Review by Ralph Greco, Jr.
I hate to be such an obvious punster, but it’s ‘not unusual’ for Tom Jones to present a near-perfect two-hour concert. The iconic singer might evoke some open-shirt, panties-flying, hip-swiveling Vegas style in our collective consciousness, but Mr. Jones has always been able to deliver with his big baritone and singular stage presence. In New Jersey, he did so in grand style.
Opening with John Lee Hooker’s “Burning Hel,” from his brilliant 2010 album Praise & Blame, Jones took stage with just his drummer (who also happens to be his band leader) and guitarist — two guys more than half his age. Leading mainly with his still-strong pipes, Jones flowed right into “Run On” from the same album. A second guitarist joined the fray while the sound remained stripped down, mining a deep gospel vein.
We did get a few of Jones’ chestnuts, the first one being “Mama Told Me (Not to Come).” As the four-piece horn section took the stage for the Randy Newman tune, a slowed-up rhythm was introduced, making the tune even sexier than normal. “What’s New Pussycat?” featured Jones, an accordion, an acoustic guitar and plenty of audience participation. “Delilah” was played with a bossa nova feel.
You have to appreciate Jones trying to reinvent these well-known tunes, and doing so masterfully. He also managed to catch most of the styles in his formidable arsenal, from barn-burners like “Raise A Ruckus,” to “Tomorrow Night,” the cowboy ballad from his 2015 album Long Lost Suitcase that he said his recently departed wife loved.
“Elvis Presley Blues” and a killer version of Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of Song” truly summed up Tom Jones’ mission tonight, and pretty much the main part of this show. “Thunderball,” the title track of the James Bond movie of the same name, as the first song of the encore was a revelation. This is the song that Jones claims made him faint during its recording. Tonight, the key was dropped a bit, but heavy horn spikes and Jones’ delivery (along with a video screen showing Bond movie snippets) were just as effective. And the man did indeed hold that last note.
Jones gave a shout out to Prince before performing his rendition of “Kiss.” He ended the night with the traditional African-American spiritual “Strange Things Happening Every Day,” made popular by Sister Rosetta Tharp. At 76, Tom Jones is alive and well and singing up a storm. If you get a chance to catch this legend, I highly recommend doing so.
