Blue Turtles: 1985/86

Sting and Copeland tantalize audience...

Not only did Sting wow the audience here Monday night with a tantalizing mixture of jazz and pop tunes, he was eventually joined onstage by fellow Policeman Stewart Copeland.

What a delight it was to see two-thirds of the Police perform 'Every Breath You Take' and 'Message In A Bottle'.

Copeland looked right at home behind a set of drums as he pounded out the beat. It was the first time the two had hooked up in quite a while and the rapport was something to behold.

It was just one of the many highlights during a night of musical high points.

Though there might have been some apprehension beforehand that the music wouldn't be mainstream enough for some pop fans, Sting dispelled that notion with his fluid, seductive style.

It appeared as if a major thunderstorm was brewing when Sting took the stage shortly after 8pm Monday. Lightning flashed, the wind blew, dust flew, and the audience howled. What was in store for the 6,000 fans however, was a musical torrent, the likes of which hasn't passed over these parts in a long time.

Possessor of a truly international pop voice, Sting (nee Gordon Sumner) managed to transcend all musical barriers with his hybridized inflections and visionary lyrics.

And just when you figured Sting had pulled out all the stops, who should show up but drummer Copeland to lend a hand.

Sting kicked off the two-hour show with a rousing version of 'Shadows In the Rain' before slipping into a tearful rendition of 'Driven To Tears'.

Sporting a denim jacket and sunglasses the British rock star played guitar and sang. He was backed by drummer Omar Hakim, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Darryl Jones and saxophonist Branford Marsalis.

The combination was combustible! The jazz quartet played with fire and fury, heating up the stage with its brand of swinging fusion. The band sizzled from start to finish, cooling off only when Sting commanded them to do so.

Marsalis was absolutely brilliant on saxophone. The soprano sax purred like a kitten in his hands, so gentle and soothing were the notes. On tenor horn he ripped and roared, soloing, like a man possessed when opportunities presented themselves.

The unassuming Kirkland (a member of Wynton Marsalis's band since 1981) tickled his bank of keyboards with aplomb, mixing in some tasty synthesizer licks to kick the sound along. Bassist Jones (a member of the Miles Davis group) laid down some heavy rhythm, while Hakim (Weather Report's drummer) proved that creativity knows no bounds with some excellent stick work.

Backing singers Dolette McDonald and Janice Pendarvis helped out on several songs.

But it was Sting, cool as a cucumber and as charismatic as any pop singer today, who was the focus of everyone's attention.

He wasn't concerned about injecting his personality into the music. Rather, he let the words speak for themselves.

He sang every song from 'The Dream Of The Blue Turtles' except the controversial 'Russians'.

'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free', Sting's current hit single, was met with a roar from the crowd. The popular song allowed Hakim to stretch out on his drumkit while Sting plucked away at an upright bass, playfully duetting with Jones.

'Children's Crusade', a sombre number about war and heroin, and 'We Work The Black Seam', a compelling song dealing with coal mining and the nuclear age, revealed a literary, conscious-raising side of Sting.

'Consider Me Gone' was a mid-tempo swinger done in a sophisticated jazz vein, while 'Moon Over Bourbon Street' conjured up images of vampires. A huge lightning bolt lit up the sky during the first verse of 'Bourbon Street', embellishing an already eerie tune.

The best song of the evening, however, was 'Roxanne', delivered in haunting fashion by Sting with only Marsalis saxophone for support. The words echoed in the wind long after the concert was over.

And just when the crowd thought the show was over Sting introduced Copeland by announcing: "In the past 10 years I've been lucky enough to play with two of the best drummers in Omar Hakim and Stewart Copeland."

They launched into 'Every Breath You Take', eliciting vocal help from the stunned crowd. A finger-popping blues tune was followed by the inimitable 'Message In A Bottle'.

The audience couldn't have asked for anything more. Plenty of Sting, a great backup band, lots of soloing, healthy dose of Police songs, and a surprise guest made this a memorable concert.

(c) Salt Lake Tribune by Tom McCarthey

Don't call the 'Police'; Sting's doing just fine as a solo act...

It was billed as ''An Evening with Sting,'' and when it was all said and done, most in the Park West crowd were admittedly dazzled, stung if you will, with the musician's sophisticated brand of jazz-rock.

Gordon Sumner, better known to Utah music fans as the incomparable Sting, co-founder and creative genius of the supergroup The Police, has been touring the West lately, taking his act solo.

And considering the recent solo projects by Police guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, you might think The Police have gone on eternal strike. It was certainly clear from Sting's ParkWest performance that he certainly doesn't need Summers and Copeland to make it big in contemporary music.

The fact of the matter, says Sting, is the members of The Police use solo projects to grow musically. "When we come back together, I'm sure that it will be better than ever," he said.

In fact, Sting made it obvious throughout Monday's show he wasn't about to invade any of the established territory of The Police. Much to the chagrin of hard-core Police fans, Sting limited his forays into Police material ie an a cappella version, complete with 8,000 backing vocals, of the hit 'Roxanne'.

Sting is Sting, not The Police: and Monday night he was clearly out to establish himself with his own material. The musical styles were the same, the rich musical textures were the same even Sting vocals had that same distinctive quality.

But the music was inexplicably different.

For his solo tour, Sting has surrounded himself with some of the best jazz musicians money can buy Branford Marsalis, Darryl Jones, Kenny Kirkland and Omar Hakim. Little doubt the music had a much heavier jazz flavour.

With the wind blowing and rain clouds threatening, Sting opened his show with the appropriately titled 'Shadows In The Rain' a song that combined traditional jazz sounds with Sting's trademark mystical rock.

It also set the pace for an entire evening of 'The Dream Of The Blue Turtles', Sting's critically acclaimed solo LP. If you like the album, you would have loved the concert.

For the most part, Sting kept to subtle, soothing tunes, songs like 'Children's Crusade' and 'We Work The Black Seam', an excellent song about coal miners. For variety, he would throw in a reggae number like 'Love Is The Seventh Wave' and traditional Police-sounding tunes like 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' and 'Fortress Around Your Heart'.

In each and every case, Sting proved he is first and foremost an artist. His lyrics ate thought-provoking, his music multi-layered and captivating. It didn't seem to matter if he was playing a full-sized bass, an electric guitar or a synthesiser, he proved he was master of his craft.

He is also a musician who clearly takes his work seriously. It shows on the concert stage as he carefully weaves myriads of intricate sounds into tunes that excite the mind and spirit. The performance was much, much more than a simple audio experience.

Sting may not have been playing Police tunes, the crowd didn't seem to mind much. They were there for Sting.

Personally, I prefer Sting playing alongside Copeland and Summers. But I couldn't help but admire the way Sting has taken command of his own musical destiny. He displays a remarkable ability to reach out and touch your conscious with sounds that are rich and fulfilling.

Sting should leave the movies to actors. He's doing just great on the concert stage.

(c) Deseret News by Jerry Spangler