Live Review: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, Harmony James

Down with a cold and unaccustomed to the cooler climes of the southern states, Queenslander Harmony James reflects that just wearing a woolen blanket, actually a poncho, was not one of her better ideas. Having penned a song called Emmylou’s Guitar, it seems entirely appropriate that James is filling this evening’s support slot. It’s with a light country twang in her voice that she delivers a solo set of tunes from the three albums she’s released so far. As she picks the strings of her guitar she creates a reflective down to earth vibe that feels rootsy and organic.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been friends since the ‘70s and the duo are in town to showcase their latest album together, The Travelling Kind, which Crowell is proud to announce is currently sitting at the top of the US charts. It’s the follow-up to their successful previous collaboration, Old Yellow Moon. Harris acknowledges that while she’s been friends with Crowell for so long, it was 40 years before they got around to working together. Tonight’s generous set list draws heavily from both of these albums but it’s impossible for an artist like Harris, with such a celebrated career stretching across 45 years, not to indulge fans with some well-known tunes from her enormous back catalogue. 

The show begins with Harris recalling her time spent with the late Gram Parsons with Return Of The Grievous Angel. There are subtle layers of complexity to this song that Crowell and Harris’ dexterous playing captures to beautiful effect. Later it’s a spellbinding version of Love Hurts that has fans swooning. Giving Roger Miller’s Invitation To The Blues a Texan honky-tonk makeover paves the way for a barnstorming good time as does a pacy version of Luxury Liner. Crowell matches Red Dirt Girl with The Rock Of My Soul from the trials and tribulations of The Houston Kid. Harris is at her utterly beguiling, spine-tingling best when she’s dealing out slow songs of melancholy sadness and heartbreak, aching emotion born from experience, but spun into words and sung in that soft, delicate yet powerful voice striking strong emotional chords with the audience. 

The music seems to shimmer around Harris and Crowell on melancholy tunes like You Can’t Say We Didn’t Try, Tulsa Queen and of course Waylon Jennings’ Dreaming My Dreams. Reflecting on the passing of time, Back When We Were Beautiful recalls the time when both singers were brunettes and not the silver foxes they are today. Their band comprises of seasoned players that include Aussie guitarist Jedd Hughes, who certainly knows his way around a bluegrass riff. Harris and Crowell demonstrate the universal appeal of classic American country, and in fabulously fine form it becomes obvious why they continue to attract accolades of the highest order. Crowell’s joyously glittering Stars On The Water kicks off the encores before Harris deals a fine version of Even Cowgirls Get The Blues that brings the crowd to its feet in an ovation, and just when we think it’s over, Boulder To Birmingham wistfully tugs at the heart strings and lets us down easy.