Robin Trower is one of those great rock figures who has found himself pushed out of the picture by American classic rock stations. He was the guitarist for Procol Harum on their first five records. Even though he did amazing work with them, radio has reduced the band down to “Whiter Shade of Pale” known for the keyboards. After he left the band, he put out a series of best-selling solo records in the ’70s including Bridge of Sighs (once covered by Metallica). He teamed up with Jack Bruce of Cream in the ’80s. He played with Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music in the ’90s. During this time, Trower kept up a steady stream of solo records. But thanks to lame classic rock radio station programmers, Trower is someone you learn about from others and not on the dial. A lot of people learned about Trower last year from Vernon Reid. The guitarist of Living Colour was running a campaign to get more followers for great guitarists’ Twitter feeds. I clicked on the button to follow Trower and this was good timing. He had just released a new album Joyful Sky with Sari Schorr on vocals and was streaming a concert featuring tracks from the new album. Now that show is out on Blu-ray as Robin Trower In Concert With Sari Schorr.
The rhythm section of Chris Taggart (drums) and Richard Watts (bass) provide the right foundation for Trower’s guitar paying. Sari Schorr has a great bluesy voice that pairs well with Trower’s crisp guitar sound. She sings on the songs she recorded with Trower for Joyful Sky including the song “Joyful Sigh.” Watts handles vocals on the early hits in the mix. He hits the gravel on “Bridge of Sighs.” Trower nails the delicate parts of his guitar solo. You’ll want to crank this part up to let your neighbors be reminded of why Trower is considered a Guitar Legend.
The show as recorded on September 3, 2023 at the Harlington Arts Centre, Fleet, Surrey, UK. The stage is rather simple with a curtain of white lights behind them and monitors up front. This is all about the music. There doesn’t appear to be an audience, yet you don’t feel it from the band who are in the groove. They’re making sure the camera and sound crew are feeling it along with you on your sofa. The setlist for the show consists of “The Circle Is Complete,” “Peace of Mind,” “I’ll Be Moving On,” “No More Worlds To Conquer,” “Change It,” “Need For You,” “Burn,” “Day of the Eagle,” “Bridge of Sighs,” “The Distance,” “Joyful Sky” and “Rise Up Like A Mountain.” The concert is available on Blu-ray and DVD. You’ll want to get Blu-ray so you can feel like you were at the show.
Robin Trower In Concert With Sari Schorr shows that he’s not done with the music. Nearly 60 years after he recorded his first solo with Procol Harum, Trower is still deeply exploring his music. I’m grateful to Vernon Reid for making me want to once more get deep into Trower’s work. I’m even more grateful that Trower is able to keep stay fresh. We’ll have to see what he Tweets next.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. There’s no fancy Sphere-like graphics flooding our face so you can full focus on Trower’s guitar playing. You can see how gives those strings a little stretch to get that sweet sound. The Audio is LPCM 2.0. This mix works since there’s only a three-piece combo that is built for stereo.
Interview with Robin Trower (11:05) has the guitarist talk about how during the pandemic lockdown, he began working on a new album. Him and bassist Riichard Watts collaborated online in the creation of songs. He explains how he was introduced to Sari Schorr. This changed up his approach to his new album Joyful Sky. His manager came up with the idea of performing new songs in a videotaped concert. He had to get really serious about the performance since he’s pushing 80.
Interview with Sari Schorr (7:16) has her thrilled about having a creative partnership with Robin Trower. She’s been a longtime fan so this a dream for her. She gets into what she learned from his creativity. She has learned to not compromise.
Trailer (2:24) has Robin perform “Joyful Sky.”
ARMV12 & MVDvisual presents Robin Trower In Concert With Sari Schorr. Filmed by Matt Robinson. Featuring Robin Trower, Sari Schorr, Richard Watts and Chris Taggart. Running Time: 45 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: May 7, 2024.
