Judith Owen Debuts ‘Somebody’s Child’ Live with Stunning Melbourne Showcase - Noise11.com
Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman

Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne. Photo by Ros O'Gorman

Judith Owen Debuts ‘Somebody’s Child’ Live with Stunning Melbourne Showcase

by Paul Cashmere on June 8, 2016

in Live,New Music,News

Something truly special happened in Melbourne last night. Judith Owen performed with her band and is was one of the most special musical moments I have ever experienced.

Judith Owen is one of the true hidden treasures of the music business. Her music and performance will make you smile at one moment and tear up at the next.

Judith is 100% musician. She is a great singer, a great songwriter and especially a captivating performer. Put this lady in front of a piano and a mic and she commands the room.

Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman

Judith is in Australia with her band and her husband Harry Shearer to perform in Brisbane for the Queensland Cabaret Festival and in Adelaide for the Adelaide Festival. She has also taken time for two very special shows in Melbourne and Sydney to showcase her new album ‘Somebody’s Child’.

For me it was a privilege to have been part of such an intimate gathering to witness for the very first time ever a complete performance of the ‘Somebody’s Child’ album.

Judith held court and had the audience listening to her every word and captivated by every sound from the band.

And what a band it is. The legendary Leland Sklar, who has played on every album you have ever loved, was on bass. Witnessing what he does so close gave me a greater understanding of the thread that runs through albums by James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Crosby Stills & Nash and Warren Zevon and that is not even naming 1% of his work.

Leland Sklar performs with Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman

Percussionist Pedro Segundo, at 28 years old, has precision timing and created sounds out of the most basic setup to allow the band to flow.

Pedro Segundo performs with Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman

Then there is Harry Shearer, the most high profile name of the night but very much in the background. Harry would surface for two songs only to create two unique moments with ‘That’s Why I Love My Baby’, the song Judith wrote about him and a completely reimagined jazz version of the Spinal Tap anthem ‘Big Bottom’, giving him a chance to channel his inner Derek Smalls alter-ego.

Harry Shearer joins Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman https://www.noise11.com

Judith has a very quick wit but I have to pay credit to Lee for the line of the night after Judith was taking time setting up a song. He said “I was clean-shaven when you started this story”. (Harry did tell me later that he has used that line often).

The show itself was the debut of the ‘Somebody’s Child’ album from start to finish plus The Beatles ‘Blackbird’, Mungo Jerry’s ‘In The Summertime’ and Spinal Tap’s ‘Big Bottom’ as an encore.

Everything about ‘Somebody’s Child’ is a unique experience. From the first story in the title track about how people react to the less fortunate, ‘Tell All The Children’ a song about the future of the planet, the stunning song about loved ones passing ‘No More Goodbyes’, Harry’s song ‘That’s Why I Love My Baby’ or the pure jazz beauty of ‘I Know Why The Sun Shines’, the album takes the listener on a ride with stories of humanity.

In the coming week you can watch the Noise11 interview with Judith and Harry where Judith will go into detail about the songs.

Judith Owen setlist

Somebody’s Child
Send Me A Line
Mystery
Tell All The Children
We Give In
No More Goodbyes
Arianne
More Than This (Roxy Music cover)
That’s Why I Love My Baby (with Harry Shearer)
I Know Why The Sun Shines
Josephine
Aquarius (from Hair)
The Rain is Gonna Fall

Blackbird (The Beatles cover)
In The Summertime (Mungo Jerry cover)
Big Bottom (with Harry Shearer) (Spinal Tap cover)

Judith Owen – Somebody’s Child is available from JB-HiFi

Judith Owen Band dates

June 12, Brisbane, Powerhouse Theatre
June 16 and 17, Adelaide, Dunstan Playhouse

vvnmusic.com

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Never miss a story! Get your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to the Noise11 Music Newsletter here

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Follow Noise11.com on Facebook and Twitter

NOISE11 UPDATES are now in Apple News

Related Posts

Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Judith Owen Premieres New Song ‘Blossom’s Blues’

Welsh singer/songwriter Judith Owen has new music for 2020. ‘Blossom’s Blues’ is the first taste of an upcoming yet-to-be titled album which sees Judith expanding her sound to the lush jazz and blues of the 1940s and 50s.

May 3, 2022
Harry Shearer and Judith Owen
Judith Owen and Harry Shearer To gather Their Famous Friends For A Very Special Christmas Webcast

Judith Owen and Harry Shearer have gathered up their famous friends for the annual  ‘Christmas Without Tears’ fundraiser on 11 December 2020.

December 2, 2020
Harry Shearer joins Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman https://www.noise11.com
Harry Shearer Creates Comedy Gold With The Many Moods Of Donald Trump

Donald Trump has been the Godsend of comedy writers. For the past four years people like Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel have dominated their shows with Trumpisms. Now Harry Shearer has as well.

October 16, 2020
Judith Owen Is Coming Back To Australia and It Will Be Impressive

I first saw Judith Owen at The Cat Club in Melbourne in 2016. It was breathtaking.

February 26, 2020
Derek Smalls
Spinal Tap Legend Derek Smalls To Release His First Solo Album

Guitar 'legend' Derek Smalls, both formerly and formally of Spinal Tap, will release his very first solo album in April and wow, look at the guests.

January 18, 2018
iHeartRadio Noise11 channel music news
Judith Owen and Harry Shearer Join Noise11 for iHeartRadio

Judith Owen’s latest album ‘Somebody’s Child’ is simply stunning and this week at iHeartRadio you will hear the story behind the album.

August 26, 2016
Judith Owen at the Paris Cat in Melbourne on Tuesday 7 June 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Judith Owen Premieres ‘Somebody’s Child’ Video NOISE11 EXCLUSIVE

Singer-songwriter Judith Owen has released a confronting video for ‘Somebody’s Child’, the title track from her latest album.

August 22, 2016