Surveying our ecletic arts scene, from the galleries to the stage.
FORT WORTH -- Wednesday night was special.
It was Hey, Good Lookin' and Walkin' after Midnight , memories of grainy black-and-white television clips and groovy single records, and most of all, a chance to sit in a comfortable hall in 2012 and actually hear the music of Hank Williams and Patsy Cline live -- the way they did it 50 to 60 years ago.
The Country Royalty show at Bass Hall was memorable, irresistible and bittersweet, paying homage to two influential talents who both died shockingly young after brief meteoric careers.
Jason Petty, a Tennessee singer-actor who's well-known for portraying Hank Williams, and Carolyn Martin, an Abilene native and Western swing innovator, didn't just sing like the music legends.
Their well-crafted, two-act show was full of biographical facts and country music history that brought home the significance of Williams and Cline while genuinely touching an audience too young to remember much about them, particularly Williams.
Petty's half came first, and included Honky Tonk Blues, Jambalaya (On the Bayou) and Move it On Over, three songs that showcased Williams' masterful ability to bring together blues, Cajun and even seminal rockabilly in a country framework.
"He lived every word he ever wrote," said Petty, who won an Obie Award for Outstanding Actor for his Williams portrayal in the off-Broadway hit Hank Williams: Lost Highway in the mid-1990s. "He had a little hint of sex and danger."
Petty's just-plaintive-enough vocals on I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You) were enough to transport the audience back to Williams' audition for his first recording contract with legendary country producer Fred Rose.
Other signature Williams material included Lovesick Blues, Your Cheatin' Heart and I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.
Martin proved to be true to Cline physically as well as vocally, beginning her set in a green fringed cowgirl dress and prowling the stage during Honky Tonk Merry Go Round and Come On In.
However, a historical footnote about Owen Bradley's advice to stand still, dress up and sing Walkin' After Midnight brought the more familiar Cline to mind.
"Patsy was more than a match for any man," said Petty, who added the commentary to Martin's robust performance. "Patsy even called herself a broad back in the mid-'50s."
But of course, everyone immediately felt the underlying vulnerability that Cline could always summon up in I Fall to Pieces, Crazy and She's Got You.
Thanks to Petty and Martin, it was an evening well-spent, with a couple of legends well-remembered.
Shirley Jinkins, 817-390-7657
Twitter: @startelegram
Hey there. or join DFW.com. Your account. Log out.
