Photo: Tommy Emmanuel | Martine Ehrenclou
By Martine Ehrenclou
Two-time Grammy nominee and legendary guitar virtuoso, Tommy Emmanuel, brought his captivating and infectious show with opening act, J.D. Simo, to the Smothers Theater, Malibu, CA on January 18th.
With not an empty seat in the house, there was a certain electricity in the air that night as everyone knew there is nothing like seeing Tommy Emmanuel live.
Before the legendary musician graced the stage, J.D. Simo appeared, Gibson 335 in hand and nothing else. Just him, his guitar and an amp. What followed surprised all of us. And I can tell you, J.D. Simo is one to watch. He’s young, he’s got a killer voice and guitar skills to match. More than that, he captivated everyone’s attention for five songs and left the stage with us wanting more. He kicked ass.
Anyone who can sing acapella perfectly on pitch and reach into Curtis Mayfield territory, is bound to grab you by the throat. Which J.D. Simo did. His guitar work was equally stunning and moving. Simo finished his set with Joe Cocker’s version of, “With a Little Help From My Friends.” It takes either a lot of bravado or extreme vocal talent and soul to take on any Cocker tune. Simo’s performance was soul-shaking. I’m certain he gained a slew of new fans that evening.
Photo: JD Simo | Martine Ehrenclou
Sizzling with energy, Tommy Emmanuel appeared minutes later and grabbed one of his three acoustic, Macon guitars that were set up on stage. He knows how to get an audience’s attention–he blows them away with his guitar skills first. After a few words to welcome us, he then launched into a fiery fingerpicking, “Guitar Boogie” and then “Antonella’s Birthday,” complete with mind blowing harmonics and fingerpicking excellence. “Virtuoso guitarist” just doesn’t do justice to Emmanuel—there’s so much more to him.
Once again, no band, no singers—just him alone on that stage and Emmanuel carried it off like the brilliant performer he is. To see him play live was thrilling. And live Tommy Emmanuel is what it’s all about.
“You’ve got to see him to believe him,” is what most say. That’s about right because when it comes to describing Tommy Emmanuel’s performance, words definitely fall short. All the videos on YouTube won’t effectively convey his show as he jams, fingerpicks, plays three parts on the guitar simultaneously, plays all kinds of percussion on the body of his guitars, and plays dizzying harmonics. Emmanuel conveys an entire orchestra of sound.
And it’s only him.
With ten fingers and six strings, Tommy Emmanuel is like none other. I’ve been to three of his concerts and still I’m struggling for words. His music encompasses a variety of genres—country, bluegrass, jazz, blues, rock and a stunning Beatles Medley that you won’t soon forget.
Emmanuel barreled through tunes, his fingers at lightning speed, his body infused with rhythm. Walking the bassline with his left hand while coaxing percussive sounds from the guitar with this right, he blazed through “The Duke” and then “Zorros Last Ride.”
After shouts, hollers and clapping, Emmanuel spoke directly to the crowd as if we were old friends. His casual demeanor and sense of humor added to his storytelling, making him a world class entertainer.
And then there’s his music.
Changing the tone of the performance a bit, Emmanuel settled into the sonic feast of, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” His guitar harmonics on this classic were just beautiful, and more moving than you might think. This isn’t guitar pyrotechnics—this is otherworldly skill combined with true passion.
The once sedate crowd were now on their feet, shouting praise.
Photo: Martine Ehrenclou
Emmanuel’s improvisational “Beatles Medley” is something to behold. He was into it, throwing his whole body into the medley of Beatles hits, the rhythm carrying him… and us. I was not alone in marveling at the way he hit the guitar in just the right places, brushing the wood with the tips of his fingers, plucking the strings right on the headstock that rang harp-like sounds.
And as if the energy in the room couldn’t get any higher, Emmanuel played his version of “Classical Gas,” once again creating the illusion that three pairs of hands were playing guitars, not just one. The crowd went crazy.
The two-hour show came to a close with J.D. Simo joining Emmanuel on stage for jamming and singing together. It was nothing short of magic. The affection they share for one another was apparent as they breezed through a couple of tunes and then finished with a song on Tommy Emmanuel’s new album, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” If you think you’ve have heard that song one time too many, think again. You haven’t heard it like this.
It was an evening of extraordinary music and talent, from Emmanuel and Simo, both in different ways. These are artists I look forward to seeing live again.
Tommy Emmanuel is currently on tour.
For more information on Tommy Emmanuel and his new album, Accomplice One:
Website: http://tommyemmanuel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tommyemmanuel/
Apple/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/accomplice-one/1295816920
Sounds great Martine! Tommy seems so sure of himself, so confidant and I just don’t know where he gets some of those licks from. He’s very inventive! What a great attitude he has! I’ll check out Simo, thanks for the heads-up Martine!
Jeff,
Thanks for your comment. Tommy is self confident, with a great attitude. The best actually. Yes, check out Simo too. A real talent.
Thanks for reading.
I always like how Tommy will bring other guitarists with him on tour. J.D. Simo’s guttsy playing and vocals contrast Tommy’s style and yet, when they jammed on stage, it went to a whole different and quite exciting level. I’ve been following Tommy ever since I saw him at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood several years ago. He usually comes to Malibu in January, so I count him as part of my birthday celebration. I’ve never seen anyone like him, literally playing EVERY part of his guitar. And he must be seen! His happy enthusiasm and energy is infectious. Martine, I was so jealous watching you take pictures. And very happy to meet and talk to you during the intermission. Enjoyed your review. Keep up the good work!
Cheryl,
It was so nice to meet and talk with you at the concert! Thank you for your comment. And Happy Birthday!
Tommy Emmanuel and JD Simo were just so good.
Thanks for your kind words.