Blue Turtles: 1985/86

Subtle Sting on a lonely trail...

The most notable factor to have emerged from Sting's declaration of independence from the Police, and his new liaison with an ensemble of jazz players is the sense of liberation he so evidently feels. This performance, as part of his British solo tour, was notable for the delight with which Sting went about reinterpreting his past and laying some new foundations for the future.

The encore alone was a revelation. Two radical remoulds of established favourites: a lush, romantic 'Every Breath You Take', pumped up to more epic proportions than the original; and a solo version of 'Message In a Bottle', with Sting accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. And, in short order, the jazz vamp of 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' and, most surprisingly, a reading of Fleetwood Mac's 'I Need Your Love So Bad' the sort of creaking blues riff which passed muster as a good example of bad times in the white blues genre with Sting offering a creditable imitation of Peter Green on electric guitar. Well, not quite Peter Green, but you get the idea. He is clearly in the mood for anything.

In fact, the jazz influence on Sting's new thrust has been exaggerated. True, he has surrounded himself with a formidable pride of young lions from the New York jazz world Bradford Marsalis on saxes, Kenny Kirkland on keyboards, Omar Hakim on drums, and Darryl Jones on bass, all relishing the opportunity to show off their expertise along with their new wardrobes. (One expects a rash of hefty solo contracts to follow the tour). But Sting's ear for a sweet melody, and an anthemic chorus always holds sway.

What is so seductive is the way these qualities have been on record and even more on stage-amplified by his new ensemble, the ornate decorative flourishes that now frame a familiar picture. 'Love Is The Seventh Wave', 'Fortress Round My Heart' and 'If You Love Somebody' could all have been classic Police songs, but invested here with a richness of texture the format of the Police could never have allowed.

'Moon Over Bourbon Street', with nods to the music of Kurt Weill and the melancholia of Tom Waits, and a slow, cool inhalation of breath of 'Consider Me Gone', are much more ambitious, and inevitably greeted with politeness rather than rapture.

It would be facile to characterise Sting's new thrust as missionary work, but there is no escaping the thought that with this band he is infiltrating a more subtle musical sensibility into an audience drawn on his populist appeal, in much the same way as Joni Mitchell did with the 'Hissing of Summer Lawns', which brought Wayne Shorter and a gamut of jazz players on to the pop canvas a decade ago.

The benefits to Sting and his music are palpable, nowhere more so than on 'Roxanne'. The opening stanzas, with Sting accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, vividly revived memories of his Live Aid performance; then came Marsalis, deftly heightening the mood of poignancy with his lyrical interpolations on soprano sax. The best of the old, the best of the new. A palpable success story.

(c) The Guardian by Mick Brown

More! More!

Sting really is a big pop star these days. He could have done three hours of mime and had the thousands packed into the Apollo eating out his hand.

We didn't get mime, however, we got a thoroughly professional hour and threequarters worth of Sting backed by a superb band.

At times I felt it strayed a little too close to cabaret with some Shadows dance steps and forced humour, but that aside it was a flawless show.

Crystal-clear sound emphasised the magnificent support Sting was given by the band made up of musicians who contributed to his solo album.

Branford Marsalis on sax and percussion was out of this world and his playing seemed to shape the overall sound of the set.

Sting went through most of the 'Turtles' album and added unaccompanied versions of 'Roxanne' and 'Message in a Bottle' with the whole band joining him for 'Every Breath You Take'.

There were plenty of extended instrumental breaks to give the band every opportunity to demonstrate their talents, and these added to Sting's undoubted stage presence had the crowd screaming for more.

Cool, laid back and without even the slightest hint of mega-star arrogance, Sting could have found his true vocation.

(c) Runcorn Weekly News by Paul Cook