Cabaret Festival. Dunstan Playhouse. 19 Jun 2025

 

The album Trio, released in 1987, was the much-anticipated collaboration between three of country music’s greatest artists of the time: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt. Various issues, such as recording contracts and commitments to other projects resulted in the album being recorded over almost a decade. The album is a beautifully curated mix of original and traditional songs, and some quite stunning covers.

 

In homage to these powerhouses and the platinum album, Fanny Lumsden, Jess Hitchcock and Alice Keath have come together to perform the songs from the album (and a little more). With a backline of local session musicians, the trio took on the challenge with great enthusiasm. Opening with the album’s first track The Pain of Loving You, the musicianship gathered on the stage quickly became evident as the multi-instrumentalist backline of mandolin, fiddle, acoustic and electric guitars, pedal steel and bowed upright bass promised early and delivered for the entire performance.

 

As with the original trio, these three are successful artists in their own right; they’ve worked together on these numbers, and for the first part of the show they are quite tight and on track. It gets a bit loose towards the end, but this is a one-off and they don’t have the luxury of take after take to get it right.

 

That said, there are some real stand-out moments. Phil Spector’s To Know Him Is To Love Him is tight and joyous, a real crowd pleaser, and Randy Newman’s Feels Like Home (which was released on Trio 11 in 1999) brings the house down. Led by Jess Hitchcock at the grand piano, it is poignant and powerful and, along with a beautiful rendition of High Sierra, we are reminded of what a tragedy it is that Linda Ronstadt has lost that magnificent voice.

 

Also from the sophomore album (which was released in 1999) is a rendition of Neil Young’s After the Goldrush. Since Prelude’s 1974 recording showed how a close-knit vocal harmony could elevate this song, whenever three or more voices gather, they tend to have a go at this. Trio are no exception and carry it well; a small niggle was that the sound mix pulled up the pedal steel and double bass (bowing) a little high, drowning out some if the quite delicate vocal harmonies.

 

There is a generosity of spirit amongst these three artists, as indeed is evident with the original artists, with each acknowledging the other’s skills, particularly as they pull out their instruments to accompany some of the songs; banjo, guitar, piano and zither all make an appearance.

 

There's a sense of almost-but-not-quite about this production. It lacks a narrative; while there is some patter between songs about the making of the albums, there could be so much more to this story, elevating it above the concert format. These three artists have led remarkable lives, and some of the things that were going on in their lives during the making of the first album would have added to understanding some of the song choices that made it onto this first pressing.

 

Lumsden reads from notes far too much, and when the performers aren’t holding their instruments they physically seem a little lost, staring at the backline during solos, unsure of what to do with their bodies.

 

As a one off, it is a most entertaining show albeit a little under cooked for what should be a premium cabaret performance. But the singing is what it’s about for many, and the trio don’t disappoint, with a closer of Waltz Across Texas Tonight. And kudos to the backline; a stellar performance.

 

Arna Eyers-White

 

When: 19 Jun

Where: Dunstan Playhouse

Bookings: Closed