We enjoyed the concert last night, Birmingham Symphony Hall is a superb venue with great accoustics, and being in the front row we were almost on the stage.
The band were somewhat different, there were nine members, piano, drums, bass, guitars, percussion, keyboards, and a young lady flute player. We quite missed his big band sound of later years. Jack himself was a little different too, as he appeared to have given himself something of a new image. I don't know whether this has something to do with the influence of his new wife of five months and five days!
Jack's hair was collar length, and he was wearing a brown corderoy jacket and brown shirt, a patterned tie of black, brown and silver with matching handkerchief, and grey trousers with a serious front crease and turnups!
This was all topped off with Paisley Patterned shoes.
For the song content I think Jack will get a mixed reaction from the fans, as there is so much new stuff added from his usual format. Mostly, the songs were from his recently released remastered album and the forthcoming Alan and Marilyn Bergman line up.
There will be those that remember the songs from Harbour and The Full Life with fond memories as I do, but to those who do not know these songs yet, they will either get to love them too from the new album, or be disappointed at the great difference in the set list this tour.
He did include one or two familiar tunes, but not many.
The song list ..
I Am a Singer
Isn't That What Friends are For?
All of My Life
Nice'n'Easy
I Never had it So Good
Once in a While
I've Been Alone too Long
Do Me Wrong
Don't Be Scared
Harbour
Where Do You Start?
Try It Again
The Race is On (Jack had a guest guitarist from Nashville who played several numbers, including this one, brilliantly)
Interval. Jack returned to sing The Race is On once again!
I Can't Take it Anymore
Two songs then that Jack had never sung because everyone did them and he thought the public would be tired of them, a fact he now realised was untrue..
The Way We Were.. and
How Do You Keep the Music Playing
Love Make the Changes
God Only Knows
On My Way to You (His and Eleonora's wedding song)
There'll be No Goodbye
Dangerous Mood
If
The Love Boat
We'll Be Together Again
Isn't That What friends are For? (Reprise)
Encore of Kansas City, and another ballad I'm afraid I haven't heard before, and can't remember the name of. (Maybe later in the tour)
Jack is still singing very well and hitting the high notes superbly, but he did admit to having a "mini cold" that had a gravelly effect on some of the lower registers.
He had a cute knack for remembering the words of some of the lesser known songs, scrolling them up with a mouse held in his hand.
I'm looking forward to seeing him again in Cardiff, Croydon and The Palladium later next week.
Marian

Jack is on Radio Ulster tomorrow at 12.30p.m.