It’s always great to see Tim Hockenberry, one of the finest interpreters of modern music, in the midst of a creative burst. With his distinctive one-of-a-kind vocals, and the backing of long-time collaborators Gawain Matthews (guitars), Terry Miller (bass) and Dave Tweedie on drums, Hockenberry weaves a powerful spell with his takes on the music of Bob Dylan (“Howlin’ at Your Window”), Bruce Springsteen (“Back in Your Arms”) and Steely Dan (“Any Major Dude”). Once Tim imprints his signature on a tune, he owns it. The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” The Beatles’ “Girl” and “Strawberry Fields” are given deeper emotional weight with his strong, often sorrowful, gut-wrenching deliveries. The 1960s pop hit “Happy Together” is totally transformed into a funk groove reminiscent of Leon Russell or Dr. John. Tim’s R&B roots fly on a tune like Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles” and the rocker “Born to Be Wild,” where the band melts into a perfect seamless unit.

New songs written by Time made up the balance of the set. Sweet love songs to his young daughter Lola (“I’m Carrying You”) and his new love (“Let’s Dance”) are fueling Hockenberry’s creative juices. “Redemption,” written for a forthcoming movie, rocks hard with great hooks. “Take Me Home” is all country fiddle-pickin’ music that Tim jokingly referred to as his Jewish number, for its sound similarities to klezmer. “Take Me Home” and “Jody Come Home” are new tunes that add to his strong songwriting repertoire. “This Time by Me” and “Make Me Understand,” two standouts from his Back in Your Arms CD, rounded out this incomparable feast of old and new. The Bay Area’s treasure heads out for a tour with the arena rock band Trans Siberian Orchestra, but we eagerly anticipate his return to the intimate venues of his home town.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
September 19, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org