Camden New Journal - Music: Ike Turner

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The Review - MUSIC - grooves with CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 3 May 2007

Ike rocks the mic

REVIEW: IKE TURNER
Jazz Cafe
by Ed Cumming

IKE Turner has been several times around the block, and by now you could sympathise with him for wanting to come slowly to a halt.
Yet despite his 75 years, two Grammy awards, Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame status, 40 albums and the entire Tina Turner Saga behind him, on the evidence of this wildly energetic show he’s got plenty left in the tank.
When Ike came on it was clear this was his show. His gold-sequined jacket illuminating any morose corners of the room left unmoved by his deranged, Bill Crosby-on-crack grin and he launched into a set that showed he’s still got most of the tricks up his sleeve.
It climbed through the first half to an incendiary, barnstorming Johnny B Goode followed by an impassioned Charlie Brown, with Ike alternating between keyboard and fabulous, distortion-drenched blues guitar. He is allowed to play the classics – he more or less invented them, after all.
Halfway through he introduced his daughter to take Tina’s parts, but – a rumbustious ‘Nutbush City Limits’ aside - these songs lacked the punch of the first half. That said, the crowd lapped them up till the very end, even through a perfunctory encore and some slightly half-hearted crowd participation.
But it’s hard to argue with them too much. Ike is an entertainer to his core, and the sheer force of his character and playing gives you the impression that you are in the presence of, if not genius, at least considerable greatness.
They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.

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