Lynn Saxberg writes the Ottawa Citizen:
Kathleen Edwards greeted the sold-out audience at the National Arts Centre’s Theatre with a twinkle in her eye and a big smile. “Let’s see if I remember how to do this,” she said.
In her first public appearance on a hometown stage in a couple of years, the Ottawa singer-songwriter took to the spotlight like her old self, doling out equal parts charm, profanity and self-deprecating humour, along with a stellar selection of tunes rendered with some of Ottawa’s cream-of-the-crop jazz musicians.
Lured out of her music-biz hiatus by saxman Petr Cancura to participate in the Crossroads series, which aims to present singer-songwriters in a jazzy new context, the 38-year-old Edwards was accompanied by Cancura on saxophones and mandolin, guitarist Roddy Elias, bassist John Gegge and drummer Mark McLean.
The level of talent on stage was astounding. Despite cracking jokes about her musical ability, Edwards fit right in. Her voice was a rusty knife that tore through the heart, while her instrumental work on guitars, acoustic and electric, and violin was confident and sure-handed.