Sam Phillips' concert at the Paradise Thursday was an enjoyable evening of mellow rock that ran the gamut from jangly, country-tinged numbers and Tex-Mex styled tunes to simpler, acoustic guitar-driven songs.
Phillips' gritty, girlish voice is a punchier version of the Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins, and projects a heavy desperation and urgency - the key to many of Phillips' songs.
Joining the chanteuse onstage was guitarist T Bone Burnett (Phillips' husband and producer of her latest album, 'Martinis and Bikinis'), bassist Jerry Sheff (who has worked with Elvis and the Doors), former Los Angeles punk band X producer-guitarist Tony Gilkyson and drummer Josh LaBelle.
Phillips tried to alleviate her occasional nervousness with some tounge-in-cheek between-songs banter. Not only did she dedicate 'Baby I Can't Please You' to conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh with 'Who wants to try, anyway?' but she also apologized for 'the lack of choreography onstage,' attributing it to having been traumatized by seeing a Paula Abdul video several months ago.
Phillips' set, which was primarily a dose from her latest release, included a selection of rootsy rock numbers from her three- album catalog that included the snappy 'Signposts,' 'I Need Love,' with Phillips on harmonica, and the radio hit 'Same Changes.' When Phillips sang 'Trying to Hold on to the Earth' -perhaps her best known hit from 'The Incredible Wow' album - she passed on the opportunity to belt one out and sock it to the crowd. Instead, she opted for a more subdued approach, and impressed the audience with this less-expected route.
Marvin Etzioni, a.k.a. 'Marvin the Mandolin Man,' who worked with Phillips on her last album, opened the show. He was a modern-day wandering minstrel, strolling through the crowd, telling stories and serenading the silent masses. Unfortunately, he later clambered onstage, plugged in and then it became apparent that although he was a fine tunesmith, Etzioni could use some voice lessons.