Nothing Like The Sun: 1987/88

Sting succeeds in extending his new directions...

Sting has his own thing. How many can say as much?

Certainly, he could be traveling the world with a rock band reeling out huge hits from his halcyon years with the Police. He could be making records that evoked that band's snappy appeal, compelling fans into attending potentially big arena concerts.

But then he'd be doing little more than variations on 'Every Breath You Take', a Police No. 1 ditty that Sting didn't bother performing for a sold-out house of 3,300 jubilant fans Monday night at Memorial Hall.

Retooling the past would be too easy (and probably just as boring) for Sting, who kills audiences with his confidence almost as much as he slays them with his cunning musicality.

Since going solo in 1985, Sting has pursued a challenging synthesis of jazz, rock and pop as a form of commercially viable music. When he and his band performed the music that year of 'The Dream of The Blue Turtles' the emphasis was on jazz and long improvisational solos. At Memorial, hop-scotching jazz was still the dominant force. But the solos, most notably by dizzying keyboardist Kenny Kirkland and entrancing saxophonist Branford Marsalis, were more integrated with other styles
  
This may mean, somewhat contradictorily, that the 36-year-old English singer/songwriter is becoming more adept at drawing the fine lines of his musical blueprint while trying, to break through as many walls as he can.

It was complimentary and totally un-rock'n'roll the way he began introducing band members during the very first number, 'The Lazarus Heart', a song that suggested harmony through sacrifice. Sting, the architect, knows where the foundation of his building lies. 

Granted, it was more enjoyable experiencing him in a smaller hall.

"I must say, I haven't played in someone's living room in a long time," he said, looking around. "Who lives here?"

The show dripped with class like a champion swimmer casting beads of water from one beautiful stroke after another. Heart and mind-probing songs from Sting's solo albums, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' and his latest, '...Nothing Like the Sun', made up most of the material.

Those songs included a flip retelling of Noah's Ark, 'Rock Steady', which captured a people-get-together feeling not unlike the stratification-breaking powers of Bob Marley and Sly Stone. And the advice in 'Englishman in New York' to "Be say" wasn't lost on the manifest- yourself no matter what they say" wasn't lost on the manifestly exuberant throng.

Such Police songs as 'King of Pain' and particularly 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' worked extremely well, the latter showcasing an uproarious new arrangement.

No 'Roxanne'. No problem. An acoustic 'Message in a Bottle' put the perfect cap on the evening.

(c) Kansas City Star by Brian McTavish