Review: Ben Harper, Superstar Musician

 

Resplendent in a white suit, crested by a white fedora, captured at the intersection of three beams of blue light, Ben Harper was every inch the picture of superstar musician at the main stage of the festival for opening night.

It seemed his entrance couldn't have been more carefully scripted for maximum effect, that is until he began the night quietly playing vibes in an instrumental cover of Marvin Gaye's multi-cut “Trouble Man.” Just as “Trouble Man” marked Gaye's return to the blues genre in 1972, Harper used it as the pivot point to return to an Ottawa Folk Festival he rocked in 2010. And, just like Gaye, Harper's return was on a more personal level than his previous work here had been; an acoustic-driven set of tunes pulled from all corners of his 12-album songbook tore into personal matters of the heart with a vulnerability that has become Harper's lyrical signature. 

Before dipping into the hits though, Harper masterfully lit the match for the huge crowd of devotees with his segue into an instrumental version of Pearl Jam's “Indifference,” before launching two of his own instrumentals in “All My Heart Can Take” and “Mutt” - regular set choices in Harper's highly-rated 2012 global acoustic tour.

The fire now well-stoked, Harper moved into his biggest hit “Burn One Down” before an elemental shift with “Not Fire, Not Ice” took place. The politically charged funk-reggae of 1995's “Excuse Me Mr.” compelled sections of the crowd to attempt breakdance mode, before the exquisite “Diamonds On The Inside” and “Masterpiece” brought lovers rock back into full focus.

1997's “Younger Than Today” was, along with the rest of the songs on this album, recorded in seven days while on tour in Paris, but it worked well to bridge mid-section of set here in Ottawa before Harper launched into his climax. “Please Break The Silence” is one of Harper's unreleased songs, and clearly one for the trainspotting uber-fans on the night. It was also a perfect set-up to “Forever” from Harper's huge 1994 album “Welcome To The Cruel World.”

But it was this juncture in the performance that Harper pulled out his coup d’état. Mustering an anecdote of playing in Paris and meeting the late, great Jeff Buckley, Harper followed with an idiosyncratic cover of Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah.” The double tip of the hat was not lost on any Canadian familiar with the Montrealer's origin and Buckley's legacy, though Harper's cries of “this one's for you Jeff” may have confused many a Canuck unfamiliar with Buckley's inspirational cover for his 1994 album “Grace.”   

With his brilliant sense for performance, Harper wasted little time following the excitement caused by “Hallelujah” to bring the lights down on the show with 2003's “When She Believes” and the banjo-tinged “Suzie Blue.”

The encore – arriving nearly 95 minutes after the intro – was equally perfect in its scripting: an uplifting version of “When It's Good”; a feelgood and be-safely-on-your way rendition of “Walk Away”; and, in dedication perhaps to Harper's eternal muse, “The Woman In You.”

- Cormac Rea