Jak @ Romantica Romance Park 23/04/2022
I arrived just in time to this new-to-me venue, Romantica Park. Jak (Jakbnimbl Riddle) was on stage and when it was time, the stream came up, and we were away!
"In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel is a great tune and Jak does it well. His vocals were good. He stayed in key and in his range. The backing track was well done and his guitar playing was pretty good too. There was a modest crowd but it grew as the set proceeded.
The second offering of the day was "I’ll Be Around" by the Spinners. He was getting a very interesting tone for his lead breaks in this one... the vocals remained solid, and he made it all his own with the presentation and arrangement. Well Done!
Jak said he was having some issues with his voice, but aside from a bit stretched in some places, it sounded fine to me.
Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" was next. The vocals a bit stretched but he was doing a good job of holding it all together, and the set continued it's laid back vibe and it was a relaxing listen. Not my usual Blues, but I enjoyed it. Another singer may have cancelled at that point but Jak soldiered on and showed his professionalism trying different little tricks and managed to recover his vocals overall for the rest of the set. He gave us what we came for and he did it well!
Springsteen's "Thunder Road" was another tune Jak was making his own today but his performance was more than acceptable. He did a good job of adjusting the tune to suit his current vocal health, a sign of a true professional, and I am sure that even the great Bruce doesn't do it exactly the same every time he performs it :) I believe its called "Artistic Licence" and Jak pulled it off. Good show!
"Message in a Bottle" by Sting and his little band called The Police... smiles.... it picked the tempo up a bit and he presented it well. The vocals were more within his range and he did a great job. Jak's new acoustic guitar had great tone and he played it well...
and he stayed with Sting for "Wrapped Around Your Finger". Very well done; I loved this rendition.
Into more Police/Sting with "If You Love Someone, Set Them Free". This is an old fave of mine and I loved the way he presented the tune. It was a refreshing look at a great classic. I loved it!
"Love is the Seventh Wave", again by Sting, and very well done. I liked what he did with the backing track for this one.. a bit of recorder/flute... fit in well with the sound that Sting creates... all in all a great tune, well presented.
And Jak's vocals seemed to have survived! A great new-to-me artist that is well worth a listen. He can freshen up these ole ears in his own style, and Thank You for that JAK! VERY Well Done!!
And Thanks So Much! to Nisa Maverick for her wonderful Venue/Park/Wedding Chapel & Romance Gardens that is Romantica Park. Check out her profile for more information and a complete description of the many beautiful areas that make up Romantica.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Romantica/172/182/22
