As mostly everyone the world over was, touring bands and solo artists were significantly affected by the COVID-19 shutdown. Eric Clapton, who has been quite vocal on this score, was undoubtedly one. In lieu of a May 2021 date he had to cancel at the Royal Albert Hall, Clapton took his longtime bandmates, bassist Nathan East, drummer Steve Gadd, and keyboardist Chris Stainton to Cowdray House in West Sussex, England, for an almost all-acoustic session that became The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions.
Akin to his famous MTV Unplugged album, The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions is a 17-song sedate, sit-down masterclass of a performance. And although he certainly is the center of the action, with his stronger than ever vocals and always expert guitar playing, old “Slowhand” is served so well by his well-seasoned company it seems we are peaking in at a rehearsal of one of the best four pieces on the planet.
Clapton rolls through the first few songs playing a 12-string, East working a big stand-up bass, Stainton manning a handful of keys, and Gadd alternating between playing his small set with his hands as well with sticks. If you ever wondered if Steve Gadd is one of the best drummers on the planet, watch The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions, and you come by some genuine reassurance.
In the early half of the performance, the band is exceptionally brilliant. They manage a tight, swaying reworking of “Black Magic Woman.” “Bell Bottom Blues” sees East switching to acoustic bass to provide a solid soft arpeggiated backing that turns the song very much inside out. It’s not such a plaintive wail here.
Included at the tail end are “Layla,” “Tears In Heaven,” and a spectacular stompin’ trio of electric blues when E.C. switches to a big hollow-body electric. The guys run through “Long Distance Call” and “Bad Boy,” both featuring Stainton’s expert key tickling and the ender, and heaviest tune of the night, “Got My Mojo Working.” The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions comes in various formats, but if you are lucky enough to catch the DVD of this intimate show, you will also e treated to some spectacular shots of the grounds of Cowdray House.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
