By Daniel Paiz
With a discography spanning over 40 years, Al Green has made secular and Gospel music across multiple generations. As Green announced that he’d only be having three concerts in 2023, one of those venues is the storied Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. Red Rocks routinely draws music fans from across the country and beyond, but it doesn’t seem like that fully mattered to the storied reverend. Al Green mesmerizes and then bewilders at Red Rocks performance, and it’s something I didn’t see coming.
Opening Act
Keb Mo’ is no slouch himself with his own discography spanning over 40 years as well. The Delta Blues guitarist and singer had himself a jam session, guiding the audience across a spectrum of moods and settings during his 45-minute set*. Songs were there for when you’re foolishly in love with someone doing you wrong, as well as when you’re looking for some lounge music, or just trying to dance. One song in particular struck a chord close to home for Mo’, as the longtime performer sang about Compton, California and the impact it had on him.
The band backing Keb Mo’ did an excellent job, and it was intriguing to see that each time Mo’ had a guitar switch, the keyboardist also switched from a piano to a keyboard (or vice versa). One surprise that sweetened the entire performance was the guest appearance of saxophonist Gerald Albright, a longtime friend of Keb. Albright brought the jazz, solos, and accompaniment throughout his time on stage.
It made the entire set better, and it was clear that Mo’, Albright, and all the other performers on stage have effortless chemistry. The whole venue felt like it was properly prepared for the headliner by the end of the set. What followed was a bit different than what one might have expected.
And now, the honorable Reverend…
What made this performance have such one-of-a-kind intrigue was that it’s Al Green performing with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO for short). That might not seem that noteworthy on the surface, as the CSO doesn’t get the notoriety of other orchestras from bigger cities. However, the CSO has had a number of fascinating collaborations at Red Rocks, performing with Wu-Tang Clan, OneRepublic, and Josh Groban. The setting couldn’t be a better place, as clouds and lightning rolled in for musical church with the longstanding reverend.
Al Green walks out in a classic suit pedaling flowers to the crowd as he waves and interacts with the first few rows. The CSO is clearly ready to go, as the conductor has just introduced the storied singer. Al Green sings through a number of different songs, ranging from a medley of Temptations songs to a classic rendition of “Amazing Grace”, and ending with “Love and Happiness”.
As the set moved along, the singer sang fewer consecutive lines and instead would sing a line and then deliver a strong “oooo” or similar sound to each track. The CSO looked relatively confused on multiple songs. It could be their reaction to Green sitting more and singing less. This group of musicians has experienced a wide array of genres. So, there might have been some hesitation as Green seemingly declined before their eyes.
Green played a 45-minute set** and then abruptly walked off. The conductor followed him with a sports drink and the rest of the orchestra started packing up their instruments. The fluffy and lightning-filled clouds posed no threat, and even added ambiance to the performance prior to the walk off. This performance started at 8:45pm and ended at 9:30pm. Keb Mo’ preceded Green and had a set from 7:30pm to 8:15pm. Around 1.5 hours of music transpired before a packed Red Rocks audience, and it was simply bewildering.
Bewildered
It takes about 45 minutes to get in or out Red Rocks on average, which is what makes this so bewildering. There was no good-bye from Green, no word of the end from the conductor, but initially felt like an intermission of sorts. When the venue crew started to pack up the stage and the orchestra musicians dispersed, it sunk in what was happening.
Perhaps the altitude got to the visiting headliner, as the more his set went on the less he sang. He would go on these vocal runs, where it sounded like he was ready, but then the next few songs he’d sing the first line and then grip the stand or take a moment to himself. It seemed like there were some moments of enjoyment, as he would smile and interact with the crowd towards the beginning. But those moments didn’t last.
Hopefully the storied singer is doing alright, and the altitude only minimally affected him, if at all. Hard to determine what other reason led to this ending. One thing to take away from this show is that performing at 77 years old is impressive, and if he’s performing because he still wants to do it, then bravo to him.
Key: * = important to later in the story, check back here for why
** = Green plays a set that’s the same amount of time as the opener. What?!?
Cypher Sessions 