Not many singers can pull that trick off.
11. The Secret Sisters opened for Paul this evening. They are very good; just two young women with one acoustic guitar that they passed back and forth and vocal chops that are out of this world. They know what they´re doing and they do it extraordinarily well.
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