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Bodo
Apr-10-2008, 11:57 GMT
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Austria


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1 week of Capeman shows...and no review... yesterday the first African skies show...no review??

Not anyone who wants to tell us a few things, the setlist at least? :(

mog
Apr-10-2008, 13:57 GMT
Canada


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Here´s from Fox News:

Paul Simon Brings Africa to Brooklyn

Forget Elton John and Hillary Clinton, the place to be Wednesday night was Paul Simon`s spectacular opening night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with "Under African Skies."

This is the second of three mini runs this month for Simon at BAM. The first was a concert version of his Broadway musical, "Capeman." The next and last will be more traditional Simon fare such as "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and solo hits.

But the night was all about Simon`s amazing musical journey with African musicians, showing the roots for the "Graceland" and "Rhythm Of The Saints" albums. Filmmaker/PR guy Dan Klores, who was Simon`s press agent for years, convinced his friend to help raise money for BAM on for its anniversary.

The program is called "Love in Hard Times: The Music of Paul Simon." Ken Starr and Diane Passage helped produce the event.

Among the guests at the star-studded event: Susan Sarandon with powerhouse movie producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas; plus Steve Buscemi and wife, Jo; Cynthia Nixon; Suzanne Vega and hubby, Paul Mills; famed artist Chuck Close; chef Mario Batali; Ed Schlossberg (husband of Caroline Kennedy); Eddie Simon (Paul`s manager brother); Edie Brickell (Mrs. Simon); and producer Phil Ramone, who gave the event its lush and perfect sound (as usual).

The highlights were many, but ex-Talking Head David Byrne`s solo performance of Simon`s "You Can Call Me Al" was a tour de force. Byrne remains an ingratiatingly awkward performer. For "Al" he did a kind of ostrich dance and mambo, winningly singing off-key and totally captivating the audience. It was just genius.

Other guests included Ladysmith Black Mambazo with the amazing African singer Vusi Mahlasela, who solo`d the vocal on "The Obvious Child," aka "These Are the Days of Miracles and Wonder," with aplomb.

A star is born! The very pregnant Brazilian jazz singer Luciana Souza also got cameos and much applause, particularly for Simon`s lesser-known songs "Further To Fly" and "Can`t Run Butâ?¦," each, like "Obvious Child," from the underrated "Rhythm of the Saints."

I counted 10 musicians in Simon`s band, seven instrumentalists and three background singers. They sounded as if they were ten times as strong in number. That`s how rich, textured and precise the orchestrations were.

Simon, himself, is center stage all through the show. He`s very much there, leading the cheerfully historic Ladysmith Black Mambazo through a bunch of songs they did together, such as "Graceland," "Homeless" and "Diamonds on the Souls of Her Feet." Simon still gets a good rousing hometown cheer for the couplet "There`s a girl in New York City/Who calls herself the human trampoline."

And he even got a little personal, telling the audience: "There are so many people here who I`ve worked with over the years, I`m a little emotional."

Mimi
Apr-10-2008, 17:14 GMT
Austria


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There are reviews of the Capeman show on the AG Site and on the google group. I thought everybody have read them already. There were also some blogs about it.

Scaaty  
Apr-10-2008, 17:25 GMT
Ireland


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OK OK i´ll get myself and computer organised and will have setlist, comment, who´s who and photo? by tomorrow

Bodo
Apr-10-2008, 22:24 GMT
Austria


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Hm, well... I am a little bit disappointed - so we have reviews of Paul Simons Capeman shows on the Art Garfunkel websites... not in the review section here - strange :-

kronsk
Apr-11-2008, 01:37 GMT
USA - United Staates America


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David Byrne was cool I thought. THe band sounded Crystal Clear as usual.ALthough the people singing for Paul had amazing voices Other people singing for Paul kind of sounds like Karaoke to me.

Nathanael
Apr-11-2008, 07:57 GMT
Switzerland


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Yes really strange. I´m not going to search reviews of a Paul Simon concert at the Art Garfunkel website. All the luky guys who can enjoy a PS show in NYC are kindly invited to write a short review here on this page. Thanks a lot and I do appreciate every review very much!

Jon
Apr-11-2008, 12:44 GMT
USA - United Staates America


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So Paul only sang on Diamonds and Graceland?

Cher
Apr-11-2008, 17:02 GMT
USA - United Staates America


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I´d like to know too.

Mireille
Apr-11-2008, 18:28 GMT
France


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Scaaty is working and I´m confident that we will have a review from Ans !

olah
Apr-22-2008, 05:49 GMT
USA - United Staates America


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Hey Everybody!!! Just joined up, LOTS of NEWS and REVIEWS!!!


CAPEMAN - INCREDIBLE!! SPECIAL! The feeling of this show has completely enveloped me and stays with me constantly. I can not get this experience out of my body nor do I want to! I had never been able to experience the original musical at all, and came to the album only recently.
The show was near perfect. A subtle yet stunning staging of the show. Completely faithful to the show in its performance. That is to say, each part was played by an actor/singer who stayed in character for the whole show. Paul came out paying the role of the traveler on the bus to the reservation and sang "Trailways Bus" it was beyond cool.
The stage was set as follows. Middle stage was a purple sparkling set of congas, and a complete percussion set-up, two drummers. Also center stage was a bassists who rotated between two different uprites and a bodyless electric.
There was a guitar section to the back left of the stage playing beautiful traditional type cuban - latino melodies, three players. And a fourth guitarist actually off-stage.
I believe the Set player was named Yameen. An incredibly efficient 4-piece horn section, where most players were doubling or even tripling on different horns.
Front stage left in the corner was the musical director Oscar Hernandez alternating between piano and keyboards and directing everyone.
Then the entire front stage was filled with about the 15 characters or so in the show.
The mix of the music was absolutly supreme! I mean, this was probably the best mixed show I have EVER seen. The only thoughts I ever had about the sound was "this is PERFECT". I cant rave enough about of good it SOUNDED.
The band - SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA - could not be better. This is THE group to do this show. Why isn´t this show running right NOW on Broadway with this crew! I want to see it again and again. The reason it isn´t is because it´s uncompromising. It´s real. It´s adult. It´s NOT Disney or The Lion King, or Graceland the Musical even. It´s hardcore.
The Singers - Awesome. Where else can you hear 10-12 part doo-wop styled vocals dressed in the beautiful melodies of Paul SImon. STELLAR! MOVING. The guy who played young Sal in the first act was a joy. In fact the entire first act is wonderful. The flow, setting, music, songs, of the first set stand among the greatest of any musical ever written. Any criticism I have of the show, is some of the storyline decisions, and tempo, of the second act. Admittedly, the brilliance of the first act is hard to follow.
Another directorial decision I questioned was changing actors to play Sal in the second half. When, I believe his name is Frankie Negron, left the bulk of the second act, the show had a slight energy drop off (SLIGHT).
There were definatley pro cameras rolling on stage so hopefully this will be released officially or somehow become available. Like I said I REALLY want to see it again. I LOVED IT! It was so special seeing it. And seeing it in Brooklyn, I was thinking, what if some of the original Vampires are in here Right Now! Goosebumps. Tears. Joy. I traveled a good distance, and got there a couple minutes late so I missed the three songs in the beginning that Little Anthony and the Imperials did; "Shimmy SHimmy Ko-Ko Bop". Also, GET Spanish Harlem Orchestra´s CD right away! You WIll Love iT!
Paul encored "Late In The Evening" with them, and there version is on the SHO album. SHO is led by Oscar Hernandez, who did the original music arranging for Capeman.
I will post complete show program scan soon!! Wish you all were there!

Andras
Apr-22-2008, 07:38 GMT
Hungary


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Thanks, Olah! Your review is very colourful. I wish I was there...

Bodo  
Apr-22-2008, 12:19 GMT
Austria


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Thanks too Olah
- you can copy your review into the LIVeE -> TOUR 2008 section on this page, so it will not get lost in the crowded forum.

Thanks
Bodo

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