by Genevieve Williams
"I hope you don't expect me to sound like Mahalia, 'cause I won't,' Mavis Staples cautioned the crowd eager to hear her as part of Seattle's Earshot Jazz festival. Despite that caveat, it became clear that whatever power Staples may have lost to time, she makes up for in mature control and sheer enthusiasm.
Town Hall, a gathering place for civic and cultural events, is a former church, so it made sense that Staples would perform her classic gospel repertoire - much of it included on her 1996 tribute to Mahalia Jackson - in the main hall, which still resembles a church in many ways (including the pew-like benches on which the audience sits). It's a natural match. And if it took a few numbers for Staples' voice to warm up - though she managed "I'll Fly Away From Here," "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen," and "A Rusty Old Halo" just fine - once it did, she showed she still has plenty of depth.
Staples has experimented with genres over the years, but it's clear where her heart lies, and between songs she regaled the audience with tales of her gospel career -- especially at those points where it connected with Jackson, for whom Staples opened when she was 11. That was her first Jackson story; her last dealt with their final performance together at a 1969 gospel festival in Harlem. "I'm never going to forget it as long as I live," Staples said, and the audience won't, either.
Staples' set consisted largely of classics, many of which even nonaficionados of gospel recognized; her rendition of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" breathed new life into the campfire song, and she brought the images in "Wade in the Water" vividly to life. By the time her set wound down with "Down by the Riverside," which segued into a rousing "When the Saints Go Marching In," practically the entire audience was on its feet, with that near-tangible energy between crowd and performer that's one of the sure signs of a strong performance. Then the crowd got an unexpected treat: Staples' sister Yvonne, with whom Mavis had performed as part of the Staple Singers in the 1970s, joined for a couple of encore numbers. (It was her birthday.) Throughout, organist and pianist Steven Smith provided capable support without becoming obtrusive, though he got his chance to shine, too.
Jazz pianist Marc Seale opened the show with an instrumental set that displayed a light touch, an unpretentious style, and considerable dynamic range. The evening was emceed by DJ Riz from Seattle radio station KEXP, who described hearing Staples in a Chicago church in his younger days. For a few hours, the audience got a taste of what that must have been like; as Staples herself remarked after a particularly inspired number, "When the spirit hits you, you've got to move. And when you're done moving, you don't know where you are."
This article originally appeared in Blues Revue (opens new window) in February/March 2004.
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