Martin Sexton Highlights
I am indebted to the folks at the Greenwich Odeum http://www.greenwichodeum.com/) who afford me an opportunity to photograph the talent that graces their stage. On this occasion I had the joy of seeing and hearing Martin Sexton http://www.martinsexton.com/) whom I've not seen in about a decade. I missed the warm up, Chris Trapper https://www.christrapper.com/) who has been doing this tour with Sexton. However, thankfully he joined Sexton at the close of the program for some duo work.
While Sexton apologized a couple times for his recovering laryngitis, it was not evident to me as he carried on his vocal gymnastics without fail or parallel. Sexton does things vocally that NO one else that I have heard would even attempt. He remains extremely at ease with soaring to high soprano falsetto notes and dropping straight into the basement with bass notes and percussion that are beyond description.
Marin Sexton is a very accomplished accompanist on guitar and often walks bass lines with fill chords while singing stratospheric melodies. He works hard at painting a tapestry of sound WITH his audience while nonverbally beckoning their support. The audience was on queue within the second song in the program having delivered a beautiful 3 part harmony foundation for him to blanket his melody. It was beautiful and at times felt like church (in the most good way). As a matter of fact, as the program continued, Sexton attempted to engage the audience again in similar fashion but strangely, his efforts were falling on deaf ears. Folks just insisted upon following him call and response note for note. The quote of night came when he instructed: “I’m looking for a little less Mayflower and a little more Southern Baptist”!
Throughout the show Sexton would interject familiar melody lines of various origin — it seemed as soon as the audience got it he was onto the next reference. I found the show to be very entertaining and engaging. His encore similarly wrapped a number of references mostly shining a Light on the audience and on Life. Songs like I’ll Fly Away morphed into This Little Light of Mine and closed the night with Amazing Grace while playing a banjo that his Aunt had given him.
Thanks to and Graham, Molly and Amanda for this wonderful opportunity.
Read MoreWhile Sexton apologized a couple times for his recovering laryngitis, it was not evident to me as he carried on his vocal gymnastics without fail or parallel. Sexton does things vocally that NO one else that I have heard would even attempt. He remains extremely at ease with soaring to high soprano falsetto notes and dropping straight into the basement with bass notes and percussion that are beyond description.
Marin Sexton is a very accomplished accompanist on guitar and often walks bass lines with fill chords while singing stratospheric melodies. He works hard at painting a tapestry of sound WITH his audience while nonverbally beckoning their support. The audience was on queue within the second song in the program having delivered a beautiful 3 part harmony foundation for him to blanket his melody. It was beautiful and at times felt like church (in the most good way). As a matter of fact, as the program continued, Sexton attempted to engage the audience again in similar fashion but strangely, his efforts were falling on deaf ears. Folks just insisted upon following him call and response note for note. The quote of night came when he instructed: “I’m looking for a little less Mayflower and a little more Southern Baptist”!
Throughout the show Sexton would interject familiar melody lines of various origin — it seemed as soon as the audience got it he was onto the next reference. I found the show to be very entertaining and engaging. His encore similarly wrapped a number of references mostly shining a Light on the audience and on Life. Songs like I’ll Fly Away morphed into This Little Light of Mine and closed the night with Amazing Grace while playing a banjo that his Aunt had given him.
Thanks to and Graham, Molly and Amanda for this wonderful opportunity.
