Howard Jones: Brilliant, As Always

Recommended beverage to go with this show:
Any high-quality lager will do

In the weeks before this concert, when I would tell friends I’m excited to see Howard Jones in concert again, the response was inevitably, “Oh, is that the guy who sings No One is to Blame?” Yes, that’s the bloke. And, then I would get giddy inside at the thought that I know something they don’t—that this pianist/singer/songwriter is one of the most talented and underrated musicians of my generation. And, because he’s somewhat of a well-kept secret, Jones can play acoustic shows at intimate venues such as the State Theatre in Falls Church, where he performed on January 14.

The Howard Jones duo (with acoustic guitarist Robin Boult) played a nearly identical set to the show I attended in Easton, MD back in October. And, Jones told pretty much the same stories between songs. And, it was equally prophetic and moving the second time around. A nice surprise was the addition of the peppy “You Know I Love You, Don’t You?” from his lesser-known third album, One to One.

He opened with the beautiful new song, “Someone You Need,” which he co-wrote with Duncan Sheik, and before long had the audience singing along to “Like to Get to Know You Well.” He told the amusing story that when it got translated into Japanese, he got an angry call that this song would ruin his career. Perplexed, he inquired further to discover that the Japanese translation of it was, “Like to Force Myself Upon You.” That definitely was not his intention.

Jones did a wonderful job engaging the audience throughout the show, both with colorful, personal stories and by encouraging the crowd to sing along to many songs, even ones with which they weren’t as familiar. A classically trained pianist, Jones has a sweeping vocal range, meaningful lyrics, and a collection of timeless classics. A noteworthy recent album that highlights Jones’s classical side is Piano Solos for Friends and Loved Ones, (2003) a collection of instrumental improvisations, each inspired by and dedicated to someone special in his life.

If you missed this show, he’ll be at the Ramshead in Annapolis on February 2.

Thanks to my buddy Bill for the fantastic HoJo dvd of his 20^th anniversary concert in London. It’s a fantastic mix of acoustic and electronic songs, old and new, recorded at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, and includes a series of interviews and a photo montage.

All photos on this page courtesy of Joseph Allen: http://www.jallenimages.com/

First set:

Someone You Need (new)
Like to Get to Know You Well
Love’s Never Wasted (new)
Pearl in the Shell
Don’t Always Look at the Rain
The Prisoner
Say It Like You Mean It (new)
Everlasting Love /mixed in with the Beatles’ Twist and Shout

Second set:

Didn’t take notes (sorry) but it began with Dreamin’ On and included Hide and Seek; You Know I Love You, Don’t You?; No One is to Blame; Life in One Day; What is Love; and the encore: Things Can Only Get Better.