If Judy Collins were British, she would be a National Treasure, but as she is American and is, therefore, a legend. For a singer whose first album came out nearly 60 years ago, you would think that after such a career she might consider taking it easy, but Judy Collins is a performer. Having been over in this country last summer, she was back again to tour her new album, Winter Songs, a collaboration with Jonas Fjeld and Chatham County Line.
Even though I knew that she was still active and had picked up some excellent reviews for her recent concerts, there is always that concern about whether the voice is still as good as it was. Collin’ career is based mainly on her voice, and although she has and does write some of her songs, her reputation is as a performer, particularly of other people’s material.
Judy Collins walks on, a slight figure, slim with luxuriant white hair and wearing a glittery silver jacket, joined by long time musical director, Russell Walden. She starts with Maid of Constant Sorrow. The voice is there, but unfortunately, it is buried in rather too much reverb which does make it sound as if she is singing in a large, tiled, bathroom.
The show is not going to be just a succession of songs; Judy treats us to stories in between. It is like a personal history of her background, the influence of her parent’s (her father was a radio presenter and had a pretty eclectic taste in music). She drops names of people throughout the evening, not in a boastful way, she has been fortunate to be there and to mix with big names, but there again, she is also a big name herself.
Another song and she recounts how at age 14 she heard Barbara Ellen sung by Jo Stafford and that set her off on her path to play the guitar and sing folk songs. Up until this point she had been a budding classical pianist, her teacher was the renowned pianist and conductor Antonia Brico. Brico thought Collins decision to pursue singing was throwing away the chance of a career in Classical Music and, according to Collins, only once, after a concert at Carnegie Hall, did she admit to Collins that she wasn’t bad.
There are tracks from the album Winter songs, including a lovely version of River, by Joni Mitchell. This follows an earlier Mitchell song, Both Sides Now, that was a hit for Collins back in 1967. The 2020 version is a different arrangement, and thankfully the reverb on the vocal is not quite as heavy.
The anecdotes and stories continue as she tells of being confined in Tuscon for a few weeks having been diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Further stories unfold, including how she encouraged Leonard Cohen to perform and how he encouraged her to write. She uses this as a cue for two of her songs before a medley that is possibly a little surprising, Take Me Home Country Roads with part of Leaving On A Jet Plane in between.
In the second half, she returns sporting a very sparkly Red Jacket, which she tells us was a present for her birthday last year from Joan Baez. Baez had said that this wasn’t something that they would have worn in the ’60s, but I told her ‘This isn’t the 60’s!’
She starts the second half at the piano for the first few songs before moving to the front of the stage. Her accompanist slips back on, shortly after which there are the gentle opening chords to one of her biggest hits. You hold your breath and keep your fingers crossed before she starts to sing Send In The Clowns a hit for her in 1975 when she was 36. The piano rises and falls in that beautiful, undulating melody, and Collins navigates her way through the song, the voice holding the notes and letting them gently fall. The applause at the end of the song reflects the audience appreciation and possibly relief that she still has a remarkable voice. Collins has credited Max Margulies with helping her vocal technique and preserving the longevity of her voice; she learnt the Bel Canto technique with him for 30+ years which, as she proves tonight, has stood the test of time.
She asks the audience to sing with her on one of her last songs and goes into Amazing Grace. She stops at one point, apologising for just having remembered that she hadn’t plugged the new album that she has with her and having rectified this omission it is back to the song.
At the end she bows and waves to the audience, most of whom are stood clapping and then she is gone, the house lights come up. On the way out I hear one or two people muttering about how it would have been a bit better with less chat and more singing, but this is missing the point. Collins’ anecdotes illustrate what a survivor she is – she hasn’t mentioned Polio as a child, her only child’s suicide at 33 and battling a drink problem for 20 years. Despite all this, she is funny and never self-pitying – at the end of the show when she is thanking various people, she includes the team who put her together to look like Judy Collins!
It may be the last time that she tours, who is to say, but as long as the voice still holds true and the twinkle is there in the eyes I suspect she will continue and who knows?
You can still catch Judy on the final date of her UK tour on Monday, February 3rd 2020 at Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh.