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“How are you,” she asked, downstage, now sitting catty corner to a vase of long-stemmed, blood-red roses. Later in the set, under a subdued spotlight, the Grammy winner, herself, switched from acoustic guitar to piano.

There were a few times when Collins needed assistance, including better lighting on the grand, and when her sheet music slipped off the stand, but she handled both unexpected episodes with the resilience of a true professional. The subtle instrumentation was supplied by local pianist Stu Mindeman and Thad DeBrock, who switched competently from pedal steel to conventional guitar. He talked about the Nez Pierce,” she pointed out in “My ode to the American Indian.” The octogenarian’s voice grew soft as she talked about the plight of the Native American population and relayed memories of her radio broadcaster father, who eventually lost his sense of sight, but had developed a keen sensitivity to familiar and fleeting sounds in nature. Initially, Collins did cover material until songwriter Leonard Cohen coaxed her into penning her own tunes. In contrast, were the more palpable, ‘Hell on Wheels’ and image-rich ‘Prairie Dream.’ The melodies were peppered with beautiful lyrics, such as: “Canyons through the wind-blown grass” and allusions of “Sundown and sunset.” Collins hit the highs and the lows.

Collins did spend considerable time in Colorado, breaking into the music scene there prior to relocating to the East Coast. The coming-of- age ballad, ‘When I Was a Girl in Colorado’ reinforced the hunch that her intention was to share her vivid past with grace and humility. Then, the team slowed the pace for the Stephen Sondheim gem, ‘Send in the Clowns,’ from ‘A Little Night Music,’ featuring a legato introduction, followed by flowing chords-it was just Collins and the pianist for this virtuosic class, which, in Collins’s capable hands turned platinum. This arrangement was decidedly more blues-based and up tempo.

The song has become iconic since the sixties and a welcome and expected number.Ĭollins mentioned her close relationship with the songwriter of ‘Someday Soon’ recorded by Ian and Sylvia. Superfans may already know that when the young singer heard Mitchell croon the ballad, ‘Both Sides Now’ a cappella style over the phone, she was immediately smitten. On a cold, but clear Friday night at Mauer Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music, Judy Collins entertained fans with a handful of songs from her most recent and totally original album, ‘Spellbound,’ but she also included classics made famous over her six-decade career.

Suite judy blue eyes guitar lesson youtube