Kate Rusby - Live from Leeds

Starring:Kate Rusby
Studio: Compass Records
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

South Yorkshire folk singer-songwriter Kate Rusby celebrates a decade-plus as a recording artist and performer with this live concert, mostly adapted from her popular studio albums and replete with her typically evocative, emotional immediacy singing ancient ballads, sea shanties, and lullabies. Highlights include the infectious waltz, "Polly," the sprightly, hopeful "I Courted a Sailor," and Rusby's crystalline vocal on "The White Cockade." Backed by her outstanding, all-acoustic band, Rusby's celebrated talent for making an old sound feel new again drives the delicate plaint "Who Will Sing Me Lullabies," the pop-like "The Cobbler's Daughter," and the sad "Withered and Died," which sounds very much like the passage of heartbreaking events into memory. Newcomers to Rusby may wonder if those songs in her repertoire having to do with dragons, knights, and fair maidens (such as this set's "Sir Eglamore") are terribly precious, but they actually prove as personally expressive as anything else she does. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Unqualified Recommendation.......2005-09-29

God knows I've had my complaints about some of her CDs,
but they don't apply here, because if you are like me,
among the ~90% of her fans who will never see her live,
this DVD is your only extant chance to see, as well as hear.

To put it another way, the very first time I tried to
watch this, I had to pace myself out across about 4 nights,
and when the DVD was over, my first thought was "She ought
to make a concert DVD for every studio CD she makes.

Isn't that wild?

If you wish to know what opened my eyes most, it was 2
odd-angled camera shots of Johnny (may I call him that?).
Watch the DVD, see what I saw (twice), and you too will
learn a bit about where the staggering emotional depth
of her best work comes from. Life is too fragile for words,
and faith is too strong for words. Poor, poor words!

Better to sing, those who may.

I bought "Leeds" with "Underneath the Stars", then bought
"The Girl Who Couldn't Fly" a few days later. That last
disc is still in its wrapper, and it will stay there until
I am sure I have my received all I am able to from "Leeds"
and "Stars".

Kate Rusby is like a great secret that you wish you could
tell to the whole world, except the telling is nothing,
and the songs can be dodged and eluded by those who do not
seek; yet those who do seek (I am speaking of meaning and
expression), find, within her songs. This is marvellous to me.
All the more so because she neither wants nor has a monopoly
on the delight of her audience. So, enjoy, but branch out, too.

Good; arrangements and tempos could've been more varied........2005-03-28

I appreciate Kate Rusby's traditionalist approach towards folk music, but it's also hard to deny that variety in tempos, rhythms and arrangements are not Rusby's specialty. So if there's one thing about this gorgeously shot, well performed and beautifully packaged (especially for an indie label) DVD, it's that over the course of the 16-song set, it's mostly the same sounds over and over, and as lovely as they are, it could have been more varied.

I'd seen Kate Rusby live in New York at a small space, and my favourite part of that show hadn't even been her lovely voice or John McCusker's glistening cittern work, but how marvelously funny Rusby's in-between banter was. The same holds true for this DVD -- Rusby's extended chats to the audience, and persistent English jokes, are almost the highlight of this DVD. The banter makes the show seem more affectionate, less of a display and more of a joint celebration. The shooting and editing are excellent, with nary a beat missed and judicious, effective use of audience details, and the colours and camera work are great, engrossing you into the show and the performers, making you feel like you're actually there.

Performance-wise, aside from my nagging concern about the relatively unchanging arrangements, Rusby does also tend to speed up her uptempo songs quite a bit -- "Sir Eglamore" and "The Cobbler's Daughter" suffer especially from this, sounding almost panicked, with little space for vocals. But Rusby's ballad singing is good, and the audience's willing participation adds to the genial vibe.

Overall, a very good concert DVD. If you like this music, this is about as good a visual documentation of the show as you can expect.

A pure, perfect concert video.......2004-09-08

A must-have for all Kate Rusby fans. This beautifully-produced concert video is a pure winner, showcasing Rusby and her band at their best, before an adoring, appreciative English audience. Several things are worth pointing out: first, what a delight to see how friendly and down-to-earth she is, and what a fine performer. Authoritative, yet not stuffy or standoffish in any way, she presents these old trad ballads in a way that makes them seem like the most immediate and compelling of contemporary art... And, of course, the music is simply stunning -- the band plays sweet, but keeps things simple; it's warm and modern without muddling down in crossover pretensions, it's just simply lovely, lovely acoustic music. Finally, there's the experience of seeing Rusby sing: is it possible such a perfect sound is coming out of that everyday-looking lass before you? Guess so. Now I'll have to redouble my efforts to see her when she plays live at a venue near me... I know it'll be a night to remember!

Dead gorgeous.......2004-08-05

What's not to like about this DVD? You'll feel better after watching it: there's warmth, good humor, great talent, and a commitment to the music. The concert is the centerpiece with Kate's beautiful singing complemented by a great band, including John McCusker on fiddle and 27 other instruments. Kate's song introductions are informative and charming and funny. The production values on the DVD are perfect: you get to see all of the musicians from every angle, even from the back. The cameras move slowly and even look at the audience so you get a good feel for the venue and where the band fits into it all. The sound is fine, the musicianship stellar, and everyone looks to be having a good time of it. Beyond the concert the DVD provides Kate singing in various informal settings: a living room, a pub (hey! there's Phil Cunningham at the table playing accordion) with assorted folks joining her. And there are interviews, too! This DVD is a perfect way to add depth to your appreciation of Kate Rusby's music or a fine way to introduce her to your friends.

Yanks Listen Too.......2004-07-02

I suspect that most who purchase a music DVD are already fans of an artist music CD(s). It should be no surprise then that the comments that are left for the DVD are a bit prejudicial. So I'll gush -

I am no fan of music DVD's in general, however, when I saw that Kate Rusby was releasing a video of a live concert I was willing to make an exception. Yorkshire and Scotland are far far away from Texas. Video is much cheaper.

The Leeds theater was an excellant choice of venues for the filming. The sound in the theater seemed very nice (the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound picked it up well) and the atmosphere allowed for a little play between the audience and the band. The crowd appeared appreciative but somewhat subdued. There were no outbursts or spontaneous displays of jigs in the isles.

The musicians are superb. Their sound is polished parlor at its best. There is so much more to this music than simple support for Kate's magical voice. These guys are the real deal. John McCusker performs with several different instruments and he displays his vast talent with each on this DVD.

The song selection is virtually perfect. There is a nice blend of familiar tunes with new and unrecorded songs; sad ballads and an acapella comedy. Pick your preference; sing along, be amused, sit and center, or weep, and be entertained all the way through. There is not a mediocre track on the DVD.

The 87 minutes of performance is backed with almost an equal time of extas. One interview reference to Nancy Griffith makes me think the band should come experience the Gulf Coast Highway in person some blue bonnet spring.

Buy it, rent it, or barrow it! Especially if you're like me and can't hop a airplane to Europe for a show.

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