The two Pauls, Kelly and Grabowsky, show us what we've missed

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The two Pauls, Kelly and Grabowsky, show us what we've missed

By Jessica Nicholas

MUSIC

PAUL KELLY & PAUL GRABOWSKY ★★★★

Online (from Melbourne Recital Centre), Sat 28 November

The musical paths of Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowsky have intersected on various occasions over the years – from a handful of TV performances back in the ’90s to an appearance with Archie Roach just last week at the ARIA Awards. As it happens, one of those awards (best jazz album) went to Kelly and Grabowsky for Please Leave Your Light On, an intimate album of duets that formed the backbone of their streamed concert on Saturday night.

Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowsky perform online at the Melbourne Recital Centre

Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowsky perform online at the Melbourne Recital CentreCredit: MRC

No one would call Paul Kelly a jazz singer, and in this setting Grabowsky wasn’t out to prove his chops as a jazz virtuoso either. Instead, the pair drew inspiration from Sinatra’s 1950s collaborations with Nelson Riddle, focusing on tunes from Kelly’s vast repertoire that could be recast as torch songs for piano and voice.

We’ve become accustomed this year to watching concerts filmed in empty auditoriums, and in this case the silent, shadowy expanse of the Melbourne Recital Centre amplified the sense of loss and longing that permeated many of the songs. Grabowsky’s delicate and deeply sensitive arrangements, too, served to highlight the beauty of the melodies and lyrics.

Kelly has always loved poetry, and the program included songs with words by Shakespeare and Gerard Manley Hopkins, half-sung and half-recited to match the subtle swagger of Grabowksy’s piano. But Kelly’s own lyrics are as pithy as any poet’s, and the way he embodies his characters makes every phrase – each tender soliloquy, wistful reminiscence or aching supplication – resonate with authenticity. Winter Coat effortlessly evoked a mood of nostalgic melancholy, while Kelly’s regret-filled hymn of love If I Could Start Today Again made for an exquisitely affecting finale.

It was followed not by a roar of appreciation or a standing ovation, but by silence. Perhaps it was best that way, allowing us to sit with our feelings as the two Pauls walked humbly off stage and into the shadows once more.

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