Dan Bern’s latest release may well make you rethink live albums. Once mainly for the preteen set or those who avidly follow certain artists and proudly collect all the artists’ recordings, live albums may take a turn with Bern’s “Live in New York,” which combines the quality of a studio album with the best of impromptu stage performances.
| Onstage |
| When: 8 p.m. Thursday |
| Where: Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna |
| Details: $18; seated show; 703-255-1566; jamminjava.com |
“One of my friends convinced me to do it,” Bern said. “I had pooh-poohed the notion of a live album. It’s cool if you were [at the particular show], but if you weren’t there, all you can think about is that you weren’t there. It was a challenge to make a live album … that has the energy and is cool to listen to even if you weren’t there.”
As Bern fans know, mission accomplished times two, with the vocals of an early Bob Dylan and the intelligence and musical sensibilities of John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III. After releasing a host of studio albums, the folk troubadour released the 2010 album “Live in Los Angeles.” The popular success of the album prompted him to this year’s release “Live in New York.”
Bern was careful not to repeat any songs between the two records, and the latest includes some of his best-loved tunes including “Jerusalem,” “God Said No,” “I’m Not That Guy” and “Tiger Woods.” He’s also included some new songs that he has not previously recorded.
Bern credits the technical team he assembled for the polished sound of the record.
“I didn’t want to shortchange the people that were at the show, either, who were there that moment,” said Bern of his concerns about recording a live performance. “A lot I left up to the technical people.”
Although many performers might find such reliance a bit unnerving, Bern is a master of collaboration. He has written songs for many projects and movies including “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and “Get Him to the Greek” starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. He also wrote the title song for Jonathan Demme’s 2008 documentary “Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains” and contributed songs to the off-Broadway production of “Family Week,” in which he performed a duet with Emmylou Harris.
“It’s so much a part of the way I’m wired,” said Bern of his prolific songwriting career. “I will be backing my van out of the driveway and some little phrase will pop into my mind and the next thing I know, it will be a full song. I love everything I do a lot.”
