One of the great selling points of the Del Mar/San Diego Fair is that they consistently have artists from the Baby Boomer period to help us realize how much music and culture have changed. Vocalist Judy Collins performed before an overflow crowd at the Fairgrounds, and while her voice showed episodes of fragility, her dynamic range was still able to project songs with messages that still resonate today.
Teamed up with pianist/musical director Russell Walden, Collins strummed her 12 stringed guitar as she delivered thoughtful messages about life on “Both Sides Now” and “Who Knows Where The Time Goes” between funny yet poignant stories about living during the Johnson/Nixon years. Even upbeat material such as “Chelsea Morning” and “Someday Soon” include insights into the simple things in life and relationships that are rarely touched upon in this modern day of singing about booties hookups.
Her vocal charms were in excellent form as she gave an a cappella read of an Irish tune, just before a string quartet joined the stage to add extra textures and framework to material such as the verdant “Mountain Girl.” Songs such as “Suzanne” take you to the deepest thoughts of people you come across, with each song a little novella of its own, brought to you in earnest voice from a sound of an era when the message was as important as the means.