After two sold out shows in January, Jess Williamson wanted to add something special for her London audience on her summer tour. She did just that, playing the renowned St Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square with the addition of pedal steel guitarist Harry Bohay and with two support acts – Canada’s Dana Gavanski and London’s Eleni Drake.
Spacious and airy, the 18th century church’s high vaulted roof and marble floor are perfect for listening to live music and the candles placed around the venue create an intimate atmosphere. It’s good to see the pews are pretty full, demonstrating how her latest album and live shows have grown her audience here.
Williamson takes full advantage of the setting beginning with ‘Ponies In Town’ in which her pure wordless vocal in the outro seems to reach all corners of the building. She is joined by Bohay for ‘Changing Spirits’ leading into a delightful ‘Wind On Tin’. Its “I heard God” refrain leads into Williamson talking about the venue and feeling God in the air.
She talks about the impact of the pandemic and how her fourth album “Sorceress” came out in May 2020 when she and other musicians wondered if they’d ever play live again. During that time, she collaborated with Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy to record ‘Pictures Of Flowers’ which supported by Bohay she brought in as a welcome surprise addition to the touring set. The audience held its breath.
Williamson switched to the piano for ‘Stampede’ a song from 2023’s “Time Ain’t Accidental” which has enhanced her popularity and raised a cheer every time it was mentioned. A song she’d previously played with guitar, hearing it as intended was a special moment. She remained at the piano for ‘Something’s In The Way’, a first for me.
She told us she had some new songs which she’d like to play. The first, ‘Country Mile’, was performed at the piano. It’s a story song with a definite country flavour which sounds like it will be become a firm favourite. Williamson then switched back to guitar for the second new song, ‘Tracking The Tropics’ with its chorus referencing storms with women’s names and their catastrophic effect. Whether intended literally or as metaphor, this sounded like a big song and whetted everyone’s appetite for what’s to come next year. Bohay returned for ‘Abilene’ from the Plains album with the pedal steel weaving in and out of Williamson’s vocal. ‘Hunter’ followed with its alternately dark and celebratory moods.
Williamson announced, to more cheers, that she’d be playing three more songs from “Time Ain’t Accidental” and also introduced the iPhone on which she’d worked up the drum tracks during Covid. She returned to the theme of playing in a church (it’s her first time} which led naturally into a magnificent ‘God In Everything’ with the drum tracks resonating in the room and Bohay’s pedal steel echoing that on the recording while Williamson sang the lyrics with a real sense of purpose. ‘Topanga Two Step’ followed with its cascading images and joyous sound. Which brings us – too soon – to the last song of the night, the intimate ‘Time Ain’t Accidental’. Bohay’s pedal steel interplays expertly with the banjo track on the phone and Williamson’s singing exudes joy.
Of course, she’s brought back for an encore. The first song is the Plains’ album title track ‘I’ll Walk With You A Ways’. A song which has always had a hymnal quality, Williamson’s vocal tonight draws that out even more and the sound in the church amplifies it several times over. She is joined by Bohay and Gavanski for the night’s final song, a cover of Shania Twain’s ‘You’re Still The One’ with Gavanski singing a verse and adding piano. It’s a fun end to what has been a special evening.
Earlier, Dana Gavanski performed the first support slot, starting on guitar but soon switching to piano. Although Canadian, her music sounds quite European both musically and in the vocal phrasing. Eleni Drake, who accompanies herself on acoustic guitar, plays in a jazz-tinged folk style. Her song ‘Melbourne Blues’ was a standout and is well worth seeking out on streaming services.
