Released the day before Liam Lunson's film of the same name, this two-disc set offers music from three concerts that took place over three years in London, New York, and Toronto, curated by
Joe Boyd. The film only covers the New York show, but the music here presents a much more expansive portrait of Kate McGarrigle's legacy and influence in 34 tracks. Hosted by her children,
Martha and
Rufus Wainwright, these performances are both a family album --
Kate's sister
Anna participates, as does her daughter
Lily Lanken, and aunt
Sloan Wainwright-- and a star-studded tribute. Performers include
Emmylou Harris,
Norah Jones,
Antony Hegarty,
Justin Vivian Bond,
Krystle Warren,
Linda and
Richard Thompson,
Teddy Thompson,
Jenni Muldaur, and
Jimmy Fallon, performing either solo and/or in various combinations backed by three different ensembles comprised of crack musicians. Many of these performances showcase McGarrigle's diverse, restless, and insightful songwriting, and how enduring her songs are. Highlights include a stirring "(Talk to Me) Of Mendocino" with
Jones' lead vocal backed by
Martha and
Rufus.
Martha's solo reading of "Matapedia" is sparsely orchestrated with only an acoustic guitar, violin and her vocal, which gets deep inside the grain of the lyric.
Teddy Thompson's offering of "Saratoga Summer Song," sounds like it was written for him. Given
Kate's passing,
Anna's classic "Heart Like a Wheel," sung by her,
Harris,
Warren,
Martha, and
Lanken, is searing.
Hegarty delivers a devastating solo on "Go Leave," and
Harris and
Jones offer a rousing version of "As Fast as My Feet Can Carry Me," backed by a full country band.
Martha's and
Rufus' duet on "I Am a Diamond" opens disc two as a militant yet delicate personal anthem. The second version of "Go Leave" by
Linda Thompson backed by
Richard's guitar, is doubly poignant given it's performed by a divorced couple.
Rufus' and
Hegarty's performance of "I Cried for Us" is perhaps the most heartbreaking track on the entire set, while
Peggy Seeger's "Tell My Sister," sung in a quavering voice, carries within it both vulnerability and empathy. The two biggest surprises here are in the closing sections on both discs. Kate McGarrigle herself appears via the wonders of technology on "Prosperina," where her voice is accompanied by
Sloan and
Martha, and in "I Just Want to Make It Last," a late home solo demo that addresses her mortality with wit, irony, and tenderness.This collection offers testimony to
Kate's unique, quirky vision and reminds us of what we've lost. More than anything, Sing Me The Songs... is a celebration, and is presented as such: informal, intimate, humorous, and always, even in its uneven moments, thoroughly engaging. ~ Thom Jurek