KARLSRUHE, DE - 9 NOV 2008
Matthias Imkampe, Schwäbisch Hall
Handgemachte Musik von zwei absoluten Könnern
Al Stewart und Dave Nachmanoff, zwei akustische Gitarren, zwei Stimmen - mehr nicht!
Mehr nicht? Mehr braucht es nicht!
Dave Nachmanoff erscheint zuerst und begeistert das Publikum mit drei eigenen Kompositionen seines neuen Albums, flachst mal zwischendurch, wer wolle ihn schon hören »Dave-what is-the-name-of-this-guy-we-are-waiting-for-Al«, doch seine Befürchtungen sind absolut unbegründet und nach drei Songs tritt unauffällig Al Stewart hinzu und sie liefern ein mitreißendes Set ab, bei dem der wahre Künstler Dave Nachmanoff noch besser hervortreten kann, denn er ist ein wahrer Virtuose auf der akustischen Gitarre. Er schafft es, das Klavier von »Year of the cat« auf Gitarre so wiederzugeben, dass das Publikum begeistert ist und immer wieder Zwischen-Applaus fällig ist. Natürlich spielt auch Al Stewart grandios Gitarre und seine Stimme und seine tollen Songs über mehr als 40 Jahre Musikerkarriere lassen nichts zu wünschen übrig. Ach ja, gegenüber anderen »Musikern«: Wieviele Künstler gibt es, die fast ohne Begleitung auskommen, die - wie Al erzählt - zwei Abendveranstaltungen (in Amerika üblich) bestreiten können - und dabei zwei völlig unterschiedliche Sets abliefern können. Also kein Song doppelt gespielt wird. In Karlsruhe spielen sie zwei mal eine Stunde und 20 Minuten Zugabe. Am Ende Dave Nachmanoff noch einmal solo- restlos alle ZuhörerInnen des ausverkauften Konzerts sind begeistert. Mehr von solcher Musik und mehr solcher wirklicher Künstler!
NIJMEGEN, NL - 5 OCT 2008
Dion van Alem from Nijmegen sent this report
THINGS OF BEAUTY
‘Twas the fifth of October and I felt excited to get to see Al Stewart, whose work I greatly admire, and Dave Nachmanoff, whose work I intended to purchase at the concert, again after having seen them together live some time before in Utrecht. Today the venue is convenient – just around the corner in my hometown Nijmegen. It was to be third time I got to see Al live – the first time, which was in Cuijk, I was barely initiated into the man’s work but enjoyed the concert greatly, and the second time, in Utrecht I was more up to speed with his back catalogue and enjoyed myself even more. The difference between those first two concerts was that Al was performing alone in Cuijk, and in Utrecht all of the sudden there was an additional musician. A bonus, absolutely, but as I’m never into support acts, I felt an instant disappointment that it wasn’t Al Stewart who appeared on stage first, but Dave Nachmanoff. That disappointment could not have lasted more than two minutes, because halfway into Dave’s first song, my father, who was sitting next to me, and I looked at each other in mutual agreement that we were up for a treat – this guy was good. He then wooed us not only with some pleasant patter, but with a song called ‘Descartes In Amsterdam’ which more than 1,5 years later is still a house favourite. We were treated to ‘The Loyalist’ and other work we had never heard before, and then found that Dave fit well into the role of sidekick-whose-guitar-playing-draws-attention when he played with Al. In the break, Dave could be found at his stand (as Al would later describe it, Dave would be at the stand within 37 seconds from leaving the stage) where I got to meet him and have a bit of chat. Nicest guy in the world too. However, he had run out of CDs, so I could purchase his work at that time.
So, with this as back story, and a short gig of translating Dave’s newsletter into Dutch, no wonder I was excited to get to see both Al Stewart and Dave Nachmanoff in concert again. When I arrived at the theatre, I got word that Dave was spotted around his stand, so I kept my eye out for him. Sure enough, I sighted him and went to talk to him again. What do you know, still the nicest guy in the world and stacked with copies of his albums this time. The prices were not up to my Dutch cheapness (I’m a student, sue me), so I just bought the one (the joyful and varied ‘Candy Shower’, which I bought for ‘Descartes In Amsterdam’, which in turn has been topped by other songs on the record in my opinion). He asked me which songs I wanted him to play, and carefully trying to mask the fact that I had not heard any of his albums yet, I asked for the two songs I remembered from last time… which of course turned out be standard requests. Ask me again next time and I’ll have more original suggestions, I promise!
This time fully expecting and awaiting Dave’s solo turn as opening for the show, I reclined comfortably in my seat and let him bring out the goods. ‘Midnight Sea’ was the opener, a song I was unfamiliar with but which right away emphasised the man’s chops at playing the guitar. Never, by the way, do his chops stand in the way of keeping a song listenable. Take that, Steve Vai! Next up where indeed my two standard requests, if I remember the order correctly – ‘Descartes In Amsterdam’ and ‘The Loyalist’, which deserve to be favourites even though the two are quite far apart in mood. Then it was time for Dave to bring Al out and compliment his songs by some very, very agreeable guitar touches and solos and strong backing vocals. Obviously, these two men could play together very well and clearly enjoyed doing so too. Their chemistry would go so far as them having a dialogue on stage while the audience watched and listened, like it were attending a play. The venue was right for that anyway. Still, it was interesting sight to see: an American in his 40s and a Brit in his 60s who obviously enjoy working together.
After the break, it was Dave-time again. Quite unexpectedly, he popped out with a spirited cover version of Mark Cohn’s ‘Walking in Memphis’. I must admit I wasn’t dying to hear either of the two men on stage perform someone else’s songs, but the surprise element and the quality of the performance made up for that. I felt that Dave’s request for the audience to sing along on the chorus met with timid response, but perhaps a Dutch theatre audience are not the sing along types to begin with. Anyway, he returned to playing his own songs after that: ‘A Thing of Beauty’, which, according to the general response after the song and after the show was Dave’s hit of the night, and one of my own favourites, the joyful ‘Grateful’. Then Al was brought back on stage and the two men focused on his work again, resulting in a well-performed but sadly somewhat short set with some interesting choices of song material (‘Red Toupee’… never expected to get to hear that live – again a good turn by Dave simulating the intro melody on his guitar and a fun backing vocal).
After the show, Dave ran his 37 second lap to his stand again to receive the newly initiated. Never could I have guessed that my acquaintance with lawyer-turned-tour manager Stefan would have me end up next to Dave Nachmanoff helping him sell CDs (and buy two more off him, including ‘Time Before The Fall’, his greatest effort to date), but it did and it gave me the chance to register the audience new found fondness of Dave’s music from up close. Sure, not everyone was there, but enough people to conclude that the man did leave a good impression on a bunch of fresh faces again – like he did on me back in Utrecht.
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UTRECHT, NL - 2 DEC 2006
Dion van Alem from Nijmegen sent this report
Before I went to see the Al Stewart concert |
I am sorry to say that there's at least |
Patricia van der Poel from Den Haag wrote:
Dave's warm-up for the Al Stewart concert was great,
as was his accompanying Al the rest of the evening.
Al's songs really benefit from a second guitar on stage,
and it needs to be a good picker playing it to make things
work. Dave was just doing that, and Al's show was a LOT
better than the solo performance last year at Leiden.
Especially my favorit Night train to Munich didn't come
out with only one guitar last year, and now it was really
a joy to listen to! Also the audience at Vredenburg Theatre
is usually much nicer than at Leiden (where they include
concerts like this in their multiple-ticket packages, which
means that half of the audience has never even heard
of the artist on stage).
Al and Dave seem to be getting along great,
and their interaction both during and between the songs
added to the perfect atmosphere.
I hope Dave will be back for his own concerts soon!
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UTRECHT, NL - 2 DEC 2006 GRONINGEN, NL - 30 NOV 2006
Rutger Mooy commenting on both gigs in The Netherlands
When it was announced that the Al Stewart Netherlands Tour
(two concerts - Groningen & Utrecht) would feature
Dave Nachmanoff, most of the audience did not know
who was coming to town. I had heard (Dave's song)
The Loyalist being performed by Dave and Al (as second
voice) before, so I was thrilled to find out more about this
'new' guitar player being part of Stewart's musical team.
Well - coming to the concert hall turned out to be a good
decision not just because of a solid performance by Al Stewart,
but also because Dave Nachmanoff managed to mix in his own
songs and guitar style while supporting Stewart's performance
brilliantly. Nachmanoff brought a short selection of his own
songs, including (solo) The Loyalist; then stayed with
Stewart all through the evening.
Al and Dave's voices and guitar play seem to match perfectly,
and it was clear that here was a duo that had played together
many times before with great success.
Dave's musical energy is a welcome supplement to
Stewart's anecdotes and 40 years of experience on stage.
After the show, Dave turned out to be a great guy to talk to;
both he and Stewart took plenty of time to round off the evening
with their presence in the lobby.
All in all two great concerts, and Dutch fans will be hoping
to see these two musicians again soon..!
In the meantime, look out to buy one of Dave's guitars
he's selling through eBay...
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HILDESHEIM, DE - 29 NOV 2006
Kerstin Baramsky and her family's impressions in Lower Saxony
| Everybody who knows Al Stewart's music might be wondering about he would perform his hit songs only with two men and two guitars. I had learned from Al's website that there would be a guitarist, Dave Nachmanoff, who had been a great fan of Al Stewart and one day he had been introduced to him and finally now goes on tour with him. So my husband and I were really excited about what we were going to see and hear. And so were my sons, 17 and 18 years old, who really didn't know anything from Al Stewart's music besides "Year of the Cat". Exactly at 8 pm Dave entered the stage and performed a few songs of his own alone. His songs told little stories, and he had a funny manner to anounce and perform them. |
You could see that he's a great guitarist |
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MUNICH, DE - 26 NOV 2006
Sara reporting from the Bavarian metropolis
David Nachmanoff from Davis, CA stepped onto the stage in a bit less than average height and inconspicuous, but he put us under his spell with the first chord.
Lyrics, melody and his guitar playing immediately proved him a full-blood musician who shares his passion, his love of music and his joy of playing it with the audience. An audience that had really come to see Al Stewart and reacted somewhat reservedly when Dave entered the stage on his own, but the first round of applause wasn't just polite, it was honest and ungrudging.
Dave's technique and mastery of the guitar are overwhelming, you got the - false! - impression that a playback tape was running in the background, so full and lush were the chords, so precise and lithe were the strumming and picking.
"Square Peg in a Round Hole Blues" had momentum and a beat, the ballad of "George's Corner" cheered you up, "The Loyalist" revived North America's torn history in the fight for independence, and "Say Good-bye to the Elephants," a song about nomadic circus life, spoke of the desire for friendship and a sense of belonging somewhere.
When Al Stewart did enter the stage Dave safe-effacingly accepted a spot in his im-mense shadow, playing the most difficult harmonies and the most demanding soli as a service - but never as a duty. If you know Al's oeuvre you are acquainted with the brilliant arrangements, especially with the saxophone-soli in "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages". Dave played them on the guitar perfectly without the slightest sign of self-consciousness or hesitation. Even when Al played the introduction to "Marion the Chatelaine", a song that Dave knows but hadn't played before, he immediately caught the tune and improvised an immaculate harmony to Al's only seemingly simple melody.
I will keep an eye on this website and when Dave ever comes back to Munich (or Bavaria, or Germany) I will surely be sitting in the audience, with bated breath
and with shining eyes.
David Nachmanoff aus Davis, Kalifornien,
trat auf die Bühne, eher kleingewachsen
und unscheinbar, aber beim ersten Akkord
hatte er uns in seinen Bann geschlagen.
Text, Melodie und Gitarrenspiel offenbarten
sofort einen Vollblutmusikanten, der seine
Leidenschaft, seine Liebe zur Musik und
seine Spielfreude mit dem Publikum teilte.
Mit einem Publikum, das eigentlich gekom-
men war, um Al Stewart zu sehen, und
eher reserviert reagierte, als Dave alleine
auf der Bühne stand, doch der erste Applaus
war nicht höflich, sondern ehrlich und aufrichtig.
Daves Technik und Können an der Gitarre
sind überwältigend, man meinte fast, es
liefe im Hintergrund ein Playback, so voll und
raumfüllend waren die Akkorde, so präzise
und geschmeidig die Läufe.
"Square Peg in a Round Hole Blues"
hatte Schwung und Beat, die Ballade
von "George's Corner" war aufheiternd,
"The Loyalist" brachte den zwistbeladenen
Freiheitskampf in Nordamerika zum Leben,
und "Say Goodbye to the Elephants", ein
Lied über das ungebundene Zirkusleben,
sprach von der Sehnsucht nach
Freundschaft und Zugehörigkeit.
Als Al Stewart auf die Bühne kam,
stellte Dave sich selbstverleugnend in
dessen immensen Schatten, spielte die
schwierigsten Harmonien und herausfor-
derndsten Soli dienstbeflissen - doch
nie langweilig. Wer Als Oeuvre kennt,
weiss um die genialen Arrangements
und vor allem um die Saxophon-Soli
in "Year of the Cat" und "Time
Passages". Dave spielte sie wie
selbstverständlich auf der Gitarre und
ließ dabei nichts zu wünschen übrig.
Selbst als Al "Marion the Chatelaine"
anstimmte, ein Lied, das Dave zwar
kannte, aber noch nie gespielt hatte,
fing er sich sofort und harmonierte
glänzend mit Als einfach-
raffiniertem Spiel.
Ich werde diese Website im Auge behalten,
und wenn Dave wieder nach München
(oder Bayern, oder Deutschland) kommt,
werde ich sicherlich wieder atemlos und
mit leuchtenden Augen im Publikum sitzen.
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FEMUZ English FEMUZ Nederlands Utrecht, NL - 2 Dec 2006
MUSICMIRROR English MUSICMIRROR deutsch Munich, DE - 26 Nov 2006
KÖLNISCHE RUNDSCHAU deutsch Mechernich, DE - 21 Nov 2006
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LONDON, UK - 8 NOV 2006
Royal Albert Hall
Bruce Kalter, New Jersey, co-writer of Dave's custom songs "Kerosene",
"Simultaneous" & "Bookend My Day", reporting from the UK tour summit
 |
There were more people at this show than any crowd I have ever seen at an Al Stewart concert. These were not young Gen-X'ers discovering a new talent, of course the audience consisted largely of older in-the-know fans.
(Though I brought a newbie).
However, he was out there w/ Al alone at the beginning, & did get to
play just ONE solo song off the new album early on in the show.
During the show, Al's band kept growing... first from just Dave, then a flute player
(who also later played bongos & sax & harmonica & tam-bourine),
then percussionist Pete Hamilton, another dude on bass, a new young female singer
whom Al was trying to boost, & also Lawrence Juber, who was amazing.
Juber's hand movements on what looked like an acoustic guitar but sounded
like an electric one were amazing. Aside, from Dave, Juber was the only
other musician who got a solo--- a crowd-hushing version of
Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing," which stunned all.
Dave was ever the gentleman, displaying his guitar virtuosity
without trying to compete w/ or outshine Juber.
They worked together and really added to the sound, taking turns, etc.
The crowd really liked Dave & gave him multiple applause rounds
for his solos & also his Russian dance during "Joe the Georgian".
There was a huge crowd for CD sales during the 20-minute intermission,
and also after the show. Dave had to fight his way to get to the sales tables,
and stood up on the wall to be seen by the crowd.
He had the biggest poster there: A blow-up of the cover of his new CD. Couldn't miss it,
even w/ Neville Judd hawking buy-3-get-3-free offers (later upped to 4-&-4).
I am sure that Dave must have done some good business there.
The musicianship was spot-on, Al's stories between songs were
well received (& similar to those in Pennsylvania, where I saw him & Dave in June).
A fantastic show. I hope the crowds continue to be like this one!______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DUBLIN, IE - 4 NOV 2006
'East Coast FM' roving reporter John Hughes from Co. Wicklow
covering the Irish night of the tour
 |
Well, as expected it was a brilliant concert,
I got to meet Dave, Al and Laurence
afterwards as well as Marc Macisso
who played percussion and sax.
I managed to pick up some cds,
and dvds and got a couple signed.
I brought along my original RCA CD
promo copy of Year of the Cat from 1987,
and Al signed it... fantastic, it's quite
a rare one because, in 1988 Sony bought
the rights and added some bonus tracks.
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I couldn't get actual photos during |
Laurence Juber joined the group on stage, |