20th Century Blues

Recorded live with just a pianist, this could have been a dreadful affair; others have tried similar concepts and failed. Yet this works marvelously. Why? Partially because Marianne Faithfull has lived about five normal lifetimes and this shows up in her voice. The audience hold its breath while Faithfull dugs into "Alabama Song", "Surabaya Johnny" and "Pirate Jenny". It's glorious and if you like the extremes of dark and light, the sound of a whiskey-flavored voice accompanied by a lone pianist (Paul Trueblood), then you will love this piece of work. The concerts entitled "A Night In The Weimar Republic", are made up of mainly songs by Brecht & Weill before and audience the really loved her, whisky and cigarette in her hand.

As the liner notes to this intriguing release tell, Faithfull had a long-simmering interest in German cabaret, particularly the work of Kurt Weill. It came fully to life via her role as Pirate Jenny in a staging of The Threepenny Opera in Dublin as translated by Frank McGuinness and her attendance at a workshop organized by Allen Ginsburg. After a series of initial performances with pianist Paul Trueblood, Faithfull took her revue of many classic songs from the mid-century, titled "An Evening in the Weimar Republic," to the road. This particular recording is from a performance in Paris in 1996, showcasing both a smart selection of songs to work with and Faithfull's own dramatic, interpretive skills with them. Kicking off with the aggressive-then-smooth bite of the Brecht/Weill standard "Alabama Song," Faithfull and Trueblood show they make a great team -- her distinct vocals seem almost born for the material, while Trueblood is a sure hand on the keys, both playful and polished. Weill remains the centerpiece of the show, in both his various collaborations with Brecht -- standout tracks include withering versions of "Pirate Jenny," "Salomon Song," and "Surabaya Johnny" -- and with other partners, including "Complainte de la Seine" and "Mon Ami, My Friend." Friedrich Hollaender gets the nod twice, with a take on the eternal classic "Falling in Love Again" almost rivaling Marlene Dietrich's original interpretation. The title track, a noted Noel Coward number, gets a fine performance, as does the one nod to more contemporary times, a rendition of Harry Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me." One nod to Faithfull's previous recording past appears via a new version of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," originally covered by her on Strange Weather. Faithfull throughout introduces songs with humor and reflection, a perfect MC for her own performance. ~ Ned Raggett