Joan Baez concert, and special guest

As I mentioned in a post last week, I attended a Joan Baez concert in Seattle last Friday evening. Joan has still got a great voice, although it's a bit lower in register and darker than 40 years ago -- but once you're past 60, nearly everything is "lower". Joan sang some newer stuff, backed by her 4-man band (drums, bass guitar, a guy who played three different kinds of guitar, and a fourth musician who played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and lap steel), as well as solo versions of her original folk music from the 60's, including several of Bob Dylan's songs (it's curious that I never much cared for Dylan, but like his songs when performed by Baez).

Joan's opening act was a young musician who was new to me, a 23-year old woman named Vienna Teng. Teng is from the San Francisco area, writes her own songs, and accompanies herself on Yamaha keyboard. She was accompanied by a very good string duo of violin and cello.

Teng has a fine voice -- a bit reminiscent of Baez when she was young, although lower in register -- and a very nice stage presence and deprocating sense of humor. While I thought her keyboard work was a bit repetitive (using the same riffs too often), her songs have good lyrics and should have particular appeal to younger listeners. She has two CD's that have been released on a small indie label here in Seattle, and her recordings deserve to be heard by a wider audience.