(Tanner
Wareham, Reese Cook & George Ogollo. Pic by Val Bottomley)
If you’re a Dylan fan – and even if you
didn’t think you were – this is a show truly worth seeing! (Review by Barry
Meehan)
One would expect a Bob Dylan tribute show
to bring together a group of aging musos who lived through the golden era of
60s music and were influenced by Dylan’s iconic anti-war and civil rights
stance, but what we are presented with at Tina’s in Kloof is a trio of young
musicians all born well after the folk legend’s debut on the American music
scene in the early 60s - frontman Tanner Wareham on guitar, keyboard and
harmonica, Reese Cook (bass and acoustic guitar) and George Ogollo on drums.
When they first appear, the question
naturally arises as to whether they can do justice to the genius that was (and
still is) Dylan. The answer is an emphatic and heartily-applauded “yes, they
can!” It really is heart-warming to watch young musos of today immersing
themselves so deeply in what is essentially the music of yesterday, as the
numbers featured in the show come from Dylan’s early (and dare I say best)
years.
Dylan started out as a folk singer,
releasing his debut album in 1962, but really made his breakthrough over the
following two years with his classic albums The
Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and The Times
They are a-Changin’. He then caused a bit of a stir in the music world by
introducing electrically-amplified rock instrumentation to his songs, but went
on to record three truly influential rock albums – Bringing It All Back Home, Highway
61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde,
which included one of his all-time classics Like
A Rolling Stone, which features as the encore to this show. He has received
the highest accolades in the music industry, with 10 Grammys, a Golden Globe
and an Academy award. He has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He has also picked up a citation from the Pulitzer Prize jury for his “profound
impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of
extraordinary poetic power”. In 2012, he received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom and in 2016 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the
best-selling music artists of all time, selling over 100 million records, and
with this show, we can understand why.
Wareham, Cook and Ogollo are truly
accomplished musicians, and are obviously very much at home performing with
each other in this, their first stage show compilation. Wareham is better known
as a one-man artist, while Cook and Ogollo are sought-after session musicians,
as well as being members of the local band Stone Palace. One of the things
about their performance I truly appreciated was that there wasn’t a single
sheet of music in sight – they knew what they were doing, and they got out
there and did it! One thing I have never seen before was a drummer being handed
the bass guitar and playing it while still seated at his drumkit, still keep
the rhythm going with his kick drum and cymbals. Ogollo managed this with true
aplomb, making it look entirely natural.
(George
Ogollo. Pic by Val Bottomley)
Moods change throughout the show, and each
is treated with the respect the songs deserve. Look out for Shelter From the Storm, Blowing In The Wind, the driving rock of
Subterranean Homesick Blues, Mr Tambourine Man, All Along the Watchtower (made famous by Jimi Hendrix), Don’t Think Twice, Just Like A Woman, Knocking
on Heaven’s Door (a Guns and Roses hit), Maggie’s Farm (with great bass and drum solos) The Times They Are a-Changin’ and the previously-mentioned encore Like A Rolling Stone, with a bit of
Afro-fusion throw in for a fun climax.
As mentioned, this is the group’s first
collaboration, and I certainly hope it won’t be their last. There are a few
things that could be worked on, such as audience rapport, placement of the
keyboard so Wareham is not playing with his back to most of the audience and
his fellow band members, and a too-short first half, but these are minor things
that can and will be sorted out as they grow in stature and stage presence. If
you’re a Dylan fan – and even if you didn’t think you were – this is a show
truly worth seeing!
Performances at Tina’s Hotel in Kloof run
until Sunday May 25, 2019 - Thursday to Saturday at 20h00 and Sunday at 14h00.
(The theatre venue opens 60 minutes before show for drinks)
Tickets R150 (R130 pensioners and students
with a valid student card – discounts for the first week only) and tables seat
6. No alcohol or food may be brought on to the premises. Tickets are cash or
EFT only. Secure parking is available. Booking is through Computicket or
contact Roland (also for large group booking discounts of 20 or more) on 082
499 8636 or email: roland@stansell.za.net or visit
http://events.durbantheatre.com/
(For Restaurant reservations please contact
031 764 7843)
Tina’s Hotel is situated at 14 Beryldene
Road in Kloof. – Barry Meehan
The
show will also run at Rhumbelow, Northlands, on July 6 with a season at
Rhumbelow in Umbilo in Durban from July 19 to 21 and 26 to 28.
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