Alexa Ray Joel, Nathan Angelo Bring Down the House at JJ

October 23, Jammin' Java, Vienna, Virginia

When I was 6, growing up in Brooklyn, NY, I pretty much taught myself how to read off the sleeves of Billy Joel albums. I’d put one of his albums on the turntable and try to read the lyrics and sing along. The year was 1979 and thus began my intense love for his music, which has never waned.

And now here I am also enjoying the music of the next Joel generation. His daughter, Alexa Ray, weeks away from her 21st birthday, is a talented musician and songwriter, following in her dad’s footsteps, though she jokingly admitted at the Jammin’ Java show that she’s not quite up to his piano-playing level just yet. Her show on October 23rd marked the final show of this tour and, befittingly, she played to a sold-out crowd. During the show, she kept marveling at the packed house and receptive crowd, admitting there’d been poor attendance at a few of her recent gigs because several clubs had barely promoted the shows.

Alexa played a great set, including all six songs from her EP Sketches,
which she promises is a teaser toward a full-length disc.
In the bluesy “Song of Yesterday,” Alexa said she goes for a sound inspired by Norah Jones and Ray Charles. In fact, that’s where her middle name comes from as Ray Charles was one of her dad’s musical idols. While her music is primarily bluesy-pop, such as the beautiful “For All My Days,” Alexa also has a few songs that dabble in dance and funk, such as “Jaded” and “Not Alright.”

At one point, Alexa apologized in advance for singing a couple of “corny love songs” including the idealistic, dreamy “Sapphire Night,” which has a beautiful melody. She noted that teen fans seemed to prefer the love songs while the older crowd tends to prefer her more bitter songs.

Those, like me, who grew up in New York in the 80s remember when Billy and Christie, “the super couple,” had a baby daughter. I remember at a Billy concert at Madison Square Garden in the early 90s when Billy audiotaped the whole crowd singing happy birthday to Alexa so he could bring it home to play for her. And now she’s a mature young woman who writes and performs thoughtful songs. It’s wonderful to watch her progress; her sound is more refined, and she sounded more confident, at this show than during her previous stop through town back in June. She even left the keyboard for a few songs to stand at the mic and cut loose a bit. Her new band is tight and complements her music nicely, without drowning her out.

And it’s refreshing to know that she’s a sweet, regular gal, evident in how she not only greets and poses for pictures with her fans after the show, but also she takes time to talk a bit with each one. To borrow a song title from her dad, Alexa is “all about soul.”

The surprise of the evening was the opener, Nathan Angelo, from Atlanta, Georgia. On keys, with a voice reminiscent of Gavin DeGraw, and a tight band behind him, this soulful singer sang about life and love, or lack thereof, as in the song “Love Sucks.” Unpretentious and brimming with talent, Angelo is “groove-laced piano rock” at its finest. Check out his independent debut disc, Through Playing Me.

(above) Alexa Ray Joel and Club D after show