Summer: 2013

Jazzy Sting shines at Dalhalla...

Sting's love of jazz shines through when he visits Dalhalla. The songs are served in an arrangement that makes them a little extra exciting. Even the instrumental solo parts are a moving musical experience.

There are few artists who manage to create a solo career after their main band has thrown in the towel. Sting is among the most successful. When The Police split up in 1984, they had travelled from a new wave band in the wake of punk to one of the biggest arena rock bands in seven years. Before The Police, Sting played in various jazz bands and that vein has emerged more clearly in his solo career. In addition, he has done what came to his mind, such as interpretations of Renaissance composer John Dowland.

Sting's latest album was a live recording with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and he has experimented with different styles during his career. During this tour, titled Back to bass, he is back in the stripped-down format with guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, amplified choir vocals and a fifth musician who alternates between violin and mandolin. The stage is also stripped-down with a curtain in the background and a relatively sparse lighting setup.

The different orchestral formats in which Sting has performed the songs mean that the arrangements change, and the songs take on a slightly different character. It is countless small changes in the arrangements that make the songs exciting and give them freshness. The Police song 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' has a jazzier costume here than the original. It also has a refreshing psychedelic touch that dresses it up. Sting also has a penchant for complicated time signatures that give the songs a refined swing. Even though the rhythm in, for example, 'I Hung My Head' is difficult to get a hold of, the audience spontaneously starts dancing in the intervals. 

'Driven To Tears' has something wild about it and is served with a wonderfully aggressive violin solo. 'Hounds of Winter' has an eerie and delicious vocal part inspired by Pink Floyd's 'The Great Gig in the Sky'. This evocative composition is painfully beautiful in an arrangement that brings out the song's full potential.

In a rhythmically undulating jazz number, the band members each offer their own solo act. Such shows tend to become a stale story in technical display. But not here. With a steady jazz funk beat that keeps everything on its feet, the musicians embark on exciting musical excursions. Uniquely enough, you find yourself hoping that it will last a while. That feeling sums up Sting's performance well. The closing 'Fragile' gives the audience a nice atmosphere to take home.

(c) DT by Anders Rosesund