Michael Arden is a talented singer with a warm, solid voice that can soar or descend, an easy-going stage presence and no shoes.

Though in sound and style he is nothing like Joni Mitchell, he’s singing all ten tracks from her 1971 Blue album in his latest show—and singing the heck out of them, albeit barefoot. Mitchell’s recording, a collection of original songs about relationships that has developed a cult following over the years, provides a strong base on which to build a show.  Wisely, Arden sang the songs in his own style, with his own interpretations and with new arrangements by Todd Almond, his pianist and musical director—and the concept worked extremely well.

He said he became familiar with the Blue album during time spent at a summer camp at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where he acted in a play that used the album as background music. Arden’s connection for the music was evident from his opening, “All I Want,” and it never wavered throughout his set.

Among his best numbers were: “Carey,” an upbeat, joyous song; the title song and “River”—two ballads Arden sang as if in prayer; and “This Flight Tonight,” another contemplative song that he sang as if in a trance, with strong backup from guitarists Nalle Colt and Willis Cloy.

He delivered a soulful rendition of “My Old Man,” about one person’s deep affection for another—noting at the end that it was Mitchell’s unknowing song about Proposition 8, the California initiative on same-sex marriage. Arden was wistful and sorrowful in “Little Green” and demonstrated his ability to convey a message simply and convincingly through the lyrics in “California,” “A Case for You” and “The Last Time I Saw Richard.”

To close the show, he performed two Mitchell songs that were not on the Blue album: “Conversation,” in which he opened his voice to its full power, sounding a bit like Sam Harris in the process; and a thoughtful rendering of “Both Sides Now,” in which he delivered the lyrics as if thinking of them for the first time, which gave a new slant to a well-traveled song.

Providing backup throughout his set were two vocalists—Jaqui Polk and Nikki Tomlinson—plus Almond on piano, Colt and Cloy on guitars and Reade Willis on percussion.  They were joined on “River” by Travis Hagenbuch on the Rhodes piano.

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
October 24, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org