Mark Olson
Saturday, February 16, 2008
By RICHARD GINTOWT
On a rainy Saturday night at Davey’s Uptown, Mark Olson presented a picture of informality. Dressed in a natty grandpa sweater and a pair of argyle trousers, the founding songwriter of the Jayhawks casually inhabited a booth and chatted up the locals on presidential politics (he’s an Obama supporter). By 8 p.m. there were enough millers-about to justify a performance, and Olson sauntered onstage with his Norwegian female accompanist Ingunn Ringvold and Italian violinist Michele Gazich.
The 46-year-old songwriter appeared grateful to simply be playing music at this juncture in his life. Fifteen years ago, Olson and the Jayhawks were riding high on the success of Tomorrow the Green Grass and their career-defining song “Blue.” Then Olson fell in love with Victoria Williams, quit the Jayhawks, moved to California and embarked on a musical partnership with Williams. The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers never quite lived up to the promise of Olson’s tenure with the Jayhawks.
Now touring in support of his first true solo record The Salvation Blues, Olson sounds renewed and inspired. The record was a hit in Norway – where it “diced” mostly fives and sixes (the European equivalent of a star rating) – and it’s earned a number of praiseworthy reviews stateside. All sorrows appeared transcended as the trio serenaded the sparse yet attentive crowd at Davey’s, most of whom were obvious holdovers from the Jayhawks era. Olson satiated them with no-worse-for-the-wear renditions of “Over My Shoulder,” “Two Angels,” “Sister Cry” and “Blue” arranged for guitar, piano, violin and hand drum.
Some of the show’s brightest moments involved Ringvold’s harmonies, which tastefully revised the established melodies. Olson’s relaxed temperament allowed for conversations with audience members, one of whom regrettably requested a Jayhawks song penned by Tim O’Reagan. Another joker elicited laughs by shouting “Mark, your laundry is done” when a buzzer sounded in the back of the room.
My low expectations going into this show were largely based on a shambolic Creek Dippers show that I witnessed a few years back. But Olson redeemed himself Saturday night, and I expect even more salvation is on tap with the impending release of a reunion album with former Jayhawks band mate Gary Louris.
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