Review: Alison Krauss and Union Station @ Manchester Apollo (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Review: Alison Krauss and Union Station @ Manchester Apollo

9:21am Tuesday 17th July 2012 in Opinion By John Anson, Features editor

THE queen of Bluegrass and her powerhouse band brought a touch of Tennessee to a dreary Manchester night.

This was a show for the purists as some of the finest musicians in the country world brought all their talents to the fore.

Krauss, who won a wider fanbase with her collaboration with Robert Plant, has a voice of outstanding beauty and clarity. At times you could hear a pin drop as her laments about lost love were barely louder than a whisper yet touched the heart.

She’s also a mean fiddle player when the mood strikes leading the band in a series of rollicking instrumentals.

With a band which includes dobro player Jerry Douglas and Dan Tyminski, the voice of George Clooney in Oh Brother Wherefore Art Thou, Union Station is a stellar line-up.

Technically the show was a masterclass and spontaneous applause could often be heard from a knowledgeable audience in appreciation of some musical mastery.

But for all the professionalism and beauty, for me it was just a touch too clinical. I’d have loved the band to loosen up just a little more but I suspected understated is their way.

Certainly it was still a privilege to witness this multi-Grammy Award winning ensemble on fine form.

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