All the while lamenting the loss of the glass tumbler in Glasgow venues, I had the pleasure of spending a Saturday night in the Classic Grand that was playing host to Nashville settlers Paul Burch and, first onstage tonight, Diana Jones.
Flanked by roots-rock experimentalist Beau Stapleton on mandolin and guitar, Jones's set was a fragile affair. "Pretty Girl" was a pleasant, if rather standard affair. It was her clever lyrics, though, that really made the song. The performance just got better from thereon in. Jones has a voice that turns heads, and no song demonstrated this better than "Cold Grey Ground". All instruments were on the back foot temporarily as Jones let her voice capture the audience. Diana Jones has a reputation as one of Nashville's most captivating songwriters of recent times, and this didn't go unnoticed by this reviewer.
Jones's voice verges on haunting, but that didn't stop her from delivering some foot-tappin' hillbilly folk in "Fever Moon". The song of the night, undeniably, was "Pony", Jones's touching and subtly personal tale of a Native American child's displacement. Jones was well-received by the audience upon her farewell, and rightfully so. This was a performance laced with passion and moreover, Jones - who looked very much at ease throughout - has the ability to go the distance. This was a performance from a lady who is destined for success.
Paul Burch had a hard act to follow. However, Paul is a man who clearly knows his own capabilities. While not having the most convincing voice for a roots-rock artist, Burch's melding of rockabilly strumming and pop sensibilities make for a very likeable show. Opening track "Montreal" wasn't the most convincing track musically, but Paul's experience shone through, and made an average song sound good. This was a recurring factor in Paul's performance. Songs like "Just Before the Bells" exhibited a darker element of Paul's music. Perhaps the greatest cheer of the night went up for Paul's tribute to John Peel, a sincere tribute to the late icon.
Paul's popularity was illustrated in that he returned for not one, but two encores. His rendition of the Appalachian standard "Little Birdie" - a request from an ecstatic fan - saw the end of a fine performance from Paul, who evidently thrives on such shows.
While lacking the spit and wit of more seasoned roots artists like Tom Russell or Dave van Ronk, Burch's performances will garner more attention from those who prefer a polished approach to roots music. Diana Jones delivered a memorable set, and Paul Burch did his popularity no harm tonight either.