Capturing the musical spirit of Carole King is a daunting task but Suzanne O Davis met the challenge Sunday evening at the SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
Davis brought her “Tapestry, the Carole King Songbook,” tribute show to a sold out Paisans Club concert.
“These songs are so special and Suzanne O Davis is the best one to bring back all of Carole King’s great music,” said Jerry Vicenti, leader of the Paisans Club.
Davis did not disappoint.
She played keyboards on a glistening white, piano and seemed to channel King’s soft but compelling vocals. A tight, three-piece band backed her up with jazz grooves and irresistible pop hooks of King’s long and storied songbook.
Davis began with a thumping version of “Jazzman” followed by the upbeat, joyous “Sweet Seasons.”
But those songs were just a prelude to the album that changed King’s career and life. “Tapestry” came out in 1971, and has sold over 30 million copies since then, Davis said.
“Here we are 53 years later still playing those songs,” she said, adding that great music never goes out of style.
Tapestry was a groundbreaking record in more ways than one. It was a milestone for a female songwriter and performer. King had been writing songs since the late 1950s and ’60 with her then husband Gerry Goffin.
Those songs were performed by Little Eva (“The Locomotion”) The Monkees (“Pleasant Valley Sunday”) The Chiffons (“One Fine Day”) The Shirelles (“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”) The Drifters (“Up On the Roof”) and the Beatles (“Chains”).
But “Tapestry” elevated Carole King to iconic status.
The Grammy Award website noted that “Tapestry” in 1971 was Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female as well as Song Of The Year (“You’ve Got A Friend”) and Record Of The Year (“It’s Too Late”).
All three releases were later inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame, while King received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
“Tonight, we’re going to play the entire album,” Davis told the appreciative crowd. She opened with “It’s Too Late,” and her vocal was enhanced by her keyboard work.
Davis then offered a moving ballad, “So Far Away.”
“I think we all can relate to that song, if you’re missing someone,” she said.
The relaxed atmosphere of the Paisans Club concert appealed to Davis. “This is like a picnic; people bring their own food,” she said. “And Jerry (Vicenti) is a great guy and a lot of fun.”
Davis told the story of King’s life and career. It included King taking piano lessons from her mother at age 5, to leaving Goffin and moving to Laurel Canyon in California and rebuilding her career.
She performed a song co-written by King that became a hit for the Carpenters, “It’s Going to Take Some Time.”
Davis told how Carole King was approached to do a Broadway show about her life. “She said no,” Davis said. “She’s from New York City and didn’t want people in her hometown to hear about her ex-husbands, lovers and other things.
“But, thankfully, Carole was talked into letting them do the show.”
It was called “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and became a hit on Broadway and throughout the world.
That set the stage for Davis to do a rousing version of the song, “Beautiful.” She followed that up with a number that wasn’t a big hit, but “perfectly expressed the tone of her song writing,” Davis said.
Davis offered a spiritual-tinged version of “Been to Canaan,” a song about a personal journey to a peaceful existence.
She then sang another introspective number, “Home Again,” and dedicated it to the military veterans in the audience.
“Smackwater Jack,” had a free-flowing piano intro and Davis eventually turned it into a rocking tune.
When she sang “Tapestry,” it seemed to sum up a tribute to an artist whose creativity touched a universal nerve and defined a musical era.
Tony Violanti writes about music and entertainment for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.
